The Magazine of The Thacher School
Fall/Winter 2025
16
A Greater Greatest Good
The strategic vision for the future of our school
28
48
Reflections on the code that defines Thacher
Looking back on a pivotal moment of student service
Living with Honor
20 Years Later
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CONTENTS 16
16 • A Greater Greatest Good
An 18-month exploration solidifies the School’s exciting goals and priorities for the coming years.
28 • Living with Honor
A special focus on the Thacher Honor Code brings with it a deeper look at the many ways this north star brings us closer together as a community.
48 • The Best We Can Do
28
One of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history inspires students to take action and make a difference beyond the gates of Casa de Piedra.
ON & OFF C A MPUS
ALUMNI & COMMUNIT Y NEWS
01 • On the Ground
34 • Community Gatherings
ead of School Jeff Hooper reflects on H the start of 2025-26 school year.
03 • In Case You Missed It A social media glimpse into our days spent together at Casa de Piedra.
04 • The Pergola An assemblage of noteworthy school and community intelligence.
09 • Outside Outlooks Visiting scholars, artists, and experts impart their wisdom and experience.
48 FRONT COVER New and returning students celebrate the start of the school year with a
barbecue and games on Upper Field. 2 fall/winter 2025
12 • Scoreboard Highlights from the fall sports season.
Some of the many moments of connection this fall.
42 • Class Notes ews and milestones sent to us N by our alumni readers.
46 • In Memoriam Remembering those we've lost.
ON THE GROUND A Message from Head of School Jeff Hooper
D
ear Thacher Community,
This fall has been a busy and fulfilling one here on campus both in and out of the classroom, and I have reveled in getting to know our newest students and colleagues, who have each already made meaningful, positive contributions to our community and culture. From student-run clubs and organizations to inspirational senior leadership in all areas of school life, I am grateful for the many ways this unique composition of Toads is learning and leading together in service of our collective greatest good. As you read through the pages of this issue of the Thacher Magazine, you will see many of those contributions on display: our October panel discussion on the Honor Code, community service work up the road in Santa Paula, the fall play and a Halloween flash mob lighting up the stage, alumni guest speakers sharing their wisdom, and so much more. Creativity, curiosity, and joy abound.
This fall also marked the completion of our next Strategic Plan, and I am excited to share it with you on page 16. While there is much to celebrate in the current moment, this plan is our roadmap for the future of our school as we continue our work
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ON THE GROUND together to meet the evolving and expanding needs of the young people in our care today and tomorrow. I look forward to bringing it to life alongside my colleagues and community members in the months and years to come. When this magazine reaches you, it will be a new year, one that I hope brings with it more opportunities for us to connect, whether here on campus or out around the world, where you and your fellow Toads continue
to make an impact and inspire us to do the same. Until then, take care and happy new year! In Community,
Jeff Hooper Head of School
The Class of 2026 ushers in the new school year at our first assembly.
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ICYMI At Thacher, intentionality, genuine connection, and joy take center stage, and our social media shares a glimpse into our days spent together at Casa de Piedra. Follow along, like, and share to spread the word!
THACHER Fall/Winter 2025
@thethacherschool (Main School Account)
@thachercdep (Alumni Account)
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Carly Rodriguez ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Scott Nichols CLASS NOTES/IN MEMORIAM EDITORS Aimee Brown-Nelson Scott Cooper DESIGN Bacio Design PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Nichols Holly Roberts Carin Yates HEAD OF SCHOOL Jeff Hooper DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT AND PLANNING Jorge Delgado DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT: PHILANTHROPY, GOVERNANCE, AND STRATEGY Jeffrey D. Berndt DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT: ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT Sara Billings
Thacher is published twice a year by The Thacher School, and is sent free of charge to alums, parents, and friends of the School. Every effort is made to ensure that contents are accurate and complete. If there is an omission or an error, please accept our apologies and notify us at the address below. Copyright © 2025 The Thacher School Stunning moments from our fall EDTs (Extra-Day Trips) captured by our talented students.
Third class postage is paid at the Oxnard Post Office. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to the following address. Editor, Thacher Magazine 5025 Thacher Road Ojai, CA 93023 thacher.org thachermagazine@thacher.org 805-640-3201 x266 How to Submit Class Notes Online: thacher.org/mythacher/alumni E-mail: alumni@thacher.org
Thacher is printed by V3 using an environmentally friendly waterless printing process, soy-based inks, and recycled paper.
