Minimesters take experiential learning to the next level.
FROM CLASSMATES TO COUSINS
A DNA test sheds light on American history—and reveals a common bond between Ben Lorenz ’95 & Johnisha Matthews Levi ’95. PLUS Jeremy Oldfield ’01 on the joy of farming
Sidwell Friends is renovating the Upton building on our adjacent property into an extraordinary new Upper School—opening fall 2026. It will be the largest building on campus at more than 130,000 square feet and will include a new Center for Teaching and Learning and a Center for Ethical Leadership. Recent milestones include: drilling 120 geothermal wells, installing all new windows, and adding a stormwater line, an important precursor to the construction of a new pedestrian bridge that will connect the Upper School to the rest of campus.
The project will allow all three divisions—the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools—to be in the same space for the first time in more than 60 years. Once the Upton project is complete, Sidwell Friends will begin raising the necessary funds to create a new Lower School on the DC campus, too.
Thank you for your essential and continued support to help Sidwell Friends prepare the next generation of students to create lives of commitment and meaning.
Want info on the new Upper School? Visit sidwell.pub/US for the latest updates.
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief
Sacha Zimmerman P ’29
Creative Director
Meghan Leavitt
Contributing Writers
Loren Ito Hardenbergh P ’29
Jonathan E. Kaplan P ’31
Victoria Tilney McDonough
Michael Schuler
Digital Producers
Amber Lucia Chabus
Anthony La Fleur P ’30
Sarah Randall
Alumni Editors
Ava Delasanta
Kourtney Ginn
Clayton Willis
Contributing Photographers
David Dowling
Chris Ferenzi
Wyatt McConagha ’27
Kevin Paris
Cameron Whitman
LEADERSHIP
Head of School
Bryan K. Garman
Chief Communications Officer
Bill Burger
CONNECT WITH SIDWELL FRIENDS @sidwellfriends Sidwell Friends Magazine 3825 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 202-537-8444 sidwell.edu/magazine
at OCR@ed.gov or 800-421-3481; TDD 800-877-8339.
Summer 2025 Volume 96 Number 3
DEPARTMENTS
2 FROM THE EDITOR
3 ON CAMPUS
Alumni gather for Reunion; the School celebrates Founder’s Day; 4th graders take on ethical leadership; Upper Schoolers solve for x; a new podcast hits the airwaves; the Class of 2025 graduates; and much more.
26 THE ARCHIVIST
“Finding Middle Ground”
Eighty years ago, Sidwell Friends hired its first Middle School principal. This year, the School welcomes its 10th.
52 LIVING THEIR VALUES
“School on the Farm”
To cultivate a love of agriculture, sustainability, and food systems, Jeremy Oldfield ’01 works the land—at Yale.
54 CLASS NOTES
Get your Reunion recaps and photos here.
80 WORDS WITH FRIENDS
“Field Trip”
81 LAST LOOK
“Space Time”
FEATURES
30 THE WORLD IS A CLASSROOM
The Middle School’s long-running Minimester program emphasizes the wonder of experiential learning.
44 A LEGACY IN COMMON
Through parallel genealogical searches and DNA testing, two Sidwell Friends alumni have uncovered a shared ancestry and unlocked their families’ histories.
SACHA ZIMMERMAN P ’29
Saying goodbye to any Sidwell Friends graduating class is bittersweet. Intellectually, we know these young people are embarking on an exciting new chapter. But our hearts and guts just cannot quite make peace with the idea of not seeing their faces every day. As we cheered for each senior in the Class of 2025 who crossed the stage this spring, we couldn’t help but feel aches of nostalgia for the childhood journey they’d just completed. Many 4th and 8th grade parents and faculty felt similar pangs as those students finished Lower and Middle School, respectively (see page 6 for more on all the celebrations). Personally, the 8th grade photo montage gets me every time.
Luckily, I’ve learned something about Sidwell Friends: Graduates never really leave. When asking an alum for an interview, the response is often, “Yes! Sidwell is family.” I hear about the lifelong friendships seeded at the School. I see the wedding photos of alumni cramming themselves into the frame. I’m treated to tales of formal—and informal—Reunion get-togethers, of serendipitous meetups, of class Zooms across time zones, and of support for each other’s books, projects, and marathons. (See special Reunion recaps and photos in “Class Notes,” starting on page 54.) And every Founder’s Day, dozens of alumni reconvene on campus, mixing it up with current students and swapping stories—their shared Quaker experiences a tacit bond between them (see “Find Your Passion,” on page 10). Watching alumni re-join the jazz band, attend Meeting for Worship like the old days, and stand in front of a classroom they used to sit in blurs the distinctions across generations: They are all still on a journey together.
That is especially true for Jonisha Matthews Levi and Ben Lorenz, both members of the Class of 1995. Thirty years after graduating from Sidwell Friends, Levi and Lorenz have discovered a shared past deeper than just their graduating class. The pair share a common ancestor, a formerly enslaved man living in the Mid-Atlantic who seemingly reached across time to unite them as relatives. Now when someone
says that Sidwell is family, these onetime classmates and distant cousins will know it’s more true than many may realize. Victoria Tilney McDonough reveals Levi and Lorenz’s story of DNA testing, genetic sleuthing, and stranger-than-fiction coincidences in “A Legacy in Common” (page 44).
Meanwhile, when Jeremy Oldfield ’01 keynoted this year’s Founder’s Day, he spoke of the lessons he learned at Sidwell Friends that prompted him to seek out a career path that valued more than a bottom line, a path that made a difference. Without using the words “ethical leadership,” Oldfield had nonetheless perfectly described the ideals of a Quaker education. Writer Jonathan E. Kaplan P ’31 explores Oldfield’s trajectory from Sidwell to farm, his devotion to teaching young people about agriculture, and what it means to be a farmer at Yale (see “School on the Farm,” on page 52).
Finally, ever since I became editor of this magazine, I have wanted to do a major piece on the Middle School’s Minimester program (see “The World Is a Classroom,” on page 30). Coming from a background where “field trips” meant daylong slogs to the Erie Canal Museum, I have always been thrilled by the promise of Minimester—a chance to break free of classroom walls and take a weeklong deep dive into an exciting subject, like animals, theater, China, or aviation. What my colleagues and I found is that the program is bursting with brains, creativity, and out-of-the-box ideas. With some kids opting for internships or apprenticeships, others exploring favorite or pet subjects, and still others traveling across DC and the nation to tackle topics like ocean ecology, local Latin neighborhoods, Southwest Indigenous culture, Northern Virgina wildlife, and the realities of the U.S.-Mexico border, the Minimester is an iconic part of Middle School at Sidwell Friends. It’s the kind of immersive initiative that bonds kids to each other, to the school, and to new interests.
It’s the kind of experience that makes people say, “Sidwell is family.”
The head of school reminds the graduating class to accept the chance we’ve been offered to walk through the world in love.
BY BRYAN GARMAN
The Class of 2025 is an extraordinary group of scholars, athletes, artists, and people. They have a distinction that no other class I have graduated has. It’s not because they are brilliant, although they are. It’s not because they have won championships and set school records, although they have. It’s not because their artwork and performances dazzle and bring us to tears, although rest assured, they do. It’s not because they are funny, or remarkably interesting, or especially insightful, or charming, or kind, but of course they are all of these things and more.
They are distinguished because I have never before been so worried about the world into which we are sending a graduating class, and, at the same time, I have never been more confident that the character of the Class of 2025 positions them to make a positive impact on that world. The Class of 2025 accepted the beautifully complex invitation that comes with Quaker education and the remarkable possibility—and responsibility—that comes with it.
If asked to articulate the essence of Quakerism, many would reach for this famous quote from George Fox: "Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come. That your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone."
In this remarkable invitation to answer goodness, Fox called us to act with humility and integrity, to engage genuinely and generously with strangers who differ from us. He encouraged us to speak truthfully and listen deeply, to enter into a sustained and meaningful dialogue that might transcend individual perspectives and help us imagine new possibilities for living harmoniously in the world.
Fox invited us to respond to the inherent divinity and dignity of each person, to honor that which makes each of us uniquely human, not simply so that we could celebrate the humanity of others, but so that we could discover and deepen the humanity in ourselves.
He invited us to think cosmically and critically, to affirm the radically democratic and self-evident truths that would one day be proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence: Human beings are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights. We must never take those rights for granted.
Fox invited us to reject the pursuit of power and privilege for their own sake, to use our gifts and talents to serve the greater good.
He invited us to forgive transgression, forgo vengeance, reject violence, and make peace.
Above all, he invited us, as the Quaker poet Helen Morgan Brooks did three centuries later, to sustain the universalist hope that love will prevail.
There must be love remaining. I believe in love
In spite of things said And deeds done or hate. There must be love
In the space of things— Worlds turning and fixed Stars burning. Love does remain. It is deep in a child’s eye in wonder at a pink ribbon, water falling, a china cup, a gold ring, a healing kiss on the forehead.
Children know love and flowers.
Love keeps the Michelmas Daisies blooming beside the gas station door, in spite of dust and the oil splashed sidewalk.
Love is the promise, “I will not leave you comfortless.”
I must believe in love
As a testimony against madness and war and broken promises. I choose love.
We must all choose love. Open yourselves to it. Feel the love that students have for their parents, that parents have for their children, that the students have for each other. Feel the love of faculty and staff. Feel the palpable presence of loved ones who are not physically with us but whose spirits touch us still. Feel the love grounded in the gift of watching children grow, the sacrifice, the beauty, the joy, the hope, the effort embodied in this moment. It is mystical. It is spiritual. It is tangible.
Even in the midst of madness, Lower Schoolers speak freely about their love for each other and the planet. But as we age, and especially as we reach adulthood, we tend to stop talking about love in public and especially in political discourse. We worry that it is too idealistic, that it is incompatible with intellectual pursuit or economic gain, that its mere mention will render us weak in the eyes of others. Even now, in the presence of tremendous love, I worry that fear might still
encroach on our hearts and eclipse what we now feel. What would it mean to turn back fear and extend the love we feel to a world in perilously short supply?
Accepting the invitation to love is a brave, necessary, and sometimes dangerous act, one in which Quakers have been long engaged. Their call to extend love broadly and boldly— to de-privatize it beyond our immediate orbit—remains both profoundly countercultural and desperately relevant.
Some might argue that this invitation represents an impractically if not a hopelessly esoteric and elusive ideal. I disagree.
I disagree because the School’s commitment to extend the invitation, and, more important, the willingness of students and families to accept it, matters. The Class of 2025 made love matter more than we could have asked. Their beautiful, courageous, and transformative efforts to love one another have created a rare community that is far more respectful and peaceful than the world they are about to enter. I urge them to squander neither the power nor the uniqueness of their experience: Strive to answer goodness in others. Dare to love those you do not yet know. Summon the strength to make peace with those you fear. Accept these invitations not because doing so is easy. Embrace them because they might enable you to move us closer to the day when your children—to the day when all children— walk cheerfully over the world. No one is better prepared to make that journey than the Class of 2025.
Students and families celebrated the 137th Commencement as well as the Lower and Middle Schools’ moving up ceremonies.
Under a hot spring sun and a blue sky, the Class of 2025 processed through campus for the final time today, a world of possibilities ahead of them.
“What knowledge do you have now that will be reshaped by discoveries yet to come?”
Commencement Speaker Andrea Razzaghi ’78 asked the class. “What role might you play in the tapestry of knowledge? What might you uncover in your search for knowledge to make us all reevaluate what we think we know today?” Director of the NASA Office of JPL Management and Oversight at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Razzaghi talked about the incredible discoveries scientists have made over the centuries—from learning that the world is round to the first findings that there may be life that did not originate on Earth but
on other planets outside our solar system. She added: “We are continually humbled by the evolving state of knowing. … We build bridges from past knowledge to the knowledge of today and pave the way for the knowledge of tomorrow.” Razzaghi encouraged the graduates to do the same.
The Class of 2025 weren’t the only Sidwell Friends students moving on. On Friday morning, the 4th graders (the Class of 2033) celebrated their transition from Lower School to Middle School in a fun-filled ceremony. Lower School Principal Adele Paynter praised the students on how deeply they care about their learning, each other, and the world. She also noted with joy how students throughout the Lower School modeled and believed that “the coolest thing is to be fully yourself.”
The day before, the 8th graders (the Class of 2029) excitedly marked their move from Middle School to Upper School. Students reflected on their journey through Middle School—from developing resilience and learning to find hope and happiness during difficult times, like the pandemic, to understanding that success isn’t about being
perfect—it’s about growing, asking questions, and never being afraid to learn something new. Middle School Principal Rachel Kane commended the 8th graders’ success and offered some sage advice: “As you go forward, bring the joy and love you have for each other into everything you do. Find the line between being taken seriously and taking yourself too seriously. And even as you get older and more independent, hold onto moments like these: moments that remind you that you are never alone, because you are surrounded by friends, family, teachers, and coaches, a community filled with love for you, a group of people who will always be in your corner when you need them.”
As the Class of 2025 recessed out of Pearson Athletic Center and into the world, there was a palpable sense of joy, pride, and possibility. For many, Razzaghi’s words may still have echoed in their minds: “As you move on to the next phase in your journey, as you cross into your own personal interstellar space, know when to be less certain and when to be more curious. Carry the light of the special Sidwell community wherever you go, and every now and then, delight in proving yourself wrong!”
In Breakthrough, William Pao ’86 shines a light on unsung medical heroes.
When William Pao was 13 and attending Sidwell Friends, his father died of metastatic colon cancer.
“I really did vow then to make a difference for patients,” he said at a Conversation With Friends event in April. He has more than lived up to that promise. Today, Pao, an oncologist and scientist, helps develop new cancer medications, and he has written a book about pioneers in medicine and drug discovery, Breakthrough: The Quest for Life-Changing Medicines.
To call Pao’s path from Sidwell to author “impressive” would be an understatement. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, Pao did a combined M.D. and PhD in biology at Yale. From there, he studied internal medicine at New York–Presbyterian’s Weill Cornell Medical Center, did a medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and worked at Vanderbilt University as a medical school professor and director of personalized cancer medicine. He was head of pharma research and early development at Roche and chief development officer at Pfizer before launching his own biotech firm, Revelio Therapeutics. Clearly, William Pao is a determined man.
It’s a necessary quality for a scientist in his field. Since its founding over a century ago, the FDA has approved roughly 1,800 medications. (More than 20,000 drugs are sanctioned for U.S. marketing; but to be labeled “FDA-approved,” rigorous testing is involved.) If 1,800 since 1906 seems low, consider the odds. There are 30 to 40 trillion cells in the human body, each with their “own signaling pathways, their own molecules, their own structures, their own biology that we still don’t fully understand,” Pao said. On top of that, there are 8 billion unique people on the planet who have to be able to tolerate any new medicines. Finding a molecule that doesn’t just have
a medically significant effect on the human body but improves on billions of years of evolution and can get over the finish line at the FDA is seriously difficult. Pao has helped find 20 of them—20 approved medications that help cancer patients like his father.
And yet, when the world hears about new drugs, the names in the headlines are the pharmaceutical companies, universities, or maybe one or two scientists. But bringing medicine into the world is a years-long process with hundreds of authors. “The medicine doesn’t say anything about the scientists behind it,” Pao said. “I really wanted to highlight the unsung heroes of drug development.” To do that, his book, Breakthrough, explores the work behind eight pioneering medicines: from Tylenol, which was discovered by accident (it didn’t treat worms, but it brought down a fever), to Risdiplam, the first oral RNA-splicing modifier approved by the FDA.
All medications hew to what Pao calls a “central dogma”: DNA to RNA to protein. The DNA is a blueprint; the RNA has the sub-plans to make the protein; the protein is what affects the molecules inside cells. Scientists are essentially tricking cells into incorporating proteins in order to get them to behave differently. In the case of Risdiplam, the medicine targets the SMN2 gene, which produces the SMN protein, which helps keep spines healthy. Those with spinal muscular atrophy, often called “floppy baby syndrome,” don’t make enough SMN protein. Risdiplam tells the SMN2 gene to make more of it. The National Institutes of Health calls Risdiplam transformative.
“These medicines don’t appear out of thin air,” Pao said. “They are 100 years in the making in terms of being able to build upon scientific knowledge over decades. Think about that the next time you take a pill.”
To watch the full Conversation With Friends with William Pao, or to find other conversations, go to sidwell.pub/CWF. Do you have a suggestion for a future Conversation with Friends event? Email alumni@sidwell.edu.
The Middle School spring musical, Matilda Jr., featured a raft of talent, impressive sets, and a lot of fun. Based on a Roald Dahl children’s book, the show focuses on the journey of Matilda, an incredibly intelligent girl who is mistreated by her family and school, and how she inspires a group of “revolting children” to fight for a better system.
On Founder’s Day, students celebrate and sing— and hear alumni talk about how to let their lives speak.
