Christina Lau Billings ’98, Alumni Committee Chair
John Bird
Heather Ciriello, Annual Fund Chair; McCarthey Campus Home & School Representative
Dru Damico, Finance Committee Chair
The Rev. France Davis
Bing Fang, Inclusion, Equity, and Outreach
Committee Chair
Melissa Filippone
Kitty Northrop Friedman ’91
The Rt. Rev. Scott B. Hayashi, Episcopal Bishop of Utah
Chris Hill
Adam Himoff
Cary Jones
Sarah Lehman
Katie Lieberman, Head Support and Evaluation Committee Co-Chair
Akemi Louchheim, Nominating Committee Chair
Marina Lowe
Gina Miller, Lincoln Street Campus
Home & School Representative
John Miller ’96
Oscar Wood Moyle IV ’90, Capital Campaign Chair
Marty Olsen
Jennifer Price-Wallin, Immediate Past Board Chair; Head Support and Evaluation Committee Co-Chair
Laura Snow Prosper
Todd Rankin, Development Committee Chair
Jeanne Zeigler
Ex-Officio
Mick Gee, Head of School
Trustees Emeriti
Peter Billings Jr. ’63
Bob Marquardt
Bob Steiner
Kevin Steiner
Christopher “Kit” Sumner ’64
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // Stephanie Orfanakis
MANAGING EDITOR // Ashley Atwood
LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION // Mason Fetzer
PHOTOGRAPHY // Kirsten Hepburn, Robert Lainhart, Stephanie Orfanakis, Stuart Ruckman
I am proud to be leading a school where we put students at the center of our decision-making.
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Rowland Hall Families and Friends,
I hope by the time the Annual Report reaches your mailboxes, everyone has had some time to rest and recharge after what can only be described as an extraordinary year. My first year as your head of school was certainly unpredictable at times, as we contended with the COVID-19 pandemic, witnessed and supported racial justice movements, and said goodbye to some longtime, beloved teachers and administrators. However, in other ways, my transition to Rowland Hall was exactly as expected. I was greeted with a warm welcome by all—even if often via a Zoom call—and found myself surrounded by an exceptionally talented group of educators and leaders.
When I look back at the past year, there is one feeling that towers over all the rest: pride. I am exceptionally proud of our teachers, students, staff, and families for working together and adhering to our health and safety protocols. I am very proud that, because of the collective effort, we were able to deliver on-campus learning all year long—something that
many other schools could not achieve. I am proud to be leading a school where we put students at the center of our decision-making, which was the core reason we strove all year long to remain on campus: because it is best for the students. While I was not able to visit classrooms and interact with people as much as I would have liked, when I did, I observed engaged students and dedicated faculty demonstrating a true commitment to one another and to their education. It’s something we can all be proud of! We achieved another great milestone for our community this year, with the gift from the Cumming Family Foundation to create an endowed director of equity and inclusion position, and the subsequent hire of Dr. Chandani Patel to fill this important leadership role. I am very excited to have Chandani on our team and know she will be welcomed by all of you just as I have been. Like many institutions, we have important
work ahead in order to become a more equitable and just school (you can read more about one way we’ve been working toward this goal in our feature story, “Computing for All at Rowland Hall” on page 22). With Chandani’s guidance and the collaboration of our entire community, I am confident that we will take big strides to build on the core values that serve as our foundation for a healthy, safe, and inclusive learning environment for all.
As I begin my second year in Salt Lake City and at Rowland Hall, I anticipate many great things. The school is in an excellent position with respect to our budget and enrollment figures. We are getting closer each year to our vision of uniting our entire student body on one campus. The talent and passion of our faculty and staff impress me on a daily basis. And we’re even planning a few more events and celebrations this year, which I sincerely hope will give me the chance to say hello to many of you in person!
Thank you for being part of this school community. I am so happy—and proud—to be a part of it too.
Sincerely,
Mick Gee
Rowland Hall’s health and safety protocols, including physical distancing and masking, allowed us to deliver on-campus learning all year long.
FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
In the wake of a year of historic challenges, I am thankful and enthusiastic for Rowland Hall and our community. In consultation with nationally recognized health professionals, our administration, faculty, and staff skillfully navigated the uncharted waters of the pandemic to deliver safe and effective learning for our students. Our parents and caregivers diligently monitored their students’ health and adhered to safety protocols. Our students demonstrated great personal responsibility, resilience, and empathy. Thanks to those efforts, Rowland Hall remained open all year, provided top-notch instruction, and had zero known instances of COVID-19 community spread.
Faced with economic uncertainty and hardship, our community generously stood up for Rowland Hall. We exceeded our Annual Fund goal of $900,000 and, in so doing, expanded access to—and the quality of—our programming. We exceeded our biennial Auction goal and raised $350,000 for financial aid, professional development, and pandemic response. We are fast approaching the halfway mark on fundraising for our $35 million capital campaign to construct academic and athletic facilities on the Steiner Campus. As one of three principal stakeholders, we opened the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation training facility, which benefits our world-class Rowmark Ski Academy program. And, the year after raises were canceled and hiring frozen due to budgetary implications of the pandemic, the Board of Trustees approved a budget that made up for lost raises for faculty and staff, while keeping tuition increases in line with recent years. The school remains debt-free and
its endowment enjoys steady growth. Rowland Hall is fiscally sound.
Our new head of school, Mick Gee, has lived up to the hype, providing thoughtful, informed, steady, and sage leadership. He has already become a trusted and endearing fixture of Rowland Hall. Having witnessed Mick’s leadership up close, I am excited about the future of the school with him at the helm.
This year, our student-athletes won three state championships and five regional championships, were nominated to the US Ski Team, and earned dozens of all-state and all-region accolades. Our visual and performing artists collaborated in creative ways to share their work. And our debate team embraced the virtual competition format and brought home the 3A state title.
Rowland Hall’s response to the pandemic did not go unnoticed. Admission inquiries and enrollment grew significantly over the past year, and more families displayed interest in joining our community. We are excited to start this fall having exceeded our budgeted enrollment goal; as tuition is the primary source of the school’s revenue, higher enrollment numbers enhance our programmatic capabilities.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank all community members for their sacrifices and contributions last year. The coming years are full of promise and opportunity. It is an outstanding time for Rowland Hall.
Christopher Von Maack ’97 Chair of the Board
FINANCE REPORT
2020 – 2021
Preparation for the 2020–2021 school year definitely looked different than in prior years. The Board of Trustees met throughout the summer months to ensure that the school’s finances and operations were on track to support successful and safe programs for all students. As a result, we approved emergency spending for critical upgrades to our campus facilities, including air purifiers, UV-C light towers, HVAC system improvements, and automatic sinks, mainly at the Lincoln Street Campus. We also purchased OWL cameras for all classrooms in grades one through twelve to allow synchronous learning between on- and off-campus students, and we provided community members with masks and sanitizing equipment. These investments allowed us to safely bring students in each division back to campus in August as well as to create a top-notch distance-learning environment for those in a hybrid or fully remote program. In addition, the board significantly scaled back spending on capital projects to prioritize immediate operational needs, and implemented a one-year pay freeze for employees. Finally, the school leadership restructured staff positions. We are proud that we could keep all of our faculty and staff employed throughout the year.
Rowland Hall’s ability to provide on-campus learning, bolstered by a commitment to strict health and safety protocols, led to an unprecedented 30 new students enrolling after the school year began. This boost in enrollment and tuition revenue helped offset the losses generated by our auxiliary programs, such as cafeteria, transportation, and Extended Day, all which had to adjust their programming significantly for COVID-19 protocols. Higher tuition revenue and the proactive management of expenses by school leadership resulted in the school being in a much better financial position at the end of the year than originally budgeted. Rowland Hall enjoys a solid financial position heading into the 2021–2022 school year.
It has been a true privilege to lead the Finance Committee for the past two years. I have the deepest gratitude for the school administration, faculty, and staff, whose hard work and dedication keep students learning and our community thriving, even during the most challenging times.
Dru Damico Finance Committee Chair
JULY 1, 2020–JUNE 30, 2021
OPERATING BUDGET
These numbers are audited each year in August after the Annual Report press deadline. Historically, very few changes are required as a result of the annual financial audit.
SALUTE TO DEPARTING TRUSTEES
Every year, the Board of Trustees and school community thank and bid farewell to several dedicated volunteers who have worked hard for many years on behalf of the school. This year, we say goodbye to two trustees who provided exemplary service to Rowland Hall.
John Bird leaves the board after 15 extraordinary years of service. During his tenure, John served seven years as chair of the Finance Committee and two years as chair of the Investment Committee. His steady counsel and leadership helped guide Rowland Hall through the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, and each one of the six board chairs he worked with will attest to relying on his wisdom and support when it came to making tough decisions. During 2018–2019, he was an integral member of the Head of School Search Committee and helped select Mick Gee as the new leader of our school community. We are deeply indebted to John for his service and wish him all the best.
Gina Miller served as the Lincoln Street Campus Home & School representative for the past three years, and as the Annual Fund chair from 2018 to 2020. Thanks to her dedication and efforts to reach out personally to many community members, the school reached an all-time-high rate of parent participation, 79 percent, in 2019. Gina contributed thoughtfully to board discussions, particularly those pertaining to equity and inclusion work, and always offered an important voice on a wide range of parent concerns. We thank Gina for her service and are grateful she is moving into a new leadership role this fall as the president of the Lincoln Street Campus Home & School Association.
WELCOME NEW TRUSTEES
Sarah Campsen
Dr. Sarah Campsen graduated from James Madison University before earning a degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University, where she published studies on clinical outcomes of premature infants. After working at The Johns Hopkins Hospital for three years, Sarah earned her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School and attended the University of Colorado for her residency in family medicine.
Prior to joining the Board of Trustees, Sarah served on Rowland Hall’s McCarthey Campus Home & School Executive Board as speaker coordinator, volunteer coordinator, committee chair for the book fair and for faculty and staff appreciation, and president. On the Lincoln Street Campus Home & School Executive Board, she served as the Middle School coordinator. Sarah has also been involved on the Auction Solicitations Committee as co-chair of item display and on the Capital Campaign Steering Committee. In addition to her service at Rowland Hall, she is on the Caledonian HOA Board and is vice president of a small family foundation board.
Sarah and her husband, Jeff, live in Park City and have three children at the school: Jack (10th), Baker (8th), and Kade (4th).
Mairi Leining
Dr. Mairi Leining graduated magna cum laude from Rice University with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. She received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed her residency training in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Currently, Mairi is the medical director of People’s Health Clinic in Park City, where she provides health care to the underserved. She is also a master of public health candidate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focusing on global and humanitarian health. Prior to joining People’s Health Clinic, Mairi worked as a hospitalist and served as the ICU medical director at the Park City Hospital. She has also worked as a hospitalist in South Lake Tahoe and at the University of California San Francisco.
Mairi splits her time between Salt Lake City and Park City with her husband, Ravi Adusumalli, and their two Winged Lions, Bridge (3rd) and Chase (1st).
NEW ADMINISTRATION
Shuja Khan
Director of Enrollment Management
Shuja Khan joined Rowland Hall as director of enrollment management in July. A proponent of the positive impact independent schools have on the lives of students, Shuja brings to the school a strong background in enrollment management and data analytics, as well as a deep commitment to equity and inclusion.
“I’m profoundly happy to have met Mick, and I believe in his vision for the school. I’m beyond thrilled to work with this team,” said Shuja. “Rowland Hall is a place of connection and I feel connected already—to the students, to the faculty, to the Admission Team, to the parents, to the community at large. I’m so very excited to do this work.”
Shuja was previously the director of enrollment management at Gulliver Schools in Florida and the director of admissions and financial aid at Stuart Hall in California. He holds a master’s degree in math from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Dartmouth College. Shuja and his wife, Emily—the new director of learning services for the McCarthey Campus—have two children at Rowland Hall: Nas (6th) and Aubrey (2nd).
Chandani Patel
Director of Equity and Inclusion
Dr. Chandani (pronounced ChAHn-dhuh-nee) Patel joined the Rowland Hall community in July as director of equity and inclusion, the first endowed position in school history (see page 30). She brings to the role a decade of experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across a number of institutions.
“I am thrilled to serve as the inaugural director of equity and inclusion at Rowland Hall, a role that allows me to work holistically with all community members towards creating an inclusive school culture where everyone feels valued and like they belong,” said Chandani. “I am looking forward to connecting with the community, and I am especially eager to meet with students to learn more about their experiences at Rowland Hall. This first year will be my opportunity to listen to the community and identify key priorities to focus on towards our shared vision of being a place where we embrace our differences and nurture a deep care for each other, ourselves, and the world.”
Prior to Rowland Hall, Chandani was the director for global diversity education at New York University. She holds a PhD in comparative literature, with a focus on South Asian and African literatures, from the University of Chicago; she also holds a master’s degree in humanities and social thought and a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature, both from New York University. She and her husband, Brady Smith, are parents to Aashna (4PreK).
Emma Wellman
Beginning School and Lower School Principal
We are excited that after serving for three years as Beginning School principal, Emma Wellman has taken on the expanded role of Beginning School and Lower School principal as of July 1. This shift will allow for enhanced alignment and connection between the two divisions, with students, families, faculty, and staff benefiting from Emma’s in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Rowland Hall community and culture.
“I am pleased as punch to be stepping into this new role supporting teaching and learning from 3PreK through fifth grade,” said Emma. “We have a very strong team assembled and are excited to get started.”
Prior to coming to Rowland Hall, Emma worked at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (Lab), first as a teacher and then as an administrator for 3PreK through eighth-grade programming, and was an adjunct instructor at the City Colleges of Chicago. Before Lab, Emma founded and directed a small daycare, Banana Mashers, also in Chicago. She holds a master’s degree in child development from the Erikson Institute and a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from the University of Michigan.
Brittney Hansen ’02
Beginning School Assistant Principal
We are pleased to welcome Brittney Hansen ’02 to the role of Beginning School assistant principal. Brittney has been a teacher in Rowland Hall’s 4PreK program since 2019, where she helped lead the team through the unexpected transition to online learning in the spring of 2020, studied and made improvements to ongoing Beginning School communications with parents and families, and looked critically at enhancing the 4PreK visual arts and literacy curriculums.
“I am thrilled with the opportunity to continue my work at Rowland Hall in the assistant principal role,” said Brittney. “It is a true joy to spend my days surrounded by the professionals on the faculty of the Beginning School, whose commitment to and respect for young learners is unmatched. I look forward to supporting their work and to deepening relationships with Beginning School students and families in the years ahead.”
Before joining Rowland Hall, Brittney was an educator and administrator at Washington University in St. Louis. She earned a master of education, with a focus in higher education, from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in social thought and analysis from Washington University. Brittney and her husband, Aleks, are the parents of three Rowland Hall students: Christopher (3rd), Juliana (kindergarten), and Florence (3PreK).
FOND FAREWELLS 2021
Doug Wortham, French teacher, retired after an inspiring 43 years at Rowland Hall. Doug taught all levels of Upper School French, coaxing students to the highest levels of language mastery and fluency through his strong standards, hard work, and relationships built on trust, encouragement, and connection. He also led legendary Interim trips, mentored colleagues, and launched the school’s ombudsperson program. He is held in the highest esteem by the entire community and will long be remembered for his work ethic, nonstop energy, kindness, wisdom, and passion for teaching. “My life’s joys, triumphs, difficult moments, and even profound loss have all been framed by our community, by you,” reflected Doug. “I will always be grateful for all of you under one name, Rowland Hall.”
Paul Christensen, AB Calculus and algebra 2 teacher, retired after an impressive 37 years at Rowland Hall. A respected and beloved teacher, Mr. C was a mentor to legions of students, as well as to his adult colleagues. He will be remembered for his loyalty, wisdom, generosity, and kindness—and for his playful nature (his hilarious memes and jokes served as a bright light for many, particularly during the isolating early days of the pandemic). “Looking back now it all seems a blur, but a blur of rich and satisfying adventures, successes and failures, laughter, and tears,” said Paul. “I am grateful for the dedication, influence, and example of strong and stellar colleagues, present and past. You have challenged my thinking, deepened my emotions, and broadened my perspectives.”
Debbie Skidmore, nurse assistant, retired after 26 years at Rowland Hall. In addition to her most recent role in the McCarthey Campus nurse’s office, Debbie also served the Lower School as a lunchroom monitor, recess monitor, and Extended Day support person. She consistently and eagerly took on new challenges, and her ability to provide TLC to students, communicate with parents and caregivers, and maintain a positive attitude left an indelible impression on our community. She will be remembered by students and colleagues as one of the kindest, most thoughtful people they know.
Kathy Gundersen, director of admission, retired after 20 years. Kathy joined Rowland Hall in 2001 as director of admission for the beginning and lower schools before becoming director of admission for the entire school in 2012. Known for her compassion and steadfast commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Kathy built incredible relationships during her tenure at Rowland Hall. Every student who joined our community during the past nine years was welcomed and supported by Kathy and her team—there are few others in our school whose impact is as broadly felt as hers. While we miss her, we are also excited for her to spend more time with her husband, Finn, and their two sons. “I have loved working with all of you to build the community that we enjoy today,” said Kathy.
Read retirement tributes at rowlandhall.org/fineprint.
Javier Pinedo, chess teacher, retired in fall 2020 after almost 22 years at Rowland Hall. An outstanding advocate for the benefits of chess, Javier taught first- through fifth-grade students skills like problem solving, using empathy, taking risks, and learning from mistakes.
Beverly Facklam, second-grade teacher, retired after 16 years at Rowland Hall. Beverly’s enthusiasm and enjoyment of young learners benefited her many students, while her colleagues reaped the benefits of her passion for growth, learning, and humor.
Sara Dacklin, third-grade teacher, retired after 15 years. Sara’s classroom was always defined by a happy buzz of students, and her focus on relationships, her continual work to improve her teaching, and her personal values of respect, kindness, and fun will be missed.
Erika McCarthy, fourth-grade teacher, retired after 14 years at Rowland Hall, which she called her “teacher heaven.” Erika will be remembered for her natural ability to connect with others, including her colleagues, students, and school community, and will be greatly missed.
Chuck White, emotional support counselor, retired after 13 years at Rowland Hall, where he taught students in the beginning and lower schools to mindfully recognize and regulate their feelings, solve problems, and fill friends’ buckets with respect and kindness.
Doug Booher, Middle School athletic director and administrative assistant, left in April 2021 after 12 years to be with family. Our community benefited greatly from Doug’s work as a coach, advisor, registrar, athletic director, and champion of kids.
Allison Spehar, Middle School director of community programs and dance and wellness teacher, left for a new opportunity in January 2021. Allison was instrumental in helping others enhance their self-awareness, regulation, empathy, and social skills.
Brian Birchler, math teacher, left for a new opportunity after nearly eight years. Brian taught a variety of subjects in mathematics (most recently geometry and Advanced Topics Statistics) to every grade in the Upper School and served as Math Department chair.
Kait Abraham, lead 4PreK teacher, left after seven years to be with family. Kait first worked in, and dramatically improved, Rowland Hall’s enrichment program before transitioning to 4PreK in 2018, where she built strong relationships with her students.
Erika Palsson, executive assistant to the head of school and board liaison, left in July 2021 after seven years of service. Whip-smart, funny, kind, considerate, and caring, Erika is a consummate professional who always acted in the best interest of the school.
Nick Banyard, network manager, left after six years in January 2021 to join SpaceX. Nick did an incredible job learning the complexities of (and updating and streamlining) Rowland Hall’s networking systems, overseeing large-scale projects, and supporting faculty and staff.
Jij de Jesus, Lower School principal, left after six years to become associate head of PS1 in California. Jij developed student-centered programs, hired and coached exceptional faculty and staff, and helped guide critical work in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Chaleh Thirkill, McCarthey Campus nurse, left Rowland Hall after six years. A strong advocate for school nursing, Chaleh harnessed her experience as a pediatric nurse to provide compassionate care to students, as well as to teachers, staff, and parents.
