Thacher Magazine Fall/Winter 2022

FRONT COVER Lily Clemens ’24 competes in the Ojai Invitational at Lake Casitas.

Photo credit: Carin Yates

ON THE GROUND

A

Message

from Interim Head of School Jeff Hooper

Dear Thacher Community,

During this season filled with holiday traditions of all kinds, I’m reminded of the wonderful ways that traditions can bind us together in a shared experience, creating connections and strengthening community. Although we don’t spend the winter holidays together with students here on campus, events like the holiday banquet, winter concert, and the winter formal are such moments that we look forward to celebrating together each year.

At Thacher, traditions extend throughout the year and enliven our journey here together. That said, I would argue that here, our traditions are unique. Let’s start with the most obvious one: riding and caring for horses! We also host an “unprom,” we leave our phones behind to dress up and come together over in-person conversation at community dinner, we gather en masse in the Head’s home on Saturday nights, and at graduation, we take the time to write and read personal tributes to each senior rather than just handing over a diploma and a handshake.

In these ways and many others, Thacher is a place rooted in its own traditions, while also being a place that bucks trends and doesn’t follow the herd (pun intended) or conform to pressure. In other words, we have a tradition of being untraditional. This is also a trait we hope to inspire in our students and employees, and based on the stories in this issue of the Thacher Magazine, I would say we are succeeding in that effort.

I loved learning more about our three alumni who bravely saddled up for the Mongol Derby, an event that, despite billing itself as the longest and toughest horse race in the world, didn’t deter these women from jumping in with both spurs. (No spoilers here, but one of them may have just won the whole darn thing!) Speaking of horses, which we often do, their care and maintenance requires a lot of water, and at a time when most of the world is short on that resource, Thacher

Jeff Hooper welcomes seniors to the 2022-23 school year with a strawberry shortcake party at Boccali's.

is taking more and bigger steps to ensure not only the longterm sustainability of our School, but also the broader Ojai Valley. I am grateful to and inspired by our community members propelling us forward in this effort and others, including our talented new team of leaders in the School’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I hope you’ll take the time to get to know them better through this issue.

As we kick off the second half of this school year, I hope we have an opportunity to say “howdy” again soon, here

on campus or out in the world. Until then, Kara and I send our best wishes for a healthy and happy 2023.

Jeff Hooper Interim Head of School

The Hooper Family comes together after a fall football win against Chadwick.

EAC in Action

Thacher’s Environmental Action Committee (EAC) marched from campus to Ojai’s City Hall in September in order to call attention to the growing concern of climate change. Empowering students to use their collective voice and call for meaningful change is a hallmark of a Thacher education. The EAC is an instrumental voice on campus and leads our community in understanding how we can all contribute towards building a sustainable future for Thacher and the world.

Fall, Family, Football

A warm mid-October weekend played host to Thacher families as they visited campus to attend classes, marvel at a performing arts showcase, and take in the Riding Exhibitions, including both Colt and English offerings in addition to the 9th Grade and upper riders this year. The evergreen rivalry between Thacher and Cate entertained one of the largest away football crowds in several years.

Speed Networking with Seniors

In preparation for their culminating projects, seniors had brief workshop meetings with Thacher’s staff and faculty. Spread throughout the GATES classrooms and open-meeting spaces over two sessions, adults asked the students probing questions and led discussions to further develop their essential questions for the projects. Last year’s SeniorEx presentations included “Can Ojai Pixies be the Antidote to Forest Fire Damage?,” and “Narrative Medicine: Why Health Care Needs the Humanities.”

Chords and Coffee

The first Coffee House of the year set off a wellspring of creative energy from the students.

Musicians and poets united for renditions of pop culture as unique as the people performing them.

Ranging from Taylor Swift, to the Halo soundtrack, and songs from Billies Joel and Eilish, everyone came away smiling and entertained.

THE PERGOLA

The Fall Play That Went Right

Two nights and two different casts of actors thrilled and delighted audiences in the Milligan Center during the fall production of “The One Act Play that Goes Wrong.” Hilariously delivered punchlines and on-stage physical comedy had both nights’ audiences roaring with laughter. Kudos to the theater tech crew and all of our actors for two brilliant performances! Join us February 17-18, 2023 for the Winter Musical “Mamma Mia!”

Working at Wellness

Students’ well-being is integral to Thacher’s mission and educational purpose, as evidenced by the abundance of new events and activities sponsored by the Wellness Center, including yoga for athletes, weekly mindfulness “pauses,” and fireside chats.

A TOAD-al Celebration

On a Wednesday in early November we spent the morning celebrating self-care, service, and community. Faculty offered more than 30 activities from kindness boards to crocheting and trail work to bridge building; students picked up trash, wrote letters of appreciation, and built benches, did yoga and danced, and painted sets for the upcoming play. Following the morning sessions, the entire school met on the Upper Field for the first annual TOADAL SHOWDOWN! Sixteen student teams randomly assigned across all grades and two faculty teams competed in several rounds of the biggest relay race Thacher has ever known. Seniors led the way as captains, but it was a full-team effort as participants solved Rubik's Cubes, jumped rope, swam, flipped off the diving board, performed a TikTok dance, shot baskets, memorized lines from a poem, ran a relay, and more. Congratulations to the GREEN team, the overall winners!

FALL SCOREBOA RD

Girls’ Volleyball

Throughout the fall season, the echoes of “DIG, SET, BOOM!” reverberated through Thacher’s campus. Strong play from a defensively-minded group of players consistently pushed opposing teams to a fifth set. It was evident to Coach Trejo that the team simply loved playing the sport and being with one another through grueling practices and lengthy games: “They were just a wonderful, volleyball-loving group.” Congratulations to the seven players named to All-League Honors at the end of the season, and to most valuable player Ali Bennett ‘23 , most-improved players Kaili Chu ‘25 and Paige Fitzpatrick ‘24 , and most inspirational, Grace Yang ‘23

Football

“Snakebit by injuries,” as Coach Hooper put it, gave way to necessity as younger players stepped up and filled the roles of their older teammates. Despite these injuries, Toad senior captains Teddy Tracy and Hayden Hooper, as well as their fellow seniors Christian Gutierrez, Ajani Huchard, Hugh Lynch, Joe McGonigle, Tristan Oriol, and Vinnie Park exemplified the fighting spirit Thacher is known for. A distinct highlight of the season was the series with Cate, this year splitting the results between our (friendly) rivals to the north.

Girls’ Cross Country

Inspiration, strategy, and healthy group morale guided Thacher's runners to an exceptionally fruitful season. Lily Clemens ‘24 was awarded a 2nd All-League certificate after setting a new PR for herself in the CIF Prelims with a 3-mile time of 21:35. Shiraz Rothschild ‘25 , known for her ability to sprint to the finish line, garnered an Honorable Mention All-League for her incredible performance at the TCAA League Finals. Annikka Zhou ‘26 not only ran her first-ever XC race in the TCAA League Finals, she bested her own PR and her stellar performance earned her an Honorable Mention All-League certificate. Finally, beset by injuries, Margot Edwards ‘25 , Taylor Gudebski ‘24 , and Olivia Thimons ‘26 served as supportive allies either on the sidelines or alongside with their mountain bikes.

Boys’ Cross Country

Thacher’s prowess in distance running gained even more ground this season with a TCAA Championship for the boys’ cross country team. Several runners from all class years aided in this banner year: Diego Escalante ‘24 was named Individual League Champion and won 1st overall in the Twilight Invitational at Lake Casitas, also a team win against other elite runners; Mateo Escalante ‘26 and captain Nico DiLullo ‘23 were named with All-League distinctions; and emerging from a long injury was captain Todd Rosenbaum ‘23 to finish fourth in Southern Section prelims, breaking his own personal record for a sub-18-minute run.

Girls’ Tennis

Senior Cate Tracy won the Tri-League Individuals Singles title, besting both the number one and number two seeds for the individuals tournament. The enthusiasm, camaraderie, and support from the entire team who traveled with her to the Cate School was indeed a highlight of the season for Coach Henderson. Overall, the girls’ team finished with some thrilling victories, and some narrow losses on the year, with a roster that’s poised for a deep run next season. Congratulations to Tri-Valley League award winners Julia James ‘24 and Lila Rodriguez ‘24 (Honorable Mention First Doubles Team); First Team All-League Cate Tracy; and Player of the Year Cate Tracy.

OUTSIDE OUTLOOKS

VISITING SCHOLARS, ARTISTS, AND EXPERTS SPARK NEW IDEAS AND INSPIRATION

From the Court to Casa de Piedra

In October, former professional basketball player Jason Collins came to Thacher. Collins spent 13 years in the NBA and played college basketball for Stanford (where he was an All-American in 2000-01). He is also the first athlete active on one of the four major North American professional team sports to come out as gay. During his visit, Collins met with student athletes, the Spectrum and Black Student Union groups, and 11th and 12th graders. The day culminated with a community dinner, followed by an address to the full community in the Milligan Center.

Dancing in the Dark

A special Head’s Invitation to close out Thacher’s Latinx Heritage Month was for an exclusive outdoor evening concert with the GRAMMY®-award winning band Ozomatli. Guitarist and founding member Raul Pacheco CdeP 1986 led the band through a long set of music that had the entire community enthralled and dancing outside the dining hall the whole time. Making the night even more special was the inclusion of several Thacher student musicians who joined the band on stage for a couple songs. Catch Ozomatli on tour this next year as they support their latest album “Marching On,” released on Blue Élan Records.

