RPS Today
Summer 2021
Community Continues and we are excited for the possibilities…..
This year we have an advantage
More than a year ago, as an administration we were understandably consumed by questions about beginning the school year during a pandemic. We all wanted to do the “right” things for our students, for our faculty, and for their families; however, answering how to best deliver our mission to inspire students while physically distancing, meeting via Zoom, implementing mask mandates, updating ventilation systems, teaching simultaneously to students in classrooms and at home, delivering daily lunch to classrooms, and scheduling class times for international students who were 13 times zones away, was a complicated and exhausting challenge. While the preparations for this upcoming academic year must, unfortunately, still be concerned with questions about the “right” decisions to make during a pandemic, this year we have the advantage of knowing that we are clearly able to inspire students regardless of the whatever current CDC guidelines and recommendations are in place. We can count the past 2020-2021 school year as a remarkable success thanks to our tenacious students who forged ahead with their assignments no matter what obstacles appeared and our faculty who provided dedication to their craft and to their pupils, who organized simultaneous dual in-person/Zoom classrooms, and who offered astonishing flexibility in their approach to daily, weekly, and semester-long instructional challenges. In addition, our Health Office personnel redefined the meaning of “above and beyond” and everyone fully embraced the notion of “other duties not previously assigned or contemplated” as our community offered flexibility and support to all of our members. As we envision the upcoming 2021-2022 school year, we know that there is no shortage of issues on which to focus our attention: health and safety, racial and social injustice, curriculum lag, climate change, economic inequality…. Our opportunity is to maximize our optimism, imagination, creativity, collaboration, and independence and to gather our collective energies and talents to “inspire students to discover and pursue their passions, embrace intellectual curiosity and creativity, and lead with confidence.” This is an opportunity we have seized for centuries, and we are eager to offer our current students an extraordinary education for extraordinary times. The result will be a year where our students feel that they belong and where our students explore what they can become. Community continues at Rutgers Prep, and we are excited for the possibilities…..
Dr. Steven Loy Head of School
Lower and Middle School Closing Ceremonies
Class of 2021 255th Year Commencement #communitycontinues
David Merges Goldblatt Award Winner
Sontee Scott 1942 School Prize Recipient
Peter Gange Class of 1970 Award Recipient All Faculty McGinn Award Class of 2021 Head of School’s Prize
Alexandra Schantz Ratych Alumni Award Recipient
Anqi Li Theodore Strong Prize
Class of 2021 Matriculation Choices American University (2) Boston University (3) Brandeis University Cabrini University University of California-Berkeley (2) University of California-Davis University of California-San Diego University of California-Santa Barbara (3) Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University (2) Case Western Reserve University University of Chicago Connecticut College University of Connecticut University of Delaware Drexel University (3) Duke University
Emory University Emory University-Oxford College Franklin and Marshall College Gardner-Webb University Georgia Institute of Technology Gettysburg College University of Hartford High Point University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Indiana University Iowa State University James Madison University Jefferson College of Health Professions Johns Hopkins University Kansas State University Lafayette College (3) Lehigh University (2)
Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Maryland Marist College University of Maryland Miami University-Oxford (OH) University of Miami (3) University of Michigan University of New Hampshire The New School New Jersey Institute of Technology (4) New York University (3) Northeastern University (4) Pennsylvania State University (3) Princeton University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of Rochester Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Rowan University
Rutgers University-New Brunswick (6) School of Visual Arts University of South Carolina University of Southern California Stanford University Stony Brook University Syracuse University (5) Temple University (2) The University of Texas at Austin Tufts University Tulane University (2) The University of the Arts Ursinus College Villanova University (3) Virginia Polytechnic Institute University of Washington West Chester University of Pennsylvania Xavier University
Farewell to Those Retiring Mary Kay Papa Arriving at Rutgers Prep in 2006, Mary Kay Papa has guided and encouraged each and every one of her students in Pre-Kindergarten for 15 years, helping them to develop a love of learning. Her gentle, loving, and firm approach has helped her students to be kind to themselves and to others, to always try their best, and to be curious about every aspect of life. “The Pre-K class has many memories that will leave a lasting impression for many years to come,” said Pre-K Assistant, Vanessa Gustin (now Lead Teacher for PreKindergarten). “These memories include our nature walks, the blue bird, blue bird song, party music on Pizza Fridays, pineapple and cantaloupe fractions, the pumpkin trip, days of the week, and a personal favorite: ‘You get what you get, and don’t get upset’...I think I speak for most people when I say that you have certainly left your mark and will be greatly missed. I hope your retirement will be filled with many more years of laughter, love, relaxation, adventure, and happiness.”
Flo Gange Flo Gange started at RPS in 1999, and for 22 years taught in the English Department, as well as serving as Dean of Faculty for six years. Throughout her career, Flo has had a lasting impression on her students and fellow faculty members. “One of the things I most appreciate about you is how caring and thoughtful you are with new faculty,” said Hannah Garrow, co-chair of the Humanities Department. “I felt this personally when I started at RPS and you were Dean of Faculty. You checked in on me regularly, offering great guidance and advice, and you regularly reminded me that you were there to help in any way you could…[y]ou are a fierce advocate for all your colleagues, and you have devoted countless hours to small departmental tasks - from coordinating our Honors’ Society to regularly re-evaluating our curriculum - to ensure that things run smoothly for all of us. In her farewell tribute in the 2021 edition of Ye Dial, Tony Mento (co-chair of the English Department) remarked: “‘Set them up for success and catch them doing something right.’ From the day she joined the RPS community, one could observe Flo Gange practicing this simple philosophy of teaching. Whether it was dissecting the complexities of Jane Eyre or taking her students for a deep dive into the internal struggles of Lady Macbeth, Flo consistently created engaging lessons that successfully challenged the students in her charge… Flo has been a fabulous teacher, advisor, and colleague and will be greatly missed by all.”
Peter Gange Peter Gange started at Rutgers Prep in 2017 after serving as a long-time teacher in the Middlesex Public Schools, and has been involved in projects for Rutgers University, the Princeton University Materials Academy, and Worchester Polytechnic Institute. In his 4 year tenure in the Science Department, Peter has made a notable impact on his students, earning the Upper School yearbook dedication in 2020, and receiving the Class of 1970 Award in 2021. “[Mr. Gange’s] excitement for teaching and true passion for molding the young minds of Rutgers Prep students has created a classroom environment unlike any other that I or any of my peers have experienced,” said Benjamin Cucculo ’21 in presenting Gange with this award during June’s Commencement ceremony. “His boisterous nature and over the top antics may come across as a bit intimidating to unsuspecting students, but these are the qualities that we have come to know and love and the ones that have made this faculty member the senior class’s obvious pick to receive this award. In addition to his excellence in the classroom, he shows genuine interest in our extracurricular activities outside of the classroom as well, striking up a conversation with each of his students on how a game went or how much he enjoyed a performance. It is devastating to have to say goodbye to such an amazing teacher so soon but the influence that he has had on countless students will last a lifetime.”
Kathie Rusyn
The following is an except from a tribute delivered by Barbara Corbin at the final RPS faculty meeting in June 2021
In 1983, a twenty-something Kathie Rusyn started her career at Rutgers Prep as the typing teacher in the Upper School. A few short years later she became an inaugural member of the newly minted Computer Science department as the Word Processing teacher on state-of-the-art Commodore 64 computers. When there was an opening in the Lower School for a third grade teacher, she found her home for the rest of her career. A natural teacher, her love for her students was evident to all. A former student wrote: “Mrs. Rusyn without a doubt has been my most impactful teacher. When I joined RPS in 3rd grade, she made it feel like home. Her warmth and teachings made my year one of the most memorable.” As she rose to assistant principal and then principal, Kathie continued to make the people around her feel like they could accomplish anything. She was always about helping the teachers to be the best they could be—never taking the credit for herself, but always turning the spotlight on the teachers and the students in the Lower School.