Levi Todd, Technology Support Center manager, left for a new opportunity after six years. Always willing to jump into a new task, Levi learned all of Rowland Hall’s technology systems, kept computers and iPads updated and repaired, and greeted visitors with a smile.
Kelly Hermans, digital communications manager, left Rowland Hall in April 2021 after more than five years to join the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Kelly put her signature touch on every project she worked on, elevating the work of the Marketing Department.
Darcy Marvin, McCarthey Campus physical education teacher, moved to Texas after five years at the school. Darcy taught third through fifth graders healthy habits, skill mastery, and the thrill of discovering a sport or activity that can be enjoyed for life.
Ray Szczepaniak, sixth-grade math teacher, retired after four years. Ray will be remembered as one of the kindest, most humble, and supportive members of the Middle School team, who was always willing to work with students to help them realize their mathematical potential.
Graham Flinn, Rowmark head women’s U19–21 coach and head conditioning coach, left after three years to become head coach of the US Ski Team men’s Development Team. Graham supports athletes within an environment of respect, teamwork, and fun.
Darryl Whitaker, Rowmark Junior coach, left in fall 2020 after more than two years at the school to become program director of the Kirkwood Ski Team in California. Darryl was a key member of the coaching staff and made a positive impact on studentathletes’ development.
Bri LeBreton, Upper School administrative professional and student activities coordinator, left after two years to become assistant director for diversity at Westminster College. Bri worked with Student Council and the student Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
Heather Ernst ’14, McCarthey Campus receptionist, left after one year for a new opportunity. Heather previously worked as a SummerWorks counselor and as a lunch/recess monitor, and her bright personality, excellent communication, and organization skills benefited Rowland Hall.
Dave Wood ’05, support teacher, left in May 2021 to become outdoor programs coordinator for Salt Lake County. Dave was an integral support during 2020–2021, where he filled in as chess teacher, substitute teacher, classroom teacher assistant, and Winter Sports facilitator.
Some farewells were announced after the Annual Report deadline. Visit rowlandhall.org/fineprint for a full list.
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2021
The class of 2021 is a diverse and talented group of young adults. During their time at Rowland Hall, they have grown academically and personally by embracing challenges, pursuing their passions, and committing to productive, responsible, and thoughtful lives. They’ve also shown impressive resilience, particularly during their junior and senior years, which were greatly altered by COVID-19. Though the pandemic affected their plans for events, summer internships, study abroad opportunities, and athletic competitions, these students still found ways to learn, to connect, and to share joy. Members of this class took opportunities to expand their learning. They explored careers through internships—both in person and virtually—at organizations like Better Days 2020, McNeill Von Maack, the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office, the University of Utah, and Utah Spine Medicine. They attended
programs at The School of the New York Times and the National Security Agency, studied abroad in England and Ireland, and immersed themselves in languages and cultures in China and the Dominican Republic. They expanded their studies at the college level, enrolling in courses like numbers theory, 1700s American civilization, and introduction to architecture, and they partnered with Rowland Hall teachers to craft independent study courses when COVID-19 canceled classes. The class of 2021 also includes several students recognized for their academic prowess. The group boasts several top-tier debaters, including six individual state champions, three national qualifiers, two Academic All-Americans, and the captains who led the team to its first overall 3A state title in school history. Multiple young women in this class received Aspirations in Computing awards from the National Center for
Women & Information Technology. Another took home first prize in the Federal Bar Association’s 2020 civics essay contest.
This class has no shortage of artists bringing beauty to the world. Its musicians include a winner of the American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music, a principal violinist for the Utah All-State Orchestra and the Utah Youth Orchestra, and a pianist who earned several superior rankings from the National Federation of Music Clubs. One actor is a member of University of Utah Youth Theatre’s Conservatory, and one dancer attends Ballet West Academy. A promising writer honed her skills at a Brown University creative nonfiction writing program, while others wrote editorials on topics like homelessness reform, the importance of grieving lives lost to coronavirus, and the number of women in leadership, all of which were published in The Salt Lake Tribune Winged Lion seniors led our athletics program to top-five finishes in the Deseret News’ 2A AllSports Awards each year of their Upper School careers. They captured 28 region and nine state titles as teams, and four individual region and state championships. Five seniors were named All-State, with one awarded 3A Swimmer of the Year; four earned All-Region honors; and one was selected to play in a postseason all-star game.
Fifteen Academic All-State and 25 Academic All-Region honorees led their teams to top-three GPA rankings among 2A schools over the past four years. All three seniors in Rowmark Ski Academy finished this season with career-best performances, including 10 Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) top-20 and two FIS top-10 finishes. In addition to school sports, this group pursued diverse athletics interests: they participated in rowing, figure skating, and club soccer. One is a nationalchampionship-winning equestrian. Two are ski mountaineers, one of whom competed with the US National Team at the World Championships and Youth Olympic Games, and another who is a member of the Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team.
This class has left their mark on Rowland Hall: they founded clubs like Mental Health Educators, created safe spaces for peers including the LatinX
affinity group and the Queer-Straight Alliance, and helped drive necessary conversations via the student Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee. They’ve devoted countless hours to the larger community, supporting causes like Black Lives Matter and March for Our Lives, and volunteering for organizations including Circles Salt Lake, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Mission Math, the National Charity League, People’s Health Clinic, Salt Lake Peer Court, the Sunnyvale Community Center, YouthCity Government, and YWCA Utah.
Many students held down jobs while in school, working as servers, referees, lifeguards, swim instructors, and babysitters; a couple entrepreneurs even started their own
companies. And while balancing school, service, and work, these students spent time on passion projects, whether that meant joining the American Regions Mathematics League, examining area histories and geology with the National Outdoor Leadership School, earning a private pilot’s license, or giving a TED Talk on microplastics for TEDxParkCity.
The future is bright for the 65 seniors in this graduating class. Our graduates earned admission to 133 different colleges and universities, and 74 percent of them received at least one merit scholarship to attend college. A few have chosen to take a gap year to work or pursue personal interests. Whatever their next steps, we know these experiences will serve as stepping stones on their journeys to living lives of purpose and impact.
Congratulations to the class of 2021. You have achieved many great things, and we are eager to watch you continue to change the world for the better.
Valedictorian Zach Benton
GRADUATES OF THE CLASS OF 2021
Charlotte Warner Altman
Gracie Raquel Aposhian
Calvin Emmett Barbanell
Elena Kaye Barker
Zachary Richard Benton
Andrew Harris Bird
Auden Nalamlieng Bown
Dagny Lynn Brickson
Ella Vita Fritze Brown
Richard Caio Brown
Carson Sterling Burian
Daniel David Carlebach
Mary Elizabeth Clancy
Isabel Barbara Cox
Rebeca Winkler Damico
Kathryn Dark
Sophie Kathleen Dau
Cooper Davis
Madeleine Kate Eatchel
Maxwell Stuart Eatchel
Noah Ulrich Edgar
Serena Grace Flanders
Institutions to which our graduates will matriculate
American University
Barnard College
Bates College
Brown University
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Colorado College
Dartmouth College
Emory University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Loyola Marymount University
Middlebury College
Montana State University
New York University
Samuel Charles Francis
Madeleine Estelle Frech
Madeleine Olivia Gee
Garrett Mark Glasgow
Matthew Yan Liang Goh
Augustus Neale Hickman
Alexandra Laetitia Hodson
Isaac William Holbrook
Elizabeth Helen Hyde
Galib Ibrahima
Ashlee Jackson
William Calum McIntyre Jacquin
Anna Kate Jiricko
Madeline Black Keil
Katherine Elise Kern
Chiara Eunha Fegan Kim
Jesus Lamas
Jack Wesley Lange
Cole Keith Lunde
Ty Lunde
Cole Yu McCartney
Kathleen Elizabeth Blackford Moore
Purdue University
San Diego State University
Scripps College
Seattle University
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
The University of Alabama
The University of Arizona
The University of British Columbia
The University of Tampa
The University of Utah
Trinity College Dublin
United States Air Force Academy
Preparatory School
Matilda Sophia Mottola
Nicholas Hotung Murphy
Alex Shoichi Okawa
Laisha Christine Padilla Mendez
Samantha August Paisley
Jacqueline Jae Park
Kathryn Marguerite Plavan
Georgiy Polishchuk
Alexis Ke’eaponoao Ramirez
Elli Katherine Revenaugh
Lily Margaret Scaife
Grace Katherine Smith
Jonah William Thomas
Alex Mitsunaga Tokita
Carla Fernanda Villarroel Gutiérrez
Sarah C. Wahlen
Catherine Hatfield Wall
James Edmund Macrae Welt
Jude Elias Manuel Whitten Yuchen Yang
Ximena Zendejas-Portugal
United States Naval Academy
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame
University of San Diego
University of Vermont
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin—Madison
Washington University in St. Louis
Western Washington University
Westminster College
FACULTY AWARDS AT 2021 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES
Each year Rowland Hall proudly honors faculty who have demonstrated exceptional teaching and mentoring.
Cary Jones Faculty Mentor Award 2021
The Cary Jones Faculty Mentor Award is presented to Rowland Hall faculty members who demonstrate excellence in teaching, serve as mentors to others, and contribute to the Rowland Hall community. This award was established through an anonymous gift to the school in honor of Mr. Jones’ dedication to the faculty when he was the chair of the Board of Trustees. This year, Rowland Hall proudly honored eighth-grade American studies teacher Mary Jo Marker and eighth-grade English teacher Chelsea Vasquez for their dedication to teamwork in ways that define the values of Rowland Hall.
Sumner Family Excellence in Teaching Awards
The Sumner Family Excellence in Teaching Award is given each year to an outstanding faculty member in each division who has demonstrated a love for teaching and excellence in their field. The award symbolizes the Sumner family’s high regard for Rowland Hall’s faculty. Congratulations to the following recipients.
Beginning School: Isabelle Buhler, 4PreK lead teacher
Lower School: Abby Bacon, Spanish teacher
Middle School: Sarah Yoon, orchestra director
Upper School: Doug Wortham, French teacher
Associate Head of School Jennifer Blake, Sarah Yoon, Chelsea Vasquez, Mary Jo Marker, and Head of School Mick Gee at the 2021 eighth-grade graduation.
Computer science impacts our daily lives, but its workforce falls woefully short when it comes to reflecting national racial, ethnic, and gender demographics. Solving that problem starts with K–12 education. The subject’s proponents at Rowland Hall are ensuring equity is programmed into the curriculum— and the curriculum gets the attention it deserves —building toward a computingliterate society where everyone has a seat at the table.
During hybrid learning one February afternoon, about 40 Rowland Hall faculty, staff, and upper schoolers— some working from home, others from the Lincoln Street Campus—gradually populated a Zoom room. It started off as a standard pandemic-era Upper School class, but 20 minutes later, it looked more like an avant-garde digital dress rehearsal. Students unearthed accessories from family members’ closets and Halloween costumes past: a cowboy hat, a pair of aviation goggles, a leopard-print scarf. They cloaked themselves in masks, feather boas, heavy makeup, and oversized sunglasses.
Director of Arts Sofia Gorder and her dance students comprised half of these creative camouflagers, but despite appearances, it wasn’t prep for one of their performances. It was an open workshop held by teacher Ben Smith ’89 and his Advanced Placement Computer Science (CS) Principles class to show the Upper School community how facial-recognition technologies work and how they can be harmful, particularly for underrepresented groups.
One dance student, Mena Zendejas-Portugal ’21, wore a pink wig with bangs that covered her eyes. She used makeup to draw decoy eyes on her cheeks, below the magenta fringe. Mena and her peers smirked at their laptop cameras as a web-based program used artificial intelligence (AI) to guess their ages and genders.
Before Mena wore her disguise, the program vacillated between misidentifying her as a 13-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl. After Mena changed her appearance, ironically, the program’s guess came closer to the reality: it classified her as a 16-year-old female.
“It wasn’t a surprise how the AI read me since I have a rounder face along with short hair,” said Mena, one of the leaders of the student Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee. “It’s just a confirmation for the thought of AI being built around stereotypes and constructed beauty standards that aren’t applicable to everyone.”
Algorithms permeate our daily lives, and the type of flawed coding that Mena experienced can have devastating real-world consequences, from wrongful arrests to housing discrimination. Ben educates the Rowland Hall community on these problems, and ensures his CS students are equipped to solve them. “If these students are going to become leaders in technology, they need to have this perspective,” Ben said. “You can’t ask people to have an interest in a career and not prepare them for the future ramifications of that.”
Ben has long given students space to discuss JEDI issues but formally added it to his CS curriculum during the 2020–2021 school year. And at Rowland Hall, the marriage of CS and social justice is a natural development: the school prioritized science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the 2014 Strategic Plan, and during the past school year, longtime JEDI work escalated as a priority.
February’s facial-recognition workshop—Drag Vs. AI by the Algorithmic Justice League, which “combines art and research to illuminate the social implications and harms” of AI—helped a cross section of upper schoolers see firsthand why this work matters: “By just learning CS and not looking behind the scenes, the future could be less inclusive than we envision,” Mena reflected. Indeed, AI researcher Joy Buolamwini, a Black woman, launched the league after personally experiencing algorithmic discrimination in her work. In one project utilizing generic facial-recognition software, the program
failed to detect Joy’s face until she wore a white mask. In another, she had to ask a lighter-skinned friend to stand in for her. We can solve these problems, Joy posited in a 2016 TED Talk with over 1.4 million views, by creating more inclusive code. Teams must be diverse and driven to create “a world where technology works for all of us, not just some of us, a world where we value inclusion and center social change.”
This ethos fuels Ben’s work.
The Rowland Hall alumnus, now celebrating 20 years as a faculty member at his alma mater, started teaching CS in 2015 and shifted to teaching that subject exclusively two years later. From day one, he’s made it his mission to diversify CS, a field “plagued by stark underrepresentation by gender, race, ethnicity, geography, and family income,” according to CS advocacy nonprofit Code.org. The US needs more—and more diverse— computer scientists, and efforts to broaden that workforce need to start in K–12 schools. Computing jobs are the top source of all new wages in the US and they make up two-thirds
of all projected new jobs in STEM fields, Code.org touts, making CS one of the most in-demand college degrees. And exposure before college makes a difference: students who learn CS in high school are six times more likely to major in it. Among traditionally underrepresented groups, the likelihood is even higher: seven times for Black and Latinx students, and 10 times for women.
Ben currently relies on one-to-one recruitment to grow CS enrollment among those underrepresented populations. He read a book around 2014, during graduate school in instructional design and educational technology at the University of Utah, that sparked his professional goals: Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing by Jane Margolis. The book chronicles the lack of access to CS courses for Black and Latinx students—and addresses how to change the system. “It was just one of those eye-opening moments,” he said. “There’s no logical reason—except institutional bias—for why computer science education looks the way it does today… It’s incredibly unjust.” Since then, Ben has prioritized combating what he calls the most glaring equity issue in education today. He collaborates with other schools and organizations that are trying desperately to expand CS opportunities, and works diligently to build an equitable CS program for Rowland Hall. “With Rowland Hall’s support, I’m committed to a future where all computer science courses have a student population that mirrors the demographics of the school as a whole.”
BUILDING CURRICULUM FROM THE GROUND UP
Fortunately, Ben isn’t starting from scratch when sixth graders meet him in Foundations of Computer Science, a required class since 2016. Since Christian Waters stepped into the role of director of technology integration in 2013, he has crafted an arsenal of computing lessons to captivate the full spectrum of beginning and lower schoolers. Christian teaches at least one unit of digital citizenship, coding, and robotics to every lower schooler. Kids engage in hands-on activities like programming colorful toy robots and building wearable tech comprised of LED lights affixed to felt. They also get the space to think big and consider computing’s real-world applications, like furthering one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. How might they use computing, for example, to remedy a problem like overcrowding or a lack of affordable and clean energy?
Christian draws curriculum from dozens of expert educational resources, including the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, Children’s Innovation Project, and Code.org. “We’ve built something that is really relevant, and the best combination of the best materials and resources,” Christian said. “It’s not a curriculum that is sold in a big box that you wheel into a classroom, and everyone has to do it the exact same way.
It’s tailored to the needs of Rowland Hall and relevant to our goals and our objectives.”
Thanks to ongoing collaboration between Christian and Ben, Rowland Hall’s CS curriculum is also vertically aligned: “We’re preparing students for Advanced Placement Computer Science A Java in a way they never were before. Students in the Middle School are learning about objects, classes, functions, and variables,” Christian explained. “It’s thanks in part to how we’re building up from the Beginning School.”
One example of vertical alignment and mission-centric curriculum: Christian uses a Code.org activity where lower schoolers train a computer to recognize facial expressions—broaching some of the same issues upper schoolers examined in their February workshop. The crux of the Lower School lesson, according to the educator: “How do we distinguish between facial features and whether someone is happy or sad or excited, and is that even ethical to do that?” Students exercise their critical-thinking skills and confront questions involving how these programs work, and how to ensure they’re as ethical and unbiased as possible. “Ultimately what students get is that there is a lot of subjectivity in how we humans train computers,” Christian said.
A GROUP EFFORT
Part of attracting younger and more diverse students to CS—and, down the road, reducing bias in code—entails continual, widespread exposure. Christian has not only integrated CS into classrooms, he’s also created community-wide opportunities to rally around computing and engineering. He organizes three annual events that are now synonymous with STEM culture on the McCarthey Campus: the beginning and lower school Family Maker Night in the fall, the schoolwide Hour of Code in the winter, and Lower School Maker Day in the spring. “These events are designed to demystify technology and making,” Christian said. “All students can see themselves as computer scientists, coders, makers, roboticists, engineers.”
These events and the school’s CS curriculum as a whole are dominated by collaborative group work that occasionally reaches across subjects and divisions. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ben Smith’s Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles students collaborated annually with Tyler Stack’s fourth graders to make an app that helps young students learn math. Upper schoolers worked in groups to devise and test app concepts on the lower schoolers and use their feedback to improve app design. For Katy Dark ’21, it was a highlight of Rowland Hall’s CS program: “The thing that will stick with me the most is using new interfaces to help people.” It’s a fitting favorite memory for Katy, who in 2020 became the first Rowland Hall student to win the top national award from the Aspirations in Computing program, sponsored by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). She won, in part, for her efforts tutoring students and developing a coding club at Salt Lake City’s Dual Immersion Academy, a bilingual Spanish-English charter school she attended during her elementary years.
The app project is a prime example of group work that can encourage underrepresented populations to pursue CS, according to Dr. Helen Hu, a Westminster College computer science professor whose work examines how educators can improve diversity in CS. “In industry there’s something called agile co-programming, which is people working in groups,” said Dr. Hu, also the parent of
a Rowland Hall ninth grader and seventh grader. “This is actually an important skill in computing— being able to work with others.” While some students love computing for computing, she added, a lot of others love it because of what it can do, “because of the problems you can solve, because of the impact you can have,” she said. “By doing both, by emphasizing these other parts of computing, you’re helping both types of students. The students who love to code, still get to code. The students who love coding to solve problems are getting to do that. We know that students aren’t going to learn it as well when you just teach it at the level of, ‘Where does the semicolon go and where do parentheses go?’”
Alex Armknecht ’20, a 2019 Aspirations in Computing regional award winner who’s now a CS major at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), appreciated learning CS at a more holistic level.
“I loved the CS classes at Rowland Hall and they were consistently my favorite classes throughout high school,” she said. “I loved the way Mr. Smith taught and allowed us creative freedom...his class is the main reason I am majoring in CS. I learned the importance of asking for help, creativity, and collaboration, which all have been helpful to me in my college CS classes.”