This year, more than 30 alumni speakers from across the country spoke with Upper School students about their careers and lives since graduating from Sidwell Friends, including keynote speaker Jeremy Oldfield ’01 , the manager of field academics at the Yale Farm at Yale University (see “School on the Farm,” page 30). Speakers included artist Lyn Horton ’68 , political communications advisor David Hauge ’16 , Department of Justice attorney Daniel Winik ’03 ,
USAID’s Katie Dock ’15 , professor of religion and Islamic mysticism Cyril “CJ” Uy ’08 , financial advisor Mara Bralove ’89 , therapist Charlotte Masters ’17, and Unitarian Universalist Reverend Sadie Lansdale ’08, among many others.
The Middle Schoolers did not experience the full panoply of speakers, but they were treated to a keynote address by Albert Gore III ’01 . The executive director of Zero Emission
Transportation Association, or “ZETA,” Gore shared his excitement about the growth in electric-vehicle adoption and was delighted to see how many Middle Schoolers raised their hands when asked whose family had one at home. He also spoke movingly about his lengthy recovery after being struck by a car when he was 6 years old and, much later, his experience as an incoming Sidwell Friends student whose father just happened to be vice president of the United States.
And this year for the first time, even the Lower Schoolers had a keynote speaker. The Planetary
Health Alliance’s Yasmina Ahdab ’15 spoke about conservation and immediately won the students over with her wildlife photography. After an inspiring morning, the Lower Schoolers bused over to the DC campus, met up with their Middle School “buddies” for the day, and all three divisions of Sidwell Friends came together in community and song.
Head of School Bryan Garman did not dress as Thomas Sidwell this year, though he did dress as another American pioneer: Woody Guthrie. After some impressive feats of harmonica, Garman led the entire student
body, alumni, faculty, and staff in a full-throated round of “This Land is Your Land.” Outside the Kogod Arts Center under a gorgeous sunny and temperate day, it struck just the right note.
And then it was off to the picnic for burgers and lemonade, games and service projects, face-painting and a bouncy house. Across generations, people were putting their bodies into spaces with others as Oldfield had suggested. “Letting your life speak involves passion,” he had told the Upper Schoolers. “And passion helps you keep falling in love with the world again and again.”
For 4th graders, the Ethical Leadership Experience means research, writing, presentation skills—and activism.
Meeting Jimmy was the inspiration for 4th grader Elliott’s end-of-year Ethical Leadership Experience (ELE) project. “I walk to my Dad’s office every day after school and Jimmy is always there saying kind and encouraging things to people who stop to talk to him, like me,” says Elliott ’33. Jimmy is an unhoused man. He is Catholic, a former Marine, and is missing a leg. “He has so much less than other people, but he still says he wants to give back even if that’s only by being kind and positive,” says Elliott. “That really wowed me.” Elliott interviewed Jimmy and used his story as the centerpiece of his project about helping unhoused people have a better and safer life.
Each year, the 4th grade launches ELE projects, which involve picking a topic, writing a query, developing an action plan, finding evidence, writing a reflection, and, finally, penning a call-to-action to a senator or congressperson. “The ELE results in the design and creation of a student-driven final product that reflects the Lower School student experience as a learner, leader, and changemaker in society,” explains 4th grade teacher Gemayel Hazard P ’37, ’38.
At the ELE showcase, teachers, parents, and friends swarmed classrooms to look at and learn about each student’s project. A love of soccer and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team led Olivia ’33 to do an ELE
Sidwell Friends takes home top honors in problem-solving.
Throughout the year, the Upper School Math Club participates in five Independent School Mathematics Association of Washington (ISMAW) competitions. This year, under the leadership of Gabriel Abrams ’25, Anton Chen ’25, Madeline Blizzard ’26, and Lauren Jain ’26, the Sidwell Friends Math Club scored higher than all the other independent schools in the area in both divisions (one for 9th/10th graders and
about the gender pay gap. To represent the fact that women soccer players are paid substantially less than their male counterparts, she used “artivism”—using art to advocate for social change—to make two stacks of money out of clay, one half the height of the other.
Zi ’33 did a project about climate justice that involved her teaching 1st graders how to plant flowers, which was captured in a video. “Officer Will even gave me a few seeds to plant,” says Zi. “I don’t know what they are, but I can’t wait to see what they grow into.”
There were projects about endangered species like African wild dogs, vaquitas, and Bengal tigers that included posters, videos, QR codes, and intricate board games. Others explored ableism, antisemitism, and street sense. “I have been so impressed with the ownership our kids have taken with these projects,” says 4th grade teacher Edith Zhang ’81. “They have been incredibly thorough, curious, and creative during the whole process.”
one for 11th/12th graders), which hasn’t happened since 2019. The competition covers a variety of topics, including many not covered in the students’ math classes. “The most challenging problem we had this year was a geometry problem about a trapezoid and circle,” says Jain. “Even though there were over 100 students competing, no one was able to solve the problem, something that almost never happens.” The competition also brings the “mathletics” community together. “I think math is often seen as a very individual, independent interest,” says Chen. “But competing in ISMAW has really brought team spirit to this discipline for me.” Plus, math is cool: “I am so grateful I had
the opportunity to solve challenging problems with other classmates who shared my passion for math,” says Abrams. “Our playfully competitive spirit created a fun environment that attracted students who would not generally consider themselves ‘mathletes.’ ”
Students read their award-winning work at the 2025 Parkmont Poetry Festival.
A blank page—or screen—can be daunting. Sometimes you just need to open your brain and heart and see what words emerge. That is just what Sidwell Friends teachers have been encouraging their students to do, and it was in that spirit that students from both the Middle School and Upper School, accompanied by many of their supportive classmates, read their poems at the 43rd annual Parkmont Poetry Festival in May—with more than a dozen Quakers landing spots as finalists or winners.
The Parkmont Poetry Festival, which began in 1982, received 382 submissions this year from dozens of students from DC schools. “The recognition, while impressive, is just one part of the story,” explains 6th grade teacher Becky Farnum. “What matters more is what these poems hold: the thoughts that students whisper to themselves when the world quiets down, and the dreams they are just beginning to name out loud.”
Farnum believes that asking students to submit their work to contests provides a tangible purpose for their writing, transforming it from a graded assignment into a meaningful act of communication. It also empowers students to see themselves as writers, capable of contributing meaningfully to the world around them. “Always believe in your writing,” says Carmen Bjoenson Moreno ’31. “Many people in my class were uncomfortable sharing their poems in front of the class, but I found that those poems were the most interesting.”
Talen Watson will be a familiar face to many hoops enthusiasts at Sidwell Friends.
The next girls’ varsity basketball coach at Sidwell Friends, Talen Watson , most recently coached with the Nike Girls Elite Youth Basketball League’s Philly Rise program and with the Maryland Belles AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team. Watson succeeds Tamika Dudley, who coached the Quakers for six years. Watson is no stranger to Sidwell Friends basketball. In recent years, she coached several Sidwell players—including Jayden Donovan ’23 and Kendall Dudley ’24 —on the Belles team, which she joined as a coach in 2015 and captured three Nike Tournament of Champions titles. She also coached the Philly Rise team to four Nike championships. A competitor herself, Watson played basketball all four years at Arundel High School, including on the
team that won the Maryland 4A State Championship in 2010. She earned a spot on the All-Met team that year. After one season at the University of Massachusetts, she played for three years at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), competing at a high level and sharpening the skills that would later define her as a coach. “I am thrilled to be the girls’ basketball coach at Sidwell Friends School,” Watson says. “This opportunity marks the beginning of an exciting journey, and I am eager to work with our young women, helping them grow both as athletes and individuals.”
In our last issue, the cover story on current Division 1 athletes (“Stepping Up,” Sidwell Friends Magazine, Spring 2025) neglected to include at least one D1 athlete.
Castel ’24 soccer for Harvard University, a D1 school. We regret the omission. If you know of any other D1 athletes not included on our roster, please let us know.
…and it feels so good.
Every May, Sidwell Friends welcomes back hundreds of alumni to reconnect, share memories, and have a downright fantastic time at parties, get-togethers, and even Jeopardy games (!) across the city. This year, alumni toured the Upton Street building, the site of the new Upper School, and danced the night away under a tent behind Zartman House. (For more photos, see “Class Notes,” on page 54.)
Four women received Sidwell Friends' top honor this year.
Since 1994, the School's Distinguished Alumni Award has been recognizing outstanding individuals in the alumni community. Held over Reunion weekend, the award is presented each year to four alumni who exemplify service to their community or profession— and who “let their life speak.” This year’s winners are: Grace Dammann ’65, Tia Powell ’75, Toba Spitzer ’80, and Sonya Clark ’85.
GRACE DAMMANN ’65
Dammann attended Smith College and the University of Chicago before graduating from Yale’s Divinity School. She then went to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, graduating at the start of the AIDS epidemic. Dammann became closely involved in the epidemic, setting up a step-down unit for people with AIDS from San Francisco General and the University of California. In 2005, she was honored with the Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award by the Dalai Lama for her work with AIDS patients. In 2008, however, everything changed. Dammann experienced a head-on collision on
the Golden Gate Bridge. After 48 days in a coma, she miraculously awoke. Once the thrill and euphoria of survival had passed, the hard, painful work of rehabilitation and caregiving began. An awardwinning film, States of Grace, captures her indomitable spirit as she confronts life in a wheelchair and her unshakeable faith in Buddhism. Today, Dammann runs the Pain Clinic at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center.
TIA POWELL ’75
Powell directs the Center for Bioethics and the master’s program in bioethics at Montefiore Health Systems and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She holds the
Shoshanah Trachtenberg Frackman chair in biomedical ethics and is a professor of epidemiology and psychiatry. She attended Harvard College before earning her medical degree from the Yale School of Medicine. Her work in bioethics focuses on public policy, aging, dementia, end-of-life care, and bioethics education. She served four years as executive director of the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, the state bioethics commission. She has also worked with the National Academies of Medicine on many projects and served as an advisor to the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the HHS National Alzheimer’s Project Act. In 2019, Powell published Dementia Reimagined: Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End
TOBA SPITZER ’80
Rabbi Toba Spitzer has served Congregation Dorshei Tzedek in Massachusetts since she was ordained in 1997 at the
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Rabbi Spitzer is a teacher of courses on Judaism and economic justice, Reconstructionist Judaism, new approaches to thinking about God, and the practice of integrating Jewish spiritual and ethical teachings into daily life. She has served as the president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and was the first LGBTQ rabbi to head a national rabbinic organization. Spitzer has been named to Newsweek’s Top 50 Rabbis in America 2008 list, The Forward’s 2008 Forward 50 list, and The Forward’s 2010 Forward 50 Female Rabbis Who Are Making a Difference. She recently published God Is Here: Reimagining the Divine, a book of popular theology. For many years, Spitzer has been involved in American Jewish efforts to help foster a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has worked across the United States for economic and social justice.
SONYA CLARK ’85
Clark is a professor of art at Amherst College. Previously, she was a Distinguished Research Fellow in the School of the Arts and Commonwealth Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she served as chair of the Craft/Material Studies Department from 2006 to 2017. In 2016, she was awarded a university-wide VCU Distinguished Scholars Award. She earned an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and was honored with their Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011. She has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She earned her college degree from Amherst College, where she also received an honorary doctorate. She is the recipient of a U.S. Artists Fellowship, the Pollock Krasner Award, the 1858 Prize, the Art Prize Grand Jurors Award, and the Anonymous Was a Woman Award. She has held residencies at the Red Gate Residency in China, BAU Carmago Residency in France, Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio in Italy, Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship in DC, Knight Foundation at the McColl in North Carolina, Civitella Ranieri in Italy, Yaddo in New York, among many others.
Scan the QR code to watch the tribute videos of the awardees, or visit sidwell.pub/DAA
The Upper School Art Show tackled almost as many mediums as topics, from ceramics, painting, photography, and drawing to sneakers, telephones, hearts, and, well, the whole bathroom sink.
Honoring spirit, service, and a dear friend.
Ginger Newmyer P ’72, ’74, ’76, GP ’06, ’09 , a beloved parent, grandparent, and friend of the School, passed away in May. Newmyer deeply believed in the transformative power of public service and had a deep love for the Sidwell Friends community. In fact, the annual Newmyer Awards were established in 1975 as a tribute to the years of remarkable volunteerism of Ginger and her husband, Jimmie Newmyer ’37 . Recipients of these awards are parents and alumni who “have made the greatest contribution over a sustained period of time to the values of Sidwell Friends and the life of the School community.” The Newmyer Young Alumni Service Award recognizes a young alumni’s sustained commitment to volunteer service, and a contribution is made to a nonprofit organization of the recipient’s choice.
2025 NEWMYER AWARDEES
Cathy Lee ’88, P ’25
Jill Wiley White and Burton White P ’21, ’22, ’25
Caroline Friedman P ’24, ’26
Nina Goodman P ’22, ’25
Dorothy Moss Williams P ’25, ’27
NEWMYER YOUNG ALUMNI SERVICE AWARDEE
Oliver Stabbe ’14
Earlier this month, the Parents of Asian Students annual potluck celebration honored graduating seniors and spring festivals from many Asian cultures, including Korean spring traditions, Baisakhi, Vesak (Buddha Jayanti), Nowruz, and Holi.
As anyone who has driven through the DC campus garage or by the Lower School Manor House knows, more often than not someone is collecting canned food, clothing, toys, costumes, toiletries, and more to help those in need. One of the regular collections benefits Play It Forward, a student club founded by Caroline Mohamadi ’26 to gather used sports equipment and donate it to young athletes who might not otherwise be able to participate in sports. In just over two years, the club is now shipping gear all over the country thanks to Sidwell Friends’ generous community. Here’s a peek under the hood:
19 BASEBALL/ SOFTBALL ITEMS
catcher leg guards
bats
4
4 FOOTBALL ITEMS
9
1
52
17
4 BASKETBALL
3 BIKE ITEMS
helmets
24
water bottles
pairs climbing shoes
kickball
sports backpack
sports duffel bag
frisbees
11
1
149
The China Folk House allows students to step back in time. Every year, Chinese-language students visit the China Folk House in West Virginia to immerse themselves in another time, place, and spirituality. As Upper School Chinese teacher Qihui Tang puts it: “The overnight field trip to the China Folk House is a great way for the students to experience what they’ve learned about Taoism. From a scavenger hunt identifying Taoist symbols in the architecture, to studying the feng shui of the house and its environment, hiking the surrounding land, learning about old farming tools, and cooking dinner together—students stepped into ‘a day in the life’ shaped by Taoist values. The field trip not only helped students see how Taoism connects to daily life and nature, but it also helped them build stronger connections with each other.”
“Today I’m Joined By…”
A video podcast club showcases the voices of the Sidwell Friends community.
On Founder’s Day this year, members of the Video Podcast Club, which produces The Friends Inspire Podcast, walked around with iPhones poised to record and film and asked people about their favorite part of the School’s annual tradition. “The Sidwell community is full of interesting and outgoing people, so we were able to capture some fun and insightful answers,” says Manka M’mari ’27, who founded the student-led club last year. The podcast attempts to unearth interesting details about everyone from faculty and staff to students and alumni.
For example, did you know Upper School Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs Nikolin Eyrich was once an elite ballerina? “It’s details like that about people’s lives that help us connect with each other and enrich our School community,” says M’mari. “I loved learning that.”
M’mari’s passion to connect with people and share their stories was the catalyst for the video podcast. The club was born from a conversation she had with her then–freshman year adviser, former Upper School Principal Mamadou Guèye. With his encouragement, she approached Sidwell Friends Digital Producer Anthony La Fleur and Upper School Librarian Dr. Stephanie Gamble, both of whom are now the club’s advisors. The six student members of the club then had a lot to learn about the process of creating a video podcast from start to finish—like learning how to edit down hours of footage into one compelling episode.
Luckily, scoring interviews hasn’t been a problem. “People were eager to chime in,” club member Isabel Karam ’27 says. “We got a wide range of input from teachers, Upper School students, security guards, and even some preKers, who were so cute.”
For the first episodes of fall 2025, the group plans on interviewing the staff of the Fox Den and the cafeteria. “Everyone has interesting stories to share about their lives,” says M’mari. “I can’t wait to jump right in again.”
AT SIDWELL FRIENDS, THE SCHOOL STORE ISN’T JUST A PLACE FOR A SNACK AND A FRESH PENCIL. IT IS A CENTER OF CAMPUS ACTIVITY: a full-service coffee shop and spirit-wear store, a place for study groups and clubs to meet up, an oasis for faculty and staff looking to grab a quick latte, and an afterschool hangout. For Assistant Director of Auxiliary Programs Tanya Tilghman, running the Fox Den draws on leadership skills earned over a career in education and special projects. Tilghman joined Sidwell Friends in 2022, after 12 years in a variety of roles, including assistant principal, at DC’s Achievement Prep.