Introducing Namita Tolia, Lower School Principal We are so pleased to announce that Namita Tolia will join Rutgers Prep as Lower School Principal this summer in preparation for the 2021-2022 school year, and we hope you will join us in welcoming her to our community! Namita is an experienced educator who grew up in northern New Jersey and who has been a part of Independent Schools on both the East and West Coasts. After graduating from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, Namita went to Stanford for a master’s degree in Russian and East European Studies. In a career change, Namita began apprenticing in San Francisco independent schools in 1994 and earned her teaching credential from the University of San Francisco. After leading her own Lower School classroom for nine years, Namita pursued an Ed.M. in Private School Leadership at Columbia University and originated The San Francisco School’s first Lower School Head position. After moving back east to be closer to home, Namita became Lower School Principal at Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School for seven years and most recently has been Head of School at Montclair Cooperative School for five years. Namita spent the 2020-21 school year broadening her horizons as a consultant to both public and private schools. Her consulting focused on the educational technology needs caused by the pandemic and the diversity and equity conversations sparked by the nation-wide discussions.
Over many years as a Lower School educator, Namita describes her joy as the energy and creativity of the children. She describes her purpose as developing excellence of program, fostering belonging for all community members, and creating opportunities for empowerment for both students and faculty. When not at school, Namita loves hiking, farmer’s marketing, and cooking. She spends her free time with her daughter Sarina who also luckily loves the outdoors and food. A frequent presenter at educational conferences, Namita has offered programs for the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the New York Association of Independent Schools, and the National Association of Independent Schools. She has served as a Fellow in Harvard’s Project Zero and the Multicultural Alliance and participated in Schools Attuned and the National Small Schools Conference. Namita is thrilled about joining Rutgers Preparatory School. She has a sincere love of children, respect for learning, and commitment to community and I invite you to please join me in welcoming Namita.
Starting “Real Life” in a Pandemic: Graduating and Freelancing During COVID-19
Written by Sarah Parr ’16
Your One-Word Suggestion is: COVID One of the improv games we used to warm up before play rehearsal at Rutgers Prep was called “Fortunately, Unfortunately.” I find myself going back to this phrase again and again when describing my current circumstances. Fortunately, my loved ones have been relatively untouched by COVID. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky. Fortunately, COVID has created many new jobs on film sets. Unfortunately, in-person theatrical performances have ceased to exist for over a year. Fortunately, COVID has presented me with a certain sense of freedom. Unfortunately...the world has been dealing with a pandemic. I graduated from Case Western Reserve University in May 2020. That means that, unbeknownst to me, when I came home to New Jersey for senior year spring break, I would not return to campus until after I had officially graduated (I’m still so thankful I decided to bring my laptop at the last minute). As a part of the Class of COVID-19, I felt the confusion and disappointment that comes with not saying goodbye to your friends-turned-family in-person, and not having the classic full-time job lined up. Now I’m not about to blame COVID for me not having a job before graduation because, frankly, I don’t think I would have had one anyway (I’m very honest in interviews, sometimes to a fault...if you can’t be truthful with the people you’d be working with, do you really wanna be working with them?). But the world suddenly stopping in its tracks made my “next steps” in life seem insignificant. People were getting job offers rescinded, and even worse, getting let go at the drop of a hat. Companies went into survival mode, and I think that ended up giving a lot of (former) employees new priorities. Working from home has shifted people from centering their life around work to making their work fit into their life.
I am grateful to have had a moment of breathing room to not scramble trying to find a job, a roof over my head, and loving parents who presented nothing but empathy and support — again, lots of my peers weren’t so lucky.
Isolation Opened My World I like to think I’ve always been the kind of person to make lemonade out of lemons, making the best of every situation. Last summer, after possessing a bachelor of arts degree in three areas of study (theater arts, English, and cognitive science), I had a few personal choices. I could go to grad school (I had always been against doing that right out of undergrad, but, you know, pandemics change things); I could keep searching and interviewing for office jobs (a fate I truly didn’t want but felt kind of pressured into); or, I could attempt to creep into industries I have always been passionately curious about (that typically don’t pan out when you’re working at a 9-5). With access to a (not super strong) internet connection and a 45-minute train ride to NYC, I decided to venture into solopreneurship, and now I’m coming up on a year of freelance copywriting and working in the film industry.
The circumstances of COVID allowed me to dabble in freelancing versus following one of the traditional working routes that stereotypically follows college graduation. I didn’t feel the pressure to “set up” my life in the way most people from my kind of background think you have to, and freelancing has let me embrace some really unique and exciting opportunities. Everything turning virtual certainly has its cons, but it’s not all bad. We’ve learned it’s possible to extend a global reach for pretty much any kind of gettogether, being able to include people who may have never been able to attend in-person. One of the short films I cast background actors for was produced by a DJ in Australia, composed by two musicians in Mexico, and shot by a local crew in NYC. (I could also attend RPS Alumni Day this year for the first time ever. Again... thanks, COVID? That’s actually where this piece’s roots began.) Hopefully, post-pandemic events will continue to embrace a hybrid form, allowing more inclusivity than ever before. Even though I am currently based in Cleveland, OH writing, acting, and dancing (pretty much everything I enjoyed growing up), I truly work in a worldwide way, even if not “physically” right now. I have gotten to meet incredibly interesting people and do some really awesome things, regardless of where I happen to be, how many projects I’m working on at a time, or how long it’s been since getting a new gig. That’s the tasty spice of life.
I Listened, I Leapt; Now, I Love My Lessons Learned I wish someone had told me this when I was growing up: The people who tell you that freelancing, working in the arts, and being a professional creative is “unrealistic, a hobby only, and practically impossible” have most likely never done any of those things or even attempted them. Still, we let their “insight” scare us. We let them douse our internal fire. They are not entirely wrong; this career path is not easy and things will most likely not fall into your
lap right away. But it is absolutely possible, and if it’s truly what you want out of life, it is so worth it. It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance. You will face rejection. You will get ghosted. But that’s true when spending time on hundreds of formal job applications, too. I prefer to spend my energy writing short, sweet, solid pitches to sell my services to potential clients who don’t even know they need me until I land in their inbox. You’re truly competing with yourself, and that is *chef’s kiss* because you get to work on your portfolio, manage a business, improve communication skills, and pursue your craft(s). You will learn something new every day. And the question is not of whether you will make mistakes, but of how you’ll react to them, fix them, learn from them, and move on. Being ready to leap when life calls for it may seem like a fortunate accident, but preparing yourself and your work, plus taking advantage of every opportunity you can, will lead to success in time. No one’s timeline is the same, and, every once in a while, giving up will seem like the easiest thing to do. But if you give up, you definitely won’t make it. The only way you will be successful is by continuing to fight for a spot at the already crowded table. In industries like film, it’s almost impossible to get anywhere without connections. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to curate connections. Sometimes, when making connections for yourself, you have to think outside the box and get creative. Other times, standard networking platforms do just fine. For current students, alumni of any age, and anyone in between, I am always happy to connect on LinkedIn and social media to chat about anything. There is strength with every person you meet and in every relationship you build, whether during a pandemic or not. My current career and lifestyle confirm it.
Rutgers Prep Announces Endowed Gift to Name the D’Aloia Center for Teaching and Learning Support A recent gift from the D’Aloia Family Foundation will position Rutgers Preparatory School to deepen and expand its commitment to the instructional processes available to its students. The endowed gift to name the D’Aloia Center for Teaching and Learning Support will provide, in perpetuity, the funding needed to broaden the current academic support program into a more robust platform for both teachers and students. “This endowed gift is a huge benefit to our students in the Center as we can provide more specialized and oneon-one support for students and families,” said Sara Nardulli, Director of Learning Support at Rutgers Prep. The transformative gift will allow the School to bring in more support and tools for students through programs like Learning Ally, and will also provide more training for teachers and parents through speakers and professional development programs sponsored by the D’Aloia Center. “I feel like they have a good foundation there,” said Jonelle Marchese, a current parent at Rutgers Prep and Vice President of the D’Aloia Family Foundation, “but they could use some financial support to either expand it or just do things that they wanted to do and couldn't do for one reason or another.” Marchese’s parents established the Foundation in 2008, and she and her sister sit on the board with them to help direct philanthropic gifts to worthy organizations and charities. “My parents are very big on supporting medical [organizations] and supporting education,” she said. “There's a family history of struggles in education, so we want to make sure that we support schools that are good at recognizing that and are forward thinking in helping these kids.” The Marchese family joined the Rutgers Prep community in 2018 when they were looking for a high school for their son. After attending an Open House based on the recommendation from the Head of their other son’s school, they were convinced that Rutgers Prep was the ideal match. Since then, they have continued to be impressed by the dedication of the school and its faculty in supporting students. “In high school, you need to have somebody that supports you, that also helps you to understand how you learn and what to do when you need help, because there won’t always be somebody there to do that for you, and that's what Rutgers Prep provides,” said Marchese. “I've not run into a teacher that doesn't really care about what a student is going through, or if they’re struggling.”
