Santa Catalina School Bulletin Spring 2015

1500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey, CA 93940

Girls Ages 8-14 Grades 3-9 Day & Boarding 2, 3, & 5 Week Sessions

Monterey, CA • 831.655.9386 • santacatalina.org

SPRING 2015

Summer at Santa Catalina

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It’s a girl thing.

BULLETIN

Musica l Theatr e Dance Visual A rt Robotic s s Marine Bi Equestr ology ia Aquatic n s

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n i u se f s r o u • • • •

SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Monterey, CA 93940 Permit No. 93

Santa Catalina BULLETIN

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VOLUME 55

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NUMBER 2

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2015

Board of Trustees Nonie B. Ramsay ’71 Chair Kirsten Nelson Bedford ’56 Vice-Chair Jennifer W. Budge ’71 Vice-Chair

School Administration Sister Claire Barone Head of School John Aimé Assistant Head of School

Peter M. Folger Vice-Chair

Richard Patterson Assistant Head of School for Advancement

Kit Y. Wai Treasurer

Rita Alves Business Manager

Reuben Richards Secretary

Laurie Severs Director of Development

Sister Claire Barone Head of School Frederick M. Bates Michelle Blake Robert C. Bolt Curt Breitfuss Michael D. Bruno ’82 LS Margaret Rosenberg Duflock ’59 Herm Edwards Katherine Ernst James Farley, Jr. Paul J. Felton W. Taylor Fithian III Laura Lyon Gaon ’81 Frank Garcia Matthew T. Gibbs II Tracy Miller Haas ’75 Elizabeth R. Hulme L. Douglas McKenzie Judith McDonald Moses ’86 Mary Looram Moslander ’84 Kenneth Peyton Victor Ramirez

Honorary Trustee Brooks Walker, Jr.

2014-15 Events Father-Daughter Weekend Upper School Commencement Kindergarten Graduation Grade 8 Graduation Summer Camp

April 24–26 May 30 June 3 June 5 June 21–July 25

Lower & Middle School Christy Pollacci Head of Lower & Middle School Janet Luksik Director of Tuition Assistance/Director of Admission Anthony Schipper Middle School Dean Amy McAfee Director of Curriculum & Learning Learning Specialist PreK–Grade 4 Chris Haupt Director of Student Life Upper School John Murphy, Ph.D. Head of Upper School Kassandra Thompson Brenot ’87, Ph.D. Assistant Head of Upper School Jamie Buffington Browne ’85 Director of Admission Gerard Kapolka, Ph.D. Dean of Academics Julia Kim Dean of Studies Kristi McLaughlin Dean of Students/Director of Boarding Life

Untitled, Paul Villareal, grade 6, paint

Santa Catalina School, located on the Monterey Peninsula, is an independent, Catholic school.

The Upper School is a college-preparatory high school for young women, with boarding and day students in grades 9–12. The Lower and Middle School are coeducational, with day students in PreK–grade 8. A summer camp for girls 8–14 years serves resident and day campers. n Santa Catalina School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Santa Catalina is a member of The National Association of Independent Schools, The Association of Boarding Schools, National Catholic Educational Association, National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, California Association of Independent Schools, Secondary School Admission Test Board, and Online School for Girls. n Santa Catalina School admits students of any race, creed, color, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, disability, and national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, athletic, or other school-administered programs.

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Spring Bulletin 2015 Bulletin Production Crystal Boyd ’89 Director of Communications Courtney Shove Writer Jamie LeMaire Graphic Designer/Production Coordinator Gretchen Mueller Burke ’83, ’79 LS Director of Alumnae Relations Robin Kelly Copy Editor Crystal Boyd ’89, Molly Calvert, Paul Elliot, Mackenzie Fisher ’15, Jeff Hrepich, Robin Kelly, Maya Pollack ’15, Sister Christine Price Contributing Writers Marc Howard ’93 LS; Alexandra Kautz ’06; Jamie LeMaire; Kim Lemaire; Santa Catalina Archives; Santa Catalina parents, faculty, and students, Courtney Shove Contributing Photographers

ARTWORK

Umbrella Lady

by Victoria Gorum, grade 8, winner of a national silver medal and a regional gold medal for photography from the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Santa Catalina’s Bulletin is published twice a year.

We welcome suggestions for topics and news, as well as comments about our publication.

features 4

In Memory of Sister Jean Gilhuly We reflect on a beloved member of our Santa Catalina community.

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Character Matters Take a look inside the Lower School Assembly Program and see how we are shaping our students and their values.

20 Wednesday Chapel: Where Values Meet Intellect Wednesday Chapel creates an opportunity for our students to grow as individuals and as members of a community.

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2015 Distinguished Alumnae Learn more about this year’s Distinguished Alumna Award winners: Tina Hansen McEnroe ’70 and Kim Wright-Violich ’75.

departments 2

Message from Sister Claire

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Upper School Sports

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Lower and Middle School Community Life

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Alumnae Reunion

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Class Notes

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Middle School Sports

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Upper School Community Life

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Upper School Arts

82 Transitions 84

Connect with Catalina

character

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Message from Sister Claire as they fine-tune their memories of school. We applaud their many achievements and feel their pride as they return to Santa Catalina. We delight in their happiness at finding change and progress quite alive and well but their school’s mission and values unchanged. Santa Catalina has transformed their lives. Whether younger or older, a graduate or a current student, all are called to further the very best of what was begun over 60 years ago on our campus and continues so strongly today.

“Shared values, those themes that hold a Santa Catalina education together, build progress now and hope for the future.”

Dear Friends, “Character matters.” “We grow as individuals only in relation to others.” “An apple a day helps keep hunger at bay.” These words, all found among the articles in this Bulletin, illustrate the values we continue to espouse in a Santa Catalina education. Character development is front and center in our school community and it is illustrated clearly in lower and middle school Assemblies, upper school Wednesday Chapel and Sunday Mass, and campus community life. We count on a classmate or a colleague to act with integrity, to be trustworthy, to operate with a clear moral compass. Character matters.

We encourage individuals to relate and reach out to one another, to look beyond themselves and to respond.

Our spiritual lives are lived fully only in community, only when we minister to the needs of others and allow them to care for us. Relationships matter. We live among some who are elderly or others who are hungry, those for whom a visit or the gift of an apple a day is a treasure.

Character and our relationship to community lead us to service…and service matters.

Shared values, those themes that hold a Santa Catalina education together, build progress now and hope for the future. Looking ahead, we watch boys and girls and young women mature, readying themselves for their next step in life. We follow the progress of a thrilling new science and math building designed, made possible, and built by those who share our values and who wish to provide the very best for those who will come after us. We laugh with our graduates and share happily in their class reunions

Finally, we were reminded at Wednesday Chapel not too long ago that “all important truths in life are simple.”

One of those simple truths tells us that there is no better example set out for us to follow than that of a life well lived. This last November, after 43 years of shared community experiences, Sister Christine and I bid fond farewell to our dear friend, our Sister Jean. We continue to miss her loyal friendship, her wit and wisdom, and most certainly her love and support. We turned to Sister Jean when people asked us for prayers for a friend or for a special intention. The loving care she gave to Sister Carlotta in Sister Carlotta’s final years was that of a devoted friend. We always knew that we could count on her. A devoted and trusted friend, in Sister Jean’s own unique way she touched the lives of so many. Sister Christine and I feel blessed to be among those touched.

Surely, as we consider the values lived out at Santa Catalina, Sister Jean was a powerful example to all that integrity, relationships and service do matter.

Very soon, we will come to the end of another school year and recognize that we have many reasons to be grateful.

When we offer our Prayers of Intention at Wednesday Chapel and again at Sunday Mass, we offer thanks for all of you who support us in so many ways.

With my warm regards,

Sister Claire Head of School

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In Memory of

Sister Jean Gilhuly 1931–2014

Sister Jean began her career as a first-grade teacher in San Leandro.

Her teaching journey then took her to San Rafael, Stockton, and Benicia. In early 1967, she joined the business office at Santa Catalina School, took the position of treasurer, and committed her future—the next 47 years—to the school. Long an overseer of maintenance, housekeeping, and transportation staffs, Sister Jean also kept a watchful eye on the needs of local families. She was known to “think big” and, characteristically, recognized a need in the community that Santa Catalina could fill.

Always a lover of children and an advocate of early childhood education, Sister Jean espoused the

philosophy that “the beginning is everything.” She set about preparing the first recruitment brochure, gathered boys and girls to the campus, and, in 1971, with Sister Carlotta, staffed and opened Santa Catalina’s coeducational preschoolkindergarten. Indeed, the beginning was well under way, and Sister Jean remains much loved by the children and families of those early years and beyond.

Laughter followed Sister Jean everywhere. She was a Giants fan, a dog lover, and an instigator of fun who relished a good practical joke. Her personality was playful and very Irish. An arbiter of good taste, she celebrated any occasion

with bright, happy colors and was a ready assistant to anyone in need of a beautifully wrapped gift and a perfect card. Never one to miss an anniversary or a birthday, she was known affectionately within her family as Aunt Cake, that special aunt with an eye to her young East Coast relatives and a knack for securing the very latest toys.

To the very end, Sister Jean possessed a keen mind and a startling memory for names, dates, and multiple, complex family trees. An astute judge of character, most often proven right in this regard, her pillars of judgment were common sense, honesty, and integrity. To her friends, she was unfailingly loyal.

sister jean gilhuly 5

Sister Jean’s was a lifetime of generosity, kindness, quick wit, and contagious laughter. At a recent gathering of family and friends, years of anecdotes spilled over in loving, grateful memories of time shared together. She will be sadly missed by Sister Claire and Sister Christine; her family; and more than four decades of children, parents, and friends of Santa Catalina School.

Reflection from the Mass of Resurrection Peter M. Folger, Board of Trustees, 1985-present Board Chair, 1992-2007 My challenge is a difficult one— specifically, to concisely capture Sister Jean’s gifts to Santa Catalina and our community. I use the word gifts, not contributions, because contributions is too stark a word. It has no heart, and Sister Jean was all heart.

Her almost half-century love affair with Santa Catalina was far deeper than the well-known objective facts: arriving on campus in February of 1967 to be treasurer of the school for the next 30+ years, overseeing not only our financial affairs, but the maintenance, housekeeping, and transportation operations as well.

More visible to all, and so important to the growth of the school, was her partnership with Sister Carlotta to start our coeducational preschool and kindergarten program in 1971 based on the sure-fire business plan of “pure profit in short pants”—which, of course, has grown to coeducation through our eighth grade. To ensure that future generations know that it was Sister Jean’s inspiration, vision, and love that brought early childhood education and coeducation to Santa Catalina, the board of trustees, years ago, named the PreK and kindergarten building in her honor.

Sister Jean was successful at every task she took on, but there was so much more to her. For instance, she was the source for all practical information: • Where do you find the best stationery? Ask Sister Jean.

• The best sweaters? Ask Sister Jean.

• The best asparagus? Ask Sister Jean.

• The best anything? Ask Sister Jean.

Her true expertise, though, was people. Her judgment about the character of a person was both insightful and swift. She was incredibly intuitive and, in the long run, almost always right.

Her softest spot was reserved for children. She connected with them, loved them, prayed for them.

Sister Jean was a true friend: • She was a joyful presence in times of happiness and a source of comfort in times of sadness.

• She brought wisdom and a reassuring perspective to difficult challenges.

• Most of all, you could rely on her being there for you. You always got her best.

Nowhere was her capacity for friendship more evident than in her devotion to Sister Carlotta. To watch them together and to listen to their stories—those wonderful, warm, funny stories—was a special treat beyond description.

If you mention Sister Jean to anyone who knew her, you would almost certainly evoke a recollection of her

6 of my life is there.” What a fitting introduction to this memorial.

At the age of 18, Sister Jean knew that she would be entering the convent. She also knew that her father strongly resisted this path and would be very vocal when she broke the news to him. Always clever, she had a plan. She went with her dad to a football game and waited until the game became very exciting and the crowd the loudest. Then she leaned over and told him her intention to join the convent. He had a really good bout of yelling and screaming, which, at that point in the game, no one noticed. Finally, realizing her little scheme, he surrendered. He often told this story over the years and always concluded by saying, “Remember, Mary Jane is always a step ahead of everyone in the room.

They just don’t know it yet!” laughter. Her wit was so quick and memorable. Humor, fun, smiles were her constant companions, and all of us basked in that glow.

Sister Jean’s presence in our lives, and in the story that is Santa Catalina, was, indeed, a gift.

Missing her though we do, we can take comfort in knowing that she is with Sister Carlotta once again and that, together, they are doing what they always have done: watching over us and their beloved Santa Catalina.

Sister Jean took to her rebranding with her signature style and the focus of a Fortune 500 company executive.

There was Aunt Cake stationery, Aunt Cake embossed envelopes, Aunt Cake note cards. So, for the past 36 years, your Sister Jean has been our Aunt Cake.

Reflection from the Mass of Resurrection Rob Heagney, Nephew of Sister Jean We in the family refer to Sister Jean as Aunt Cake. In part, this is a name that she gave to herself—a personal rebranding. She was born Mary Jane Gilhuly, and we were brought up to call her Sister Jean in public and Mary Jane in private. When the first grandnephew, Trevor, was born, we found ourselves having so much fun, and Sister Jean declared that, going forward, we should call her Aunt Fruitcake! Thankfully, Trevor couldn’t say that, and he quickly shortened it to Aunt Cake.

Aunt Cake was an avid reader who read the Wall Street Journal and the San Francisco Chronicle almost every day.

Besides that, she always had a book on the read. She loved clever authors and thought no one was cleverer than Herb Caen. She quoted and enjoyed Herb Caen’s words, “I tend to live in the past because most

When we were young, the convent rules on visiting Sister Jean were quite strict. We could visit only on limited days for a short time and in a formal setting. I admit that Aunt Cake found a way to violate most of those rules, but it was nonetheless restrictive. She couldn’t join our family for holidays or birthdays, and by the time these rules relaxed in the late 1960s we were living 400 miles away in Los Angeles. In 1969, 45 years ago, my whole family moved to Connecticut, where most have lived since. Despite this physical distance and limitation, no family could feel closer to and loved more by an aunt than we and our children did with Aunt Cake.

This love was built by Aunt Cake’s reaching out to us: a card at every birthday, every Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Saint Patrick’s Day, and Easter. She often sent cards or notes just to say that she was thinking of us. Beautiful gifts arrived, just perfect for the person—the result of her love of shopping and her exquisite taste.

Aunt Cake loved a good chat on the phone and often began the conversation with, “Oh, Robbie, you’re going to love this story,” or, “The funniest thing happened today!” Whatever the event, it was always a good story well told.

sister jean gilhuly 7 My brothers and sister and I had special relationships with Aunt Cake. For me, it was a lifetime of sharing books. This began when I was about 12, when she sent me

of her favorites, a story about taking a walk with my grandfather. So, Aunt Cake, I’ll tell it for you one last time. Your friends are all here, and we can share it together.

Laughter followed Sister Jean everywhere.

John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage.

Somehow she knew that I would love history and major in the subject, go on to law school, and dabble in politics. We shared books throughout our lives, usually books about people who made a difference or led interesting lives. She would send me a book about FDR, and I would send her a book about Teddy Roosevelt; she’d respond with a book about Clinton, and I’d volley with one about Ronald Reagan. You can see where this was going. Recently, I called Aunt Cake to thank her for her latest book. It was the perfect compromise: a book devoted to Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan working together.

I want to thank the faculty and staff of Santa Catalina for the many kindnesses they extended to Sister Jean. She often shared these with me. To her many friends, Kathleen, Janet, Marion, Senora, and many others, thank you for your love of Aunt Cake and for sharing your lives with her.

Sisters Claire and Christine, thank you for making Aunt Cake’s time in this world so special and for being there for her the last weeks of her life. No one has seen more lovingkindness or more emotional support than Aunt Cake received from you.

My aunt, as I said, loved a good story well told. When you told a good story, she would ask you to tell it to her friends. She most often asked me to retell one

You see, when you visited my grandfather, you always took one of his five-mile-a-day walks around San Francisco. These walks often went into Lincoln Park. In the middle of the park was the Palace of the Legion of Honor, and in the center of the courtyard was a large copy of Rodin’s The Thinker.

One day, on our walk, we stopped to look at The Thinker. I said to my grandfather, “What do you think he’s thinking?” Not one to be put in a box, my grandfather replied, “Well, what do you think he’s thinking?”

I thought for a moment, little boy that I was, and then said, “I think he’s thinking ‘Where did I leave my pajamas?’”

Well, today, Aunt Cake, we are all thinking of you, of the love you gave us, and of how you made our lives so much richer.

Character Matters

The students and teachers move her—often to tears. Their accomplishments, academic and otherwise, stoke her passion for education. Christy Pollacci, Head of the Lower and Middle School, is deeply invested in campus life. It’s no surprise that she has chosen to lead the Lower School Assembly Program.

Drawing on her years as an elementary school teacher, Pollacci approaches the program as an avenue for character education—her time to teach students the values that will set them apart in the world.

Students in PreK through grade 5 learn important life skills such as looking people in the eyes while speaking, finishing projects that they start, and telling the truth the first time.

And it’s during Lower School Assembly that the children are able to soak up lessons and practice these skills in a caring, fun environment.

Pollacci’s lessons are impactful because she connects with students on a personal level. Whether citing her own strengths and weaknesses or referencing stories from a popular children’s book, Pollacci is able to inspire students because they know she cares. During Assembly, she often takes time to recognize students and teachers for quiet acts of service or personal achievements that might otherwise go unnoticed.

“It’s a conscious decision,” Pollacci says. “We recognize the athletes, the musicians, and the scholars, because everybody has different places where they shine.”

Each school year, Pollacci chooses a theme to incorporate into her lessons. This year’s theme, “Walk in Someone’s Else’s Shoes,” encourages students to understand where others are coming from and how varying life experiences

lower and middle school assemblies 11 “The Lower School Assembly Program is a wonderful platform for students, teachers, and parents to gather and learn from each other,” Grade 1 teacher Katie Schipper says. “Every assembly offers the chance for the members of the Catalina community to learn about service projects and special grade-level events. It is amazing to watch and listen to our students speak in front of an audience.”

Although these regular powwows provide time for news and announcements, the heart of the program is teaching children important life skills that will make them better students, friends, and citizens. Each Friday, as Pollacci leads Assembly with strength and compassion, she imparts those very traits to the students. shape people’s identities. Around Martin Luther King Jr. Day, she called forward a group of students who were wearing sneakers of a specific color and had them turn their backs to the audience. Thinking they might have done something wrong, the students sheepishly followed her directions. Later, Pollacci explained that the activity had illustrated segregation, and she talked with the children about how it feels to be singled out, excluded, and mistreated.

“That’s my job—to educate the whole child, and each child needs to be able to feel empathy,” she says.

Lower School Assembly is also a time for students to teach one another. Once a year, each grade level has an opportunity to present a topic it has been studying in class. These presentations are a great way for the children to experience being on stage. Of course, some students are shy about being in the spotlight, but Assembly provides an encouraging place for them to practice co-leading with their classmates.

In January, the PreK class performed a musical rendition of the Lower School Student Creed (see sidebar) to the tune of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass.” Reciting the creed is a regular part of Assembly, so students were eager to hear those lyrics, including the line, “It’s all about that creed, ’bout that creed—we’re Cougars!”

For the students, perhaps the highlight of Assembly is the birthday announcements. After the opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic songs, and the student creed, Pollacci calls out the names of students who recently celebrated their birthday.

It’s a time when each child is called forward and honored. Before singing “Happy Birthday” in unison, the students have the chance to announce family members’ birthdays as well. Parents and grandparents in attendance are invited to come forward with the students, who are always proud to have them on campus.

“What we are teaching them is self-confidence, and that is something they will carry with them the rest of their lives,” Pollacci says. “The way you carry yourself, the way you believe in yourself, the way you shake hands, the way you look someone in the eye, the way you talk to a person— those are the life skills that they’ll be comfortable with.”

Stud

ent’s

Creed

I am a Sa nta C I am atali na C specia ouga l, and r.

I a m wo I beli eve in rthy.

I acc myse ept th lf. e cha the b l l e n est th g at I c e to be an b Just f e. or tod ay: I wil l liste n I wil l see I wil l spea k I wil I will f l lear e e l n ab out m Yeste y pla rday’s ce in mista the w Toda kes a orld. y’s su r e b ccesse ehind s m a re no e.

This w bef da ore m for it y is mine e. will n to Every ot com master, day e aga of my in. life I can t will d o be the b o the est I can b best I e.

I AM SAN A TA C ATAL INA COU AR.

Electives Program Expands the Notion of FUN A tenacious eighth-grader, steady as a surgeon, removes several plastic gears from inside an old printer.

He plans to reuse the scraps for a future building project. In a room down the hall, some of his classmates meticulously fold sheets of patterned paper. Delicate paper lilies, butterflies, and ninja stars lay scattered across the tables. These two scenes typify the Middle School electives program, which

includes offerings such as Steampunk Art and Origami.

Established around 2010, the Friday afternoon program serves as a bookend to the Monday clubs and activities and allows students and teachers to explore their hobbies and interests. The electives are less structured than

Monday offerings such as Student Senate and Yearbook, and they allow students to engage with teachers in nonacademic ways. Whereas clubs and activities provide avenues for student leadership, electives offer relaxing, multisensory experiences for middle-schoolers to wind down at the end of the week. The last 35 minutes of each week are set aside for students in grades 6 through 8 to have fun together. Through electives such as Storytelling, middle-schoolers can also share their talents with Lower School students.

Each trimester, the school announces the electives program offerings during Assembly. Then Middle School Dean Anthony Schipper sends out a Google Sheets sign-up. As the program has become more finetuned, students have responded in earnest to the “firstcome, first-served” registration process.

“I treat it as a game by watching the

middle school electives 13

responses as they come in,” Schipper said. “One trimester, 85 students signed up for their electives in the first three minutes.”

Not only do the electives foster intermingling among grade levels, but they also promote lasting intergenerational exchanges between teachers and students. Schipper admitted that he had never played Minecraft before offering the popular video game as an elective, but the students taught him all about the game. Similarly, faculty members are able to share with students important pastimes and cultural icons from long ago.

“Who would have thought that a bunch of 11- and 12-yearolds would be amused by a silent film?” said English teacher Jeremy Sandler, about on his Cinematic Classics elective. Commenting on how students reacted to Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times, Sandler concluded, “They thought it was silly, but they were invested in it.”

Another meaningful aspect of the program is that students get to know teachers in other grade levels and have a chance to connect with them in new ways.

Chris Haupt, religion teacher and director of student life, said that electives allow her to get to know students who aren’t in her classes.

It also gives teachers the chance to reconnect with students whom they taught in previous years.

Sandler, who teaches English to grades 6 and 7, remarked, “In my elective this year, I have some

Past and P res Elective Of ent ferings

H a r r y Po t t e r Yo g a a n d M e d it a t io n M in e c r a f t D a n c e a n d H ip Duct Tape and C h o p re Hitchcock and th ative Crafts e E x t r e m e B o a r d West D a n c e R e v o lu G a m e s t io n Storytelling The Art of Ma n M o r a ls in M o v li n e s s ie K n it t in g a n d N s ib b le s

also allows students to pursue a wide range of interests rather than commit to one activity per year.

eighth-graders whom I taught two years in a row, and it’s nice having them back in my classroom.”

The electives program has evolved since it began, and its flexibility is its strength. Some offerings are shortlived due to low interest or because their activities weren’t conducive to the condensed time period. Others, such as Harry Potter and Yoga, are perennial favorites. With new options each trimester, the program allows for quick incorporation of new ideas and trends. The set-up

“The electives program is really about being able to try something that you’re not going to get a grade on,” said Lower and Middle School Head Christy Pollaci. “And we’ve seen children really step up and lead in this setting.”

The priority is fun, but students definitely learn practical life lessons along the way. Some can now recognize films from Hollywood’s Golden Age, and others can change a tire or tie a necktie, thanks to Schipper’s Art of Manliness elective.

The lessons are indeed simple, but they set our students apart.

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Lower & Middle School Community

Life

Sharing Little Acts of Faith For about five years, religion teacher Ibi Janko Murphy ’83 has taken first-graders to the Carmelite Monastery in Carmel. Although the chapel and garden are open to the public, the cloistered Catholic nuns who live at the monastery don’t typically accept visitors.

Murphy, who visits the chapel often, began establishing a connection with the sisters through her father. After meeting some of the sisters, Murphy began teaching the firstgraders about St. Therese of Lisieux, who entered the Carmelite order at age 15.

In addition to Murphy’s family tie to the monastery, first-graders have their own connection. St. Therese’s nickname, “Little Flower,” has marked the grade 1 classroom door for decades and serves as a reminder of the importance of childlike faith. Murphy often asks the children to incorporate their own “little acts of faith” into the handmade gifts they create for the nuns. This year, the students made colorful circular fans inscribed with small ways that they live out their faith or show love to others.

Before meeting the sisters, the students planted flowers in the garden with Murphy and teachers Zoë Sippel and Heidi Pratt as an act of community service. Several Catalina parents also joined the group and helped prepare the ground for planting. After gathering the gardening tools, the group quietly made its way to the monastery visiting room, where six nuns introduced themselves from behind an iron trellis. The students even met the nuns’ two dogs, for which they brought a bag of dog food.

The students enjoyed handing the nuns their gifts and asking them questions, such as: Do you ever have parties? Do you like pizza? What’s it like to live a life of prayer? Why are you behind those metals bars? What’s the difference between the white and black head coverings? The children were thrilled to find out that the nuns do eat pizza sometimes and enjoy having birthday parties for each other. They also learned that the white head coverings signify novice members and the black ones are for professed members. As for the iron trellis, it represents the nuns’ commitment to being in prayer for the outside world. In fact, one of the greatest blessings of the students’ partnership with the monastery is that the nuns have offered to pray for them specifically.

“Each child has been given a prayer pal, someone whose life work is prayer.” Murphy said. “I want the children to know that there is someone who is praying for them and also to experience the gift that they can offer someone whom they are spiritually connected to through prayer.”

Learning Across Generations On November 10, eighth-graders helped bridge the generation gap while visiting with 10 military veterans at the Park Lane senior living community. Several of the veterans had served in World War II; others had served in Korea and Vietnam. Students tried on an army helmet, heard stories of patriotism, and learned how submarines operate.

While enjoying root beer floats with the students, the veterans shared experiences far removed from the lives of the students. With sincere curiosity, our students listened, asked questions, and provided a poignant opportunity for these veterans to know that their stories are not forgotten.

lower & middle school community life 15

A Sweet Way to Learn About Small Business The fifth-graders have definitely found the sweet spot on the field trip scale.

On October 23, they toured the Lula’s Chocolates factory in Ryan Ranch. Teacher Gina Edwards organized the trip so the students could learn more about small business in preparation for their Mini-City projects in early 2015.

Equipped with hairnets and hand sanitizer, the class split into two groups for the tour, which took them through the trufflemaking assembly line, the marshmallow production area, and the inventory and shipping rooms. Open since 2006, the factory produces various dark chocolate, milk chocolate, caramel, and marshmallow confections. The students learned that most of Lula’s business comes from instore sales but that its online market is growing.

Highlights of the trip included seeing a sheet of marshmallow the size of a large table and sampling items in the factory storefront. Although sea salt caramels are the company’s top-selling item, many students opted to buy toffee, peppermint bark, and chocolate-covered marshmallows.

Studying basic business principles is certainly more enticing when chocolate is part of the lesson, and being on the factory tour allowed the fifth-graders to see the hard work and preparation that goes into making high-quality products. It’s not as if the business owners and factory workers are eating bonbons all day, but in Lula’s case they are getting their hands into quite a bit of chocolate.

Mock Orchestra Teaches Musical Lessons This fall, music teacher Rosella Bathurst began introducing the third-graders to the sights and sounds of orchestral instruments. After listening to Paul Tripp’s Tubby the Tuba and watching clips of Disney’s Fantasia, the students began to learn the differences and similarities among woodwind, brass, string, and percussion instruments.

“The children learned to recognize instruments not only by sight but also by sound,” Bathurst said. “Some of the parents told me that when listening to music in the car, their children

have said things like, ‘Mom, those are violins, and I think that’s an oboe.’”

On October 30, the class unveiled its own Tubby the Tuba performance for parents and other special guests.

The production was part pantomime, part lip synch and was complete with drama and laughter. Adam played Tubby, Sophia and Owen G. served as conductors, Owen A. acted as “the tune,” and Domenic hammed it up as friendly Mr. Frog. Several students who actually play the violin brought their own instruments.