During her senior year, Alex also participated in another shining example of collaborative group
COURSES
Upper School Robotics
Exploring Computer Science
Java Fundamentals
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Computer Science A (Java)
Robotics Team (club)
Middle School
Foundations of Computer Science (sixth grade)
Art with Code
Digital Sculptures
work in CS: the Upper School’s For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Tech Challenge Robotics team. The team started off strong in its inaugural 2019–2020 year and has continued to evolve, Ben said: “It’s expanded the opportunities for young women to become leaders, compete, and see how other girls across the state are involved with technology and engineering.”
During the 2020–2021 school year, juniors Irenka Saffarian and Tina Su stepped into unofficial leadership roles that bode well for the near future. Both have taken Advanced Placement CS A and are great coders, Ben said, and they pushed hard for the team to make it to the national semifinals in the FIRST Global Innovation Awards. Rowland Hall was the only team from Utah and one of only 60 teams
internationally to make it that far. “Our theme right now is take it to the next level,” Ben said. “We realize we are right on the verge of getting to that level where we’re really competitive—where we actually compete with the best teams in the state.” And Irenka and Tina, Ben said, are committed to getting the team there. They embody the enthusiasm that Ben and Christian hope to cultivate across the school. “I hope that the future of taking computer science courses at Rowland Hall is increasingly coming from a place of excitement and interest and, ‘I cannot wait to use this skill in anything that interests me,’” Ben said. “It’s not about a kid sitting in a basement all alone typing on their computer. This is about groups of people making exciting and interesting and really impactful decisions, and everyone needs to be at the table.”
CS students learning how to program a robot to write on a white board.
PROGRESS MADE AND THE WORK AHEAD
“We are talking more about it, not just because it’s zeitgeisty, but because technology has a lot of ground to make up here.”
Christian Waters, director of technology integration
While Katy, Alex, Irenka, and Tina are recent success stories, Christian and Ben readily acknowledge that Rowland Hall isn’t exempt from racial and gender disparities in CS. But the school is perpetually working “to change that from the ground up,” Christian said. Thanks in part to schoolwide training, JEDI values are ingrained in how Rowland Hall instructors design and teach techrelated classes. “We are talking more about it, not just because it’s zeitgeisty, but because technology has a lot of ground to make up here. We see ourselves as trying to help kids recognize that.”
Ané Hernandez, a junior who took AP computer science and robotics as a sophomore during the 2020–2021 year, appreciated the heightened JEDI focus. Ané’s parents are both engineers and she’s been interested in CS for as long as she can remember—the winner of a 2021 Aspirations in Computing regional honorable mention loves the art of programming. Ané, who is Mexican American, has also long been interested in JEDI issues and advocating for more equity and representation, including through Rowland Hall’s student JEDI Committee. She found it compelling to see how two of her passions, JEDI and CS, are related. “As technology is rising, racial, gender, and socioeconomic problems still exist,” Ané said, “so they’re just becoming interwoven.”
While she’s grateful for how the JEDI units have furthered her passion for CS, she hopes her school
also uses this momentum to self-reflect on, for instance, how to make CS more accessible to lower-income schools and communities. And that sort of community outreach isn’t unprecedented at Rowland Hall. In summer 2015, and in two summers that followed, Rowland Hall hosted a nonprofit Hackathon centered around teacher training. “That was a way that we contributed to a culture of learning and growth in our community,” Christian said. Educators from local public and independent schools convened on the Lincoln Street Campus to learn coding skills and how to use certain tools, like 3D printers and Arduino robots. The technology team helped cover some of the costs, Christian said, and teachers could earn state licensing credit for attending. Ben’s resume is also flooded with conferences and workshops where he’s trained his peers. “It’s great for me to show a group of 15 or 20 educators how to teach a curriculum,” he said, “and then I can show them that I have a classroom with a majority of female students, and that I’ve been able to recruit and build, and that this is possible.”
Ben, Christian, and the faculty and staff who support them remain focused on graduating good citizens armed with the tools to make tech work for all of us, not just some of us.
These sorts of efforts could expand in the future. Rowland Hall is seriously considering ways to increase CS opportunities and spaces, and plans could solidify as early as the 2021–2022 school year. Christian and Ben are drafting a long-term CS plan that involves integrating CS with other subjects, training teachers, and expanding current classes. And Christian, Ben, and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Wendell Thomas are starting a CS task force and have asked others to join: one or two teachers from each division, Dr. Hu, and Sunny Washington, a startup COO and CEO who also serves on the board of Equality Utah. One of the task force’s first actions will be to provide feedback on the plan draft.
For now, Christian and Ben’s work to recruit more—and more diverse—CS students is paying off. Since 2014, 19 Winged Lions have earned a collective 25 awards from the Aspirations in Computing program, including one win (Katy’s) and two honorable mentions at the national level (see page 36 for this year’s winners). Rowland Hall also won The College Board’s 2019 and 2020 Advanced Placement Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in our AP CS Principles class. Dr. Hu lauded the achievement. “That’s pretty impressive,” she said—especially for Utah. “There are some states where they have tens of teachers who received this. We have three. I think that speaks to how difficult this is in the state.”
Ben, Christian, and the faculty and staff who support them remain focused on graduating good citizens armed with the tools to make tech work for all of us, not just some of us, as Joy Buolamwini so wisely said. Recent grad Katy is now attending Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and majoring in law—possibly cyber law. Anna Shott ’16 emailed Ben in December 2020 to share that she’d be joining Microsoft as a program manager the following year. “Your class
TIMELINE:
MODERN COMPUTER SCIENCE
Rowland Hall offered computer science (CS) or adjacent courses/clubs as early as the 1980s, but the curriculum began expanding in the mid-2010s. This timeline covers that recent history.
2011
Middle School competes in For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) LEGO League robotics regional competitions (through 2013).
2013
Christian Waters becomes director of technology integration and starts bringing coding into all Rowland Hall classrooms.
Middle School begins offering robotics for all students, and adds after-school robotics clubs.
2014
Tianxing Jin ’15 is the first Rowland Hall student to win an award in the National Center for Women & Information Technology’s (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing Northern Utah competition.
Rowland Hall launches a new tradition of participating in the global annual Hour of Code to spark student interest in CS.
The school’s Strategic Plan sets a goal of providing the Intermountain West’s most outstanding math and science program.
Christian begins teaching at least one unit of digital citizenship, robotics, and coding to all K–5 students.
2015
Ben Smith ’89 begins teaching CS, starting with web design and AP Computer Science Principles in the Upper School, and Exploring Computer Science in the Middle School.
Hour of Code expands to Week of Code in the Lower School.
Two students earn Aspirations in Computing accolades, including a national honorable mention for Tianxing Jin.
2016
Foundations of Computer Science is added as a required course for sixth grade.
Four students win regional Aspirations in Computing accolades.
2017
Three Middle School electives are added: Art with Code, Digital Sculptures, and Make Club.
Ben wins Utah Coalition for Education Technology’s (UCET) Outstanding Teacher of the Year award.
Rowland Hall holds inaugural Maker Day to further Lower School interest in science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
Two students win Aspirations in Computing accolades, including a national honorable mention for Marguerite Tate ’17.
Ben starts teaching CS exclusively in the fall.
truly influenced the path I chose, and I cannot thank you enough for sparking my interest in computer science,” wrote Anna, a University of Southern California grad who also worked as a K–12 CS camp counselor on her college campus. And current student Ané said what she learned in AP Computer Science Principles—that an algorithm can decide whether someone is granted a loan, for example—was a game-changer for her. “This experience has made me want to not only major in computer science, but a specific realm of computer science that maybe deals with AI and diversifying participants and coders so that there isn’t such a large bias.”
Alex also plans on working in CS, another testament to Ben’s teaching: “I decided I wanted to go to my college when I met LMU’s chair and professor of computer science and he reminded me of Mr. Smith,” she said. “I would not be a computer science major if it weren’t for him. He pushed me to work my hardest, to try new things, and provided me with lots of opportunities.”
This sort of feedback keeps Ben laser-focused on boosting equity in CS at Rowland Hall and beyond. “I won’t pretend that it didn’t bring a tear to my eye,” he said. “It’s certainly fuel for the work that I do and it reminds me that it’s worth doing. I could sit back on a curriculum and just deliver, and do fairly well at it. But this is beyond that. The work is more than what I teach—it’s who I’m teaching to.”
AT ROWLAND HALL
2018
Upper School adds Advanced Placement Computer Science A.
Three students win regional Aspirations in Computing accolades.
2019
Upper School FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics team starts. Family Maker Night launched for beginning and lower school families.
Two students win regional Aspirations in Computing accolades.
Ben is named a Northern Utah Affiliate Honorable Mention recipient of the NCWIT Educator Award.
Rowland Hall wins The College Board’s 2019 Advanced Placement Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in our AP CS Principles class. Of 818 schools that won the award, we’re one of only two in Utah.
Christian works with Lower School Principal Jij de Jesus and science teacher Carly Biedul to launch once-a-month Tinker Days where students create maker projects.
2020
Middle School adds Arts & Ensembles Robotics elective. Rookie robotics team wins the design award at a West High School competition and the control award Utah Championship at Weber State University.
Five students win Aspirations in Computing accolades, including a national win for Katy Dark ’21 and a national certificate of distinction for Violette Truong.
Ben is named NCWIT Northern Utah Affiliate Educator Award Winner.
Rowland Hall wins The College Board’s 2020 Advanced Placement Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in our AP CS A class. Out of 1,119 schools that won the award, we’re one of only three in Utah.
2021
Robotics team wins the connect award at a qualifying tournament and earns a bid to the state competition (they didn’t attend state due to COVID-19 restrictions). Robotics team also named national semifinalists for the FIRST Global Innovation Awards—the only team from Utah and one of only 60 teams internationally to make it that far.
Six students win regional Aspirations in Computing accolades.
WELCOME EVERYONE
OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
At Rowland Hall, we are partnering together in the ongoing work of building a culture of kindness and a community of inclusivity—one in which everyone belongs, is respected and supported, and feels safe to be their true selves. Our work around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), requires the commitment—and accountability—of the entire community.
Below, we highlight a handful of ways we came together this year to support DEI work on Rowland Hall’s campuses.
CUMMING FAMILY FURTHERS DEI LEADERSHIP
In November 2020, Rowland Hall announced that the school’s first endowed position, director of equity and inclusion, had been made possible by a $2.4 million donation from the Cumming Family Foundation. This gift ensures that Rowland Hall will have a permanent, full-time leader to guide DEI work and elevates the school’s institutional commitment to DEI, setting a precedent for schools in Utah and beyond. We are grateful to the Cumming family for their generosity, leadership, and support of Rowland Hall’s core value of welcoming everyone.
TEACHERS EXPAND EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES WITHIN CLASSROOMS
In June 2020, 97 percent of Rowland Hall teachers identified inclusivity and belonging as critical to their daily teaching practice, and they continue to include a variety of human perspectives in classrooms, from utilizing a mirrors-and-windows lens to guide readings to adding experiences of marginalized peoples to studies. These efforts emphasize the value of diverse lived experiences and build students’ empathy and understanding—as well as give them a sense of belonging. For instance, in research science (see page 38), Dr. Kaci Kuntz invited guest speakers and assigned articles by scientists whose experiences, backgrounds, and interests reflect those of her students—an intentional action that helps students feel a belonging to the science and engineering communities, where women, persons with disabilities, Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives have been historically underrepresented. “It’s been proven over and over again that if a student sees someone who looks like them, they’re more likely to stay in the field,” Kaci said.
STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF ENGAGE IN CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS
Rowland Hall encouraged community members to lead critical conversations. Two Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committees, one for students and one for faculty and staff, held meetings throughout the year; committee leaders also supported two virtual Dinner & Dialogue events for the larger community. The school additionally offered affinity spaces for those with common identifiers and opportunities for personal study, including a faculty and staff Antiracist Book Club. Students Give Back
BOARD OF TRUSTEES SUPPORTS DEI
STUDENTS GIVE BACK
Students of all grade levels helped build an inclusive community. For example, Sofia Drakou, who enrolled as a sixth grader in early 2021, was so inspired by the warmth and guidance of Associate Director of Admission Lisa Brown Miranda, a champion of JEDI values at Rowland Hall, that she, along with her brother, George, donated 10 children’s books that reflect a diversity of experiences and characters to the McCarthey Campus library in Lisa’s honor. And Sofia didn’t stop there: in March, she served on Rowland Hall’s delegation at the Northwest Association of Independent Schools’ virtual Student Diversity Leadership Retreat.
The Board of Trustees continued to support DEI through its Inclusion, Equity, and Outreach (IEO) Committee, which was established in May 2019 to ensure that Rowland Hall has in place policies and procedures that promote inclusion, equity, and outreach, and to deepen board members’ understanding of DEI work to assist them as decision-makers.
Visit rowlandhall.org/inclusion-equity for updates on the school’s ongoing work around DEI.
ALUMNI ENCOURAGE ACTION
In October 2020, alums Julia Bodson ’12, Ikwo Frank ’13, and Shelby Matsumura ’13 emailed Rowland Hall leaders a call-to-action letter in which they implored the school to “move beyond words of solidarity and take actions that promote antiracism and diversity in our school community.” More than 200 alumni and other community members signed the letter, which Rowland Hall is consulting to help develop our comprehensive plan for creating a community that is more inclusive and equitable for people of color. Some of the actions requested by the letter that the school took this year include:
• Hosting a virtual Evening of Dialogue, “Amplifying Black Voices in Our Community,” which included members of the school community who spoke about their experiences with racial diversity at Rowland Hall.
• Initiating discussions, via the faculty and staff JEDI Committee and board IEO Committee, about how to elicit insights and experiences from students and families of color.
• Adding interview questions focusing on cultural competency and equity work to the school’s hiring process, and shifting job posting language to emphasize a commitment to cultural competency and diversity.
• Holding professional growth opportunities focused on inclusion and equity for all faculty and staff.
• Offering support to parents and caregivers engaged in DEI work, including workshops, Dinner & Dialogue events, and the princiPALS podcast.
HOW WE NAVIGATED LEARNING
IN 2020–2021
THREE TEACHING AND LEARNING MODELS
We developed three teaching and learning models, and we were prepared to toggle between them based on community health risks. Face-to-face learning, available in the beginning and lower schools, prioritized the in-person instruction necessary for young learners. Hybrid learning, available in the middle and upper schools, alternated between face-to-face learning and distance-learning experiences on a weekly basis. Distance learning, available in the lower, middle, and upper schools, actively engaged students in learning through smart classroom audio-visual and learning-management systems.
HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Daily health screenings, face coverings, physical-distancing requirements, safety training, and procedures for suspected cases and exposures helped protect the community. Building safety was also enhanced, including increased sanitization, strengthened security, maximized learning spaces, and hospital-grade UV-C light towers that eliminated surface and airborne pathogens in Upper School classrooms and public spaces.
The 2020–2021 school year was unlike any other—it required agility, creativity, and the dedication of an entire community. Thanks to this dedication, Rowland Hall was able to keep our doors open every day of the school year, supporting students and providing a challenging and engaging academic program during the pandemic. Below, we reflect on what it took to successfully navigate learning at Rowland Hall this year.
COVID-19 SAFETY TEAM
Our COVID-19 safety team followed recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Utah Department of Health, and closely monitored the Utah COVID-19 Transmission Index and school-specific guidance from the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Utah COVID-19 School Manual, and Mass General’s School and Community Resource Library. Thanks to Head of School Mick Gee, Associate Head of School Jennifer Blake, Chief Financial Officer Gwen Fonarow, and Project Manager for Reopening Campus Gita Varner ’05 for leading this work. Additional thanks to school administrators; All-School Nurse Andrea Hoffman ’05; McCarthey Campus Nurse Chaleh Thirkill; members of the Academic Continuity Task Force, the Campus Reopening Task Force, and the Financial Strategies Task Force; and the Board of Trustees.
MEDICAL ADVISORS
A group of medical experts supported Rowland Hall throughout the year: Dr. Tony Wallin provided advice during the earliest days of the pandemic; Dr. Mark Dodson, Dr. Tiffany Glasgow, and Dr. Andy Pavia served on the COVID-19 Advisory Committee, providing regular consultation on health and safety; and Dr. Adam Hersh worked closely with Mick Gee and Gita Varner on testing and return-to-campus protocols in spring 2021. An extra thanks to Dr. Dodson, Dr. Hersh, and Dr. Pavia for also attending virtual community town halls during the school year.
CREATIVE FACULTY AND STUDENTS
Faculty continued to build relationships and inspire deep thinking, even within physical-distancing requirements:
• Theatre teacher Matt Sincell introduced students to radio plays, a completely acoustic type of theatre that can be produced from home. His sixth-grade Arts & Ensembles class created their own original 16-minute play, The Awakening, that was shared on The City Library’s BiblioBoard and Plan-B’s mobile app.
• Sofia Gorder, Lincoln Street Campus director of arts, connected alums looking for a creative outlet during lockdown with current performing arts students. The artists spent the summer choreographing original dance pieces that they performed at a physically distanced performance, INTERsect, in September.
• The journalists behind the Gazette newspaper converted their print publication to a digital platform, ensuring that, no matter where students were learning, they could access school news.
• McCarthey Campus music teacher Susan Swidnicki developed students’ notation, rhythm, and patterning skills to help them express themselves with their bodies and to further tie music education with school-wide social-emotional learning goals.
• Beginning School teachers embraced outdoor classroom, an educational concept that prioritizes interaction with the natural world to enhance learning.
• Zoom classrooms allowed students to meet professionals like Dr. David Nirenberg, who wrote the Advanced Topics European History summer read, Communities of Violence: Persecution of Minorities in the Middle Ages, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez.
HOME & SCHOOL SUPPORT
Home & School leadership provided muchneeded support to the community. Kari Corroon and Jenna Gelegotis Pagoaga ’98, McCarthey Campus Home & School co-presidents, along with incoming president Erin Bean and volunteer leadership (Sarah Campsen, Heather Ciriello, Donna Clower, Connie Dooley, Pam Hanlon, Matthew Leonard, Sarah Moles, Michelle Regner, Martha Skinner, Jeanna Tachiki Ryan ’01, and Preeti Tonpe), planned and executed incredible acts of generosity for faculty and staff, as well as our first-ever Student Appreciation Week. Mary McIntyre, Lincoln Street Campus Home & School president, and her executive committee (Helen Barkes, Sarah Campsen, Becky Cichos, Connie Dooley, Erika Keil, Gina Miller, Manisha Shah, Meg Smith, and Carmen Sutherland) also supported faculty and staff in myriad ways, including with meals and thank-you notes, and provided thoughtful parent-education opportunities.
A DEDICATED COMMUNITY
The accomplishments of this year wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Rowland Hall community. Your collective actions—from keeping children with runny noses at home, to canceling out-of-state travel plans for the holidays, to limiting gatherings with friends—made a difference.
PHYSICALLY DISTANCED, INTELLECTUALLY CONNECTED
ROWLAND HALL DEBATE NAMED 2021 3A STATE CHAMPIONS
Despite its pandemic-related challenges, 2020–2021 was a banner year for the Rowland Hall debate team, which embraced the sport’s virtual format to excel in both individual and team events—including the state tournament, where the 2A team won the title of 3A Speech & Debate Champions for the first time in the school’s history.
“It’s been a historically challenging year for all schools, but we turned it into a historically successful one,” said coach Mike Shackelford.