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THE PERGOLA
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FIRST Tech Toads Thacher’s Toadal Robotics team hosted 14 fellow FIRST Tech Challenge teams in November for an official scrimmage in GATES. Throughout the afternoon’s competitions, each team’s robot performed the complex task of obtaining wiffle-ball sized spheres and flinging them into containers positioned a few feet off the floor. As with any FTC competition, the robots must first perform a task autonomous from the human controllers; afterwards, the assigned driver of the team can pick up a controller for the remainder of the match.
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FALL FARCE It was difficult to know who was laughing more during the fall production of Charley’s Aunt—the cast and crew, or the audience. Hilarious antics and eccentric characters are the mainstay of this Brandon Thomas farcical play. Brilliantly directed by Stella Slaughter (Ms. Lowe’s maternity leave substitute) the entire troupe of actors and tech crew gave it their all. Of note was the exquisite stage and set design by local artisans John Mirk, Marquita Flemming, and Walt Hamann, with original paintings by Elizabeth Reynolds CdeP 1988 P ’19, ’24 of Thacher’s Fine Arts Department. As Arts Department Chair Greg Haggard noted at Ms. Slaughter’s farewell, “She really built an incredible ensemble, and by extension grew our community from this stage.”
UPSTANDERS IN ACTION Among other community initiatives in support of anti-bullying month this October, employees and students donned their orange shirts as a visual reminder. And thanks to Dr. Kendrea Hart and the student Wellness Ambassadors, there was quite a showing of solidarity at a recent assembly. 6 fall/winter 2025
FLASH MOB FRIDAY
THE PERGOLA
Halloween fell on a Friday this year, and thus provided a perfect venue for a flash mob during the regular assembly meeting time. At least a dozen students were joined by Ms. Carney, Ms. Henderson, and Mr. Arceo for a near-perfect rendition of the Halloween classic, “Thriller.”
SEARCH & RESCUE The Search Dog Foundation (SDF) in nearby Santa Paula trains rescue dogs for search, rescue, and recovery missions, most recently including the Central Texas summer floods, as well as the Eaton and Palisades fires last January. Thacher’s Community Service team, led by Stephanie Thomas, has kept a busy schedule with the group this fall by helping paint and sand a pavilion, as well as other upkeep and maintenance. The most fun, however, is when students volunteer to act as live survivors so the dogs can train and practice finding humans in simulated rubble and destroyed homes, because, as SDF puts it, “there’s no substitute for live human scent in training.”
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SOUNDS OF THE VALLEY The Outdoor Chapel played host to a beautiful night of music by Thacher music instructors Alan Thornhill and Martin Young. The duo is widely known and loved in the Ojai Valley, and they’ve played together for many years. Thornhill has played on countless recordings for artists including Kenny Loggins, The Beach Boys, and Hoyt Axton. Notably, he was just named “Best Local Musician” by the Best of Ojai Readers’ Poll in 2025. The weather was perfect, and the views were as stunning as ever as the duo wound their way through a couple of original songs, as well songs by James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, and Mark Knopfler.
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OUTSIDE OUTLOOKS VISITING SCHOL ARS, ARTISTS, AND EXPERTS SPARK NEW IDEAS AND INSPIRATION
Educators on Education It was an honor to welcome lifelong educator and educational champion Dr. Miguel Cardona, the 12th U.S. Secretary of Education, and guests from Nordhoff High and Ojai Unified School District—to Thacher in September. During his visit, Dr. Cardona shared his insights on leadership in and out of the classroom, the power of education and inspirational teachers, and public and independent school partnerships. Dr. Cardona met with small groups of students, led a focus group of local educators, spoke at assembly, and even took some time for a trail ride with Mrs. Seely and Mr. Arceo.
Championship Psychology Thacher’s fall-season athletes took time out of their schedules to hear from renowned sports psychologist Dr. Jack Lesyk, a professor of psychology at Cleveland State University, published author, and founder of the Ohio Center for Sports Psychology. It is his work with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the build-up and eventual National Championship in 2016, however, that brings him the most celebrated accolades. Dr. Lesyk spent his afternoon discussing the balance of rigorous academics and intense athletic schedules, and how each of Thacher’s athletes can find the right mindset and training program for their optimal performance.