Called Together for Convocation

At a Community Dinner in October, Thacher welcomed Emma Robbins, a Diné artist, activist, and community organizer, together with special guest Patrick Tumamait, Chumash elder, to speak at the Indigenous Peoples’ Month Convocation. Emma is the founder of The Chapter House in Los Angeles, and the Executive Director of the Navajo Water Project on the Navajo Nation.

Anacapa Alum

Leading nonprofit consultant and author Rhea Wong CdeP 1997 is spending time on campus as an Anacapa Scholar teaching a Social Entrepreneurship class.

Students are learning more about the nonprofit sector, how to construct a fundraising campaign, and to reflect on the causes that they care about. "It is my hope that they see themselves as changemakers and philanthropists after our class," said Rhea.

thanks to you 2021-22 By the Numbers

Each year, our generous and dedicated community comes together in support of Thacher—in ways both big and small— to propel our School forward and make possible a place and program like no other. And 2021-22 was no exception.

It is thanks to the generosity of this community that we saw the most successful annual fund campaign in the history of the School last year, with alumni total giving among the highest ever, as well as transformational support for initiatives championing belonging and community, financial aid, academic innovation, the horse and outdoor programs, and sustainability and campus infrastructure

For the Greatest Good

Campus Enhancements

Thanks to a generous donation, Thacher's commitment to sustainability, and the hard work of a number of community members and friends, this summer the School made significant enhancements to New Field, increasing water conservation (8-12M gallons!), reducing maintenance costs, and providing the community with a beautiful venue for playing and watching sports.

Co-hosted with The Turtle Conservancy, we were able to offer a fully funded field biology camp for 6th and 7th graders. Our staff and youngest alums collaborated to provide this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

Thanks to the wisdom and generosity of the Class of 1971's two-year Visiting Artists Program, we brought scholars and creators to GATES, including comic book writer Chris Cantwell and oceanographer/artist Oriana Poindexter.

Working with the Horse Advisory Committee to identify funding needs, we were able to increase the size of the herd, purchase 50 new saddles, and convert Kahle into a dust-free arena.

Last year we hosted several small gatherings nationwide rather than the typical large regional gatherings in just a few areas.

Tyfahra D. Milele CdeP 1996, Brandale Randolph CdeP 1994 (via Zoom), and Rhea Wong CdeP 1997 spoke at reunion weekend about what it means to live a life committed to doing the greatest good on their panel “Social Justice in Action.”

Alums reconnected and engaged in meaningful conversation.

Welcome to Thacher!

Each Friday this fall, interim head of school Jeff Hooper treated assembly audiences to a “meet your new teacher Friday feature,” a chance for students to get to know a bit more about some of the talented new full-time teaching faculty members who joined the Thacher community this fall. Now’s your chance to get to know them too. For more information about these and more of our amazing teachers, visit the Faculty Unscripted page on the Thacher website.

Delaney Cargo

SC I ENC E T E ACHER

Delaney is teaching Integrated Science II and Field Biology classes, as well as partnering with the Turtle Conservancy. She has worked in a variety of educational settings, including an international school in Vietnam and, before that, field science programs in the Galapagos Islands. Delaney also conducted a population genetic analysis of pygmy marmosets while living with indigenous tribes in the Ecuadorian Amazon for her master’s thesis.

Nicole Chung FISHER FELLOW

Nicole is Thacher’s newest Fisher Fellow, joining Sayra Trejo in this important Thacher program. Nicole graduated from Amherst this past spring with a degree in chemistry and education. She also played important roles in the college’s ongoing efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion and health and wellness. Nicole wrote her undergraduate thesis about higher education initiatives in maintaining diverse and genuinely inclusive science classrooms, and the role of educators in humanizing what tends to be a very quantitative and objective domain of study.

David Friedman COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER

David Friedman helms Thacher’s computer science courses, including Advanced CS, Data Structures, and Robotics. He joined us from St. Mark’s School and previously also taught at King’s Academy. An experienced, passionate runner, David also coaches cross country and track.

Julia Harris PSYCHOLOGY TEACHER

Julia brings an extensive educational background in the field of psychology to her teaching role, including an undergraduate degree in the discipline from Georgetown and a graduate degree that she just completed. Julia also has experience supporting students in advising roles and is working with Thacher juniors this year.

Charlotte Humes

MATH TEACHER

Charlotte is a world traveler and has served in both the Peace Corps and international schools, including King’s Academy in Jordan. She is currently teaching Math IIH and Math IIIH, is a dorm faculty in the Hill and Sepse, and coached girls' JV cross country this fall.

Rachel joins Thacher from Choate Rosemary Hall, where she was a faculty member in the history, philosophy, religion, and social sciences department. As Dr. Sarah DelVecchio’s sabbatical replacement this year, Rachel is teaching 9th and 11th grade history as well as a class on Indigenous Studies as part of our 10th grade history curriculum. You may be interested to know that Rachel created her own course from scratch, called “Topics in Native American Studies.”

Sepideah Mohsenian-Rahman

DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY,

AND INCLUSION

Sepideah Mohsenian-Rahman, MSW rejoined the Thacher community in the summer of 2022 as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. A social worker with deep experience in educational and community settings, Sepideah is also supporting on-campus wellness initiatives by offering therapy under clinical supervision using a trauma-informed lens. To learn more about her, turn to page 30.

Rachel Kesler HISTORY TEACHER

Gary Roth

MATH TEACHER

Gary is teaching multivariable calculus, Math IVH, and Math III. He is a seasoned math teacher and coach who worked for many years at The Dwight-Englewood School in New Jersey. Gary enjoys sailing, ballroom dancing, and spending time with his wife and puppy.

Dr. Ali Rahman ENGLISH TEACHER

Ali rejoins Thacher this year after spending two years teaching in the writing program at The University of Pennsylvania. If he looks familiar to you, it’s because he was a Fisher Fellow a few years back, teaching English, History, and coaching several sports, including tennis and basketball. He is currently teaching English II and English IV and lives on campus with his family, including Sepideah Mohsenian-Rahman, our new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Fun fact: one of Ali’s favorite books is Harry Potter—he credits it with instilling a love of reading in him that has continued to thrive over two decades later.

VERBATIM

While this is my 17th year at Thacher, it also actually feels like my first because last year I was on sabbatical, living with my family in Woods Hole, Massachusetts—a small village in Cape Cod. Sabbatical is an amazing opportunity that Thacher provides its full-time teaching faculty to take a full year off to do something radically different from teaching and living at a boarding school. While I had lots of ideas for this year, I still kind of can’t believe that I got to live in what is a worldrenowned center for biological research and ocean science and that I got to be a member of an active research lab for the year. Three days a week I volunteered in Loretta Roberson’s lab at the Marine Biological Laboratory where the core of Dr. Roberson’s research is focused on two main projects: algae and coral.

So today I’m going to tell you two things I learned about coral and research that relate to everyday life, even if you’re not a research scientist or if you don’t think that corals are inherently fascinating.

So first thing, for just a moment, I want you to think about a time when you attempted something that felt utterly impossible at first— maybe a task that felt insurmountable, a problem that seemed too tricky to solve, or a trail that was just one endless switchback for miles upon miles but you did it anyway. Everyone have some examples in mind? Okay, good.

My sabbatical year was just jam-packed with new, challenging experiences—here’s what I learned about tackling seemingly insurmountable challenges in the lab:

Part of the research project I did used a very large, very technical, very expensive microscope that has lasers of different wavelengths to illuminate samples. After our first trip to the microscope it was clear we needed to adjust our protocol because the laser was so intense it killed the coral—just burned it right down to the skeleton. So, we developed a new idea. What if we just trimmed

off one tentacle and imaged that. The tentacle would be lost, but it would protect the rest of the coral and allow the experiment to continue. The tricky part is that coral tentacles are tiny and translucent—like 1/3 of a grain of rice. And I had to prepare them by soaking them in a dye and then rinsing them off three times with distilled water before putting them on a microscope slide. This all felt hard, but the part that felt impossible was all of this needed to happen in the dark. I’ll save you the technical details, but the logistics had me totally stressed out. Throughout the process Mayra Sánchez-García, the manager of Loretta’s lab, was there to help me and we’d problem solve together when things didn’t work out. I would be preparing each new sample as Mayra would work her magic with the fancy microscope and, in the end, we got it done.

So my advice when you’re tackling something terrifying and impossible:

1. Recognize the terror. Pretending that it’s not hard might prevent you from figuring out the challenge itself.

2. Identify a mentor. Choose someone who will balance out your strengths with their own. I was just so lucky to have Mayra helping me with the project.

3. Acknowledge your effort. When you do figure it out or get through the challenge, celebrate that and really dwell in the accomplishment; this is something that we tend to skip in our busy lives at Thacher.

I think we could all agree that doing hard things takes strength. Now I want you to think of the strongest person or thing you know. Imagine what makes it strong, why you thought of it as an example of strength, and how that strength makes you feel about that person/thing. Everyone have some examples of strength in mind? Okay, good.

Now I’ll share what coral taught me about strength. One of the less exciting but probably

most important parts of my research involved just keeping the corals alive during the course of the treatment.