Rowland Hall competed virtually in more than 40 local and national events in 2020–2021—more than double the events in a non-pandemic year—including the Utah Debate Coaches Association tournament, the most prestigious local regular-season tournament, in November, where the team won the sweepstakes award for the top school, and the Utah High School
Activities Association (UHSAA) state tournament in March, where the team won the championship title. Earning the state trophy is an especially impressive feat for Rowland Hall, a small school that plays up one classification level and has, in previous years, been unable to assemble a large enough team to be in the running for the state title, due to tournament timing, travel, and other event-related challenges. Team size matters at state because while all students compete for individual titles, their performances also count toward a school’s overall score: students who place in the top 25 percent of an event earn their schools five points (a superior rating), and points descend until the bottom 25 percent, which earns no points. While Rowland Hall has long won individual championships, its previous rosters of 12 to 15 students meant the team had to take zeros in categories they didn’t enter. Thanks to
Below are the top individual championship performances at the UHSAA tournament, which contributed to the state title:
Seniors Sophie Dau and Maddy Frech took first place in Policy, an event in which teams advocate for or against a policy change resolution, for their proposal for criminal justice reform. Three other teams—seniors Auden Bown and Ty Lunde, sophomores Zachary Klein and Micah Sheinberg, and sophomores Ruchi Agarwal and Layla Hijjawi—went undefeated in Policy, giving them a co-championship.
Sophomore Ané Hernandez took first place in the Impromptu Speaking event, which requires debaters to prepare and deliver five-minute speeches on random topics, with only one to two minutes of preparation. Sophomores Anna Hull and Maile Fukushima were also finalists in this event, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Junior Samantha Lehman finished in first place in National Extemporaneous Speaking, an event in which debaters are given a domestic affairs question and have 30 minutes to research, write, and deliver seven-minute speeches.
Juniors Emery Bahna and Mahit Dagar took first place in Public Forum, an event that includes short speeches interspersed with three-minute crossfire sections, on the topic of the pros and cons of the Space Force; this dynamic duo also qualified to the national Tournament of Champions and competed at the National Speech & Debate Tournament in June. Senior Hattie Wall and junior Julia Graham, as well as juniors Ella Houden and Kit Stevens, closed out the top three spots, giving them a co-championship. Juniors Casey Maloy and Lizzie Carlin finished fifth.
Sophomore Maddie Carlin took second place in Student Congress, a competition in which students lead and participate in a simulation where they debate different pieces of national legislation.
Freshman Zac Bahna took third place in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, an event in which debaters are given a foreign affairs question and have 30 minutes to research, write, and deliver seven-minute speeches.
Freshman Marina Peng took fifth place in Lincoln-Douglas, a solo debate event in which she spoke on the ethical necessity of universal child care.
Congratulations, debaters, on an impressive year!
the year’s virtual format, however, which made it easier to participate, they could finally set their sights on the championship.
“The whole team came together to conduct research, participate in practice debates, and share information about our opponents,” said Emery Bahna, who, with Mahit Dagar, took first place in the UHSAA Public Forum event. “Debating at the state tournament was a great opportunity to bond as a team after a year of separation, and winning the championship wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication from each member.”
Mike agreed, noting that he viewed that dedication as the students’ way to balance a year in which they were unable to enjoy normal aspects of debate, like socials, bus rides, and even being in the same room during final rounds to root for each other. “There was a real commitment to achieve something collectively,” he said.
This they did, together earning a final tournament score of 122 points. Second-place school Providence Hall, the 2020 state champion, finished with 74 points.
“We nearly lapped the field,” said Mike. “The state championship reflected our collective desire and commitment to be a part of something larger than ourselves. Winning state was a product of 25 students rallying for a cause, and each doing their part.”
Samantha Lehman
Ty Lunde
SIX UPPER SCHOOLERS
TAKE HOME REGIONAL
ASPIRATIONS IN COMPUTING AWARDS
Rowland Hall’s young women in computer science continued their outstanding track record of earning accolades from the National Center for Women and Information Technology’s (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing annual awards program. In 2020–2021, six Winged Lions earned awards from our regional Northern Utah NCWIT Affiliate: senior Maddy Eatchel and junior Irenka Saffarian secured wins, sophomore Ané Hernandez and freshman Sophie Zheng earned honorable mentions, and junior Tianyi Su and freshman Claire Wang were named rising stars.
This year’s recognized group from Rowland Hall skews younger than usual—a good sign for our computer science program’s future, said teacher Ben Smith ’89: students who receive higher levels of recognition typically apply for the awards two or more years in a row.
Ben started encouraging students to enter the Aspirations in Computing awards back in 2014. Since then, 19 Winged Lions have earned a collective 25 awards, including one win and two honorable mentions at the national level. Under Ben’s leadership, Rowland Hall has been committed to ensuring all students— especially young women, who are underrepresented in computing careers—feel welcomed and supported in CS. Read more about this work on page 22.
ADVANCED CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
COMPETES AT STATE
For Rowland Hall musicians, 2020–2021 was an exciting year. Three students from Advanced Chamber Ensemble made AllState Orchestra: seniors Zach Benton and Auden Bown and junior Irenka Saffarian; Zach was also selected as principal viola in the All-State Orchestra. In addition, Rowland Hall had seven entries to the Utah High School Activities Association Solo and Ensemble Competition, with 14 students receiving superior ratings and four earning excellent ratings.
Congratulations to the following groups:
Beethoven Piano Quartet, superior rating:
Zach Benton ’21, Augustus Hickman ’21, Sara Bakhsheshy ’22, Daniel McNally ’22
Mozart Piano Quartet, superior rating:
Zach Benton ’21, Sara Bakhsheshy ’22, Daniel McNally ’22, Irenka Saffarian ’22
Hadyn Piano Trio, superior rating:
Ty Lunde ’21, Cole McCartney ’21, Shayna Green ’22
Mozart Divertimento, superior rating:
Zach Benton ’21, Auden Bown ’21, Augustus Hickman ’21, Ellie Revenaugh ’21, Carla Villarroel ’21, Sara Bakhsheshy ’22, Shayna Green ’22, Irenka Saffarian ’22, Olivia Stinnett ’23, Tanvi Penubothu ’24, Leo Pickron ’26
Piano Solo, superior rating:
Auden Bown ’21, Cole McCartney ’21, Joseph Lieskovan ’24
In 2020–2021, Rowland Hall’s Upper School began offering research science, a one-of-a-kind class that allows students to apply engineering, chemistry, computer science, material science, and math skills toward finding solutions to real-world problems.
For its first project, the class has been researching compounds for 2D batteries, a safer, nontoxic, and renewable alternative to widely used 3D lithium batteries, which work well but use materials that can easily catch fire if exposed to air. Science teacher Dr. Kaci Kuntz, who created the class, was first exposed to this area of research as a graduate student, where she learned that, because there are so many possibilities for 2D battery materials and because the process of testing these materials is so time-consuming, more people are needed to do the early work of identifying material candidates for use in 2D batteries. The class began learning about relationships between potential battery materials, which they recorded as data sets within Excel (they’ve already added details on more than 100 materials). They also began importing and investigating their data set using findings to MATLAB toolboxes, programming and numeric computing platforms that help make predictions for the materials that will work best in 2D batteries. This work will continue in fall 2021.
“We designed the research class to be like real research students would do at a university,” said Kaci. “Every year the students will pick up where the last class left off.”
Research science greatly increases students’ exposure to the university-level scientific research process—something many high schoolers only experience through internships. And while university internships are beneficial, Kaci said, they’re hard to get: she’s spoken to University of Utah professors in a variety of science and engineering disciplines, and all have said they receive more high school applicants than they have graduate students, so they have to turn many away. “By bringing research into the classroom, we’re removing that barrier,” said Kaci.
Dr. Kaci Kuntz, far left, and research science students celebrating the end of the school year.
THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROCESS
Thanks to the long-term structure of Rowland Hall’s research science class, which emphasizes university-style research, students can experience the full scientific research process:
Create an idea
Conduct background research
Identify a research question
Propose an experiment
Design the experiment
Execute the experiment
Interpret and analyze results
Make conclusions
The class additionally immerses students in the research process for longer than the typical timeframe of an internship. Students who get summer internships gain good experience, Kaci said, but can only try one or two steps of the scientific research process during that time (see sidebar). Long-term, hands-on experience, she said, is something students don’t usually experience until graduate school. This class changes that.
“We’re filling in those areas they don’t get through internships,” Kaci said. “We’re having them do research year-round.”
Students are also learning the skills they need to be successful researchers—things like how to collaborate in Excel and Google Sheets without overwriting a colleague’s data, how to write scientific papers, how to program in MATLAB and Python, and how to represent science findings in visual depictions, from images to graphs.
“I tell them from the start: if you can’t communicate your science, it’s useless,” Kaci said. “They’re learning how to orally and visually share everything they’re doing.”
They’re also putting those skills to practice: in April, the young research scientists were one of the only groups of high schoolers to present their first-year findings at the Materials Research Science Conference. The class aims to have students present at conferences each year, as well as to submit a manuscript on their first round of work to a journal for publication by December 2021—even if it’s not accepted, Kaci said, the students will get beneficial feedback on their writing. In the coming years, they’ll also submit work to scientific journals and, one day, share their data as open-source software so other groups can use it to explore material relationships for 2D batteries. It’s an exciting way to connect students to the larger science community in ways that many don’t experience before college, as well as to prepare them to hit the ground running after they leave Rowland Hall.
“They could walk into any research lab tomorrow ready to jump in,” Kaci said.
WINGED LION ATHLETICS
COVID-19 challenged Winged Lion Athletics this year, but studentathletes, coaches, families, faculty, and staff successfully navigated the uncertainty to enjoy an exciting and rewarding year that was rarely interrupted with a COVID-related incident—quite an accomplishment! Below are some of the season highlights.
• Sixteen Upper School teams competed in 2020–2021: girls soccer, boys soccer, girls tennis, boys tennis, girls basketball, boys basketball, girls golf, boys golf, volleyball, girls cross country, boys cross country, girls track and field, boys track and field, boys swimming, girls swimming, and softball.
• Three teams—girls soccer, girls tennis, and girls golf—were crowned State Champions
• Three teams took runner-up state trophies: boys golf, boys cross country, and boys tennis.
• The girls soccer team earned their sixth region title and fourth consecutive State Championship trophy.
• The boys cross country team earned their eighth consecutive region title and a state runner-up trophy.
• The girls tennis team went undefeated in Region 13 play, earning the region title before capturing the 3A State Championship—a first for the team since 2015. Freshman Lucy Wallin was also named 3A State Champion in the #1 singles event.
• In addition to leading the girls golf team to the 2021 State Championship, Arden Louchheim took first place at the tournament, earning her second consecutive state 2A individual title.
• The boys golf team earned its third Region Championship title and was the state 2A runner-up.
• Carson Burian, who joined the University of Alabama’s track and field/cross country team in fall 2021, ran to a second consecutive State Championship victory in the fall, and then broke his own 3200-meter and 1600-meter school records, both of which were also new 2A state records.
• Former longtime Upper School girls soccer coach Bobby Kennedy received the 2020 United Soccer Coaches’ High School Coach of Significance Award.
• Grace Smith capped off her high school swimming career as the 3A Swimmer of the Year for 2020–2021; she also finished as the 3A State Champion in the 200 individual medley.
• Track and field athletes set numerous school records in the spring: Jada Crockett in both the 100- and 200-meter events, Jenae Jimoh in the long jump, Cole Lunde in the 200-meter, and Carson Burian in the 3200- and 1600-meter races. Rowland Hall’s 4x400 and sprint medley relay teams also set new school records this season.
• Rowland Hall placed second in 2A in this year’s Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Director’s Cup. Our total of 109.3 was only four points behind the first-place school.
• Rowland Hall took third place in the 2020–2021 Deseret News 2A All-Sports Awards.
• Three Rowland Hall teams were recognized with the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Top Team GPA award in their respective sports: boys tennis, boys soccer, and boys track and field
ROWMARK
Rowmark prepared for the 2020–2021 ski season with dryland conditioning camp and on-snow work, all within COVID-19 safety guidelines and mitigation efforts. And even amid the challenges of a pandemic year, Rowmarkers enjoyed a successful season with top finishes. Below are some of the team’s top accomplishments.
• Twenty of the 24 Academy student-athletes in the Upper School earned a 3.5 or higher GPA for the 2020–2021 school year.
• At the Tri-Divisional Championships at Big Sky Resort in Montana, Rowmarkers snagged the top-three spots in super-G: Matt Siegal took first in the event, while Henry Cunningham took the second and third slots. At the same event, Arden Louchheim took second in super-G and third in giant slalom.
• Declan Morasch placed first in giant slalom in the South Series Finals at Snowbasin, Utah.
• At the 77th Annual Snowcup at Snowbird, Utah, Ford Hodgkins skied to two thirdplace finishes; Jack AbuHaidar took a first, second, and third; Mary Clancy had a second; Madi Dean won a slalom; and Ian Hanrahan and Elisabeth Bocock won the prestigious Snowcup overall titles. At this event, Ian also won a giant slalom and took a second in slalom, and Elisabeth accounted for three of her 11 victories throughout the season.
• Elisabeth Bocock, Lili Honey, and Karsten Shillinger qualified to compete in the exclusive Western Region U16 Championships in Mammoth, California, an event that consists of the best U16 athletes in the entire Western Region of the United States. There, Elisabeth finished first in super-G, first in giant slalom, second in slalom, and first overall.
• Mary Bocock won two giant slalom races in Breckenridge, Colorado, and skied to a third in the German Junior Nationals Super-G, which helped rank her second in the nation and sixth in the world in giant slalom for her age, as well as first and ninth in the world in super-G.
• Three athletes qualified to the prestigious US National Championships in Aspen: Harry Hoffman, Mary Bocock, and Maddie Welling
Mary Bocock Nominated to US Alpine Ski Team
By the end of the 2021 competition season, Mary Bocock had had one of her best years: she competed with the US Ski & Snowboard Team in Europe and earned global rankings for her age in giant slalom and super-G. Then, on May 3, she learned that she was one of 44 top national athletes to be nominated by US Ski & Snowboard to the US Alpine Ski Team for the 2021–2022 competition season. Mary is one of only three new members of the women’s Development Team, also known as the D-Team, as well as the youngest addition to that team and the only new member hailing from the state of Utah.
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Dear Donors and Friends,
Every year, your giving is inspirational. This past fiscal year, it also provided immense motivation through an uncertain time. Despite the many challenges we faced, the Rowland Hall community continued its long-standing tradition of stepping up to support the school. Between the Annual Fund, our first-ever virtual Auction, endowment efforts, and the Extraordinary Vision capital campaign, we raised a remarkable $4,630,000. Your philanthropy was the ultimate testament to your belief in Rowland Hall and we thank you for your vote of confidence.
As you see in this Annual Report, Rowland Hall remains on a strong financial foundation due to your collective support. Thanks to a generous gift from the Cumming Family Foundation, we were able to establish the school’s first endowed position, the director of equity and inclusion. We also received gifts to pilot a climate science class in the Upper School, support mentalstrength training for our Rowmark student-athletes, and offset the expenses incurred due to COVID-19. As a donor, you should take great pride in knowing that your gifts, along with the collective support of others like you, are making a tremendous impact on our school.
The support of our community is more important than ever, and I thank you for keeping Rowland Hall a priority in your giving.
Gratefully,
Robyn Jensen ’02 Director of Institutional Advancement
945,705
OUR DONORS TOTAL RAISED
YOUR SUPPORT PROVIDED RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, INCLUDING:
1. OUTDOOR CLASSROOM–Beginning Schoolers enjoyed new outdoor classroom supplies, which were critical during the year of COVID-19.
2. SCIENCE–New robots from Wonder Workshop gave third-grade students the chance to explore computational thinking and coding concepts by programming the robots to move, turn, jump, push, and engage in Olympic challenges that included bowling, gymnastics, and soccer.
3. ROBOTICS–Fifth-grade students studying the NASA Perseverance rover Mars mission built robotic models that included real components of an actual space challenge. Students constructed models of a command center, satellites, solar panels, rocket launchers, and rovers, and then worked together to program them to maneuver across a robotics game mat, pick up and transport space rocks, and use dual lock fasteners to complete their very own missions to Mars.
4. ENGLISH–Middle School students found a love for reading with the audio supplement Learning Ally.
5. CLIMATE SCIENCE–Created in partnership with the University of Utah, this new Upper School course offers students an up-to-date approach to examining the earth's climate system.
6. SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING–Health educator Shafia Zaloom discussed the complexities of teen culture and decision-making with Middle School and Upper School students via Zoom.
505
from families BY THE NUMBERS 225
100% trustee participation
EXTRAORDINARY VOLUNTEERS
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL FUND
Each year, volunteers lay the bedrock for Rowland Hall’s annual giving efforts, making the school’s top priorities possible. In her first year as Annual Fund chair, Heather Ciriello led the effort with grace, humor, and enthusiasm. This year’s Annual Fund success would not have been possible without Heather and an exceptional group of volunteers who had one-onone conversations, wrote personal letters, and made hundreds of phone calls during our annual phonathon to tell the story of the Annual Fund’s importance in school life. A special thank you to the following volunteers who dedicated their time to raise funds that sustain the school’s mission and inspire students to explore their interests and potential.
Annual Fund Chair | Heather Ciriello
Grandparent Chairs | Brenda and Steven Lowe
Parents/Alumni Liaison | Tracy Gibbons Llanos ’96
Parents of Alumni Co-Chairs | Faye Mitsunaga and Jim Eng; Leslie and Hal Stone; Nancy and George Janes
2020–2021 CLASS LIAISONS
3PreK | Erin and Trey Bean
4PreK | Mikelle and Robert Mansfield
Kindergarten | Maryam Soltanolkotabi and Hamed Asghari
First Grade | Aimee Nussbaum and Jon Melman
Second Grade | Eliza Hitz and Jennifer Brown
Third Grade | Rukhsana Iqbal and Ahmed Ali
Fourth Grade | Jessie Fiat and Drew vonLintel
Fifth Grade | My and Chris Helms
Sixth Grade | Holly Drury and Jim Ngo; Roxana and Derrick Tzau
Seventh Grade | Florencia Gurmandi
Eighth Grade | Shalini and Ragu Kasturi
Ninth Grade | Heather and Neil Sarin; Ning Lei and Zheng Zheng
Tenth Grade | Traci and Daniel Sheinberg; Kurt Shirkey; Isabel Moreira and Robert Summerfield
Eleventh Grade | Jennifer Gully; Millicent Tracey
Twelfth Grade | Melissa and Ed Barbanell;
Claudia and Jesus Lamas; Corrine and Fred Welt
THE ROSE DEISLEY SCHOLARSHIP
A LITTLE BIT OF ETERNAL LIFE
Rose Deisley’s time at Rowland Hall was limited—she was at the school for kindergarten only— but her legacy continues to have an impact on students today.
As a kindergartener in the 1998–1999 school year, Anne Rose Deisley was a caring, wise, and emotionally intelligent little girl. Rose loved reading, gardening, soccer, her mom’s singing, and her friends. She adored and admired her older siblings, Lara and Daniel, and, like them, enjoyed creative play and animals—Rose’s father, David Deisley, recalls her favorite day of the school year as the day Rowland Hall held its annual Blessing of the Animals, a tradition in which the school’s chaplain, Reverend Raggs Ragan, invited students’ pets to campus to be blessed. She was also a good friend who preserved peace among peers and loved building relationships with her fellow students—Rose’s mother, Susan Gorey, strongly remembers Rose’s reply to a question about which kindergarten classmates she most wanted in her firstgrade class: “Mom, I want them all.”
“She connected with people deeply,” said Susan. “The source of her happiness at Rowland Hall was her connection with the community of children and teachers who touched her life.”
Alan Sparrow, who was head of school while Rose was at Rowland Hall, agreed. “Rose was an energetic, outgoing, and caring child who had the ability to connect with all of the children and adults in her life,” he said.
Tragically, the time Rose had to share her bright, compassionate, and caring personality was limited: the six-year-old was killed in an auto-pedestrian accident in the summer of 1999, just two months before she would have begun first grade. In true Rowland Hall form, the community came forward, offering its best to the family when they were experiencing their worst. “The support that we got immediately following her death was overwhelming,” said David. “The Rowland Hall community provided a floor to what otherwise might have been a bottomless pit.”