Looking ahead, Sara Nardulli is eager to explore new avenues and approaches that the D’Aloia Center will be able to take, not just for the students who benefit from the Center’s services, but those in the greater community as well. “I am thrilled that we will be able to expand the ways in which we support students and families, with our continued focus on developing selfadvocacy skills and helping students reach their full potential,” she said. “I am also excited about the ways in which we'll be able to support not just students in our Center, but also broaden our reach to provide programming for the greater community around important skills for success like executive functioning.” One of the ways in which the D’Aloia Center can now broaden its reach is by sponsoring professional development opportunities and guest speakers, like recent virtual sessions for faculty and parents with Caroline Maguire, a researcher and speaker whose expertise is in social skills and interaction. Maguire was able to offer teachers and families practical advice on supporting students who may be struggling in this area. There is much more opportunity on the horizon, and Rutgers Prep is already making use of the resources that the generosity of the D’Aloia Family Foundation has provided. “The D'Aloia Center for Teaching and Learning Support is an essential and vital component of the school’s mission,” said Steven Loy, Head of School at Rutgers Prep. “Our community is composed of students with a full range of interests and our Pre-K-12 program is designed to offer our students access to activities so that they can discover and pursue their passions, embrace intellectual curiosity and creativity, and lead with confidence. As a result, some activities may be familiar and quite comfortable while other activities may be challenging. The D'Aloia Center for Teaching and Learning Support celebrates the cognitive talents and individuality of each student and provides structure so that when challenged, students can identify their academic and personal strengths. The endowed gift means that Rutgers Preparatory School can continue to elevate our support of students in the pursuit of their academic and personal goals.”
Director of the D’Aloia Center for Teaching and Learning Support
Click on the above video to hear Sara Nardulli describe the D’Aloia Center for Teaching and Learning Support in her own words.
Our Students At the D'Aloia Center for Teaching and Learning Support we support students with different academic challenges. Some common characteristics include: High achieving Highly creative Hard-working Resilient Goal-oriented
Education that Makes a Difference: Rutgers Prep Students and Faculty attend the NAIS People of Color Conference Rutgers Preparatory School Faculty and Administration work vigilantly to keep themselves abreast of best practices in education to not only better their students academically, but also socially and emotionally. As a community, we take immense pride in our diversity, and we continually engage in opportunities to learn from one another, celebrate our uniqueness, and further enhance a culturally-conscious mindset that will follow our students and extend beyond our campus boundaries. Last fall, Leichena Bodie-Young, School Counselor for the Middle and Upper Schools, attended a four-day conference hosted by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) entitled the People of Color Conference (PoCC). The PoCC’s mission is as follows: “The mission of the conference is to provide a space for leadership and professional development and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools. PoCC equips educators at every level, from teachers to trustees, with knowledge, skills, and experiences to improve and enhance the interracial, interethnic, and intercultural climate in their schools, as well as the attending academic, social-emotional, and workplace performance outcomes for students and adults alike.” To a Rutgers Prep educator, this is an extraordinary opportunity to learn and grow, but Mrs. Young found much more than self inspiration; she saw an invaluable experience for her Rutgers Prep students to take part in, to then impart their knowledge to their peers. With support from Head of School, Dr. Loy, Upper School Principal, Dr. Chodl, and Assistant Upper School Principal, Mrs. Bautista-Burk, Mrs. Young shared her experience with the Upper School students, and challenged them to consider joining and making a difference in their school by participating in the next year’s PoCC. The conference is extremely demanding mentally and emotionally. Students bear witness to the difficulties others their own age have experienced due to their racial identity. They take a deep look into the nature of bias and define their own implicit biases. They share stories from their lives and discuss how they can alter certain perceptions and open closed minds to being more knowledgeable at their own schools. Due to the conference’s incredible reputation for impacting students and schools, the NAIS holds a lottery each year for schools that are able to attend and bring a maximum of four students. There is a three-week turnaround, where students and schools need to make travel arrangements for the momentous event. The conference changes its location each year. In years past PoCC has been held in
Seattle, St. Louis, and Baltimore; this year, due to the national pandemic, the conference was held virtually. As good fortune would have it, Rutgers Prep was chosen for the lottery for this year’s NAIS People of Color Conference made up of 1,000 students and 5,000 educators. The Upper School Administration with Mrs. Young and a panel of teachers worked together on the difficult task to sift through 26 applications and essays from the Rutgers Prep Upper School student population that were passionate about being a part of such an impactful initiative. The four students chosen were all upperclassmen and demonstrate strong leadership skills: Sontee Scott who identifies as AfricanAmerican, Sarai Batallas who identifies as Latinx, Sofia Luly who identifies as Caribbean, and Alexandra Xu who identifies as Asian. The student portion of the People of Color Conference is called the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. Students are broken into different groups in order to ensure optimal exposure to diverse perspectives. Rutgers Prep students were put into various groups of different sizes throughout the four days: the largest, the East Coast Group, then they were divided into neighborhoods based on their state, and then lastly, into families, which is determined by location within your state. Students also participate in activities and conversations with Affinity Groups, based on how the students identify themselves. The main focus of Affinity Groups was to define each student’s role as a Diversity Leader at their school and discuss different approaches to making a difference for their individual communities. One student, Sontee Scott '21 reported that the model of varying groups was effective for her, as she was exposed to and learned from so many, making the experience a wonderful memory that she will carry with her. “During the conference, I was placed into different groups: my Neighborhood, my Family Group, my Affinity Group, and of course, the entire group composed of over 2100 people. 600 or so participants and I were a part of Neighborhood 3. It was with this group that I would spend the optional “Evenings of Fun.” My Family Group consisted of about 50 people and myself, and this is where I would check-in every morning. Finally, I was a part of the Black African American Affinity Group, which was made up of around 500 black students. I loved being broken up into these groups because I spent time with each group equally and they all served their own purpose. Through the Neighborhood group, I was able to have fun with a lot of (but not too many) people and engage in Zoom chat conversations. Through my Family Group, I was able to really connect with that small group and get to know
people on deeper levels. But most importantly, through my Affinity Group, I was able to embrace my culture; I was in an environment that I, unfortunately, don’t imagine I’ll ever be in again. Being around 500 black private school students was truly special and comforting for me, and I truly appreciate being able to be a part of these different groups.” The four days are not all work and no play for students; even virtually, there were dance parties, informal meet-and-greets, downtime to chat with new friends, and even a talent show! Many students reported that the most inspiring and impactful portion of the conference came from listening to Keynote Speakers. “The Keynotes I enjoyed most were Dr. Glasgow’s speech about the cycle of oppression, Lyla June’s speech about her Native American heritage, and Dr. Bettina Love’s speech about connecting the intersections between racism and education. Dr. Glasgow explained that the cycle goes as follows: fear of difference, stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, institutional oppression, and then internalized oppression. While I knew all of these existed, I never connected the fact that one leads to another and that the final step helps perpetuate the cycle.” Students were offered the opportunity to sign up for workshops with Keynote speakers to further expand on what they were inspired by as they listened to presentations. Sontee Scott also remarked, “A workshop I greatly enjoyed was about creating an identity molecule. For this exercise, I drew different aspects of my identity (ie. race, religion, socioeconomic status) as atoms and linked them to form a molecule. I also wrote percentages for how negatively and how positively I viewed these facets of myself. Dr. Rodney Glasgow began the exercise by explaining his molecule, and it was great to see our differing perspectives. He brought up how aspects of his identity like age and ability level affect him negatively, which were identifiers I had never really paid attention to in myself. I shared my molecule with a partner, and though we identified similarly in many ways, it was enlightening to see that we emphasized different factors. This exercise was eye-opening and allowed me to really think about how I feel about my identifiers and how they are seen in the world.” The experience prompted these students to truly observe the world around them, reflect on their own experiences, and view situations from the eyes of others. These students then commit to educating others on the importance of identifying and combating bias, encouraging acceptance
and relentlessly pursuing the practice of compassion and empathy. “Being surrounded by people with shared backgrounds but also similar and very different experiences as me was inspiring. While I absorbed an abundance of information from others, my main takeaway was 'What can I do to make the change that I want to see within private schools?’ This conference allowed me to reflect on that, and through the knowledge that I acquired there and the conversations I had with others, I thought of a few answers: helping to change the narrative that follows minorities, requesting diversification of curriculums, demanding people recognize how multidimensional minorities are, and leading by example confidently in hopes to reassure younger students that they belong at these schools and to encourage them to be agents for change as well. I plan on bringing these goals with me as I finish the rest of my private high school experience, attend a private, predominantly-white college, and go on in life afterward.” Students who experience the lighting of the eternal fire of inspiration at a young age take it with them to make an impact on the future of society. Mrs. Young and the other teachers at Rutgers Prep, who are also participants in this extraordinary conference, are grateful to have the support of the Rutgers Prep Administration in providing them as well as their students with this life-changing experience. The impact of the conference has extended into classrooms, collegial conversations, and student clubs. A longstanding club, known as the “Go Club” revamped itself and took more action due to inspiration found from the conference. Go Club is a student-led organization that focuses on cultural identity, and provides opportunities for the greater community to learn and experience the histories of different cultures, their traditions, and the valuable part each plays in our diverse society. Club member, Sontee Scott '21, states, “I believe education can definitely help people become more tolerant of and diminish unwarranted dislike for different groups.” Rutgers Prep plans to continue to bring a new set of students and educators each year to the NAIS People of Color Conference and the Student Diversity Leadership conference as yet another means of attaining the school’s mission to “inspire students to discover and pursue their passions, embrace intellectual curiosity and creativity, and lead with confidence,” ultimately making a positive difference for the future of society.