One of the most time-consuming parts is cleaning algae from their bodies. If this isn’t done, algae will grow over the coral and smother it to death. The cleaning process involves using dental tools and forceps and teeny tiny scissors to scrape and trim the algae away from the coral. It was very satisfying and also, sometimes, nerve-wracking because some of the corals were so tiny that just holding them applied enough pressure to break their skeletons. The first time I did this, I was sure I killed the sample. I’d like to pretend that I got better at cleaning the corals and stopped breaking their skeletons, but I’m not sure that’s actually true. At first I was convinced that I was doing more harm than good—what good is a clean coral with a broken skeleton! But...I was wrong. I misjudged these little polyps. Broken skeletons, or even the time I ripped a polyp in two, just provided an opportunity for regeneration—and corals are really, really good at that. And when I got covid and couldn’t come into the lab to clean the corals for two weeks—the algae killed 50% of them, so keeping them clean was really important.

So the lessons I learned here:

1. W hat assumptions are you making about what is hard or easy for others (coral or humans)?

Like how I misjudged what might be harmful for the coral, what is good or easy for you might be bad or hard for someone else and their experience is just as valid as your own.

2. How do you measure strength? Again, I was totally wrong with my idea of the coral and I know that having a broader definition of strength is valuable for us as a community.

Combining those two lessons, when someone is tackling an impossibly difficult thing and they share that struggle with you, believe them, collaborate with them, and celebrate their victories even when (and maybe especially when) those victories might look very different from your own.

In her October 2022 TOAD Talk, science teacher Heather Grant shares a few of the lessons she learned while on sabbatical during the 2021-2022 school year.

PAVING THE WAY

THREE THACHER WOMEN AND THE WORLD’S MOST GRUELING HORSE RACE

By Felicity Arnold CdeP 2000

It was a beautiful late summer day when Deirdre Griffith CdeP 2006 crossed the finish line to co-win the 2022 Mongol Derby. While she was a world away from her home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, she was far from alone. The horse she rode was the last in a string of semi-broke horses loaned to the event by local herdsmen; the rider at her side, Willemien Jooste of South Africa, had been her race companion since Station 5 on day two of the race. At home, her friends and family eagerly tracked her progress online. Also rallying behind her was a community of women sharing a singular place: Thacher.

When not a race contender, Brooke Wharton CdeP 2007 breeds and raises champion reining horses.

The Mongol Derby advertises itself as “the longest and toughest horse race in the world.” This marketing is not hyperbole. The race is 1,000 kilometers traversing the Mongolian steppe while switching semi-wild horses every 40km. Riders not only need to expertly pack and manage their gear, they also must monitor the health and well-being of their mount during each leg of the race with vet checks at each of the 40km crew stops. Riding 12 hours a day, for 10 consecutive days, riders must navigate on their own all while managing weather, terrain, and wildlife. As there is no set course, they ride

unaware of exactly where they will be at the end of the day. Nights are spent camping out, knocking on strangers’ doors to request a place to sleep, or at checkpoints.

Mounting an unknown horse is far from the beginning of this adventure. It starts with a rigorous application process, months of planning and preparation, gear procurement, days of international travel followed by nearly a full day’s journey by bus over dirt roads. And in the time of covid, training and preparation stretched from months to years before participants even reached the starting line. This isn’t a race for the faint of heart or an individual unable to cope with uncertainty. To top it all off: there’s no trophy waiting at the finish line. This is a competition created for those who are willing to suffer in the name of adventure and for the love of horses. Three Thacher women have risen to the challenges of the Derby.

It was from alum Katherine Bechtel CdeP 2003, that Deirdre first heard of the Mongol Derby. Katherine firmly believes that without her

experience in the Thacher horse program she never would have considered applying for the Derby, having no experience in endurance riding. Nor does she believe she would have made it through the selection process. However, Thacher equipped her with the skills that have proved essential. “Both the Horse and Outdoor Programs had a profound impact on shaping me into the person and professional that I am today, and has continued to have outsized influence in my life in the years since graduating,” said Katherine. While her race was cut short due to injury and illness, she no doubt paved the way for future Thacher alumni.

In 2017, Brooke Wharton CdeP 2007 competed in the grueling competition. Not only did Brooke successfully complete the race, she did so mostly solo, which surprised more than a few race directors. Brooke came to Thacher having grown up on a ranch in Texas, and she has remained immersed and committed to the sport as owner and manager of Fort Worth-based BMW Quarter Horses. Brooke credits Thacher for encouraging her to be comfortable stretching herself and being on her own. It was Brooke’s confidence in

"Both the Horse and Outdoor Programs had a profound impact on shaping me into the person and professional that I am today, and has continued to have outsized influence in my life in the years since graduating."

2022 Mongol Derby champion Deirdre Griffith CdeP 2006

Although ultimately hindered by injury and illness, Katherine Bechtel CdeP 2003 gives it her all in the 2014 race.

Deirdre’s abilities that cemented her decision to apply. Brooke assured Deirdre, “It will be hard but you’ll be fine.” This phrase became a refrain Deirdre repeated to herself often while preparing and competing in the race.

There’s no disputing Deirdre Griffith’s equine abilities and expert packing skills—she’s been riding as long as she can remember. Growing up participating in Pony Club, it was the allure of the horse program that drew Deirdre to Thacher. She recalls being about 10 years old at her older sister’s Big Gymkhana weekend when she saw a young Trinity Seely CdeP 1999 and current head of the Horse Department, riding a big beautiful bay horse and thought to herself, “I want to do THAT!”

Spoiler alert, Deirdre Griffith accomplishes her goals. As a student she rode all four years, earned

her A camper, and spent more time packing and camping in the Sespe than she can count. She earned a degree in equine science from Colorado State followed by a master's before moving to Jackson Hole to pursue horse packing. She remains in Wyoming with her husband and two young daughters, Lilah and Delaney (both already competent riders).

With three decades of horsemanship and a vote of confidence from Brooke, Deirdre applied to the Derby in 2020 believing she would compete thefollowingyear.WhenMarthaGregoryCdeP 2006, now a filmmaker, got wind of Deirdre’s plan to compete, she reached out to document the journey. Thus began what has turned into several years of filming, interviewing, and editing a short documentary film. Martha and her production partner made three or four visits to Wyoming to film and interview

Deirdre. Martha herself rode fall and spring while at Thacher, packed often, and earned her A camper. She described the Derby as the perfect aggregate of the skills you acquire at Thacher. Students have exposure to so many equine skill sets such as packing, jumping, barrel racing, and roping. Additionally needed are experiences camping, learning to navigate with a map, and also the general ability to measure challenging situations with discernment, resilience, and mental strength. Martha also credits Thacher as a space to problem solve. The Thacher roots run deep and overlap in compelling ways. Martha and Brooke Wharton were Big Gymkhana green team co-captains and Katherine Bechtel was Martha’s Casa Prefect. Martha even ended up with a horse that Katherine trained named Jim (who is now retired on Katherine’s Tennessee horse farm), with whom she won the gymkhana season and high point of the day. Martha is hoping to have

"I just tried to ride each leg the best that I could and ride the horse that I was on. Slow and steady.”

the film, currently titled “621 Miles,” done in the beginning of 2023.

The story of Thacher women invested in Deirdre’s success doesn’t end here. Alyssa Tennant CdeP 2006 is a bay area professional life coach who worked with Deirdre in the lead up to the race. Many, if not most, of her clients are high-achieving women. She worked with Deirdre to define goals and develop a plan for inevitable doubt and fear. Alyssa notes the importance of practicing returning to a positive mindset and having clear reasons for setting out to take on a challenge.

While all three women came to Thacher with varying degrees of equine experience, it was at Thacher that they honed their packing skills, became accustomed to discomfort and developed a true love of experiencing the backcountry on horseback. Horse department faculty, Cam Schryver and Chuck Warren were seminal figures in their packing and riding education and imparted deep respect for horsemanship. However, all three women recall another teacher as most influential to their time at Thacher, both in and out of the saddle: Liz Mahoney. Herself a graduate of Thacher in 1988, and a faculty member since 1998, Liz has not only continued her equestrian career, she too has excelled at endurance sport and completed the Kona Ironman in October of 2022. She remembers Deirdre, Brooke, and Katherine as women that would always stand out in a crowd saying, “these are women of tremendous tenacity, adventure, skill, and knowledge.” Adds Mahoney,

"There is no doubt about the growth, experience, and value the Horse Program continues to bring to the lives of Thacher students year after year." She believes “that having alumni who understand what the horse program meant to them is what’s going to keep the program alive.” Both Liz and Trinity Seely credit Deirdre, Katherine, and Brooke for their continued involvement in equine sports and carrying their commitment to the horse program forward through their work with the Thacher Horse Advisory Committee. All three women

have donated invaluable history, knowledge, time, resources, and even horses to the school.

Deirdre clearly possesses the packing skills required as well as the ability to endure discomfort and to work beyond typical limits. However, the Derby also involves many factors outside of the control of the participants. Huge marmot holes speckle the landscape, weather conditions change on a dime, horses are unpredictable, gear breaks, the variables of a race this long are endless. No stranger to unexpected twists and turns, Deirdre says they are a part of every trip, enjoying the Derby comes down to attitude and an ability to adapt. Cam Schryver watched footage of the Derby and noted that the horses had a tendency to bolt once mounted. His advice? Don’t fight it, just make sure you point the horse in the direction that you want it to run.