Shortly after Rose’s death, David and Susan decided to set up a scholarship at Rowland Hall in their daughter’s name. “We wanted a lasting remembrance of Rose—a way of keeping her memory alive,’’ David remembered. “A scholarship is a living engagement with her memory rather than a static one.”
David and Susan used funds that were originally intended for Rose’s future to establish the Rose Deisley Scholarship, and the community made additional donations in her memory. This endowed fund provides need-based financial aid each year to a first-grade student who is considered an asset to the Rowland Hall community through talents or citizenship, and whose presence, like Rose’s, makes the community a better place. Like all endowed funds, the Rose Deisley Scholarship provides stable, long-term funding to the school, allowing Rowland Hall to balance present and future needs of students. Donations to endowed funds are invested, allowing them to grow over time. Since 2000, the Rose Deisley Scholarship has grown from $25,000 to more than $1.9 million and has supported more than 16 students in need of financial aid.
“When you lose a child, what you’re deprived of is seeing them grow and develop. This scholarship grants a family who might not have been able to afford the school the opportunity to see their child grow and develop at Rowland Hall in a way that they might not have had,” said David. “It doesn’t replace our loss, but it seems to give meaning to Rose’s absence in a way that just feels right. I hope the students who have benefited from the scholarship go on to take advantage of opportunities at Rowland Hall and fulfill their potential.”
Fulfill their potential they have: over the last 20 years, the students who have benefited from the Rose Deisley Scholarship have excelled in volleyball, debate, art, dance ensemble, reading, and math. Mary Anne Wetzel, director of financial aid, said, “This scholarship has not only been a wonderful way to honor Rose Deisley, but it has allowed the school to bring students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to the Lower School, making the community stronger.”
And the scholarship will continue to make a difference. David has great hopes for its future, its growth, and its ongoing ability to touch the lives of current and future Rowland Hall students.
“I hope it provides a living legacy for Rose’s memory. I know I’m going to do everything I can in the course of my life to make sure that the scholarship is funded in a way that makes it a meaningful part of Rowland Hall,” he said. “This is my remembrance. It has great value to me and gives value to Rose’s memory. I hope it goes on forever.”
Rose’s Rowland Hall kindergarten class celebrating Halloween.
Rowland Hall thanks all of the following donors who generously contributed to the school’s 2020–2021 Annual Fund.
This Annual Report lists gifts made from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021. While we make every effort to be accurate, mistakes occur. If you have made a gift to Rowland Hall during the fiscal year and your name has been omitted, misspelled, or incorrectly listed, please accept our sincere apologies and advise us of the error by calling Robyn Jensen in the Advancement Office at 801-924-2961. Out of respect and for purposes of consistency, all grandparents’ names are listed formally.
* 20 or more years of giving to Rowland Hall
ANNUAL FUND DONORS
2020–2021
HEADMASTER’S COUNCIL ($10,000+)
Anonymous (3)
Michael and Bobby Abrams
Michael Anderson and Bethany Coates
Lenox and Fran Baker
Benjamin and Joanna Boyer
R. Harold Burton Foundation
The Cumming Foundation
Fang Family Foundation
Melissa and David Filippone
Adam and Andrea Himoff
Gloria Horsley
Heather Horsley
Alastair and Polly Hunt
Cary Jones and Kris Hopfenbeck*
The Kanter Family Foundation
Alex Kim ’86 and Catherine Fegan-Kim
Kurt Larsen and Angelina Tsu
Sarah and Paul Lehman
Marc and Erin Maloy
Derek and Janet Mannelin
Derek and Jenn Marley
Phil and Sandy McCarthey*
John ’96 and Andrea Miller
Mark and Kathie Miller*
Sarah Moles
Wood Moyle ’90
David and Shari Noteware
Jennifer Price-Wallin and Tony Wallin*
Florian Solzbacher and Xiaoxin Chen
Seth Spain and Molly McCarthey Spain ’03
Steiner Foundation, Inc.*
Jeff and Carol Stowell
Elizabeth Sunderman
Keith and Elizabeth Taylor
Christopher ’97 and Alexandra Lee Von Maack ’99
Dave and Renee Wentz
HALLMARKER GOLD ($5,500–$9,999)
Richard and Tanya Andrew
Nate and Jacee Ballard
Bamberger - Allen Foundation
Eric ’89 and Cyndi Baughman
Jim Benton and Jen Doherty
Kitty Northrop Friedman ’91 and Peter Friedman*
Brian and Shruthi Kinkead
Ehlias and Jessica Louis
Tami and Jane Marquardt
Ian Pihl and Caitlin O’Connor
Scott and Lynn Pelichoff
Ryan and Nora Peterson
Jeff and Cathy Siegal
Mike and Brittany Yeates
HALLMARKER SILVER ($3,000–$5,499)
Anonymous (2)
Ravi Adusumalli and Mairi Leining
Brad Anderson and Maija Holsti
Adam and Amy Bahna
Ed and Melissa Barbanell
Brian and Karey Barker
Jay and Julie Bartlett
John Bird and Rin Harris
Steve Boyd and Ellen Hotung
Jeff and Sarah Campsen
Carlo and Heather Ciriello
Barry and Carrie Dennis
Geoff and Elizabeth Frazier
Mick and Amy Gee
Bill ’63 and Barbara Gibbons*
Larry and Rachel Gilbert
Kelly Hannah ’90
Mary W. Harriman Foundation
Jim and Sue Himoff
Jerry Lanchbury and Margaret Hall
Akemi and David Louchheim
Steven and Brenda Lowe
Microsoft Giving Campaign
David Min and Megan Donohue
Frank and Melanie Monestere
Scott and Kathleen Nichols
James and Linda Okland
Amy Redford
Ira Rubinfeld and Willamarie Huelskamp
Josh and Autum Savage
Max and Teri Savage
Michael Varner and Kathleen Digre*
Andy and Tara Wakefield
Hua Wang and TingTing Hong
Jackie Wentz
HALLMARKER BRONZE ($1,500–$2,999)
Anonymous (10)
Robert and Alexandra Altman
Apple Matching Gifts Program
Mark Baer and Chris Sparrer Baer*
Ruth Eleanor Bamberger & John Ernest Bamberger Memorial Foundation*
Brent and Anne Baranko
Trip and Melanie Bates
Brent and Susan Brague
Elke Brown
Richard and Ana Karla Brown
Bob and Susan Card
David and Susan Carlebach
Tom and Ashley Carlin
Lester Cheng
Tom and Mitzi Conover
Jacob Copinga and Frances Reagan Copinga
Chris and Cindy Cutler
Dru and Amy Damico
Suzy Day*
Bill and Julie Decker
Jim and Susan Downs
Chip and Gayle Everest*
Kevin Flamm and Mikelle Moore
Spencer and Ann Galt
Dee and Colin Gardner*
Tiffany and Rob Glasgow*
John and Pam Hanlon
Chris and Kathy Hill
The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey
Paul House and Melissa Hardy
Alon Israely and Allison Pearson
Mark Jansen and Carmen Sutherland
Danny and Beth Jasper
Brad Jensen and Sarah Barnes
Maria Jepperson
John and Kim Kanarowski
Jordan Kimball and Rebecca England
Jill and David Lang
Toby and Tina Larson
Desmond and Candyce Lee
Whitt and Chris Lee
Ben and Katie Lieberman
Mitch ’96 and Marina Lowe
Robert and Mikelle Mansfield
Bob and Suzanne Marquardt*
Scott Martin
Robyn and Scott Matheson*
Kevin and Robin Mayetani
Martha McGraw
Gina and Mark Miller
Justin Morgan and Heather Kirkby
Daniel and Ann Morse
Greg and Jennifer Nelson
Jim Ngo and Holly Drury
Timothy and Lisa O’Brien
Brad Olch
Marty Olsen and Christopher Cocke-Olsen
Ted Paisley and Tricia Petzold
Bruce and Nicole Paisner
Bartley and Tonya Pickron
Laura and Pierre Prosper
Robin and Raj Puri
Todd Rankin
Jeff and Brandie Revoy
Bob and Char Roetzel
John and Ellie Roser*
Eric Scaife and Caroline Milne
David and Tiffany Shewell
Allan and Thalia Papanikolas Smart ’63
Luke and Tristan Smart
Dave and Amy Smith
Robert and Sara Anne Williams Spalding ’87
Alan and Paige Stotts
Rachel Sweet ’88
Bodie and Anne Tribe
Derrick and Roxana Tzau
Sarah Uram
US Bank Foundation Matching Gift Program
Jason and Allison Varner
Saul and Ericka Weissman
CONTRIBUTORS 2020–2021
Anonymous (55)
Kait and Chris Abraham
Nadim and Maggie AbuHaidar
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Neeraj and Archana Agarwal
Tony Aguilar
Campbell and Juliette Ainsworth
Ahmad Ali and Rukhsana Iqbal
Emina Alibegoviç
Amazon Smile
Jack and Darcy Amiel
Hilary Amoss ’96
David and Greta Anderson
Derek and Stacy Anderson
Tara Anderson
Matt Armentrout ’02 and Felicia Katz
Hamed Asghari and Maryam Soltanolkotabi
Ashley Atwood
Amber Ayers
Coral Azarian and Danny Kerl
Sharon Bacon
Alec and Cassandra Baden
Bryan and Tessie Bailey
Abe and Lisa Bakhsheshy
Geoff Ballantyne and Mary Jo Sweeney
John Ballard and Karen Miller*
Nick Banyard
Tom and Helen Barkes
Julie and Bill Barrett*
Stephen and Daryl Barrett
Susanna and Matt Bassett
Robert and Char Bauer
Paul and Talitha Beach
Trey and Erin Bean
Andrew and Kelly Becker
Andrea Beckman
Kerry Bedell
David and Ginny Bennett
Conor Bentley ’01 and Mary Anne Wetzel ’01
Jason Bergreen and Abby Bacon
Gary and Juanita Bergreen
Carly Biedul
Christina Lau Billings ’98 and
David Billings ’98
Peter ’63 and Marney Billings
Brian Birchler
Cheryl Birt
Black’s Sliders
Aaron and Heather Black
Alex Bocock and Amy Sullivan
Kris and Phuong Bodeen
Sharon Bookhamer and the late Bryant Bookhammer
Jen Bourque
Ginger Bower
Adam and Carol Bowman
Clint and Marlene Bown
Larry Bown and Savittrey Nalamlieng
Sean Boyle and Trish Coughlin
Stan Freck and Tina Braun
Paul Bressloff and Alessandra Angelucci
Jack Brickson
Todd and Monika Brickson
Christa and Shaun Brigdon
Robert and Char Bauer*
Zenon Bulka
Steve and Cindy Burian
Mary Burnett
Ken and Ann Burnett*
Matt and Valerie Burnett*
Aaron Burrell and Mindy Vanderloo
Mark and Lindy Burton
Jonathan and Deborah Butler
Wendy Butler
Steve and Sabrina Byron
Patricia Callahan*
Gregg Wood and Nicki Camp
Rhett Card
Herbert and Helen Carlin
Lauren Carpenter*
Courtney Castleton
James and Linda Chandler
Nitin and Jane Chandramouli
Tim Chappell and Jen Schones
Andrew Chase and Lee Molen-Chase
June Chen
Vincent Cheng
Virginia Chin
Kent Christensen and
Andrea Brown-Christensen
Pat Christensen*
Paul and Pat Christensen*
Erik Christiansen and Christina Jepson
Janet Ciriello
David and Nicole Clancy
Holly Clark
Emily Clawson
James and Gerrie Clayton
Kate and Geoff Colbath
Matthew Collins
Sven and Shannon Collins
Community Foundation of Utah
Kelly Cook
Peter Coombs and Hediyeh Baradaran
Douglas Cooper
Bruce and Julie Cooper
Dave Copeland and Susan Koehn
Jeff Corey and Brittany Nelson
Paul and Dena Corson
Timothy Costantino and Michelle Vo
Lewis Francis and Dana Costello
Crescent Cares Foundation
Keri Crockett
Christopher and Cynthia Cross
Stephen and Nadia Cross
Carol Curci
Tara Curry
Antje Curry
Leslie Czerwinski
Ben ’92 and Erica Dahl
Bill and Judy Dalgliesh*
Jorge and Niure Damico
Marty Daniels
Tim Daniels and Claire von Schilling
Paul and Debbie Dau
Alan and Vanessa Davis
Pastor France and Willene Davis
France and Melanie Davis
Tommaso De Fernex and Ronak Iqbal
Jij de Jesus and Claire Shepley
Adam and Marta DeBellis
Sarah DeMark
Thayne Dibble
Eldin and Talia Diglisic
Sara Donnelly
Robert and Kelli Dotson
Matt Douglas and Ashley Meddaugh
Kurt Dowdle and Ingrid Gustavson
Stavros Drakos and Aliki Milioti
Kris Dumas
Bruce and Miriam Eatchel
Jerry and Kathleen Eder
David and Lexi Eller
Jim Eng and Faye Mitsunaga
Justin and Michelle English
Gus and Carol Epina
Dan and Anna Ernst
Bjorn Espenes and Aleksandra Stojsic Espenes
Annjanine Freeman Etzel and Thomas Etzel*
Gary and Paula Evershed*
Beverly Facklam
Evelyn Falk
Jason Hone and Jeanne Falk
Mateo and Patiola Feletoa
Peter and Bonnie Feola
Hugh and Kate Ferguson
Juan-Carlos Fernandez-Sanchez and Chantal Esquivias-Argelaguet
Joe Ferriter and Jennie Trauscht-Van Horn
First Inspire
Gail Flanagan
Cynthia Kimberlin-Flanders
Graham Flinn
Tyler and Gwen Fonarow
Howard and Essia Fredman
Brett and Lisa Friedman
Brian Fukushima and Tammy Park
Charles Gaddis
Julie Gainer and Jennifer Busch
Randhir Gandhi and Manisha Shah
Jan and Bryson Garbett
Bill and Barbara Gelegotis
Martin and Sheila Gelman
Jill Gerber
Patrick Gibbons ’93
Beth Gibson
The Thomas & William Gilbane Foundation
Matthew Glasgow ’15
Sommer Glasgow ’17
Wasatch Global
Patrick and Mardee Godfrey
James Goh and Jo-Ann Yuen
Goldman Sachs
Gene Gomez
Steve Goorman and Christa Zaro
Sofia Gorder
Virginia and Bill Gowski
Bert Granberg and Felicia Olivera
Don and Beth Granberg
Michael and Jennifer Granger
Brad and Debra Green
Mark and Abby Green
Rona Greenstadt
Diane Guido*
Jennifer Gully
Finn and Kathy Gundersen*
Flor Gurmandi
Dugg and Ann Marie Hannon*
Chris and Megan Hanrahan
Aleks and Brittney Roetzel Hansen ’02
Andy Hare and Wendy Reger Hare
Cap Harlan
Sydney Hartsell ’08
Randy Hartwig
Chris and Tasha Hatton
Robert Hausser*
The Rt. Rev. Scott Hayashi and Amy O’Donnell
Carole Hecker
Chris and My Helms
Hank Hemingway
Kirsten Hepburn
Patricia Hepburn
Laura Hermance ’90
Kelly and Tucker Hermans
Josh and Carolyn Hickman*
Scott and Deborah Hinton
Eliza Hitz and Jen Brown
Ivan Ho and Belinda Chan
Noah ’97 and Anne Hoagland
Vicky Gibbons Hoagland ’67 and John Hoagland*
Paul Hochman and Carrie Sheinberg
Blair Hodson and Amy Sorenson
Ryan Hoglund and Libby Mitchell ’92*
Troy and Ashley Holbrook
Demitri Hollevoet and Lori Ann Cooper
Stanley Holmes and Rebecca Horn
Robin and Cynthia Hori
Dawn Houghton and Mary Lawlor*
Dani Howe
Bryan and Karen Howell
Lyen Huang and Becky Kim
Mike Gleeson and Chiao-ih Hui
Maria Hutchings
Jim Hyde and Angelina Beitia
Malik Ibrahima and Alamissi Ouro-Gneni
Paul and Laureen Innis
Jennifer Jackson
Ken Jacquin
Burt and Eleanor Jaffe
Michael and Eugenie Jaffe
Timothy Jahn and Elizabeth Enos
John Jarman
Steve and Anne Jay
Andy and Robyn Payne Jensen ’02
Jess and Monica Jensen
Warren and Elizabeth Jenson
Alan and Liesl Jeppson
Kimberly Jew
Phil and Audrey Jiricko
Laura Johnson
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Charles Jones
Dan Jones and Rebecca Mueller-Jones
Kelley Journey
Brian and Jocelyn Karney
Ragu and Shalini Kasturi
Kathy Kauffman
Doug and Erica Keil
Garrett and Laura Leigh Kemper
Jordan and Krystal Lindsey Kendell ’01
Bobby and Kathy Kennedy
Martin and Krista Kern
Matthew Weinstein and Laura Kessler
Kevin Reedy and Scott Cooley
Melvyn and Roberta Klein
David and Stephanie Klein
Bryce and Brooke Knudtson
Mike and Diane Koetter*
Nate ’00 and Anna Kogan
Terry Kogan and Greg Hatch
Madan Kommi and Kanti Surapaneni
Grace Kong ’91 and Abdol Soltani
Kroger/Smith’s Earn and Learn Program
Alan and Kaci Kuntz
Brian and Manuela Lahti
Matthew and Catherine Lake
Claudia Lamas and the late Jesus Lamas
Scott Langone
Charlotte Larsen
Bri LeBreton
Josh Leger
Marc and Kaylyn Lehmann
Pete Lelis and Lauren Swift
Matt Leonard and Stacey Miller
Edward Lieskovan and Siwen Hu-Lieskovan
Yuan Lin and Hongwei Xu
Dustin and Christine Lipson
Dave and Rebecca Livermore*
Gary and Paula Evershed*
Brian Mickey and Amy Locke
Ben and Lisa Logue
Joel Long
Hal and Carol Louchheim
Marianne Love
Bo Lu and Wendy Chen
Brian Lunde and Sue Mark-Lunde
Judy Maack
Michael Margetts and Yekaterina Voronkova
Joel and Mary Jo Marker*
Christopher Martin
Miyoshi Marumoto
Darcy and Brian Marvin
Paul and Andrea Matlin
Evelyn and Kyle Matsumura
Rob Mayer and Carol Blackwell*
Kevin and Beatrice Mayetani
Steve and Galen McCallum
Tim and Erika McCarthy
Sean and Sheila McCartney
Andrew and SallyAnn McCrea
Mary McIntyre
Bud McManus
The David J. and
Nancy L. McNally Foundation
Alex ’98 and Tara Tribe Meade ’00
Rob and Susanna Mellor
Jon Melman and Aimee Nussbaum
Mike and Dixie Merback
Josh and Hillary Mettle
Laura Meyer
Travis Mickelson and Margot Miller
James Milavetz
Mark Millard
Brian and Lori Miller
Scott and Stephanie Miller
Toni Miller
Jeff Miller ’98 and Deanna Combs
Florence Battis Mini
Lisa Brown Miranda
Mary Jane Miranda
Dan Mitchell
Michael and Kathryn Moore
Mark and Gemma Morasch
Brian Morgan
Marianne Moyle
John and Jennifer Muhlestein
Patrick Murphy
Barry and Muriel Nash
Joe and Stephanie Nash
Teresa Nelson
Marsha Newman
Kelly and April Nielsen
David Nierenberg and Kathleen McKee
Kathleen Tundermann Niles ’96
Chad and Kristina Obermark
Mark Oftedal and Sarah Wright
Alan Okawa and Allison Oki
Quinn and Katherine Orb
Mike and Stephanie Orfanakis
Melissa and James Orford
Ken Aoki and Christopher Ossana
Brandon and Beth Ott
Ed and Debora Owens
Micah Ownbey and Casey Murphy
Steve and Jenna Gelegotis Pagoaga ’98
Liz Paige and Woody Crowell*
Erika Palsson
Sendhil and Suganya Pani
Mark and Allison Paradise
Kody Partridge
Prashant and Elena Patel
Kelly and Jeanene Patterson*
Jim and Lee Payne
Eric Peng and Jing Zhao
Penguin Random House
Murali Penubothu and Radhika Naidu
Erich and Nancy Petersen*
Foreste Peterson
Pfizer Foundation Matching Gift Program
Susan Phillips
Sam and Kathryn Pickford
JP and Beth Plavan
Alisa Poppen
Erik Postnieks