Distinguished Guest Speaker Offers Insights to AP Economics Students Earlier this year, students in our AP Economics classes were offered an exciting opportunity to connect with Mr. Peter Georgescu, the founding CEO of groundbreaking integrated communications firm Young & Rubicam. Since Mr. Georgescu’s transition to emeritus status in 2000, he has continued to serve on the boards of multiple publicly held companies, focusing on his belief in the power of education and, most recently, on the issue of inequality in America. In this work, Peter serves as a director of JUST Capital, an organization that seeks to “equip the market with the data, tools, and insights to deliver on the promise of stakeholder capitalism and an economy that works for all Americans.” In his recent writings, Mr. Georgescu has commented on the necessity of a living wage as a part of the American economy’s enduring promise of personal transformation. His perspective on the attainability of the American dream remains rooted in his own experience, having immigrated to the US in 1954 at the age of 15 from Romania, where he had been held in hard labor as a political hostage. In a recent piece for Forbes magazine, Mr. Georgescu lifts up the case of Boeing’s challenges with their 737 aircraft as a cautionary tale related to his theories about corporate motivation and accountability: “I believe the facts surrounding the Boeing 737 ban point to a toxic corporate culture shaped by shareholder primacy and short-term profits — a culture where employee complaints were increasingly silenced, and individual’s resistance was blatantly ignored.” Rutgers Prep students asked to share their reflections on their conversation with Mr. Georgescu were struck by both his wide-ranging experience and his passion for moving towards an economic environment in which corporations see themselves as being accountable to a wider group of stakeholders than simply shareholders. In response to Mr. Georgescu’s presentation, Griffin Hooper ’21 wrote, “With minimum wages having workers fall below the poverty line, there is an obvious problem with how businesses interact with their valued employees. Mr. Georgescu believes that a corporation’s purpose is to value the customer and invest in the employees. Previously, the idea of shareholder capitalism ruled the world. Economics have asserted that a company’s goal is to serve their individual shareholders by any means necessary. Mr. Georgescu
believes that it is time to With minimum change that wages having way of thinking. workers fall below Ultimately, Mr. Georgescu the poverty line... believes that businesses must value the customer, invest in their employees, and support their communities because without stakeholders in a business, the business would not be able to function.” Another AP Economics student, Ben Cucculo ’21, shared, “I thought that Mr. Georgescu brought an interesting and new perspective on capitalism. Despite his devotion to the capitalistic system, he is not afraid to critique its flaws and show us ways to go about improving the system. His ability to tie his discussion into current events was also quite admirable as he was able to give us real world examples of why the system is flawed and how his ideas to fix it would benefit everyone equally. The only lingering question that I find myself asking is if the ideas Mr. Georgescu presented are realistic in the sense that big business CEOs would actually consider putting more money into their workers and employees or if it is something that we can only hope for. Without support from all big businesses it is hard to see the situation that the middle class finds themselves in changing anytime soon.” Mr. Loose, the teacher responsible for establishing the connection with Mr. Georgescu, said, “Mr. Georgescu stands out among his peers who are trying to figure out how to shrink income inequality in our country, as he was able to persuasively show how capitalism can actually be the cure for this problem. If more stakeholders are considered when CEOs and corporate boards make their strategic decisions, then businesses can be more successful while also helping more people in the economy share from their own success.” Mr. Loose is pleased to have provided his students with an opportunity to grapple with a real-world challenge within the larger universe of economics. We hope that all of our students are developing a foundational habit of thinking about their learning as applied learning, and we look forward to having our Rutgers Prep graduates return with stories of the ways in which these wellplanted seeds have sprouted.
Peter Georgescu, spouse of Barbara A. Georgescu ’58 and long-time friend of Rutgers Prep
Game Nights Keep Freshman Class Connected In the final days before winter break, History teacher Mr. Rennie and Ceramics teacher Mr. Lid invited some fun into their classrooms with a few rounds of online gameplay (on Mafia and Scribblio, respectively). Then, over winter break, the freshman Class Council group chat came alive around the idea of trying to build some class spirit through a game night. When the game night turned out to be a big hit, with over a third of the Class of 2024 attending despite relatively short notice, we checked in with the organizers to get a behind-thescenes perspective. Class Representative Grace Williams '24 shared, “I had a game night as one of my ideas when I ran for office, so then when I won, I kind of thought, Well, I’d better try to make this happen!” Caya Greene '24, who is an Alternate Class Rep and an RPS lifer, said, “Although fund-raising is definitely a focus of some of our efforts, we thought it was important to have some activities that are centered around making connections, especially because of COVID-19. It was great to see how open-minded people were about trying something new.” The members of the Freshman Class Council kicked around ideas about what games would translate well into a Zoom format, finally landing on Among Us, Scribblio, and Mafia as the best options. (Among Us and Mafia are strategy games based on a mechanic that assigns roles which players then have to try to deduce while other players actively try to deceive them; Scribblio is a drawing-based game, similar to Pictionary™.) After Class Council got the word out about their plans, Class Rep Dan Achacon '24 made a Google Form to gather information about which game(s) each participant wanted to play. “The Mafia room was all girls, at least at the beginning,” he remembered with a smile. “Eventually we encouraged people to switch things up and expand to playing with new people.” Class President Zach Burden '24 was in charge of figuring out and managing the breakout rooms, which were game-specific. “It was a little crazy, but also a ton of fun. I ended up meeting people I’d never even seen before!” he said. Vice President Philip Aymes '24, another RPS lifer, jokingly shared, “I’ve always known that I enjoy pretending to be evil! But honestly, all kidding aside, I had to leave because I’d told my parents that I’d be down for dinner at 8pm, and when I left, people were still
going!” Caya agreed, “I was happy that people wanted to stay after the scheduled time… that was a really nice response.” Alternate Class Rep Matthew Sauls '24, who was a newcomer to the class this year, shared in the appreciation. “This was a seriously great way for people to connect with peers outside of school.” Secretary Avani Jones '24, who is also new to RPS this year, was initially in the now-infamous all-girls Mafia room, and shared, “It was really fun to be in a group and find out how funny we all are!” Looking back on the event, Daniel Achacon '24 said, “My favorite part was putting everyone together into a giant Mafia room, and then we could really connect with pretty much anyone and everyone. We had a lot of fun accusing other people for no reason. For example at one point we accused poor Aafiyah as being mafia solely because her name rhymed with the name of the game! It was all in good fun, though. We made sure we weren’t being mean.” Matthew chimed in, “Even though I wasn’t able to join in this first round, I was glad to be part of the planning. Afterwards all my friends were talking about how much they loved it, which was a great feeling.” Treasurer Diya Bhagat '24 summed the experience up: “One of the things I felt was really interesting was how fast the time went, and we all experienced this feeling of 'Wait, what, already?!’ when we got pulled back into the big group from our breakout rooms. And I feel like the fact that it was optional rather than obligatory really helped keep it fun for everyone. We had a blast assigning people to unexpected roles, and it was so great when people who were Mafia stayed undiscovered. Because of our COVID-19 safety protocols, there are people that you don’t really get to connect with as much. I’m in the Rutgers group, so if it weren’t for events like this, I wouldn’t really have as much contact with students in the Prep group. So it was great to connect across the whole class.” This desire for connection, it seemed, was the underlying inspiration that helped these young leaders take a dream from a text thread to reality. Rutgers Prep has a reputation for being a close-knit, welcoming community, and it’s been wonderful to see the Class of '24 step smoothly into roles which help keep that spirit alive, even in these challenging times.