Grasping the full magnitude of the Mongol Derby is daunting, and yet Deirdre couldn’t be more humble about her achievement. “I just tried to ride each leg the best that I could and ride the horse that I was on. Slow and steady.”

No doubt Deirdre, Katherine, and Brooke will inspire a whole new generation of Thacher graduates.

Deirdre and her teammate Willemien Jooste celebrate their victory.

Stewards of our Resources

Casa de Piedra Water Conservation Efforts Grow

Our goal is to always uphold the beauty of our natural environment, while making decisions that improve wildfire survivability and support the water security of the School and our broader Ojai community long into the future.

- ED BENNETT, director of facilities

As is the case in many places throughout the Southwestern United States and around the world, water conservation is an imperative in the Ojai Valley, where we remain in a Stage 3 water shortage. The U.S. Drought Monitor has classified nearly all of California in "severe" drought or worse, and most of Ventura County has been dubbed "extreme," the second most severe designation among the five federal drought classifications. Much of the county has access to imported water, but surface water supplies for the Ojai Valley and parts of Ventura come from Lake Casitas, which depends on rainfall and river runoff.

While water conservation has long been a focus of the School’s sustainability efforts, additional initiatives in recent years, including low-flow devices in dorms and faculty homes, upgraded irrigation systems, selective watering, and the use of greywater from our dormitory laundry machines to irrigate trees (saving up to 550,000 gallons of water annually), have led to a 40% reduction since 2014. And we’re not stopping there.

Field of Dreams

In May of 2022, just as students and faculty were wrapping up the school year, an exciting project kicked off on campus. New Field, as it’s been known since it was installed in 2006, was about to get even newer. Thanks to a generous donation and the hard work of a number of community members and friends, the School replaced the grass ground cover with an Ironturf synthetic woven system. Even with the water cooling system designed to reduce ground temperatures 20-30 degrees, the turf and rubber/sand infill conserve a significant amount of water. “Depending on the year, this work will save us 8-12M gallons of water,” said Ed Bennett, director of facilities at Thacher.

Turf has also been installed in the Lower School dorm courtyard, saving ½ million gallons of water annually, and will also be added soon to the Casa Knoll.

Seeds of Sustainability

Another significant water-saving measure was the removal of 8.5 acres of nonproductive avocado trees from the Thacher campus. While it is a priority for the School to support the growth and maintenance of local flora, these trees were using approximately 13 million gallons of water per year and not yielding any financial return for the School. Their presence, which monopolized 4% of the entire Senior Canyon Mutual Water Company (Ojai’s East End water provider) was also impacting our broader Ojai community.

“This water reduction not only impacts Thacher, but also the entire East End community,” said Bennett. “As stewards of our environment, good neighbors, and a School committed to not only living for our own greatest good but for the good of our fellow citizens, this was the right decision to make.”

Almost 3.5 acres of avocados and mature oaks remain, providing screening and shaded habitat for wildlife.

Kahle Arena Goes Green

The summer of 2022 also brought with it new footing for the Kahle Arena, adjacent to the Friendship Barn. The old, brokendown sand was replaced with a product called Arena Green, a mix of recycled glass, vegetable oil, and a bonding agent.

Because it is made of entirely organic material, Arena Green is suitable for horses and good for the environment. It requires nothing to be added and sits directly on the arena base, making it cost-effective, completely dust-free, and waterless.

“I estimate this will save approximately 100,000 gallons of water annually,” said Jeff Seely, Assistant Director of the Horse Program.

I estimate this will save approximately 100,000 gallons of water annually

- JEFF SEELY, assistant director of the Horse Program

Saving for a (Not) Rainy Day

In 2016, Thacher received a generous grant from Sierra Watershed, allowing the School to host a greywater workshop for 30 technicians from all over California. This work led to the design and installation of a 5,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system for one of the barn roofs and a catchment system added to the Los Padres sophomore boys dorm.

Building on this foundation, the School plans to install rainwater harvesting systems on every Horse Program area roof, which, in addition to capturing water for the horses, will also improve stream flow water quality.

Ongoing water conservation efforts such as these will continue in the coming years as the School works to not only make immediate and tangible reductions, but also to ensure its long-term sustainability and responsibility. By banking water savings—our current balance sits around 57 acre-feet—we can help to offset future projects that will allow us to pick and choose wisely where our water usage is best spent.

“Our goal is to always uphold the beauty of our natural environment, while making decisions that improve wildfire survivability and support the water security of the School and our broader Ojai community long into the future,” said Bennett.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

A

Meet and Greet with the Leaders of Thacher’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office

In the summer of 2022, Thacher welcomed two new team members to the School’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Director Sepideah Mohsenian-Rahman, MSW and Associate Director (a newly created position) Christian Garris may look familiar to the Thacher community—Sepideah lived on a campus a few years ago with her children and husband, then Fisher Fellow Dr. Ali Rahman, and Christian has been a member of the Admission Office since the summer of 2021—but their more direct oversight of this work at Thacher is a newer development in the School’s continued and expanding efforts in this realm.

We sat down with the dynamic DEI duo to learn more about their career paths, personal and professional interests, and the opportunities for inclusion and belonging they see ahead for the students and the School.

Christian Garris

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION; ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION

Prior to moving to Ojai from Massachusetts with his wife Erin and newborn son August, Christian spent four years working in admission at Tabor Academy, where he is also an alumnus. Christian also brings a strong background in diversity, equity, and inclusion work and, in addition to his roles in the DEI and Admission Offices, he also coaches football, advises 9th grade, and works in Lower School. While he cheers on all student teams and achievements, you'll be sure to catch him in a Patriots jersey most Sundays.

Sepideah Mohsenian-Rahman

DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION; COUNSELOR

Sepideah is a social worker with deep experience in educational and community settings and brings over 10 years of experience to this role, including serving as the Program Director of the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Multicultural Center, where she curated events and lectures featuring leading scholars, and worked closely with student affairs and academic departments to elevate student belonging and success. Additionally, Sepideah supports on-campus wellness initiatives by offering therapy as an associate clinical social worker, ACSW. Sepideah received BAs in International Studies, Peace & Conflict Resolution and Religious Studies from American University, and a Master of Social Work from Columbia University. She lives on campus with her husband Ali and their two children, Idris and Azadeh.

as Thacher. And working with students in particular is so rewarding to me because teenagers bring so much power and momentum and energy and curiosity to the table. They are the compass and the map at The Thacher School.

Q. When/how did you feel called to this work?

Christian: My "a-ha!" moment was definitely boarding-school specific. I spent four years in one as a student, and when I returned as an adult to work at my alma mater—showing up as one of very few people of color on the faculty—I noticed that people were often coming to me for help with solving DEIrelated problems, first related to race but eventually broader issues. I realized that just being a person of color in that space didn't mean that I had all the answers, so I became a student again and dug into professional development and networking opportunities. Through that I expanded my knowledge about what it means to be a person of color in these spaces. It also started to open my eyes to all the other identities that people hold in boarding schools and how important it is to acknowledge those identities and celebrate them.

Sepideah: As a social worker, we are trained to focus on the more complex and challenging parts of society, so my curiosity is focused most heavily on the ways that people and policies perpetuate harm from every level. I feel my best when I engage in that curiosity by offering care and skilling myself up to meet different people's needs, helping others to tend to their own needs, and taking a systems approach that asks, “Why is it this way? How is it this way? Who benefits, who is struggling to hold on?”

In my training, my specialization was a macro approach to social work, and while clinical social work is part of that, it placed particular emphasis on legal, political, and economic factors that contribute to the need for social work as a profession. It's special for me now being able to synthesize both of those experiences on campus, in a community as well-intentioned and dynamic

Sepideah: My journey here began back in high school, when I played soccer against Thacher. I was so taken by the campus and went on an advocacy mission to convince my parents to allow me to apply, which sadly didn’t happen. I didn't think of Thacher again really, until the Fisher Fellowship opportunity came on Ali's (Dr. Ali Rahman, Fisher Fellow from 2018-2020 and now an English teacher) radar at a really good time for us. He was in his PhD program. We had just had our first child. I was working well into the night running events at UCSB. That journey led to us living on the Thacher campus for a few years and really taking to this notion of community and our children being surrounded by happy, loving teenagers, horses, and cows. We were able to engage in a lifestyle for our young child and ourselves as a young family that we could have only imagined in our wildest dreams. It was so good for us that our youngest was born during the Fisher Fellowship!

When the Fisher Fellowship ended and we moved to Pennsylvania for Ali to teach at UPENN, we were proud of what we had given to and learned from Thacher. That experience allowed us to reevaluate our perception of what we wanted for our family and what truly aligned with our core values. So, when this opportunity presented itself again last year, we realized that we had an invitation to enact those values more authentically and be more in touch with them here. We also appreciate the integration of the family and work life—we really enjoy working together as a couple, which we’ve done for nearly a decade—and love knowing that we and our kids have such deep friendships and diverse role models here.

Christian: My wife Erin (Thacher's Wellness Center Coordinator) was seven months pregnant when I got the job offer and our son August was six-weeks old when we packed up the car and moved to Ojai. The whole interview process was virtual because of covid—I never set foot on campus, but I felt really good about moving from a big boarding school to a smaller community. That was important to me.