1. What has been the best part of working at Sidwell Friends?
Definitely the community. I’ve never really been in a space that put so much attention on ensuring there’s inclusivity and equity—that it exists, that it is first and foremost, and that it is talked about. At Sidwell Friends, inclusivity and equity are not hidden subjects that we talk about behind closed doors or as matters that we can’t control. Here, it is a proactive conversation. I have always been really motivated by a close-knit environment, and to come to one every day is exciting. I also like the versatility of Auxiliary Programs and being able to tap into the multiple skill sets I hold in order to do great work. Every evening, I can walk away feeling like I did something well today. This job allows me to still have reach when it comes to children and community, which are all aspects of the work I’ve always loved. But it also gets me back into business operations, which is my sweet spot. It is a great balance.
2. What is your average day like?
There really isn’t an average day! Overseeing the Fox Den is such a great project to take hold of because it is positioned to be this great community service as well as a hub of social interaction. A typical day could involve me connecting with a vendor on merchandise that’s already ordered or going through the process of merchandise selection and design and ensuring branding is on par. There is equipment sourcing, vendor management, negotiating different content service contracts, and ensuring that all of our systems are well managed. And having conversations with students is always a bright spot in the day because they always bring the unexpected.
3. What are your goals with the Fox Den?
When I initially looked at the store’s numbers, I saw there was a lot of room for improvement—especially when I learned of the mission of Auxiliary Programs as a means to feed the financial aid budget. The Fox
Den is a line item that should be generating revenue, and so I did an analysis. We need sound business practices and a sound product structure that is going to feed into what customers want to buy. I feel compelled to take hold of the Fox Den and reform it and build it out. So now my day revolves around making sure that daily operations are being practiced in the best possible way and interacting with stakeholders—like students, staff, and parents—regularly to figure out what they enjoy most about the products we sell and how we can make them better.
4. The Fox Den will be getting a fresh space in the new Upper School. Are you excited about the move?
I am excited—and I’m anxious. The design is absolutely amazing—but it’s going to be a much bigger project, a much bigger physical space. Do we need the same number of people working there, or do we need more? How can I be creative to get people helping out on the floor in a way that doesn’t hit the budget? I would love to have parents or alumni volunteers working the space during big events. I am excited about taking this new vision for the space and seeing it all the way through. I will have a storage area, because right now I really just have a corner! I’m most excited to see how the merchandise display shapes up, because that is the one area that has been the most fluid. The displays will dictate where I can potentially go in the future with different merchandise items.
What’s the hardest part about managing the Fox Den?
People. People will always be the challenge. In a space like the Fox Den, you get entry-level applicants for the most part. So, you’re getting folks who are either still in college and they just need something to, well, pay for their own coffee, or you’re getting folks who are fresh to the job market and trying to figure out what direction they want to actually travel. Retail in general is just a transient industry. And I always keep in my mind that we are working with children, so I don’t like the turnover retail typically has. Children are impressionable, and they like a sense of predictability. So, managing entry-level folks to be responsible, reliable, and thoughtful, and to think about how they’re showing up and modeling behavior is an extra challenge. But that’s also the fun part because one of the biggest joys that I get is seeing people grow. I love taking someone who’s fresh out of water, who has no idea
what I mean when I say, “Be detail oriented,” and seeing them at the end of six months making to-do lists and carrying out tasks from start to finish. Even if employees don’t stay with me for years, if they can walk away with a skill they did not have when they started, then I’ve done the job that I needed to do. I don’t expect people to be here forever, but I want them to learn something in the process.
NEW LOOKS, SAME QUAKER PRIDE!
Swing by the Fox Den, say hello to Tanya, and grab the latest school merch. Can’t make it in? Shop online at sidwell.pub/foxden.
Quaker
teams had one of the strongest spring seasons in School history, winning three DCSAA team championships and multiple conference titles.
On the heels of their fourth consecutive Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) championship, the boys’ tennis program captured their sixth District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) team championship, their first since 2021. The team clinched the title when the duo of Louis Anderson III ’26 and Boning Wang ’27 took down a pair from St. Alban’s 8–4 in the doubles competition. Akshay Mirmira ’27 was named a Washington Post All-Met first team member, while Anderson and Wang received honorable mention recognition. Girls’ tennis continued their dominating streak by capturing their third consecutive DCSAA championship. Natalie McIntosh ’27 defeated Sara Abouzeid ’27 in the all–Sidwell Friends final for the DCSAA singles title. In another all–Sidwell Friends championship match, the pair of McIntosh and
Daria Ghassemi ’25 bested Abouzeid and Zoe Shrank ’26 for the doubles championship. McIntosh and Abouzeid were named to the first team All-Met squad, and Ghassemi took honorable mention. Logan West ’01 was named girls’ tennis All-Met coach of the year.
The girls’ lacrosse team won a thrilling Independent School League (ISL) Division A championship match to win its first conference title in 17 years, defeating Bullis 9–8. Avery Coleman ’25 led the offensive attack, becoming the first Sidwell Friends lacrosse player to eclipse 300 career goals. Coleman was selected as a USA Lacrosse All-American. Sisi Kostorowski ’26 was picked as a USA Lacrosse Academic All-American. Coleman, Kostorowski, Pilar Lynch ’27, and Zoe DeGarmo ’28 were named to the All-DCSAA squad and Coach
Aubrey Whittier was named DCSAA Coach of the Year.
Fielding a young squad, the boys’ lacrosse team won their quarterfinal MAC tournament game against St. Andrew’s Episcopal to advance to the semifinals, where they lost to conference powerhouse Saint James School.
The boys’ track & field team had one of its strongest seasons in years, winning the MAC championship and the DCSAA championship, the team’s first state title since 2019.
The team set multiple school, meet, and DCSAA records. They secured victories in the 4x100-meter relay, the 200-meter final, the triple jump, the long jump, and the shot-put competitions. Clayton Gary ’25 was named meet MVP, setting multiple record performances, including a meet record with a victory in both the long jump and the triple jump. Gary was also part of the winning 4x100-meter relay team. He was also selected to the Washington Post All-Met first team.
The girls’ track & field team finished ninth at the DCSAA competition.
Among the strong performances, Natalie McIntosh ’27 finished fourth in the 100-meter race, and Nnedi Nwosu ’25 took fourth place in the 100-meter hurdles.
The baseball team won the MAC regular season championship, their first title since 2006. The squad advanced to the final game of the MAC tournament before dropping the championship game to Potomac. At the DCSAA tournament, the team made it to the semifinals, where they fell to Jackson-Reed. John McMurray ’25, Tommy Levy ’27, and Porter Speece ’26 were named to the All-MAC and All-DCSAA teams.
Playing in the Upper Division of the ISL this year, the program was battle-tested throughout the season. They defeated District of Columbia International School 24–11 in the first round of the DCSAA tournament before falling in the quarterfinals to St. John’s College High School. Nina Keefe ’27 and Elisa Tsao ’26 received All-DCSAA nods.
Ranked 10th nationally by the RBTN Scholastic National Power Rankings, the team finished as the runner-up in the Virginia Scholastic Rowing championships, qualifying for the national championship races. They won the Charlie Butt Regatta, retaining their title from last year. Lia Nathan ’25 was named to the Washington Post All-Met first team to wrap up an outstanding career on the water. In July, USRowing announced that Nathan had been selected to the national women’s under-19 four team.
Sophie Ochiai ’26 shot a 78 in the DCSAA tournament to capture the girls’ medalist honor in the DCSAA championship. The team took second place in the MAC tournament and third place in the DCSAA team competition. Ochiai was named honorable mention on the Washington Post All-Met first team.
The 2024/25 school year closed with awards for some of Sidwell Friends’ talented athletes.
The Unsung Hero Award is presented annually to one senior male and one senior female athlete for contributions that might otherwise go unrecognized. The recipients of the award—by virtue of their presence, participation, dedication, and enthusiasm—have significantly enriched the Sidwell Friends Athletic Program.
Harrison Keyser ’25
Isabel Limao ’25
The Wannan & Fine Award is presented to a senior male and female athlete who, by consensus of the Athletic Department, deserve recognition for their athletic talent, leadership, dedication, sportsmanship, broad participation, and interest and involvement in all aspects of school life.
Clayton Gary ’25
Lia Nathan ’25
The Tyler Christian Rusch Award is presented to a senior male and female athlete who have significantly enriched the Sidwell Friends Athletic Program through motivational leadership, steadfast participation, dedication to teamwork, enthusiasm, and all-out effort in athletic competition. This award is named in memory of former student Tyler Rusch ’04.
Rowan Drant ’25
You can find more sports news at sidwell.edu/athletics and on X and Instagram by following @SFSQuakers.
Avery Coleman ’25
Eighty years ago, Sidwell Friends hired its first Middle School principal. This year, the School welcomes its 10th.
BY LOREN ITO HARDENBERGH P ’29
Photos Courtesy Sidwell Friends Archives
For its first two decades, Thomas Sidwell advertised his new endeavor as “An Elementary and High School for Both Sexes.”
The School offered classes for the three or four Intermediate School years, but there was no separate administrative oversight. Thomas Sidwell was the principal of the entire school, and his wife, Frances Haldeman-Sidwell, served alongside him as co-principal. In 1933, the School reorganized into the Elementary School for kindergarten through 6th grade and an Upper School for 7th through 12th grade. It remained that way for a decade.
It wasn’t until 1944 that the 7th and 8th grades were pulled out of Upper School and reorganized as the Middle School. “The results have been so satisfactory,” the School announced in 1945, “that it has been decided to enlarge the Middle School by including in it the Fifth and Sixth grades, formerly a part of the Lower School.” Sidwell Friends was, in some ways, ahead of its time, with the concept of “middle school” not widely adopted in the United States until well into the 1960s. The success of this experiment is due in large part to Sidwell Friends’ first Middle School principal, Frank Barger. He had come two years earlier to fill an opening for Upper School principal before the rapidly expanding junior-high grades were separated out. All who experienced the Middle School during those decades remember Barger’s boundless energy and larger-than-life personality. By 1950, the concept of “middle school” was so solidified that, when space issues arose, a building was constructed specifically for 5th through 8th grade.
The second Middle School principal was cut from a different cloth. John Arnold arrived at Sidwell Friends in 1963 as a 4th grade teacher. He was just 32 years old when he was appointed Middle
School principal, and he was full of ideas, regularly attending conferences on Friends education and learning about the latest educational practices, such as the “open classroom.” One aspect of Arnold’s legacy that has endured is the concept of “teams” in 7th and 8th grade. He launched Teams I, II, III, and IV, which later became North, South, East, and West. When the Middle School’s green renovation took place in 2006, Teams Land, Sea, and Sky were born and remain today. As a teacher wrote upon his departure: “Mr. Arnold came into a Middle School that served as a transitional way station between the Lower and Upper Schools, with a heavy emphasis on academic preparation for Upper School. He leaves the Middle School headed in the direction of standing in its own right.”
After Arnold left, Kit Barger ’58, son of Frank Barger, took over as principal for the next five years. As principal and as an alum, he deftly managed the tension between his father’s “old school” approach and the open, mixed-age classrooms his predecessor had implemented. After completing five years as principal, he became the first (and only) principal to go back to the classroom full-time. Barger returned as a 7th and 8th grade math teacher.
With a background in the Peace Corps and public schools, Harry Finks focused on balancing Quaker values with academics. Finks believed, “Middle School is a time in the school life when you are given some of the luxury of letting youngsters experiment.” To that end, he launched the Minimester program, which is still going strong decades later (see, “The World Is a Classroom,” on page 30), and he created a mixed 7th and 8th grade advisory program that endures to this day.
FRANK BARGER 1944–1967
KIT BARGER ’58 1972–1977
JAY ROUDEBUSH 1983–1987
JOHN ARNOLD 1967–1972
HARRY FINKS 1977–1983
“ Whereas education in an upper school is often aimed at the finished product, a middle school should serve more to open doors and nurture development.”
Middle School, observing, “Whereas education in an upper school is often aimed at the finished product, a middle school should serve more to open doors and nurture development.” During his time in the Middle School, Roudebush doubled the science department’s staff, and created two new science labs, ensuring that 7th and 8th grade students received year-round science instruction.
When Roudebush became head of the Congressional School, his assistant principal, Bob Williams, stepped up from his position as a 6th grade teacher to become Sidwell Friends’ sixth Middle School principal. In his seven years in the job, he reduced class sizes in 5th and 6th grades to enhance the educational experience for students. As Sidwell Friends’ first Black senior administrator, Williams is remembered for his leadership during a critical period in the School’s history. His principalship coincided with a landmark diversity study issued by the board of trustees, and he worked tirelessly on implementing the School’s response. Williams also helped establish the first aftercare program, recognizing it is essential to support working families.
Andy Berry succeeded Williams to become the seventh principal, and stayed for nine years. Berry improved student leadership, expanded the science program in 5th and 6th grade, and extended access
principal, Selby’s 12-year tenure ranks second only to Frank Barger’s. Often working late into the evening, she put systems in place to make the Middle School run smoothly. Selby also oversaw the 2006 renovation of the Middle School as it became the first LEED Platinum school building in the world. With characteristic openness, she welcomed thousands of visitors from around the world to see the building firsthand.
This year, Sidwell Friends said goodbye to Selby’s successor, Rachel Kane. Having attended and worked at Quaker schools throughout her life, Kane prioritized nurturing every student’s light. She recognized the importance of creating a sense of belonging for young adolescents and cared deeply about student wellness. In 2020, she faced the enormous challenge of COVID-19. In her nine years at the helm, Kane saw the Middle School through dizzying testing and masking protocols, and she supported teachers and families through the transition back to “normal” school life. This year, Kane became head of school at the Friends Community School in Maryland.
On July 1, Allen Vandegrift joined Sidwell Friends as the 10th Middle School principal. Each past principal has made contributions to shape the Middle School and the unique needs of 10-to-14year-olds. No doubt Vandegrift will do the same.
The Middle School’s long-running Minimester program emphasizes the wonder of experiential learning.
BY VICTORIA TILNEY MCDONOUGH AND SACHA ZIMMERMAN
There was an audible gasp from the Sidwell Friends students when they first spotted the U.S.-Mexico border wall stretching out like a snake along the ridge between San Diego and Tijuana. As trucks rumbled up dusty roads with supplies to make the everexpanding wall taller, thicker, and more humanproof, activist, educator, and tour guide Nanzi Muro wondered aloud if the wall is doing more than simply keeping people out; if, on a fundamental level, the wall is a physical manifestation of an effort to instill fear. All of which raised the question: How should two countries with shared borders navigate land, community, and cultural identities?
The trip to the border wall in California was part of the School’s San Diego Minimester trip, one of five travel excursions and over a dozen DC-based experiences hosted by the Middle School each year. Over the week leading up to spring break, Sidwell Friends students in 5th through 8th grade take a hands-on deep dive into an array of topics, from aviation to chess, art to robotics. In addition to travel and local options, Middle Schoolers can also propose their own apprenticeships or do an internship as a teaching assistant in the Lower School. What’s more, financial aid is set aside for Minimesters so that every student who wants to attend a travel Minimester can. “The model is that
everybody takes a pause from regular programming and does something experiential for one week,” says former Middle School Principal Rachel Kane, who is now the head of school at Friends Community School in College Park, Maryland. “In addition to the larger country, DC is such an open and available classroom. That’s a huge deal. And it can be fun to operate outside of the normal 40-minute or 60-minute bell-based schedule.”
Minimesters also operate outside of grade levels. While the travel Minimesters are only open to 7th and 8th graders—with almost all of the slots going to 8th graders—in the local Minimesters, which is what the majority of students join, 5th graders and 8th graders and everyone in between can be found together. In “Creativity, Innovation, & Engineering,” kids across grades tore open printers, computers, phones, and radios to see what apparatuses make them work—and how to rebuild them, or turn them into something new—which left one science lab littered with motherboards, components, gears, computer chips, and screws covering every surface. Kids from every grade also gathered for marathon sessions of Dungeons and Dragons, a week of athletics, or a seminar on creative writing.
“All of it ties back to the Quaker mission of community,” says Kane. “But a lot of the programs focus on stewardship and equality, too.”
That was certainly true of the San Diego trip, which explored the history and ongoing challenges faced by migrant communities in the United States with a message centered on resilience and pain as well as the power of good neighbors and sharing cultures. The students, for example, visited the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, a community garden featuring plants, fruits, and vegetables originally from places like Africa, Mexico, and the Philippines, which have now become native, helping to mitigate flooding and nurture flora and fauna, including the ever-important hummingbird. Like the community members who tend them, the gardens reflect a wonderfully idiosyncratic history.