The children showcased their instruments’ “personalities” and had fun being part of a fullfledged orchestra. Bathurst said it was music to her ears.

16 lower & middle school community life

Grasping the Vastness of Space In September, after finishing a unit on the solar system, sixth-graders took a field trip to the bike path in Pacific Grove, between Hopkins Marine Station and Lovers Point, to map out a true scale of the solar system. Drawings in science books scale either the distance between the planets or the relative size of the planets, but none do both size and distance on the same scale. Only when students view the planets and their distances from the sun in the same scale can they appreciate the overwhelming magnitude of space and the infinitesimal size of the bodies that travel through it.

To accomplish this task of “shrinking” the solar system, students applied a scale of 6,000 km per 1 mm. Using this scale, the sun was 25 cm in diameter and Earth was the size of the head of a dressmaker’s pin. The task also helped students become aware of the huge amount of nothingness that exists in space. Planet Earth is just right for life as we know it.

Humans need liquid water, and if Earth were situated anywhere else in the solar system, liquid water would not be present on the planet. In addition to being a great outdoor adventure, the trip provided a segue to the earth science studies that the students have pursued since then.

An Apple a Day Helps Keep Hunger at Bay Santa Catalina seventh-graders, along with Sacred Heart School in Saratoga, gleaned 8,550 pounds of apples on September 18. All of the apples were donated to Ag Against Hunger’s tri-county food bank partners in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties.

Through this volunteer program, Ag Against Hunger (AAH) works with 12 local growers, including the orchard where our students gleaned. The apple orchard is 2.5 acres, and the owners have been donating all of their apples to AAH since last year. AAH volunteers glean from May through October, with a couple of schools continuing into November, and bring in a wide variety of commodities for food banks that would normally have to purchase food. Donations include apples, cucumbers, baby broccoli, zucchini, onions, strawberries, red cabbage, and bok choy.

Santa Catalina is happy to participate in these annual field gleanings. Not only do the students gain a greater understanding of the work that goes into producing the food we eat, but they also get to play a part in providing healthful foods for those in need.

lower & middle school community life 17

Gaining Perspective on Middle East Conflict Speechwriter Aviva Klompas visited Margie Lotz’s grade 8 history class on August 29.

Based in New York City, Klompas writes for Ron Prosor, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. On her visit, she played a video of the ambassador delivering a conflict resolution speech, which she had written, to the United Nations Security Council. She also gave an overview of the UN and the Israel-Gaza conflict and took questions from the students.

Before the presentation, the eighth-graders had read recent BBC articles and other assigned reading about the Israel-Gaza conflict. Klompas’s visit helped expand the students’ views on the issue and gave them a greater historical perspective on this part of the Middle East.

Songs of Hope On September 29, the Lower and Middle School students were blessed to have the Matsiko World Orphan Choir share its songs of joy. The word matsiko means “hope” in Ugandan, and the choir members certainly carried with them a message of hope.

During an hour-long performance, the group smiled, sang, and danced. Afterward, they had lunch with fourth- and fifthgraders, sold handmade crafts and jewelry from their home countries, and participated in an afternoon grade 8 Compass class.

During the class, the Matsiko children and our eighth-graders interacted with their previously paired pen pals, conversing and learning from one another about very different worlds. Before the end of class, Matsiko taught a “La Bamba” dance to our students, and our students taught their visitors the “Cupid Shuffle.”

The whole day was filled with learning. We were proud of our students and their welcoming ways—whether it was in listening at the performance, spontaneously interacting at lunch, or jumping up and teaching a dance. The Matsiko children opened our eyes and touched our hearts. We are grateful.

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Middle School

Sports Basketball This year, four Santa Catalina teams competed in the Independent and Parochial Athletic League (IPAL): a grade 6–7 girls’ team, a grade 7–8 girls’ team, a grade 6–7 boys’ team, and a grade 7–8 boys’ team. Players in all four teams challenged themselves to improve during the season.

Tiffany Oh, Fionnuala Ghinn, and Sophie Lamarque anchored the grade 6–7 girls’ team despite its losses. “The girls worked hard to improve their skills, fundamentals, and the mental side of the game,” commented Coach Jeff Hrepich.

The grade 7–8 girls’ team, led by coach Dr. Allan Radner, finished the season with a perfect 8–0, overpowering and outperforming every team the players faced this year. Alicia Rector, Emily Radner, Mia Bennett, and Kia Shoemaker led by example all year. “This team checked any egos at the door and had one goal of finishing the season undefeated, and they did just that,” Coach Radner said.

The grade 6–7 boys’ team finished the year with a 6–1–1 record, showing improvement over the course of the season. “The boys arrived ready and eager to play each day and gelled as a team throughout the season,” Coach Chris Pryor said. The grade 7–8 boys’ squad finished the year 4–4. The team, led by Connor Jacobs, Michael Nucci, and Ray Sillano, worked well together and showed improvement. These leaders “provided a strong foundation for the team this year,” Coach Jun Sillano said.

Soccer The soccer squads had very successful seasons, each finishing with a 5–2–2 record.

According to Coach Hrepich, the girls “came together as a group and really bonded.”

They had some very close matches and prevailed, despite having only 13 team members. Strong play from Cate Liner on defense and Laurel Wong up front helped the squad succeed. Goalie Fionnuala Ghinn helped keep the team on track.

The boys’ team was led by Dominic Nale, Gabriel Nale, Ray Sillano, and Max Burke.

Their experience and knowledge of the sport contributed to a successful season.

The Nale brothers and Burke led all scorers, while Sillano kept opposing teams out of the net. “This year’s team—with eight sixthgrade boys—was young, but our eighthgrade leaders stepped up and brought the team together,” said Coach Hrepich.

middle school sports 19

Flag Football Flag football saw the return of a girls’ team to our athletic field. The girls played only three games this season due to weather but were victorious in all three games. Eighth-graders Alicia Rector, Laurel Wong, Kia Shoemaker, Mackenzie Roth, Kathryn Yeager, and Nicole Kavalauskas led the squad. These girls were leaders on and off the field. “It was a lot of fun having the girls out there playing this year,” Coach Jamie Roth said. “Our team was very strong on both offense and defense.”

Three boys’ flag football games were canceled due to poor weather, and the team ended the season 1–2–1. All games played were decided in the last few minutes. The last game of the year was a hard-fought battle played in heavy rain. The game was decided in the last few seconds, with Monterey Bay Charter School driving to score the go-ahead touchdown when Dominic Nale made a great diving “tackle” to save the game. “That was one of the most fun flag football games I’ve coached at Santa Catalina,” Coach Hrepich said. “It was raining so hard, coming down right to the last play of the game!”

Volleyball This year, the Middle School fielded three competitive volleyball teams in the Mission Trail Junior Athletic League (MTJAL). The eighth-grade girls’ team made the playoffs with a record of 9–4 and played perennial powerhouse Buena Vista Middle School in the first round. Although our girls fought hard, they lost to the eventual champion in two sets. “This group of girls worked together as a tight-knit group and improved greatly over the course of the season,” Coach Mike Cook said. Alicia Rector and Mia Bennett anchored the team, which was solid up and down the lineup. Strong play from AG Camara contributed.

The seventh-grade girls’ squad had a good year, finishing 7–6 and just missing the playoffs. The team, led by Rachel Fadel, Audrey Goldsmith, and Rachel Allen, improved during the season. First-year coach Katie Cook said: “It was a lot of fun coaching this hardworking group of girls. They listened and applied what was taught, and it showed.”

The boys’ volleyball team once again captured the regular season title with a record of 8–2 and earned the first seed in the league tournament. After winning their first round match, they earned themselves the privilege of playing Carmel Middle School in the finals. It was the third time the boys had encountered this competitor, having defeated the squad the previous two times. Unfortunately, they didn’t succeed a third time. “The hard-fought match was contested to the last point, but we came up a little short,” Coach Mary Ann Ratcliff said.

Upper Schoo Commencement

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donor profile

: l e p a h C e y m a d e s u e l n d V e e w Wher Every Wednesday during the school year, our community comes together in prayer and reflection. Teachers and students in the Upper School gather in the Rosary Chapel and carve out a sacred space to read scripture, sing hymns, and offer prayers. Wednesday Chapel gently reminds us of the beauty and power of a community that is united by faith and values.

Wednesday Chapel provides the opportunity to teach the importance of being in a community. At Santa Catalina, we believe that people learn and grow as individuals only in relation to others; we become more fully human, more fully ourselves, in relation to others. That is why the school emphasizes the value of relationships. Learning how to live with others in a community is central to educating the whole person. We are convinced that the unique and rich culture and ethos of our school plays an important role in the personal development and growth of students. On a daily basis, we teach how to interact with others, how to demonstrate care and compassion toward others, and how to express concern for the common good.

But we intentionally and explicitly reinforce these values during Wednesday Chapel.

At Santa Catalina, the education of the whole person begins in the classroom. Critical thinking, rigor, and academic achievement are born out of a confidence in our ability to discover what is true and meaningful. In class, students discover their intellectual gifts and abilities, which leads to confidence and a sense of accomplishment. But within the Catholic intellectual tradition, reason and faith exist in mutual support of one another.

Thus, educating the whole person also includes teaching faith. Reason complements faith, and faith complements human reason in the search for truth. We challenge students to consider and then appropriate moral and spiritual values, to become aware of a transcendent or religious dimension to all of existence, and to be fully engaged in the world in their search for the truth. Santa Catalina teaches maturing awareness of moral and spiritual

upper school commencement chapel talks 26 21

t c e l l e t n i t e values directly in the classroom, but with creative expressions of worship and prayer in Wednesday Chapel.

Santa Catalina’s mission informs the curricular and co-curricular activities at school as we work to consider our students’ intellectual and spiritual formation and prepare them to be of service to others around the world. This is the education of the whole person—one that is holistic and integrated. We achieve it with a recognition and a deliberate integration of the intellectual, moral, and spiritual components of what it means to be a human being. Added to that is the important challenge to teach our students to fully engage society and all the problems and struggles it presents, to prepare students to serve the world with courage, graciousness, and compassion. So Wednesday Chapel is born out of our school’s mission and also affirms that mission.

During Wednesday Chapel, students and faculty offer reflections, which typically follow the liturgical year or the rhythm of the school year.

Some of the reflections are personal; some focus on particular teachings. All of the reflections, though, involve sharing with one another.

—John J. Murphy Ph.D., Head of Upper School

Santa Catalina School develops in each student a striving for excellence, a maturing awareness of moral and spiritual values, a sense of responsible purpose, and a determination to serve the world with courage, graciousness, and compassion.

Santa Catalina began Wednesday Chapel five years ago. Under the direction of Debra Baker, Director of Campus Ministry, this time together has served as a means to bring the school community closer and to support the school’s mission to educate the whole person.

Tamara Attia ’15 (Excerpts from original speech) Ramadan is a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Muslims all over the world wake up before the sun is up to have breakfast with their families and to pray the first of five prayers of the day. After the sun rises and we have prayed, we go back to sleep until we must wake up for school or work.

Ramadan fasting is all about discipline, reflection, and humanity. One month a year of daytime hunger and thirst is hard, but this intense experience brings all Muslims a greater sense of appreciation, compassion, and community.

The month of Ramadan is a time for me to reevaluate my life’s mission and to be a more thoughtful human being. Being kind, polite, and greeting everyone with a sweet smile is something Muslims think about and remember to do during the month. There is no room for anger, ego,

22 chapel talks arrogance, and backbiting; keeping control of my emotions is mandatory while fasting.

Fasting raises my level of appreciation. At the end of the day, after being hungry and trying not to eat all the food around me, I feel thankful, because I know that there are many people in the world who don’t get to eat at the end of every day.

There is no room for “anger, ego, arrogance,

and backbiting; keeping control of my emotions is mandatory while fasting.

”

Santa Catalina has changed over the years, but we have not lost our original purpose: to educate young people so they can become the finest persons. But, while change is inevitable, growth is optional. We all face change in life: sometimes small changes, at other times enormous upheaval.

Some changes seem to be lucky strokes of fate, while others are forced upon us. What sometimes causes us to resist or reject change is loss: change nearly always entails the loss; of something comfortable, safe, and dear. This, in turn, causes us to feel sad or fearful. While we are not always able to control the events or circumstances that cause change in our lives, we can decide how we respond.

Change. Growth. Transformation. These are the words we can all focus on with the start of a new year. Let us endeavor to be agents of change this year in the spirit of doing good and making each day a little bit better for those around us. Let us also embrace change as an opportunity for greater creativity and collaboration.

Jordan Gersh ’17 (Excerpts from original speech) Over the break, I joined my family for Hanukkah, which celebrates the Jews’ dedication to faith under oppression. The story of Hanukkah remembers the burning of just a single day’s supply of olive oil used to keep the eternal light burning. However, after the Hebrews waited, hoped, and prayed, a miracle happened and the oil lasted for eight days.

It is from this that the songs and stories related to Hanukkah are sung and played during the eight nights.

Dr. Kassandra Thompson Brenot ’87, Assistant Head of Upper School (Excerpts from original speech)

Inside the shadow box [in my office] is a monarch butterfly: something I came across quite unexpectedly last year. It was motionless, positioned at the base of a rosemary bush. I stooped to look at it more closely and realized that its life had passed.

Unlike other species that travel the same route, monarchs are so short-lived that three generations are born and die before the fourth generation, a hardy one with a longer life span, is born. It is this fourth generation that undertakes the long and arduous trek to our area. Somehow, these delicate creatures arrive each fall without having ever been shown the route. This is quite extraordinary. As I contemplated this small creature I had found in the courtyard, I came to the realization that change is inevitable; all things are finite. In a single lifetime—however short or long—incredible journeys and transformations can take place. To remind me of this, the monarch has come to rest in my shadow box….

Two themes that relate to Hanukkah are especially meaningful to me—the theme of light and the theme of hope. Light carries meaning for all religions. During Hanukkah, it is fitting to celebrate a time that was filled with darkness but surrounded by hope. Lighting the menorah recalls that hope.

Debra Baker, Director of Campus Ministry (Excerpts from original speech)

Everyone knows what the three Rs stand for— reduce, reuse, and recycle. But this year, a new R comes to mind: resurrection! …Our Wednesday Chapel, both before and after the break, has been bracketed with two themes that are central to the Christian faith: love and self-sacrifice.

Now, after Easter, we’re reminded of the hope, empowerment, and victory over destruction and death that come with resurrection.

The environmental situation we find ourselves in today is urgent. You know the statistics from your science classes and various documentaries. It is

chapel talks 23 easy to get overwhelmed when we look at the fate of our forests, ozone depletion, climate refugees, the extinction of species, the limitation of resources that are getting used up too fast. To face the reality, and to find the courage to become agents of change, we need to have hope. I believe that resurrection is possible for our planet. The odds may be against us, but who knows what innovation and creativity will unleash.

Where is resurrection needed in your life? What will it look like? Keep your eyes open, and live, one day at a time, into the hope of a new reality.

Annika Fling ’12

(Excerpts from original speech) This morning, our Wednesday Chapel is presented by those participating in the Food Fast this weekend. As Catalina students, we are expected to integrate service into our lives on a regular basis, without the guidance of school. Each of us has a unique suite of capabilities that we can employ to improve other’s lives. When we dedicate greater parts of our lives to serving others, we have more opportunities to make a real difference.

The Food Fast is an opportunity to serve our larger human family, to do international service without leaving the country.

By fasting for 24 hours with like-minded friends, we can feed children in more than 100 countries around the world. Remembering our commitments to everyone on this planet is critical if we want to fully understand what it means to love and serve all people. When we reach out to those who speak different languages and worship different gods, we open our hearts to a greater part of humanity, recognizing the dignity and divinity in each of God’s children.

We believe the purpose of every person’s life is to serve other people. We won’t all serve in the same way. Some may teach kindergarten, some will cook good food, some will repair broken bones, and some will write stories. Each of us will live a unique life, wherein we apply our personal talents to do good in different ways, to improve or brighten the lives of others in the way we know best. This may sound like a lot of selfless dedication, but the wonderful thing about loving and serving others is that the more we give, the more we receive.

Maiya Shoemaker ’15, Lucy Stowe ’16, Jordan Gersh ’17 (Excerpts from original speech) Jordan: Last summer, all of us who are helping lead today’s service went to India together on a service trip. Imagine getting the opportunity to go on an adventure that would change your outlook on life!

You expect to meet and make new friends, try exotic new foods, and be exposed to a new way of life.

However, you don’t realize how big an effect one single trip can have on you.

Lucy: Before going to India, I had not traveled farther than Europe. I had never been to Asia or experienced a third-world country so drastically different from my own small world. Sure, I had seen movies and pictures and read stories about this country, but getting to experience the culture was more than I had ever expected.

Maiya: One of the highlights of the trip was our fiveday home stay in the small village of Galthani. We spent about three days building a short wall around a family’s home. The wall was used to prevent the many cows and water buffalo from entering the living area. After those few exhausting days of work, we laughed when we heard the villagers say that they could have finished the wall themselves faster than we did—with fewer people.

Still, they showed their appreciation for our hard work.

Spending time in a country so different from ours gave me an entirely new mindset. I learned that all of us here have a tool chest that allows us to explore ourselves as fully as we’d like. We get to wake up each morning, get a good education, never miss a meal, wear new clothes, and many other things that we tend to take for granted. I came home with a newfound sense of gratitude. Because of that, India will always have a special place in my heart.

Dr. Michal Tryniecki, Math Teacher (Excerpts from original speech)

We all know very well from our own experience that sometimes things do not go the way we planned.

What do you do then? Do you rejoice? It is difficult.

I am not going to be as radical as Saint Paul is. I am not going to say rejoice, but I will say, “Try to accept.

Trust in God and be patient.” God has His own ways of fixing our problems. We just need to let Him

24 chapel talks act. If you have a task ahead of you, try hard, make your best effort. But if things do not go the way you planned, take a deep breath and try to accept the situation. . . .

One thing that makes this difficult is that there are so many things going on in our lives. . . . [You] just have to decide what your priorities are. At home, we use an old-fashioned calendar; each page has a piece of wisdom to lead you through the day.

[One day,] I tore the page of the calendar and it said, “All important truths in life are simple.” Two hours later, [my wife and I] drove to the hospital, and 11 hours later I was holding my daughter in my hands. The next day I read the calendar again and thought: I am a husband and a father. It just cannot get any simpler.

Paisley Piasecki ’13 (Excerpts from original speech) Someone once advised: “Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.”

In golf, we can worry about so many things: aim, ball position, clubs, sand shots, or food, if we’re

hungry. All of these things distract us from executing a shot. However, if I breathe, focus on the ball and what I want it to do, and let God and my body do the rest, I know I am more likely to succeed. I have been told over and over again that if I make a bad shot, I need to get over it, move on, don’t let it ruin the match, and focus on what I can do on the present shot to succeed.

This is very hard to master, but I can practice this discipline in my daily life, as well. If I have a bad moment, I need to get over it, move on, and try not to let it completely ruin my day, so I can focus on school or whatever is most important for me at the time. When I feel stressed or overwhelmed with life, I like to remind myself that if I just do the best I can and focus on one class, one homework assignment, or one shot at a time, I will have done my best.

This concept of living in the moment can apply to everything, and when that happens, you will find new passions, surprises, and experiences. I think every sport or activity can give us that opportunity, as long as we allow it to. If we think about one thing at a time and let life just happen, we can lower our stress and find new things in life to enjoy.

So don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.

Erin White, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving (Excerpts from original speech)

I’d like to talk about the value of the humanities— those subjects that study and document the human experience. We typically know them as philosophy, literature, art, music, language, history, religion, and theatre—the backbone of your education here at Santa Catalina. Like many of you, I am a curious person who is concerned with living a meaningful life, and I think the humanities have a lot to teach us about that.

Last spring, in the midst of motherhood, marriage, and professional life, I realized that I hadn’t read a piece of fiction in two years. So I drove to River House Books in Carmel, hoping to find something that would inspire me to read again. There in the store window sat the latest collection of short stories

by Lorrie Moore, my favorite author when I was in college. When I finished the book, I felt like I had reconnected with a smart and hip old friend. With her, I was in good company. Meanwhile, [magazines and newspapers were publishing] articles telling us not to major in the humanities, and all I could keep thinking was, I’m really glad Lorrie Moore did.

And while it’s true that a solid foundation in the humanities can make you a better reader, writer, and thinker, I’m mostly interested in how the humanities, when given the chance, put us in touch

25

“All important truths in life are simple.” with that intimate and vivid space that reminds us what it means to be human. And this connection happens because some brave souls took the time to tell us what it meant to them.

As students at Santa Catalina, you’re in the enviable position of colliding against great minds every day.

My hope is that with some regularity, you find the time to reflect on the people that you’re meeting in your studies, and allow them to move you. And, later, whether you’re an engineer, entrepreneur, doctor, or college professor, I hope you make small commitments to yourself to continue to be moved by them—even if it’s one poem a day, one museum trip a year, one symphonic movement per car ride, one foreign language per lifetime. It takes work, but your life will be richer for it. Whether you become the next great artist of our time or simply a more sensitive soul in the world, you will make life richer for the rest of us, too.

Adriana Tatum ’16 (Excerpts from original speech) Two years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Taizé in France with my family. It’s a place where people can live together in community, despite cultural, political, and religious differences. Brother Roger, who founded Taizé, wanted to create a place of unity and hope in a world that was filled with unrest.

There are three prayer services there each day— morning, midday, and evening. The bells ring out to call people to prayer. Thousands of people fill the chapel. In the summer, there may be 5,000 young people there at once. Most of the service is sung through chants. Services also include a few prayers and 10 minutes of silence. It’s remarkable to hear thousands singing together and then maintaining total silence during meditation. These prayer services were my favorite part of being at Taizé, because the music is simple yet beautiful, and they bring people together through spirituality.

My experience there made a difference to me. I learned how to relax through meditation. Now when I feel stressed out, I find a quiet place and remember the chants. I learned that through prayer, meditation, and singing, I can find peace.

I also learned that even though people may not be from the same culture or speak the same language, they can find things in common if they put forth the effort. After going to Taizé, I view the world in a different way. It is comforting to know that there is a place where people can break down walls that divide them and find answers to questions about faith and life.

Rising to the Challenge The first speaker set down her nearly empty water glass as she gave her concluding remarks. Whose job was it to place a new glass on the podium for the next speaker?

The production team’s detailed checklist didn’t specify. Quick on her feet, Lucía Tarriba ’15 swooped in during the next speaker’s introduction and made the swap.

Although it wasn’t a make-or-break issue, the scenario proved that details matter and agility pays off.

The 16 students who organized the 2014 TEDxSantaCatalinaSchool (TEDxSCS) event learned many lessons—and not just from the featured speakers. Quite literally, they learned how to run the show.

From managing the TEDxSCS website to curating and vetting speakers, the students learned all about high-stakes event management. The second annual event featured six speakers—twice as many as the previous year—and came together after months of regular meetings and countless emails. Ultimately, the students were responsible for upholding the TEDx brand and making the school community proud. So, when the October 17 event was finally a wrap, the organizers were able to bask in their success.

“The event itself seemed almost surreal to me,” said Krysia Ng ’15, TEDxSCS Club head. “It was hard to believe that a year’s worth of work went into just three short hours. It also marked the end of our journey as a club.”

TEDx runs a tight ship. To host an event, applicants must endure

TEDx 27

an extensive approval process and detailed production protocols. The students aren’t graded for the event, as they would be for a school project, but their deliverable is broadcast on the TEDx YouTube channel.

“The minute that film crew comes in, there’s a different feeling,” said Dr. Kassandra Thompson Brenot ’87, TEDxSCS Club faculty advisor. Brenot likened the recital hall to an old Oprah TV studio. “It was controlled chaos; everyone had her job and her problem to solve,” she explained.

Founded in October 2013 by Katherine Hsu ’14, the now annual event is run by the TEDxSCS Club. For the first year, Hsu and Brenot worked together almost by themselves to make the event happen. Later in the planning stages, Hsu recruited 12 other students to help on event day. Before she graduated, Hsu approached Ng about expanding the event in 2014. Ng accepted the challenge, despite also serving as student body president. She and Brenot expanded the club to include 16 students in four teams: human resources, public relations, speaker curation, and video and venue. The students learned the true meaning of collaboration, trusting each other to get tasks done and accepting each other’s leadership styles. To take advantage of everyone’s talents, Ng created a StrengthsQuest Team Talent Map. “Working with people from all sorts of backgrounds had me constantly thinking about how to be the middle

ground that helped everyone see eye to eye,” Ng said. “Most of the time, being a leader was not about dictating what needed to be done but rather about listening to the team and working with their suggestions.”

Speaker curation presented one of the best learning opportunities.

Members of the curation team sifted through unsolicited speaker requests and ventured out into the community to recruit speakers. In a sense, they acted as hiring managers, assessing the skills and motivations of potential speakers. Along with politely declining certain speaker applications, the students also had to diplomatically nudge the accepted speakers to submit their formal presentation and other materials by TEDx deadlines.

“One valuable aspect of the TEDx event for me was the opportunity to work with adults,” said Loleï Brenot ’17, TEDxSCS Club secretary.

“This was a rewarding experience

28 TEDx

because I learned how to better communicate in a professional manner and to better work under pressure—from having to help track down a presentation before the event to working on thank-you notes afterward.”

“The passions of all the speakers really inspired me to continue writing and studying the humanities, and they taught me that going for something that you really love can also affect the greater community and humanity as a whole.”

This year’s theme, “Matters of the Heart,” explored goodness, justice, love, and other issues of the heart. The event featured various speakers and their different takes on matters of the heart. Educator and author Nínive Clements Calegari ’89 argued for increased teacher compensation. Writer and filmmaker Imran Siddiquee spoke about how Hollywood could expand the collective concept of love by embracing more diversity.

Prosecuting attorney Jeannine Pacioni and ocean conservationist Aimee David expressed their respective passions for justice and the environment. Philanthropist Deborah Goldstein talked about aligning philanthropic acts with personal values, and business leader Tony Prophet discussed the importance of corporate social responsibility.

“The passions of all the speakers really inspired me to continue writing and studying the humanities, and they taught me that going for something that you really love can also affect the greater community and humanity as a whole,” attendee Christine Marella ’15 said.

For the audience members, the event

was nearly seamless—a testimony to the TEDx Club’s preparedness.

Behind the scenes, the organizers energetically checked off items on their production schedule. They were motivated by the excitement: they were running the show, and they had met the challenge.

“I’m somewhere in the background of many events, so it is rare that I come to an event that I had nothing to do with,” Head of School Sister Claire said. “And I am absolutely overtaken with emotion at what the organizers have accomplished. I am very thankful, and it gives me great hope for the future of the school and the future of our country.”

To view the videos of our “Matters of the Heart” speakers, please scan the QR code or visit tedxsantacatalinaschool.org.

cougar cameos MEETING THE DEMANDS

OF THE 21

ST

CENTURY

...with Success

Some ideas in education are like fashion trends.

which students connect with others and practice

They sparkle at first but lose their luster. Other

citizenship. It nurtures future leaders and community

ideas, such as whole child education, are tried and

members who can relate to others, act on their

true. Educating the whole child means a balanced

values, think for themselves, and make wise

approach to fostering creativity, critical thinking,

decisions. In short, it prepares students to meet

personal development, community involvement,

the demands of modern life.

and connection to nature, along with providing a strong academic foundation that prepares children

The following profiles reveal glimmers of how Santa

to succeed in the world as adults.

Catalina’s whole child approach prepares students for success. They feature two teachers—Simon Hunt

Santa Catalina has already brought theory to

and Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02—and two students—

sustainable action. In fact, whole child education

seniors Rio Turrini–Smith and Katherine Kamel. This

is core to the school’s mission. Every day, students

set of profiles is the first in a series that we’re calling

are actively engaged in personalized, meaningful

“Cougar Cameos.”

learning. The school provides a community in

29

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cougar cameos Katherine Kamel ’15

Q: What lessons did you learn from volunteering in Egypt last summer?

A: I volunteered for an organization called Coptic Orphans. The volunteers taught English in the mornings and visited students’ homes two evenings a week. Most of the kids are fatherless and are in the Coptic Orphans Not Alone program; the organization helps support them and their families financially and emotionally.

I then embarked on Serve to Learn to see a different side of Egypt—a country that I had visited many times before—to test my mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual limits, and, of course, to serve.