Senior Parents Show Their Support Whether their child had spent 4 or 14 years at Rutgers Prep, the Class of 2021 parents made gifts in support of their student’s educational experience as part of the Senior Parent Class Gift Campaign. Gifts are part of the Rutgers Prep Fund and benefit every student, every day. Contributions touch every corner of campus including new academic programming, faculty professional development, the arts, athletics, technology, student activities, and opportunities that arise throughout the year that are not in the operational budget. Thank you for your generosity and congratulations on your Class of 2021 graduate! Chiedu and Uchenna Akosa Dennis Okoye and Ifeoma Anwunah-Okoye Charles Aymes and Ana Moral Aymes '94 Mark Bean and Kathryn Gibbs Thomas and Valerie Bulzacchelli Yvens and Graceline Charles Martin Cox and Stephanie Kelly-Cox Carmen and Holly Cuccolo Jun Fang and Ling Wang Aubrey and Ann Marie Flanagan Corey Greene and Robin Richards-Greene Kevin and Inga Hooper Chih-Ming Huang and Chiung-Huan Peng Danho and Olga Jallo
Adam Ma and Wei Ye Adrian Mann and Johanna Bernstein Robert and Letty Melillo Pirouz Nejad and Donna Meucci Daniel and Jolene Schantz Andrew Scott Peter and Donna Tomfohrde Brian and Helayne Waldron Dorjima Wilhelm David and Leslie Wise Hong Wu and Lin Zhong Jie Xiang and Min Yang Tasos Zambas and Sharon Landgraf
CLASS NOTES
Class Notes From College Avenue (Through 1963)
Clyde Harms ’48 recently had his book published, An Aruban in Libya, detailing his years of living in Tripoli in the 1960s and 1970s. All proceeds of the book are going to the Queen Wilhelmina Fonds, an Aruban equivalent to the American Cancer Society.
Class Notes - Bell Bottoms, Bee Gees and the Copper Beech (1964-1983) The Class of 1965 is planning their 57th reunion to be held in Florida in October 2022. Please email Larry Sporn (Lawrencem@Sporn.us) or Vivian Andrus (vivandrus@aol.com) whether or not you might be interested in attending. Peter Lederman ’65 writes “I recently received an award from the New Jersey State Bar Association as Municipal Court Attorney of the Year. I received the same award from the Middlesex County Bar Association about ten years ago. I was also selected as a Certified Municipal Court Attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court as part of its first class of Certified Municipal Court attorneys, served as Chairman of the State Bar Association Municipal Court Section and wrote a bi-monthly op-ed column for the New Jersey State Law Journal.” Ted Miller ’68 writes “I recently passed several of my academic bucket-list goals. I have more than 111,111 citations with more than 306 documents cited at least 10 times, including 204 cited at least 30 times, 102 cited at least 102 times, and 25 cited at least 1,000 times. According to webometrics,
Class Agents Class of 1945
Gerald O’Brien 9505 Northpointe Blvd. Apt. 2001 Spring, TX 77379 job@consolidated.net
Class of 1947
John Witmer 150 Downs Boulevard, Apt. E-108 Clemson, SC 29631 witmer@nctv.com
Class of 1948
Clyde Harms clydeharms@yahoo.com
Class of 1950
Kearney Kuhlthau 33 Hillcrest Drive Piscataway, NJ 08854 elmwoodcemetery@verizon.net
Class of 1952
William Cramer 546 Becca Way Monroe Township, NJ 08831 wjc72536@yahoo.com
Class of 1954
Elfriede Riddering Heidelberg 5211 Long Bridge Road Richmond, VA 23231
Class of 1958
Jim Burke 21 Main Street Sayreville, NJ 08872 jvburke11@gmail.com
Class of 1959
Linda Levy Hamelsky 4112 Great Meadow Road Dedham, MA 02026 queenbeee7@comcast.net
Class of 1960
Henry Gurshman 957 Madison Avenue Plainfield, NJ 07060 gurshmanlawfirm@aol.com
Class of 1963
Charles Collard 11 Cornell Street North Brunswick, NJ 08902 cecollard44@gmail.com
Class of 1964
Stephanie Matusz Stillman 3 Lewis Road, Apt. 2 Winchester, MA 01890 stillstef@msn.com Robert Sutherlin 416 Lakeview Drive Jamestown, KY 42629 suth9@yahoo.com
Class of 1965
Vivian Czarda Andrus 670 West Forest Drive Houston, TX 77079 vivandrus@aol.com Peter Lederman 405 Topping Hill Road Westfield, NJ 07090 plederman@lomurrolaw.com
I have one of the 4,444 highest citation rankings among the millions with public profiles on Google Scholar (https://www.webometrics.info/en/ hlargerthan100). Within the past few years, I have received the highest awards from two groups: the Vision Award from the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine and the Distinguished Career Award from the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section of the American Public Health Association. My wife, Nancy Naomi Carlson is a full-time professor of graduate counseling at Walden University. The New York Times Book Review Section featured her 2019 poetry book, An Infusion of Violets (Seagull Books), as New & Notable. In 2018, she was decorated as Chevalier of the Order of the Academic Palms by the French government.”
Larry Sporn 121 Long Point Williamsburg, VA 23188 lawrencem@sporn.us
Class of 1967
Peter Lampen 245 New York Avenue New Brunswick, NJ 08901 peter.lampen@gmail.com Alisa Pasternak Zlotnikoff 197 Hyde Park Road Somerset, NJ 08873 alisazee@aol.com
Class of 1968
Barbara Paulus Lampen 245 New York Avenue New Brunswick, NJ 08901 barbara.lampen@gmail.com
Matt Shifman ’72 senior writer and assistant editor at Horse Racing Nation, has been named the winner of the 2021 Bill Handleman Award for outstanding coverage of last year’s TVG.com Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park.
Classmates from 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1981 have gathered to participate in virtual play readings with former RPS faculty, Mrs. Barbara Herzberg. Her cast: Cynthia Berkowitz ’79, Janet Berkowitz ’76, Chris Combest ’78, Eric Combest ’81, Charlie Daniel ’76, Janet Segal Campisano ’76, Rob Weiss ’76, Merle Witkin Milder ’77, and Caron Wolicki Salkin ’76.
Class of 1969
Billy Hyman ’76 shares “The Class of 76 had an impromptu 45th High School Reunion at the home of Billy Hyman, Elkins Park, PA. Left to Right: (First Row) Billy Hyman, Janet Segal Campisano, Peter Weprinsky (Second Row) Robert Campbell, Danny Green.”