As a racket of African turkeys trotted by, Muro explained to the group how the gardeners teach each other about the plants from their homelands, what techniques they use, and how to take this new knowledge back to their own communities
Minimester was originally built for 7th and 8th graders in 1982; it grew to include 5th and 6th graders in 1988. Early program offerings, like more recent ones, reflected the spirit of the time in which they were conceived. In 1984, one Minimester choice was “The Days After.” Students examined the possibilities of nuclear war, learned about the government’s civil defense recommendations, heard from doctors about the effects of radiation, and visited fallout shelters. Beginning in the early 1990s, working on the AIDS Memorial Quilt was an option. These days, unsurprisingly, many of the existential Minimester choices tackle climate change.
Situated in the heart of the lower Florida Keys, Mote Marine Laboratory’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration— or “Mote”—is a fully equipped marine science facility dedicated to research and education in this unique ecosystem. It’s also familiar territory for the aptly named Aaron Marine, a Middle School science teacher with a deep connection to this work.
After graduating from Coastal Carolina University with a degree in marine science, he did an internship on Pigeon Key, a tiny island—just five acres—not accessible by car that’s known for its oceanic research. From there, Marine began leading ecological education programs across the Keys—including for the Sidwell Friends’ Minimester program. So, in 2011, when Marine accepted a position at Sidwell, he was well-versed with the initiative, and with the exception of the pandemic, he has led a Minimester trip back to the Keys every year since.
This March, more than a dozen 8th graders traveled to the Keys to stay in a dorm at Mote, which is nestled among reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests—most within the protection of National Wildlife Refuges and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. One of the group’s first stops for the week was to the Turtle Hospital on Marathon Key. The low-slung, mint-green buildings were once
a sleepy seaside motel, and in some ways the facility is still a motel: Most of the turtle guests are temporary and hope to find themselves once more in their ocean homes.
Unfortunately, a large minority of the hospital’s turtles cannot be released back into the sea. Throughout the entire ocean, there are only seven living species of sea turtles. Five of those are found in Florida: green, loggerhead, leatherback, hawksbill, and Kemp’s ridley. All weigh at least 75 to 100 pounds, with some leatherbacks coming in at a staggering 2,000 pounds. With warming waters also changing the location of currents and deep-sea fishing, all are also more and more susceptible to getting struck by recreational and commercial boats, which can dent the turtles’ outer shells and fundamentally disrupt their equilibrium, causing the creatures to list at an awkward angle that makes life a struggle. Those turtles with positive buoyancy syndrome, colloquially known as “bubble butt syndrome” for the way their hind quarters
are perpetually at the top of the waterline while their heads point down, can never be released due to their poor chances of survival. The Sidwell Friends kids, who fed the bubble butt turtles in tanks and pools across the hospital’s campus, were as charmed by these reptiles as they were sad for them.
The students also got to see a live surgery in progress through a window into the hospital’s surgical suite. There, doctors were working on a loggerhead turtle, removing fibropapillomatosis tumors, excessive growths made more prevalent by global temperature spikes that can blind turtles or impede their movements. Turtles often also need surgery for ingesting all manner of manmade plastics, hooks, lures, and garbage that can lodge in their digestive systems, as well as for entanglement in fishing lines, netting, and still more plastics. But most turtles with successful surgeries can be released back into the wild—an event marked by a release party, which hundreds of members of the local community come out to cheer on.
“Giving kids exposure to this, to get them out and get them excited about these topics is so important,” says Aaron Marine.
“And if we have a couple kids who leave and say, ‘Wow, I want to pursue this science,’ that’s huge.” Marine saw some of the students connect what they were learning about in Florida to their more terrestrial interests back home. The kids on robotics teams, for instance, compete in challenges that require remote-operated machines to perform tasks underwater—often in the service of the environment.
The students also spent time throughout the week paddling across the curled roots and gnarled arms of mangrove forests, which provide flood protection for the islands; snorkeling in turquoise waters off the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States, a reef that feeds native wildlife and prevents coastal erosion; visiting fisheries that balance commercial fishing with sustainability; and learning more about the fragile coastal ecology that allows the hundreds of Key islands to flourish.
Ocean ecology wasn’t the only serious exploration of the climate during Minimester, though. Sidwell Friends School has also been a longtime partner of the Jackson, Wyoming-based Teton Science Schools, an organization that opens up opportunities for students to learn and engage with nature—and does not allow phones or technology on campus. At first the students on the Tetons Minimester trip were worried about how they would manage a week without their gadgets, but within hours, the blanketing snow, magisterial peaks, and the excitement of strapping on snowshoes and spotting wildlife under the forever blue of the big sky turned their focus away from anything involving a screen or a swipe.
At the Teton Science Schools, the Sidwell Friends group explored concepts of ecology and biology through outdoor experiences in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, specifically Grand Teton National Park. They studied various plant life through a scavenger hunt and also built large hills out of snow, rocks, and pine needles to simulate
the different parts of mountains and how they form. “Being at the Teton School was such a great way to have fun and also learn about things that you do not necessarily learn about in school,” said Tori Shrank ’29. Or, as Everly Gaier ’30 put it: “What a fun way to do school!”
The group also enjoyed a sleigh ride in the National Elk Refuge and spent a day cross-country skiing at the base of the Grand Tetons, which according to 7th/8th grade math teacher Megan Farrell, was a real highlight. During bus rides to various parks, students looked out the windows and spotted moose, deer, and elk. “It was clear they started to appreciate being unplugged,” says Farrell. “As an educator, it was incredible to witness so much learning take place outside. We spend so much time in the classroom, and this trip was a reminder of how much there is to learn from the world around us. It was an inspiring example of place-based learning at its best.”
“What a fun way to do school!” EVERLY GAIER ’30
In the American Southwest, a group of Sidwell Friends students went way outside the classroom, hiking across national parks in Arizona and Utah while learning about Indigenous cultures. The 16 boys on the Great Parks Minimester learned about Hopi culture and history and enjoyed a potluck of native dishes at the Moenkopi Senior Center. The students were also taught some words for common items, how Hopi bread (piki) is prepared by stretching thin dough over a hard rock, and how the residents on the reservation still face many challenges. The boys agreed that one of the highlights of the trip was playing a competitive match of chair volleyball with the elders of a Hopi community in Tuba City, Arizona. With each tap of the inflated ball, which was designed to look like the earth, the teams lobbed jokes, cheers, and stories across the net.
“During our time with the Hopis, students were able to make real-life connections from the stories they read in the on-site museum to actual people who lived the stories they read about,” says Middle School Counselor Bruce Holmes. “To see the smiles on the elders’ faces and witness the students’ joy was priceless. The giving of our time to the older generation and sharing life experiences is something that I know the kids will always remember.”
The Great Parks trip also showcased some of the most stunning landscapes in the United States while exposing the group to the history and lives of Indigenous peoples of the Southwest. At the Montezuma Castle National Monument, students learned that the façade of the castle—built into the
side of a cliff face—protects a set of well-preserved dwellings located in Camp Verde, Arizona, which were built and used between approximately AD 1100 and 1425 by the Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture related to many of the Indigenous peoples of the southwestern United States. Seeing the Grand Canyon shrouded in fog and snow that gradually lifted over the morning into an astounding expanse spoke of the timelessness and ever-changing grandeur of nature.
Along with hikes up canyons and along rocky ridges and a night sky marveled at from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff—one of the oldest astronomical observatories in the country—students participated in service project work, allowing them to interact with the environment in a variety of ways. They helped clear out a water runoff culvert near the Hopi senior center, picked up more than 10 bags of rubbish while weeding gardens in Bacavi Village, and pitched in to paint route markers at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. “I loved watching the kids pet pigs, dogs, and cats at the animal sanctuary,” says Liberty Swift, a 7th/8th grade math teacher. “Not only did the kids learn all the animals’ names, but they asked astute questions about the animals and their lives at the sanctuary.”
“The students were curious and generous and, of course, with a group of 16 boys, the energy was palpable the entire time!” laughed Stephen Armandt, a 7th/8th history teacher.
“The Minimester model is that everybody takes a pause from regular programming and does something experiential for one week. In addition to the larger country, DC is such an open and available classroom.
That’s a huge deal. And it can be fun to operate outside of the normal 40-minute or 60-minute bell-based schedule.”
Back in Washington, DC, there was still an element of travel to be had. One local Minimester, “Ride the Rails,” took Middle Schoolers underground to ride DC’s metro lines from end to end. Every day was a field trip that involved discovering new neighborhoods and landmarks. The group even went behind the scenes at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to talk to transportation experts about how the DC metro system works.
“Sometimes teachers feel torn between getting out into DC for their own class field trip but then potentially creating an issue for another colleague who then has to give up class time to make it work,” says Kane. “By pausing all normal instruction for Minimester, there just isn’t that tension. And DC is an amazing classroom.”
To wit, the “Barrios Latinos” Minimester saw students visiting neighborhoods where Spanish is the primary language and cultural traditions from Latin America
are strong. Through community centers, museums, and local businesses, the Sidwell Friends students got a firsthand feel for the flavor of each enclave. They also visited the National Museum of the American Latino and sampled the irresistible cuisines of Mexico and El Salvador. Similarly, in “A Taste of China,” kids in all four grades of Middle School visited the Chinese Embassy, went to the National Museum of Asian Art, explored DC’s Chinatown, learned calligraphy, cooked authentic Chinese food, and watched popular Chinese movies and shows.
“ The essence of Minimester is getting both the adults and the kids to experience a different type of learning than they’re used to during the regular school year.”
JENNY SHEN Middle School Assistant Principal for Student Life
Another group of Middle Schoolers joined the “Go Wild” Minimester, which allowed kids to visit the National Zoo, go to NOVA Wild to learn about conservation, meet with a Montgomery County Police Department K-9 handler, and spend time at the Humane Rescue Alliance.
“Teachers feel empowered to partake in the process when they are able to pursue something that is a passion project for them or something that they’re usually not able to do in their classroom,” says Middle School Assistant Principal for Student Life Jenny Shen, who embarked on a Sidwell Friends Venture Grant this summer to explore how to capture Minimester magic without overloading teachers. “The essence of Minimester is getting both the adults and the
kids to experience a different type of learning than they’re used to during the regular school year.”
There are passion projects for the students, too. For Mackenzie Goins ’31, Minimester provided an opportunity to revisit a place she loves: the Lower School. Instead of joining a topical Minimester, Goins did an internship in her favorite division. “I love the Lower School and missed being in that environment,” she says. “My favorite part of being down there was being able to teach kids in P.E. Also, I really loved teaching preK. One thing I learned is that teaching is hard—especially when trying to get the kids to listen.”
None of this happens without Kafkaesque levels of logistics, partnerships, and coordination. And none of it happens without Cate Woodward, the assistant director of Auxiliary Programs. She ensures every medical form and permission slip is filled out, wrangles transportation and accommodations, acquires brown-bag lunches from the cafeteria, fields dozens of phone calls from parents and staff, and troubleshoots at every juncture. Woodward thrives on it. “The best part is getting to see the pictures and hearing from the kids and the chaperones about all the wonderful experiences they had,” she says. “It makes it all worth it!”
Meanwhile, far from the chasms of the Grand Canyon, the snowy peaks of Wyoming, or the sandy beaches of the Keys, another Sidwell Friends group was looking at culture from another angle—one with a bit more song and dance, with a trip right into the center of Times Square in New York City. The 8th graders on the “Bright Lights, Big City,” Minimester went deep into character for an exploration of all things Broadway.
Amid the Blade Runner-like urban extravaganza that is Times Square, with walls of light and moving images, costumed characters dotting every corner, and theaters tucked down every side street, 15 Sidwell Friends students walked among the chaos—perhaps even with wide eyes and big dreams. The group saw no fewer than four of the season’s biggest shows: The Outsiders, Maybe Happy Ending,
Romeo + Juliet, and Little Shop of Horrors. But along with the glitz came a very real-world education in what working in the theater world actually looks like.
In a panel discussion with a who’s who of Broadway—and of film and television—students spoke to performers, choreographers, production designers, sound
engineers, costumers, and other creatives who live in this world every day. (The group included not one but two stars of Apple TV’s hit Bad Monkey!) “This was a rare chance to hear from those who are living and breathing this world,” says Middle School theater teacher Quinten Madea. “The students could gain insights, inspiration, and guidance that can shape their own journeys in theater. What made this panel even more special is that these professionals offered their time purely out of passion. Their generosity spoke to the power of theater as a community.”
The Sidwell Friends students also took a course in stage-fighting, learning how to mime realistic and dramatic fight scenes. They went to the Broadway Museum for a look at iconic moments in New York theater history, like those that challenged societal norms, pushed creative boundaries, and paved the way for new artists. And, of course, they all posed for their very own headshots. “As someone who hopes to work with movies when he grows up,” says Theo Scoblic ’29, “this Minimester taught me to think more deeply about art.”
Back in San Diego, there was also a focus on art. The students visited the Front Gallery, an art gallery, arts education space, and meeting venue for community residents and artists in San Ysidro, a neighborhood just north of the border. Students were drawn to the different mediums— paintings, photography, videos, installations, fabric arts. One painting, in particular, struck Amina Madati ’29. It featured a close-up of a woman’s ruddy face with three gashes sewn with actual crisscrossed string stitches. The painting explored themes of resilience, repair, and the ongoing struggle for wholeness. “It’s interesting that the needle and thread hang down past the frame,” said Madati. “It’s like she’s in process.”
Some of the students said Chicano Park was their favorite part of the journey. Home to the largest concentration of Chicano murals in the world, the 7.9-acre park emerged from a community “takeover” of land intended for a California Highway Patrol station, becoming a symbol of Chicano self-determination and cultural expression. “The stories definitely show the combination of courage and struggle,” said Ayja Dietrich ’29. “You can almost see it in the brushstrokes.”
“I like that people can understand the stories even if they can’t read,” said Abby Foster ’29. Morgan Heyliger ’29 added, “What I love about the park is that there is room for more murals, for telling more visual stories of the ongoing struggles and the fight to overcome them.”
The San Diego Minimester explored the relationship between the sister cities of San Diego and Tijuana and their vehement desire for a strong and equitable community despite living side by side with the reality of the two nations’ ongoing border crisis. Along the way, however, the group enjoyed some more carefree adventures, too. A sailing tour meant spotting local pelicans, seabirds, and playful sea lions basking in the sun. And the kids saw various stars and planets up close through telescopes during an astronomy presentation from StarDude Astronomy, which provided an interpretation of the night skies—skies, like Minimester classrooms, that have no borders.
Through parallel genealogical searches and DNA testing, two Sidwell Friends alumni have uncovered a common ancestry and unlocked their family histories.
BY VICTORIA TILNEY MCDONOUGH PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAMERON WHITMAN
For years, Sidwell Friends students Ben Lorenz and Johnisha Matthews, both members of the Class of 1995, sat in the same classrooms, passed by one another in the hallways, and served together on the staff of Horizon. Both came from biracial families at a time when there were fewer students of color at Sidwell Friends. Their senior year, both students went on a college tour together. After graduation, they stayed in touch from time to time: Lorenz helped out in the search for Matthews’s father when he wandered from the family home, and Lorenz subsequently attended a lunch after her father’s funeral service. They are also both part of a Sidwell Friends alumni text chain that started during the pandemic.
Then, in 2024, the unexpected brought them together in a way neither could have imagined. Independently, their quests to learn more about their ancestral histories intersected five generations in the past with the person of Robert Kelley. He is a common ancestor—a onetime enslaved man who was born around 1796 in Charles County, Maryland, drove a wagon in support of that state’s troops during the War of 1812, and died a free man in 1887. Kelley’s restored headstone stands today in St. Ignatius Cemetery in Port Tobacco, Maryland—a testament, it says, to a man whose “character was above reproach and died as he had lived, honored and respected by all.”
How Ben Lorenz and Johnisha Matthews Levi, as she is now known, came to learn of their connection is a story of generational perseverance, the meticulous preservation of certain U.S. military documents, new ancestral research tools, the determined work of descendants of a slaveholding family, DNA testing, and, in the end, a hunch.
Lorenz’s genealogical search began in 2023 when he picked up the work his mother had started nearly 30 years before. She had discovered the history of her great-grandfather, James Kelly. (Spellings of family names, especially those of enslaved people, are often inconsistent in the records.) The family story as it had been passed down was that, as the Civil War was beginning, James, 20 years old at the time, escaped from slavery in Port Tobacco and enlisted in the 32nd United States Colored Infantry as a substitute soldier under the alias “William Turner.” Later, during Reconstruction, Kelly and his new wife migrated to Washington, DC, and, as Lorenz describes it today, “attempted to pull themselves up by their bootstraps despite limited access to education, living wages, adequate housing, and medical care.”
Lorenz, a physician and researcher who specializes in infectious diseases, remembers his mother telling him early on in the family’s dive into their ancestral history that, although she knew they had Civil War soldiers in their lineage, “We had never stopped to think of their sacrifice and what that sacrifice meant to our family.”