The whole experience in Abnoub, Upper Egypt—learning about the antiquity and strength of the Coptic Church and the reforming role it has played—brought me even closer to my roots and challenged me in unexpected ways. The southern accent took some getting used to. And, because we were there during Ramadan, I got a wonderful glimpse into Islam. We spent quite a bit of time with Bishop Lukas, who shared beautiful wisdom about faith and gave us insight into the amazingly close relationships between the Christian and Muslim communities in the area. Perhaps the most significant takeaway was that the poor are not always happy, although they may easily find joy in simple things.

Q: As a member of Model United Nations, which global issues are you most concerned with?

A: I have recently been concerned with the fate of Christians in the

Middle East. Another issue that I’m passionate about is the role of women in international economic development. I hope to delve into this further when I attend college, because I plan to pursue a degree in economics and international relations.

Q: And how do you support these issues?

A: The main way that I try to support Middle Eastern Christians, specifically Copts, is to spread awareness. The Peace and Justice Club focuses on microlending through Kiva, because investing in women can mean elevating entire communities. Women have the power to enact significant positive economic change in countries around the world if given the resources.

Q: How has Santa Catalina prepared you for leadership roles?

A: The environment has allowed me to come into my own and feel

comfortable in my own skin. The sense of self that I have developed at Catalina, along with the encouragement I’ve always felt from teachers and faculty, have prepared me for leadership roles in Model UN, TEDx, and elsewhere.

Q: How do you feel the all-girls environment of Santa Catalina has helped shape who you are?

A: It has allowed me to feel confident in the person that I am.

Catalina promotes sisterhood within and across grade levels,

especially through some of its well-established traditions. It has allowed me to immerse myself in class discussions and share my opinions confidently.

Q: If you could have dinner with any global leader, who would you choose, and why?

A: I think it would be fascinating to have dinner with Malala Yousafzai, to hear her thoughts on what she sees for the future of the UN and what she thinks should be done in the Middle East. I would also like to ask her which parts of activism she has enjoyed or found the most effective and what she envisions for her own future. I think that we would have some really interesting conversations!

Q: Tell us about your role model.

A: I respect how Tina Fey pursued her passions and carved out a career for herself in a tough industry. Most of all, I admire the way that she is unapologetically herself while also charmingly

self-deprecating. This attitude is one that I strive to have myself.

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Simon Hunt, English Teacher

Q: Tell us a little about your life as a poet.

A: I’ve always loved and written poetry, although I mostly stopped writing during graduate school. When I started teaching high school, I began to write again pretty seriously. As I embraced the tools of the poetic art (using set forms, rhyme, and meter), I began to write more

successfully and with greater satisfaction. These days, almost everything I write is formal. I’ve written a lot of sonnets (arguably the most durable and versatile short form in English), but lately I’ve been writing longer poems in iambic tetrameter.

Q: How did you get involved with the Robinson Jeffers Tor House, and what value does your experience there bring to our students?

A: I first went to Tor House as a guest on one of the weekend tours.

I was new to the Monterey Peninsula and knew only that a famous poet had lived here and built himself a house in Carmel. But what a poet, and what a house! I’ve been a tour docent since 2002 and on the board there for the past few years. My connection to Tor House enables Santa Catalina students to see that literary history can be a living part of their own landscape and that volunteering at something one believes in is a component of a meaningful life.

Q: How did you get involved in local poetry readings?

What value does your experience as a performing poet bring to your role as a teacher?

A: The Monterey County poetry community is small but diverse and positive. One person is worthy of specific mention: my friend Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, who is a fine poet, a vice president at Tor House, and possibly the beating heart of everything poetic in Monterey County. [Our friendship] has led to readings at Tor House, Earthbound Farms, Point Lobos State Park, [and elsewhere]. Poetry is performance art, in the sense that most poems are written to be spoken and thus are made of breath as much as they are made of words. This knowledge [helps me] bring poetry to life for students.

Q: Which writers, poets or otherwise, have influenced you the most?

A: The poet I love more than any other is probably John Keats. The greatest English poet of all, though, is Shakespeare. I know it’s a predictable answer, but it’s the truth. Many of my favorite writers are actually lyricists: Bob Dylan is the titan in this regard.

Q: If you were stuck on a deserted island and could take only three books, which would you choose and why?

A: Easy. The complete works of Shakespeare (because the sonnets are the best that anybody ever wrote and the plays are even better), a blank book and a pen (because I’d have a lot of time on my hands for

writing), and a book about building a boat without tools or skills.

Q: Tell us about your writing process.

A: In general, I collect fragments of ideas and lines for a while in a

pocket notebook. When these start to coalesce, I take the poem out of my notebook and work with a couple of different colored pens on an oversized piece of paper. The extra space and the extra color allow me to try out different variations simultaneously. Eventually I write a clean draft, which usually gets revised a few more times. Then I submit it to an online workshop that I participate in.

Q: Since you’ve been at Catalina, you’ve had some of your poems published, right?

A: I’ve published a couple dozen poems in various journals and online publications, including The Seventh Quarry (a British Journal), Measure, and The Sewanee Review (America’s oldest literary quarterly).

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cougar cameos Rio Turrini-Smith ’15

Q: How long have you been involved in Girl Scouts, and what do you find rewarding about it?

A: I’ve been involved in Girl Scouts for 13 years.

I’m now an Ambassador Girl Scout. For the past three years, I’ve worked with Girl Scout Camp Artemis, an outdoor leadership camp for girls ages 7–15. I find Camp Artemis very gratifying because we see campers grow so much during the week. It’s really special to see the girls gain confidence in themselves and their own abilities as leaders. With the Girl Scout program in general, I find the focus on service to be rewarding. There are lots of service events and projects, but there’s also the overall culture of “leaving something better than you found it.”

Q: Are there any common misconceptions about Girl Scouts?

A: The idea that Girl Scouts is all about crafts and cookies. That’s true for younger girls, but it’s different for older girls. Overall, Girl Scouts gives you opportunities to try different things and find out what you like and don’t like.

Everything is funded by cookie sales, so there isn’t a huge cost to the individual.

Q: What have you learned as a Girl Scout that has helped you as a student at Santa Catalina?

A: I’ve learned to follow the things that interest me and to work for the things I care about. Girl Scouts (especially Artemis) has helped me feel comfortable asking for help when I need it and figuring out what’s important to me as a person.

This affects me as a student by motivating me to work toward short-term goals that will help me pursue my interests in the long run.

Q: Which current world issue are you most passionate about? How do you support it?

A: Environmental justice. Many communities that are the hardest hit by climate change or poor environmental policy are often the least involved with making those decisions and don’t have the resources to protect themselves or their land.

I’m trying to educate myself about these issues through my AP Environmental Science class and the news, and to understand the politics behind such decisions. I hope to continue studying these topics in college.

Q: Tell us about a faculty member who has supported your interests or who has broadened your view on the world.

Q: Do you find any similarities between Girl Scouts and Santa Catalina, beyond the all- girls connection?

A: Both have helped me try lots of different things and explore my interests and passions through events, classes, and clubs. Both offer opportunities to make a difference in the things I care about.

A: Mrs. Struckman. Her AP Environmental Science class has helped me understand that most environmental decisions have a mix of good and bad consequences—environmental, political, economic, and social consequences.

I didn’t fully appreciate the complexity of these issues before her class.

Q: How has Santa Catalina prepared you for being a leader in Girl Scouts and vice versa?

Q: Which extracurricular activities at Santa Catalina have inspired you?

A: Girl Scouts has given me the confidence to hold my own in group discussions, and Catalina has taught me to be comfortable speaking in front of a group.

A: The film Miss Representation had a big impact on my understanding of how people are affected by media. I also really enjoy the UN Film Festival screenings and the other documentaries we watch during Journey Days. Many of them have inspired me to learn more about people and places I’d never heard of before.

cougar cameos

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Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02, Theatre Arts Chair

Q: How do you think acting and directing in the local theatre community contributes to your success at Catalina?

A: Theatre has completely shaped who I am today. Being a working

actress keeps me in touch with that part of me, and it reminds me what it’s like to not be in control of the final product. You have to trust that the director has your best interest at heart and work as a team. It’s an important thing for me to keep in mind when I’m the one in charge; it’s a burden and a privilege to be the director.

Q: Does being a working actress help you better relate to your students?

A: Absolutely. I get to take the best methods from the directors I work with; likewise, I learn from their missteps. I can examine what works for me as a performer and try to impart that when I’m the one directing.

Q: Santa Catalina focuses on educating the whole person.

How do you embody this in your two professional roles (performer and teacher)?

A: One of the most valuable things I’ve learned as a performer is that the performing arts are a medium for personal growth—meaning that the lessons found while mounting a production can impact a young woman throughout her life, whether or not she decides to continue on as a performer. I’m a teacher first. But it’s more important for me to teach the girls to be productive, valuable, and kind human beings than to teach them to be better actresses.

Theatre just happens to be my way of delivering that message.

Q: What advice would you give students who want to pursue performing arts in college and beyond?

A: For many students, performing arts are a wonderful outlet for passion and growth.

The reality is, it’s a very difficult career path.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve received about making theatre your career?

A: Always be kind, promote yourself fairly, and push on.

Q: If you could star in any production, which would you choose and why?

A: The roles I’ve most enjoyed playing are the ones that have sneaked up on me: productions I didn’t know that well until I was cast.

Of course, there are always dream roles. For example, I would

love to play Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde. But I’d rather keep an open mind and continue learning to love new shows.

Q: How many plays were you in at Santa Catalina, and which was your favorite?

A: I worked on every production (12), four Shakespeare festivals, and two ecco!/Accents shows. And I performed in the Evening of the Arts all four years. I was blessed to play some really wonderful roles while at school.

Picking one would be like picking a favorite student.

Q: What’s it like being an alumna teaching at your alma mater?

A: Catalina grew me in ways that I’m still discovering.

To be part of that for the current students is an honor.

Q: Describe your favorite moment as a director at Santa Catalina.

A: The opening night of Our Town was one of the most moving pieces of theatre I’ve been part of.

Due to a cast illness, an ensemble member who had had just one hour of rehearsal played the role of Emily. The girls all rallied round her and supported her, and their presence on stage was electrifying. When the original cast member returned, the show was even better because of that performance. I’ve never been so proud of a cast.

34

Upper School Community

Life

Maintaining a Halloween Tradition

by Mackenzie Fisher ’15, STAR intern in the Communications Office People are always surprised to find out that at Santa Catalina we rely on the freshmen to host the first major tradition of the year. They might ask: How can you be sure the event will run smoothly if you don’t know yet whether the freshmen work well together? How do you know that they’ll be able to handle the pressure of hosting such a time-honored school event? In short, we convey the importance of working together to achieve a common goal.

This year, the freshmen presented a Mexican-themed dinner with music, student and faculty costume contests, and a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

Guests walked through a spooky haze emanating from a smoke machine and found the music-filled dining room transformed by Halloween decorations. The freshmen had put a lot of work into the event, and their different personalities shone. We learned about the outgoing students in the class, and the performers and comedians really stood out during the costume contest judging.

“This event has made our class closer and stronger,” said Bella Sainz-Portillo ’18, a committee head for the event. “From the first day of school, when we were all strangers, to creating this dinner together, we have grown tremendously as a class.

We have learned to trust each other and believe that together we can achieve anything.” Sophomore Kira Cruz, who dressed as a character from the movie Clueless, said: “The freshmen worked cohesively to make everything well organized and fun. The costume contest got all the girls involved, and I had a really great time with my own class.”

The freshmen did a great job creating a fun event for the school. We are sure that they will look back when they are seniors and see this event as the starting point to their growth as a class and a reminder of what is possible when they unite.

upper school community life 35

The festival featured something new this year: a student documentary contest. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, three Upper School students created two films. Both films won spots in the festival.

Films Address Global Issues

by Maya Pollack ’15, STAR Intern in the Communications Office Every year, Santa Catalina’s Peace and Justice Club helps with the International Film Festival presented by the Monterey Bay Chapter of the United Nations Association.

Maya Pollack ’15, Katherine Kamel ’15, and Xiadani Juarez Diaz ’15 served as student representatives on the film selection committee this year. During the summer, they screened all of the submissions and helped choose the 10 films screened at the 15th annual event on November 6–8.

They also emceed a film festival preview at Santa Catalina on November 5.

Managing Modern Distractions A promoter of lifelong learning, Santa Catalina provides various educational opportunities for students, faculty, and staff—in and out the classroom. In that same spirit, the school is also eager to provide similar opportunities for Catalina parents. One such occasion came during Parents’ Weekend 2014.

On October 25, the Upper School hosted guest speaker Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Ph.D., author of The Distraction Addiction and senior consultant at Strategic Business Insights. During a presentation titled “Being Human in the Age of Distraction,” he shared anecdotal and researchbased examples of how technology affects the brain and offered ideas for better managing modern technologies.

Pang distinguished between distraction and “mind wandering.” Multitasking and other types of distraction can slow a person down, but mind wandering can actually serve to improve focus. Tapping into the subconscious, mind wandering fosters the imagination, improves the capacity to think about the future and different possibilities, and helps with adaptability and resilience.

This kind of “distractedness” is actually refreshing to the mind.

Pang contends that multitasking is productive only if all of the tasks have a common focus (for example, when a musician sings, plays the guitar, and keeps the crowd engaged at the same time). It would probably be faster to accomplish tasks such as reading a news article on your phone, watching TV, and making dinner separately.

Global Poverty Street Interviews, a film by Agnès Ames ’16, addresses the issue of global poverty. Commenting on the film, Ames said: “In particular, I wanted to find out how much people really knew about the issue. With this video, I hope to encourage the United Nations to put more resources into communication so people can better understand the facts about this serious issue and join with the United Nations to put an end to global poverty.”

Maya Pollack ’15 and Tamara Attia ’15 produced Working for Peace, a film about the conflict in Gaza. Pollack, who is Jewish, and Attia, who is Muslim, put aside their opposing views to demonstrate that different perspectives should not come in the way of peace. Reflecting on the experience, Attia said, “By working together to create the documentary with Maya, I have learned the valuable lessons of listening, respect, and cooperation and have also created a friendship that I will cherish forever.”

Maddy Fisher ’15 said: “This year’s film festival was incredible because we were exposed to films made by our own peers. Seeing these films was truly empowering.”

Overall, we tend to assume that people are always accessible, which leads to a “state of perpetually connected distraction.” Pang suggests that families create a central “charging station” at home where everyone can leave their phones at certain times and overnight. That way, family members aren’t sleeping with their smartphones and can fall asleep without checking messages or dozing off while playing games on their phones. The difficulty is that people are so attached to their handheld devices.

“When we master a tool, our brains stop treating it as a separate object, but rather an extension of our bodies,” Pang said. This phenomenon, which he calls neurological fluidity, might explain why people feel off-kilter without their phones.

Although it’s not feasible to disconnect completely from the modern world, there are great benefits to being alone with one’s thoughts at different times throughout the day. Pang suggested going for a walk or taking time to just breath: “Being smart about technology requires spending time without it.”

36 upper school community life

Exploring Big Sur Waters In its second year, the Marine Ecology Research Program (MERP) includes 12 sophomores who are learning how to conduct scientific research. What better way to learn what marine scientists do than to observe marine life in its natural setting? To that end, science teachers Dr. Christian Reilly, Paulette Struckman, and Lisa Marrack led the group on an overnight trip to Big Sur, where they worked with Dr. Tommy Williams, Santa Catalina parent and UCSC research fishery biologist, at Big Creek Reserve.

After setting up camp on September 20, the group snorkeled in one of only a few California streams with a fairly healthy steelhead population. Snorkeling allowed the students to observe the fish in their natural environment as they worked their way upstream. Afterward, the students tried to describe the patterns they observed. Later, they formed hypotheses and designed experiments to test them.

On September 21, the group pulled some insect traps to see how the insects, which the fish eat, move between the stream environment and the forest. Two kinds of traps were used: pan traps, which catch terrestrial insects falling into the stream, and emerger traps, which catch stream-born insects as they fly out into the surrounding forest. Afterward, the students counted the trapped insects, analyzed the data to study the steelheads’ diet, and looked at how data treatments work and why they are necessary.

Lastly, the group used an electrofishing rig provided by Dr. Williams and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility to capture a small sample of fish. The students worked with Dr. Williams to weigh and measure the fish and examine the contents of the guts. This allowed the students to see which insects the fish consume from the buffet of organisms present in the stream.

“Working in an outdoor environment helps me in the classroom because it increases my excitement to discover and learn new material,” Taylor Moises ’17 said. “Being out in the field and really applying what I am taught is so refreshing because it reminds me of how my work at school is connected to the real world.”

The Art of Language and Silk On October 13, the students in Bo Covington’s Chinese IV and AP classes visited Lu Lu’s Silk Art Gallery in Carmel. There, the girls learned about the art of silk embroidery from Suzhou and practiced their language skills with owner Lu Lu. In Mandarin, they asked her questions such as “Why did you start this business?” and “Which is your favorite piece?”

The students enjoyed the colorful, intricate designs created using as many as 40 different basic stitches.

According to the gallery website, a single silk thread can be divided into 16 to 64 separate threads depending on the desired effect. Much like Mandarin, this ancient art form is not easily mastered.

upper school community life 37

Raising Awareness for Gender Equality On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170, declaring October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child. Since then, various groups around the world have rallied for gender equality. Groups such as Girl Up and Day of the Girl Summit advocate “11 Days of Action” to increase awareness of girls’ education and poverty issues. According to UNESCO, 57 million children worldwide do not attend school, and only 20 percent of low-income countries have achieved gender parity at the primary grade levels.

As grateful beneficiaries of an all-girls education, the Student Senate leaders decided to join the “11 Days” movement to help their counterparts in other areas of the world.

Each day in Assembly, from September 30 to October 14, Senate members shared statistics about gender inequality and invited fellow students to take part in activities to raise awareness of issues such as sex trafficking and gender disparity in education.

Activities included wearing blue and white ribbons for sex trafficking awareness, personalizing “I need feminism because...” signs, giving flowers to faculty members to thank them for their role in providing a solid education, watching informational videos

produced by The Girl Effect, giving an update on the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, and inviting male faculty members to read parts of Emma Watson’s September 2014 United Nations speech. Helping spread the word, many students posted photos of these activities via social media with the #11daysofaction hashtag.

The school dedicated the October 1 chapel service to women’s issues. Toni Adeyemi ’15 spoke about the importance of championing girls’ issues beyond the 11-day campaign, and Tamara Attia ’15 said prayers for the faithful, including special requests to protect and support girls living in poverty around the world.

“When a girl as young as 12 is sold into trafficking, forced into marriage, or exposed to life-threatening diseases, it is not only an injustice to her but also a violation of basic human rights and an injustice to future generations,” Adeyemi said.

“But most important, it is a life cut short of all its potential to the human family.”

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Upper School

Arts

Timeless Lessons of Our Town There’s scarcely a high school in the country that hasn’t produced Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, although the play is often characterized as boring and depressing. Understated by design, the work tackles life’s philosophical underpinnings in a simple and realistic way. Understandably, it’s difficult for teen actors to deliver life lessons beyond their years.

The performers in Santa Catalina’s 2015 production displayed a remarkable level of theatrical maturity. Pantomiming on the dramatically meager set, the cast brought out nuanced emotions from each life stage: carefree youth, early adulthood of young married couples, midlife years of child rearing, and the wistful elder years. Set in early 20th-century New Hampshire, the play still manages to impress upon the psyches of our contemporary West Coast audience.

“Our Town doesn’t change; we do, and so does our ability to relate to the human experience found in Grover’s Corners,” director Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02 said. “That may be what makes this show so timeless.”

Limited Words, Unlimited Imagination Four Catalina writers were honored recently for their tight, telling tales. If brevity is a virtue, these students are set.

Strunk and White would be proud.

In December, Christine Marella ’15, Sharmaine Sun ’15 (not pictured), Emmy Siletto ’17, and Madison Gong ’18 received honorable mentions in the Monterey County Weekly’s 2014 101Word Short Story Contest. In addition, the contest’s cover art featured a painting by Grace Russell ’16.

The students’ stories were published in the Weekly’s print edition on December 25, 2014.

“Cold Truth” by Christine Marella “Color Drains” by Sharmaine Sun “Of Nightmares and Dreams” by Emmy Siletto “Night Shift” by Madison Gong Congratulations to these accomplished writers and artist!

upper school arts 39

Recreating a Seussian World

by Maya Pollack ’15, STAR Intern in the Communications Office Imagine playing a sassy kangaroo or an elephant that believes in an invisible world. Being part of Santa Catalina’s fall production of Seussical was a magical adventure. This musical brings to life the Dr. Seuss characters and storylines we all know and love, through intricate dance numbers, spirited songs, wacky costumes, and creative sets.

Set partly in the Jungle of Nool, the play follows Horton the elephant as he struggles to protect the microscopic planet of Who. Even though the other animals in the jungle taunt Horton for believing in something that others cannot see, he sticks to his word and continues to protect the Whos. Traveling from the Jungle of Nool to the circus, some characters fall in love, some learn important lessons, and some even save the world.

When we first learned that the fall play was going to be Seussical, we were ecstatic. Who wouldn’t adore inhabiting the Seuss characters, performing simple rhyming lyrics? The dance moves were daunting at first, but every actor was determined to do justice to her favorite childhood characters.

Choreographer Jill Feingold admitted: “One number, ‘Biggest Blame Fool,’ was particularly challenging. I sketched it onstage, and it just wasn’t working. But with some tweaking and modification, I think the end result was great!”

As with every Catalina production, the cast members were encouraged to push beyond their comfort zone. Director Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02, vocal director Mark Purcell, and Feingold created a safe environment in which the actors were able to try new things and develop as performers.

“The best part of the play was coming together as a cast to support each other,” said Breanna Martinez ’15, one of the three Bird Girls.

“Knowing that we were all there for one another helped us feel comfortable embracing our inner-Seussian characters.” Other cast members would agree.

The actors really gave it their all, too. “I think the incredible energy of our cast enabled us to put together one of the strongest performances I’ve ever been lucky enough to be part of, even though we were all absolutely exhausted by the end of every show,” said Lauren Mendoza ’15, one of the Jungle Citizens. With hard work, seemingly endless energy, and guidance from the directors, the cast was able to give an incredible performance of Seussical.

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Upper School

Sports Cross-Country Starting the year with two dominating wins, the Cougar squad looked good to take the Mission Trail Athletic League (MTAL) championship. The team continued its winning ways and finished 6–1 in league meets, though Greenfield edged them out of the championship. The second-place league finish qualified them for the Central Coast Section (CCS) championships, where their efforts put them in eighth place. Jessica Gutshall ’16 and Audrey Bennett ’17 were named to the all-league team.

Field Hockey It was a rebuilding year for the field hockey team, with most team members playing for the first time.

What they lacked in experience, they made up for in effort, enthusiasm, and commitment. Although the season was winless in MTAL play, two players were named to all-league teams.

Congratulations to junior Monika Gaxiola Artola, who was named as an MTAL first-team selection, and to freshman Talia Varjian for her selection to the MTAL second team.

upper school sports 41

Golf The four-time defending MTAL champions were off to a perfect 5–0 start to the season. Narrowly finishing in second place, the Cougar golfers finished with a 12–1 league record. The 20-stroke playoff win against Salinas High resulted in an automatic berth to the CCS championship, where the team finished in 11th place. Senior Chloe Corriveau finished in third place to qualify for the NorCal championships for the fourth consecutive year. Corriveau was named MVP of the Mission Bay League and was selected to the all-league team with freshman Coco Chai. Junior Alison Mody was named to the MBL second team. Catalina golf has a five-year combined record of 46–2.

Volleyball Finishing with 12–2 in league and 16–6 overall, the volleyball team secured a second-place finish in the MTAL. Ranked 11th in the CCS Division IV playoffs, the Cougars fell to Harbor High in the first round.

This was the 15th time in 16 years that the Catalina volleyball team participated in the CCS playoffs.

Congratulations to junior Tatumn Satow, who was named to the allcounty team by both the Monterey County Herald and The Salinas Californian. Satow was also named to the all-league first team with teammates McKinley Fox ’18 and Olivia Satow ’18.

42 upper school sports

Equestrian This year, the equestrian team competed at three shows as a member of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association’s Zone 10.

The October show at Monte Vista Christian School saw several notable finishes: Amanda Radner ’16 finished third in varsity open equitation over fences and sixth in varsity open equitation on the flat; Ellie Browne ’15 finished sixth in both varsity open equitation over fences and varsity open equitation on the flat.

Two riders competed at the November show at White Rock Ranch: Browne, again placing sixth in varsity open equitation on the flat, and Brittany Gehlmann ’18 competing in junior varsity beginning flat. The season concluded in January at Monte Vista Christian, with the following placements: Radner in fifth place in varsity open equitation over fences (jumping 2 ft 6 in.) and sixth place in varsity open equitation on the flat.

Soccer The varsity soccer team faced adversity, with injuries and illnesses preventing a consistent lineup on the field. Several freshmen and sophomores joined the team, which began the season 3–4–1. Showing amazing fortitude, the young Cougars lost only one game in the final six matches, ending the season 4–1–1.

Beating Soledad, Carmel, and Pacific Grove in the last week of the season, the team proved its potential. Allie Aiello ’17, Madison Long ’17, and Samantha Mudd ’15 were all selected to the MTAL all-league first team.

upper school sports 43

Basketball The Cougars finished in third place in the Mission Trail Athletic League (MTAL), with a 10–4 record, defeating Pacific Collegiate School from Santa Cruz to gain an automatic bid to the MTAL championship tournament.

Playing Mercy Burlingame in the first round of the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs, they outscored their opponent by 17 points in the fourth quarter to win 47–33. The team made it to the second round before falling to Monte Vista Christian School, 53–34, ending the season 16–7 overall.

Madison Fox ’15 was named to the MTAL all-league first team for the second consecutive year. Audrey Bennett ’17 was named to the allleague second team.

Tennis Strong play saw the tennis squad finish the regular MTAL season in third place with a 7–5 league record and a 10–6 overall score.

At the league championship, Ellie Stork ’15 continued her winning streak to achieve the league’s singles title. Isabelle Redfield ’17 and Nicole Granat ’17 were the doubles semifinalists. The team qualified for the CCS playoffs once again but fell 4–3 to St. Francis in the first round.

Water Polo The water polo team finished its season with an overall record of 11–9 and a thirdplace finish in the league. Qualifying for the CCS playoffs, the team enjoyed a firstround victory over Valley Christian but fell to Sobrato in the second round. End-ofseason honors went to Colleen Boensel ’15, MBL Gabilan Division Senior of the Year and All Gabilan Division team selection; Ana Spanos ’16, All Gabilan Division team selection; Chloe Barney ’16, All Gabilan Division second team selection; and Lauren Redfern ’15, All Gabilan Division second team selection.

44 donor profile

Looking Forward

to New Beginnings

Alita and Michael Kavalauskas Support the Legacy Campaign

W

hen the Kavalauskas family joined our Catalina family in the fall of 2011, they were anticipating new beginnings. At that time, Alita and Michael were seeking an enhanced school experience for their daughter, Nicole. “We sought a learning environment where our daughter could thrive, where she could be herself and feel secure,” says Alita. The family heard about Catalina through friends who had highly recommended the school.

Nicole started at Santa Catalina in fifth grade, and it didn’t take long for her parents to realize that the school was just what they had hoped for. Alita and Michael were immediately struck by how welcoming the school was, and the transition was smooth for their daughter. The Kavalauskas family also includes twin boys, who entered Catalina the following year and are now in second grade. “When you have twins, you want them to be treated as individuals,” says Michael. “Some research points to the wisdom of putting twins in separate schools. However, we are very pleased that our sons are together. The school supports them all along the way, and their teachers encourage them to discover their own unique gifts.”

Not long after Alita and Michael arrived at Catalina, they learned that their new school was also looking forward to new beginnings.

The Legacy Campaign for the Lower and Middle School envisioned a transformation to that part of the campus with new and expanded spaces that would rise to the level of the school’s exceptional programs and take the Santa Catalina experience to new heights. When they heard about the goals of the campaign, Alita and Michael were among the first parents to support the effort. The Compass Program in particular was a big draw for the family. “We believe that important character development occurs in the younger grades,” says Michael. “We understood that the new facilities would further support the goals of that program. We also recognize the importance of adequate classroom space to allow for more creativity and focus. Given our deep belief in the power of education and what the school gives to our children, it was natural that the Legacy Campaign was a cause we wanted to support.”