Class of 1971
Jonathan Kaufelt 351 17th Street Santa Monica, CA 90402 jonathan@kaufelt.com
Class of 1970
Bryna Greenwald Pomp 44 Ontio Road Tuxedo Park, NY 10987 bgpomp@aol.com
Victoria Daniel Kozo 7 Wendy Way Milltown, NJ 08850 vkozo@rci.rutgers.edu
Class of 1972
Bill Ihling 13 Everbreeze Drive Erwinna, PA 18920 billihling@gmail.com
Class of 1973
Merryl Colburn Bernstein 111 N. Pompano Beach Blvd. Apt. 1907 Pompano Beach, FL 33062 merryl.bernstein@gmail.com Jack Kamin 2101 Avenue T Brooklyn, NY 11229 whosetheboss2001@yahoo.com
Tara O’Connell Klipstein ’81 enjoyed lunch with longtime colleagues Diane Glace and Patria Sullivan, with special guest, former Lower School Principal, Rose Ann Howarth.
Class of 1974
Walter Deutsch 75 12th Street Somerset, NJ 08873 whdii@aol.com Robert Frisch 33 Mohawk Avenue Middlesex, NJ 08846 yagmot@aol.com
Class of 1975
Rory O’Connell 40 Colles Avenue Morristown, NJ 07960 rory07960@yahoo.com
Class of 1976
Charlie Daniel 33 North Drive East Brunswick, NJ 08816 mjd095@hotmail.com
Class of 1977
Mark DiGiovanni 636 Hamilton Street Somerset, NJ 08873 guaranteed1@gmail.com
Class of 1978 Agent needed
Class of 1979
Peter Clarke 40 Old Dutch Road Bedminster, NJ 07921 pl.clarke@verizon.net
Class of 1980
Dana Stahl Mermelstein 3100 Birch Street NW Washington, DC 20015 dana.mermelstein1@verizon.net
Class of 1981
Marla Siegel Kurzec 210 Farriers Lane Jamestown, NC 27282 mkurzec@aol.com
Class of 1982
Janine Orlando 502 Linda Street Rocky River, OH 44116 janineorlando@gmail.com Sueanne Schulman 415 E 52nd Street Apt. 5EB New York, NY 10022 sueanne212@aol.com
Class of 1983
Ellen Berman 1060 Rahway Road Plainfield, NJ 07060 ejb512@aol.com Dawn Hughes 726 Richmond Street Plainfield, NJ 07060 dawnt49209@aol.com Anita Kothari Walsh 754 Carleton Road Westfield, NJ 07090 akw1184@gmail.com
Michael Keller ’83 “Hello from Minneapolis! It has been an intense year since George Floyd was killed. Things have cooled off a bit since the guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial, but our city and state (and country too) has a long way to go to achieve equity and justice for people of color. On the family front, my kids, Ava (21), Davis (19) and Alden (16) have finished their school year as a junior at Skidmore, a freshman at San Diego State and a sophomore in high school respectively. My wife Gina’s salons are slowly recovering from COVID and one is trying to bounce back from the property destruction in Uptown, where the rioting/ looting occurred, about 1 mile from our house. As for me, it appears I have transitioned from being the CEO of Pearson Candy Company, a St. Paul based confectioner, to of all things, a children’s picture book author. On May 3rd, I published The Legend of Jet the Gerbil, the truthis-stranger-than-fiction story of my incredible childhood pet gerbil, Jet, who survived a harrowing experience with a household appliance in my home in East Brunswick. It is for 3-8 year old kids and their parents or grandparents. I am donating some proceeds of book sales to Young Authors Publishing, a non-profit that publishes books for 8-14 year old black and brown kids to help get their voices out into the world. You can learn more about Jet and the book at www.jetthegerbil.com and on Amazon. ;-) All for now, Michael”
Class Notes Madonna, Macintoshes and Make-Shift Classrooms (1984-1999)
Class of 1984
Jim Bratek ’87 & Adam Wolff ’87 recently caught up with their former AP Computer Science teacher (and now, 35 years later, Director of Enrollment Management & Financial Aid) Patria Sullivan.
Class of 1985
Alexis Balsamides Wade 7 Bunker Hill Run East Brunswick, NJ 08816 aawade@mac.com
Marc Bromfeld 49 Speir Drive South Orange, NJ 07079 bromfeld@yahoo.com Diana Davidson Lerner 12313 Avenida Consentido San Diego, CA 92128 dianalerner1226@gmail.com
Class of 1986
Erika Barnes Holliday 18354 Pierce Avenue Homewood, IL 60430 happyholliday@comcast.net John Miller gringoscholar@gmail.com
Class of 1987
Donna Goodman dl.goodman@yahoo.com
Rabiya Kader ’93 is pleased to announce that she was nominated by Phil Murphy, the Governor of NJ, and confirmed by the NJ State Senate to the NJ Cultural Trust, Board of Trustees. The New Jersey Cultural Trust provides grants to support capital projects, endowments, and institutional and financial stabilization of arts, history, and humanities organizations in New Jersey. She will serve through October 2025.
Mark Nathan 274 Brantwood Road Amherst, NY 14226 nate3564@hotmail.com
Class of 1988
Brian Cohen 315 Central Park West, Apt. 8S New York, NY 10025 bcohennyc@gmail.com
Class of 1989
Todd Haedrich P.O. Box 939 Wiscasset, ME 04578 tmhaedrich@gmail.com Tim Herrmann 122 East 42nd Street, Suite 1616 New York, NY 10168 therrmann@intuitivevp.com
Class of 1990
Megan Coakley Glover 3202 Sky Court Castle Hayne, NC 28429 megcoakley@hotmail.com
Joshua Greenstein 27 Joan Drive Chappaqua, NY 10514 joshuagreenstein@gmail.com
RPS Trustee, Ana Moral Aymes ’94 welcomes her son, Edward Aymes, RPS Class of 2021, to the Argonaut alum community.
Veronica Lippencott (nee Akinyi Ouma) 56 Cedar Avenue, #2 Highland Park, NJ 08904 verouma@hotmail.com
Class of 1991
Jason Grey 2014 3rd Avenue, #4B New York, NY 10029 greyjason@hotmail.com Geoffrey Gussis 83 Morris Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 geoff@gussis.com William Somers somers515@yahoo.com
Class of 1993
Luis Garcia 138 Riverbend Drive North Brunswick, NJ 08902 luisfergarcia@gmail.com Erica Golliday Higgins 14 Gardiner St Darien, CT 06820 ericamhiggins@hotmail.com
Class of 1994
Jwan Allen 1229 Benton Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15212 jwan.allen@gmail.com Violette Renard Recinos 821 West Hill Drive Gates Mills, OH 44040 violette.recinos@gmail.com
Class of 1995
Tara Auciello 323 Gill Lane, Unit 11L Iselin, NJ 08830 tara.a@alumni.duke.edu Sara Papa Belyea 2455 Woodland Hills Court Hellertown, PA 18055 sbelyea@gmail.com
Brad Blecker ’99 and Liz welcomed Noah Peter Blecker on June 25th at 12:34 am.
Class Notes - RPS 2.0 (2000-Current) John Mangia ’01 most recently was the Visual Effects (VFX) supervisor for the “Queen’s Gambit” which recently took Netflix by storm. John and the VFX team was tasked with transforming modern day Berlin and Toronto into 1960’s New York City, Paris, Mexico City, Kentucky and Moscow in addition to creating the main character’s chess visions seen throughout the show. Click here for an article. Catherine Tucker Willhoit ’01 opened a coffee and retail shop, called The Hive, in Hoboken on November 9, 2020. Launched with her friend and business partner, Kristin Karotkin, the shop aims to foster community, support the lives of busy neighbors, and create a safe space for young families to explore, thanks to its small and creative playspace built within. If you’re ever in the Hoboken area, please drop by to say hello! You can also catch up on the shop’s happenings through Instagram via @hellofromthehive.