As soon as we arrived on campus in midAugust we were immediately greeted with open arms from everyone. But the moment that we really knew we had made the right decision was when the students returned a couple of weeks later and I started to get to know them and realize how much potential they have, how much care they have—and felt how much love they show to my family. It was then we knew we had landed in the right place, and there have been so many moments that have confirmed that since.

Like us, the school was going through its own process of articulating its core values and alignment there. Clearly, during the

Q. How did you know that Thacher was the right place for you and your families at this point in your careers/lives?

Q. Sepideah, given that you’ve had the unique experience of being a part of this community once before, what changes have you noticed since you left in 2020?

period when we were considering returning, it was a very tumultuous time on campus and in our community, and it was beautiful to see how headon the School was willing to navigate deep complexities and engage in an accountability process. That made the invitation to come back even better because it was authentic and transparent in a way that we could really appreciate. With a background in peace and conflict resolution, I have deep trust in people’s and institutions' capacity for transformation and repair.

In terms of changes since we were here last, there have been changes all around, including among the faculty and the energy from students. The last few years have been a hard time for many, many folks in many, many ways. Some of that is unique to Thacher, but much of it is also related to the pandemic and uprisings in every definition of that term.

Christian: I think the biggest challenge right now is people learning how to be back physically together in community, understanding what it means to share a space and to live and work and play and just be together. That's something that we really lost in the pandemic. Now we're all here together and we're all trying to figure it out again. Our goal is to guide and shape that reentry into healthy, positive ways through our work. There's a unique opportunity right now to reshape what it means to be at Thacher.

Sepideah: Thacher means so much to so many people in such a beautiful way, and the complexities of supporting the wide range of perspectives and relationships across various generations is a good invitation and a complex, layered one. While we must first prioritize our current students and employees, our challenge and hopes are to foster for all who love Thacher a community that feels safe, secure, creative, and vibrant.

Sepideah: I hope that my kids’ future as Thacher students is one in which they feel like they can organically, comfortably, usefully show up in their fullness without having to advocate for their own safety or care. Their wellness and mental health is my priority, as is building robust infrastructures for them to thrive in that way. We know that is directly linked to how they receive support and are cared for in educational spaces at the intersection of all their identities, whether it's race or faith or sexuality. I wish for them an equitable opportunity to engage with the vision of Thacher that folks who experience it in its fullness receive. I'm super excited, honestly, for them to engage with people and the planet through their current and future Thacher experiences.

Christian: August will be class of 2039! That’s difficult to conceptualize, but I use that thought to frame a lot of the work that I do. I am constantly asking myself, “What kind of school do I want to have a hand in creating for him? When August graduates, we have no idea what the world is going to be like outside of Thacher. But what values can he pick up from now until then that are going to prepare him for whatever else is out there?

The beauty of growing up in a boarding school community is that the little kids get to learn from all the students ahead of them. My hope is that, 30-40 years from now, August will meet these kids again and they will remember him running around in diapers outside the dining hall, and he will remember who babysat for him or just hung out with him at lunch. Those core memories are so important.

The fact that we get a hand in doing this for the School while we're raising kids who will also potentially be at the School one day is a fascinating dynamic— the perfect mix of raising your own child while you're also helping raise so many other people's children for the time that they're here. It all goes together.

Q.What brings you joy outside of work?

Sepideah: I really enjoy engaging in the care and nourishment of people in my kitchen, with my children, with my husband. That has always been a through line to our family flow and feels even more sacred to intentionally reengage with one another in the kitchen here because we are privileged to have food prepared for us all the time. And it's fun to play on our wonderful campus and on our trails and in the Sespe.

Christian: The protection that I feel from the mountains and the valley is a huge one, and in the same breath, the ability to be at the ocean in 20 minutes—the duality of the protection of the mountains and the freedom of just running into the ocean brings me and my family joy.

Q. Where do you see the biggest challenges and brightest hopes ahead?

Q. When your children are old enough to become Thacher Toads, what do you hope they’ll experience here?

From The Archives

125…95…90…70…60…30…Years

Ago at Thacher

A Backwards Glance Through the Pages of CdeP Publications

125 years ago 1897

The menu from the Farewell Banquet on June 5, 1897 included traditional cuisine such as tamales, enchiladas, pinole, albondigas, and cabesa de res. Toasts from faculty members included the following titles “Rapid Transit,” “Boots and Saddles,” “The Ladies,” “Sespe Camp,” and of course, “Casa de Piedra.”

Ceremony Program from 1897 Farewell Banquet, Thacher Archives

95 years ago 1927

Last Saturday morning the biology class, eager for more knowledge of their subject, left for Santa Barbara to visit there the City Board of Health and ‘most anything else in the biology line.’ Having arrived in that city Mr. Lowery directed them to the Board of Health where they were soon learning all the recent disease statistics, with a map of the city showing possible the course of different diseases as they spread or were put under control…After this the class devoured their school lunches, but then proceeded to get something to eat at Diehl’s.

The Thacher Notes, January 18, 1927

95 years later a group of Advanced Biology students takes their own field trip, this time to Carpinteria State Beach to complete a field-based citizen science class.

90 years ago 1932

To the already large number of books in the Library there have been several notable additions. On the shelf of Thacher authors Thornton Wilder’s “The Long Christmas Dinner,” Edgar Swift’s “The Jungle of the Mind” and “On the Field of Honor,” a book containing some of the letters of Alber Angier, who was killed in the Great War, now appear. In addition to various purchases there have also been several gifts during the past few weeks which the Library committee wishes to acknowledge. The list of these includes: “Mahatma Gandhi” by C.F. Andrews, a gift of the author and autographed by both himself and Mr. Gandhi.

The Thacher Notes, February 25, 1932

70 years ago 1952

After a long absence the Ojai Valley was again visited last month by that welcome element, rain. In the entire storm, which lasted somewhat over a week, 12.01 inches fell, bringing the total for the year to 22.50 inches, as compared to the 10.69 total for all of last year.

The Matilija Dam was full for the first time since its construction, and the Horn Canyon Creek was really rolling again after a drought of some five years.

The Thacher Notes, February 22, 1952

60 years ago 1962

Dr. Harrison Storms of North American Aviation spoke to the School on Dec. 7 as part of the “Symposium Impact Series.” He began by saying that though the scientist and the humanist pursue their “desire to create” in different ways, they are united by this common aim. He then described the Project Apollo with which he is presently concerned. He had brought slides to illustrate the proposed trip to the moon. In a question period after the lecture, he said that we are not far from realizing this lunar trip.

Dr. Storms Describes Proposed Moon Voyage

30 years ago 1992

A few weeks ago a group of students went to the Ventura County Rescue Mission to prepare and serve food to the homeless community of Oxnard. This effort was piloted by Dermond Thomas, and the faculty members were Mr. Robinson and Ms. Bowman…When one man in a wheelchair came in and saw all the places set, his face lit up and he said, “All right, doughnuts!” This, compounded with all the other things I had seen and heard, made me look at everything I deemed important in a new light. I became cynical for a few minutes, angry at myself for arguing the differences between Tillich and Nietzsche while children were going hungry thirty minutes away from me. Then I reasoned that this was a foolish thought process, and the way to solve the dilemma was to help these and other people as much as I could.

An Evening in Oxnard by Stuart McCluer CdeP 1994

ALUMNI GATHERINGS

Alumni Gatherings have been a welcome addition to our community this past summer and fall. We held 16 alumni gatherings and one alumni of color gathering across the nation over the last few months. Alumni gathered in Texas, Washington, D.C., New York, and various California cities to meet new and familiar faces and connect with Thacher leadership. We are so grateful for our alumni hosts for providing spaces for intimate connections to be made. We are looking forward to the Spring and hope that we will see YOU on the road!

Small gatherings create an intimate space for meaningful conversation, but often mean we cannot reach everyone. All alums are welcome to host or attend an alum gathering, so if you are interested, please contact Chanelle Walker, director of alumni engagement.

SAN DIEGO, CA

Hosted by Amanda Nonomura CdeP 2006

LOS ANGELES, CA Alums of Color Gathering hosted by Catalina Saenz CdeP 1995

BROOKLYN, NY

NEWPORT BEACH, CA

DJ

Lawrence Langan CdeP 2022 and Maggie Sonenshine CdeP 2020 (left photo) and Sienna Currie CdeP 2015, Ben Yoon CdeP 2015, and Ann Han CdeP 2015 (right photo) at the Brooklyn, NY Alumni Gathering hosted by Mandy Sonenshine Wynn CdeP 1996

PASADENA, CA Hosted by Brad Hanson CdeP 1978

Sigband CdeP 1995, Korzu Taplin CdeP 1996, Omar Abou-Samra CdeP 1995 and Board Chair Danny Sonenshine CdeP 1991 at the Newport Beach, CA Alumni Gathering hosted by the Sonenshines.

CLASS NOTES

1952 LT. COL. JOHN VAN NORTWICK shares a picture of YZ 68, a replica of a Marine UH-34D helicopter that he flew in Vietnam when he was wounded. It is the centerpiece of The Veterans Memorial Park at Santa Teresa NM airport.

work in providing a Thacher education to all deserving young women and men. Bottom line: Please plan to attend our next reunions in 2027 and 2032! You'll have a blast!”

1973* TED DEWITT shares, “After 37 years, I retired in July from US EPA where I was a research ecologist (marine biology - harking back to my octopus Senior project at Thacher) and chief of the small lab in Newport, OR. Sharon and I continue to live on and love the Oregon coast, and our daughter Natalie is applying to med school. Looking forward to seeing many old friends at the 50th reunion!”