Blending Science and Art For two days in November, Thacher’s astrophotography program hosted Nigel Mayes from Shawnigan Lake School. He provided expert tutelage and knowledge on PixInsight, an intricate photo-editing software used by NASA to produce the stunning images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, for example. Emphasizing the interplay between science and art, Mr. Mayes assisted Dr. Swift’s students with practical applications of the software for editing the celestial images captured by Thacher’s Observatory. The Thacher School 9
From Ojai to India Thacher welcomed Dr. Stephen Huyler CdeP 1969 to speak at a morning assembly about the publication of his memoirs chronicling more than 50 years of travel and field research in India. Raised in the Thacher community, Dr. Huyler effusively praised Donald McDougall, Fred Goode, and David Lawyer as his most inspirational teachers at Thacher who helped develop a profound curiosity about the world beyond Ojai. Thanks to his connection with Beatrice Wood, Huyler set off from Paris, France to India when he was only 19 years old, his first of four overland journeys to the country. Over these many decades of learning and travel, Dr. Huyler generously shared his discoveries of identity and voices of the people of India, particularly its women. His most recent book, Transformed by India: A Life was published in Cambridge, England by Pippa Rann Books.
Health & History Dr. Scott Endsley CdeP 1970 journeyed to campus for a three-day visit that included two lectures to Dr. Spinney’s World History II: The History of Africa classes, as well as an informal discussion with students interested in a medical pathway in education. Dr. Endsley has focused his health and medicine career in the World Health Organization and USAID programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Kenya, and the Philippines, among others.
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Honoring Their Service In recognition of Veterans Day, Thacher’s Film Society and the Thacher Asian Student Society presented a screening of Return with Honor, the Freida Lee Mock-directed documentary about American fighter pilots held for many years as prisoners of war in North Vietnam. At the conclusion of the screening, juniors and seniors were also able to participate in a Zoom Q&A with Commander Everett Alvarez and Lieutenant Commander Robert Shumaker, two of the remarkable POWs from the film. Mock is the daughter of former Thacher executive chef Lee Quong and a parent of Brittany Sanders CdeP 1996. The poster shown here was designed by Film Society heads Elle Feira and Jett Mortensen, both Class of 2027.
Keeping Memories Alive Thacher alumna, trustee, and parent of Arinze CdeP 2024 and Ama CdeP 2025 Awele Okigbo CdeP 1993 visited campus for a conversation and introduction to the Biafra Memories Project. This initiative’s purpose is to collect and document personal accounts and lived experiences of the Nigerian-Biafran War (1967-1970). Their stated goals are to preserve these memories for a distinct and authentic record of a profound turning point in Nigerian history. Okigbo’s talk demonstrated the Biafra Memories app, with which survivors are able to record their own video story and upload documents into the historical archive. Okigbo is also currently the founder and CEO of Credo Advisory, a leading strategic and development communications consultancy based in Abuja, Nigeria, and Washington, D.C.
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FALL
SCOREBOARD
Volleyball The Girls Volleyball team had a thrilling season this year, winning three games in the CIF Division 10 playoffs, but eventually falling to Anaheim High School in a back-and-forth five-set match. In several matches this season, Thacher outlasted their opponents in either four- or five-game matches. The team finished the season winning six out of the last seven matches. After facing a slow start to the season, and playing against some strong competition, the team turned the season around with a road win against league rival Santa Clara. The win put the two teams in a tie for third place
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with a deciding third match to determine who would advance to the playoffs. Playing at a neutral site, the Toads were down two sets to one, but came back to steal game four 29-27, fending off multiple seasonending match points. Senior Cata Brown and Sophomore Ori Ouermi were named First Team All-League players, and Bodil Clark ’26 was named to the Second Team. Fellow senior Tomoka Sato battled an ankle injury during the season, but it didn’t stop her from a great season of kills and posting points in our favor. Next year, the team returns a strong group of rising junior players, Ori Ouermi, Wendy Ngai, Jaylah Castro, Claire Cahill, and Eileen Ruan. Look to Annabel Billings, Penelope Shih, and setter Elle Feira to lead the team as seniors as the Toads look poised to have another great season.