Alita and Michael are excited about the progress of the Legacy Campaign and hope that others will participate so the final phase for grades 1, 2, and 3 can be completed. “The teachers in those grades are amazing,” says Alita. “They are passionate, dedicated, loving, and outstanding role models. And, the fact is, their classrooms need to be expanded. Sometimes people think that if they are not able to make a large donation to the campaign, it won’t make a difference.

But it does.” Michael and Alita see the Legacy Campaign as a window of opportunity. Michael explains, “With everyone’s help, completion of the final phase for Lower School can be a reality.”

donor profile 45

Julie Lambert ’80 Pays It Forward

Embracing the Charge: Women Helping Women

H

aving just celebrated her 35th reunion, Julie Lambert ’80 enjoys looking back on her first day at Santa Catalina. She had just moved from Wyoming and didn’t know anyone at the school. Having grown up in a military family, she was accustomed to less-thanwarm welcomes for “the new kid.” But this time was different. When Lambert walked into her third-grade classroom, a little girl with a pixie cut bounded up to her and introduced herself. The girl’s name was Ellen (Ellen McGuire Gaucher ’80), and she and Lambert have been dear friends ever since.

Lambert remained at Catalina all the way through graduation from Upper School, where she developed a wide range of interests—from mathematics to art history to philosophy. She characterizes her education as one that was greatly attuned to the particular gifts and advancement of each student. “I really had the sense that every child mattered at Santa Catalina,” says Lambert, and she credits the school with giving her a foundation that has served her for life.

After graduation, Lambert went to Oregon State University and enrolled in the civil engineering program, where she was one of five women. Although her experience there was positive overall, Lambert admits that she encountered some barriers due to her gender. For instance, even though she earned good grades, some professors questioned her readiness for the male-dominated field. Coming from Catalina, Lambert was surprised by such attitudes; she had grown accustomed to women leading discussions in class and to teachers who were eager to foster their growth and development, regardless of the field. She points to her experience with John Naccarato, the technical director of the Performing Arts Center at the

time, as an example: “Mr. Naccarato taught me how to use power tools, build sets, and be a great stage manager,” says Lambert.

“No one ever tried to put me in a box at Catalina. I was never told ‘You can’t do that.’”

This can-do spirit has served Lambert well throughout her life and in her career. After earning a bachelor’s degree in business from OSU, Lambert started her career with nonprofit organizations and then worked for Cal-Am while earning an MBA. She is currently the Director of Finance and Human Resources at S. Martinelli & Co., where she has worked since 1993.

In addition to her professional achievements, she works passionately on behalf of women in business and education. She serves on the Alumni Advisory Council at OSU; sponsors an annual scholarship for young women through her sorority, Alpha Xi Delta; and supports Circle of Sisterhood, an organization that provides educational opportunities for young women in developing countries.

Above all, Lambert remains committed to advancing Santa Catalina. She has held many volunteer positions on campus. She served 10 years on the Alumnae Board, was a chair for the Envision Campaign, and, most recently, served as a member of the Legacy Campaign Cabinet. She has also included the school in her estate plan. “It’s really important to me to support the institutions that gave me the tools to succeed,” says Lambert. “Supporting Santa Catalina allows me to do the same for other young women.”

Lambert is a member of the Sisters’ Legacy Circle, a group of more than 50 people who have helped ensure the long-term health of the school by including Santa Catalina in their wills and trusts. To learn more about membership in this group, please contact Erin White, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, at erin.white@santacatalina.org.

46 Alumnae Association Board Executive Committee Shannon McClennahan Mozes ’87 President Laurie Washburn Hogen ’58 Vice President Liz Holt Protell ’64 Vice President Lore Childs MacDonald ’76 Vice President Yvette Merchant Nichols ’96 Vice President Gretchen Mueller Burke ’83 Director of Alumnae Relations

Members Jalynne Tobias Redman ’72 Jeanne Vibert Sloane ’74 Kathy Trafton ’74 Jennifer Post ’82 Ann Frasse Stowe ’82 Patty Cerisola-Mansi ’83 Christina Nalchajian Whitley ’85 Stephanie Post Pollard ’85 Kim Meek Shickel ’89 Brett Davis Collins ’93 Kate Lynch Jerkens ’97 Julie Rathman Fenton ’99 Brogiin Keeton ’01 Kai Romero ’01 Katie Carnazzo ’02 Monica Johnson Steiner ’03 Marina Barcelo Bruketta ’04

Chapter Chairs Boston Kate Myers Brizius ’88

’65

Renewing 2015 Alumnae Reunion

Connections

Chicago Lisa Cavanaugh Wiese ’74 Dallas Hope Morgan ’90 Denver Laura Stenovec ’99 Houston Nancy Kennedy Major ’96 Monterey Liz Holt Protell ’64* New York Priya Kumar Raju ’00 Northern California Yvette Merchant Nichols ’96* Seattle Peggy Frasse ’84 Southern California Jennifer Post ’82* Stefanie Post Pollard ’85* Washington, D.C. Liz Belanger McGarvey ’00 Kerri Robinson Johnson ’92

International Chapters Asia Rene Leung ’99 Angelina Yao ’99 Europe Lara Brehmer ’98 Latin America Leslie Hulse ’88 Tere Gonzalez ’94

*Designates Alumnae Association Board member

There was an abundance On March 13 and 14, the Classes of 1955, of excitement and welcoming smiles.

Everywhere you gazed, you saw hugs and heard

1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 returned to campus to renew their Catalina connections during Reunion 2015. Special recognition was given to the Class of 1965 in celebration of their 50th reunion.

animated conversation

The weekend included a hard-hat tour of the new Math and Science Building, updates on the search for a new Head of School, student presentations and performances, and the traditional alumnae mass and dinner. We loved having everyone “back home” for the festivities.

and laughter.

Reunion Weekend is part of a legacy that celebrates the lifelong relationships that begin right here at Santa Catalina. It’s a great time to catch up with classmates and discover what’s happening on campus today. As the weekend comes to a close, we are always proud to send off our alumnae with a renewed appreciation of what it means to be a Catalina girl—at any age.

’90

’10

’85

’95

’60 and ’82

’10

’70

’00

’85

’65

’05

’70

’60

’10

’95

’75

’90

’05

’75

’00

Alumnae and their families gathered for a beautiful weekend full of laughter and nostalgia. Classmates renewed lasting friendships and made new connections with alumnae from other classes. ’80

’10

’00

’05 and ’72

’75

’70

Alumna

Awards

T

he 2015 recipients of the Distinguished Alumna Awards, Tina Hansen McEnroe ’70 and Kim Wright-Violich ’75, were recognized for their extraordinary achievements as role models to alumnae and students and for their dedication and service to professional endeavors.

Tina Hansen McEnroe ’70, M.A., was honored for her service and commitment to education. Tina is the founder of the McEnroe Reading and Language Arts Clinic at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she is the associate director and a master teacher. This year, she is establishing a similar clinic at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Tina also conducts “Living History Days” that takes place at a restored 1869 schoolhouse on her Santa Ynez Valley ranch. For many years, Tina taught middle school language arts, reading, and special education in California.

She also taught special programs for Spanish-speaking farmworkers and served as a mentor for other teachers working with farmworkers and their families. Her accomplishments have been recognized with numerous community, state, and national awards. In 2012, she received the Santa Barbara Junior League Woman of the Year Award, and in 2011, she was the Anti-Defamation League Education Honoree. Tina has also served and continues to serve on several boards, including the Dean’s Council at UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education.

Kim Wright-Violich ’75, B.A., was commended for her dedication and service in her professional career. Kim is the cofounder and managing partner of Tideline, a consulting firm specializing in impact investing and strategic philanthropy.

She is also a visiting executive scholar at the Haas Business School at University of California, Berkeley, where she teaches, lectures, and helps design curricula on impact investing and philanthropy. From 2000 to 2011, Kim served as CEO/ President of Schwab Charitable, which offers services for donor-advised funds and charitable trusts. She grew the organization from a startup to one of the 10 largest charities in the United States, attracting more than $5 billion in charitable assets. For six consecutive years, the San Francisco Business Times named her one of the Bay Area’s 100 most influential women in business, and Wealth Manager magazine named her one of the 50 most influential women in the United States for 2009 for wealth management. She currently serves on several boards, including the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards and the World Affairs Council Bay Area.

distinguished alumnae awards

51

Tina Hansen McEnroe ’70 Q: What inspired you to start the Reading and Language Arts Clinic at UCSB?

A: Santa Catalina played a major part in inspiring me to start the clinic.

Our required summer reading lists instilled a true love and devotion to reading quality novels, which in turn established a lifelong passion for books. After teaching as a reading specialist and special ed teacher, I was fortunate to be given the chance to start the Tina Hansen McEnroe and Paul V. McEnroe Reading and Language Arts Clinic at UCSB. Q: Tell us briefly about your Living History Days program and how it benefits students.

A: I created the curriculum to take students back in time to the 1890s, to model the values and pedagogy of a very special time in the history of education. Children leave the historic schoolhouse saying that it’s their favorite field trip ever.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

A: There’s nothing more rewarding than working with students to problem solve and unlock how they learn and provide the custom- tailored strategy, laced with lots of positive reinforcement.

Q: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing educators today?

A: As the saying goes, education should not be the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. This should be the philosophy of all educators, I think.

Educators need to acknowledge that a one-size-fits-all philosophy is not optimal, and they should differentiate instruction accordingly. Learning by doing is paramount to success; it improves comprehension, engages the learner more fully, and helps reduce drop-out rates, one of the major challenges facing education today.

Q: Who had the greatest influence on your career path?

A: In the early years, my parents, Al and Jane Hansen, influenced me to do my best and gave me the best—Santa Catalina—to learn and grow in an exceptional academic environment. Another influential role model: Eleanor Roosevelt, who inspired me with her works of humanity.

Q: What has been the biggest surprise lesson you’ve learned in your career?

A: Discovering that a vital component of running a successful clinic is the fundraising. A joyous by-product of this has been the fantastic community of philanthropists I’ve met and befriended along the way.

Q: What lessons did you learn at Catalina that have helped you in your career?

A: Santa Catalina fueled and molded the foundation of my life in terms of perseverance, purpose, passion, and vision. Through my struggles and challenges, I gained the principles of responsibility, excellence, service, spirituality, and tenacity. The finish-what-you-start attitude has been a cornerstone of my success. So has living to give, not to get.

Q: What does receiving the Distinguished Alumna Award mean to you?

A: To be acknowledged by those from your hometown is perhaps one of the greatest honors one can achieve. This award has brought me to tears. I am humbled and thankful for this special recognition.

Q: What is your or most memorable Catalina tradition and why?

A: The retreats rank at the top of this list. I discovered great sanctuary in the beautiful and peaceful grounds and gardens surrounding our campus during this magical and cherished time. I learned to be reflective, focused, and grateful in these moments of spiritual renewal, where time seemed to stand still. Perspective and meaning became clearer.

Q: Tell us one thing that’s on your bucket list.

A: My goal, hope, and prayer is to see the reading clinics become

nationally recognized for their cutting-edge research and examples, leading to a greater understanding of how each individual can successfully navigate through breaking the code of learning to read and all other components of the language arts.

52 distinguished alumnae awards

Kim Wright-Violich ’75 Q: Can you briefly define impact investing and strategic philanthropy?

A: Strategic philanthropy simply means being strategic about charitable- giving decisions. It most often refers to applying business methods to philanthropic decisions, such as measuring progress, holding grant recipients accountable, rewarding best practices, and documenting agreements. The theory goes that strategic philanthropists, by using their contributions as incentives, can be a substitute system of

accountability, a proxy market force.

Impact investing is harder to explain. The term was coined less than 10 years ago. For centuries, segments of the investing public have invested according to conscience. (Quakers in the 1700s, for example, abstained from investing in tobacco and gambling.) But some people think that socially responsible investing doesn’t go far enough, and that philanthropy by itself cannot solve all social problems. The apparent success of microfinance and other for-profit efforts raised the question for many investors and foundations: Is it possible to invest to drive social change? It’s a magnificent, hopeful idea that markets could drive positive social and environmental change.

Pioneers are experimenting by making for-profit impact investments in for-profit enterprises, hoping to achieve market-rate returns and drive positive change. It’s

an exciting and challenging concept.

Q: Your undergraduate degree is in human biology. How did you end up in your current field?

A: The truth is, I have had two careers. My career before I had children related somewhat to my degree. Then I returned to work after twelve years of being a stay-at- home mom. I wanted to be at the interface of the social sector and the private sector. I was drawn to the clarity, competition, and accountability of the private sector and to the purpose and meaning of the social sector.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

A: I enjoy the promise of it and the intellectual challenge.

Q: What challenges have you faced as a woman in your field?

A: In the social sector (nonprofit world), women hold 55 percent of the jobs and 20 percent of the top leadership positions.

In the private sector, women hold only 3 percent of the top jobs. In my other field (financial

services), women do not do as well. Ironically, financial services could be a great industry for women: Effectiveness is often relationship driven; you impact lives in a direct way; and success is not subjective.

Q: What’s your favorite philanthropy to support and why?

A: I support organizations on whose boards I serve—and, of course, Santa Catalina. Board service informs my gifts, in part because it’s an obligation of a board member and because knowing “how the sausage is made” gives you comfort that your gift will be well utilized. Time is more valuable than money. So, if you’re willing to give time to a cause, you ought to be willing to give money.

Q: What is your greatest career achievement?

A: A willingness to throw my hat in the ring even when the odds were against me, and being in the right place at the right time.

Q: What has been the biggest surprise lesson you’ve learned in your career?

A: How important it is to be genuine and gracious—and how, as women, we have to be careful not to avoid confrontation.

Q: What lessons did you learn at Catalina that have helped you in your career?

A: At Catalina, I experienced my first conscious connection between hard work and outcome. It was where I first learned the importance of being gracious (although I didn’t always achieve graciousness). And it’s where I learned the difference between mischief and trouble.

Q: What does receiving the Distinguished Alumna Award mean to you?

A: It means more than any other recognition I’ve received, except maybe the affection and respect of my children.

Q: What is your favorite or most memorable Catalina tradition?

A: Changing roommates in the dorm each semester and FatherDaughter Weekend.

53

Class notes 1953

Fleana Giglio Snapp brorat1955@comcast.net Laurie Angel McGuinness: “The best thing that I can report from this year is that my granddaughter said yes to her gentleman of 10 years and will marry him on their 10th anniversary of having met. Her brother will then bring his ladylove to California from Brazil and they will marry. I have only one grandson left who is unmarried. The nadir this year was medically oriented—after all, I did just turn 80 so this sort of thing happens. I was hospitalized a couple of times for pneumonia and a series of TIAs and then came home to a series of caregivers. I now have two caregivers who are marvelous. My son came to my rescue and is now handling all of the finances (what a nice gent he is). My great friend Bezzie Leyden Moore was here in a flash to help, and another friend from Boulder flew here immediately. I was surrounded by wonderful people, and I still am.”

Beezie Leyden Moore: “As Laurie has already reported, 2014 was a challenging year for her with a really good outcome.

She is doing well and having a lot of fun.

Her health has vastly improved and she’s pretty much back to her old self—full of sage advice with her usual great sense of humor. During Laurie’s difficult recovery, I made several trips to be with her and it was very rewarding for both of us to work through problems together. What a special friendship we have. I’m so grateful to our years at Santa Catalina and the lifelong bonds that were developed with our tiny group of classmates. We had a really good visit with Sister Louis Silva ’54 in May. I’m hoping we can plan another visit soon.

My life in Cambria continues to be full and interesting. I continue to do remodel design work and take so much pleasure in watching people’s homes go from ordinary to something very special. I love my home that backs up to the forest and the ocean in the distance. I have five furry rescue companions as well as two rescued doves.”

Debbie Kneedler Berggren: “This has

been a good year. After two and a half years of eye surgeries, I am able to see quite well and hope to drive soon. This Christmas was wonderful. My daughter Polly and her children, Rebecca and Ben, flew up from Georgia, so I had my entire immediate family under one roof with me for the first time since Dow died in 2008. My son Hunt, his wife Karla, and their sons, Drew and Matthew, live close by so we have many happy times together!”

Peggy Carpenter Gelke: “Jack and I went to Palm Desert for a week of rest and relaxation in May. In June, our daughter, Catherine and granddaughter Maggie came for a short visit. Lots of bridge for me, and Jack is still in real estate.

In December, I celebrated my big 80th birthday. The three of them surprised me with a three-day trip to Napa for wine tasting and sightseeing. It was lovely!”

Fleana Giglio Snapp: “John drove me and my sister Nanda to Oregon in June to visit our brother Delfo for the last time.

He died on August 18. I miss him and our daily phone calls. We flew to Virginia to visit John’s sisters in September. Our daughter, Ellen, is cancer free. We are so happy for her. I had the pleasure of talking with Paula, the daughter of Carol Ann Smith White; she gave us some bad news.

Carol Ann died last November. The few times that we talked, she was not entirely healthy but she was entirely Carol Ann. John and I celebrated 57 years of marriage in September.

1954 Gloria Felice gloriafelice@cox.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

CLASS NOTES

INFO Class Notes Photo Submissions

We welcome your photos for inclusion in Class Notes. Due to space restrictions, we are unable to publish all of the photos we receive. Photos meeting the requirements listed below will take priority.

Please note the technical requirements for photos: • Images need to be 3” x 5” or larger • Images need to be a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (or at least 800KB) Priority is given to the following types of photos: • Photos with groups of alumnae • Photos with one alumna • Photos without an alumna will only be included if space allows.

Please provide the names of all alumnae in the photo, including class year, and the location of the occasion.

To submit photos electronically, please send them as attachments to: gretchen.muellerburke@santacatalina.org.

Please do not include photos in the body of the email or in Word files. If you email a photo from your phone, please choose the largest file size possible. To submit a hard copy photo, please mail to: Santa Catalina School Office of Alumnae Relations 1500 Mark Thomas Drive Monterey, CA 93940

Class Notes Space Limitations

We do our best to include all of the updates that are sent in. Due to space limitations, the Communications and Alumnae Relations offices may edit content in order to fit the space allotted. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Class Notes Schedule

Class Notes has a new schedule. We will publish notes for each class once a year—odd-numbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall.

54 class notes

1955

Mary Nevin Henderson 707.252.8707 Pat Kelly Phillips plwa2@sbcglobal.net

Believe it or not, it’s the 60th anniversary of our graduation from Santa Catalina.

I (Mary Nevin Henderson) had a long phone conversation with Carol Speegle Lannon. She is still doing volunteer work for Salinas Memorial Hospital. Carol loves her new home in Carmel Valley.

Carol spent Christmas in Paris with her stepdaughter, Sally Hansen Greene ’72. It was the eleventh time she went to Paris for the holidays. Carol also went to Europe in October with a friend from Dallas.

Carol saw Yvonne Bernadicou Lyon at a fundraiser for the Salinas Hospital. I’m pretty sure Yvonne holds the record for most grandchildren. Sandy Stolich Brown fell at her Pebble Beach home and broke her pelvic bone. She is now recuperating at her home in S.F. Julie Work Beck is still working! She manages the family’s commercial real estate business. She still enjoys playing tennis. We had a great time remembering the fun times in Napa.

It really doesn’t seem like 60 years have gone by since graduation. Saudie Sowell Clark is still very active in the community chorus and St. Joseph’s Parish choir.

Saudie and I really reminisced about our weekends in Carmel and Napa. My oldest granddaughter graduated from ASU in May 2014. My next oldest is graduating from UCLA in June. I’m still spending November and March at my home in Mesa, AZ. I also go to Mexico each year in February with college friends. Now I’m turning this over to Pat Kelly Phillips, who talked with other members of our class. Clarice Borelli Felice is keeping busy in Hollister with family and friends.

Her son, Rico, has just opened “Forno” a wood-fired pizza restaurant on San Benito Street, Hollister’s main street. He has been catering events from his Italian wood fired oven for several years and now has his own restaurant. Clarice says the pizzas are great and she is proud that her children are carrying on their Italian heritage. Remember that incredible food her mom sent her back to school with every week? Sue Barsi Scurich is

keeping busy working in her beautiful garden and keeping up with family and friends. She had a very relaxing Christmas with all the family. Sue and I have been meeting for lunch with some of our other Watsonville friends on a regular basis. My (Pat Kelly Phillips) life has been busy with volunteering at the Italian Catholic Federation where I do research on our heritage. I’ve learned some very interesting things including the name and history of a midwife who, I discovered, delivered my mom. I also do antiques and needle arts at the San Jose Woman’s Club and am president of our neighborhood association. I am never bored but could use some extra time for relaxing.

1956 Sheila Godwin Peavey sheilapeavey@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1957 Carole Lusignan Buttner wmbclb@aol.com

Denise Le Blanc Hellier: “I really loved my pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in October. I didn’t have any ‘bolts’ from above, but the ten days of walking gave peaceful time for reflection on the past.

But perhaps more important is looking ahead towards the next few years. My resolution for my 75th year is to maintain my health and attitude!” Camille Annotti Stevens: “At this time of my life things are fairly calm and quiet. It’s a ‘gear-down’ period, and I am enjoying it. I do keep fairly close contact with some classmates, and it seems to be the same for most of us. Most of my life revolves around my children (even though they are grown up adults, they are my ‘kids’), and of course, my wonderful grandchildren, who are also adults (18, 21, and 24). Their lives

are filled with college, part-time jobs, full-time work, etc. I love communicating with them—there is always something interesting on the horizon. It seems I do spend more time everyday in prayer, thanking God for all my blessings: my family, my wonderful Catalina experiences and dear friends all these years.” Mary Cano: “My 98-year-old aunt Charlotte died on December 2nd. Thank goodness, especially for her, it was quick and painless. I had been her sole caregiver for 5 years. As a result I was able to go visit my half-sister near San Diego over Christmas.

We went to Christmas mass at the Mission San Luis Rey, a beautiful church indeed.

It is smaller than the Carmel Mission, but charming. I went to ‘Christmas in the Hacienda’—I heard a voice hailing me as I walked in. It was Camille! Usually I am the only one from our class there.”

Maribeth Conway Steiner: “All is well with the Steiners! We are enjoying life, family, and especially, the grandchildren.

Our granddaughter is 15 and delightful.

She is on the high school swim team and plays the cello. The younger ones are all boys (6, 6, and 4). So much fun and full of it! We have a winter home on the island of Molokai for sale, where we have been going for over 30 years. We bought a place in Bend, OR as a second home to see more family and take car trips.”

Betty Ann Bernadicou Lambert: “Mike and I continue to volunteer at Lourdes, this year participating in the Order of Malta pilgrimage and later the annual military pilgrimage, where our American wounded warriors come to be healed mentally, physically, and spiritually. We split our time between Point Richmond and Sacramento. When we are in the East Bay, we are involved in volunteer activities within the Catholic community.

I share the theatre with Mimi Desmond Mathews, who is busy with grandchildren and the family farm. I keep in contact with the daughters of Fritzi Clarke Campbell and Bobbie Erro Marsella. Our daughter Michele is a special education teacher in Santa Clara. Sally Smith Rhodes is doing well, playing bridge, has new puppy and travels to Hawaii a couple of times a year.” Jane de Benedetti McInnis: “Mac and I had a busy 2014 cruising from Beijing to Bangkok, and taking trips to the Panama Canal, New York, Boulder, and Palm Desert. We continue to play golf, tennis, and bridge and volunteer in the community. We spend most weekends watching our grandkids play sports.

class notes 55

Our oldest daughter Brooke has three children. Blair graduated from Boulder, Jane is at Georgetown, and Jack is in 8th grade. Allison has two children. Jack is a freshman in high school and Paige is in 7th grade. My son Cameron has a son Hunter (5). How true the Welsh proverb is: ‘Perfect love sometimes doesn’t come until the first grandchild.’” Mary Ellen Smith Ash: “I missed the opportunity to see and visit with Marianne Wolfsen Chaney, Sue Clowes Mayhugh, and Camille Annotti Stevens when Sue drove out to California. My husband had just spent a week in the hospital with a heart condition and diabetes. With his condition, I am unable to leave him home to take care of himself, because I am the overseer of all the pills and insulin.

Since he would prefer not to take either, I’m the enforcer.” Diane Dickerson: “I am still having a wonderful time renting four rooms to four lovely women. This year we planted apricot, fig, lime, lemon, peach, orange and avocado trees. I am exercising at the Y three times a week and practicing yoga just about every day. I also enjoy taking long walks with my dog. My youngest son Chris, and his wife, Julie, have bought a home in Eugene, OR and will be moving with their daughter, Evelyn (2) and their son, Owen (2 months).

My daughter Kim lives in Petaluma with her husband Mike. My oldest son Greg is still living in Santa Fe with his partner and her two children.” Carole Lusignan Buttner: “The Buttner family, now 16 of us, seems to be thriving at the moment.

Watching our adult children all handling their various responsibilities, being such good parents and human beings, is very touching to us. Murray and I are trying very hard to stay young and healthy and non-problematic for them. All these realities surround us, but we are seizing life and enjoying those precious days that we all share.”

1958

Kathy Howard Loparco kathyloparco@comcast.net We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1959

Bobbie O’Connell Munson bobbiemunson@sbcglobal.net The “highlight” of the past year for the Class of ’59 was our fantastic 55-year reunion a year ago in March. Thanks to Weezie Grant Garland and Debby McCann, we gathered at the Hyatt in mass force and had the most wonderful extended weekend. Many of us came to the Monterey Bay Area early, left late, and we still wished we had had more time. The joyful surprise of the weekend was the courageous cross-country trip made by Shelly Le Blanc Duke, and her wonderful husband, Phil. Though she was not well enough to join us at the school activities, we moved the reunion to their suite at the hotel so we could celebrate with her. Having her with us was great and we certainly knew she was in good hands with her very special hubby. At the reunion we saw Marilyn Brown Wykoff, France de Sugny Bark, Barclay Braden, Lynne Wildman Chapman, Margaret Rosenberg Duflock, Penny Fletcher who flew in from Honolulu, Lila Desmond French, who is now residing in Palm Desert, Julie Hutcheson, Dits Requiro Peavey, Kathy Mailliard Rende, Hansi de Petra Rigney, Weezie, Debby, and another wonderful surprise, Chrissy McCormick Merrill. At the last minute several were unable to join us and we missed them. I (Bobbie O’Connell Munson) had a note from Barclay

Irene “Rene” May Lawler ’59 and Katherine “Susie” Hammond Morey ’59 at SCPGA Northern Chapter Pro-Lady Championship

Debby McCann, Weezie Grant Garland, Dits Requiro Peavey, and Hansi de Petra Rigney, all from the Class of 1959, surround classmate Shelly Le Blanc Duke

Braden saying they had sold their family home in Colusa, but purchased another that will suit their needs. They will continue their commute to and from their Florida home to Colusa on a regular basis. Kristan Jacobson O’Neill missed our reunion because of her demanding business, but hopefully that was the last time. Rumor has it she has finally retired, and will never miss another reunion! As she says, “Ed and I are healthy and happy and look forward to being retired.” Great news from Irene ‘Rene’ May Lawler.

She and Susie Hammond Morey both played in the SCPGA Northern Chapter Pro-Lady Championship in December at Alisal Ranch. Both of their teams tied for 4th place. Both avid golfers, they see one another often on the golf course. Rene missed the reunion, as hubby Byron was not well, though he recovered to whisk her off to the south of France. These two do love to travel, only outdone by Marilyn Brown Wycoff and Vic who must circle the globe on an annual basis, with grandchildren! Their Christmas card is a joy of photos from all over the world.

Another traveler is Lynne Chapman who has not put her landing gear down in over a year. Hansi is set to be in three marathons in 2015—Boston, Big Sur, and Berlin. When not competing, she is a full time grandma with three grandkids here and one in Berlin. Another great traveler is France, who with hubby Dennis, travels twice annually to their timber ranch in France. She noted the great fear and chaos they found in France this year. An email from M.T. Marie Theresa Poniatowski Maigret expressed the same fears and problems they are experiencing in

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Brussels, Belgium. The unrest in Europe is very concerning to all of our alumnae living in its midst. On the other hand, France loves her visits to their ranch and M.T. says she loves the life in Brussels with the art, opera, and museums. She had a large group of friends and family arrive for the holidays, and hopes to get to Napa soon to visit with the grandchildren.

France said she sees Chrissy McCormick Merrill often and that Chrissy has a wonderful farmhouse in St. Helena now.