1969 STU WORK is back in California for a year, at the school in LA he was at from 2011-2018, this time as interim head. Stu already has been requested from one grandchild to go to Thacher to see the horses.

1972 BILL DAWSON IV shares his experience at the 2022 All-Alumni Reunion, “Thanks to the School for hosting an all-school reunion in mid-June. Thirteen members of the class of 1972 made it to Ojai for some or all of the weekend. And what fun did we have! From golf at the Ojai Valley Inn to a pre-reunion dinner with guests, past faculty, TERRY and CRICKET TWICHELL and from dinner al fresco at the School both Friday and Saturday nights to a meeting in the venerable Study Hall with just our class (more on that in a bit), it was marvelous reconnecting with one another. Fifty years later, we remain brothers!

LARRY PECK led the very provocative Study Hall discussion centered around the School's moral code (Honor, Fairness, Kindness and Truth), whether it imprinted on us at Thacher and how it has guided us in subsequent life. We also spent time talking about the role of technology in society today - pros and cons. Finally, we unanimously voted to establish a Class of '72 scholarship fund to perpetuate the School's good

1978* GRANT FLETCHER shares his busy summer, “My girls are busy with new endeavors and I am still working in ocean safety and commercial real estate. Rough year with multiple family loss, but pushing on…Best to all....”

WILL WYMAN III writes about the new outdoor exhibit at Los Altos History Museum – Wallace Stegner - A Path To Conservation – which runs from October 13 through May 5, “I had the honor of being the Guest Curator of this interactive and engaging exhibit. Content includes listening to Wallace read his fabled "Wilderness Letter"

or presciently contemplate the Colorado River and what it might be like to live without water in "Living Dry." Fascinating comments and correspondence are also presented from people who worked closely with Wallace over the years at national environmental organizations such as The Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, The Nature Conservancy (thanks to DAVID LIVERMORE CdeP 1973), and as one of the founders of local environmental advocacy group, the Committee for Green Foothills. The exhibit includes contributions in the form of photos, videos, audio, letters, and quotes from The Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, University of Utah Marriott Library, Stanford University, The Bill Lane Center for the American West, Green Foothills, numerous authors, and family members representing the Trust of the Wallace Stegner Literary Estate. My son CASEY WYMAN CdeP 2010, assisted with digital production from old tapes for many of Stegner's readings.

1979 ROBERT FRANKEL NALUMALUHIA share, “ I am excited to accept a position with Scripps Orthopedics in La Jolla, CA. I start in December 2022 and am looking to meet up with other Alumni for social gatherings, networking, music and surfing!”

1988* JAIME ARAUJO writes, “So amazing to reconnect with so many fellow alums who are also parents of students at Family Weekend! Loved seeing JERRY WEST BANG, and my former prefects SOPHIE BROWN TWICHELL CdeP 1985 and JEN CRITTENDEN CdeP 1987. Also caught up with PAUL BRESSIE CdeP 1986, DANNY SONENSHINE CdeP 1991, and ERIC GROSS CdeP 1985- so cool that our kids are all at school together! ANGELE '26 is loving it so far!”

1994 RIKA HOWE TOLL updates, “NATE TOLL and I shared a week with AMANDA O’SHEA on our boat No Worries in the British Virgin Islands. Her son, William, also joined us for all the ocean adventures. Amanda currently resides in Austin TX. We are still teaching in Oklahoma.”

1996

ALEXIA ALLEN writes, “I continue my lifelong equine education driving horses, here with mentor Doc Hammill in Montana. Hawthorn Farm educational programs are flourishing, but that leaves me precious little time to work with ponies!”

presenting. Joanna has been serving as research mentor for the students in Lindsay’s AP Capstone classes for 4 years. She recently completed a post-doc at UC Merced and has started with First 5 Ventura. The collaboration, which began serendipitously, has become a meaningful connection between friends and former classmates, whose shared values strengthen the work they do together. Alexandra’s presentation was the first of what they hope will be many projects disseminated at conferences as a result of this work.

MACKIE just returned from the American Public Health Association annual conference in Boston, during which Lindsay's student, Alexandra, presented her work on transgender content in medical school curricula. Alexandra is a high school senior at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Los Angeles. At Birmingham, Lindsay teaches both AP Seminar and AP Research. Together, these two are the core AP Capstone courses designed to provide academic research opportunities and autonomy to passionate students. Students in AP Capstone must be driven by intrinsic interest in the world, and Alexandra's work in the AP Research elective speaks to her deep desire to understand the world she lives in. At APHA, Alexandra presented her work to other researchers and professionals, and was one of the only high schoolers

KELLOGG P ’97, ‘99, ‘02 spent 11 days rafting down the Tatshenshini River in the remote wildernesses of the Yukon and Alaska. It was an unparalleled adventure with breathtaking scenery and an abundance of wildlife—all on the grandest of scales that only Alaska can provide.

2019 ROMAN BERGERON and JULIAN

AMAYA were ready to take a weekend trip away from their studies at Claremont McKenna College to trek up to Patton’s Cabin with friends, Sahil Tekchandani and Angie Zhao. They even left a self-portrait in the guest book for the next alums to enjoy.

LINDSAY HUMPHREY and JOANNA FARRER

1999 TANIA AL-AWAR PARKER, CYNTHIA KELLOGG, KIM CAHILL PETERSON, and ROBIN

IN MEMORIAM

ALUMNI

J.Dwight Wilson Jr. CdeP 1943

Dwight Wilson died on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 after living a long and active life. Dwight was born in SF and graduated from the University of CA at Davis. When he was a senior at Thacher, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Dwight enlisted in the 10th Mountain Division which was responsible for pushing the Germans to the Austrian border. He spent his 21st birthday in Italy and had vivid memories of the war experience.

After Dwight graduated from UC Davis he took a job in Oregon. During this time, he raised three children with his wife and moved to Medford in 1955. Dwight opened his own business, Wilson Lumber Company in 1966.

Dwight was very active in the Rogue Valley community, serving on the Medford Water Commission for 15 years, on the Jackson County Federal Savings board, and was a lifelong Rotarian. He was treasurer of the Boy Scout Council and board member of the Rogue Valley Manor for 14 years. He was a pilot of small aircraft and coached tennis at the local high school.

Dwight was married to Doris until her death in 1994. Dwight married her twin sister, Nancy in 1995 who survives his death. Dwight leaves three sons, J Dwight Wilson, III, Jeffrey Lamon Wilson and Tim Walker Wilson. He is survived by 9 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers, Bill and Jim Wilson.

Dwight will be known as a compassionate and loving person who valued family and community. His energy and intellect will be missed.

Bruce Kendrick CdeP 1945

Bruce Kendrick, 93, of Pepper Pike, OH, Naples, FL, and Andrews Island, MI, passed away on August 27th surrounded by his family after a brief illness. He was born on September 7,1927 to George

S.Kendrick and Winifred B. Kendrick in Cleveland, Ohio. Bruce graduated from Thacher School in Ojai, CA and joined the Merchant Marines during WWII. After WWII, Bruce attended and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University and completed his education after earning an MBA from Harvard. Upon graduation from Harvard he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the USAF in 1953. In 1953 he married Nancy Reid and became an investment counselor until his retirement in 1985. After Nancy's death in 1985, Bruce married Eleanor Dowling Melcher in 1987 and they divided their time in Cleveland, Naples and world travel. His greatest joy was spending summers on a remote island on Michigan's upper peninsula, where he enjoyed water skiing, boating and skeet shooting. His other hobbies included photography, language studies and the building of model airplanes. He was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights where he served as an usher and in Florida at Trinity by the Cove. Bruce is survived by his wife, Eleanor, his sons Peter and David, daughter Lisa Hess, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Richard “Dick” Merriam Dennes, M.D. CdeP 1945

Richard “Dick” Dennes was born on October 19, 1927, in Berkeley, CA, and passed away on June 26, 2022, at age 94, after a fall in his Mill Valley home. Fortunately, he died peacefully, but not before having his surviving loved ones at his side to say their good-byes. Dick attended Thacher School in Ojai class of 1945 where he made lifelong friends, which also included a horse. He then graduated from UC Berkeley. Prior to medical school at UCSF, he worked summers for the Forest Service where he built trails and drove an ambulance in Yosemite Valley. He met the love of his life, Norma Marie, a beautiful staff nurse during his residency in San Francisco. They married in 1954, and quickly began their family. Dick’s private practice spanned over 60 years in SF next to CA Pacific Medical Center, where he specialized in internal medicine, endocrinology, and geriatrics. Dick was preceded in death by his first wife, Norma Marie, and his eldest child, Sally Margaret. He is survived by his four children: Catherine (Douglas Akay, Esq.) of Larkspur, Barbara of Tiburon, Mark of San Francisco, and Paul (Cynthia Horn) of San Rafael. He also leaves behind four grandchildren:

Kevin Henderson, Alexander Akay, and Alexa and Norah Dennes; his sister, Margot Dennes Honig, of Brookline, MA, and his second wife, Louise Hammond.