Football The 2025 Toad Football team entered the season with a seemingly unfortunate distinction: Thacher had but three seniors (Rafa Kelliher, Max Laird, and Aidan Lee), the smallest number in the history of the program. Two of those three had missed the majority of the previous season with injuries as well. However, from the first day, the leadership they provided was as effective as Coach Jeff Hooper had ever seen. They built a team culture that was joyful, supportive, passionate, and cohesive. Their influence made the coaches’ jobs easy and incredibly rewarding, according to Hooper. The team had great success on the field, winning all of the regular season games, save an early 36-30 loss to a good Chadwick team. Regular season highlights included a satisfying and convincing win (49-32) over Cate on Fall Family Weekend, as well as an undefeated run through the league and eventual League Championship title. All of this led to a challenging playoff pairing as Thacher had to travel to Avalon on Catalina Island for a Friday afternoon kickoff. Avalon proved to be a formidable challenge, and the season sadly came to an end with a 45-14 defeat. Nevertheless, the buoyant spirit of this team was unbroken, and they ended up with a strong 7-2 record and a bright future. Special recognition is afforded to Henry Preloger ’27 who had one of the most prolific passing seasons of any Thacher quarterback. Preloger, along with fellow juniors Marlow Rogers, Bates McCluer, TJ Dass, Will Green, Jett Mortensen, and Andrew Liu will be key leaders for next year’s team.
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FA L L
SCOREBOARD Girls Cross Country “I love this sport. On the surface it’s simple, just running—but the truth is deeper; it is a fast-paced, element-dependent chess game boosted by long-calculated training… (and) I love this team. They don’t give in,” says Coach Kelley Janes CdeP 1998. From the outset of the opening race when Thacher’s girls had a near-perfect score by placing 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, the team worked hard for the entire fall season and proved themselves many times over. On three occasions, the team journeyed to Lake Casitas for a meet, and twice they came away with first-place team finishes. At the Oxnard Invitational, everyone on the team had a personal record (PR), and they placed second out of seven schools, all of which ranged in population between 900 and 2,400 students. Exceptional training propelled Chloe Hamilton ’26 to break the 19-minute mark and place her among the fastest Thacher runners in girls cross country’s history. As each course is different in layout and surface material, Hamilton set a new school record for Mt. SAC’s Rain Course, capping an incredible career for the young runner. Euan Kim ’29 made an incredible impact as a ninth grader, PR-ing in the TCAA League finals and securing a post-season spot for the team at the Mt. SAC CIF Southern Section prelims. Overall, the team finished second in the TCAA League this season and had tremendous individual achievements through and through.
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Boys Cross Country
Girls Tennis
“Cross country is not for the faint of heart,” claims Coach Sarah DelVecchio. “It’s relentless…(and) it’s a sport where if you feel good, it’s because you are not pushing yourself hard enough. We are not here because we are motivated; we’re here because we’re disciplined.” This is the tenacity guiding the cross-country program at Thacher, and with it comes the results seen year in, year out.
Thacher’s girls tennis program experienced a fantastic year, going 9-3 overall in the season, and 6-2 in league. The team ended up second in the Tri-Valley League, and moved up to Division 5 for CIF playoffs. A number-one seed in the tournament and a bye in the first round unfortunately were for naught as the team lost to Valencia in the second round 8-10. Seniors Hannah Housden and Tenzing Lama came in third for doubles in the Tri-Valley Individual Tournament.
Capitalizing on an ever-improving team set on proving themselves, Thacher finished in third place during the CIF Prelims, and then eighth at the CIF Finals, two spots ahead of their ranking. Stating this was one of the fastest boys teams she’s ever coached, and noting the difficulty experienced runners have in making big improvements in their times, there were still remarkable milestones achieved by Thacher’s runners this season. Willem de Clercq ’27 dropped his three-mile time down into the 16-minute zone, and his brother Lucas ’26 battled back from sickness to come in first at the CIF Prelims and set a new PR for himself. Alec DiLullo ’28 employed a finish-line kick of speed that notched four first-place finishes, making him the top-scoring runner on the team. Newcomer Soren Meyer ’28 joined the team partway through the season with a lit fuse and immediately dropped his time by a minute and is on track to run in the low 16s as he continues to progress.
First-year head coach Katya Welborn credits the team’s confidence on the court as she looks back on the season. “They all added more power to their strokes, used more strategy behind their points, and they changed their mentality to play for the win rather than just to survive on the court,” she said. Junior Avery Barrell embodied this strategy and played consistently all season, buoying the team with her tenacity. Seniors Lama, Housden, Georgia Browning, and Taylor Carney were integral to the team’s successes and will be missed next year.