The family also knew that the Kellys had historic ties to Saint Ignatius, a Catholic church in Port Tobacco. Sadly, most of the parish’s records were lost in an 1866 fire that badly damaged the church. Still, Saint Ignatius, which was rebuilt and today overlooks the Potomac River about 30 miles south of Washington, DC, would later play a pivotal role in the discovery of the Lorenz and Matthews family connection.
What did initially open up the search was the uncovering of James Kelly’s Army pension file, which was located under his alias, William Turner, at the National Archives. “These files were key,” says Lorenz of his mother and father’s research. “They helped us piece together the family connections that were broken after decades of anonymity in slavery and subsequent exodus from Port Tobacco.”
Lorenz eventually picked up the mantle of his mother’s search, inspired by the Georgetown Memory Project, which was created to identify the enslaved people sold by the Jesuits in 1838 to save the university from bankruptcy. The project has shone a light on research tools of the modern digital age, online genealogy platforms, and DNA testing that he knew could accelerate and expand his search. Lorenz is investigating if members of the Kelly family were part of that sale.
It was that motivation and understanding that led him to a major breakthrough when he found a photo online of Robert Kelley’s headstone. The marker, which clearly had been neglected and damaged over time, had been carefully reassembled and restored. It was unusually large and refined, particularly for a formerly enslaved person. The inscription provided a clue (see inscription at right).
The photo had been posted online by a member of the Wills family, which had owned a farm in the area of Port Tobacco during the 19th century. Three siblings from the Wills family had uncovered the headstone while preparing to bury their parents in the church’s cemetery and arranged for its restoration.
In memory of ROBERT KELLEY
DIED AUG. 25, 1887
AGED 93 YEARS
He was a wagon driver for the Maryland troops during the war of 1812 and with the troops that went to repel the British when they made their landing at Benedict. His character was above reproach and died as he had lived, honored and respected by all. He was the body servant for the late John B. Wills, Sr.
Erected by his youngest daughter.
Lorenz reached out to the Wills family and to the current pastor at Saint Ignatius. Soon after connecting, Lorenz and his mother (descendants of enslaved people) and several members of the Wills family (descendants of slaveholders) drove to the site of the former Wills farm, which is now a historically recognized site under new ownership. Near a weathered wooden tobacco barn from the 1800s, the graves of slaveholders remained overgrown with vines. The resting places of the enslaved were clustered beyond a distant treeline, marked only with daffodils that bloom in springtime. “The world was against these people, but they survived,” says Lorenz. “Being there, I could feel them in my cells.”
During his ongoing search to learn more about Robert Kelley and his descendants, Lorenz would often come across the surname Matthews. He knew that his Sidwell Friends classmate Johnisha Matthews Levi had done some genealogical research on her family. So, on a lark, he reached out to her: “Do you happen to have any Matthews relatives in Charles County?”
For four decades, Johnisha Matthews Levi believed a conventional story about her birth, picturing her happy parents at the hospital together. While sorting through her late mother’s belongings, however, she discovered a document indicating that her father was instead serving time in Lorton Correctional Complex in Virginia. This revelation, along with rumors about an FBI investigation of her deceased parents’ “private business,” led Levi to unearth the hidden history of her immediate family. In her recently published book, Number’s Up, she ties this story to the consequences of public policy decisions, demonstrating how state lottery legalization and the war on drugs that began in the 1970s disrupted Black institutions and communities.
Levi’s memoir centers on her brilliant but troubled father, a Black World War II radioman who, facing economic barriers after his Naval service, reinvented himself as a “numbers man” for an underground gambling operation. The job enabled John Matthews to provide for his loved ones and to achieve a level of success far beyond his childhood dreams in the impoverished Jim Crow South. In the process, he become an indirect target of law enforcement.
By examining the circumstances of her father’s incarceration, Levi explores how multiple generations of the Matthews family were haunted by the specter of violence against Black people. Number’s Up offers a unique but quintessentially American story of survival through ingenuity as it asks: Is forgiveness the sole means of moving forward?
Levi not only said that she did but volunteered that her father had been baptized at St. Ignatius. “What? No way!” Lorenz replied. “My dad’s whole family is from there,” said Levi. Lorenz’s research had revealed that Levi’s second greatgrandfather was a man named Benjamin Kelly, almost certainly another of Robert’s dozen or more children and a brother of Lorenz’s own progenitor, James. Later, both Lorenz’s and Levi’s DNA tests would confirm their shared blood.
Like the Lorenz family, Levi, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, had long understood that some of her ancestors had been enslaved, but she had not known their names or their histories.
In fact, it was in part the complex history of her family that caused her to undertake her own genealogical research project, some of which she has described in a new book, Number’s Up: Cracking the Code of an American Family, published in June 2025 by The University Press of Kentucky (see sidebar at left).
Levi, a lawyer and development professional for social-impact nonprofits, began her own quest in 2013. Inspired by Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s PBS show, Finding Your Roots, she started with a DNA test. “The information I got was pretty rudimentary, but I started to create a family tree and kept getting stuck on Seymore Simms, who was my paternal great-grandfather,” she says. Seymore Simms played a large role in Levi’s family story. Simms had raised his own grandson—Levi’s father, John Samuel Matthews—in place of his single, teenage daughter, who was forced by economic necessity to go work in DC as a domestic.
Levi’s father was in his 50s when she was born, the last of 11 much older siblings from her father’s several marriages. Her mother was a first-generation Eastern European Jew. “Because of all that, I grew up as sort of an only child, and my parents were significantly older than most of those of my classmates at Sidwell. But my father and I were close—he was a much mellower version of the father my older siblings had—and for that reason, learning more about his relationship with his grandfather was especially meaningful.”
Ben was so kind to me, taking the time to write out in plain terms the cause of my great-grandfather’s death. Every detail helps bring an ancestor into the light as a real person, not just a name.”
One of the family stories her father told her centered on his own youth and a well-known Charles County, Maryland, family, the Mudds, who were descendants of Samuel Mudd, the doctor who treated John Wilkes Booth after Booth was injured in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Later, Levi read an article in The New Yorker that mentioned Mary Simms, a formerly enslaved woman who had provided crucial testimony in Mudd’s trial that resulted in his conviction for helping Booth. Whether Levi is related to Mary Simms through her greatgrandfather Seymore Simms hasn’t been proved, but the question propelled her to pursue some focused genealogical research on the question.
She recalls the day when she received a copy of Seymore Simms’s death certificate from the Maryland State Archives. “It didn’t have the exact date of his death, only an approximation,” she says. “But seeing his name and knowing how much he had meant to my father—who is now gone, too—well, I cried for about a half-hour after opening the letter. He died a few days after Christmas, and I know how devastating that was to my 14-year-old father, who now found himself alone in this world.” Levi had been told by her father that Simms was in ill health due to complications from rheumatic fever. Lorenz later was able to use his medical knowledge to translate the medical terms—like “paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea”—that appear on Simms’s death certificate. “Ben was so kind to me, taking the time to write out in plain terms the cause of my great-grandfather’s death,” says Levi. “Every detail helps bring an ancestor into the light as a real person, not just a name.”
I keep pouring over records, documents, and whatever leads I come across, because by finding my ancestors, I can give back to these people their full identity, their full personhood, their humanity.”
1796
1812
Kelley drives a wagon in support of Maryland troops during the War of 1812.
Robert Kelley, Lorenz and Levi’s common ancestor and an enslaved man is born in Charles County, Maryland.
1838
Georgetown University Jesuits sell enslaved people in order to save the university from bankruptcy—this would later inspire the Georgetown Memory Project.
Both Lorenz and Levi have continued to work together on this project. Lorenz says he has become “hooked” on his research and recently hired a private genealogist. “I keep pouring over records, documents, and whatever leads I come across, because by finding my ancestors, I can give back to these people their full identity, their full personhood, their humanity,” he says. “So many enslaved people only had first names. Some had the names of their slave-owners. Some had names that were lost or no names at all.”
Levi feels this research also speaks to the political moment. “These discoveries are incredibly meaningful on so many levels, not just personally,” she says. “These people were heroes; they were real people who deserve dignity, even in death. Our enslaved ancestors endured so much only for us, today, to have arrived back in a time where there is a systematic attempt to
1864
A tintype of a contemporary of James Kelly depicts Ned Brown, a fellow veteran (using the alias “William Dent”) who escaped brutal enslavement in Charles County and fled to Washington, DC, to enlist in the U.S. Colored Troops.
1880
U.S. Census records for Port Tobacco, Maryland, list multiple Kelly family households on the same page, including Robert Kelley Sr., his son, James Kelly (Lorenz’s second great-grandfather), and Benjamin Kelly (Levi’s second great-grandfather).
1864
James Kelly, enslaved by John B. Wills Jr. and later Ann Wills, enlists in the U.S. Colored Troops under the alias “William Turner” to avoid capture.
1866
Saint Ignatius, a Catholic church in Port Tobacco, catches fire, losing most of the parish’s records.
1883 Thomas Sidwell founds the Sidwell Friends School.
1887 Kelley dies a free man.
squash the rights of people of color, to again steal away our rights.” Referring to Lorenz’s work with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Jesuit Society in Maryland, and Georgetown Memory Project, she adds: “That is why what Ben is doing is so important.”
“For me, reconciliation means restoring the memories and personhood of enslaved peoples,” Lorenz says. “I hope to continue to unearth records and information to keep telling more of these stories.”
A family portrait features Minnie Kelly Quarles, James Kelly’s daughter, with her children, Arthur and Naomi.
1956
Sidwell Friends admits its first Black student, a kindergartner.
What began for both as a search for names and simple family connections ultimately became a powerful story of reconciliation and remembrance. The pilgrimage to Port Tobacco and the discovery of untold histories reinforced the importance of preserving and honoring those stories for future generations. As their research continues, each step forward is a reminder of the enduring spirit of those who came before. The descendants of Robert Kelley—through hardship and hope—have left a legacy now intertwined and strengthened with a decades-old Sidwell friendship.
Marcus Shaw ’95, Ben Lorenz ’95, Penda Dickey Byrd ’95, and Johnisha Matthews Levi ’95 perform at the Black History Month Show as 5th graders.
Lorenz’s mother, Janice Ross Lorenz, descendant of James and Grace Kelly, represents U.S. Colored Troops’ families at the dedication of the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, DC.
• Lorenz and his mother visit St. Ignatius Cemetery, where descendants of the Wills family restored Robert Kelley's tombstone.
• Levi and Lorenz reunite not just as classmates but as distant cousins.
Marjorie Quarles Ross, Ben’s grandmother, graduates from Cheyney State Teachers College (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania).
• Loving v. Virginia, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, invalidates laws prohibiting interracial marriage.
• Sidwell Friends graduates its first five Black students.
Lorenz (pictured with Niya Bass ’95) and Levi (pictured with Lanny Weston ’95) graduate Sidwell Friends.
2013
Levi begins to research her ancestry.
To cultivate a love of agriculture, sustainability, and food systems, Jeremy Oldfield ’01 works the land—at Yale.
BY JONATHAN E. KAPLAN P ’31
On a June day when a heat wave is blanketing the East Coast, Jeremy Oldfield ’01 is working with Yale students to stop high water pressure from flooding the Yale University farm, a one-acre rectangular plot of land tucked between Yale’s Forest and Divinity Schools.
They fix the problem, but it could have been much messier. Even so, Oldfield enjoys those “teachable moments” working with the students on the “messy parts of farming that cannot be swept under the rug.”
Oldfield’s formal title, manager of field academics, means that he’s in charge of the daily practice of farming at Yale University. The farm Oldfield oversees is open workdays, when volunteers come to farm; he connects with local mutual aid organizations to donate food; he teaches students at every level about food sovereignty, Indigenous practices, and the resiliency of rye; he grows hops vines for Yale Ale; and he organizes weekly student food talks that happen while the attendees eat 50 to 70 pizzas fresh from the farm’s wood-fired oven. Yale’s farm grows more than 40 market vegetables—tomatoes, radishes, carrots, eggplants, zucchinis—as well as herbs, flowers, and even Japanese indigo. The process of farming and the crops themselves intersect with various academic subjects across the university, including science, economics, foreign languages, and history.
It’s like dozens of jobs in one, which for this wanderlust feels right.
Oldfield does not measure time in years but, rather, in “growing seasons,” and he’s been managing Yale’s farm for 13 of them. His journey to find work that reflected the values he learned at Sidwell Friends required a “meandering” decade of exploration and experimentation from coast to coast. After graduating from Williams College, Oldfield felt like most of his classmates wanted to become “consultants.” But Oldfield wanted to tell stories about modern labor movements in Mexico and the United States and the lives of migrant workers by writing a great American novel like John Steinbeck or by telling those stories through rock ‘n’ roll. “My ambitions were really high,” Oldfield says.
Fortunately, one of his best friends from Sidwell Friends helped Oldfield find his way when the pair moved to northern California after college to work on a produce farm in Petaluma alongside migrant workers from Honduras and El Salvador. Oldfield interviewed the workers about their lives thinking he would share their stories à la Ira Glass in This American Life. But questioning migrants about their lives was as uncomfortable as it was revealing: He was asking vulnerable workers to become even more vulnerable, which made everyone involved uneasy. And he began to find that he enjoyed working on the farm—and not just as a means to mine stories.
He questioned the path he had taken. The motivations that brought him to the farm were driven by literary ambition and political idealism, but he realized his true passion was agriculture itself. “It becomes a tiny bit
addictive when you start to see the physical landscapes that you have contributed to transform every day,” he says. “There’s a bit of charm that starts to sink in, and you don’t want to stop.”
So, he kept going. He got married and moved to a farm near Blue Hill, Maine, where he found a mentor and role model. Elliot Coleman, the owner of the farm, is a writer-farmer and the author of six books, including the seminal Four Season Harvest: How to Harvest Fresh Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long. The job with Coleman turned out to be more than agriculture; it was writing, communicating, and educating. He glimpsed a way to farm and to share his passion for farming that felt authentic.
Oldfield and his wife, Emily, later moved back to the Bay Area. Oldfield worked at the Cultured Pickle Shop, which sold kombuchas, kimchi, and pickles, and Emily worked at the Buy Right Market in the Mission District in San Francisco. Together, they saved up and founded The Freelance Farmers, a company that taught homeowners, schools, and restaurants how to start and maintain organic gardens. Oldfield joked that there was one problem with the business model. “If we really wanted to make a career out of that,” he says, “we would have found a way not to teach so much,” so that the customers would rely on them on a more permanent basis.
It becomes a tiny bit addictive when you start to see the physical landscapes that you have contributed to transform every day. There’s a bit of charm that starts to sink in, and you don’t want to stop.” “
Oldfield credits his Sidwell Friends education with instilling in him a profound respect for the dignity of labor and the art of a craft. That was the common theme throughout his courses in literature, history, and even mathematics, as well as Meetings for Worship.
When Emily decided to attend the Yale School of the Environment, Oldfield followed her and continued teaching people to garden through The Freelance Farmers in New Haven while waiting tables and working on an MFA in writing and literature at the Bennington College Writing Seminars. But he was still looking for his role in a world that too often decouples erudition and farming. So, when Yale went looking for someone who could both oversee its farm and explore the intellectual threads that connect agriculture to a multitude of topics—immigration, the environment, urban planning, heritage crops—Oldfield found a place to stop and stay a while. Like his mentor, Elliot Coleman, Oldfield had discovered a way to educate and farm.
Oldfield has now spent more than 13 growing seasons at Yale sifting through big questions “about power, representation, and culture, and who is included and excluded from certain altruistic conversations in American culture.” There, he coordinates on-farm academic programming, works closely with undergraduate and graduate students on agricultural and pedagogical projects, and directs study initiatives for the Lazarus Summer Internship, which helps interested students add tenets of sustainable food and agriculture to their coursework.
Each day, he’s part of a live—and growing— conversation. One that nourishes his passion.
Jonathan E. Kaplan P ’31 is a writer living in Washington, DC.
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At a moment when social media often overwhelms, proselytizes, or vanishes before your eyes, Class Notes humbly offers respite. Here, you have a lasting, curated, and quirky window into the lives of your fellow alumni. Whether you knew them then, follow them now, or never met, you are all Friends.
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Go to sidwell.edu/classnotes and let us know what you’ve been up to. Don’t see your class year? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu to become a class representative.
1952
JANE PAPISH janepapish@gmail.com
1953
GLORIA GIRTON ggat58b@orange.fr
1954
RICHARD NICKLAS rnicklas@mfa.gwu.edu
1955
NANCY ABOLIN HARDIN nahardin@aol.com
LOCHENA GUNARATNA: “Over the last two years I have encouraged one of the leading and oldest universities here in Sri Lanka to establish a post-graduate course of study in urban planning. Although of high academic standing, this university and a few others like it are government-owned and can be hide-bound in their approaches. But I am happy to say that the new course of study I proposed has finally been approved and will soon commence. I have refrained from getting involved full-time but will be a visiting lecturer.”