Class of 1996
Ria Rasalan Gaviria 12 Lambert Ave Edison, NJ 08817 Rasalan@gmail.com Matthew Scherb 121 South Hope Street, Apt. 6 Los Angeles, CA 90012 matthew@scherb.net Robert Szeles 216 Divot Drive Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Class of 1997
Amanda Lin 3 Sylvan Avenue Metuchen, NJ 08840 yi_zue@hotmail.com Nicole Finner Mordecai 880 Shore Acres Road Arnold, MD 21012 nicolefinner@gmail.com Nicole Fiumefreddo Rafanello 4 Rita Drive Morris Plains, NJ 07950 nicole.rafanello@gmail.com
Class of 1998
Camile Melton Brown 1999 Brierbrook Road Germantown, TN 38138 camimelt@hotmail.com Jeremy Hollander 5 Island View Way, Unit 21 Sea Bright, NJ 07760 jerholl7@gmail.com Sripriya Radhakrishna 3203 Snowbrush Place Fort Collins, CO 80521 sripriyaprince@gmail.com Jeremy Wang-Iverson 55 Wagner Road Stockton, NJ 08559 jwangiverson@gmail.com
Class of 1999
Jessica Belser 2472 Northlake Court NE Atlanta, GA 30345 jessbelser@gmail.com
Nakul Rao 118 Henderson Road Kendall Park, NJ 08824 nakulrao@gmail.com
Benjamin Mantell ’02 and his wife, Erin, welcomed Caroline Eve Mantell on 1/20/2021.
Class of 2000
Vanessa Abreu Deyhle 69 Allison Drive Sayreville, NJ 08872 vadeyhle@gmail.com Portia Hunt 2500 North Van Dorn Street, Apt. 1604 Alexandria, VA 22302 portia.hunt@gmail.com Liz Lampen Kim 320 Ardmore Avenue Ardmore, PA 19003 lizlampenkim@gmail.com Patchaya ‘Beam’ Seilaudom 410 Sheridan Avenue, Apt. 334 Palo Alto, CA 94306-2020 itsbeam@gmail.com
Class of 2001
Rachita Bhatt 219 Columbia Avenue Metuchen, NJ 08840 rachitabhatt@gmail.com Lauren Michaels 46 Lincoln Ave Metuchen, NJ 08840-2726 laurenmichaels@gmail.com Jose Torres 50 West 29th Street, Apt. 12W New York, NY 10001 josetorres527@gmail.com
Class of 2002
Jordanne Owen 6943 Premonition Drive Melbourne, FL 32940 jordyowen@gmail.com Melissa Zaccagnino m.zaccagnino@gmail.com
Class of 2003
Katie Shimalla Bartolucci 1505 Esther Lane Yardley, PA 19067 kcbartolucci@gmail.com
Kim Sikora Rakestraw ’03 writes “I currently work as a RN Care Coordinator for the infectious disease division at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. Before the pandemic, my responsibilities were primarily setting up families with home health care services for PICC line antibiotics and the needed education prior to
discharge. Once COVID-19 set in, my role gained additional responsibilities. Communication at the start of multidisciplinary rounds each day now included me updating the attending and residents on what policy changes - and there were many some days - I was aware of from a nursing standpoint that would directly impact our routine. I was also the ‘wing man’ on rounds to ensure that items used in more than one room (i.e. iPad interpreter, oto/ opthalmascope) were properly cleaned after each use or to assist attendings with putting on advanced PPE gear, among other things. Witnessing the decision making and listening in on the attendings’ teachings during this pandemic has been an unforgettable experience.” Sudipta Bandyopadhyay ’04 and Christina Avgerinos ’05 returned to campus to take engagement photos where it all began. They are living in New Jersey, working in New York City, and will be tying the knot in 2022.
Charles Cunnell 104 Piedmont Drive Bound Brook, NJ 08805 parakuihi@gmail.com
Class of 2004
Sudipta Bandyopadhyay 514 New Brunswick Road Somerset, NJ 08873 sudipta@bandyopadhyay.me Ilana Galex 470 Stoney Creek Way Chapel Hill, NC 27517 ilanag86@gmail.com Shirley Torho 230 Seamon Avenue, Apt. 5G New York, NY 10034 shirley.torho@gmail.com
Class of 2005
Adil Ahmed 1321 Tupelo Court North Brunswick, NJ 08902 justadilahmed@gmail.com Mark DiGiovanni 516 Lakewood Road Neptune, NJ 07753 markf.digiovanni@gmail.com Rick Halmo 222 E 34th St Apt 2403 New York, NY 10016-9833 rick.halmo@gmail.com
Class of 2006
Sonal Bhatt 1717 Rockwood Rd Richmond, VA 23226 sonal1021@gmail.com Kenneth Feibush 222 N Fullerton Ave Unit A Montclair, NJ 07042-3909 kfeibush@gmail.com Jordan Hollander 5 Chelsey Court Branchburg, NJ 08876 jsfhollander@gmail.com
Class of 2007
Victoria Hartmann Bishop 125 Harvard Street, Unit 405 Cambridge, MA 02139 hartmann.victoria@gmail.com
Ryan Klipstein 443 Cokesbury Road Annadale, NJ 08801 klipstein.ryan@gmail.com
Krystalle Neighbor Trumbetti ’06 and her husband John welcomed Della Marie on June 5.
Ashley Merchant ashley.merch@gmail.com Sarah Thornton 203 Blackberry Court Flemington, NJ 08822 sarahelizabeththornton@gmail.com
Class of 2008
Nikhil Anbarasan 6 Esplanade Drive Somerset, NJ 08873 nikhilanbarasan@gmail.com Lauren Wink Brenner 2203 Kater Street Philadelphia, PA 19146 lauren.brenner30@gmail.com Ariel Strauss 150 Hudson Ave Totowa, NJ 07512-2141 ariel.r.strauss@gmail.com
Class of 2009
Ashwin Karanam 1213 Walnut Street, Apt. 1707 Philadelphia, PA 19107 akaranam@me.com Kelsey Rene 1533 Ellis Road, Apt. D204 Durham, NC 27703 kelseyarene@gmail.com Ankita Thakkar 4 West 21st Street, Apt. 6B New York, NY 10010 ankita.m.thakkar@gmail.com
Class of 2010
Georges Richa 37 Weston Road Somerset, NJ 08873 georgesmricha@gmail.com Kammi Shah 45 Timberline Way Watchung, NJ 07069 kammishah@gmail.com
Ryan Klipstein ’07 is proud to announce that: “Stella Jane Klipstein was born on July 17th at 11:07 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 2 ounces and was 20 inches long. She and mom are in great health enjoying many different combinations of woodland onesies and neutral bows. She has recently committed to attending the RPS graduating class of 2040.”
Sarah Kendall Jubar ’04 became frustrated about not being able to discuss books she had read in the normal fashion because of self-quarantine during the Coronavirus pandemic. In response to this need for an intellectual exchange of ideas and authors, she created the “Together Apart Book Club,” composed of friends, Maryland neighbors and former classmates from Rutgers Prep. Using a series of emails, they agreed upon Richard Russo’s Chances Are as their first book for April, followed by Judy Blume’s In the Unlikely Event in May, Modern Lovers by Emma Straub in June, and Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys in July. They plan to read JoJo Moyes’ The Giver of Stars for August. The Zoom platform has proven to be reliable, with Sarah pulling a name from a hat at the end of each meeting, to see which club member would choose the next book.