Lila Desmond French is enjoying golf and tennis after her recent move to Palm Desert. She just can’t find the time to unpack the garage with all of the sports activities taking up all of her time! She is living in Indian Ridge if you should be in the area. A wonderful email from Anne Waligora Boyd reports that she survived knee surgery and is thinking of having the other one done. She is still riding and training her dogs (English Setters and Gordon Setters) for dog trials. She has six grandchildren, four in Germany and two in Sacramento. Patty Falk Feeley emailed from cold Colorado. She is the true gardener growing everything from raspberries to currants and apples so she can have cidering parties. On the weather, she noted, “I warm my boots with the blow dryer before going out, and warm my gloves in the microwave.” Christy Belvail Baguio missed our reunion due to a scare with cancer and a surgery, which was fully successful, but now her hubby Alfred, is battling cancer again. We will keep you both in our prayers. This has not kept her from doing some traveling to the East Coast and spending a great deal of time with kids and grandkids.

She, Dits, Julie, and Hansi get together often. Didi Dwyer Schreiber and hubby Paul are going through the same issue as Christy and Alfred. It seems to go with the age and time we are now living.

Blake Anderson was unable to make our reunion as was Mary Kay Denman, who was leading a study group that particular weekend. We missed Wendy Burnham Kuhn who could not leave France, and Betty Blak Okie who is also going through hip surgeries. Bobbie O’Connell Munson: “My life is the busiest ever with the last two of my five grandchildren heading off to college this year. We are awaiting the news to find out where they might choose to go for their college years.

Andrea Garcia-Munson ’03, graduated college long ago and is in a job she loves in S.F. She took a trip to Australia, which was her Christmas present this year from

The Class of 1960 at Reunion 2015

grandma. She loved the country and the people and wants to return for another visit. I have one granddaughter who is a Delta Gamma at University of the Pacific, and one granddaughter who is a Delta Gamma at UC Santa Barbara. The last two are high school seniors this year. A very special thanks to Debby and Weezie who made our ‘Reunion 55’ a most special occasion. No one wanted it to ever end, and hopefully we will have some more gatherings before our 60th year arrives.”

1960

Marilyn Ramos Ospina maospina305@hotmail.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1961

Penelope Corey Arango pcarango@bellsouth.net

First, our blessings to two of our Santa Catalina sisters who lost their husbands this past year: Margaret (Margs) Brackenridge Dalis and Leigh (Curry) Curran. So sorry to hear of the passing of Marg’s husband, Peter Dalis, who was at UCLA during a 19-year stretch that included 39 NCAA championships, which made him the Pacific-10’s longestserving athletic director. He was 76 when he died of complications from multiple myeloma at his home in Pacific Palisades, surrounded by his family. Leigh (Curry) Curran: “Edward (Hermann) was a great man, husband and friend. While I’ll miss him with my whole heart, I’m so lucky to have had him in my life for so long. I am on my way to N.Y.C. to help a friend recover from hip replacement surgery.

What a time! I’m on the Shambala path these days and loving it!” Judy Nagel Cox: “In 2013, for my 70th birthday, Ralph and I went to Victoria, B.C. with my daughter, Sandi, her husband, Jim, and my granddaughter, Melanie. We enjoyed touring Victoria and the beautiful Butchart Gardens where we had a fabulous birthday dinner. In the spring of 2014, Ralph and I enjoyed driving through five National Parks: Bryce, Zion, Arches, Monument Valley, and Canyonlands. I visit my 101-year-old mom in Hawaii a few times a year. She still lives on her own but is slowing down. She has some help with meals and personal care, but has no health issues other than being almost deaf.

She has occasional short-term memory

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lapse, but her long-term memory is intact, especially for anything I ever did wrong!

My daughter and granddaughter joined me in January 2015 to visit her. Sandi had been teaching and went back to school for a master’s degree in reading and language and will graduate in May. Her daughter will also graduate in May, receiving her B.A. from the University of Puget Sound in international politics and economics.

We will go to Tacoma to celebrate my double grads! I’m very proud of both of them! My sister Madeline Nagel ’57 has become a terrific golfer and a Silver Life Master in bridge. She splits her time between Manhattan, NY and Boca Raton, FL, with visits to my mom a few times a year as well. She and I stagger our visits to Mom, so we don’t see each other as often as we’d like, but we play Words with Friends and chat daily on the message page.” Sara Fargo: “After retiring from the President’s Office at Santa Barbara City, I was invited to work part-time at The Foundation for Santa Barbara City College with a great group of people raising money for the students of SBCC. What an honor!

Genealogy and writing take up most of the rest of the time; plus hikes, urban and otherwise, and working out at the gym.

The de-cluttering continues. I’ve had time to travel to see family in Chicago, Rhode Island, and Vermont.” Caroline Harris Henderson: “I am still working part-time for Edward Jones Investments, volunteering at St. Vincent de Paul, traveling a bit, mostly to Seattle to visit friends from the airline days, and to the Bay Area for get-togethers with my siblings and their spouses. The latter is a biannual event that started when my parents were still living and we liked it so much it has become a tradition. There are some fabulous vacation rental houses in some lovely places on the water between Point Reyes and Monterey! I see Bess van Buskirk Brassel often. She and Phil spent two months in the Adirondacks (where he grew up) this summer to escape the heat. They packed up the car and brought the dogs along to visit family and friends on the way. She and I have lunch with Susie Munhall Frey on a monthly basis and we can talk forever, it seems! I heard from Anne Irving over the holidays. They finally sold the house near Newport and have moved to a cabin they have near Sun River. More sun, colder temperatures but way less rain and fog!” Pamela Gamble Rocchi: “I’ve had a very full two years. After several months of home hospice, my mom passed

away in September 2013, a month shy of her 101st birthday. January 2014 saw my husband take his final downward spiral.

He passed in May 2014. Hospice again.

Hospice is a very enlightening experience.

My children are good. I’m living in Long Beach with my daughter and her family, Cody Olivia (7) and Austen (3). Cody attends Our Lady of Refuge Catholic School. My oldest grandson, Dominic, is still a chef in S.F. and was recently on one of those cooking shows. His sister Gina starts high school next year in Elk Grove. I am still in the antique business, at a new mall in downtown Long Beach.

I am still doing costuming for children and adults. Oh and I broke my hip a few days before Thanksgiving. So much for holiday festivities. I’m now officially old and robotic.” Cynthia (Nini) Richardson Hart: “We took a month-long cruise all over the near and far East. Many places we have already been to, but many that are on our bucket list.” Fyfe Irvine Lavin: “Penelope Corey Arango, I hope your brother is okay! I can’t believe our grandson is 18 and graduating from high school—seems such a short time ago that we were there!” Mary-Allen Macneil shared that it’s been a great year, including celebrating her eighth wedding anniversary with her husband Steve.

Judi Musto Hackman: “We’ve recently returned from visiting our daughter, Carter Hackman Jackson ’87, and her English family. She gets so disgusted with London weather that whenever we come we’re expected to find a sunny spot in Europe and enjoy their family.

And we really do enjoy them! This year she managed to find a really cute villa in Marbella, Spain. We were right on the beach, and had much fun with Imogen (6) and James (4). Tim and his family live in Marin county. They have three dynamo daughters, Charlotte (12), Cecilia (10), and Liney (5), who are powering their way through St. Hilary’s School.” Penelope: “Sadly, Jules, the husband of my sister, Susan Corey ’65, passed away the day after Thanksgiving. I had a nice long talk with Sara Fargo on the phone, ran into Terry Lowe Hall at Costco and emailed Margs Brackenridge Dalis about the friendship our grandmothers had in Pasadena years ago. I am working part-time—still a faculty member of the Institute for Healthcare Communications, teaching art at The Palace, a senior center in Miami, Spanish as a second language, volunteering in Oncology at Baptist Hospital, and Director of the HOA where I live on a peaceful lake.”

1962 Barbara Grant Armor barbill@ocsnet.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1963 DiDi Ditz Stauffer dditzs@yahoo.com

Sally Rorick-Orlando rorlando@cox.net Kathleen Hynes: “I feel grateful for improved health. During 2014, I had successful surgeries for glaucoma and ptosis, as well as recovered from fractures of the pisiform bone and the ulna. Follow up on meningioma surgery of 2012 is all positive and my memory and speech are greatly improved. Finally, I got a brace for my torn ACL so with consistent exercise and a walker, I am considerably stronger, though I still have a long way to go. In October I was able to remodel my shower so I can live more independently. The news of the death of Cathy Jacobs was very sad. God bless Ellie Hutcheson for letting us know. Over the last year I have enjoyed meeting with Jansie Stephens Farris and Mary-Ellen Bowlin Briel and reestablishing contact with Christine Chambers. Thanks to the Facebook group I have news of other classmates. I began watercolor classes again after a two-year hiatus, and it all is coming back to me.”

Vicki Relfe Hamilton: “Last year we took a safari with the family, where my husband and I were able to share the incredible nature and wildlife with our three children and four grandchildren (ages 11-13). The excitement of rising early each morning and the wonder of all that we saw each day created memories that will last forever!” Sally RorickOrlando: “Our excitement this year came from completing our addition: guest

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quarters and an office over our garage where I can do my spiritual direction work. It was an adventure, and we found ourselves in ‘power struggle’ again, with all the decisions that had to be made! But we are delighted with the results, and classmates traveling our way are welcome to visit! Beautiful ocean view! Now that the remodel is done, Rick is trying to sort out the next thing retirement will bring. In the meantime, I keep working part-time at First Presbyterian Church and doing spiritual direction when I am not at work.

Daughter Julia is exploring career options and traveling to her favorite cities while she has the freedom to do so. Matthew continues to follow his passion making wonderful wines. His label is Forlorn Hope. His wife, Susanne, just completed her MSW. We went back to New York for Thanksgiving with Rick’s family. His eldest sister was just diagnosed with ALS. It was bittersweet. We are looking forward to celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary with a trip to the Galapagos.”

1964

Antoinette Ziegler Hubbard kiwiazh@earthlink.net We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1965

Pat Allen Sparacino Pat.Sparacino@gmail.com Deborah Tanous Scofield dmscofield@cox.net Hilda Herrera Adler: “For the past year, I have been involved in two remodel and construction projects, both requiring much of my time. They have been creative processes but at times stressful. My home in Los Angeles (built in 1954 and in desperate need of an overhaul) now boasts a fine kitchen, and an entertainment/ family room where often I host family, friends, and grandchildren. The other project is a vacation home being built in Mammoth Lakes to accommodate our growing family. Anyone up for winter skiing or summer hiking in the mountains is welcome to visit.” Eleanor (Tammy) Dougherty: “I spend a lot of time with my grandson and I continue with my work in designing curriculum and writing books on education. Life is good, thank goodness!” Barbara Hately DuPont: “It has been a hectic year, and after being widowed five years ago, I sold my small farm in Middleburg, VA. I have bought a small townhouse in Middleburg proper and can walk everywhere, which I love. I can also lock the door and leave easily, now that I am expecting a fourth grandchild in Pebble Beach, where my son Bain lives and teaches English. It

The Class of 1965 at Reunion 2015

is hard to leave here as my eldest child, Hester Warr, lives around the corner with her two little girls, Olivia (10) and Flora (7). It is a joy to be able to have them so much in my life. My youngest child, Rory (29), is in Monterrey, Mexico. He has started a foundation called Climbing Borders (Escalando Fronteras) and is a passionate rock climber. In partnership with a Swedish rock climber, he is raising funds to build a climbing school for young people. He believes so strongly that climbing is a wonderful way to build these under privileged kids’ confidence, give them a safe place to hang out and, especially, to help them build character.

Most importantly, they gain the courage to say ‘no’ to the drug cartels that try to enlist them and to the ubiquitous child sex slave industry. Rory has to raise an amount over the next month to get partners like Patagonia to take them seriously. Needless to say, Biff and I, and Hess and Bain, are very proud of him and also very nervous for him, but he is an intrepid young man.” Tita Gascoin Ruffie: “Life after obtaining my CNA certification has been pretty hectic but I have worked with a lot of interesting people and it has been very rewarding. I took off to France to spend a few weeks with my daughters and my grandchildren.

It certainly was a welcome change after months of physically energetic work.

Summer and fall weekends were often spent campaigning for some of our nonpartisan candidates that we needed on the local level. Some friends and I decided to organize a Constitution Class so that we will better understand and appreciate the supreme law of our land which has been trampled on and trashed daily for at least a century. Last but not least, I have just been elected president of the Monterey County Republican Women’s Federated for the next two-year term.” Kathy Toy Grandemange: “In July, my husband and I took a Viking River Cruise down the Rhone in France. It was a great experience to see new places, ancient and modern, and to sample wonderful food along the way. My high school French came in handy! We are well, working part-time, traveling, and enjoying our daughters and four grandchildren.” Caroline Lord Mackenzie: “I made the permanent move to Kaneohe, HI in March 2014. I love being in Hawaii, and I love the rain and the green! Since I enjoy house projects, I have been busy fixing up my home, which had been a rental property for almost

class notes 59

eight years. And when not scraping and painting, or digging the lava rock that is my yard, I have fun with friends who come to visit. I volunteer for the Hawaiian Humane Society as I can’t have a pet yet, so I take care of pets without worrying about vet bills! My returned Peace Corps Volunteer group here has been a great connection and a good way to meet new friends.” Kathy Ramos Sharp: “2014 was my first full year in retirement after a long career in the tech industry in Silicon Valley. This was a major change, but a welcomed one. I spent time doing much needed maintenance and organizing on the home front. I also traveled to the homes of my children, spending extended vacations and holidays with the grandchildren. I continue to work weekly with home schoolers on vocal classes. I’ve had more time for friends, neighbors, and the choir at my local parish. 2015 should bring more time for travel, volunteer work, and hopefully a chance to reconnect with Catalina classmates at the reunion.” Claire Low Sheldon: “I moved my fabric store, Tea Time Calicos, to Tigard and now I can walk to work. I am still not really willing to retire, as I enjoy the interactions with people too much. My sister, Annette Low Reid ’68, is teaching English as a second language to young children in Mexico.”

Pat Allen Sparacino: “Bob and I are now members of the ‘besotted grandparents club.’ Fiamma DePalma Sparacino was born in September 2014. Her parents (our son Peter and his partner Danielle) and she live in Astoria, NY, so we are now making frequent trips to the East Coast!

Thank goodness retirement affords us the flexibility to do so. I am also volunteering at our local county hospital, collaborating with a colleague to provide professional development for the registered nurses.

I am also coaching prospective students, particularly those from Stanford, during their applications to nursing programs.”

Kathy Durkin Webster: “My darling husband Charlie died this summer. He enjoyed my two reunions so much. I had lunch with Ann Sullivan Wray in Santa Fe this fall. She and her husband moved there last year and are enjoying ‘the City Different.’ My granddaughter Anais (10) keeps me busy. She is an artist and musician. Right brains rule!”

1966 Traci Bliss blistrac@isu.edu

Lorri Ditz McCarthy lorditz@yahoo.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1967 Ann Kuchins kuchinsa@yahoo.com

Anne Neill anneneill@yahoo.com The Class of ’67 seems to get closer with each passing year. Gay Callan: “I figured with so many of our class in real estate that our winery and vineyard would have sold by now… It is still listed! And I am ready to slow down—not retire, but slow down!

My oldest son Chatom and his wife Emily are expecting their third child in February; after two girls they are welcoming a boy. My son Mike and his wife, Erica, are in Cambridge, MA and he is finishing graduate school in business, while his wife is a professor at Bentley.

Our youngest son, Sam, is in D.C. in his second year of law school and Georgina graduated from University of Redlands and is continuing her education with chemistry classes so she can apply to graduate school in marine biology. Hubby George is substitute teaching and also coaching skiing for the winter at Bear Valley. I am still running around like a chicken with her head cut off.” Katy Lewis: “I work for an N.Y.C. admission consulting firm that helps students get into the top MBA programs. Although it’s mainly a virtual job from here in S.F., I have the frequent pleasure of meeting my clients personally. The majority of my clients target Harvard and Stanford business schools, and they are terrific! My daughters accuse me of deserting them in

Nan Peletz Grand-Jean ’67 and her beau at her daughter’s wedding

favor of older and better kids with better prospects. Speaking of daughters, all are well. Healthy, happy, educated, and (sort of) self-sufficient! In late 2013, middle daughter Rosemary married her Harvard Business School section-mate, and they now live in S.F. and work for tech companies. Oldest daughter Claire is a big event lighting designer lives here as well.

In her spare time, she is deeply involved in managing/rebuilding our Echo cabin and doing other practical jobs that require incredible skills that she certainly never got from me. Youngest daughter Katharine left the State Department,

Katy Bates Kreitler ’67 with her husband and daughter

60 class notes

where she handled human rights and Internet freedom. She is now in N.Y.C. handling Internet tech policy for NYU Stern’s Center for Business and Human Rights. We regularly go to Echo Lake in the Sierras, where our cabin is only accessible by boat or a 1.5 mile hike and has no electricity, no plumbing, no nothing—the perfect antidote to living in downtown S.F. In general, I love to fish, garden, go to films, and lately have begun to explore Serbian, Russian, and Greek Orthodox masses to hear their music. I go east regularly to visit my mother in D.C., who at almost 93, has an iMac, iPad, and iPhone and emails hourly. I would dearly love to see every one of you, in any combination! My mother, who sent three girls to SC, continually says our class was by far the most interesting. My other fond desire is to quit my job and find a way to rent a large spectacular house for two months each summer in a different part of the world.” Lisa Dollar Buehler: “It’s 1 degree with a wind chill of -20 here in Chicago where I have been living for the past seven years. Bill Escamilla and I are still happily unmarried in River North, a fun neighborhood downtown. I still represent Buehler Vineyards and have made some very nice placements for the wines in Chicago. I am on a social committee for the governing board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. My back and forth schedule is erratic so it’s hard to commit. I make my plans month by month, trying to fit in the symphony performances, my weekly card game at The University Club, personal trainer, and girlfriend dinners. Seems like I’m always missing out on something fun either here or in S.F. or Napa. Every month, I fly back to see my children and grandchildren in the Napa Valley where I

Chris von Drachenfels ’67 with her daughter and granddaughter

still have a house in St. Helena. Page (36), Helen (28), and Jonathan (26) work for Buehler Vineyards and Lindsay (34) is married to Sean Garvey, whose family owns Flora Springs Winery. He is their vineyard manager and she is a freelance photographer. They have two children, Graham (5) and Sabine (2). Helen has moved to Chicago two floors above us so I see her almost daily. We have so much fun together at the gym three times a week and out and about around town to our various clubs. She does a lot of traveling as Buehler’s national sales manager. My mother died in March so I find myself, as an only child, with a lot of financial responsibility all of a sudden and I am sometimes overwhelmed. Luckily I have Bill to help me. Thanks in part to Katy Lewis and Anne Neill who wrote two of my seven (!) letters of recommendation for my co-op Board interview, I have a new place at the Royal Towers at 1750 Taylor St. in the city. I am so excited and cannot wait to move in.” Carolyn Layton Garner-Reagan: “I am enjoying retirement after over three years. On May 30, my daughter Caryn and her husband Mike became parents of Logan. My husband Michael and I are totally smitten!

This has been ‘the year of the house.’ We finally upgraded our 1926 garage so Michael has a workshop and we added a large hobby room behind it. We also added a great patio and as I write, large amounts of dirt are being pumped in for new, drought tolerant landscaping front and back. We haven’t given up traveling and next month will go to Southeast Asia, taking a cruise from Singapore to a Hong Kong, with stops in Vietnam before going on to Bangkok to see college friends.

Vietnam is of special importance to Michael since he did a tour of duty on a hospital ship in 1966. I coordinate the transportation ministry at All Saints Church, our wonderful Episcopal Church. The aim is to try to help people get not only to church, but also to doctors appointments. I also continue to do contract research at The Huntington Library for clients who live too far away or don’t qualify for readers’ privileges.

Melissa King and I have seen each other a few times this year as she has traveled south for family and educational opportunities and I have traveled north to see my stepdaughter Rebecca and her husband, as well as family and friends in Northern California.” Mary Sweetland Laver: “My December included both a

meeting with a minister who spent time in Ferguson doing reconciliation and justice work this fall, and a reunion with a relative who has been estranged for almost 15 years! Lance and I are both on ‘second careers’ now, closely tied to our faith communities (his Jewish, mine Catholic).

He works on a number of peace and interfaith programs and initiatives. I consult for Catholic Relief Services and Catholic higher education institutions on engaging faculty in programs that support grassroots initiatives in the developing world (such as ending industrial slavery in Brazil). We’re also working with a Philadelphia-area interfaith community organization to advocate for changes in public policies that disproportionately hurt the working poor (especially wage policies and public school funding). It feels like an incredible moment of potential healing and change now, symbolized by Pope Francis, who is coming to Philadelphia this fall. Both our son Nathan and daughter Claire got happily married in the last 18 months, and we are of course delighted! Nathan, newly moved to L.A., is a filmmaker/ videographer working with corporate clients. Claire, settled in Philadelphia, shepherded a nonprofit agency toward successful completion of a major skate park next to the Philadelphia Museum of Art last year.” Catherine Caufield: “I’m breaking the habit of a lifetime by chiming in. In the past, I adhered to Dr. Johnson’s philosophy: ‘No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money.’ But that was when I was writing for a living. Now I am only too eager to foist my thoughts upon my innocent classmates. I’ve been living in the small town of Inverness, CA for 20 years. About 15 years ago, after 20 years of writing books and working for English and American newspapers and magazines, a local environmental group (the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin) needed an executive director and I took the job on. It was interesting (and super stressful) running a one-woman office, doing everything from writing newsletters, to learning my way around planning regulations, to putting on art shows, to mobilizing the troops to protect streams, sands dunes, and wilderness in general. A lot of what we do now is protect West Marin County from people who are attracted to the beautiful landscape that we have managed to preserve. I’m no longer working full-time, though I keep my hand in on local issues and am on the board of

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Rainforest Action Network, a cause I’ve been committed to for 35 years. For the past few years, though, I’ve been mostly pottering: taking walks, a little light gardening, cooking, reading, playing with my cats, thinking, and travelling. I am a world-class loller, and have tutored many grateful friends in the art of doing not-alot. However, I am beginning to feel that I want a challenge. Not anything too strenuous, just a little project, perhaps involving writing, though doing it for money has lost a lot of its allure in recent years and Dr. Johnson insists that there is no other reason. Thanks to my dear husband, Terry, I won in the grandchildren lottery without having to actually have children. That is lots of fun, though unlike lucky Roz Boswell Seysses, we have to go to Memphis to see them. Ah well, soon we hope to have another, from his daughter who lives very near us. Terry and I both feel that now is a good time to travel, while we are still healthy. Last year we were in Istanbul, which was really fun.

Roz joined us part of the time, to look for beautiful spring bulbs. I also went to England for a Jane Austen conference, which was a hoot. This year Terry and I are going to Ireland and Scotland. In the last year or so, I’ve seen Joanne Bosche Ehrlich, Nan Peletz Grand-Jean, Katy Lewis, Sue Lloyd, Laurie Bechtel Dachs, and Gina Hearst Randt. I feel so lucky to have such good friends of long-standing.

All my closest friends are from Santa Catalina.” Gael Linford Donovan: “For the past 9 years, I have been in Carmel in the house where I grew up. I spend most of my time painting, some playing with yarn and fabric, and some playing with the pups. Oh, and reading, of course.” Mary Whitney Kenney: “I am still practicing law with East West Bank, which is now the 25th largest bank in the U.S. I have been there through seven tumultuous years with them. My two sons have now produced three lovely grandchildren (with the help of their dear wives). They are ages 1, 2, and 3, so still lots of fun. My husband Leonard has been retired for a few years now, and keeps very busy with many activities and many friends, plus he cooks.

We managed to travel to Rome for the canonization of John Paul II and John XXIII, which was very inspiring, and Rome itself was a blast. I am looking forward to retirement in my future, and being supported by my children. I turn 65 in 2015, so it’s a big year for me!” Joan

Dubrasich Anspach: “Believe it or not I actually like this age the best of all so far, and I might be gaining some perspective after all these years. I have lived in the same house in Piedmont for the past 30 years. My three children are grown and married. They have blessed me with four grandbabies. Thankfully they all live in the Bay Area so I am a busy grandmother and the babies are growing up with close ties to their cousins. I am still working as a paralegal and edit an annual handbook for homeowners on condominium law. Last time I tried to quit my boss gave me a fifty percent raise so I am stuck with this job for the time being. I work from home, so I can’t complain. My husband, Bill, is an avid car collector and on the board of our local corvette club. We have caravanned to Kentucky, Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, Death Valley, and British Columbia with this group. Trunk space is limited in a corvette but they really boogie! Bill and I are looking forward to a trip to Paris and a Viking River Cruise from Normandy to Avignon this summer. I should be brushing up on my French but I’m afraid it’s hopeless. I am in awe of those of you who have mastered other languages. Still, I am excited to see Paris again after 40 years.” Renata Engler: “In July 2013, I finally retired from active duty military service after 38 years, but was still heavily engaged in the research platform that I had helped to build. Due to the downsizing and government shut downs, I had to quickly become a Red Cross volunteer so that I could continue to help support the mission and keep working on our papers evolving from 10 long years of research projects. In the last year, I dealt with some personal health issues. I had my hyperparathyroid tumors removed and began to recover from some challenging years of chronic, progressively worsening bone pain. That and other not-so-fun symptoms were blamed on stress but at least were curable. I am so grateful and feel worlds younger and healthier than I have in years! As I wrote last year, my precious husband of 36 years has had a very tough decade of health challenges and disability. But this year, with four major surgeries behind us, years of almost total disability (wheelchair and walker bound), we are harvesting the fruits of a lot of relentless caregiving and working on health and healing with success! We live near a beautiful park in north Silver Spring, MD where we so enjoy our long

Grandsons of Melissa Smith Ribner ’67

walks and the ability to reconnect with the beauty in our world around us. We had to sell our condo in Bellingham, WA as JD’s health issues made moving there practically impossible. We will just have to visit on occasion. Our home here is designed for caregiving and any accessible need so it is hard to let go of that security blanket. Earlier this year, I started a job working at the Integrative Cardiac Health Project (ICHP) as a part of a research team focused on improving earlier diagnosis and stratification of cardiovascular disease risk, sex differences in disease manifestation and prognosis, and risk reduction through comprehensive lifestyle changes. I am their newly coined cardio-immunologist and loving the work as well as sharing brainstorming time with a remarkable group of dedicated people.

My life remains busier than I would like, but I also love what I do and what I am able to contribute to. While we have no children or grandchildren, we have a wonderful extended adopted family of many generations and are able to mentor and encourage many young folks at different stages in their life journey.”

Michelle La Mothe: “This is Nancy Narcissus having no grandchildren to as yet prattle on about, sorrowful to say goodbye to a great year, solo around the world trip, Chinese New Year’s in Hong Kong, fascinated by DMZ, incredible India, retracing French heritage in Réunion, researching to update my mother’s historical text, studying life drawing, fabulous dinner party on Memorial Day for 65, playing a hysterical form of boozy bridge, teaching Mah Jongg, returning to South America for the winter, then back to on-going medical program (pediatric heart) in Nicaragua,

62 class notes

Members of the Class of 1967 enjoying a mini-reunion.

just finished a movie in N.Y.C. and named a chair at the Globe’s Wanamaker in London. Family is all peachy. Live in Grasse five months now.” Marjorie Helm: “Life continues to be rich, full, and satisfying for Chip and me. After 37 years together (with a few off for good behavior), we seem to have established a sweet balance. Chip retired in October after 40 years in human services mostly working with seniors. We took a breath, gave a party, and headed for Cuba! We had a wonderful time with a focus on health care and the arts. Thinking that it would open up soon, we wanted to get there before McDonald’s! I’m still happily working after all these years. My heart is fed by the clinical work that I’ve now done for ten years with Hospice of Petaluma and Memorial Hospice in bereavement support for parents whose children have died. I also continue to coordinate and teach for a MSW program in Sonoma County. My work as cofounder of Petaluma’s celebration of El Día de los Muertos has me in emeritus status as we head into our 15th year of the now monthlong celebration. I continue to support the work of the Petaluma Day Labor Initiative. Chip and I are exploring the possibility of living six months of the year in a Spanish-speaking country and six months in our beloved Petaluma, starting with an extended stay in Mexico this fall.”