1956
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
NANCY DESSOFF COLODNY and Betsy Gibb Cox met recently for lunch in Estero, Florida. Betsy lives at Shell Point, a retirement community in Ft. Myers, Florida, near Sanibel. Nancy lives at the Marbella, a senior condominium building in Naples, Florida. Betsy is soon to leave for the summer, which she spends in New Hampshire with her family. Nancy and Ed, who will turn 99, hope to spend September in Burlington, Vermont, Ed’s hometown.
ARTHUR HILDRETH: “My wife, Louise, and I went to Charlie Holland’s memorial service on Cape Cod, where he and his wife, Peggy, had been living. John Deutch and I were asked, in addition to family members, to talk about Charlie. I was flattered to be asked, and I suspect John was also. Pat Lyon Deutch was there also, so it was good to see them both even though it was a sad occasion. Charlie died suddenly but was with us long enough to say goodbye to children and grandchildren. Sad occasion!”
1957
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
1958
ROBERT MYERS dr.rbmyers@gmail.com
PEGGY PABST BATTIN battin@utah.edu
BOB JENKS’ widow, Karen, wrote in: “Robert Holland Jenks ’58 passed away peacefully on March 31, 2024, just shy of his 84th birthday. A proud Sidwell Friends alumnus and natural athlete, Bob went on to graduate from Haverford College, where he played football all four years before joining the U.S. Navy. His 28-year naval career took him from the Mediterranean to Trinidad and Tobago, culminating in retirement as a commander. He later continued his service as a civilian with the General Services Administration and the Navy. Bob shared a life of travel and adventure with his beloved wife, Karen Mahan Mackey, exploring Europe, Africa, and South America. An avid outdoorsman and big game hunter, he was active in the National Wild Turkey Federation and several African Safari Clubs. Bob will be remembered for his courage, curiosity, deep love of nature, and a life well-lived in service and exploration.”
1959
CLARK GRIFFITH ccgpa@ccgpa.com
MILLY B. WELSH and her dog, Razor, received High in Trial in obedience at the Labrador Retriever Specialty in April. They were again High in Trial and High Combined a few days later. (See photo on page 57.)
ALAN BERNSTEIN reports from Coral Gables, Florida, on the passing of his wonderful wife and business partner, Jayusia, after 54 years of marriage. I met the wonderful Jayusia and we are all diminished by her passing. Alan also reports that he has joined Newberger Berman, a financial institution, and has a relationship with an unnamed person, identified only as being a Smith ’62 alum with whom he is working to improve society.
Ann Winkelman Brown and her friend, Ted Poritz, hosted a lovely lunch for our Class of 1955 Reunion attendees: Alice and Bill Harrison , Joan and John Gardiner , Sandy and Chuck Gerber , Peggy and Tom Simons , Jerry Morgan , Larry Griffith , and Rob Bresler .
At our gracious hostess’s beautiful spring table next to the pool, we shared some startlingly diverse high points of our lives. Philanthropist Ann Brown herself became an Honorable as head of Clinton’s Consumer Product Safety Commission, built a magnificent art collection with late husband Don, and now works on gun safety. Lawyer Jerry Morgan negotiated large aircraft sales and rentals. John Gardiner, an acknowledged master of the contemporary American short story, recently had another collection published. Larry Griffith discovered a new lifesaving treatment for child cardiology. Bill
Harrison and Tom Simons followed their fathers into public service—Bill in the Navy, Tom in the Foreign Service. A two-time U.S. ambassador, Tom is proud to have helped 100 million East Europeans achieve freedom. Chuck Gerber described hand-delivering the baby of a 400-pound mother. And Professor Rob Bresler, having brought political science to Amish country, continues to comment on current affairs.
Classmates who have passed on were also with us in spirit, secret poet Vicky Asher and Georgetown’s greatest theater mogul, David Levy , among them. Teachers such as Mrs. Darrigrand, Mme. Porte, Misters Etchison, Cox, Curtis, Katzenbach, Forsythe, and so many others, were there, too.
MARISE RIDDELL REYNOLDS reports that she is moving to Taos, New Mexico, where she has a studio and paints her wonderful art. She is our most gifted artist, and I hope she sends photos of her work.
BERNHARD GLAESER sends in the best news of the month. He reports receiving a text from Matthew Walton. He says Matty sounds “clear and witty as ever and is ready to return to Woods Hole.”
ROBERT CHAMBERLIN reports that he received an email from Bill Smart, who is in the mountains somewhere. But this is proof of life and that is good.
ELIZABETH FLETCHER CROOK reports: “Frederick and I took an amazing trip to China in fall 2024. Most interesting were the several days we spent in Tibet, seeing the extreme religiosity of the Tibetan Buddhists who walk for miles to religious sites, prostrating themselves every third step! I also had a fascinating trip to Europe in April from Barcelona, Spain, to Bergan, Norway, following the old trading routes of the medieval Hanseatic League. As you can see, we are well, still learning new things, and splitting our time between our homes in St. George and Alpine, Utah. Enjoying our six children, 25 grandchildren, and one great-grandson.” (See photo above.)
DAVE WOOLPERT reports that he and Penny spent the night at gorgeous Wellfleet, Cape Cod, and that he paddled down the white water rapids of a swollen river. We had our Zoom call in May with a new twist:
JIM BAZELON and CARLA BOEHRINGER BLACKBURN joined by phone! Although they couldn’t see how great we look, the group did enjoy their contribution.
GEOFF LEWIS called to say he couldn't make the Zoom, but he added that he participates in several such Zoom calls, and ours is the best in terms of content and charm of the participants.
1960
JODY HUTCHINSON-GRAFF mjodyh@yahoo.com
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
PAUL MACLEAN: “I’m living in Beacon, New York, at the northern edge of the Hudson River Highlands. I enjoy walking and hiking in varied terrain between the mountains and river, and including creeks and reservoirs. I am often accompanied by my wife, son, and grandsons who help me spot and identify wildflow-
ers, birds, ducks, and eagles, as well as creepy crawlers. A downside are the blacklegged ticks whose bite can transmit various infections. Unfortunately, I have had Lyme disease, babesiosis, and most recently anaplasmosis, which brought me to the hospital for three nights. I will try to be more vigilant about protecting myself.”
CHETT BREED
chettbreed@gmail.com
JILL GRUBB went in May to the square in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, for “the longest running (nine years) protest in America.” Second, a South Korean student from Kenyon College came in May to visit Jill for a month while trying for an internship in mathematics. And Jill's granddaughter Fiona is working at a clinic in Ecuador and will be heading to med school when she gets back to the United States next year.
PETER AND MEME ENEMARK: “In April we went to San Diego to celebrate our grandson Dylan’s 1st birthday. Dylan is our third grandson. And we went to Paris in April and saw the David Hockney exhibit at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. We saw the Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) exhibit at the Musée National Picasso-Paris, which was disturbing. The exhibit included a portion of the 16,000 artworks confiscated by the Nazi regime—the Nazi regime’s attack on modern art. We also went to Musée de l’Orangerie, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Musée Jacquemart-André.” It might have been a Meme-and-Peter-curated tour of the art and historical worlds of Paris that we all might have missed.
The Class of 1962 engaged in a sustained and energetic discussion of the politics of the times, mostly remarkable for its passion and its compassion for each other’s viewpoints. As Glenn McClelland noted, we carry the Quaker traditions forward largely for the better. It helps to have a Steve Woolpert on hand.
STEVE WOOLPERT is playing his guitar, though “less frequently,” and singing though “less melodically.” He’s currently “drawn to the song ‘I am Open’ by Holly Near.”
Want to be a class representative?
Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
JOHN BRODEY: “Time for a little appreciation. Here we are on the threshold of or just beyond turning 80. It’s quite something to read about how we are all enjoying life and making plans for the future, but I’ve found it also rewarding to look back. In all its glory, Washington provided the context for our transition to adulthood. After leaving the area permanently upon graduation, I marvel at the memories it created. During my junior and senior year summers, I worked in the mail room at the White House as a summer intern thanks to my old buddy Larry O’Brien III. I remember finding solace sitting high up on the Lincoln Memorial steps taking in that amazing view of the Mall. Most significantly, it was those years at Sidwell Friends that fired up my gray matter and prepared me for the future. I’ve visited DC regularly over the years and always managed to have lunch with my best pal and University of Wisconsin roommate, Phil Levy. I miss him. Ironically, the lure of going back again, which I am doing this summer, is heightened by the fact that my son and youngest daughter now live there. Sam has been there 10 years as a national political reporter for The Boston Globe and Stella is on Capitol Hill. It’s in the blood.”
STEVE GRIFFITH reports that the class of Constitution students he coaches at Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon, won the national “We the People” competition in Washington, DC, in April. Steve’s class has now won the national title four times.
LUCY HILMER: “I’ve been out in the streets demonstrating and also doing my best to find joy in these challenging times. I feel blessed to have Bobby
Goldman, Pat Cross Bradley, Lucy Jasperson Ruggles, Steve Griffith, Diana Willis, and those from the Class of ’63 on Facebook still in my life. One of my recent poems was published right before my 80th birthday in April.” Scan the QR code to read the poem: sidwell.pub/poetry
SHARON SMULL HINCKLEY: “Here are two of my recent watercolor paintings. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I hope I’m not exceeding my word limit!” (See photos above.)
MARGO LEE HOFELDT: “Wow! The last several months have been nonstop and a lot of fun. It all mostly revolves around the Garden Club and the Orchid Society. So, we had our annual Judged Flower Show, and I came in second in my group and just 10 points shy of first place. I like to consider this a ‘learning experience.’ The Orchid Society is truly a learning experience. There are thousands of orchid varieties, all with unusual names and growing preferences. Next, some of us went to Jacksonville for the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs annual convention. It was an interesting meeting, and it’s always good to get together with ladies from other clubs around the state. This summer, we’ll be going to our house in Connecticut for about six weeks. We may have some houseguests, and we may go to Boston and New Hampshire for a few days. I hope to see some Broadway shows, but nothing is confirmed yet. Our granddaughter’s 4th birthday is July 3. She is growing up so quickly and is definitely her own person. We love being with her. I am grateful for every day and only wish the days were longer!”
ALISON FEISS KRIVISKEY: “My husband, Bruce, and I continue to enjoy life in Northampton, Massachusetts, part of the Five College Area (Smith, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, University of Mass, and Hampshire College). There is so much to do—theater today and a concert tomorrow. We spent last weekend in Boston with my daughter, Kelly, and her partner, Kevin, at their new condo in the South End of the city. It was wonderful to immerse ourselves in the urban experience. We spent Saturday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where Kelly is the director of gifts of art (heavenly job!). My undergraduate degree is in art history, so Kelly and I speak the same language. She also has the inside track on how and why a particular gallery is organized and other museum stories. Our son, David, at age 50, has taken early retirement from the Forest Service out in Oregon, finding federal employment untenable in the current climate. Fortunately, he has 24 years as an environmental scientist, so we expect he will soon find an interesting job. I hope all my classmates have had happy 80th birthdays.”
1964
LOUISE BERRY STRAIT lbstrait@gmail.com
SUSAN MORSE: “I am still living on a hill above Monterey, California, enjoying a beautiful view of the bay and all the flowers that are in bloom due to the rains and fog we had earlier this spring. My brother, Thatcher Morse ’58, is in Gainesville, Florida, nursing a back issue resulting from years of being Mr. Fix-it for everyone and recently picking
up a bucket with too much water. We talk a lot, validating our memories of family and the old days. We especially miss Michael Morse ’62, who spent his last year here with me, making peace with the demon of ALS. The highlight of each week is my trip to San Jose, to help with the world’s sweetest grandson, Gabriel, now 2 years old. I confess to being a doting grandmother. Meanwhile, I am writing personal essays (not a memoir), teaching English to immigrants who keep our community going, clerking for our small Monterey Friends Meeting, and learning all the things about aging that were not taught in a textbook. (I’m sure we wouldn’t have taken that course, anyway however.)”
LOUISE BERRY STRAIT: “2025 is a banner year for my husband, Glenn, and me, marking our 50th wedding anniversary and his 80th birthday. To mark the occasions, we spent two weeks in Europe in April, touring Amsterdam with our son, Elgen, and grandson, Desmond (visiting from London), and enjoying a river cruise in the Netherlands and Belgium organized through the alumni association of Glenn’s alma mater, the University of Idaho. In addition to the usual tourist magnets of Bruges, tulips, and windmills, I especially appreciated visiting the Kroller-Muller Museum, whose collection has over 90 paintings and 180 paintings by Van Gogh.”
BOBBY SEITZ TURNBULL: “Don and I had a wonderful and relaxing trip to Williamsburg at the beginning of March. We spent several days in the Colonial area and also visited Jamestown, Yorktown, and Fort Monroe National Mon-
ument. I continue to enjoy our monthly class Zoom calls and keeping up with my classmates.”
1965
KEN LESURE ken.lesure@gmail.com
Reunion Recap on next page.
MARY BETH WAITS: “Even though only seven of my classmates attended, I enjoyed my 70th Reunion. Touring the still unfinished Upper School building made me reflect on how I spent the first two years of high school in Mr. Sidwell’s old house, a converted Victorian home. It is wonderful to see the many changes to the campus in my lifetime. Friends Forever!”
1966
CHRIS DEMATATIS cdematatis@aol.com
MARTHA PRESTON: “I was so pleased to see Chris Dematatis when he was in Austin visiting his niece and her family. We talked for four hours over lunch, and I could have talked with him for a few hours more! We talked so much that we forgot to take a picture of our meeting!”
DONNIE ACKAD was recently awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the FAA for completing 50 years of safe flying. Recipients of this award are usually commercial pilots who have worked in the aviation industry for most
of their lives, so it was a special honor for him to receive this award. The presentation was held at the Hagerstown Aviation Museum and was attended by over 30 people, mainly his family and friends from the local aviation community.
VALERIE SZATHMARI lives in a park-like setting in Fair Oaks, California, where she is surrounded by a lush landscape that is a magnet for wildlife. She works part-time at the Sacramento Waldorf School, where her commute is a short walk through more parkland between her home and the school. She makes regular visits to see her children, Nick and Nora, and her grandchildren and “grand-cats,” all of whom call California home. Valerie’s drug of choice continues to be dancing. (See photo below.)
1967
STEVE BATZELL swb.abacus@gmail.com
PHILIP KHOURY will step down as MIT’s Vice Provost for the Arts at the end of August 2025. He has spent the past 35 years in MIT’s senior administration. He will remain Ford International Professor of History and take a sabbatical leave to work on two book projects. He sees and speaks regularly with Alex Scott and Hans Carter, who recently visited Khoury in Leverett, Massachusetts, where he and his wife, Beth, reside.
1968
ROLLIE FRYE rolliefrye@gmail.com
LYN HORTON: “Sidwell Friends invited me to give short talks to Upper School students in the Let Your Life Speak program on Founder’s Day in April. I was honored to do so. My talks were extemporaneous and analog! They dealt with these four principles, imbued in me by four different teachers: Discipline (Miss Rosebrook), Expectations (Mrs. Chapman), Work: Enjoyment/Fulfillment (Mr. Crow), and Freedom (Mrs. Carey).
Our 60th Reunion was attended by Martha Beyer Cohen, Henrietta Barlow Fridholm, Woody Halsey, Norman Hogeland, Ken LeSure, Henry Maury, Flip Todd, Mary Beth Waits, and Jill McClanahan Watson. We enjoyed the classes on Friday, then we met Saturday for lunch at Cactus Cantina before the events on campus. Sunday, we met again for a lovely picnic at classmate Helen Nash’s farm in Brookeville, Maryland. Despite our
I stayed on point for each of the three 20-minute talks! I wish I had allowed time for more questions from the students. On the Sunday before Founder’s Day, a great group of friends assembled at Kay Stevens’ home for lunch. We enjoyed a fabulous conversation as if we had never parted and gone our separate ways. I loved every second of my trip to DC. And there is a picture to prove it! xoxo.” (See photo on previous page.)
HARVEY LESURE: “My wife, Liz, and I have settled into our new home in Olympia, Washington, and have established a
small number, we had a great time catching up on news and sharing old memories. Nothing topped the moving video that highlighted the many accomplishments of our Distinguished Alumni Award–winning classmate Grace Dammann, who was unable to attend. Woody Halsey, who nominated Grace, accepted the award on her behalf.
sense of community. Love the arts scene here. Two of my sons are 45 minutes away. We love the connection with my now 3-year-old granddaughter, Dalia (Dolly). Spent two weeks in London last summer and will be in northern England this summer to visit Liz’s family. My youngest son (now 35, how does this happen?) lives in Paris with his French wife. We’ll visit next spring. Still working as a psychotherapist three-quarters time, specializing in geriatrics. There’s a huge demand. Hope to finish my book, How to Get Old Without Going Crazy (this is a plug), in the next two months and figure out how to get it published.”