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The Strategic Vision for the Future of our School
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PL ANNING COMMI T T EE CO-CHAIRS
T
his fall, after an 18-month, inclusive effort that welcomed the voices and perspectives of our broader community, the Board and a planning committee made up of faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, parents, and members of the leadership team solidified its goals and priorities for the coming years in an exciting new Strategic Plan that positions Thacher for the next chapter in the School’s long history.
The School’s partner in this work, Leadership + Design, helped to guide this process, which included a number of virtual and in-person opportunities for our community to share their insights through time with students and faculty, and community think tanks in cities across the country. The charge of the team was to work collectively to surface and synthesize feedback, data, research, and experiences about Thacher; to facilitate conversations and moments of shared design thinking; to form inquiry groups to focus on specific areas of the School; and to explore solutions and strategic initiatives that would ultimately become the focus of the plan. The team’s role was to be information gatherers, storytellers, collaborators, and designers. “As Board and leadership team members at Thacher, there is no greater responsibility than the one we have to our students—past, present, and future,” said Brian Smallwood, Board and Strategic Planning Committee Chair. “We aspire to fulfill this mandate by not only serving as stewards and champions of our mission, but also by helping to build momentum and resources in line with the priorities that will sustain and strengthen our school for years to come.”
Jeff Berndt P ’20, ’21 Director of Advancement: Philanthropy, Governance, and Strategy Dr. Tracy Miller Assistant Head of School Director of Studies Catalina Saenz CdeP 1995 P ’23, ’26 Trustee Brian Smallwood CdeP 1983 P ’26, ’28 Incoming Board Chair
MEMBERS Edgar Arceo Science Faculty Jason Carney P ’20, ’23, ’26 Director of Afternoon Programs Michael Dachs CdeP 2003 Dr. Sarah DelVecchio P ’17, ’19, ’22 History Faculty Dana Dwire Executive Assistant to the Head of School Jose Estrada CdeP 2002 Trustee David Glickman P ’22, ’26 Dr. Kendrea Hart Director of Counseling and Wellness Alex Herbert van Helden CdeP 2002 Trustee Jeff Hooper P ’23, ’25 Head of School Bill McMahon P ’09, P ’11, P ’15, P ’15 Outgoing Director of Enrollment and Planning Stephanie Rauner CdeP 2004 Theo Richardson-Omamo CdeP 2013 Carly Rodriguez P ’24 Director of Communications Meriem Soliman P ’22, ’27 Trustee Danny Sonenshine CdeP 1991 P ’20, ’24 Outgoing Board Chair The Thacher School 17
TIMELESS ESSENTIALS While the plan lays out a bold and actionable roadmap for Thacher’s future, it is very much rooted in the timeless, sacred, and essential elements of the School as well as the vision of its founder, Sherman Day Thacher. “Throughout my more than 20-year career at Thacher, I have remained inspired by the wisdom and work of Mr. Thacher,” said Jeff Hooper, head of school. “His mandate to train our students ‘in the art of living for their own greatest good and for the good of their fellow citizens’ is one that I endeavor to sustain each and every day and one that remains at the forefront of our vision for Thacher’s future in the pages of this Strategic Plan.” Among those essential elements are Thacher’s identity as an intimate residential community firmly rooted in the Ojai Valley, providing an educational program that leverages relationships with trusted adults, peers, horses, and the natural world to shape and inspire leaders for the greatest good, anchored by a supportive culture governed by the Honor Code and our core values of Honor, Fairness, Kindness, and Truth. In addition to affirming these core aspects of the Thacher experience, the committee recognized that in order have a significant and positive impact on the School and its students, the plan must expand the School’s ability to be meaningful in the lives of its constituents and broader world, viable as a first-choice destination for students, faculty, and staff, and sustainable for generations to come. This plan seeks to synthesize and concretize the aspirations and wisdom of the thousands of voices who contributed to its creation. “We propose it with humility, recognizing that we are among the current stewards of an institution whose impact and importance extend geographically and chronologically far beyond the extent of any human’s lifetime,” the plan states. “We also propose it with joyful optimism, celebrating that the School’s strength also lies in its ability to adapt, grow, and evolve in intentional ways to meet the changing needs of its constituents.”