William Weston CdeP 1947

William B. Weston Jr., a third-generation Santa Clara County pear grower, died on Oct. 4, 2022 with his family by his side. He was 94. Born in San Jose to William B. Weston Sr. and Juliette Perrin Weston, he was raised on Peraleda Ranch, where the family cultivated nearly 300 acres of pears. During World War II, Bill boarded at The Thacher School. He frequently told stories of his time there, where he enjoyed his classes, but loved the outdoor orientation of the school, learning to explore wilderness areas on foot, horseback, and with pack mules. Bill earned a degree in Business Administration from Claremont Men's College. His favorite memory was being stood up for a big dance. A friend hurriedly arranged a blind date, which is how Bill met his wife of 63 years, Jessica Idanthea Beyette. In a toast at their 50th wedding anniversary, Bill thanked the woman who failed to show up: "If she hadn't done that, I would never have met the love of my life." Bill and Dannie married in 1951 and Bill began nearly four years’ service in the U.S. Army, moving with Dannie to Fort Lee, VA, and then Fort Ord. A First Lieutenant at his discharge in 1954, he and Dannie returned home to Peraleda Ranch just in time for the summer harvest. Over the years, Bill served on multiple associations representing fruit growers; on the Santa Clara County Grand Jury; as an active Rotarian; as a Boy Scout Troop Leader; and as unofficial camping leader for his daughters' Girl Scout troop. In 1973, he became Dannie’s behind-the-scenes partner when she started Old Orchard School, a private K-8 school. Following Dannie's death in 2013, Bill continued to look after his mountain property in Soquel, CA, driving his tractor well into age 93; visiting with neighbors; and hosting family at his home. Bill is predeceased by his sister, Nancy Weston and survived by his sister Julie Suhr; children, William B.Weston III, Perrin Weston Coman, and Bonnie Emerson Weston; granddaughters Emerson K. Coman and Elizabeth Beyette Weston.

lliot A. Hayne CdeP 1948

Elliot Albion Hayne died peacefully at his home in Novato on June 26, 2022. He was born October 19, 1930, in San Francisco to Marion Wallace Gibbs and William Alston Bourn Hayne. He spent his early years on the family's farm in Marysville, CA. Later, his family moved to their home in Woodside, CA. Elliot was an accomplished athlete at Thacher on both the tennis and soccer teams and continued his devotion to tennis, winning numerous tournaments at the Lagunitas Club in Ross. After college at St. Mary’s in Moraga and Westminster College in Salt Lake City, he joined the Army and served in the Korean War, where he was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and three Battle Stars. Returning from Korea, he began a long career in the investment business in San Francisco, eventually becoming a partner at Henry F. Swift and Co. He married Gail Chamberlin Field in 1959 and together they raised four children. He was an avid duck hunter and a long-standing member of the Pacific Union Club. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Gail, and his brother Alston Hayne CdeP 1943. He is survived by his second wife, Judith Malone Hayne, his children Lila, Bill, Elliot, and Mark Hayne CdeP 1986, his stepchildren Latham, Charlie, and Gillian Kneass CdeP 1991, seven grandchildren including his granddaughter Isobel Hayne CdeP 2014, five step-grandchildren, and a great granddaughter.

Eric B. Dohrmann CdeP 1949

Eric Bernhard Dohrmann passed away peacefully at his home in Las Vegas on October 1, 2021. Born in 1931 to Bruce and Phyllis Dohrmann, he was a fourth-generation San Franciscan. His beloved older brother, Bruce Dohrmann CdeP 1947, died in 2018.

Growing up in SF, he attended Town School. He went on to Thacher School in Ojai, CA, and Yale University from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in History. He volunteered for the draft and served two years in Army Intelligence during the Korean War. After receiving an MBA in Finance from UC Berkeley,

Eric worked as treasurer for Sabins Dohrmann and Dohrmann Instruments. In 1961, he was a Director and Treasurer of Berkeley Science Capital Corporation, a role which he described as "working for the mad scientist." He became a partner in Vivian Ranch rice farm in Marysville and lived in SF until 1996, and later in Novato, CA, and Las Vegas, NV.

Eric loved the high sierras where he hiked nearly 2,000 miles and scaled six peaks over 14,000 feet. As a member of the Bohemian Club, he was very active at the Bohemian Grove's Seven Trees Camp. Eric was a passionate duck hunter and belonged to the Island Duck Club, where he hosted many duck dinners for his friends. One of his favorite places was his camping property on the Eel River in Leggett, where he created an "Eel River Family."

Eric impacted the lives of many young people who gravitated to him because he listened to them and treated them as adults. Eric was a director of Big Brothers of SF and Chairman of the SF Human Rights Commission's Youth & Education Committee in the mid 1960's. As assistant Boy Scout Troop Master, he took Boy Scouts and other young people on canoe trips on the Russian River, and backpacking trips on the John Muir Trail. Eric was a true friend who graced our lives. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Ninive, niece, Ninive, nephew, Richard, and countless friends.

James C. “Denny” Crimmins CdeP 1952

Denny was born and raised in CA but remained bi-coastal throughout his adult life. He called NYC, Princeton, NJ, Montecito, CA and Atherton, CA home before retiring back in Princeton where he passed on September 5th at 87 yrs old.

He spoke fondly of his school years at The Thacher School where he was a prefect and soccer team captain and then at Princeton University (‘56) where he majored in History, American Studies, and Creative Writing, joining the Freshman Soccer and Lacrosse teams, and becoming a member of Ivy. He went on to receive a master's in Playwriting from the University of London, RADA in 2000.

He began his career in publishing working at Newsweek and Harpers, eventually becoming CEO/Editor in Chief of Business Times. He was an enthusiastic storyteller personally and professionally as the CEO of Playback Associates where he produced a five time award winning documentary series for PBS; a five time published author including “The American Promise” on grassroots democracy; and writing/directing 5 plays performed in Edinburgh, Oxford, London, and SF.

He supported the arts as Chairman of the Associates Council MOMA NY, a Trustee of the Contemporary Art Museum, Ensemble Theater and GBS Foundation. He remained involved in social and community endeavors as a member of the University Club in NYC, the Bohemian Club in SF, and the Birnam Wood Club in Montecito.

He is predeceased by his son, Ethan Custis Crimmins, and survived by his four daughters, Samantha Smith, Page Seyfried, Tory Brangham, and Courtney Mauer, and 13 grandchildren.

Tom A. Lombard Jr. CdeP 1953

Tom Lombard CdeP 1953 of Woodland Hills, California and Phoenix, Arizona, passed away at home on February 2, 2021 due to complications of Alzheimer’s Disease.

After Thacher, Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Foreign Trade from the American Institute of Foreign Trade, later renamed Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona. Tom was a small business owner empowering and training franchise owners around the United States in the food industry.

Tom proudly served his country in the Army and was honorably discharged in 1964. In his community he was an elected Maricopa County Arizona Republican Precinct Committeeman (10 years) and an Assistant Boy Scout Leader for Troop 2 in Santa Monica, California. Tom loved to travel and was fluent in French, Italian and Spanish.

No matter his state of mind on any particular day, Tom was never without his signature smile. At the adult day care center he attended, He “held court” every morning during old timers coffee (much anticipated), tried to lead afternoon exercise

class (limited success) and “hijacked” the facility tour guide in order to give the tour himself. Most importantly, for a few hours a day, Tom’s friends were distracted and amused and joined in on Tom’s unique brand of fun. Tom was a leader and he never forgot how to treat people.

Alzheimer’s disease was unable to erase Tom’s memories of Thacher and his classmates. Days before his passing, he vividly recalled camping trips in the Sespe, singing around the campfire and he even recited the names of some of his “A Camper” buddies. Among the trivia items in his desk was a Thacher Song Book, Seventh Edition, a Patron’s Ticket to the 52nd Annual Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament (1951) and The Bit and Spur Club Riding Mileages and Map booklet 1947 edition.

Tom is survived by his wife of 42 years, Colleen, and his son Justin Lombard (CdeP 1989 MBA Thunderbird School of Global Management ’99).

Rhodes J. Spedale Jr. CdeP 1955

Rhodes J. Spedale Jr., 84, of New Orleans, LA died suddenly from cardiac arrest on August 23, 2022 at his family home in Liberty, MS. He was born in Baton Rouge, LA and grew up in Plaquemine, LA. He is survived by his wife Dr. Carol Stuckey, two daughters, Margaret and Madeleine; and his grandchildren. He is a graduate of The Thacher School in Ojai, CA, Pomona College, and Tulane Law School. He was a member of the Commercial Law League, retiring from his law practice in 2000. Rhodes was a renowned jazz pianist, author, educator, historian, and radio personality. He began playing piano at the age of seven. After serving as a Captain in the Army JAG Corps at the Presidio in San Francisco he returned to New Orleans and began his law practice. In 1972, he began producing Jazz Sketches at WWNO. As his wife Carol Stuckey said, "We knew every day was a gift together…" That is how it always felt at any meeting with the two of them…All the time. Rhodes would scope any crowd and always find a friend. Always connecting. Shining. He was a jazz pianist, true to his art, a retired attorney, a radio personality of WWNO and WWOZ , an author and critic, writing feature articles for New Orleans Magazine. He had been a music instructor at universities, served on the Board of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage

Foundation, the New Orleans Jazz Club and the New Orleans Jazz Museum. He was a loving, devoted and committed husband, an amazing father, a devoted cousin, a loving brother-in-law, and a great cat dad and dog dad. If you were called his friend, he meant it, forever."