Laurie Hammonds Hall: “I’m not sure what I’ve contributed to change the world but my world has been pretty full. Norman Schultz and I just celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary and are having a really nice life. We just finished building a home in Yountville in the Napa Valley and are wonderfully close to my daughter Katie and her three children (1, 3, and 5) who live just a few miles away. Son Jason and his son are in the Bay Area so also

close. Norman and I spend winters in Palm Desert playing lots of golf, which we love. My son Cage and Norman’s son Gus are both in L.A.—always a good reason for a day trip.” Katy Bates Kreitler: “Peter and I traveled to Australia last year. No swimming off the beautiful beaches due to deadly jellyfish! Our second trip was to Antigua, Guatemala where we toured a coffee plantation and stayed in the most beautiful hotel amongst the ruins. Then Lake Atitlan to walk the mounds of our friend’s recently discovered Mayan ruins, followed by a community project sponsored by HELP, installing stoves in a hilltop village overlooking the lake. I talked to our classmate Monica Herrera de Soler but, unfortunately, our paths did not cross this trip. Peter’s grandfather built a home on Cape Cod in 1937 where we continue to spend our summers paddle boarding, water skiing, cruising, kayaking, and swimming. We work to preserve the area by supporting the Wellfleet Audubon Society and the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod. Behind the scene, I worked with Peter who completed a collaborative project with our wedding photographer (1985) that culminated in April at a photo exhibit entitled “No Es Basura”—fine art photographs of trash collected on the Santa Monica Beach and the environmental story behind each piece. Laura is working for Zenefits and enjoying her life in S.F. Peter’s grown kids have given us three grandchildren (14, 14, and 11). We love seeing them and hearing about all the activities they are able to cram into a day. I continue to sell residential real estate for Berkshire Hathaway (a 40 year career!). Never a dull moment!” Ann Kuchins: “I will be talking with Nexant about staying on parttime; not because I will be bored in retirement but because I am just a little nervous about running out of money, which seems to be the new anxiety as we are living longer. Nexant is a sustainable energy company and I work on smart grid software, which has introduced me to electrical engineering. I have plenty of things to do in retirement: acting, League of Women Voters activities, and volunteer work. Specifically, I would like to do some international volunteer work so I am open to suggestions. My 92-year-old mother has had full-time care for the past six years in her assisted living facility so I have been overseeing her affairs and her care. As many of you know, it is difficult to see someone fade away from you little by little,

but since I have never had the responsibility of raising children, I am appreciative of the opportunity to care for someone else. The daughter of Tulita Kuchins Gibson ’68 is engaged as is the step-daughter of Lucy Kuchins Pantoskey’s ’78. Tulita knew Kaytea’s fiancé quite well and she would be very happy about this marriage. Jane Kuchins ’70 is still in Australia and has had a Chinese immigrant family living with her as the family tries to get established and improve their English. My brother Andy still works for the CSIS think tank so you may see him on TV or hear him on the radio talking about Russia. My retirement present to myself is a trip to China in the fall with Cal Alumni Travel.” Nan Peletz Grand-Jean: “My daughter Addie is working as an internist at the University of Washington. She married in July and is happily settling into their new house. My son Willie is working part-time at The Chronicle and part-time at the Hearst Foundation. I’m living part-time in Napa and just bought an apartment in S.F., which I love. I still see Gina Hearst Randt, Roz Boswell Seyssess, Catherine Caufield and Joanne Bosche Ehrlich whenever possible. Had fun lunches with Lisa Dollar Buehler, Katy Lewis and Liz Moffitt ’68 in Napa and with Laurie Bechtel Dachs in S.F. I finished a master’s in painting in 2013 and I am painting quite a bit (visit nanpeletz.com). My father will be 96 in May and my mother 87 in April.” Brenda Beckett: “Sold the place on San Juan Island, and bought a small condo in S.F., right across from AT&T Park. Moved here in October with my sweetheart, Dennis, and the world’s oldest, most curmudgeonly cat.” Chris von Drachenfels: “I’m adjusting to life in the north. It’s my third winter in Spokane and I’m finally happy to live here. After being a California born and bred old hippie type, I’m now registering to vote where there is no state income tax! We had a family reunion in Carmel Valley in September and I also inherited the management of all von Drachenfels’ family business. I will be very busy for the next few years. My daughter Eline and husband Christopher have produced my third grandbaby, Linnea. I love all of my grandbabies, but Linnea is the first one I see almost every day. It is so special and makes me so happy. My son, Mike, is living in Ukiah and has begun a wood business, Old Souls Timber Works, if

class notes 63

anyone in NorCal wants custom furniture from old growth wood. As a spiritual mentor said frequently, ‘All things are as they should be. Some days are more to my liking than others, and all things are subject to change.’” Monica Stockton: “I am still ranching. However, I have moved to Grants Pass, OR.” Cece Morken Gadda: “My life in Idaho is fairly mellow these days, comprised of editing books, daily workouts, and taking care of my mom 93 who is still sharp. I travel, I ski in the winter months, and I do volunteer work in my parish. My husband, Dave, retired after 40 years of being a corporate attorney and has turned into a terrific house-husband, taking over the shopping, cooking, and yard work to balance out his hobbies and work on his second book (the first is a collection of short stories). I feel quite grateful. Our three grandkids, who live in Palo Alto and S.F., are a joy to spend time with, so we try to visit the Bay Area four to five times a year. They were with us in Idaho for two weeks of skiing over the Christmas break.

Our daughter, Jen, director of productions at Court Theatre in Chicago, and her husband, Ben, purchased a teardown duplex early this year and restored it to earlier glory through a lot of hard work.

I flew out in June to help them paint. Dave and I found our way back to Paris again this past summer, our favorite foreign city, and farther south to Barcelona. The interior of the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is truly one of the most awe-inspiring cathedrals I’ve ever entered. As always before foreign travel, I amuse myself with months of intensive language study. I’m pretty sure I will draw the line at languages that don’t use a phonetic alphabet.” Sue Lloyd: “All is okay with me and Glenn in the little Florida beach town of St. Augustine where we are settled. In 2015 this town celebrates its 450th anniversary as the oldest continuously Europeansettled spot in the U.S.” Vicki MacLean Gourlay: “I had a short visit with Anne Neill, Wynn Woodward, and Gay Callan last summer and would like to get together more often. After living in the city of Vancouver all my life, I have finally bought a farm and moved the horses and dogs to the country, which I love. My children and grandchildren (3, 5, 7, and 9) come to visit and it is total bedlam, but we have a good time. My five children are all on the West Coast now so it is easy for us to get together. I continue to teach people with

disabilities to ride horses and make sure I get on a horse most days myself. My eldest daughter, Jenny, and I are training show jumpers and have made several trips to Ireland lately looking for prospects. Both my parents passed away two years ago and I lost my husband four years ago. It has been a very different couple of years. Life is such an interesting journey.” Mo Ragan Rafael: “I’m on the Big Island acting in the role of aunty and ‘Tutu’ to my niece and her children. I am staying with a dear friend, my former minister in Encinitas, and a former hula sister. Back home in Encinitas, my favorite winter occupation is to take long walks on the beach from Leucadia down to Solana Beach and beyond. I’m most of my way out of a very bleak, dark and sleepless three-year period of heavy metal poisoning. Thanks to my significant other Wall and his sister, a holistic nurse, turned me on to a crazywild, miracle-working naturopath in Cumming, GA who has helped me get back on my feet and healthy again. I’m back to hula class at last and loving it. My brain got so scrambled by the heavy metals that I couldn’t coordinate seeing and doing. It doesn’t hurt one bit that my Kumu Hula is a true channel of the Aloha spirit, as well as a practitioner of Ho’oponopono (the ancient Hawaiian practice of Forgiveness— which is very different from the Christian version of same). Katy Lewis took time out of her very busy, pre-wedding day schedule in June to meet me for a cup of coffee in S.F. We hatched out a plan to take a road trip through California this spring to sprinkle everyone with some ‘spirit of our next reunion’ fairy dust.” Roz Boswell Seysses: “I’m still in France. The younger generation has taken over the winery in Burgundy, so Jacques and I are focusing on the winery in Provence, which after 20 years is finally prospering. Lots of sweat and tears, but I’m glad we hung in there and saw the project through to success.

Our sons, their wives, and grandchildren (7, 4, and 1) live within a few miles so this means we see a lot of each other. I feel lucky to be surrounded by family, dog, cats, and chickens. Saw Nan in Paris in early November and had so much fun seeing her that I could have kicked myself for not staying an extra day. I was in New York in late November, where I saw not only Joanne Bosche Ehrlich, but Wynn Woodward. She looked terrific, and seemed terrific.” Wynn Woodward: “I spend my time back and forth from

Carmel, Vancouver, Cabo, Savary Island and the occasional trip to N.Y.C. Instead of our usual summer group, Anne Neill and her girls, and Gay and her daughter Georgina came to Savary. It was sort of a reunion for Anne’s girls as they spent almost 15 summers there but had not been for ten years. It was Georgina’s first visit.

My usual trip to Cabo in November with Joan Seamster and Joanne Bosche Ehrlich didn’t happen because of Hurricane Odile, which created lots of damage. I decided to go visit them in N.Y.C. where I met up with Roz Boswell Seysses and Gina Hearst Randt. Anne Neill, Louise Vessey Edwards and Pam Leggett Grady will hopefully come to Cabo in April. I have no more horses in Carmel—just a vegetable garden, chickens, a cow that I own with my neighbor and his two goats. Lots of fruit and citrus trees, so we have ongoing preserves. I’m retired from all my boards except a land trust.”

Cathy Quarre Alexander: “The Alexander Family is well and thriving.

Husband Scott is semi-retired but working with our son John in our Mexican corp.

His family moved from McAllen, TX to Seattle about a year ago with kids Scottie (7) and Hayden (3). John’s wife, Kristie, works for Shire drug company in the rare disease segment. Our daughter Sara Alexander Vanis ’98 and husband Mark and their two children, Mimi (7) and Mark (3), live in Pasadena and are a blast.

As I mentioned, Scott is doing well after having had deep brain surgery for Parkinson’s at UCSF.” Laurie Bechtel Dachs: “We are finally back in our house after a two-year remodel and staying in two different rentals during that period. I

Mary Kenney Whitney ’67 with her granddaughter

64 class notes

still run the family foundation, which grew from a part-time staff of three to a full-time staff of almost forty. We are closing our doors in 2020 and have a lot of work to do in the interim. Not much time to enjoy much else other than five grandkids with two more this spring. I went off the Stanford University Board of Trustees as well the Nature Conservancy due to overload, though I still serve on a few outside groups and I am very committed to conservation efforts. My oldest son started his own information management company and now has most of the major movie production companies as clients. He is starting to get a few hours of sleep a night when not tending, with his wife, to three kids. Abby, our oldest daughter, taught school for years and now tutors and mothers her two-year-old, with another baby expected this summer.

Emily, after working in design in L.A. for a period of time, takes care of her twoyear-old and will move back to Bay Area this winter in time to have her second.

Michael, youngest of our four, is working for Bechtel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under trying conditions. His wife, a civil engineer and very resourceful young woman, is stuck in a half-built compound (very conservative city in Saudi) so no working or leaving the compound unaccompanied! She has started a pilates business on the side (very underground) but takes frequent trips home to reserve some semblance of mental health. Alan is doing well after breaking his neck skiing and then having a serious cycling accident two years later. He still runs Fremont Group but taking more time to cycle and fish. He works way less than I at this point!

The biggest event for me this year was that I recently sold the remote ranch I had in Round Valley in Northern California. A magical place but I was only getting up there once or twice a year. We used the property to retire our old show horses and the oldies but goodies from the Thacher School, as well as raise bulls for the rodeo circuit.” Joan Seamster: “Our last child graduated college and is now living and working for IBM in N.Y.C. So we’ve tackled downsizing, moving closer to Boston, streamlining our ‘stuff,’ and living a gypsy-life while we renovated our new place. I also stepped off a couple of boards, allowing me to focus on my branding and communication business. I have a partnership that focuses on marketing for values-based organizations

and independent schools. I enjoy the work and the challenge. We have two grandchildren, thanks to Dexter’s oldest son who lives in S.F. and works at Twitter.

His other son is a landscape architect living and working in N.Y.C.—he did the landscaping for the Koons split-rocker installation in Rockefeller Center this summer. My husband has a travel-by-sail business, Sailing Ship Adventures, which includes travel on Tall Ships. We checked out the Matthew Turner Tall Ship being built in Sausalito while in S.F.—worth a visit if you like boat-building and/or woodworking. I caught up over breakfast with Anne Neill in S.F., spent time with Wynn Woodward and Joanne Bosche Ehrlich in N.Y.C., and almost had a visit with Martha Motheral Martin.” Melissa Smith Ribner: “The whole family (three sons, two grandsons) migrated to Portland, OR from Connecticut—home for 35 or so years—so we decided to follow five years ago. I finished up a bunch of years of teaching, so we could swing it financially. My life is fairly ‘Portlandia,’ which suits me well. My days are filled up with yoga, volunteering at food bank farm, teaching exercise to seniors, babysitting and wine making (such a fun hobby to make pinot noir and gris in my daughterin-law’s cellar). My husband and I have a little camper for coastal and mountain getaways. In between the wonderful moments are struggles with our condo defect construction lawsuit. We love our little spot right in the middle of a vibrant part of town, but shoddy workmanship has led to challenges that we had not anticipated in our ‘golden years.’ Can’t wait for it to be over. The grandsons are such a joy! I’m holding out for a girl. The other two sons are musicians, so it may be a while.” Claudia Jones Shepheard: “The last three years, Mike and I have lived life mostly apart. I was living and working in Reno/Sparks, NV and he has been in Las Vegas taking care of his mom. She passed away in December 2013 and I retired in June and moved down to Las Vegas to be with Mike. We sold the house in Sparks and I moved in with him in Sun City. It is a wonderful senior community with lots of amenities, golf, swimming pools, and lots of activities. The transition back to being a couple has gone very well. Never thought I wanted to live in Las Vegas but I couldn’t ask for nicer surroundings, so I am adjusting. Andrea suffered through a divorce last year and is still working on

details, but she keeps herself busy teaching her Zumba classes and has a big following.

She and her three children were all here for Christmas and we had a great time.

Her oldest son Josh (21) is still trying to find himself, and Chris (14) is doing well in school and played football on the freshman team this year. Jennifer (12) loves the cheer circuit, and her squad competed all over California last year.

Our son Brian was here, too, and he is doing very well working for Intact Insurance in Toronto.” Mary Ann Vasconcellos: “I stayed fairly close to home, raising the traditional ‘yours, mine and ours family’ in San Luis Obispo and teaching at our community college. Along the way, husband Dave and I acquired a small cabin in Big Sur, which burned in the 2008 Basin Complex fire. While I greatly enjoyed the diversity and challenges at the community college level, I needed to provide oversight for the cabin rebuild so I retired early and moved back to Monterey County. My husband retired a few years later as campus minister to Cal Poly and followed me. We’ve been here ever since! Meanwhile, in a turn-of-thetables, our children solidified their career paths and managed to move back to San Luis Obispo County, so Dave and I return quite regularly to visit our grandchildren.

Every couple of years we’ll spend time in France with our exchange daughter and her family, or the northwest with extended family and friends, or pack into the Sierras. This year we’ll break away to spend a month or two in the southwest. I continue to keep up commitments to those nonprofits near and dear to my heart. And in Big Sur, I struggle with tensions, similar to those described by Catherine Caufield, between values to preserve our beautiful environment and resident species while accommodating (maybe even educating?) the four million tourists overrunning this stunning coast. I have rekindled my friendship with Janette Coustette Moody. That girl puts me to shame; she’s an active grandma, traveler, painter, jewelry maker, business woman, and party planner. But it’s been fun reviving our friendship, the duration of which Janette enjoys announcing to random groups. It’s sobering when folks look at us aghast like we should be in a museum someplace. Ah, life!” Anne Neill: “I feel fortunate being able to stay in touch with classmates, meeting many of them in S.F., Carmel, Napa or on

class notes 65

wonderful beaches in Canada and Mexico.

As Wynn Woodward mentioned, my daughters, Caroline and Lauren, accompanied me on the Canada trip this past summer. The trips often end up being mini-reunions as Wynn invites several from our class to her beach homes.

A few months ago, I joined a friend on a magical island, Tetiaroa, in French Polynesia, staying in a villa hut. My sister MaryBeth Neill ’69 and I continue to purchase Squaw Valley season ski passes, in hopes that the drought will end and that snow will magically appear on the mountain. Life is not all trips to beaches and mountains as I’m still working. I really like my job. It’s part-time and I can work from home, running the regulatory side of a research program for a scientific institute. Exciting news for me is that my older daughter, Caroline, got engaged on New Year’s Day. Our whole family loves Andrew, everyone is exceedingly happy.”

1968 Eugenie Schlueter emschl@sbcglobal.net Laurie Gregg lagregg@aol.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1969 Virginia Sewell vsewell@mac.com

The year 2014 marked our 45th reunion.

It was such fun reconnecting! Theresa May Duggan reported, “I had a great time at reunion last March!” I think all of us came away with new insights, better appreciations, and deeper (or perhaps just more mature) understandings of each other. As Gail Frick-Barmby wrote, “I am taken with how much this weekend was enjoyed by all. It was engaging, inspiring,

stimulating and fun! The interactions with each one of you were delightful. Our class consists of such warm, wonderful, intelligent and kind women. I enjoyed everyone immensely.” Since then, our class has added more grandchildren, new travel destinations, more studies, a few retirements, and at least one new career.

Here is the news from a few intrepid responders. Victoria Ames BernstorffGyldensteen asks the pertinent questions: “What is important 40 plus years on?

Where have we been or where we are going?” Apparently, Victoria is going lots of places. “Last year was a year full of travel for me. Amongst other places, my husband and I spent a week in Greenland. Seeing at least some of Greenland ranked very high on my bucket list. Next year, I hope to be in Scotland where I have a house near Edinburgh and will be studying at the Open University: psychology, history and philosophy, thereby keeping some of the old brain cells working. Use it or lose it!” Terry Whitney Baganz has also been on the move with her job, which she is happy to still have. “I am still working at BHP Billiton, working in Mexico at the moment. And no, I have not been affected by the low oil prices, though I know of plenty of geoscientists who are struggling as they look for employment.” She also attended the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Continental Congress in D.C. Julia Donohue Schwartz has seen the light and is moving to the great state of Oregon.

And she’s not reining in her reining activities. “We are in the throes of moving out of California! We bought a property in Eagle Point, OR and it is 37 acres and has a lovely small, one level home on it and Don has his own ‘workshop’ building. It does not have a barn so we will build one in the spring. We already have the plans and are just waiting for the ground to get stable to start grading the pad. It has a 27-acre hayfield on it and we are working to find someone to cut and bale the grass when it is time. This way we can keep what we need and sell the rest. Onward we are going with our lives and a new location with new adventures! My horse trainer is about five minutes from the house and I can ride over there as soon as my back will let me. We hope to move in March.” Noel “Tiny” Garin Bock is a moving force in her tiny town. “I am happy, healthy and retired as of November! So, that means gardening, watercoloring, some travel and lots of community politics as I am on the

Patty Look Lewis, Pam Walsh Coakley, and Anne Gregory Knight, all from the Class of 1969, celebrating with friends and family

community council in teeny Davenport, just north of Santa Cruz. I am trying (and failing so far) to get back into good physical shape by going to the gym. To me, being over 60 means a great life with time for connections to family, grandkids, friends, and community.” Lorna MacKay Smith is staying put for a while. “Don and I continue to love living in Livermore. We are five minutes from Katie, our daughter, and her family. This means lots of Nana and Grandpa time with Olivia (3.5) and Zoey (1.5). I am still working at Kaiser in Pleasanton (14 years) and Don is curator at the Livermore Heritage Guild. He is almost finished getting his master’s in history.” Laurie Watson Raymond, too, is still working in the medical field of psychiatry. “I’m enjoying my private practice in Boston, and my husband Pete is planning to retire from teaching this June. My daughter Maria had her second son this past December. We loved being with her in Lexington, KY, for several weeks to help out. Her three-year-old is waiting for his younger brother to be able to play! Our son Josh is in L.A. and working in film and TV editing/ production—our only family member in California.” Pam Walsh Coakley says she is busier than ever with her real estate practice in Denver. In fact, she helped my daughter and son-in-law sell one house and buy another. Thank goodness for friends in all the right places! She is excited that her son is getting married to her daughter’s best friend, and both of her children will be living blocks apart in S.F. I (Virginia Sewell) have managed to

66 class notes

The Class of 1970 at Reunion 2015

do all of the things mentioned in the first paragraph: added a grandchild (Cooper), traveled to France for a friend’s wedding, studied interior design at my community college (free after 62), retired from one career, and took on another. After 40 years in the education field as a learning disability specialist, teacher, professor, school founder/administrator, I have taken a leap into real estate. Having bought and sold so many houses for myself and my children, I figured I might as well start earning commissions. So as of January, I am a broker with Windermere Stellar in Portland. And my first clients are Santa Catalina women that I met at a recent alumnae gathering! And as Patty Look Lewis observes, there is a part of us that maintains our connections with each other. “And I also realize there’s a part of me that’s never out of contact with any of you. It’s a funny thing. I am writing this while lying in a hammock next to my new filly’s corral. Her name is Morning Star. We have a star theme here with my daughter named Estelle. I have a baby substitute, as Estelle is a junior in college near Chicago. Most mornings I am up early enough to see the morning star when I turn her out into the pasture. Such a peaceful way to start the day. During the day I am busy teaching things I love to learn. Painting, horseback riding,

meditation, the work of Byron Katie. I often think about all the fun we had at Catalina.”

1970 Marie Cantin rapideye1@aol.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1971

DeDe Rogers dede.rogers@comcast.net Patty Lee Schminke schminke@comcast.net Sara Lawrence Thom: “I am still plodding along on my linguistics MA, which is coming along slowly, as I have

quite a lot more work to do now that I am chairing the assessment committee at the college. I volunteer with one of the animal rescue groups, of which there are three in Doha. I love spending time with the creatures and it is a huge relief to see that some care is given to the street animals in Qatar. My sons are well. Max is still enjoying his studies at the University of Auckland, and pulling A’s. Robert graduated from UC Davis this year. He really enjoyed his summer internship in D.C. and will be attending Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies) next year. This is the area of study that both he and his brother love. I spent Christmas with Robert in France, with five days in Paris and five in the Pyranees with Robert’s girlfriend’s family. It has been another extremely busy year for me. I was very wise to spend the summer here in Qatar. I was feeling very tired and absolutely loved staying ‘home’ here, with very little to do. I spent twelve days traveling in Thailand to refresh my eyes with the green. I spent some time on an island and some at an elephant sanctuary with rescued and retired elephants. I just loved it, and came back to the desert feeling rejuvenated. I enjoyed the Eid break (in October) in Istanbul. I’ve been to Turkey several times and I always love it.

This time the city was jammed with holiday crowds, but I enjoyed it all and spent every day happily walking the streets.” Ariane Berthoin Antal: “I celebrated the milestone of turning 60 in May, very joyfully and healthily. The next family milestone is that our second daughter Rachelle was married in December. Although she and her fiancé lived in Germany, she chose to do it in Carmel, like David and I did in 1975 and her sister Soscha did in 2006. It meant that we celebrated Christmas in California for the first time in ages. We visited our actor son Ian in New York this past summer when I flew to the States to attend the Academy of Management in Philadelphia. It was then that he announced his wedding, too—which will be in New York next September. And when we visited our eldest daughter in Seattle in October, she announced that she is expecting our third grandchild. This year promises to bring more family excitement. In terms of professional achievements, I am completing my sevenyear research program on artistic

class notes 67

interventions in organizations, with many articles and two edited books. Next year, I will embark on a new research program, which I very much look forward to. I will, of course, continue to publish articles on artistic interventions with the rich range of case material I have been collecting.”

Hilary Wickersham Clark: “Life is pretty much the same in Pasadena. Richard has taken up cycling with a vengeance. We have our first grandchild and, of course, he is adorable. My children have requested a family cookbook so I am working on that.

I am trying to remember some of my mother’s 1950s recipes that are so in vogue now. I’m currently working on a community garden project teaching lowincome families how to grow their own vegetables.” Sheila Cooley: “I still manage to be an attorney 40 hours a week, but after so many years it is a surprising day when the passions get running—although right now I am representing a former prostitute in an interesting and, so far, heartwarming case. With the deaths and illness of friends and family surrounding us, sometimes the focus on the small stuff, or beautiful horizons, is the most rewarding. I have always loved my family and friends, but seem to be loving nature more and more. We live in a country full of beauty, for which I am grateful.” Leslie Fancher Rodman: “I continue to enjoy retirement in San Luis Obispo. I play golf a couple times a week. I am in an all women’s nonprofit organization that raises funds throughout the year to give to children in need in our county. Also, we continue to travel as much as we can.”

Bridget Sanders Barlow: “I am having so much fun following you all on Facebook!

It’s like no time has passed at all, and everyone seems to have turned out nicely!”

Carol Hamerly Moses: “2014 kept me busy with work, including three trials and a bazillion motion hearings, as well as my work on the boards of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Trust and Madera Arts Council. I enjoyed hikes through the Sierras, including a wonderful backpack trip to the base of Banner Peak and Mt. Ritter, and a trip up Mt. Whitney. This year was the 23rd annual 36-mile transSierra day hike (from Tuolumne Meadows to Devil’s Postpile) with a friend from law school. Interesting to note that 23 years ago we started at five in the morning and got done by five in the afternoon. We now start at two in the morning and get done

by seven at night! Rand is staying busy with his work at Oracle, managing our homes in Yosemite West as vacation rentals and Traildesigns.com, which have some new products coming online soon. My 93-year-old mom ended the year in the hospital with pneumonia, but once out of the hospital she perked right up and was back to her regular life in no time. I was fortunate to win a lottery spot for the Big Sur Marathon in April and, after knee surgery, I am finally believing that I will be able to finish the race.” Kit Charles: “Last year, I continued to work on very interesting projects in Africa, especially at the grassroots level, assisting entrepreneurs and farmers to access finance, social capital, and technical training. It is exciting to see an emerging ‘middle class’ in Sub-Saharan Africa but there is still a lot more to be done. This year, we hope to expand our coverage and investment promotion activities in other parts of Africa. I still have my condo in D.C. which is super, but being based in Paris for now is a wonderful experience.”

Jodi Ehrlich Kroening: “My husband Keith got his master’s degree in space systems engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. After years of hard work and effort, by myself and others, California finally passed an expanded film incentive to begin in 2015. Now, finally we expect work to return to CA. I spent two wonderful weeks with my mom on a cultural tour of Bali for Nyepi (Hindu New Year) last spring. I had a wonderful vacation in Woodside, our family home, last summer where I spent quality time catching up with Anne O’Leary, Nonie Bechtel Ramsay, and Jenny Budge. I spoke with Beth Reeves who is doing well and would love to catch up with any visitors to Santa Barbara. I spoke with Kathleen Sullivan who is doing great and enjoying the Palm Springs area. Kit Charles and I had a lovely annual Christmas holiday dinner.” Erica Sullivan Fuller: “My youngest, Ian, is almost finished with a two-year job working in southern Japan for the JET program. He’s an assistant English teacher in three middle schools. He’s loving it and learning Japanese. We’ve been twice to visit. Our oldest, Marc, is getting married to a terrific girl this June. We’re thrilled!” Lisa Coniglio Kaufmann: “It has been a wild year, as usual. 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of my first concert I ever

attended. It was August 19 at the Cow Palace and the headliners were The Beatles. It changed my life in the most wonderful way. My love for live performances was born that night. While working at KLRB, one of the original ‘underground” stations,’ I met a handful of awesome musicians; Bruce Springsteen and Bono among them. However, the best person I met was Mark, my amazing husband! We were fortunate enough to celebrate those 50 years at Candlestick Park’s final event with Paul McCartney and it was awesome! 2015 brings more concerts, Mark’s retirement on his 58th birthday, and a trip to Italy with my painting teacher. There, I will get to write while painting and photographing my homeland. It’s going to be another wild ride!” Patricia Lee Schminke: “Retirement allows me to go visit my mother in Carmel regularly, and we have good times. Of course, we have our daily phone calls and it’s fun telling her about my bridge lessons (since politics are off the table). Bob is still working and we try to do a sunset hike as many evenings as possible. I’m excited to turn 62 and get my ‘America the Beautiful’ National Parks lifetime pass for $10. We are looking forward to visiting more of them. We love to camp, kayak, ski, hike, bird watch and explore on four-wheel drive roads. I adore my nephews and nieces (including greats).