1969
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
1970
MARGARET
WEAVER STEEL mwsteel22@icloud.com
Reunion Recap on next page.
ANNE BATZELL: “I sadly missed the Reunion but enjoyed hearing about it. I was returning from a glorious tour in the Cotswolds focusing on art, architecture, and gardens. Our small group was largely organized by Susie Reed and Didi Reed, Class of 1974. My sister, Jane Batzell ’74, was also on the tour and looped me in. I enjoyed meeting another former Sidweller on our tour, Peter Haldeman ’75. Peter Batzell’s son, Rudi Batzell, an American history professor, has just had his book published. The title is Organizing Workers in the Shadow of Slavery.”
JULIANA MARTAY: “It was wonderful to see my classmates at our 55th Reunion! Here is a photo of the Martay family. All of us are happily retired in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Ady has been known as ‘Adrian’ outside the family since he became an architect. More classmates should come visit!” (See photo above.)
ANN FARNER MILLER: “I’m happy to share this photo from last week’s 55th Reunion of the Sidwell Friends Class of 1970. This group is kind of unusual—just six people, four of whom are classmates from 1970. But the two additional spouses also have long and strong ties to the Sidwell Friends Class of 1970. We also had lunch together at the same restaurant before our party at Alan’s lovely home as we did a couple of years ago. So, given our age, we now consider it a long-standing tradition! The McCabes, Willises, and Millers are looking forward to the next gathering of our class.” (See photo below.)
MARGARET WEAVER STEEL: “Our classmates had a great time at our 55th Reunion. It’s wonderful to still have our strong bonds after 55 years. Thanks to the classmates who came and thanks to Sidwell Friends for arranging such an enjoyable weekend.”
CHRIS TUFTY: “Finally moved into our new Long Beach House in California after having bought it two years ago in a 1031 exchange. Loving being able to walk to shops, restaurants, and bars, only one and a half blocks from the beach! Come visit if you’re in LA.”
1971
BRIAN STEINBACH
brian.steinbach@verizon.net
MARY REYNER
mary.reyner@gmail.com
JOYCE JACOBSON joyce@brastedhouse.com
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
LIZA DONNELLY just completed producing and directing a documentary about the women cartoonists of The New Yorker, past and present. It features groundbreaking cartoonists Roz Chast, Victoria Roberts, Liana Finck, Emily Hopkins, Bishakh Som, and others. Called Women Laughing, the film will premiere in 2025, at a location yet to be determined. Liza is thrilled to have fellow Sidwell Friends grad, and amazing
composer/musician, Kathryn Bostic as the composer on her film. You can read about the film, our wonderful team, and get on our mailing list at womenlaughingfilm.com, or on social media @womenlaughingfilm.
JEFFREY MUMFORD: “This has been a nicely busy period for me as I was on sabbatical for this past spring semester. During that period, I completed a double concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra commissioned by the Columbus Symphony with help from the Johnstone Fund and a private patron. This is a project 15 years in the making, and it is so gratifying to finally see it come to fruition. The premiere performances will take place February 20 and 21, 2026, with soloists Lauren Cauley (on violin) and Mariel Roberts (on cello)— two amazing players for whom the piece was written who are dedicated to the advancement of new work. In other news, three CDs featuring music of mine, including one with all of my works for solo piano, will be issued in the coming months. Current and future projects include a cello concert in memory of the late DC-based painter Sam Gilliam, a work for six voices set to new texts by poet Sonia Sanchez, a work for wind quintet commissioned by the University of North Texas Center Quintet, and a new piano trio commissioned by the DC-based Chiarina Chamber players. Last spring, another DC-based ensemble Balance Campaign premiered a new work commissioned by Chamber Music America. My wife, Donna Coleman, who taught art at Sidwell Friends in the 1990s has had a number of shows of her work both in Ohio and in DC, and was recently the recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award. Our daughter, Blythe, continues to work in Atlanta, recently getting a new position in a nonprofit environmental organization, where her area of concentration involves close collaboration with historically black colleges and universities in addressing issues of environmental sustainability and food justice.”
1974
LESLIE WOLF-CREUTZFELDT lcreutzfeldt@yahoo.com
BETSY KARASIK and LESLIE WOLFCREUTZFELDT enjoyed a mini-reunion at the Rashid Johnson exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. (See photo below.)
ALAN DRUMMER alandrummer@hotmail.com
Reunion Recap on next page.
MARY ANN MCGRAIL mamcgrail@yahoo.com
BETSY ZEIDMAN betsyzeidman@gmail.com
ADAM STERN adamcstern@aol.com
MOLLY ANDREWS: “I’m still living in the United Kingdom as I have done for many years, and would love to reconnect with Sidwell Friends classmates. If you are passing through London, email me: m.andrews@ucl.ac.uk. I’m still working as a political psychologist (teaching and writing) and horrified by how much material there is to think through these days. Years ago, I wrote a book on what sustains a commitment to work for social justice over the course of a lifetime, and these days I am really needing to return to the words of the wise people I interviewed for that study. This spring was the second time I’ve spent a few months teaching at City University of New York—amazing students and faculty. Both my kids live and work in London, so I see them regularly. Here we are on a recent spontaneous trip to the south of France.” (See photo on right.)
MACKENZIE ANDERSON SHOLTZ: “I’m preparing for a summer of lectures and workshops at the Jane Austen Festival in Cincinnati; Corsets & Cravats in Oxford, North Carolina; PatternCon25 in Charlotte, North Carolina; and lastly, Jane Austen Society of North America Annual General Meeting (JASNA AGM) in Baltimore. Most of my focus is on clothing construction from the 1800 to 1880s. I’m having a delightful time researching period sewing techniques and tools, as well as clothing drafting systems.
JONATHAN WILLENS: “My law firm won a long-awaited victory for our whistleblower client when the government announced a $200 million settlement with a large pharma company for illegally paying kickbacks to induce doctors to prescribe new medications for their
HIV patients. Our client is pleased with the result, and Julia and I are happy to move into retirement, having a blast with our 3-year-old grandson in New Orleans and traveling to see friends and family wherever we can find them.”
1978
PETER MACDONALD pmacdona@skidmore.edu
MICHAEL FROOMKIN: “It’s been an eventful few years. I’ve been in remission after my five-year fight with lymphoma for almost three years, which is really terrific, although the monoclonal antibody treatment left me immunocompromised, so I still do a lot of Zoom. I had two more open-heart surgeries a year apart—the second on Caroline’s and my 35th wed-
ding anniversary. Convalescence was increasingly brutal, but we got through it. Then I had unrelated minor surgery with complications that I’m only gradually working out. Meanwhile, my mother died. In December, we discovered toxic black mold and had to emergency evacuate our house. The remediation is almost done—many large checks later. (I do wish I could remember the fun I had in my last life, which led to this!) Robot Law II, which I co-edited, came out in April, and I’m still teaching, including my ever evolving course on AI law. Next semester I will do a seminar on the constitutional crisis as well as my administrative law perennial, assuming the subject still exists. I’m still editing Jotwell.com, and I’ve taken (too much?) to Bluesky at #mfroomkin. My older son, David, started last year as assistant professor of law at the University of Houston and is getting his political science PhD from Yale to complement his Yale J.D. My father would have been proud: He claimed that the Jewish answer to the theological question of when a zygote becomes a fully formed human being is… when it gets a doctorate.”
KEENE TAYLOR keene@tayloragostino.com
LAURIE REYNOLDS RARDIN: “I had the privilege and honor to be invited back to Sidwell Friends to participate in the Let Your Life Speak event on Founder’s Day this spring—which coincided with Earth Day. Along with getting to share my career journey with three classrooms of 9th–12th graders, I was reminded of how much my Sidwell Friends education meant to me and shaped who I am. I also saw firsthand what an impact Sidwell is having on students now. They were all inquisitive, kind, and appreciative. I was reminded that not only does Sidwell provide a great education; it also provides a foundation with Quaker ideals that include kindness, civility, and honesty. We had a great day there and I
hope to return soon! Thank you for the invitation and the reminder of the oasis that is Sidwell Friends School!”
NATHAN SZANTON: “After 38 years in Portland, Maine, Sarah and I moved to Denver, Colorado, in June to be closer to children, grandchildren, and Sarah’s aging parents in Los Angeles. The last five years have seen us go into the grandparenting business big-time. In that span, five grandkids have been born!”
WILLIAM RICE williamrice63@gmail.com
Reunion Recap on next page.
APRIL CALLAHAN: “That was the best Reunion ever! It was so wonderful to reconnect with old friends—no pun intended! If you missed it, you better put it on your calendar for 2030. Arshad Mohammed and William Rice were so gracious to open their homes up to us! One of my highlights was seeing Leslie Rigby who I haven’t seen since 9th grade. About me: I am still selling residential real estate; I work for Compass and I love my job! I used to split my time between Boston and Chicago, but I am in the process of migrating my life and my business fully to Boston. Two of my kids live in the Boston area and my third lives in Utah. If you’re ever in New England, please reach out, I would love to connect.”
LOUISA SCHNEIBERG HOLLMAN: “What a fabulous time we had at our 45th Reunion! Many thanks to William and Arshad for hosting two terrific off-campus events for our class. And the Saturday night all-Reunion class party behind Zartman House was very fun. Several of us, including Alice Coogan, Lisa Iannucci, Roz Epps, Eva Davis, Roshini Ponnamperuma, Ann Deschamps, Caitlin Hoffman, and several other intrepid Class of 1980 women rocked the dance floor with youngsters from the classes of the 2000s! Chris Hyun and Michael Williams danced with us and represented the guys in our class who mostly stood on the sidelines
and watched. Yes, that’s you Tom MacIsaac, Stuart Irvin, William Rice, etc. On the personal news front, I am not yet retired, my kids are both well, I’ll be married 41 years in June, I’m still playing tennis and pickleball, and enjoying our home in Rehoboth. I just visited my brother Adam Schneiberg ’86 at his new home in Sausalito, set high up in the hills surrounded by beautiful trees, foliage and wild animals! I really, really hope that all of you who did not attend the 45th will make every effort to come in five years for our 50th. You will not regret it! Regards to all.”
EMILY KLAYMAN JACOBSON: “I was very sorry to miss the class Reunion but couldn’t forego my nephew Oliver’s college graduation (son of my brother and alum Ben Klayman ’84). I have recently become a great-aunt on my husband’s side with the nickname ‘Gaga’ (for great aunt—get it?). I’ve also become a reverend (as a nice Jewish girl should), as I was asked to officiate at my cousin’s nondenominational wedding. I’m looking forward to this experience, which was completely unexpected. Retired life is wonderful, and much to my surprise I am loving Florida living. I’m volunteering at the fantastic Norton Museum of Art once a week when I’m there. Reach out if you are ever near Lantana, Florida, between November and May.”
WILLIAM RICE: “In the weekday afternoons of the 1970s, I watched with envy from my mother’s car as classmates strolled happily home from school while I disappeared into the Bethesda wilderness. As I told many of the festive attendees at the 45th Reunion party held at my house on Porter Street, living within walking distance of Sidwell Friends is among my greatest life achievements. And, I added only partly in jest, I mostly wanted to buy this house in order to have this party. And my plan worked! Thanks so much to everyone for joining Cathy and me and making it such a warm and wonderful gathering. The next day Arshad and his lovely wife, Lois, hosted a scrumptious brunch (their house, I noted with only mild frustration, is even closer to the Sidwell Friends campus). Many classmates who were unable to come on
Nearly half the Class of 1980 came together for our 45th Reunion—including several former classmates who had never attended a reunion before or not attended one for several decades. The weekend started off with a Friday night party at class secretary William Rice’s house in Cleveland Park, just a 10-minute walk from the Sidwell Friends campus. Against a background of ’70s pop hits, former schoolmates rediscovered each other, swapping memories and life stories. The evening was punctuated with a class-specific Jeopardy game and a new class song (set to the Tom Jones hit “She’s A Lady”). On Saturday afternoon, former class secretary Arshad Mohammed hosted a gracious brunch at his house, which is even closer to Sidwell Friends! Many of the same people showed up, plus several former classmates who had not been able to make the Friday gathering. There was plenty of catching up left to do. On Saturday evening, many of us attended the alumni awards dinner on the lawn behind Zartman House. All of the honorees were impressive, but we probably cheered extra loud for our own Toba Spitzer. Plans are already percolating for our Golden Reunion in just five short years!
KEEP IN TOUCH!
Go to sidwell.edu/classnotes and let us know what you’ve been up to. Don’t see your class year? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu to become a class representative.
Friday night put in an appearance there, broadening even further the scope of class participation. I also got to tour the new Upper School under construction, reminisce with other editors about Horizon on its 50th anniversary, and celebrate Toba Spitzer’s award. As I said in my toast on Friday night, my classmates are a second family I’m lucky to have.”
ANDREW SZANTON aszanton@rcn.com
TANYA LUMPKINS: “I feel compelled to update anyone interested in life’s journey. I have thrived through the good times and survived the bad. Time has once again changed form and become more malleable in retirement. As life sped past education, internship, residency, and fellowship to the private practice of rheumatology, it added the lovely dimension of a spouse and three children. Doing much of these things in the backyard of the Sidwell Friends School has contributed to comfort of community tinged with a strong desire to see the world. Community service was ever present utilizing our church home, Jack & Jill, Girl Scouts, school-themed service—especially with my son Jordan Marion ’12—and our own family and friends’ Christmas Eve projects for others. I look forward to a new journey and future projects, including reconnecting with alumni. I can be reached at tanyalumpkins@gmail.com.”
ANNE MINITER MCKAY: “Always happy to connect back with my wonderful friends from Sidwell Friends! My most recent news in addition to being a grandma of two wonderful little ones is, I am graduating with my PhD in counselor education and supervision in a few
weeks. It has been a grueling four years but well worth it. I’m looking forward to the publication of a book that I’ve written focusing on couples’ issues—Modern Fidelity—likely in this next year. I hope everyone is well. Let’s all keep in touch. I think we need another girls’ reunion down in Georgetown again at Amalie’s house soon or up in Bethesda with the guys, too.”
ANDREW SZANTON: “On Sunday, May 18, Danny Abramson and I drove to Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, Massachusetts, to watch the Brockton Rox play the New York Boulders in a professional baseball game. One of the New York Boulders pitchers is Jasper Nelson, son of Ethan Nelson. What a pleasure to see Jasper, whom I’ve known since he was a toddler, take the mound in a professional game. Wonderful, too, to sit in the sun and talk baseball with Danny.”
JONATHAN LEVINE jlevine@sgtlaw.com
STEPHEN ORNSTEIN: “I was deeply saddened to read about Lee A. MacVaugh’s passing. If like me, Lee was your American history teacher and tennis coach, you were twice lucky! First, and foremost, Lee was a terrific tennis player and coach who presided over a golden age of Sidwell Friends boys’ tennis, replete with several The Interstate Athletic Conference championships. Lee coached some of Sidwell’s boys’ tennis luminaries, including Jimmy Ritzenberg ’75, Todd Hillman ’76, Jeremy Semple ’81, Bart Rubenstein ’81, and Mark Ozer ’82. Second, Lee was a great history teacher. When you walked into class, Lee would put a provision of the Constitution on the blackboard for discussion. He made learning fun, and his classes were always stimulating. Lee was charming and an absolute delight. He personified the best of Sidwell Friends! We’ll miss you, Lee.”
1983
LINDA GAUS gaushaus1965@verizon.net
1984
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
1985
JESSE LEVINE
jesse@verdecommunities.com
Reunion Recap on next page.
SONYA CLARK: “What a joy it was to be with so many of my classmates at this year’s Reunion. I was so excited that I tried to take selfies with each of them! More than 36 of my classmates put up with my shenanigans. Here’s a composite selfie (see photo collage on page 70)! The party at Lisa Bulman Mullen’s mother’s house was a truly special gathering. I am deeply grateful to Sidwell Friends for the Distinguished Alumni Award (for more see page 16). I am so touched by the honor. Before the dinner and ceremony, Bryan Garman gathered all the distinguished alumni honorees for a toast in the Kogod Arts Center lobby surrounded by Sam Gilliam paintings. This felt particularly meaningful as Mr. Gilliam, the late father of my dearest classmate, Leah Gilliam, helped guide my art career. On a tour through campus, I was particularly touched to see the work by students inspired by my own artwork hanging in the hallways of the Middle School.”