Klaus Schubert CdeP 1956

Klaus Schubert was born on February 2, 1938 and passed at the age of 84 from Leukemia on May 18, 2022. Klaus joined Thacher as a foreign exchange student from Hanoffa, Germany. While at Thacher he enjoyed soccer, his Gymkhana team, and was a leading track man, all while maintaining an excellent scholastic average. After graduating from Thacher, he attended Keil College, U Munchen and married his wife, Christiane Gollert. Together they had two daughters, Melanie and Sandra.

John R. Wheaton CdeP 1956

John Rodgers Wheaton, 84, died peacefully August 12, 2022 at his home in Sacramento.

A fifth-generation Californian whose forebears arrived before the gold rush, John was born in San Francisco on March 12, 1938. Following in his father’s (George Wheaton Jr. CdeP 1923), uncle’s (Palmer Wheaton CdeP 1926), and brother’s (George Wheaton III CdeP 1951) footsteps, John attended Thacher, graduating in 1956. His horse, Phantom Doctor, aka Doc, joined him at Thacher and was a longtime companion, with the two competing in the annual gymkhanas and taking pack trips in the Sierra Nevada. While visiting his great-aunt and uncle in the Bay Area, John would borrow their horse, ride to the Menlo train station, and race the train up the Peninsula.

John obtained his BA and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Dartmouth. After receiving his MBA and working for the Dillingham Corporation in Honolulu, he and his wife, Jane, settled in Sacramento where they lived from 1974 to the time of John’s passing. As part of his corporate work, he founded Mariposa Petroleum. John was an avid member of social and community service groups.

John was passionate about travel, fly fishing, and skiing. Family and friends appreciated John’s friendly humor and his desire to assist others. He will be remembered for his curiosity, determination, strong love for the outdoors, and thoughtful consideration of varying opinions in our complex world.

John’s survivors include his wife Jane, brother George (Sarah), son Cal Wheaton CdeP 1988 (Aimee), daughter Mele Wheaton CdeP 1991 (Ryan Goebel), granddaughters Serena, Isabel, Denison and Cora, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Richard Angus Grant Jr. CdeP 1957

Richard A. Grant passed away on August 10, 2022. He was born December 18, 1939, in Los Angeles to Richard Angus Grant and Dorothy Duque Grant. While at Thacher, Dick was no stranger to the track and soccer fields, enjoyed Sespe trips with his horse, Wahoo, and was on the “Notes” board. Over the last half-century Mr. Grant has served as secretary-treasurer, then executive director, and finally president of the Dan Murphy Foundation, which promotes numerous Catholic initiatives, especially those pertaining to education and religious life. Richard and his wife, Maria, have played major roles since then in the development of the California campus and the planning for the second campus in New England. He is survived by his beloved spouse of 50 years, Maria Ophuls Grant, daughter, Gillian Valentine Grant, a granddaughter, sisters and brothers. He was predeceased by his daughter, Elena Grant Cahir.

Jonathan H. Kress CdeP 1958

Jonathan Hutchison Kress born October 21, 1940, to Rush Harrison Kress and Virginia Watkins Kress, passed away in his childhood home in Tucson, AZ on August 6, 2022. He attended Sam Hughes Elementary, Mansfeld Middle School, Thacher School, Deerfield Academy, National Taiwan University graduating from Harvard in 1964. His fluency in Mandarin led him to graduate school at Yale University specializing in Southeast Asian Archaeology and he subsequently taught at Case Western Reserve University and Duke University. He completed several digs on Palawan Island, Philippines, continuing to mentor students onsite there until recent years at Ille Cave. He was vocal about his progressive views and active in Democratic Party politics serving as Chairman for one term. Jonathan was owner of affordable apartments in Tucson and formed San Felices Construction, building homes in Tucson and Green Valley. He is survived by Andrea Elena Ibáñez, his beloved wife of 45 years, who admired his adventurous, kind and patient spirit. Also survived by his children: G. Rush Haskell Kress, Elena Rose Kress, Anton G. Kress, Virginia V. Kress; and two grandchildren.

Michael M. Ehrhardt CdeP 1962

Michael M. Ehrhardt passed away from a stroke on January 14, 2022, at the age of 78. He was an outdoors enthusiast, first-rate bird photographer, brilliant pianist, actor, and writer. The son of Thacher music teacher C. Michael Ehrhardt, Michael was a “faculty brat” from a young age. As a student he excelled academically, and he made his mark as a pianist, actor, and editor of the class Archivero. He showed absolutely no interest in horses or team sports.

He attended Harvard University for a BA and MA in English Literature and Linguistics while continuing his interest in theater with the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club. Leaving Cambridge, he spent three years teaching with the Peace Corps in Africa, a year in Switzerland,

IN MEMORIAM

and taught at two U.S. prep schools for a total of seven years. After “teacher burnout” he returned to California to work in an Oxnard liquor store.

He then worked in Palo Alto as the technical editor for a computer user group until 2015. He wrote of this “day job”, “All I want to do is play piano, travel, photography, paint, and ride my bicycle. I can’t make a living doing those things, so I edit a computer magazine. I am sick of computers!” During this time, he honed his expertise in photographing birds, traveling, and enjoyed trips back to Africa.

In 2005, he suffered a stroke. After a recovery stay with his sisters in Georgia he retired to Arizona, where he fell for the flora and fauna, and maintained an interest in photography, world affairs, classical music, and pianists. In 2015, he moved back to Georgia and had a catastrophic stroke in 2017 which left him partially paralyzed and suffering global aphasia. He lived stoically with his sisters for five years, succumbing to a final stroke on January 14, 2022.

Michael never married, and is survived by his sisters, Gena Buford, Rebecca Ehrhardt, and Modena DeBosse, and his friends who will miss his intense opinions, wry humor, and brilliant talents.

Charles “Elliott” Perkins, V CdeP 1993

Charles Elliott Perkins V died August 7 in New Orleans, after an unexpected health complication surrounded by his loving family.

Born November 5, 1975 in Santa Barbara, he attended Crane School and Thacher School. Throughout childhood, in spite of rarely being able to find his shoes, he was drawn to creative pursuits (and repelled by organized sports). At Thacher he loved ceramics, computer programming and fortunately riding horses counted as his sport. His independent project captained by Ms Tully sparked his lifelong passion for architecture. In Tulane’s architecture program he earned his BA and master's in Historic Preservation. Elliott became Executive Director of the Historic District Landmarks Commission in 2005, and was dedicated to preserving the historic

fabric of New Orleans. He trained and mentored a generation of preservationists across the US, who share the knowledge and wisdom he imparted. He helped create the Revival Grants program with the PRC, giving free home repairs to low- income homeowners in historic districts.

In 2000, Elliott fell in love with Steve Bishoff, marrying in 2008. Together they worked to create Next to Nothing Wines and a B&B. Elliott was a creative force with more projects and ideas than could fill 20 lifetimes. He was drawn to gadgets, gizmos and complicated electronics. A champion of all things silly, whimsical and fun, his laughter often fogged his glasses. His bear hugs and presence would fill any space.

Elliott created remarkable costumes for Mardi Gras, viewable at the website of The Elliott Club at Art Camp 504, a non-profit supporting kids’ artistic pursuits.

Elliott is survived by his husband, Steve; his parents, Anne and Kim Perkins; his sisters, Kacey Perkins Tift and Sarah Perkins and their families. A celebration of life will be in Santa Barbara this spring.

How much impact can seven students have in a local community? Plenty, if one asks the Thacher Community Service afternoon activity group.

“The community service program uplifts the community in a way we’ve never seen before,” says Thacher senior Milo Langdon. “Especially with this smaller group of volunteers, we’re able to maintain important connections with organizations that the School is going to work with for decades to come.

The year began with an effort to rebuild the program after a long hiatus and uncertainty during the covid pandemic. It was important to begin this road of recovery with a student-focused approach, according to faculty advisor Stephanie Thomas. “We first had students talk about issues that were important to them, and then the students researched and found organizations that might address those issues—things like homelessness, food security, and the care of animals,” Thomas said.

As a result, each weekday during the afternoon activity period, Thacher’s CommServe group, as it’s colloquially known, assists a different local organization in the area. Their day-to-day work this term was focused on Help of Ojai, the Turtle Conservancy, and the Ojai Valley Family Shelter. Additionally, volunteer support has been provided to local film festivals: the Ojai Valley Film Fest and the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy Film Festival.

“I got involved with CommServe because I was interested in finding ways to help the community. I know everyone at Thacher, including myself, will benefit from it,” senior Chao Tang ‘23 explained.

The lessons imparted to the service-minded students aren’t just about helping community groups. The CommServe student leadership team is also learning what it takes to promote the group through outreach via email, social media, and even by writing the tried-and-true press release. Through the group’s student-to-student advocacy, membership

has grown to nearly 70 volunteers. Co-head Faith Sonime ’23 has gone above and beyond in her efforts to build an organization that will thrive for future Thacher students for years to come.

Stephanie proudly shared her overarching principle for the CommServe group this way: “My hope is that student knowledge and perspectives will be broadened when they volunteer, and that the experience in and of itself can make a real and impactful difference in the lives of others, including oneself.”

I got involved with CommServe because I was interested in finding ways to help the community. I know everyone at Thacher, including myself, will benefit from it.

The Thacher School 5025 Thacher Road Ojai, CA 93023

A mid-December cold snap brings the first snowfall of the season to the Toptopa Mountains.