Thank goodness for Facebook to watch them grow so quickly, and the Internet for live NCAA soccer games. Next year is our 45th reunion and these are our last class notes until then. Please mark your calendars for March 2016 and hoping to see as many dear classmates as possible.”

Cheers from DeDe and Patricia!

1972

Suzanne Scoville suzanne.scoville@gmail.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

68 class notes

1973

Barbara Smith O’Brien barbara.obrien@candyusa.com

1974 Sally Fay calgal75@aol.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1975

Deanna Duoos Davis deanna.davis@yahoo.com It is the year of our 40th reunion! By the time you read this, the memories of our fun-packed weekend together will still be fresh in our minds and hearts.

Given that many of us will be present at reunion and have the opportunity to catch up on each other’s news, I asked those not attending to update us on their busy lives. Here’s the latest from the most awesome Class of ’75! Christine Blom Gomez got together in October over

Member of the Class of 1975: Katherine Schreiner Barnett, Cecily Marble Hintzen, Christine Blom Gomez, Yolanda Mitchell West, and Anne Kresl

lunch at a Mexican restaurant with a few classmates in the SoCal area, including Katherine Schreiner Barnett, Cecily Marble Hintzen, Yolanda Mitchell West and Anne Kresl. Chris shared that when Yolanda is not busy at her law firm as a technology administrator, she sings with a few choral groups in her spare time.

Anne shared that she is now residing in Mexico, living an adventure and putting her photography skills to work. Kudos to Anne for living out her dream! Not sure Anne can make the trek from Mexico, but Cecily is definitely attending our reunion as she offered last year to take on the fabulous task of preparing a selection of music, complete with an overhead screen photo presentation of the old days

The Class of 1975 at Reunion 2015

at Catalina. A big job and we’re all very grateful that Cecily offered her help in this department. Maria Teresa “Mayate” de Yturbe de Galvez got together over lunch last August with Jeannie Jagels Vaughn, Ann Kresl and Sarah Colmery Preston and shared the news that her son is currently getting his master’s at UCLA and getting married this year! She is busy with the wedding plans for her son, so unfortunately will not be able to make reunion. Speaking of Jeannie, she wrote from India where she is currently visiting with her daughter and son-in-law. While in India, Jeannie saw a Catholic school group with nuns and all—she remarked how it brought back memories of having to walk in formation to the Chapel.

Some things never change! Incidentally, Chris mentioned recently that Sarah Colmery Preston, who lives next to Sally Fay ’74, gets up at 6:30 every morning to hike into town for coffee at a local spot.

Now that sounds like a fun way to stay in shape! Barbara Taeuber Palan became a grandmother last year to twin baby girls. The twins made a surprise visit over Christmas, flying in from Minnesota to visit Barbara in San Diego. What a joy that must have been! Barbara has been a longtime volunteer and now sits on the board of directors for the San Diego River Park Foundation. Marian Keeler writes that is was fun to connect with Barbara Taeuber Palan this past year on Facebook.

Marian is co-author of the 2008 textbook on green building, Fundamentals for Integrated Design for Sustainable Buildings. She is currently

class notes 69

1976

Margaret Ganz itstartsat50@hotmail.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

Marian Keeler ’75 rebuilding her home

working on the deadline to complete her second edition due out this year.

She continues her work as an architect consultant for green, sustainable building design, construction, and certification.

She’s looking to set up a consultancy on health-based design and healthy building materials. She and her husband recently redesigned and rebuilt their family’s historic, 1934 West Sonoma home after a fir tree fell on it in 2012. Her son Joe (22) is currently working toward a degree in international relations with a focus on the Middle East. That should come in handy these days! Tanya Bilbeisi Buck, who lives in the woods of CO with her husband, trains horses and has just written and published a fantastic book called White Horse. Katy Moore-Kozachik writes that a movie she did painting for, Big Eyes, won a Golden Globe! Congratulations, Katy! Lastly, Meggan Laxalt Mackey shared that she took an early retirement from the Fish and Wildlife Service of Idaho in order to go back to school for her master’s degree. In her spare time she does freelance graphic design work for books and publications. She also continues her writing, and is doing some business with Studio M in Boise. I learned that we have yet a third author in our class, as Meg reported she has written and designed several books about Basques, and is excited because she now has the opportunity to finish work on a big book about Basques through the Boise State University and Boise’s Basque Museum.

On the family front, she reports that her brother, Paul, sadly passed away in August.

Barbara Taeuber Palan ’75 with her twin granddaughters

She says, “He was larger than life. Though Paul left us far too early, he left a mark upon our hearts forever.” Meg also reports that her daughter, Erin, who works in the university system in admissions in Portland, OR, is engaged to be married.

Erin is the light of her life! Meg says that recently she and her husband and four dogs moved from the foothills into the city of Boise where there are still many birds to feed. She misses everyone and thinks of Santa Catalina girls often. As for my life, Dede Duoos Davis, all you need to know is that I am ecstatic to report that late last year I wrapped up my farm fresh egg business. We spoiled our chickens rotten with our own home-grown organic vegetables in the summer and homegrown non-GMO wheat grass in the winter. Nothing is automated, of course.

Processing eggs kept me up until ungodly hours of the night, each egg hand-washed and hand-polished, wreaking havoc on my carpel tunnel—not to mention the demand far exceeded the supply! The idea of adding another 200 hens to the flock to meet our community’s needs when there is virtually no profit margin in this business was enough incentive for me to call it quits! So, the next time you eye those beautiful, farm-fresh eggs at your local market and question why they cost more than the commercial, tasteless white eggs, you’ll be reminded that the healthy, tasty alternative takes a lot of work.

1977 Julie Power Pantiskas aspenjp@aol.com

1978 Joan David lunanegra6@att.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1979

The Class of 1979 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Gretchen Mueller Burke ’83, Director of Alumnae Relations, to volunteer to serve your class in this meaningful way.

70 class notes

The Class of 1980 at Reunion 2015

1980 Dana DePuy Morgan danamorgan@mac.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1981

Marisa D’Amico marisad111@hotmail.com I was so excited to recently speak with Laura Lyon Gaon! She is as smart, funny and bubbly as ever! She is still on the Board of Trustees at Santa Catalina and has a daughter, Gracie (12), who will be attending soon! She lives and works in Sacramento at St. Michael’s School in Carmichael (along with Laura Farrior Stanley). Her oldest daughter recently returned from Scotland, where she attended and graduated college, and everyone is so happy to have her closer to home. Laura sees many Catalina alums, including Leslie Walker Burlock,

Molly Hogan Vatinel, Laura Farrior Stanley, Mimi Willoughby Santry, Brooke Meyers Hamilton, Jen Hately Ash, Johna Ramos Ward and others.

Joumana Fahim-Ganjuei: “I live in Dubai, but spend five months a year in France. My son Ryan lives in Nevada and my son Keyan lives in London, so I am waiting to see where they will settle after their universities so I can move closer to them. I am partner in a company in Paris, which does summits in innovations in communications. I am hoping that my boys will settle in California and we can all move back to Palo Alto.” Teri Booth: “2015 is a year for beginnings, given that we’ve all reached 50! I ready myself for the challenges, experiences, opportunities and successes yet to come. I am thrilled that more Catalinans have been connected via Facebook and always enjoy the random personal encounters—like running into Dorothea McFarland in Whole Foods Market in Napa a couple of times! I also saw Jennifer Burns (and “little” sister Dr. Stephanie Burns ’83, who is a professor at Napa Valley College) put her beautiful canines through their paces at trials in Dixon at “Herding 4 Ewe” and then sharing this with those who are tens of miles or thousands of miles away via Facebook. The most heart wrenching ‘Oh my gosh, when did I get old?’ moment so far was meeting the beautiful kids of Sabina d’Agliano-Luna —Montana looks

just exactly like Sam did in high school!

2015 has carried me back to S.F., still as a litigation paralegal with an Atlanta-based firm. I have found myself surrounded by an eclectic group of friends who have helped me recover the joy that had been missing in my life. If you’re a Facebook friend, then you’ve seen the posts.” Johna Ramos-Ward: “Steve and I are doing great! I am a lucky woman to have such a funny and wonderful husband. He is still the tennis director at Crow Canyon Country club. In fact, we are heading down to Palm Springs for a tournament so I will be able to see Debbie Lee. I can’t wait to see her and meet her new husband! Steve and I now have two wild and well-loved fur kids. The newest is Cody, an almost three-year-old Blue Heeler, who was a sweet gift from Steve to help me through the loss of Gage. For those who never meet Gage, he was my constant loving companion for over 17 years. Our second one-year-old fur kid is Pita. Steve named her; it means “Pain in the a**”!” We are so glad we rescued her.

We think she is part cattle dog and part nuts, but what a loving dog! We moved from Livermore to a small town called Mountain House, CA. My father came to live with us about two years ago, so having a one-story home is perfect for him. It has been an emotional time having my dad back in my life, while still an honor being able to take care of this 91-year-old. I am lucky to see Laura Farrior Stanley, Laura Lyon Gaon, Louise Diepenbrock Baker, Molly Hogan Vatinel, Brooke Meyers Hamilton, and Erin Eggerman Romer about once a year and sometimes more.

La La and I email each other so I can live vicariously through her oldest daughter’s amazing adventures. I got a chance to see Judy Wray Nelson and discovered that her husband is the amazing ‘Treehouse Master’ from the show on Animal Planet— is that too cool or what?! I saw Jen Hately Ash as well. She is back to helping people with her counseling. What a perfect job for her kind heart. For over 10 years, I have worked with my client who has special needs, teaching independent living skills. Sad to say, I was released from that job due to lack of funding. But we still keep in contact and do our movie dates.

I still do photography but more with my new partner Tammy Hughes. As some of you know, we have been friends since birth. We are happy to announce that we will be opening up an Esty store together in 2015. It will highlight our design skills for stationery products. Please check out

class notes 71

‘Wordology’ on Esty.com. For all my SC sisters that would like to purchase from us, just use the code: SCS81 and receive a 20% discount. I would be so happy if you all would spread the word about Wordology to all your friends.” Sabina d’AglianoLuna: “I am currently living in Redmond, WA and working in the designer/couture department at Nieman Marcus. The best part of my life is my three beautiful children (20, 17, 9). I feel out of the loop as far as connecting with my fellow alumnae. I keep in touch with very few from Catalina, though the ones that I have in my life seem to be there for good.”

Sue Burnside: “Our daughter just spent a semester in Chile, on exchange from Tufts University. And our ‘little guy’ (6’ 3”) is a freshman at UC Santa Barbara. I recently participated in the Catalina alum focus group. I also doubled the number of properties in my new rental business. At my ‘real job’ as a political consultant, we added 20 new clients this year. The best thing was this last summer, we traveled to all the locations where the Virgin Mary was seen or lived in Turkey, and spent a magical day at the House of Mary and then spent a month in Paros at our shack.

I was excited to spend my birthday hiking the largest gorge in Europe on the island of Crete. Gosh I have a great life—I am so blessed and grateful!” Laura Farrior Stanley: “I moved to Sacramento down the street from Laura Lyon Gaon. Laura and I work at St. Michael’s Episcopal Day School together. Loving life and spending time with my Santa Catalina gang in S.F. We stay at Molly’s and always have a blast. Molly, Louise, Erin, Lyon, and Farrior are the usual suspects. Missing my bestie from Fresno, Brooke! Recently saw Leslie, Mimi, Angie Bass, Jen H., Johna Ramos Ward and Gail Goldsmith Worthington. Sad circumstances but great to see them!” Karen Gladstone Dawson: “I am still happily living with my husband Pete and daughter Emma in New England.

I continue to do a ton of volunteer work at my daughter’s school and in the community. I completed my second Sprint triathlon in September to see if I still had ‘it’ after turning 50! No big plans this year, but I do intend on being better about staying in touch with Melanie Mathews and Stephanie Bell.” Marisa D’Amico: “I have two gorgeous, hilarious, energetic, crazy boys (9 and 6), and they are phenomenal athletes already! This season, Max was top rusher and now a top scorer in basketball! He made the Comp Soccer “A” League and is just a stud! Henry is

adorable, with long blonde surfer dude hair! He drops in on our skateboard ramp with no fear and also plays a mean game of hoops. He is an artist and loves to paint and draw too. I am a non-working lawyer, currently looking for work so if anyone is hiring, please keep me in mind! I must get sentimental right now. I feel compelled to tell you all how absolutely stellar, amazing, unique, beautiful, and fantastic you women all are. I have experienced many women in my life and never, ever, anywhere have I encountered such truly stunningly big-hearted, strong, smart, sweet, considerate, deep, funny, talented, cool, audacious, outrageous, confident, superlative-in-every-good-way women in my life as you all! Seriously, the character, integrity, and caliber of human being in this class are beyond compare! I love you all and am so privileged to have you in my life. Just wanted to let you know that.

In the future, I endeavor to do more to actually have you in my life. On that note, I look forward to seeing you at our 35th reunion!”

1982 Mindy Malisoff Baggett mbaggett@cox.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1983

Deborah Frank Drake deborahdrake1965@gmail.com Terrie Murray Wahlstedt: “I celebrated my 50th in N.Y.C. and had the pleasure of having Patty Cerisola-Mansi and others join me for an exciting evening.

I moved back to CA over a year ago after globe-trotting and I am enjoying life in Southern California. I do not miss the crazy East Coast winters. Nice to be able to have dinner with Jessica Girard and Kellen Flanigan who are nearby. I am also very fortunate to be able to hang out

Members from the Class of 1983 on their annual trip to Puerto Vallarta: Mimi Gorin, Patty Cerisola-Mansi, Terrie Murray Wahlstedt, Jean Mandel, Michelle Degnan Ackert, and Michelle Alton

with other classmates in Puerto Vallarta for our annual get together. Needless to say it’s always a fun time. My three sons (14, 11, and 7) keep me busy and laughing!” Anastacia Cronin McNabb: “Tommy is in his second quarter at UCLA and he absolutely adores it! He’s in a fraternity, has a part-time job as a math tutor, and has struck a great balance between class and his social life (something I was never quite as good at achieving!) Greg is taking a hiatus from school, trying to figure out where he wants to be and what he wants to do. In hindsight, he would have been better off at a small, liberal arts college, and I have a feeling he will be checking some out in California within the year. For now, he is looking for a job and continues his trend towards being the most well-read young man that I have ever encountered! I am still loving my job as an early childhood teacher and teaching assistant. Greg and I have our eyes on the prize, which is retiring wherever our boys settle down.”

Janine Bender: “I have been busy with our estate sale business this past year.

Keeps us very busy and then coupled with additional Ebay sales there is no rest for the wicked. Travel this year was back to Maine in spring and again in fall for the colors. We just got back from a family holiday cruise to Hawaii with Mom and Dad, Mel (Bender King ’82), Matt and the girls. It was so wonderful last year, we decided to do it again. No house is complete without a cat and we are doing more than our part—seven orphans bring us joy (down from eight as we lost our old boy in August). So life is busy and

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Rexroth Alton, Michelle Degnan Ackert and I met up for our ninth edition of the ‘Otra Vez Club’ in Puerto Vallarta. We are gearing up for our 10th Puerto Vallarta reunion later this spring in honor of everyone’s 50th birthday. Hoping to have a nice group this year. My sister Francesca Cerisola ’89 lives near Basel, Switzerland with her three youngest daughters. My sister Andrea Cerisola ’85 is living in Mexico, with her husband and daughter, as both her sons are away at boarding school now. Hope everyone is doing well and happy 50th birthday!”

1984 The Class of 1985 at Reunion 2015

I am happy. Looking forward to several trips in 2015, with another 30-day Mediterranean cruise planned.” Deborah Frank Drake: “The latest installment of my life reads like this: life is mighty peaceful. I continue to help bring books to birth and just before Christmas published A Guided Journal to a Healthy Sense of Self. Funny thing about this project was that it was conceived of two years ago and my author and her quotes compiled in 2012 took quite a long time to be ready for release.

My daughter is thriving in high school and even took a date to homecoming (just a friend but still mom here was tripping out a bit...). Bronte is happy to report she is now taller than me by two inches as she approaches her 15th birthday. The first week of February was spent in Olympia, WA working remotely while Bronte served as a senate page to Washington Senator Cyrus Habib. And, thanks to my awesome and inspiring partner, Dan, I have been motivated and inspired to run longer and longer distances again. We ran the UW Dawg Dash together in October. Life is good.” Maria Pope: “Things are well.

We live in Portland and have three great children. Hope to make it to the next reunion.” Patty Cerisola-Mansi: “2013 and 2014 were memorable years. Just after I saw Gretchen Mueller Burke in the spring of 2013 at the SCS alumnae chapter in Mexico City, I found out I had ovarian cancer. Thank God and thanks to good doctors, the support and love of my family and friends, I successfully

overcame this. It is not something anyone signs up for, but I have to say it was a very humbling and enriching experience. After six rounds of chemo and two surgeries, it was all over in November 2013. Soon after that, my husband accepted a job offer in NJ, so here were are now! My husband Flavio, my son Flavio Jr (12) and I moved to Harding, NJ in August 2014.

Of course, we miss family and friends, but are really enjoying living in this beautiful part of the U.S. My son attends the Pingry School, where he is thriving and happy. He is still pursuing his love of sports (tennis, soccer, and swimming) and learning how to play the bass! I have seen Tara Davey on a couple of occasions as she lives nearby and I hope to see more of her in the near future. I attended the New York alumnae chapter gathering in the fall of 2014 where I saw Gretchen Mueller Burke, Mary O’Halloren ’82, Peggy Frasse ’84 and Dawn Ferguson ’84 among others.

I also had the pleasure of seeing Terrie Murray in February 2015 as she was in town to celebrate her 50th birthday. At the S.F. gathering in February 2015, I spent time with Gretchen Mueller Burke, Jean Mandel, Gingy Harris, and Sisters Claire and Christine. I just happened to be in town as my family and I were headed out to Carmel to celebrate Gretchen’s 50th birthday! It was such a treat to be there for such a special occasion and to see Sarah Adams Fletterick and Ibi Janko Murphy too! In the spring of 2014 Jean Mandel, Terrie Murray, Mimi Gorin, Michelle

Victoria Manassero Maat junebugjump@icloud.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1985

Krysia Belza Logsdon catalina@krysiabelza.com

1986 Katharine Folger Yeager yeagerkbf@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1987 China Flannigan china.flanigan@me.com

class notes 73

The Class of 1990 at Reunion 2015

1988 1989 Julie Lenherr Edson edsonfamily@sbcglobal.net

Elizabeth Maher Purdum elizabethpurdum@hotmail.com

Jennifer Pratt curgie615@earthlink.net

Alicia Judy Siddiqui loves reconnecting with everyone on Facebook. She lives in St. Louis and reports that her boys are already in 6th and 7th grade. She has recently been in touch with Haley King Lhamon, Holly McVey Dunlap and ring sister, Laura Lotz Murcott ’90. Alicia shares that she also gets to see cousin

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

Yolanda Orrantia ’91 with her son and daughter

Annie Coppel Gonzalez ’91 with daughter Monserrat Gonzalez ’15, Sister Claire, and Maria Ester Juarez Letamendi ’91 with daughter Emilia Letamendi ’16

Zellie Dunn McClelland ’90 and her beautiful boys and girl regularly at family functions in St. Louis. Erica Bailey Luoma and her family are still living in Phoenix. Erica is working for an Internet marketing company and loving it. The kids are involved in sports as always.

Avery’s club volleyball team made it to the national championships in June and took second place. Matthew is playing soccer and baseball right now. He is a multisport athlete since he hasn’t figured out his true passion yet. She looks forward to seeing everyone at the next reunion.

Like all of us, Jennifer Nokes is busy with work and home life. She works at the local phone company, Sierra Telephone, in Oakhurst, CA. She has been there for close to 18 years, and remarks how time flies! Jennifer said that her kids are cats and they sure do keep her on her toes—one good thing is they won’t ask for the keys to the car! As for me, I got to reconnect with Julia Abajian Kirvan, as she and her husband were in town for a weekend and we got to spend some time together. It was as if no time passed and we were able to pick up where we left off. She is still working as a social worker in private practice. Her children (Michela, Will and Caroline) are growing up fast. I’m sure we all remember her mom, Elizabeth.

She is remarried and still driving too fast!

Hopefully, we will see her, and everyone else, at the next reunion.

1990

Augustina Stevens augustinastevens@icloud.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1991

Marita Quint Bruni marita.quint@gmail.com Lynn Chan Cheong: “Danielle is turning 9 in just two weeks. Dana will be turning 6 and Dylan will be 4. Glad they are all

74 class notes

in the same school now, which makes my life much easier. We’ll be skiing at Tahoe during the school break later this month. Can’t wait!” María Esther Juarez Letamendi: “My daughter Emilia Letamendi ’16 is a junior at Catalina this year and she is doing great, having fun with her new friends, and studying really hard! I loved coming back to school as a parent for this year’s Parents’ Weekend, and upon seeing Mr. Oder, I of course made a complete fool out of myself by bawling my eyes out. It was just so emotional, that feeling of coming full circle. Emilia will graduate next year and I know I will be crying even more when she does! My other kids, Fernando and Diego, miss their sister a lot but love seeing her every time possible. I still live in Mazatlan right across the street from Ale Leon Letamendi’s house, which is a blast! Our children are first cousins and we have been very lucky to have this beautiful relationship since we were in school together. A bunch of Mexican friends from Catalina and I have chats on Whatsapp and we are in constant touch with news and pictures. I love hearing from each one of them. Rosana Pages just had her fourth baby adding up her family to a total of six children (her husband had two from a previous marriage) and I just saw her and she looks amazing! Kiki Diaz-Brown is even more active now than ever! She is the personal secretary for a friend who is campaigning for political office. Yolanda Orrantia is currently playing Marguerite St. Just in the play

Nicole Lazarus ’93 and husband Jeffrey Adan

The Scarlet Pimpernel in Mexico City, so if you are there make sure you go see her!

She is phenomenal in it! It’s amazing how fast life goes by—Fernando and I feel very lucky to have recently celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary! I am really enjoying being the mom to two boys now that Emilia is away at school. Boys are fun and loud and our house is always full of hungry friends! Life is good.”

1992 Amy Paulsen apindc@yahoo.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1993

Galen Johnson galen.a.johns@gmail.com Nicole Lazarus was married in October 2013 to Jeffrey Vincent Adan. Socially, she now goes by Nicole Adan Lazarus.

Congratulations and best wishes to Nicole and Jeff! Christine Griffin Young is still living in Oslo, Norway, with her husband, Scott, and children, Charlotte (8) and James (5). They have lived there since 2010 have decided to stay for at least the next few years. Christine writes that they clearly agree with all the “happy country” survey results regarding Norway.

She is working for a maritime insurance company, which she finds challenging and surprisingly interesting. If anyone is traveling through Oslo, Christine would love to meet up and is also happy to offer travel tips. Corinne Quinn is the administrator for the Nutrition Education Obesity Prevention (NEOP) Program of the Vallejo Unified School District. NEOP seeks to create a healthier community, one person at a time, through nutrition education and physical activity education with approximately 650 children and their families throughout the District each semester. Madeline Daniels writes that her son David (14) will be starting high

school at Palma this year, and her daughter Della (6) is doing well in her kindergarten year. Maddy and her husband, Erich, are working tirelessly on a massive Burning Man art car, which is called “The Lobata” and is a two-story high comb jelly that swims effortlessly through the deep ocean desert at Burning Man. It can hold over 100 people and can serve as a moving sound stage. Some of the lights on the giant car are sound interactive, making for a breathtaking sight. The car is supported by a nonprofit called UNAVERZ, of which Maddy and Erich are a part. Maddy and Erich are also working hard at their jobs; Maddy working for her family as a property manager, especially for the vacation rentals, and Erich as an oceanographer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) working on robots. Karen Demski O’Brien: “Our first child, Magdalena, was born in April 2014 and she is a happy healthy baby!” I (Galen Johnson) am still enjoying being back on the West Coast, and I am traveling a lot more for work these days, which I find both fun and exhausting. I had dinner with Catherine MacDonald Christian when I was at a meeting in Sacramento last spring, and (despite the restaurant catching on fire!) it was a real treat to catch up in person and hear about her fabulous daughters and the business she runs with her husband, Tony.

1994 Amy Smith Ainscough amyucl@aol.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1995

Megan Heister megan.heister@alumni.carleton.edu

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The Class of 1995 at Reunion 2015

1996 1997 Jenny Noble jnoble78@hotmail.com

Jasmin Reate jlreate@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

Darcy Wilson got married on July 25, 2014. Her husband, Ken Fowler has a Ph.D. in physics and currently works for Apple, Inc. Their daughter, Hannah, just entered 6th grade and their little one, Alexander, is turning 4 in February.

Though they haven’t done that much traveling in the last year or so due to all the changes, they are finally going to back to Germany to see Darcy’s relatives this summer with a side trip to Sweden! It should be a blast! Angel Cabral lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband Jason and their pup Oscar. She’s been busy working in television, last year starring in the FOX comedy Enlisted and doing a bunch of guest stars on shows like Criminal Minds, Bad Judge, The Mentalist & NCIS: LA. This year she will be all over, recurring on NBC’s Chicago P.D. and also State of Affairs, Backstrom, and The Odd Couple. Her husband Jason is currently getting his executive MBA at UCLA. Angel and Jason hang out with Lisa Walgenbach Cornehl and husband, Kevin all the time and they are Harrison Cornehl’s godparents! Morgan Rogers McMillan still loves life in Colorado, despite missing the coast. Luckily her parents (Susan Tescher Rogers ’66) remain in Carmel

Morgan Rogers McMillan ’97 with her daughter, mother Susan Tescher Rogers ’66, and sister Cameron Rogers ’02 along the White Rim Trail in Utah

and her sister (Cameron Rogers ’02) lives in Maui to help relieve the coastal itch from time to time. They all convened, along with her husband’s entire family and their 10-month-old daughter, to do the White Rim Trail (100 mile loop along the Colorado and Green Rivers) in Utah by mountain bike this past fall. It was incredible! Work at the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado keeps her busy and in 2015 she will launch a new national program alongside the Salesforce Foundation and Atlassian: pledge 1% to encourage startup tech companies to give back to their communities (pledge1percent.org). 2014 provided lots of opportunities to connect with other Catalina girls, but certainly a highlight was celebrating the wedding of Jenny McClendon in June alongside Sarah McClendon, Oona Swanson Caldwell, Sarah Forsyth Grant, Kirsten Keresey ’96, and me. Looking forward to more reunions this upcoming year! 2014 was a big year for Amanda Smith Burke and her family! They moved to the UK and had twins on December 31. Her husband, Damian, and their daughter, Elizabeth, welcomed Samuel and Scarlett into the world. They are all doing well and adjusting to their new family of five. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Gaby Zaied and her husband, Juan Salazar. The have three lovely children: Gaby (9), Juan (7), and Elena (5). They hope that Gaby goes to Santa Catalina summer camp this year! They are very active in their community organizing charity events for abused women as well as a new program for immigrants who want to return to their place of origin. Jessica Wong and her high school sweetheart, Dietrich, will celebrate their 10th anniversary this year, too, and she says, “It’s crazy to think we met in high school.” Dietrich loves working at Nest, and Jessica is still in her Ob-Gyn practice in Redwood City, juggling that with their two children, Bryce (2) and Elina (5 months). She writes, “Yes two under two is crazy but fun!” Teresa Paez-Garza is enjoying the peaceful living in The Woodlands, TX. Although we are not sure how peaceful her home is as she and her husband and welcomed their fifth child, Maria, to the world on December 28. Congratulations!

Jen Patton Wundrow and her business partner finally launched their online home décor shop, nestandburrow.com in September. They are very excited to share some of the company’s favorite home decor products with the general public and not just their design clients. They

76 class notes

are having so much fun with it; they are toying with the idea of opening an actual brick and mortar storefront somewhere in Marin County. She has two kids with her high school sweetheart and they are growing like weeds! I (Jasmin Realte) was lucky to witness Jennifer McClendon get married to her amazing husband, Adam Schaible, last June at their Sebastopol home with their two daughters, Alexa (10) and Sophia (9) at their sides. It was the quintessential Sonoma backyard wedding!

They just bought a home and are in the process of building a mini-farm—rabbits are next! She enjoys her job working at a local health and wellness nonprofit agency.