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THE PLAN A Greater Greatest Good: Meeting the evolving and expanding needs of young people by weaving together timeless tradition and timely innovation, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As we coauthor Thacher’s next chapter, we celebrate and hold fast the countercultural, inefficient, and sometimes uncomfortable lessons learned on horseback and in the wilderness. We reaffirm our commitment to caring for the whole student in a nurturing, supportive environment that proactively and intentionally fosters a sense of belonging in every student. We also face a changing future with confidence and optimism. We recognize the mandate to discern what is sacred and perpetual, and to safeguard and secure it for future generations. With equal avidity, we embrace the responsibility to identify how the School can capitalize on this historical moment by remaining nimble and dynamic in changing times. This bold and inspiring plan provides the vision for Thacher’s next chapter.
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TOGET HER, WE COMMI T TO:
I.
UNLEASH EDUCATOR CREATIVITY AND STUDENT AGENCY
THE OPPORTUNITY: Catalyzed by the opening of the GATES building, our academic program has grown more dynamic, creative, and relevant in the post-AP era. The primary factor constraining further innovation in our academic programming is not the imagination and capacity of our teachers, nor is it the appetite and ability of our students. Rather, it is largely a matter of scope and scale. Expanding our student population and making further investments in innovation within and across departments will allow us to capitalize on that momentum and further define the distinctiveness of our academic program. As we look to the next phase in the evolution of our academic program, we draw on proven models that have helped to transform teaching and learning at Thacher. We know that providing students with real choice and agency stimulates their curiosity and leads to richer and deeper engagement. We know the value of learning that transcends a single discipline or the confines of a classroom’s four walls. As our academic program continues to evolve, we will prioritize efforts whose impacts extend beyond the classroom, by contributing to academic discourse, by solving real-world problems, and by collaborating with partners outside of our gates. 20 fall/winter 2025
THE PATH AHEAD: A. Establish and/or strengthen multiple pathways to advanced work for students in all academic disciplines culminating in real-world problem solving and contributions to academic discourse and scholarship. 1. Draw on successful models already in place, especially in sciences. 2. Continue to develop partnership with the Turtle Conservancy and others. 3. Diversify offerings and opportunities for advanced study in humanities.
As the School aspires to strengthen the pathways to advanced work for students, deepen and accelerate learning, and create learning expriences focused on real-world problem solving, programs such as computer science and robotics serve as a model for the power of academic choice and voice.
B. Reimagine the Senior Exhibitions Program to better integrate with Thacher’s vision for teaching and learning, making it more connected to the fouryear academic program, rooted in authentic inquiry, solution-oriented, and flexible as to format and outcomes. C. Equip students to leverage new technologies to deepen and accelerate learning in healthy, ethical, and innovative ways, developing skills and expertise to excel in college and in the workplace.
THE CALL TO ACTION:
D. Create intensive, weeklong, mixed-grade experiential learning opportunities focused on real-world problem solving.
The past five years have been marked by dynamic and creative curricular and pedagogical innovation at Thacher, offering a roadmap for continued growth and opportunity. At the same time, the imperative to further distinguish our academic program by making the learning process more personalized, human, interesting, and relevant against the backdrop of generative artificial intelligence is one which will require increasing our scale and empowering the talented educators and students in our community.
E. I nspire and reward faculty members with an expanded program of summer innovation grants to design and pilot new student learning experiences. F. Ensure exceptional academic spaces and facilities to support a larger student body.
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STRENGTHEN AND SAFEGUARD OUR II. ONE-OF-A-KIND AFTERNOON PROGRAM THE OPPORTUNITY: We have long recognized that students learn some of the most important and durable lessons in the afternoons. The relationships that students form with each other and with trusted adult mentors in the afternoons are the bedrock of our school’s culture. At its best, our afternoon program meets fundamental adolescent needs by encouraging our students to take healthy risks, confront novel challenges, and experience the interdependence of teamwork. The Horse and Outdoor Programs have been the defining hallmarks of a Thacher education throughout our long history. Proudly anachronistic and idiosyncratic, they have endured here against the odds. These are the elements of 21st-century Thacher education that would be immediately familiar and recognizable to our founder and that unite alumni from every generation. The interruption of interscholastic athletic competition in 2021 forced the School to innovate and diversify its afternoon offerings. While the Horse and Outdoor Programs have become increasingly popular among students, there is some variability in the student experience in athletics. All students must have opportunities to participate in athletic programs characterized by excellent coaching, meaningful competition, and first-rate facilities. The quality of a student’s athletic experience should not vary according to the activity chosen. As we commit to the model of multisport athletes and resist the professionalization and commercialization of youth sports, we must also provide students with exceptional team experiences that pursue excellence on both the first and second scoreboards. 22 fall/winter 2025
The sports experience should be designed to empower each athlete to reach their full potential and for the team to pursue excellence collectively,” said Jeff Hooper, head of school. “We want students to experience a diverse range of afternoon experiences, including team sports marked by deeply meaningful and joyful shared experiences, in which they model and appreciate the values and lessons of sportsmanship, hard work, and collective endeavor.” Afternoons at Thacher—in the Horse Program, athletics, and the outdoors—provide opportunities for students to take healthy risks, challenge themselves, and learn the importance of teamwork.