Lynn Russo
Colin and Kat Potter
Troy Price
Adrian and Kate Puttgen
Brian and Tacy Conard Quinn ’96
Thomas and Chloe Quinn
Allen Raab
Toby and Lucy Rankin
Marc and Michelle Rasich
Linda Rembis
Betsy Revenaugh
Jonathan and Diana Ribera
Wallace Ring*
Melanie Robbins
Jorge Robles
Matt Rogers ’90
Robert Rolfs*
Leann Roque
Gail Rose
Camilla Rosenberger
Brian and Janice Ruggles*
Gina Russo
Thomas Rust and Raychel Gonzales
John and Jeanna Tachiki Ryan ’01
Pete and Pat Sadoski
Saveez Saffarian and Shanti Deemyad
B.J. Sandberg and LaVonne Wells Sandberg
John Sarbo and Kathryn Czarnecki
Neil and Heather Sarin
Daniel and Julie Scharfstein
Josh and Mo Schiffman
Doug and Deborah Schillinger
Eric Schmitz
Anni Schneider
Kathy Schvaneveldt
Katie Schwab
Craig and Kim Selzman
Mike and Carol Shackelford
Shaun Shakib and Sabine Koepf-Shakib
Bill Shann
Ashkan and Danae Sharifian
Daniel and Traci Sheinberg
Danielle and Kylee Shepherd
Kevin Shilling and Mara Rabin
Gary and Joyce Shirkey
Kurt and Judalyn Shirkey
Lee Shuster and Linda Smith
Dave Sidlow
Stacia Sidlow
Aaron Siegal
Stephen and Cynthia Sinclair
Passang Sivukpa and Tenzin Norzom
Lynn and Debbie Skidmore
Ella Slaker
Ben ’89 and Lindsey Oswald Smith ’92*
David Smith and Isa Soares
Gregory and Susanna Smith
Kerrie Smith
Pam and Darren Smith
Hubbert and Vicki Smith
Ken Smith and Cathleen Zick
Karma Sok-Choekore and Tenzin Lhazey
Troy and Julie Somerville
Lizbeth Sorensen
Alan and Nancy Sparrow*
Allison Spehar
Jodi and KC Spiro
Tyler Stack
Garret and Bethany Stephensen
Garrett and Sara Stern
Scott Stevens and Lisa Palmieri-Stevens
Nevah Stevenson
Collin and Lauren Pardey Stivers ’01
Lynelle Stoddard
Harry Stone ’14
William Stone ’18
Leslie and Hal Stone*
Pam Stone*
Jean Strand
Lyndsay Strange
Jeff Streba and Molly Lewis*
Fred and Linda Strohacker*
Theresa and Greg Sueoka
Robert Summerfield and Isabel Moreira
Erika Summers
John and Michelle Summers
Paul Svendsen and Mary Piciocchi
Susan Swidnicki
Ray Szczepaniak
Steve and Becky Tachiki
Henry and June Takei
Tyler and Shawni Tanner
Mike and Leslie Tate*
Bill and Linda Tatomer
Kate Taylor
Barbara Telander
Michael Teter
Paul Thielking and Yvonne Hsu
CJ and Chaleh Thirkill
Gary and Kirsten Thomas
Wendell and Terry Thomas
Joan Thompson
Tom Thorne
Levi Todd
Carlo and Viola Tognina
Robert and Tami Tokita
Kathy Howa and Kendra Tomsic*
Teresa Totorica and Alysia McEvoy
Todd and Millicent Tracey
Wayne and Linda Tyler
Andy and Katie Tyser
Alex and Sally Uhle*
Carolyn Uhle*
Laurie Underwood
Christopher and Renee Utgaard
Richard Vale-Zamora and Nairibes Luzardo-Hernandez
Sophie Llanos, Liam Llanos, Jack Gibbons, Sarah Gibbons
Ms. Elizabeth Gibson
Cooper Davis
Mr. Gene Gomez
Kiri Miller, Reece Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Don Granberg
Macy Olivera
Ms. Rona Greenstadt
Sophie Stern, Eli Stern
Mr. Robert Harlan
Austin Harlan
Ms. Carole Hecker
Hayden Mengason
Mr. Henry Hemingway
Millie Hemingway, Izzy Hemingway
Ms. Patricia Hepburn
Lila Jackson
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Himoff
Madeline Himoff, Isabel Himoff
Mrs. (’67) and Mr. Vicky L. Hoagland
Quinn Hoagland, Sam Hoagland, Ella Hoagland
Mrs. Gloria Horsley
Mei Mei Johnson
Mr. and Ms. Paul Innis
Merrick Davidson, Courtney Davidson-Innis
Ms. Jennifer Jackson
Jake Gilbert
Dr. and Ms. Burton Jaffe
Jack Jaffe
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Jay
Anna Jiricko
Mr. Warren Jenson
Penelope Jenson, Harper Jenson
Mr. Charles Jones
Luke Muhlestein
Ms. Kathy Kauffman
Jack Gowski, Liza Gowski, Freddy Gowski
Dr. and Mrs. Melvyn Klein
Vivi Klein, Zachary Klein
Mr. Terry Kogan and Mr. Greg Hatch
Miriam Kogan, David Kogan
Mr. and Mrs. Whitt Lee
Juliet Von Maack, Charlie Von Maack
Mr. and Mrs. Hal Louchheim
Arden Louchheim
Mr. and Mrs. Steven F. Lowe
Sasha Lowe, Sabina Lowe
Ms. Judith B. Maack
Juliet Von Maack, Charlie Von Maack
Ms. Jane and Ms. Tami Marquardt
Dakota Erickson
Mr. Christopher Martin
Annabelle Pickford, Charlie Pickford
Ms. Miyoshi Marumoto
Allison Mayetani
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Mayetani
Allison Mayetani
Mr. and Ms. Andrew McCrea
Merrick Davidson, Courtney Davidson-Innis
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Merback
James Weissman, Max Weissman, Kate Weissman
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Miller
Miles Miller, Caden Brown, Declan Miller, Natalie Miller, Owen Miller
Ms. Toni M. Miller
Ella Leonard, Alex Leonard, Kate Leonard
Ms. Florence Battis Mini
Miriam Kogan, David Kogan
Mrs. Mary Jane Miranda
Gabriella Miranda
Ms. Judith B. Moyle
Ocky Moyle
Dr. and Mrs. Barry Nash
Marco Ciriello, Mia Ciriello, Gemma Ciriello
Mr. and Mrs. James Okland
Ruby Varner, Madsen Varner
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Pagoaga
Ollie Pagoaga, William Pagoaga
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Paisner
Asher Williams, Wyatt Williams
Mr. and Mrs. Toby Rankin
Zoe Rankin, Eli Rankin
Ms. Linda Rembis
Austin Harlan
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Roetzel
Juliana Hansen, Christopher Hansen
Ms. Leann Roque
Alex Hogge
Mr. and Mrs. Max Savage
Olivia Savage
Mrs. Kathy Schvaneveldt
Reed Kirkham, Ryker Kirkham
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Shirkey
Deja Shirkey
Mr. Lee Shuster and Ms. Linda F. Smith
Miriam Kogan, David Kogan
Mr. Aaron Siegal
Matt Siegal, Kelly Siegal
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Sinclair
Henry Brigdon
Mr. and Mrs. Allan Smart
Max Smart
Ms. Jean Strand
Xander Strand
Mr. and Ms. Steven T. Tachiki
Elliana Ryan, Sabrina Ryan
Dr. and Mrs. Henry Takei
Arden Louchheim
Mr. and Mrs. Royal L. Tribe
Benjamin Meade, Samuel Meade
Dr. and Mrs. Richard D. Wallin
Lucy Wallin
Dr. and Mrs. Lynn R. Webster
Gracie Webster
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Weinstein
Ellie Weinstein, Evan Weinstein
Ms. Jackie Wentz
Sydney Wentz, Andrew Wentz
Mr. and Mrs. John Young
Leila Cottle
Space is critically important— it’s a sign of vitality for a school.
Mick Gee, head of school
Rowland Hall has proven that it is adaptable, resilient, forward-thinking, and, most importantly, student-focused. In order to best serve our students, both today and in the future, we must provide them with inspirational spaces designed for collaborative, project-based, and innovative learning.
Designed to foster community and collaboration and expand on our world-class education, the Extraordinary Vision capital campaign will transform Rowland Hall’s Richard R. Steiner Campus into a hub of student-centered activity and enhanced educational programming. New middle and upper school facilities on the Steiner Campus will help
to inspire our students to make a difference in the world, providing them with the tools, skills, and experiences they need to become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
The current phase of the Extraordinary Vision capital campaign, to build a new Middle School and athletic complex on the Steiner campus, has raised $17.2 million toward the $35 million goal. Our goal is to complete fundraising and break ground within the next three years. Throughout the campaign, we will offer our parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends the opportunity to invest in our exceptional students who, empowered by their education, hold the promise to transform our world.
Should you have any questions about the project or how to get involved, please contact Robyn Jensen at robynjensen@rowlandhall.org or 801-924-2961.
GIFTS TO THE RICHARD R. STEINER CAMPUS BUILDING FUND
All gifts and pledges to the capital campaign were given between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
Ruth Eleanor Bamberger & John Ernest Bamberger Memorial Foundation
Tom and Helen Barkes
Christina Lau Billings ’98 and David ’98 Billings
John Bird and Rin Harris
R. Harold Burton Foundation
Carlo and Heather Ciriello
Dru and Amy Damico
Reverend France and Willene Davis
Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation
Faith Dryer
Fang Family Foundation
Melissa and David Filippone
Gibbons Family Foundation
Mary W. Harriman Foundation
Chris and Kathy Hill
Adam and Andrea Himoff
Dani Howe
Kanter Family Foundation
Kurt Larsen and Angelina Tsu
Whitt and Chris Lee
Judy Maack
Josh and Hillary Mettle
Gina and Mark Miller
Mark and Kathie Miller Foundation
Jeff Miller ’98 and Deanna Combs
John ’96 and Andrea Miller
Nakasone Family Foundation
John and Marcia Price Family Foundation
Laura and Pierre Prosper
Todd Rankin
Ira Rubinfeld and Willamarie Huelskamp
Hal and Minor Shaw
Anna and Reed Topham
Christopher ’97 and Alexandra Lee Von Maack ’99
Jeanne Zeigler and Kipp Greene
Brian and Martha Zipp
ENDOWMENT FUND DONORS
All gifts to the endowment fund were given or pledged between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
*Denotes a planned gift
Ivor and Carol Benjamin
Corporation of the Episcopal Church in Utah
The Cumming Foundation
David Deisley
John and Heather Ure Dunagan ’91
Ames Gardner
The Gibbons Family Foundation
Gilbane
Maddie Haslam ’10
Dick Lemons and Diana Banks
Judy Maack
JP and Beth Plavan
The John and Marcia Price Family Foundation
Shae Searl
YOU CAN LEAVE A LEGACY TOO
At Rowland Hall, there are many ways to and ensure your support has a lasting impact. Establishing a named endowment fund is a way to create a scholarship or honor a loved one. An endowed fund requires a long-term, minimum commitment of $50,000, which rolls off 4 percent interest annually. Creating a planned gift in your will is another way to leave a legacy. If you have named Rowland Hall in your estate plans or would like to discuss options on how to give a tax-wise planned gift to the school, please contact Director of Institutional Advancement Robyn Jensen ’02 at robynjensen@rowlandhall.org.
Many individuals within the Rowland Hall community, whether they are associated with the school as alumni, current parents, grandparents, or friends, have made their mark as successful entrepreneurs. To celebrate and share in these individuals’ knowledge and accomplishments, Rowland Hall has created an organization of business professionals and companies, the Rowland Hall Entrepreneur’s Circle.
The following individuals have pledged a future gift of $50,000 to the school via the Entrepreneur’s Circle:
Anonymous
Eric ’89 and Cynthia Baughman
Stead and Kendall Sumner Burwell ’96
Ben ’92 and Erica Dahl
Ken Jacquin
Blake Kirby
Michael Levinthal
Mary McIntyre
David and Nancy McNally
Dave Stockham ’91
Tom Stockham
Tim and Jane Sullivan
Adria Muir Swindle ’95 and Geoff Swindle ’94
Dan Urmann ’94
DEE AND COLIN GARDNER FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
Rowland Hall is pleased to announce the creation of a new scholarship, given generously by the Dee and Colin Gardner family. The Gardner Scholarship, established in 2020, will be awarded to a ninth-grade student and will follow that student through graduation.
The Gardner family has a long history with Rowland Hall. Dee and Colin are parents to Andy and Alex ’07. Dee served on the Rowland Hall Board of Trustees for nine years, and Alex served on the board for three years as chair of the Alumni Association. We thank the Gardner family for making Rowland Hall a priority in their giving.
Throughout Rowland Hall’s history, parents, alumni, and friends have established named endowment funds to provide lasting support for scholarships, faculty development, and academics. If you are interested in establishing an endowed fund, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 801-924-2961.
An investment in the education of a child is an investment in the future and the most important investment one can make.
Dee and Colin Gardner
Seventh graders participating in orienteering.
$76,218 WAS GIVEN in the Paddle Raise for financial aid
700+ HOUSEHOLDS joined the live event
14 SPONSORS GAVE $70,000
76 VOLUNTEERS
helped plan the event, secure auction items, fold invitations, and deliver watch boxes
COUNTLESS JOKESTERS
MADE US LAUGH
THANK YOU FOR STANDING UP FOR ROWLAND HALL
STAND UP Rowland Hall was an incredibly inspiring display of connection, commitment, and gratitude for Rowland Hall. Thanks to you, the school’s first-ever virtual Auction raised $350,000 for teacher professional development, financial aid, and COVID-19-incurred costs. Thank you to those who joined us for the livestream event, purchased silent and live auction items, bought tickets to attend a party, or donated to the paddle raise. We are grateful to you for showing up—and standing up—for the Rowland Hall community.
THANK YOU TO OUR CHAIRS AND VOLUNTEERS
This event would not have been possible without the many volunteers who helped make it a success. A huge thank you to Event Chairs Andrea and John ’96 Miller for their wonderful leadership while navigating the new world of virtual galas. Thank you to Solicitations Committee Co-Chairs Jeanna Tachiki Ryan ’01 and Krystal Lindsey Kendall ’01, the Auction Executive Committee and Solicitations Committee, our many parent volunteers, and everyone who made the evening run smoothly. Thank you also to our amazing program host, Jamie Pierce ’98, and to the film production crew: Chris Lee ’93 and Alex Lee ’03 of TWIG Media Lab
2021 Auction Chairs John and Andrea Miller
ROLL THE CREDITS!
Writers
Hilary Amoss ’96
Adam Himoff
Andrea Himoff
Alex Lee ’03
Chris Lee ’93
Andrea Miller
Stephanie Orfanakis
Special Thanks
Bar Daddy
Bitters Lab
Libelle Wines
The Blended Table
TWIG Media Lab
Under Current
Auction Sponsors
Anonymous
Silent Auction sponsored by Alsco
Paddle Raise sponsored by Mark Miller Toyota, Mark Miller Subaru, and Cytozyme Labs
Live Auction sponsored by Albion Financial Parties sponsored by MOJO Real Estate
Party Watch Boxes sponsored by Lieberman Siebers LLC
Treasure Club sponsored by Altabank
Cocktail Hour sponsored by Kurt Larsen and Angelina Tsu
Wine sponsored by Phil and Sandy McCarthey and Regence
Stand Up for Rowland Hall sponsored by Cary Jones and Kris Hopfenbeck
Video production sponsored by TWIG Media Lab, Chris Lee ’93, and Alex Lee ’03
Underwriters
Party watch box Sonder LA cutting boards: Sean and Mekensy Overholt
Treasure Club e-bikes: Saul and Ericka Weissman
Baccarat tumblers and LEGO Technic prizes: Saul and Ericka Weissman
Kids’ party watch box book, Monkeyfarts!: author David Borgenicht ’86
Kids’ party watch box treats: Eric ’89 and Cyndi Baughman
Sprinter van adventure trip: Tony Wallin and Jennifer Price-Wallin
Party Underwriters
Jeff and Sarah Campsen
Dan ’93 and Amanda Conner
Bo Schiers and Molly Jones-Schiers ’07
Julia Simonsen
Adria Muir Swindle ’95 and Christopher Olsen
Jason and Ellen Winkler
Auction Executive Committee
Andrea and John ’96 Miller, Auction Chairs
Hilary Amoss ’96, Director of Alumni Relations, Community Engagement
Kathryn Pickford, Administrative Assistant to the Beginning School, Auction
Helen Barkes, Community Engagement and Outreach
Cyndi Baughman, Party Watch Box
Sarah Campsen, Volunteer Coordinator
Deanna Combs, Community Engagement and Outreach
Amanda Conner, Syndicate
Amy Damico, Community Engagement and Outreach, Class Projects
And, most of all, THANK YOU for watching and participating in this year’s virtual Auction!
AUCTION SUPPORTERS
Anonymous (19)
Matthew Aaronson and Katherine Sanderson
Nadim and Maggie AbuHaidar
Walker Adams ’09
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Robert and Alexandra Altman
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING STAND UP ROWLAND HALL
Alsco
Altabank
Pat Ammon
Hilary Amoss ’96
Brad Anderson and Maija Holsti
Michael Anderson and Bethany Coates
Derek and Stacy Anderson
Richard and Tanya Andrew
Ally Askew ’15
Ashley Atwood
Wayne and Pattie Babler
Sharon Bacon
Chris Baer
Lenox and Fran Baker
Brent and Anne Baranko
Ed and Melissa Barbanell
Tom and Helen Barkes
Stephen and Daryl Barrett
Jay and Julie Bartlett
Susanna and Matt Bassett
Trip and Melanie Bates
Eric ’89 and Cyndi Baughman
Trey and Erin Bean
Andrew and Kelly Becker
David and Nicole Beer
Sonny Bench and Lesley Bailey
Conor Bentley ’01 and Mary Anne Wetzel ’01
Jason Bergreen and Abby Bacon
Christina Lau Billings ’98 and David Billings ’98
John Bird and Rin Harris
Aaron and Heather Black
Kris and Phuong Bodeen
Sharon Bookhamer
Olga Bott
Ginger Bower
Adam and Carol Bowman
Benjamin and Joanna Boyer
Susan Brague
Brent and Susan Brague
Stan Freck and Tina Braun
Todd Wilcox and Antonio Bucio
Lawrence and Isabelle Buhler
Matt and Valerie Burnett
Mark and Sarah Button
Jeff and Sarah Campsen
Christopher Canale and Rachel Baar
Tirza Castellanos
June Chen
Karma Younten and Sonam Chodon
Student Elektra K.