Syed Moazam Shah 1055 Berkeley Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 moazamshah@gmail.com
Class of 2011
Niki Kakarla 4153 26th St San Francisco, CA 94131-1914 nikila.kakarla@gmail.com Kim Krauszer 18 Mulberry Lane Edison, NJ 08820 krauszerk@gmail.com
Class of 2012
Rayan Dutta 6 Collins Drive Hillsborough, NJ 08844 dutta.rayan@gmail.com Andrew Parr 12611 63rd Pl N Osseo, MN 55369 parrandr@gmail.com
Class of 2013
Annette Browne 1501 Balch Dr S Apt 307 Leesburg, VA 20175-4705 browne.annette@yahoo.com Prastama Perkasa prazperkasa@gmail.com
Class of 2014
Samantha Bernstein 5 Kappelmann Drive Green Brook, NJ 08812 samanthabernstein509@gmail.com Megan Groner 106 Park Ave., Apt. 107 Rutherford, NJ 07070 groner.megan@gmail.com
Top Row, L to R: Sarah Jubar ’04, John Kendall, Natalie Jones Malchow ’04 Middle Row: Jo Stephens, Sherry Quinn, Tiffany Spaulding Wrona Bottom row: Ann Morgan, Michelle Miano, ’03
Timothy Magier 21 Southfield Road Edison, NJ 08820 timmagier@gmail.com
Class of 2015
Christian Klipstein 48 Courtyard Dr Carlisle, PA 17013 dcklipsteinjr@aol.com
Lindsey Schafer 110 Fern Road East Brunswick, NJ 08816 lschafer08@aol.com Kendra Sullivan 830 South Kenwood Avenue Baltimore, MD 21224 kendrasullivan@comcast.net
Class of 2016
Tanvi Kodali 1340 N 2nd St, Apt 2402 Philadelphia, PA 19122 tanvi.kodali123@gmail.com Sarah Parr 13302 Cormere Ave, #205 Cleveland, OH 44120 sarahaparr@gmail.com Riya Patel 10 Arrowhead Lane Somerset, NJ 08873 riya112197@gmail.com
Class of 2017
Josh Kutner 2 Bering Way Somerset, NJ 08873 kutnerjoshm@gmail.com Madison Mento 85 Bennington Pkwy Franklin Park, NJ 08823-1261 madiepink13@gmail.com Rebekah Park 1006 Kearney Drive North Brunswick, NJ 08902 bekahpark@gmail.com Joseph Ramallo 1200 23rd St NW, Apt 810 Washington, DC 20037 jvramallon@outlook.com
Class of 2018
Grace Del Buono 14 Deer Path Hillsborough, NJ 08844 grace.delbuono@gmail.com Varun Kadikar 12 Sugarwood Way Warren, NJ 07059 vkadikar@gmail.com
Brett Epps ’06, Kacy Epps ’09, and Cody Epps ’12 collaborated on creating a music video for Brett and Cody’s new song called “Somebody” by ReppStyle, Seigfried & B.Keyz. Featuring family and friends, their work was done virtually due to the pandemic. Making music is their passion and this song was intended to uplift and bring positivity to everyone who watches. “Somebody” can be found on all music streaming platforms. Brett resides in North Carolina with his wife Alix and their daughter, Luna. Shawn Shivalkar ’07 writes “I was introduced to Deepika Thadhani through a mutual friend — we met for our first date at Marta (Danny Meyer’s Italian & pizza restaurant) in NYC in the fall of 2018 and were engaged on August 11, 2020 in Aruba.” Shawn graduated with honors from Emory University in 2011 and has lived and worked in NYC since. He is currently a senior investment professional at Spectrum Group Management, a distressed debt, special situations and real estate investment fund. Deepika currently serves as the Director of Public Relations & Marketing for Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Metro.
Samatha Kodali 14 Indian Purchase Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889 samatha2k@gmail.com Nikhil Lahiri 1 Maher Road Somerset, NJ 08873 niklahiri2000@gmail.com Skyler Scioscia 1948 Shields Ln Mount Pleasant, SC 29466-8686 skyescioscia31@gmail.com
Class of 2019
Brynn Bean 63 Cleremont Avenue North Brunswick, NJ 08902 brynnabean@aol.com
Lilah Galdi Olsson ’12 married James Olsson at the Stone House in New Jersey, Fall 2020. Lilah and James are welcoming a baby girl in September 2021.
Nima Majidi 3 Jeremy Court Somerset, NJ 08873 nima.majidi23@gmail.com Pranav Wadhwa 59 Pin Oak Drive North Brunswick, NJ 08902 pranav_wadhwa@yahoo.com
Class of 2020
Julia Chorun 16 South Wilson Avenue Milltown, NJ 08850 juliac707@aol.com Nolan Patel 8 Joan Road Somerset, NJ 08873 nolanpatel@gmail.com
Top Row L to R: Albert Galdi ’79, Mariselle Galdi ’17, Lindsey Bowen ’15, Michael Coiro ’15, Alex Warwick, Tori Warwick, Alyssa Coiro ’12, Trisha Patel ’12, Rachel Herzog Zygmont ’07, Rebecca Herzog ’12 Middle Row L to R: Erin Metzel ’18, Kiersten Mulvey ’12, Lilah Galdi Olsson ’12 (the bride!), Arielle Sherman ’12 Bottom Row L to R: Ryan Sieb ’15, Alanna Galdi ’15, Mark Sherman ’78, Allison Greenbaum ’12
Tylan Porterfield 58 Blue Grass Blvd. Branchburg, NJ 08876 tylan.mykia@gmail.com Matthew Romage 10 Longfield Road New Brunswick, NJ 08901 mromage87@gmail.com Gurnoor Virdi 7 Elm Ridge Court Monroe Township, NJ 08831 gurnoorvirdi@gmail.com
Alex Wegner, former RPS student, married Anna with fellow Argonauts Camden Putnal ’16, Arjun Ahluwalia ’16, and Luke Masella ’16, by his side.
Class of 2021
Kiran Lahiri 1 Maher Road Somerset, NJ 08873 klahiri02@gmail.com Riya Lahiri 1 Maher Road Somerset, NJ 08873 riyalahiri02@gmail.com David Merges 26 Canterbury Circle Somerset. NJ 08873 david.merges@gmail.com Alexandra Schantz 9 O’Neal Court Hillsborough, NJ 08844 allyschantz@gmail.com Sontee Scott 527 Old Bridge Tpke Unit 2330 East Brunswick, NJ 08816 sonteescott801@gmail.com
In Memory of... Russell Bey, Class of 1964, June 13, 2020 Medin James, Past Faculty, August 4, 2020 Doug Alsofrom, Class of 1968, August 9, 2020 F. Stevens Avery, Class of 1952, August 12, 2020 Honorable John Kuhlthau, Class of 1954, September 4, 2020 Roxanne Miller, Class of 1967, November 1, 2020 Gabriel Preston, Class of 1955, December 19, 2020 Mitchell Shriber, Class of 1975, May 31, 2020 Stephen Wayne Borrus, Class of 1965, January 10, 2021 Richard “RC” Craig Black, Class of 1965, March 12, 2021 James M. Kane III, Class of 1975, March 24, 2021 David C. Cohen, Class of 1976, May 12, 2021 Michael O. Renda, Class of 1968, June 28, 2021 Lawrence Hannon, Class of 1948, Date Unknown
Join Our Legacy Circle Today!
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You can help shape the future of Rutgers Prep
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Every year, we receive generous estate gifts from donors who want to make a lasting impact on Rutgers Prep and leave a personal legacy at our school. Legacy Circle members include individuals and families who have included our school in their estate plans and notified us of their intentions by including language in their will and completing our Planned Gift Intentions Form. Members of our Legacy Circle provide crucial support to inspire our students to discover and pursue their passions, embrace intellectual curiosity and creativity, and lead with confidence for generations to come. If you have included us in your own estate plans, we would love to know so we can thank you! If you are thinking about it and would like more information, please contact Susan Gantz in the Advancement Office at gantz@rutgersprep.org.
Ways to Give
Leave a gift in your will or trust Designate Rutgers Prep as your beneficiary of your retirement plan Transfer ownership or make Rutgers Prep a beneficiary of your life insurance policy Establish a charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust, which provides income to you and/or a loved one Establish a charitable lead trust to provide immediate support for our school Donate other assets (e.g., gifts of property or real estate)
Benefits of Joining
You help us to sustain our mission by helping to ensure the financial viability of our school far into the future Your membership allows us to thank you and recognize the plans you have made, and it may inspire support from others You will receive invitations to events, insider updates, and special recognition in our publications
Please note Rutgers Prep does not provide tax, legal, or financial advice. We encourage you to consult with your financial or legal advisors to fully explore the legal, financial, tax, and personal implications of planned giving.