THE PATH AHEAD: A. Affirm and invest in the Horse Program for ninthgrade and upper riders.
THE CALL TO ACTION: Recognizing that they are essential to the School’s identity, we embrace the challenge to future-proof the iconic Horse and Outdoor Programs. At the same time, raising the bar for our interscholastic sports and other offerings will ensure that every student in every season has a powerful and meaningful learning experience that is distinctively Thacher. Here, too, an expanded student population can add vitality to all of our afternoon programs.
B. Continue to nurture and develop mission-aligned afternoon offerings through the Outdoor and Arts Program. C. Elevate and standardize excellent athletic teams for all students in exceptional facilities. 1. Affirm and celebrate commitment to multisport athletes, diverse afternoon experiences, and a distinctively Thacher approach to athletic competition. 2. Support coaches in building meaningful, ambitious, and challenging team experiences and investing in their own professional growth. 3. Ensure that all sports provide pathways for motivated athletes to pursue college athletics, typically at the Division III level. 4. Invest in facilities that allow and inspire athletes to reach their full potential.
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III.
CONSTRUCT AND STEWARD A COMMUNITY AND CULTURE THAT REFLECT OUR VALUES AND MEET THE NEEDS OF ADOLESCENTS TODAY
THE OPPORTUNITY: Our culture is our most important and most ephemeral asset. Adults and students alike make an active, intentional choice to live in a community organized around our four aspirational and unwavering values of Honor, Fairness, Kindness, and Truth. By developing leadership skills and pathways in the younger grades, we lay the foundation for authentic shared responsibility. Then, by empowering older students to partner with adults as stewards and caretakers of the Honor Code and our shared culture, we build the community of trust that all members deserve. Building a strong sense of belonging is imperative in a community that is distinctive both in its diversity and its intimacy. Our mission calls us to construct an environment in which talented students from a wide range of backgrounds can all thrive. Further, when students perceive that their presence and contributions genuinely matter to their peers and adult mentors, they are inspired to bring their best to their many shared endeavors, from campsite to classroom to team huddle to barns. Students thrive when presented with healthy and appropriate challenges and supported by expert trusted adults. The strength of those relationships lies in the many points of contact between adults and students in a small residential community. The culture we seek to construct requires that skilled, committed educators have the capacity and commitment to selflessly invest in relationships that foster growth and leadership development for their students. 24 fall/winter 2025
On most weekends, the Thacher community comes together for Open House at the Head of School home, playing games, watching movies, eating quesadillas, and being in community with one another without phones—or shoes! This is just one of many ways we strive to build a community of trust where every student is seen and known. This mandate inspires us to invest our efforts and resources in a community and culture that reflect our values and support the health and well-being of our members.
The constant and never-ending goal of our efforts in community and culture is to sustain, reinforce, and expand avenues of belonging where every student is seen and known while minimizing and combatting obstacles towards that end,” said Hooper. “When we are successful, each student feels that their full self—as a tuba player, as a child of immigrants, as a Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast, as a member of a faith community, as a queer person, as a complex mix of identities— belongs in this community, knowing that their unique contributions to the greater good are valued and celebrated. This is kindness.”
THE PATH AHEAD: A. Integrate efforts to proactively support student physical health and safety and emotional well-being. 1. Create an integrated Health and Wellness Center. 2. Expand athletic training, rehabilitation, and conditioning resources.
THE CALL TO ACTION: Building the culture our students deserve is labor-intensive. We must equip and empower adults who recognize and value the power of extending their role as educators well beyond classroom walls. For students to bring their best selves to the community, we recognize that they must have the tools and support to ensure that their health, safety, and well-being are secure. They must have many avenues and venues to seek and find belonging. Finally, we embrace the crucial responsibility to attract and retain a wide range of missionaligned students and families from across the geographic and socioeconomic spectrums.