1998

Natalia Woodhall Chappelow nataliawoodhall@yahoo.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

1999 Laura Stenovec laurastenovec@gmail.com

The Class of 1999 had a fantastic time at our 15 year reunion in March 2014. It was so wonderful to see everyone and to be back on campus. Courtney Behan writes, “It’s hard to believe this year marks 10 years calling S.F. home! I joined Zephyr Real Estate’s Noe Valley office last year and couldn’t be more thrilled. I’ve loved helping people, particularly first time buyers, make their home here. Having spent my career in commercial real estate finance, working with individuals and families on such a personal decision is a welcomed change. I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received, especially from my dearest friend and cheerleader, Dr. Adrienne Partridge.” Frances VergaLagier Cook writes, “My husband and I moved to Carmel in May and welcomed our little girl, Cora, on May 27. We enjoy being back in the area, spending time with family, and watching Cora grow!”

Cate Craft writes, “Things are great.

Mieke Fuchs Smith ’99 with her husband, Alex, and daughter

Cate Craft ’99 and husband Brad Muir

I’m still in S.F. I got married to my Brad Muir in March 2014. My sister Ginger Craft ’02 was a bridesmaid and Catherine Hawley ’98 officiated the ceremony! It was an extraordinarily fun event and extra awesome to have Cat do the honors.

And moving right along, Brad and I are expecting a new tiny human late April of this year! We are very excited to meet this little boy and be his parents. It’ll be an adventure, I’m sure. Meanwhile, I’m working as a communications manager at Zephyr Real Estate in the city and really enjoying the work and the company.

Life is good!” Claudia de la Fuente writes, “Kristof and I welcomed Lucas Emile on June 10. He’s a happy, eager baby who doesn’t seem overwhelmed by the different languages and cultures he’s exposed to. He was born in Arizona so all of my family was there to meet him. We’ll be traveling to Belgium in February to meet his paternal family, who are anxiously awaiting the visit.

We’re still living in Guatemala working for the United Nations Human Rights Office, a tremendously challenging but rewarding job in a post-conflict country.”

Whitney McDonald Gough and her husband Chris welcomed their first child William on January 29. She writes, “I’ve been working at Burson-Marsteller in S.F., running public relations for Bank of America’s financial literacy project, Better Money Habits, as well as working to grow publicity for their small business efforts. We are having a blast living in the Marina, seeing a lot of Catalina girls

often—especially Julie Rathman Fenton and Victoria Richardson.” Trish Nugent Lingamfelter writes, “Bronson and I are enjoying life in N.Y.C. and happily navigating parenthood. Wells keeps us on our toes and he’s a toddler through and through. We love it—and we’re exhausted! Working motherhood is no joke, but it’s a great challenge.

I finally crossed the finish line of the N.Y.C. marathon, which was a big goal.

Happy to check it off the bucket list. And the last year also included fun Catalina get-togethers (with little ones in tow), including with Stephanie Balsdon Bill and Katie Maloof Alden on the West Coast, and Amy McCormick Vokey and Sarah Gallagher Parker on the East.

Hopefully more to come!” Adrienne Partridge writes, “I love being in Denver and all the Catalina girls I get to see that live in the area. Laura Stenovec, Sarah Maguire Duffy, Ani Silversprings Okun, Emma Hinsdale Pinkering, and I had a fun New Year’s Day brunch together. I also see Becca Hoynoski ’01 regularly and recently we went skiing together. I am finishing my Ph.D. in organizational psychology in spring 2015. Recently, I became a blogger for The Huffington Post and have had five articles published. Mieke Fuchs Smith writes, “Alex and I welcomed our baby girl, Gemma, in August 2014. She’s a spunky and happy little baby and we’re having so much fun watching her grow and change daily. I went back to work at DIRECTV after twelve weeks. Luckily, I love my job

class notes 77

so it was an easy transition. Gemma got to meet her auntie, Adrienne Partridge, in October and can’t wait to meet the rest of her Catalina family soon!” Amy McCormick Vokey writes, “Nick and I are still in New England enjoying the north shore and are loving life as new parents.

I’ve taken time off to stay at home with our now seven-month-old son, James, who was born in June 2014.” As for me (Laura Stenovec), I “retired” from the nonprofit sector in July and am working full-time for Beautycounter, a direct retail brand out of Santa Monica. I love the company and its mission of giving everyone access to safe products. I am traveling for work a lot and manage to squeeze in visits to see my Catalina girls while on the road.

I love having Sarah Maguire Duffy, Ani Silversprings Okun and Adrienne Partridge here in Denver with me.

2000

Susie Bokermann susiebokermann@gmail.com Brigitte Kouba brigittekouba@yahoo.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

2001 Amy Franson franson.amy@gmail.com

Sheila Callahan sheilacallahan@gmail.com Last year was a busy and exciting year for the Class of 2001. Annie Hilby graduated from UC Berkeley’s law school in May and is clerking for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in her hometown of Phoenix. Over the past year, she was lucky enough to catch up with a ton of classmates, from Caroline Collins Goldberg, Brogiin Keeton, and Kai Romero in California, to Astri

The Class of 2000 with Dr. Gerry Kapolka at Reunion 2015

Rahardja Tabalujan and Amanda Walujo in Jakarta, and soon hopefully Natalie Hall and others in London.

In November, Emily Lawrence Long and family lovingly welcomed Eloise.

“Olivia is settling into her role as big sister. I continue to teach first grade in San Luis Obispo and enjoy welcoming future educators from Cal Poly into my classroom.” Living and working in Carmel, Julia Christopher is the proud director of the Photography West Gallery, which has specialized in artistprinted wet-darkroom photography for 35 years. She also cowrote and edited Roman Loranc’s monograph, Absolution: Fifty Photographs From Europe , which won the United States Literary Award for Fine Art Photography in 2013 and a gold medal from SAPPI North America for publishing in 2014. Kelly Burke and Brian Johnson were married August 30th in Steamboat Springs, CO. She actually met Johnson through a friend of Julia Verdi. “Brian and I have adopted three dogs who are our fur babies, and I have really enjoyed training them.

I’ve been recovering from ACL surgery, and itching to begin my yoga practice again. I am living in Denver in the Wash Park area and hope to reconnect with some of the Catalina alum that I know are in the area.” “The second half of 2014 was a fantastic adventure,” writes

Liza Wood Nebel. “On September 13 in Park City, UT, I married my best friend Matt Nebel. There has been a strong Catalina connection throughout our entire relationship, with Matt’s childhood friend and our Catalina sister, Catherine Tunney McDowell, giving him the thumbs up for our first date! I was so thankful to have many wonderful friends with me on this special day, including Amy Franson, Jamie Larson, Sheila Callahan White, Kendel Qvale

Alumnae at the wedding of Amy Walgenbach Udelson ’01: Claire Reilly ’01, Amy Franson ’01, Sheila Callahan White ’01, Amy Walgenbach Udelson ’01, Lisa Walgenbach Cornehl ’97, Gina Moro Nebesar ’01, and Kristen Kitaji Corliss ’03

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Duford, Claire Reilly, Julia Verdi, Cynthia Alvarez Amaral, Gina More Nebesar, Amy Walgenbach Udelson, Amy Stallard Kapner,Cameron Phleger ’00, and my sister Meghan Wood ’98.

In keeping with making it a big year, I also left my job with Chevron to start a strategic marketing/ad agency with a fantastic group of industry veterans, aptly named BlackBelt Agency. This year is shaping up to be a great year!”

Kristie Hoyt Cloos and her husband Christopher are living in Solvang, CA, where she is a clinical laboratory scientist for Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital and Christopher is working on his Ph.D. in philosophy at UC Santa Barbara. “We have a golden-doodle, Sandy, that we are training to be a hospital therapy dog.

She keeps us busy!” “Hello from chilly old London!” writes Lisa Lee. “It’s as busy as ever here—trying to stay alive working as a pediatrician, studying to get my American license, but not neglecting to see the girls I hold nearest and dearest in my life! I often meet up with Beth Canavan, and have only recently come back from celebrating her son’s first birthday. I have met up with Lara Brehmer ’98 several times to reminisce about our wonderful high school years.

I also had the luck of welcoming Anna Woo and her new husband in London during their short stop over en route to their honeymoon, which happily coincided with the visit of Robin Hwang ’00 to our cool shores. And to round off the year, my best friend Diana Mak came to surprise me in South Korea for my birthday in November! So, as you can see, despite the hustle and bustle of the daily grind, I keep my SC sisters close to my heart, always!” Also checking in from London, Natalie Hall filled us in on her recent move. “After five years at the Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel, managing their marketing and arts education departments, I decided to go back to school! I am now living in London doing my master’s in arts administration and cultural policy, and will be graduating (and looking for work) in the fall. Life in London is so much fun—I spend my free time working with bands, promoting music nights, and getting back into singing myself. It’s great to still be in such close touch with all my Catalina friends—if any of you come to the UK, please look me up!”

Laura David reports, “I’m doing well, living in Louisville, CO as a dentist and married now for the past two years. I work

in a nonprofit dental office, which keeps me busy, but there’s always time for skiing and hiking! No kids yet, but maybe a dog this year will round out our family!” She echoes many of our own thoughts with the statement, “looking forward to our reunion next year. 15 years!” Detian Woo was married to Dr. Andrew Pomfreton in July 2011. They are the proud parents of a daughter, Anneliesa, born in January 2014.

2002 Sasha Irving sasha.irving@gmail.com

Olivia Nilsson olivianilsson@gmail.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

2003 Monica Johnson Steiner monicafax@gmail.com Gaby Asmus gmasmus@gmail.com Megan Mulloy megan.mulloy@gmail.com Amy Swanson Spano wrote: “On October 24, my husband and I welcomed twin boys Enzo and Emerson, who were five pounds and 18.5 inches. We are loving our new additions and Sebastian is a great big brother! It has also been really fun having Rosie Brabeck Commons and her husband living down the street from us.

Their little guy Luke is a great playmate for the twins!”

Members from the Class of 2003 at the wedding of classmate Priscilla McCarthy to Joseph Barolo: Stephanie Wai, Justine Sterling, Priscilla McCarthy Barolo, Megan Mulloy, Amy Swanson Spano, Marisol Romero, Gaby Asmus, and Alexandria Sutty

2004 Katie Fruzynski katie.fruzynski@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

2005 Lyndsay Peden McAmis mcamislc@gmail.com

After moving to Singapore in 2013, Tara Smith has been working for global advertising agency, BBDO, looking after their social and digital practice across Asia Pacific. Weekends are busy traveling throughout South East Asia and planning her wedding to Peter Harris, which will take place in May at Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. Kai Romero: “Still living in San Francisco with my lovely husband David, slogging my way through emergency medicine residency at UCSF/ SFGH and dreaming of all the things I could have bought with my med school debt.”

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The Class of 2005 at Reunion 2015

2006 Lauren Kristich lekristich@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

2007 Natalie Kocekian nkocek@gmail.com

Natalie Kocekian: “I recently moved to S.F. to work in production at Lucasfilm Ltd. on the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens film, releasing December 2015!

Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to see and visit many girls from our class, and can hardly wait for the next reunion!” Kathleen Seccombe is studying documentary film at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and also working as a production assistant for PBS Frontline. Kate Holcomb Walker moved back to Austin, TX, got married, bought a house and welcomed her daughter in December 2013! “She just turned one and is already running around the house causing trouble!” Kate says, “If you’re ever in the Austin area, let me know!” Kaycie

Gillette-Mallard is living in Dallas, TX teaching bilingual first grade with Teach for America. She has been having a great experience, and loves her students very much. Ryann Woolf, Eleana Collins, and Amanda Darnell all visited her!

Ashley Anderson recently got engaged.

Congrats, Ashley! Kelley Trapp is still living in Seattle in her second year at UW, working on a doctorate in audiology. She says, “I may or may not have become a bandwagon Seahawks fan—depends on the week.” Maya Hauer-Laurencin is still living in Boston and loving it. She started working at MassChallenge (the world’s largest startup accelerator) in the

Artwork by Sabrina Brett ’07

spring of 2014 and has had a great time working with early stage startups and corporate sponsors. In the fall of 2014, she traveled to Russia and Korea and had an incredible time! Jennifer Williams graduated with an MFA in fiction from Mills College and was awarded the Ardella Mills Prize in Fiction. She also finished recording two new albums, and attended an off-the-grid artist residency in rural Idaho. She is currently working on a novel, organizing local music events, and planning a 180-mile bike trip in 2015.

Cat Hauter has been attending graduate school for counseling psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley and will graduate with a master’s in September 2015. She will then start the process of becoming a marriage and family therapist.

In June 2014, she attended Camp Grounded, a no-technology, off-the-grid summer camp for adults. She says, “It was beautiful and life-changing, I encourage anyone interested to attend!” Sam Wai reports that after three years at McKinsey & Company working on pharma tech and global public health projects in the U.S. and Asia, she decided to give a Silicon Valley startup world a try. In May 2014, she joined Endeavours, an early stage VC fund based in Palo Alto, and she leads the fund’s efforts in agriculture. Outside of work, she has been living with friends from college, trying new eateries, rock climbing, and playing soccer.

2008 Shannon L. Gaughf slgaughf@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

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Maddie Vitanza ’09 with Mica Schlosser ’09 at the engagement party for their classmate Camille Massaro

2009 Haley Gibb haleygibb@mac.com

I (Haley Gibb) hope this edition finds you all healthy in 2015! Now happily back on the West Coast, I am living in downtown Carmel. Please reach out whenever you are in town! I operate form + function PILATES, the studio I opened two and half years ago. I also teach classes at Carmel Valley Ranch and love inspiring wellness in our local community.

When I am not teaching movement or outdoors enjoying the stunning Monterey Peninsula, you will find me teaching

Members of the Class of 2009 during Reunion 2014

The Class of 2010 at Reunion 2015

wellness classes and speaking around the U.S. on the therapeutic benefits of doTERRA Essential Oils. Last March, several of our classmates attended our first alumnae reunion—picking up where we left off. We missed those who could not join us, however we know you were there in spirit and most of all, in our hearts. What an incredible weekend we all enjoyed together; thank you for sharing this experience! Our class president, Shelby Caroll is living in South Bend, IN and accepted a position in August at the Office of University Relations at Notre Dame. She is the assistant director for the President’s Circle, the University’s highest recognition society. In her free time, she coaches a grade 7 volleyball team at a local Catholic school and a club team. She is looking forward to pursuing an advanced degree. Khatijah Correy is in her last year of grad school and will be graduating with a master’s in international affairs in May. Over the summer, she worked at the U.S. Embassy in Panama in the political section. Katherine Kihs moved to Chicago as a 2013 Corps Member for Teach for America. She is currently in the midst of her second year teaching high school English at Institution Health Sciences Career Academy, a school in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago.

Camille Massaro has been living in N.Y.C. for almost two years. This year, she finished up her thesis for her master’s degree in art business from Sotheby’s

Institute of Art. She will officially graduate this March. In N.Y.C., Camille connects with Vita Burn, Clare Riley and Anne Brown as often as possible. In December, Camille became engaged to her boyfriend of three years, Tim. Congrats Camille!

She enjoyed a celebratory brunch with Catalina sisters Michele Jaeger, Mica Schlosser, Lottie Dowson and Maddie Vitanza. Maddie is currently finishing up her last semester of nursing school at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. She will graduate in May with a bachelor’s in nursing. After graduation, Maddie will sit for her nursing boards and hopes to pursue a career in pediatric intensive care. Last summer, she worked as a nurse at a summer camp for children with diabetes. She also assisted in a research trial for the development of the “bionic pancreas” out of Massachusetts General Hospital. Nikita Ranchhod graduated from Kingston University this year and had the opportunity to work in Zimbabwe for three months in international development with VSO. As you can see, our class is on the move and facilitating change. Please share in our gratitude; Catalina has helped shaped our journey thus far.

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2010 2012 Colleen Zellitti czellitti@gmail.com

Katharine Garcia katharine.garcia8@yahoo.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

Chloe Dlott aquabubble87@gmail.com

2011 Kelsey Riordan kelseyriordan@umail.ucsb.edu Kelsey Player k.player@tcu.com Rae Gregory: “I finished my last semester of student teaching in the fall and now I’m a ‘normal college student’, taking classes on campus to finish up my last semester. I’m thoroughly enjoying my wine appreciation class, tasting and evaluating wines from all over the world. I will be graduating from Syracuse University in May, majoring in inclusive elementary and special education. I am looking forward to teaching back in the Golden State.” Amanda Shephard: “I’m still in Hawaii at UH Manoa and I am going to be graduating this spring with a double major in special education and elementary education. I am just finishing up my student teaching on the Air Force base. After graduation, my plan is to move to Oregon with a friend where I hope to get a teaching position in a special education resource room.”

Kelsey Player: “I am currently finishing my final semester at Texas Christian University, and will be graduating in May with a B.S. in communication studies and a minor in business. I am also interning at a marketing creative firm in Fort Worth as their social media intern.

Upon graduation, I am hoping to start a career in marketing communication, or international education.”

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

2013 Caitlin Dullanty cailtlin.dullanty@gmail.com Annie Haueter anniehaueter@gmail.com Kelsey Green: “Nursing school has been such an amazing experience, especially since I’ve started my clinical rotation this year. I’ve had over ten patients with different diagnoses, coming from different backgrounds, and all with interesting personal stories. I honestly can’t see myself doing anything with my life besides helping people. I’ve learned a lot and I’ve met some beautiful people!”

Sophia Delgado: “This past year has been absolutely crazy! Starting out in June, I visited Georgette Munoz, Marcela Ortiz, and Ana Sofia Gonzalez in Mexico before heading to study abroad in London for six months. My art history courses were particularly interesting as we would learn about a building or painting during the first half of the class and actually go see it during the second half. Every day in London was an adventure and I feel like I barely got to see anything! I was fortunate enough to live in South Kensington, where I could easily get anywhere in the city. My favorite things to do in London were biking through Hyde Park at dusk, eating at Mezzah Lounge, and riding the tube while observing all the fashionable European people. I had the opportunity to travel around Europe, and I ended up visiting Cannes, Monte Carlo, Malta, Budapest, Munich, and Rome. Overall,

it was the best six months of my life and I can’t wait to go back. Adjusting to life back in the States has been a lot harder than I thought it would be. Comparatively, there is a lack of nightlife here in Boston—or should I say the Arctic tundra! I have never been so cold in my life.” Giselle Morgan: “My photography series ‘Cyberspace Diary’ will be showcased at the Feminist Art Conference in Toronto in March 2015.

I’m also being featured on The Huffington Post for my series ‘Selfie Centered.’

I’ve been accepted into the California Institute of the Arts, where I plan to transfer in the fall.” Annie Haueter: “I am currently enjoying my second year at Duke University, where I have just declared a double major in computer science and economics. However, I have kept up with my love of art history, and this summer I hope to continue working on my research to create a digital interactive version of the 1500 Jacopo de’ Barbari map of Venice, complete with comprehensive information on every depicted building, port, and church. As the only undergraduate on the team, I am in charge of cataloging and researching Venetian palaces and palace life, and we hope to debut our project sometime in 2016—and I hope to soon visit Venice myself!”

2014 Kylie Moses kyliemoses14@gmail.com Emma Russell emmarussellpg@yahoo.com We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

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Transitions Alumnae Marriages Meaghan Looram ’92 to Conrad Mulcahy Nicole Lazarus ’93 to Jeffrey Adan Elizabeth Lloyd ’95 to Francesco Rovetta Jenny McClendon ’97 to Adam Schaible Darcy Wilson ’97 to Ken Fowler Cate Craft ’99 to Brad Muir Amy Walgenbach ’01 to Steve Udelson Liz Belanger ’00 to David McGarvey Kelly Burke ’01 to Brian Johnson Anna Woo ’01 to Steve Ma Liza Wood ’01 to Matt Nebel Marina Barcelo ’04 to Thomas Bruketta Ashley Hoffman ’04 to KC Corkery Ashby de Wilde ’04 to David Jackson

Teresa Paez-Garza ’97 and Alejandro Ortiz: Maria Morgan Rogers ’97 and Gavin McMillan: Else Amanda Smith ’97 and Damien Burke: Samuel Richard and Scarlett Greenlaw Whitney McDonald ’99 and Chris Gough: William Christopher Claudia de la Fuente ’99 and Kristof Smits: Lucas Emile Mieke Fuchs ’99 and Alex Smith: Gemma Catherine Amy McCormick ’99 and Nick Vokey: James Snow Frances Verga-Lagier ’99 and Chris Cook: Cora Annette Priya Kumar ’00 and Ashok Raju: Dilan

Rhyan Kronzer ’04 to Joseph Clement Zuercher

Emily Lawrence ’01 and Kurt Long: Eloise Lockett

Lacey Cobb ’04 to Youssef Amadea

Detian Woo ’01 and Andrew Pomfreton: Anneliesa

Noelle Beristain ’92: Joaquin Beristain Kochanczyk Karen Demski ’93 and Eric O’Brien: Magdalena Rose Nancy Kennedy ’96 and Samuel Major: Elisabeth Dale Members of the Class of 2000 at the wedding of Liz Belanger ’00 and Major David McGarvey: Georgina Ingram, Jill Falor, Autumn Quinn, and Susie Bokermann

Cassie Long ’02 and Casey Mills: Cody Amy Hamilton ’03 and ‘Alifeleti Vailea: Lesieli and Masoili Monica Johnson ’03 and Michael Steiner: Nicolas Amy Swanson ’03 and J.D. Spano: Enzo Henry and Emerson John

In Memory Our love and prayers to: The family of Carol Ann Smith White ’53 Noreen Lewis Raney ’54 on the death of her husband Pamela Gamble Rocchi ’61 on the death of her husband and mother Margaret Dalias ’61 on the death of her husband

Lisa Dollar Buehler ’67 on the death of her mother Beelu Oswald Robinson ’68 on the death of her husband Dianne Rossi ’68 on the death of her mother The family of Suzanne Bundy Fisher ’75

Sarah Colmery Preston ’75 on the death of her father Hilary Holmes Gustafsson ’78 on the death of her father Peggy Rice Hoyt ’78 on the death of her father

Whitney Emerson ’00 and Tobey Clarkin: Leif

Births AND ADOPTIONS

Vicki MacLean Gourlay ’67 on the deaths of her mother and father

Tracy Miller Hass ’75 on the death of her daughter

Cammie Bates ’04 to Paul Glover

Kendall Hoxsey ’04 to Jeff Onysko

The family of Linda Frick ’66

Leslie Walker ’81 on the death of her son Kathleen Nicolaides ’80 on the death of her mother Nella Nencini ’83 on the death of her mother Jenner Fritz Morrison ’94 on the death of her father Ann Falor ’98 and Jill Falor ’00 on the death of their father Kristin Frick ’03 on the death of her mother Hallie Fisher ’04 on the death of her mother The family of Fatima Larios ’13

Faculty & Staff In Memory Our love and prayers to: To the family of Ellen Buckley Gordon Canepa on the death of his sister Eva Cruz on the death of her brother To the family of Arthur Fritz The family of Sister Jean Gilhuly

Leigh Curry Curran ’61 on the death of her husband

Dr. Gerry Kapolka on the death of his mother

The family of Cathy Jacobs ’63

Señora Argelia Romero on the death of her husband

Susan Corey ’65 on the death of her husband Kathy Durkin Webster ’65 on the death of her husband

To the family of Karen Yedlicka Items in Transitions reflect communications received between September 2, 2014 and March 16, 2015.

Head of School TR ANSITION UPDATE FROM THE SEARCH COMMITTEE Over the last several months, Santa Catalina’s search consultant, Carney, Sandoe & Associates, has been spreading word of our Head of School position. Early indications show strong interest in the position from candidates.

The position description is available on the school’s website at santacatalina.org as well as through CS&A. The Search Committee continues to welcome inquiries about the position and suggestions of possible candidates. These communications are treated confidentially.

The Search Committee is now in conversation with candidates, and this will be ongoing.

When the committee has identified one or more finalists, each finalist will be invited to campus for a visit over a couple of days. We look forward to the finalists experiencing Santa Catalina firsthand and to the school community having the opportunity to meet these candidates.

As the search progresses, we will continue to provide updates on the school’s website.

With thanks to everyone who is assisting in this important process for our school, Jenny Budge ’71 Chair, Search Committee

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connect with

Catalina

Our website continues to be our central online resource, but we invite you to join us for tweets, videos, news, photos, and more!

3,384 tweets

facebook.com/santacatalinaschool

113

1

892

6

“Likes,” comments, and share on the “Throwback Thursday” photo of the Class of 1983, including Woolsey the dog.

2,498

twitter.com/catalinaschool

503 posts Top

Check out our summer camp page and our alumnae/i groups:

Camp Page: facebook.com/summeratsantacatalina Group: Santa Catalina School Alumnae Group: Santa Catalina Lower School Alumnae/Alumni

youtube.com/user/SantaCatalinaSchool

73,090

601 followers

Facebook “Likes”

69,799

followers

views

minutes spent watching our channel videos

5

recent posts

Cherry Blossoms—151 Gordon’s Retirement—141 Birthday Desk—140 Student Artwork—131 Dad’s Valentine’s Day—129

instagram.com/catalinaschool

Download the “Santa Catalina Alumnae” app!

Available in the Mac App Store or Google Play on your mobile device.

588 downloads

“Santa Catalina Alumnae” App

9,079

photos

143

albums

flickr.com/photos/santacatalinaschool

Group:

Group:

Santa Catalina Upper School Alumnae Santa Catalina Lower School Alumni

* These facts are current as of March 23,2015.

Board of Trustees Nonie B. Ramsay ’71 Chair Kirsten Nelson Bedford ’56 Vice-Chair Jennifer W. Budge ’71 Vice-Chair

School Administration Sister Claire Barone Head of School John Aimé Assistant Head of School

Peter M. Folger Vice-Chair

Richard Patterson Assistant Head of School for Advancement

Kit Y. Wai Treasurer

Rita Alves Business Manager

Reuben Richards Secretary

Laurie Severs Director of Development

Sister Claire Barone Head of School Frederick M. Bates Michelle Blake Robert C. Bolt Curt Breitfuss Michael D. Bruno ’82 LS Margaret Rosenberg Duflock ’59 Herm Edwards Katherine Ernst James Farley, Jr. Paul J. Felton W. Taylor Fithian III Laura Lyon Gaon ’81 Frank Garcia Matthew T. Gibbs II Tracy Miller Haas ’75 Elizabeth R. Hulme L. Douglas McKenzie Judith McDonald Moses ’86 Mary Looram Moslander ’84 Kenneth Peyton Victor Ramirez

Honorary Trustee Brooks Walker, Jr.

2014-15 Events Father-Daughter Weekend Upper School Commencement Kindergarten Graduation Grade 8 Graduation Summer Camp

April 24–26 May 30 June 3 June 5 June 21–July 25

Lower & Middle School Christy Pollacci Head of Lower & Middle School Janet Luksik Director of Tuition Assistance/Director of Admission Anthony Schipper Middle School Dean Amy McAfee Director of Curriculum & Learning Learning Specialist PreK–Grade 4 Chris Haupt Director of Student Life Upper School John Murphy, Ph.D. Head of Upper School Kassandra Thompson Brenot ’87, Ph.D. Assistant Head of Upper School Jamie Buffington Browne ’85 Director of Admission Gerard Kapolka, Ph.D. Dean of Academics Julia Kim Dean of Studies Kristi McLaughlin Dean of Students/Director of Boarding Life

Untitled, Paul Villareal, grade 6, paint

Santa Catalina School, located on the Monterey Peninsula, is an independent, Catholic school.

The Upper School is a college-preparatory high school for young women, with boarding and day students in grades 9–12. The Lower and Middle School are coeducational, with day students in PreK–grade 8. A summer camp for girls 8–14 years serves resident and day campers. n Santa Catalina School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Santa Catalina is a member of The National Association of Independent Schools, The Association of Boarding Schools, National Catholic Educational Association, National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, California Association of Independent Schools, Secondary School Admission Test Board, and Online School for Girls. n Santa Catalina School admits students of any race, creed, color, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, disability, and national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, athletic, or other school-administered programs.

4/2015-8,025

1500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey, CA 93940

Girls Ages 8-14 Grades 3-9 Day & Boarding 2, 3, & 5 Week Sessions

Monterey, CA • 831.655.9386 • santacatalina.org

SPRING 2015

Summer at Santa Catalina

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It’s a girl thing.

BULLETIN

Musica l Theatr e Dance Visual A rt Robotic s s Marine Bi Equestr ology ia Aquatic n s

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n i u se f s r o u • • • •

SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Monterey, CA 93940 Permit No. 93

Santa Catalina BULLETIN

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VOLUME 55

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NUMBER 2

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2015