Chad and Sarah Christensen
Paul and Pat Christensen
Erik Christiansen and Christina Jepson
Tyson and Becky Cichos
Carlo and Heather Ciriello
David and Nicole Clancy
Holly Clark
Emily Clawson
Marty Olsen and Christopher Cocke-Olsen
Kate and Geoff Colbath
Matthew Collins
Jeff Miller ’98 and Deanna Combs
Dan ’93 and Amanda Conner
Ralph and Vera Conner
Tom and Mitzi Conover
Kevin Reedy and Scott Cooley
Paul and Dena Corson
Tara Curry
Cytozyme
Ben ’92 and Erica Dahl
Dru and Amy Damico
Jorge and Niure Damico
France and Melanie Davis
Bill and Julie Decker
Barry and Carrie Dennis
Mark Dodson and Jamie Zussman
David Min and Megan Donohue
James and Nicholl Doolin
Jim and Susan Downs
Stavros Drakos and Aliki Milioti
Nancy Duncan
Eric and Katrina Durham
Valli Gibbons Durham ’69
Atom Duszynski
Michael and Lindsay Egan
David and Lexi Eller
Trina Empey
Timothy Jahn and Elizabeth Enos
Robbie Everest ’01
Jason Hone and Jeanne Falk
Bing and Judy Fang
Jason and Dawn Farrell
Christopher Felt ’06 and Andrea Hoffman ’05
Melissa and David Filippone
Kelly and Ethan Fisher
Mary Ann Villarreal and Lisa Flores
Tyler and Gwen Fonarow
Kitty Northrop Friedman ’91 and Peter Friedman
Julie Gainer and Jennifer Busch
Reed and Lindsay Galen
Mickey and Sharee Gallivan
Dee and Colin Gardner
Mick and Amy Gee
Tracy Gibbons Llanos ’96
Bill ’63 and Barbara Gibbons
Patrick Gibbons ’93
Tiffany and Rob Glasgow
Virginia and Bill Gowski
Jason Schnaitter and Lisa Gravelle
Mark and Abby Green
Finn and Kathy Gundersen
Students Ollie P. and William P.
Mara Haight
John and Pam Hanlon
Aleks and Brittney Roetzel ’02 Hansen
Dell Loy Hansen
David and Deborah Harries
James Carter and Jane Harrison ’67
Rich and Nicole Hemingway
Robb and Pamela Henderson
Coleman and Shelby Herrod
Chris and Kathy Hill
Adam and Andrea Himoff
Scott and Deborah Hinton
Noah ’97 and Anne Hoagland
Vicky Gibbons Hoagland ’67 and John Hoagland
Douglas and Ashley Holbrook
Troy and Ashley Holbrook
Michael and Jennifer Hotchkin
Thomas and Terry Hotchkin
Steve Boyd and Ellen Hotung
Dani Howe
Bryan and Karen Howell
Jim Hyde and Angelina Beitia
Edward Lieskovan and Siwen Hu-Lieskovan
David Weinstein and Helen Hu
Lyen Huang and Becky Kim
Mike Gleeson and Chiao-ih Hui
Mike Roskelley and Kelli Hyland
Michael and Eugenie Jaffe
Danny and Beth Jasper
Jess and Monica Jensen
Brad Jensen and Sarah Barnes
Robyn Payne Jensen ’02
Michael and Sarah Jayne Jenson
Bo Schiers and Molly Jones-Schiers ’07
Cary Jones and Kris Hopfenbeck
Terry Jones
John and Kim Kanarowski
Brian and Jocelyn Karney
Ragu and Shalini Kasturi
Jason Snyder and Annalise Keen
Doug and Erica Keil
Jordan and Krystal Lindsey ’01 Kendell
Martin and Krista Kern
Kenji Butterfield and Yoon Kim-Butterfield
Brian and Shruthi Kinkead
Justin Morgan and Heather Kirkby
David and Stephanie Klein
Dave Copeland and Susan Koehn
Nate ’00 and Anna Kogan
Victor Rickman and Susan Koles
Guy and Carol Kroesche
Brian and Manuela Lahti
Robert Lainhart ’11
Matthew and Catherine Lake
Claudia Lamas
Kurt Larsen and Angelina Tsu
Toby and Tina Larson
Dawn Houghton and Mary Lawlor
Whitt and Chris Lee
Christopher Lee ’93
Sarah and Paul Lehman
Marc and Kaylyn Lehmann
Zheng Zheng and Ning Lei
Ravi Adusumalli and Mairi Leining
Allison Leishman
Pete Lelis and Lauren Swift
Jeff Streba and Molly Lewis
Karma Sok-Choekore and Tenzin Lhazey
Ben and Katie Lieberman
The Ngo-Drury family
Bill and Sissy Lieberman
Mark Lindsey
Dustin and Christine Lipson
Joel Long
Akemi and David Louchheim
Ehlias and Jessica Louis
Marianne Love
Mitch ’96 and Marina Lowe
Matteo Previtali and Francesca Luthi-Previtali
Judy Maack
Jim Macintyre and Liz Joy
Esteban Salazar and Elizabeth Madaus
John and Anne Maguire
Mark and Stacey Mahan
Marc and Erin Maloy
Robert and Mikelle Mansfield
Dan ’04 and Hannah Marquardt
Briggs Matheson ’04
Paul and Andrea Matlin
Steve and Galen McCallum
Phil and Sandy McCarthey
Tim and Erika McCarthy
Kim McFarland
Miles and Calli Payne ’99 McGann
Martha McGraw
Mary McIntyre
Matt Douglas and Ashley Meddaugh
Josh and Hillary Mettle
John ’96 and Andrea Miller
Gina and Mark Miller
Mark and Kathie Miller
Mark Miller Toyota
Scott and Stephanie Miller
Ryan Hoglund and Libby Mitchell ’92
Brian Mock
MOJO Real Estate Group
Sarah Moles
Kevin Flamm and Mikelle Moore
Deann and Paul-Andre Morgan
Kerri-Lynn and Ted Morris
Daniel and Ann Morse
Macey Mott ’94
Marianne Moyle
Wood Moyle ’90
Jay Mullin and Molly Lynn
Billy and Larkyn Mungovan
Landon Kawabata and Jennifer Nakao ’93
Jeff Corey and Brittany Nelson
Greg and Jennifer Nelson
Jim Ngo and Holly Drury
Scott and Kathleen Nichols
David Nierenberg and Kathleen McKee
Jon Melman and Aimee Nussbaum
Timothy and Lisa O’Brien
Gordon and Lillian O’Neil
Channing and Trevor Olch
Bert Granberg and Felicia Olivera
Renn Olsen and Nicole Arrington
Mike and Stephanie Orfanakis
Melissa and James Orford
Sean and Mekensy Overholt
David and Selena Overholt
Ed and Debora Owens
Steve and Jenna Gelegotis ’98 Pagoaga
Erika Palsson
Parent and alum Dan Conner ’93
Brian Fukushima and Tammy Park
Amy Pasmann
Amar Patel
Prashant and Elena Patel
Jim and Lee Payne
Alon Israely and Allison Pearson
Douglas and Jessica Peterson
Ryan and Nora Peterson
Paul Svendsen and Mary Piciocchi
Sam and Kathryn Pickford
Bartley and Tonya Pickron
Ian Pihl and Caitlin O’Connor
Wanda Pillow
Jeff and Susie Polychronis
Colin and Kat Potter
Jennifer Price-Wallin and Tony Wallin
Darcey and Mike Prichard
Leeann Prichard
Laura and Pierre Prosper
Frank and Brooke Puleo
Adrian and Kate Puttgen
Thomas and Chloe Quinn
Kevin Shilling and Mara Rabin
Alexander and Lori Ramirez
Todd Rankin
Marc and Michelle Rasich
Brady ’94 and Valerie Floyd ’93 Rasmussen
Amy Redford
Regence Bluecross Blueshield of Utah
Andy Hare and Wendy Reger Hare
Doug and Michelle Regner
Jeff and Brandie Revoy
Jonathan and Diana Ribera
Ling Ritter ’15
Jorge Robles
Bob and Char Roetzel
Louis Hogge and Debbie Roque
Camilla Rosenberger
Ira Rubinfeld and Willamarie Huelskamp
John and Jeanna Tachiki ’01 Ryan
SalesForce
Bob and Gail Sanders
Kate Eyre Sandfoss ’00
Josh and Autum Savage
Christiaan Schaeffer and Tracy George
Josh and Mo Schiffman
Eric Schmitz
Tim Chappell and Jen Schones
Christine Schwartz
Shae Searl
Craig and Kim Selzman
Randhir Gandhi and Manisha Shah
Parent and trustee Marina Lowe
Daniel and Traci Sheinberg
Stephen and Cynthia Sinclair
Tom Yu and Martha Skinner
Ben ’89 and Lindsey Oswald ’92 Smith
Gregory and Susanna Smith
Kerrie Smith
Pam and Darren Smith
Nicholas Hodson and Mary-Lou Smulders
Hamed Asghari and Maryam Soltanolkotabi
Lizbeth Sorensen
George Spatoulas and Doreen Morrow
Jodi and KC Spiro
Nick and Marcy Stearns
Bob and Wendy Steiner
Nevah Stevenson
Mike ’98 and Meghan Gallivan ’02 Stewart
Lynelle Stoddard
Leslie and Hal Stone
Pam Stone
Alan and Paige Stotts
Jeff and Carol Stowell
Theresa and Greg Sueoka
Mark Jansen and Carmen Sutherland
Rachel Sweet ’88
Adria Muir Swindle ’95 and Geoff ’94 Swindle
Andrew Swindle
Keith and Elizabeth Taylor
Michelle and Sean Thompson
Robert and Tami Tokita
Gary and Carolyn Topoleski
Todd and Millicent Tracey
Andy and Katie Tyser
Derrick and Roxana Tzau
Carolyn Uhle
Sarah Uram
Christopher and Renee Utgaard
Aaron Burrell and Mindy Vanderloo
Jason and Allison Varner
Gita Varner ’05
Timothy Costantino and Michelle Vo
Christopher ’97 and Alexandra Lee Von Maack ’99
Carlos Artavia and Cori Ward
Kathleen Ward
Adam and Stephanie Warner
Ruchi and Antony Watson
Lynn and Holly Webster
Fred and Becky ’03 Webster
Thomas Weed
Matthew Weinstein and Laura Kessler
Saul and Ericka Weissman
Emma Wellman
Dave and Renee Wentz
McKinsee Weyher
Neil Zussman and Catherine Whinnery
Gadi Shamah and Sarah White Bournakel
Ned White and Jennifer Blake
Matt and Bireen Whitten
Matt and Ann Wigham
Andy and Kelli Carter ’88 Wilke
Kevin and Jennifer Williams
Troy and Katie Williams
Trell Rohovit and Jenny Wilson
Jason and Ellen Winkler
Steve and Lindsay Alder ’95 Wojciechowski
Charles and Catherine Wolf
Jason and Holly Yocom
David and Sarah Yoon
Lindsay Young
Steve Goorman and Christa Zaro
Kristine Zelenkov ’69
Alums Alex Lee ’03 and Chris Lee ’93 of TWIG Media Lab
FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CHAIR
Dear Alumni and Friends,
This year, Rowland Hall alumni made an impact on the school in many profound and significant ways, serving and representing our students and alumni community with care and compassion. Rowland Hall has managed the pandemic so capably, especially under the leadership of Gita Varner ’05, project manager of campus reopening, and Andrea Hoffman ’05, all-school nurse. It is wonderful to see them help ensure safety and enhance the student learning experience. Bravo!
In the summer of 2020, a group of alums wrote an impassioned letter to the Board of Trustees and head of school reflecting on how Rowland Hall addresses diversity and equity and asking for meaningful changes as the world focuses on the impacts of racial disparities. That fall, Charis Benjamin ’12 spoke at Convocation about how attending Rowland Hall grew her confidence, while also relaying stories about her experience as a student of color—a speech that undoubtedly resonated with many alums and students of color, including myself. I am thrilled that the first-ever endowed position of director of equity and inclusion at Rowland Hall started on July 1; I am hopeful and excited to see Dr. Chandani Patel help the school become even more inclusive and welcoming. The Alumni Scholarship Fund continues to grow due to your generous donations. This spring, Grace Smith ’21 became the first Alumni Scholar to graduate! We now welcome eighth grader Rylee Boyd as an Alumni Scholar; she joins current scholars Samuel Lu (8th) and Ronin Aguilar (7th). We hope they have a wonderful year at the Middle School!
This year was also full of laughs and cheer—we saw faces from around the world on Zoom as we gathered for trivia nights, book club, a cooking class, and class reunions. Thank you for joining us. I am looking forward to seeing people in person this year— both reconnecting with old friends and forging new friendships. Whether you are a new alum or one celebrating many decades with your alma mater, Rowland Hall is always here for you.
Warmest regards,
Christina Lau Billings ’98 Alumni Committee Chair
Thanks to the 2020–2021 Alumni Executive Board for their leadership and dedication to engaging our community during this challenging year. Although we weren’t able to get together in person, we had fun gathering virtually and thinking of outside-the-box ways to connect. Our virtual events included Alumni Trivia Nights, hosted by Conor Bentley ’01 and Mary Anne Wetzel ’01, Christina ’98 and David ’98 Billings, John and Jeanna Tachiki Ryan ’01, Libby Mitchell ’92, and Emily Sloan-Pace ’98; cooking classes, hosted by Chef Bo Schiers and Molly Jones-Schiers ’07; and Alumni Book Club, hosted by Emily Sloan-Pace Extra thanks to Emily Sloan-Pace for her leadership this year. As a professor and lecturer, she guided us through meaningful conversations and book discussions at book club meetings and hosted multiple trivia nights. Thanks also to Becky Webster ’03, who hosted an implicit bias workshop that inspired a conversation about unconscious attitudes and stereotypes and the impact they have on our personal psyches, as well as our society.
Finally, thank you to Meg Janes ’18, alumni marketing intern, for managing the alumni social media channels last fall and winter. We appreciated her creativity, attention to details, and expertise.
2020–2021
ALUMNI EXECUTIVE BOARD
Christina Lau Billings ’98, Alumni Association Chair
Hilary Amoss ’96, Director of Alumni Relations and Community Engagement
Conor Bentley ’01
Christopher Felt ’06
Kelly Hannah ’90
Molly Jones-Schiers ’07
Valerie Floyd Rasmussen ’93
Ling Ritter ’15
Colby Russo-Hatch ’15
Molly McCarthey Spain ’03
Christopher Von Maack ’97, Board of Trustees Chair
Becky Webster ’03
Brad Williams ’89
Jeanne Zeigler
Want to get involved in alumni leadership?
Contact Hilary Amoss at hilaryamoss@rowlandhall.org.
Alums gather virtually for Alumni Trivia Night.
ALUMS OFFER
WORDS OF WISDOM TO STUDENTS
Each year, members of the Rowland Hall alumni community are invited to share their experiences with students. Charis Benjamin ’12 helped open the year at Convocation with a speech on the power of relationships in learning communities, and Alex Shaffer Wubbels ’94 helped welcome members of the class of 2021 to the Alumni Association by sharing with them tips to balance their lives while pursuing their dreams.
ALUMNI CONVOCATION SPEAKER: CHARIS BENJAMIN ’12
At the 2021 all-school Convocation, the event that kicks off each new year, Charis Benjamin ’12 joined Head of School Mick Gee, Chaplain Jeremy Innis, and Student Body President Maddy Frech to reflect on the theme Welcome Everyone. She weaved stories of her own experiences, both during and after Rowland Hall, into her speech to illustrate the power of relationship and spoken words in a learning community.
“How you engage with others and interact with your peers matters,” Charis told students. “We’re not only building our own confidence in our lives, but we also have an opportunity to help build the confidence of our peers. The gift that we give each other is the chance to interact with others and help each other be our best selves.”
When asked about why she chose to focus her speech on peer-driven confidence-building, Charis said wanted to show students of all ages that they have the power to encourage others simply by being a friend—something that everyone can relate to. “Our interactions matter—we’re constantly learning from each other,” she said. “Building elements of confidence or using your words kindly is universal for young or older learners.”
And because she knows that students often hear about people clashing over differences, she also wanted to use her experiences to encourage them to build space for others’ uniqueness—to embrace, rather than fear or avoid discussing, differences. “We have to spend time celebrating differences,” she said. “At Rowland Hall, you get a chance to have a smaller group of peers. You can spend time asking unique questions to get to know the people around you.”
Charis knows firsthand the benefits of peer confidence-boosting—how it spreads beyond the individuals who feel safe and welcomed to classrooms, where students take risks and engage in deeper learning. “How engaged you are in the classroom impacts how comfortable you feel to speak up,” she said. “The space that you spend a lot of time in helps cultivate how you move through the world.”
Since graduating from Rowland Hall, Charis has studied how to make individuals and communities healthier, first earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and society from Cornell University in 2016, then a master of public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2019. While earning those degrees, she also worked as a research assistant, a graduate Public Health Applications for Student Experience (PHASE) intern, and a program administrator—opportunities that, she explained, helped her “really understand some of the big-picture issues” around public health. In August 2020, Charis began the newest chapter of her journey as a medical student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
ALUMNI SENIOR CHAPEL SPEAKER: ALEX SHAFFER WUBBELS ’94
Rowland Hall’s Alumni Association celebrated this year’s graduating seniors by officially welcoming them to the organization at Senior Chapel. Alex Shaffer Wubbels ’94 was the honored speaker at that event, where she recognized the class of 2021 as what might be the most prepared and resilient class to enter the world because of what they’ve endured this past year. She encouraged students to, while pursuing their dreams, keep three thoughts in mind.
First, when they are confronted by fear, remember that it is real— and normal in life. Alex shared, “You can combat fear with humility by taking time to remember to go back to the basics of who you are and what you want. Drop your expectations and be vulnerable, for the vulnerability will combat the fear.”
Second, remember that burnout is real and a natural part of the ebbs and flow of life. When you experience burnout, Alex said, remember that it indicates you are carrying or holding a lot of passion, and that the exhaustion is to be expected. Remember to have patience and grace and to take care of yourself.
Third, anticipate moments of confusion in life. “You will question yourself along your journey, wondering if this is what you want to be doing or who you want to be,” Alex said. “So when you find yourself in a confused state, get curious. Start questioning everything—wonder, explore, dive in. Allowing yourself the moment of wonder and the moment of dream will combat the vulnerability of confusion.”
And when feelings of fear, burnout, and confusion rise up in life, Alex reminded graduates, seek out others who are also feeling what you’re feeling. You have a lot more control over stress than you might think, she said, and you can use these steps to pause, reflect, and get back into balance.
While at Rowland Hall, Alex was a star Rowmarker who earned two national championships and competed in two Olympic Games. In 2017, she was recognized for her bravery and conviction as a critical care nurse at the University of Utah, where she was wrongfully arrested when she refused to allow Salt Lake City police detectives to take a blood sample from an unconscious patient who had been in an automobile accident. Alex adhered to policy, informing detectives that they needed a warrant or patient consent, or that the patient needed to be under arrest, for them to take a blood sample. Alex said she sees it as a privilege to help keep patients safe when they’re unable to do so themselves.
Alumni speakers Charis Benjamin and Alex Shaffer Wubbles
ALUMNI
BACK ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP FUND
This fall, Ben ’92 and Erica Dahl and Sarah Patrick ’94 led our winter Alumni Scholarship Match Challenge and helped us raise over $22,000. In the spring, Molly McCarthey Spain ’03 led our Alumni Day of Giving with a $10,000 participation challenge match that bolstered our Day of Giving totals to 168 donors who gave $14,624. Thank you to Ben, Erica, Sarah, and Molly for your leadership.
Thank you to the 263 alumni donors who helped us raise $50,554 for the Alumni Scholarship Fund this year. It’s exciting to see the growth, success, and impact of this scholarship that will be a part of the school in perpetuity.
Members of the class of 2021 enjoy a game of chess on the McCarthey Campus before their graduation ceremony.
WHY GIVING BACK IS IMPORTANT
FOR ROWLAND HALL
• Over the past 11 years, your gifts have come together to make a huge impact: supporting four Alumni Scholars at Rowland Hall. This is remarkable. Thank you!
• When you give, it inspires others to give too. High levels of alumni participation can influence major gifts, corporations, and foundations when they are considering where to make their gifts. They want to support institutions that others are supporting as well.