1986
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
1987
TIP COFFIN tip@teamcoffin.com
Nearly 45 percent of our class attended at least one event, and many of us attended multiple gatherings, during our 40th Reunion weekend. We started Friday evening for campus activities and cocktail hour at Sidwell Friends. Afterward, we continued our conversations around the corner at Surfside. On Saturday, after community service on campus, we met for a boat ride on the Potomac. Later on Saturday, classmates attended the campus dinner to see Sonya Clark receive her Distinguished Alumni Award, and our class held its traditional Reunion party at Lisa Bulman Mullen’s family home. One of many highlights was joining Sonya in taking selfies with classmates at the party. On Sunday we had brunch in Bethesda. Class Reunion planners included Hilary Dayton, Diana Lazarus, Lisa Mullen Bulman, Mary Dixon Raibman, Eleni Rossides, and Meg Elliott Smith—all of whom worked intensively over many months. Our Reunion was particularly special as we missed seeing one another in person five years ago due to COVID. It was wonderful to catch up and reconnect with classmates. We hope for at least one or two mini-reunions before our 45th.
Class of 1985 alum Sonya Clark embarked on a selfie project with her classmates at Reunion this year. Here are the results of Clark with: Alex Gardner , Ann Brashares , Tracy Dupree , Mary Dixon , Diana Lazarus , Phoebe Stein, Beth Ewing , Libby Bauer , Southy Walton , Eric Hostetler , Olatunde Johnson , Clara Jeffries , Danielle Schecter , Keith Johnson , Eleni Rossides , Adair Fox , Amanda Lehrer , Stacey Herndon , Andy Park , Greg Berman , Meg Elliott Smith ’89 , Bill Adams , Hilary Dayton , Phil London , Billy Mcconagha , Todd Hoffman , Brian McKaig , Jesse Levine , Lisa Bulman Mullen , Charlie Davis , Browning Porter , Jennifer Zeidman , Adam Schrag , Jennifer Fuhrman , Jon Goldberg , Alfred Mottur
SPENCER BOYER is a partner and practice lead for national security, defense, and aerospace at the Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategic advisory and commercial diplomacy firm. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he has taught for over a decade.
1988
LOUISE ANDREWS louiseandrews@me.com
1989
ELIZABETH WYATT ebwyatt@aol.com
1990
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1991
TIM HANRAHAN tim.hanrahan@gmail.com
1992
EMILY PASTER emily.paster@gmail.com
1993
CASEY COLMAN HASSENSTEIN caseycoleman30@hotmail.com
1994
BETSY STOEL estoel@gmail.com
1995
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Reunion Recap on next page.
1996
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1997
ELLEN CORNELIUS ERICSON eccornie@gmail.com
1998
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
BASIL ALEXANDER: “Howdy! I work at Children’s Health, a Dallas-based hospital system. I’m currently managing a $5 billion pediatric campus construction project that broke ground last fall (see photo on next page). One of the largest medical builds in the country, we’ll have over 500 pediatric beds and a 114-room emergency department when we see our first patients in 2031! My wife, Conamore, is an artist and registered architect who wrangles our four kiddos (5 to 16) when she’s not painting or managing Good Reins, an equestrian ministry/nonprofit she founded five years ago. I recently finished an MBA, and Conamore is looking at starting a master’s in theology in the fall. The etymology of ‘Texas’ has its roots in a Caddo word for ‘friend,’ and I offer y’all a friendly welcome to visit with us if your travels ever bring you to the DFW area! Shout out to art advisor/guide Matthew Blong ’98, who recently visited for the Dallas Art Fair.”
LEMA KIKUCHI lema.kikuchi@gmail.com
MARC MEISNERE and TORY NEWMYER both contributed to the recent album by Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band, a psychedelic Afro rock band from Lomé, Togo. Marc mixed and co-produced the album, and Tory did the cover art. The album, Avoudé, is available now on streaming platforms and on vinyl in record stores worldwide!” (See photo above.)
SINTANA VERGARA severgara@gmail.com
Reunion Recap on next page.
ANA LUISA AHERN attended Barnard College after graduating from Sidwell Friends and later earned a master’s degree in marine biodiversity and conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2015. In the years between her studies and beyond, she co-founded the Organization for Youth Empowerment in Honduras, became a certified divemaster, worked at an ocean conservation nonprofit in Los Angeles, and served as the director of a nonprofit focused on community-led environmental conservation initiatives in Central America. In 2024, Ana Luisa—along with her partner and their two dogs—relocated to La Paz, Mexico,
to pursue a PhD in marine science at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Her research focuses on community ecology, including the vertical distribution of zooplankton in the deep sea. She uses techniques such as environmental DNA to study community distribution across various depths and increase our understanding of marine ecosystems and their responses to climate change. Ana Luisa recently returned from an international expedition in the Gulf of California, where she participated in research utilizing artificial intelligence to monitor ocean health and support evidence-based conservation efforts in Mexico.
NICK FRIEDMAN AND OMAR SOLIMAN, co-founders of College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving, were recently presented with the Key to the City of Tampa, Florida, by Mayor Jane Castor. The recognition came as part of the company’s 20th anniversary celebration, where they welcomed over 1,000 franchise owners, team members, and partners to Tampa. In addition to celebrating two decades of success, the honor also acknowledged their company’s critical role in hurricane debris removal following last year’s devastating storms. Mayor Castor praised the company’s swift action and commitment to community service, calling their efforts instrumental in helping the city recover. The company donates two meals for every completed job and has now donated over 5 million meals. College Hunks also provides free moving services for survivors of domestic violence. Fried-
man and Soliman continue to expand their impact beyond business, reinforcing College Hunks’ purpose of service and leadership. “I thought getting the Key to the City only happened in movies,” stated Friedman. “Excited to see what doors this can open! Seriously, this is an honor and a testament to the amazing people in our organization and the impact they make every day.” (See photo on page 73.)
DOMINIC LEE: “Hello there! I am still teaching Upper School math and coaching golf at Sidwell Friends. I just finished 13 years (19 years total) teaching! Reunion weekend was extra special for me. I saw dozens of my classmates and dozens of kids I taught from the classes of 2015 and 2020. All of us are at different stages of our lives, and the differences are fascinating. I loved seeing everyone and it has rejuvenated me after a tough 2024.”
SHIREEN TAWIL: “After years of activism, I’ve decided to take the next step and stand for local councilor for our borough in south London! It’s pretty exciting and hopefully will be a chance to make some positive changes in our borough around climate action, schools, and Palestine. I focus a lot of time on organizing, fundraising, and advocating for an end to the war in Gaza and Palestinian liberation, and have found a new love for screen printing!”
SINTANA VERGARA: “It has been a time of big changes! After many years in far northern California, I moved with
Something about high school stays buzzing just below the skin, no matter how long ago it was. Usually the buzzing is dormant, but it can activate instantly in the presence of, well, high school. It doesn’t matter how healed or processed those years are; to step back into that familiarity vibrates a memory of forming. Sure, we are formed and reformed throughout our lives, but in teenage years, when we’re softer and newer, when so much inside of us is amorphous, what touches us leaves a bigger dent.
I felt unsure about coming to our 30th Reunion. I decided not to come. Then I decided to come. I registered for the Reunion. But I didn’t pay for the events (apparently ever, I discovered at registration). But ultimately, I came.
I walked onto the patio, and I walked into my old friend’s backyard. I saw faces I knew instantly while some were only vaguely familiar. We laughingly identified each other and hugged each other and learned about where life has led. Bright conversations sparked and flared, even with the alien sensation of half-recognizing these people with gray hair. How could so many faces I hadn’t seen for decades still be resonant of home?
Reunions. For some people, they are simple. My father falls into that camp, enthusiastically traveling for every reunion possible. For others,
they’re a nonstarter. I’m one of the many people who land in the middle, who bought a plane ticket and then stared at my suitcase wondering if I really wanted to pack it.
Many of us have had to heal from those four years. We said that to each other today. Many of us named loneliness or outright injury. Stuff that happened a long time ago—the reunion reminds us after 30 years—that we can still locate. Others adored those years, left sated and happy, eager to return. But even some of them collided with a younger self once they got here and had to wrangle themselves back into shape. Reunions are funny things.
I’m writing this as a note to myself—and maybe to your self—to say, you’ve done well. You have walked into the room with so much noise and pulled up a chair. You have looked into the beautiful eyes of people whose eyes you’ve never quite looked at so closely before and held them, let your arms be hammocks, open and swinging.
Thank you for being brave. Thank you for telling the truth and finding a seat and a conversation. Thank you for hugging the people, even the people you felt a little unsafe around. You were brave together, whether it felt like bravery or not. Thank you for being one of the people in the room because each person who came made the room. And the room was something new, a place where we said, “Let’s sit down and start again.” And then we did.
my family back to the East Coast. We have settled into a new life outside of Philadelphia. I have joined the faculty at Swarthmore College, where I teach environmental engineering, and we are all enjoying the wonders of the urban East Coast: seasons, warm summer evenings, trains, restaurants, and proximity to old, dear friends. I’m so happy for this new chapter and to have reconnected with so many Sidwell friends.” (See photo below.)
ELIZA ORLINS eorlins@gmail.com
LAUREN BROWNLEE: “Anna Aguto ’18 and I were thrilled to meet with current Sidwell Friends students and faculty members at the Friends Committee on National Legislation’s (FCNL) Spring Lobby Weekend. Anna is a program assistant at FCNL, and I am the deputy general secretary. The students who joined us spent part of their spring break learning about and then advocating for Medicaid and SNAP in the federal budget.” (See photo on page 76.)
MOLLY DONELAN CUPKA: “After years of climbing and coaching, I founded Up Ending Parkinson’s, a nonprofit that uses adaptive rock climbing to support people living with Parkinson’s disease. What began as a small local program has grown into something much bigger. We now have more than 50 locations nationwide, helping individuals build strength, confidence, and connection
through movement and community. In 2024, our work was featured on both CBS’s Sunday Morning with Lesley Stahl and NBC’s The Today Show, bringing national attention to Parkinson’s through the power of climbing. I also had the privilege of contributing to a study as a researcher for Marymount University; the study was published in Archives of Physiotherapy in March 2025. This past year, I resigned from my role as director at Sportrock Climbing Centers after 18 years to pursue this mission full time. It has been an incredible journey blending movement, science, and advocacy, and I’m grateful every day to be part of something that brings so much hope to others.” (See photo on page 76.)
CAMILO ACOSTA cbacosta@gmail.com
DAN WINIK
daniel.winik@gmail.com
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
ALLIE LEVEY
allie.levey@gmail.com
Reunion Recap on next page.
GRACE RUMFORD got married last spring in Chicago. Sidwell Friends alums Sydney Murray, Catherine Wallace, Randa Tawil, Lumay Wang ’07, Will Rumford ’08, Hannah Steckler Killfoil ’08, and Ian Steckler ’10 were all in attendance. Grace and her husband moved last summer from Chicago
The Class of 2000 had a very strong showing at our 25th Reunion! We had so much fun that we kept getting kicked out of Sidwell Friends for overstaying our welcome. The best part was feeling how we still knew each other deeply—we knew each other’s families and living rooms, we had become close in the days before internet and cell phones—and our conversations could skip the superficial and go right to the important. We shared our joys and our sorrows and our hopes, and we had so much fun. Returning to Sidwell Friends with our beautiful classmates felt like coming home.
to Baltimore. She now works for Constellation Energy, contracting renewable energy projects for Constellation’s offtake. She is happy to be back on the East Coast and a little closer to DC.
2006
JOHN SANDERS jsanders36@gmail.com
2007
ALEX AKMAN akman.alex@gmail.com
STEPHANIE VAN: “I had a baby in October 2024. Her name is Winter. My YouTube channel This Ability Clinic (sidwell. pub/ability) was nominated for a Webby Award, which is a big win. I was invited back to Sidwell Friends for Founder’s Day 2025. It was wonderful to see familiar faces and places: Andrew Lyonsberg was another speaker, I got a selfie with Ellen Pierson, and I can’t believe Justin Heiges, my Algebra 2 teacher, remembered me! It was an honor to talk with current students about the lessons I learned at Sidwell Friends that have stuck with me after all this time. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to visit and reconnect.” (See photo above.)
2008
Want to be a class representative? Contact alumni@sidwell.edu.
2009
AJ PARKS jhpiv13@gmail.com
BECKY GARLAND: “We are still loving living in Denver, Colorado. And, in April, we became a family of four!” (See photo at right.)
2010
KAI ZHENG kaihuazheng@yahoo.com
Reunion Recap on previous page.
2011
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2012
SALENA HESS salenahess@outlook.com
JOHN VERGHESE jjv2116@columbia.edu
2013
CECILIA LAGUARDA xenia.cecilia.laguarda@gmail.com
EMILY ZINGER and Kyhl Stephen welcomed the birth of their son, August Zinger, in Ithaca, New York, on March 30.
2014
AVIKAR GOVIL avikar.govil@gmail.com
2015
EMILY MILLER emillerusa@gmail.com
Reunion Recap on next page.
2016
TALHA JILANI jilani-talha@live.com
2017
SPENCER KEE keetwosuccess@gmail.com
KAYLEE SIMON recently graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina with her doctorate degree in pharmacy. She will be completing a residency at MedStar Washington Hospital Center with plans of pursuing a career in Internal Medicine. (See photo above.)
2018
BROOKE HARRINGTON brooke.leahy.harrington@gmail.com
2019
SOPHIE PEIKIN speikin2019@gmail.com
2020
TUNDAA DORJNAMJIM tdorjnamjim20@gmail.com
SOPHIE SMALL sophieannsmall0@gmail.com
Reunion Recap on previous page.
H. Duff Smith ’49 March 25, 2025
Nancy Gibb Crowley ’52 May 16, 2025
Mark Smith III ’52 January 22, 2025
Anne Smallwood Schwartz ’53 May 14, 2025
Leslie Adams ’73 May 20, 2025
Diana Piotrow ’78 April 15, 2025
“ Know one another in that which is eternal .”
—GEORGE FOX
2021
SAM BJARNSON sambjarnason21@gmail.com
2022
RASHI GUPTA rashigupta704@yahoo.com
2023
WILL KOOPERSMITH willkoopersmith@gmail.com
2024
KEVYN ORR orrk1506@gmail.com
Former Faculty, Staff, and Friends of the School
Ruth MacLeod “Betsey” Johnson May 18, 2025
Sidwell Friends Lower School teacher
Betsey Johnson taught at the Sidwell Friends Lower School for almost 20 years before finishing her teaching career in Amherst, Massachusetts. Betsey attended Radcliffe College at Harvard University and married Harvard law student and future foreign service officer Chadwick in 1950 and had six children: David, Andrew, Sara, Emily, Jeffery, and Mark. Their son Jeff Johnson ’82 attended Sidwell Friends for 11 years. Betsey taught every Lower School level from kindergarten to 4th grade. She was a much loved teacher who also deeply loved what she did. At various points over the years former students would come up to her reminding her that she had been their favorite teacher. She was good friends with fellow teachers Pat Froelicher and Peggy Luthringer, and remained so after her tenure at Sidwell Friends. Betsey and Chad were active in social-justice issues, loved to travel, and were members of book and play reading groups. Betsey died peacefully in May after a monthslong effort to recover from the effects of a fall suffered in December 2024. She had made it back to the home she loved in Amherst in early March so that she could be surrounded by the love and care of family and dear friends. This was very meaningful to her and to her family. She was 99 years old.
19 First Bond film starring Daniel Craig
Garment edge
24 “Blast from the past” hashtag 25 The real deal
26 James Cameron blockbuster featuring the Na’vi people
29 Latke frying solution 32 Bills featuring Hamilton
“One more song!” 52 Bit of inside info 54 HBO’s “___ Espookys”
TV coach Lasso
57 Field trip, for one... and an apt description for what’s happening in the circled letters of this puzzle
62 Soup container
63 Causes of some runny
of baloney
For a photography project in Lely Constantinople’s class, Vincent Cohen ’26 used stills from a film he made to explore out-of-thisworld techniques that leave the viewer humbled before a cold and vast universe.
“I made the short film MOON MAN to represent a feeling lost in time.
This feeling is different for everyone, but we all have a sensation or mood we want to get back to. While some of us succeed, others spend their lives trying to recapture it again, often missing out on the same feeling presented in different forms. The film is less a work of art and more a warning: Stay in the present or the past will steal the moment from you. For the astronaut image, I used a combination of technical film lighting and after effects. I first used my camera to capture myself behind a red and blue strobe light, I then rotoscoped myself out of the background, and finally I underlaid the video with rainbow flickers. I also covered my face with a white circular silhouette to symbolize the moon. The red and blue combination was merely by chance, which made the shot even more special to me. I like both mediums, film and still photography, because they allow me to express myself without fear of alienation. I’m able to make a world populated by just me, made by me, and for me. I could be wrong, but other mediums I’ve tried don’t capture that.”
3825
The Upper School choral and instrumental groups brought spirit and heart to their spring concerts, ending the year by celebrating the talented musicians of the Class of 2025.