• All of your gifts, no matter the size, add up to make an impact. Gifts to the endowed Alumni Scholarship Fund support scholars in perpetuity, making a lasting impact.
CONGRATULATIONS Alumni Scholar Graduate GRACE SMITH
The Alumni Association would like to congratulate Grace Smith ’21, our first Alumni Scholar graduate! Grace is a second generation Winged Lion, an AP scholar, and the 2021 3A Swimmer of the Year. She is currently attending the Honors College at the University of Utah.
Since Grace was first awarded the scholarship in 2016, the fund has grown from $50,000 to $350,000, making it possible to award three scholarships per year.
Supporting the Alumni Scholarship is vital to the school and allows us to welcome qualified students regardless of their ability to pay.
Thank you to all the alumni who have supported this fund. Together we’ve made a huge impact.
ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP
FUND DONORS 2020–2021
Financial support from Rowland Hall alumni enriches the student experience. We recognize that giving to your alma mater is a choice and we thank you for supporting Rowland Hall. All gifts to the Alumni Scholarship Fund were given between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
*Winged Lion Society: three years of consecutive giving to the Alumni Scholarship Fund
Anonymous (16)
Jazmin Adamson
Hilary Amoss ’96
John Amoss ’98*
Steve ’65 and Bobbie Amoss*
Del Anderson ’97 and Stephanie Robson*
Caroline Applegate ’20
Jeffrey Armington ’97
Mark and Martha Arnold
Tony ’97 and Jaeger Agraz Ashton ’99
Bill Atwood ’63*
Genevieve Atwood ’64*
Alex Beaufort ’13
Charis Benjamin ’12
Conor Bentley ’01 and Mary Anne Wetzel ’01*
Ethan Bergvall ’98*
Libby Biittner ’03
Christina Lau Billings ’98 and David Billings ’98*
Tito Billings ’97 and Mika Robinson
Ashley Bishop ’05
Whitney Olch Bishop ’98 and Geordy Bishop
Brooks and Adrienne Martain Black ’02*
Nancy Sandack Borgenicht ’60*
Chris Bossart ’05 and Jerica Johnson ’07*
Marley Bramble ’95
Libbie Brown ’03*
Peter Carroll ’05
Tom and Tori Searl Cassel ’06*
Christopher Cooke ’06
Garrett Cottle ’01
Randy Crail ’05
Mike and Dana Pool Cremeno ’06*
Justin Cutler ’10*
Ben ’92 and Erica Dahl
Sarah Day ’06*
Libero Della Piana ’89*
David Dunn ’97*
Rich Eagar ’03
Tom Jonke and Elizabeth Elliott ’07*
Mike Elliott ’01*
Kyle Eng ’16
Marisa Eng ’14
Atle and Emily Barrett Erlingsson ’97*
Heather Ernst ’14
Emily Everest ’02*
Jon and Peggy Rosen Feder ’61
Kim Feeny ’73*
John and Joan Bennett Firmage ’51*
Kitty Northrop Friedman ’91 and Peter Friedman*
Jordan Gaddis
Alex Gardner ’07*
Kristin Gelegotis ’03*
Andrew Gelman ’94
Patrick Gibbons ’93
Henry Gilbert ’16
Jesse Goldsmith ’01*
Brooks Hall ’10
Jennifer Bone Hannah ’89*
Kelly Hannah ’90*
Sophie Hannah ’18
Aleks and Brittney Roetzel Hansen ’02*
Sydney Hartsell ’08
Maddie Haslam ’10
Members of the class of 2021 gather for Rowland Hall’s annual Senior College T-Shirt Day.
David Hausser ’01
Laura Hermance ’90
Sadie Hoagland ’99
Vicky Gibbons Hoagland ’67 and John Hoagland*
Sophie Hochhauser ’12
Christopher Felt ’06 and Andrea Hoffman ’05*
David Hoffman ’02*
Brandan Hovsepian-Kelly ’09*
E.K. and Jodie Ray Hunt ’58*
Ann Pearson Hutton ’53
Karen Page Hyde*
Elliott and Sarah Hall Ilgenfritz ’04*
Stephanie Deck Jackel ’56*
Callahan Jacobs ’09*
Andy and Robyn Payne Jensen ’02*
Megan Jones Shiotani ’05*
Antara Kanth ’97
Jordan and Krystal Lindsey Kendell ’01
Bobby and Kathy Kennedy
Terri Kindness ’92
Christa Kahn Kleiner ’96
Dave Koester ’86 and Pam Haggard
Nate ’00 and Anna Kogan
Mark ’92 and Ali Farbman Kulmer ’93*
Natasha Kwendakwema ’05
Robert Lainhart ’11
Adria Lam ’14*
Georgia Larsen ’15*
Samuel Legge ’07
Andrew Logue ’15*
Sally Logue ’20
Simon Logue ’18*
Mary Lombardi ’00*
Tom ’97 and Michelle Lombardi*
Mark Long ’97*
Carter Louchheim ’20
Judy Maack*
Jackie Martain ’05
Mikaela Martineau Larson ’04*
Niki Larsen Martinet ’95
Briggs Matheson ’04
Will Matheson ’17
Koshlan Mayer-Blackwell ’01*
Mairin McCarthey ’06*
James and Nicole Larson McCrea ’98*
Lindsey Adams McMahon ’06
Meredith McManus ’59*
Alex ’98 and Tara Tribe Meade ’00*
William Michalak ’02
Lowell and Nancy Tisdel Miles ’47
Jeff Miller ’98 and Deanna Combs
Ryan Hoglund and Libby Mitchell ’92*
Connor Nelson ’14
Adam and Beth Nuzzo Newmark ’96
Ellie Nichols ’20
Hannah Nichols ’15
Preston Nielson ’01 and Amanda Dillon*
Ryan ’02 and Alyssa Olson*
Prossy Najjuma
Emilie Orfanakis ’19
Charlotte Orford ’20
Matt Orford ’17*
Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort ’00
Amanda Cannon Overly ’61
Steve and Jenna Gelegotis Pagoaga ’98*
Jonathan Pappasideris ’94
Robin ’98 and Sierra Burton Pardey ’98*
Sarah Patrick ’94*
Declan Picot ’18
Russell and Joni Friedman Pratt ’60
Sally Adams Prinster ’60*
Kiersten Joesten Prucha ’05*
Heather Ririe Race ’59
Hadley Rampton ’94
Brady ’94 and Valerie Floyd Rasmussen ’93
Brandon ’02 and Rachel Rasmusson*
Rudi Riet ’91
Matt Rogers ’90
Tommy Rollins ’06
Colin Rommel ’06
Stuart Ruckman and Libby Ellis
Colby Russo-Hatch ’15
John and Jeanna Tachiki Ryan ’01*
Chase Ryan ’11
Joe Sadoski ’02
SalesForce
Jonathan Bone ’94 and Clover Sanders ’97*
Bob and Gail Sanders
Kate Eyre Sandfoss ’00*
Christopher Slager ’07*
Emily Sloan-Pace ’98*
Ben ’89 and Lindsey Oswald Smith ’92*
Dr. J. Donald Smith ’61*
Charles and Judith Smith
Matthew Smith ’87
Seth and Molly McCarthey Spain ’03*
Nick Zosel-Johnson and Susan Sparrow ’04
Garrett and Sara Stern
Kenzie Steward ’18
Collin and Lauren Pardey Stivers ’01
Kris Stolebarger ’99
Eric Strohacker ’02
Josef Sueoka ’19
Maxwell Sueoka ’16
Lesa Sullivan-Abajian ’90*
Kit ’64 and Molly Sumner
Ryland Sumner ’94
Chas Swanson ’02
Sweet Candy Fund For Health & Wellness
Rachel Sweet ’88*
Christopher ’91 and Kathy Weller Swindle
Drew and Carrie Littlefield Syvertsen ’96
Kacie Tachiki ’99
Ryan and Amy Hoeppner Taylor ’89*
Vanessa Therson ’05*
Libby Thomas ’01
Sam Thomas ’16
Lila Thulin ’13
Brooke Tilson ’16
Grant Tilson ’16
Stacey Timmons ’01
Izi Torres ’15*
Amanda Towner ’06
Jason Tundermann ’94 and Liz Drogin
Meghan Tuohig ’98
Todd and Kristin VanOrman
Gita Varner ’05*
Johanna Varner ’02*
Alonso and Alexandra Brown Velasco ’01
Mayra Verano ’08
Ajay Virkar ’01*
Gregory Ward ’87*
Ann Warder ’04
David ’71 and Barbara Warner*
Lynn and Holly Webster*
Fred and Becky Webster ’03*
Ben Weiler ’07
David Wetzel ’04*
Steve and Lindsay Alder Wojciechowski ’95*
Anne Worthington ’73
Bill Yaggy ’63 and Amy Leveen*
PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL NEWS
1. Walker Adams ’09 received his master of public policy from the University of Southern California in May, and in July he began work at the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent, nonpartisan agency often called the congressional watchdog. Walker and his wife, Vannessa, were married at Log Haven in Utah’s Millcreek Canyon in July. The two meet while serving in Panama in the Peace Corps and will live in Vannessa’s home city of Boston.
2. Whitney Brinton ’98 and Patrick Brodnicki were married on May 1, 2021.
3. Brittney Roetzel Hansen ’02 is stepping into the role of Rowland Hall’s Beginning School assistant principal (see page 13). Brittney has been on the Beginning School faculty for two years at the 4PreK grade level and is known by her colleagues and her students and their families to be whip-smart, curious, organized, compassionate, and hardworking.
4. Strange Children, a novel by Sadie Hoagland ’99, was released on May 18. Set in a polygamist commune in the desert, it tells the story of a 14-year-old boy and a 12-yearold girl who fall in love and consummate that love, breaking religious law. They are caught, and a year later she gives birth to his father’s child while the boy commits murder 400 miles away—a crime that will slowly unravel the community. Told by eight adolescent narrators, this is a story of how people use faith to justify cruelty and how redemption can come from unexpected places.
5. Congratulations to Breezy Johnson ’13 for snagging her first two World Cup podiums in women’s downhill by placing back-to-back third in Val d’Isère, France, in December 2020.
6. After many years in the Bay Area, Briggs Matheson ’04 left the US Attorney’s office, and he and his wife, Juliana, and son, Westley, moved to Salt Lake City, where Briggs joined a Utah law firm. Juliana continues to work remotely as a litigator for her California firm. They are thrilled to call Utah home.
7. Jonathan Pappasideris ’94 and Allie Beck tied the knot in beautiful Big Sur, California, on May 8, 2021.
8. During the pandemic, Tacy Conard Quinn ’96 and her family participated in Friluftsliv, a Norwegian-rooted challenge to get outside and do fun and easy adventures, which they did once a week during the 15 weeks between Thanksgiving and Daylight Savings Time. The mindset caught on, grabbing the attention of New Jersey newspapers, NPR, and more, and continues to inspire families and friends to get outside together. Get inspired: @friluftslivingfamily.
9. Ling Rañeses Ritter ’15 was recently named a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. Founded by Phil Knight of Nike and John Hennessy of Alphabet Inc., the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program is the largest fully endowed fellowship in existence, and seeks to identify emerging leaders from around the world and train them to tackle complex global problems. Ling will be pursuing this fellowship concurrently with a juris doctor at Stanford Law School beginning this fall.
10. Molly McCarthey Spain ’03 and her husband, Seth, alongside big brother Sawyer, welcomed Weston Andrew in October 2020.
11. Lesa Sullivan-Abajian ’90 married Jason Miller of Salt Lake City on April 22, 2021, on
their high-rise rooftop in the University District of Seattle. The officiant was Jason’s daughter, Ani, and the witnesses were Ani’s fiancée, Krys, and Lesa’s bestie, Zach. “We spent our honeymoon in the living room, eating lasagna and watching Godzilla vs. Kong with our two cats,” Lesa said.
12. Matt and Sophie Ashton St. John ’07 were married on September 14, 2019.
13. Lita Madlang ’08 and Daniel Deisley had a baby girl, Eva Rose, on February 22, 2021.
14. On September 5, 2020, Rowland Hall alums and students organized a special collaborative dance event called INTERsect, which came together after Sofia Gorder, Lincoln Street Campus director of arts, heard from several alums looking for a creative outlet during COVID-19. The event featured dances by thenseniors Katie Kern and Ashlee Jackson, thensophomore Mikel Lawlor, and seven alums: Laja Field ’08, Elissa Collins ’15, Sophia Diehl ’15, Eliza Kitchens ’16, MiaBella Brickey ’17, Adie Christiansen ’17, and Sydney Rabbitt ’18. The show also included the talents of Matt Jackson ’13 (pictured), who provided live music with his father, Rowland Hall Jazz and Pop Band Director Bret Jackson, and Oliver Jin ’18, who designed the promotional poster and ran day-of tech. (Sofia also called out four alums—Sophia Cutrubus ’18, Grace Riter ’18, Cassidy Clark ’19, and Tori Kusukawa ’19—who were unable to perform due to scheduling or geography conflicts, but who were instrumental in building inspiration for the event.) The evening’s success was due to the enthusiastic collaboration between these students and alums, many of whom had never met before the event. “We all
have a connection through the education and guidance we gleaned from the one and only Sofia Gorder,” said Laja Field. “The strength of this community is shown through generations of connections coming together.”
Not pictured:
• Lindsey Adams McMahon ’06 loves her job at Parachute Home, a modern bedding and bath essentials and home decor company based in Los Angeles, where she was recently promoted to associate creative director. Lindsey and her husband, Charlie, cherished working from home during the pandemic, as it enabled them to spend precious time with their son, Jack, who was born on January 11, 2020. (Jack has even modeled for Parachute’s new line of baby clothes and home decor!)
• After graduating from Rowland Hall, Anna Shott ’16 took a gap year in which she worked at her family’s company and traveled. In 2017, she enrolled as a freshman at the University of Southern California, where she studied computer science and business, as well as participated in start-up incubators and worked a counselor for an on-campus computer science camp for K–12 students and as a teacher’s assistant for one of the university’s core software engineering classes. She also spent two summers interning at Microsoft, first as an Explore Microsoft intern and then as a program management intern. After graduating in May, Anna headed to Seattle to join Microsoft as a full-time program manager.
• Liza Springmeyer ’01 and Brad Leigh welcomed baby boy Sam on May 9, 2021—Mother’s Day.
IN MEMORIAM
Our condolences to the loved ones of the following alumni and friends of the school who passed away this year.
If you know of a Rowland Hall community member who should be acknowledged in this way, please share the news with Director of Alumni Relations Hilary Amoss ’96 at hilaryamoss@rowlandhall.org.
Amy Baker, mother to Brandace Baker, Bryce Baker ’14, and Lane Baker ’17, and a former Rowland Hall trustee, passed away on November 20, 2020.
Bryant Bookhamer, father of current students Dylan Bookhamer and Reece Bookhamer, passed away in January 2021.
Richard “Dick” Burton, photographer and director of the R. Harold Burton Foundation and the Dick and Timmy Burton Foundation, passed away on December 29, 2020.
David Catron, grandfather of Emilie Orfanakis ’19 and Nick Orfanakis and father of current staff member Stephanie Orfanankis, passed away on August 24, 2020.
Alan Crandall, father of David Crandall ’94 and Amy Crandall ’01, passed away on October 2, 2020.
Janice Fritze, grandmother of Ella Brown ’21 and current student G Brown, passed away on December 26, 2020.
Owen “Hob” Hogle ’64, brother of Donald Hogle ’61 and uncle of Christian Hogle ’84, and a former Rowland Hall trustee, passed away on January 6, 2021.
Phil Horsley, grandfather of current student Mei Mei Johnson, passed away on October 21, 2020.
Carolyn Tanner Irish, the first female bishop of Utah’s Episcopal Diocese, passed away on June 29, 2021. Bishop Irish served on Rowland Hall’s Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2009.
Patricia “Patsy” Pearson Johnston ’51, daughter of the late Henrietta “Aunt Henri” Goeltz Pearson ’25, sister of Frances Crosier ’56 and Ann Pearson Hutton ’53, and aunt of Pamela Hutton Shelton ’90, passed away on September 25, 2020.
Eve Dahnken Krayenbuhl ’47 passed away on November 5, 2020.
Jesus Lamas, father of Jesus Lamas ’21 and current student Lucus Lamas, passed away on May 27, 2021.
Deanna Lattari, grandmother of Nicole Milavetz, Maxwell Milavetz ’16, and current student Olivia Milavetz, passed away in December 2020.
Ted Levy, grandparent of Madeleine Eatchel ’21 and Maxwell Eatchel ’21, passed away on August 14, 2020.
Ernest Mariani, grandfather of Evan Zimmerman Burbidge ’00, Alessa Zimmerman ’03, and Morgan Zimmerman ’07, passed away on August 14, 2020.
Norma Jean Marcus McIntyre, grandmother of Abby Jacquin ’18, Will Jacquin ’21, and current student Morgan Jacquin, and mother of former staff member Mary McIntyre, passed away on December 28, 2020.
Nancy Morgan, grandmother of current students Sophia Smith, Isla Smith, and Callum Smith, passed away on January 13, 2021.
Marilynn Roskelley, mother of Amy Roskelley ’88 and Mark Roskelley ’91, passed away on June 21, 2021.
Nancy Streator Reuling-Hardy ’47, grandmother of Emma Reuling ’18, and a former Rowland Hall trustee, passed away on June 11, 2021.
Helga Revenaugh, grandmother of Elli Revenaugh ’21, passed away on January 29, 2021.
Guillermina “Nina” Salazar, Rowland Hall student and sister of current student Agustina Salazar, passed away on January 19, 2021.
Edward Spurgeon, father of Michael Spurgeon ’88 and Stephen Spurgeon ’92, passed away on January 1, 2021.
Lawrence Stevens, father of Lauren Stevens ’97, passed away on May 14, 2021.
David Tundermann, father of Jason Tundermann ’94 and Kathleen Tundermann Niles ’96, passed away on May 17, 2021.
Cameron Price Vance ’76, daughter of Raye Carleson Ringholz ’45, passed away on August 16, 2020.
Zoë Walton ’14, sister of Kyle Walton ’98, Kiersten Joesten Prucha ’05, Carly Joesten ’07, and Chloe Joesten ’09, passed away on September 4, 2020.
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Alumni University of Utah football game tailgate
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Alumni women’s volleyball game
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Alumni men’s basketball game
Alumni women’s basketball game
Saturday, January 22, 2022
Alumni reunion: Denver
Friday, March 4, 2022
Alumni reunion: Boston
Wednesday April 27, 2022
Alumni Day of Giving
Visit rowlandhall.org/alumni for event details.
ROWLAND HALL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
For over 150 years, Rowland Hall has focused on the power of education and the importance of good character. While uniforms, faculty, and campuses have changed since 1867, Rowland Hall has remained true to its core commitment of setting the standard for teaching and learning excellence.
Whether you went to Rowland Hall for one year or you’re a lifer—an alum who attended for 12 years or more—you’re a part of the school’s legacy and a valued member of our community. We would love to have you engaged in celebrating your alma mater!
The Rowland Hall Alumni Association’s mission is to cultivate a passionate, lifelong community of alumni connected to Rowland Hall and to each other by engaging and celebrating alumni and creating a culture of philanthropy and support of the school.
STAY CONNECTED, GET INVOLVED, AND GIVE BACK
Update Your Contact Information Visit rowlandhall.org/alumni/information-update
Submit A Class Note
Visit rowlandhall.org/alumni/submit-a-class-note
Follow Us On Social Media Volunteer
@rowlandhallalumni @rowlandhall_alumni Group - Rowland Hall Alumni
Become a class liaison, plan a reunion, come back to Rowland Hall to share your expertise with our students and teachers, or join the Alumni Executive Board
Contact Us Hilary Amoss ’96, Director of Alumni Relations hilaryamoss@rowlandhall.org 801-924-2985