B. Clarify and affirm our moral duty to foster student belonging and mattering in a diverse, multicultural community. 1. Coordinate and orient programming across the entirety of the student experience—academic, horse and outdoors, athletic, health and wellness, cocurricular, residential—to foster student belonging and mattering. 2. Equip students with the skills and tools to thrive in an environment that celebrates viewpoint diversity, intellectual freedom, and respectful civil discourse. C. Expand access by making a bold, category-leading investment in support of our financial aid program, providing access to families of all socioeconomic levels. D. Support the School’s faculty and staff in committing fully to the mission and model. 1. Support families in accessing PK-8 educational options. 2. Ensure robust compensation and quality of life considerations, allowing Thacher to recruit and retain excellence. 3. Consider formal recognition/compensation for those who make disproportionate contributions. 4. Explore avenues for greater staff involvement in student life. The Thacher School 25
IV. EXPAND OUR REACH AND IMPACT THE OPPORTUNITY: The vision that we have for our academic program, our afternoon program, and our community and culture requires that we increase the scale of our operations. A careful expansion of our student population will enrich the experience of all students and enhance the sustainability of our program while preserving the benefits of our intimate, relationship-based community. While the School’s most important work will always be in service to the students in our core program, we also have an opportunity to expand our reach and impact by reimagining how we use physical and human resources in the summer months. The summer months offer considerable untapped potential to advance the School’s mission, sustainability, and interests. Opening our gates more widely in these ways will allow us to expand on our greatest good, offering some of the signature, transformative aspects of a Thacher education to a larger group of students. By capitalizing on the physical resources and infrastructure already in place, we can strategically grow the reach of our brand, expanding overall awareness in the marketplace and bolstering Thacher’s financial sustainability. Summer programming also affords us an opportunity to build and strengthen local partnerships to further the School’s historical role as a leader in our local community. Engaging more intentionally with neighbors and increasing our profile and impact in the Ojai Valley are crucial to confronting the local challenges we face, from schooling and housing to fire readiness and environmental sustainability. 26 fall/winter 2025
THE PATH AHEAD: A. Expand the student population by 10-14 students per grade to allow for growth in curricular and cocurricular programming, while retaining a commitment to an intimate residential community and a focus on ninth grade as the primary entry point.
A connection to nature and commitment to exploration have been part of our identity since our founding, and Thacher is fortunate to maintain two base camps in support of this goal: Patton’s Cabin in the Sespe Wilderness and Golden Trout Wilderness School in the southern Sierra Nevada. The Strategic Plan articulates the School’s interest in further integrating on-campus offerings with programming at these sites as well as the Turtle Conservancy, just down the road from the Thacher campus.
THE CALL TO ACTION: Strategically increasing our student population, developing mission-aligned summer programming, and strengthening connections with our Ojai neighbors will make the entire Thacher operation more sustainable and impactful. We can develop mission-aligned programs that allow prospective families to experience Thacher in their students’ middle school years. We can use the summer as an innovation lab to nurture new courses, approaches, and programs. We can honor our history and expand our reach by becoming a more engaged participant in national conversations about teaching and learning through hosting summer professional development for educators.
B. Create a robust and diverse slate of summer offerings, including: 1. Programming tailored to middle school students. 2. Programming that serves the local community. 3. Programming that capitalizes on horse, academic, athletic, and performing arts infrastructure. 4. Programming that affords current Thacher students opportunities to build and practice skills in leadership, civic engagement, and social entrepreneurship. 5. Programming that bolsters the School’s financial sustainability. C. Integrate on-campus offerings with programming at Golden Trout Wilderness School, Patton’s Cabin, and the Turtle Conservancy. D. Develop partnerships and relationships with neighbors in the Valley to collaborate on solving local problems, including environmental risks. E. U se summer programming to meet pressing needs in our local communities and expand awareness of, esteem for, and interest in Thacher.
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LIVING with HONOR
Reflections on the Code that Defines Thacher
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Since as early as the 1950s, Thacher has operated under the collective commitment to an Honor Code. One of the invisible ties that bind Toads across generations, even as so much else around it changes, it remains a north star that not only guides our conduct, but also instills independence and accountability, fosters mutual trust and respect, and brings us closer together as a community.
T
he origins of Thacher’s Honor Code appropriately lay with the students and their desire to draft “an academic honor system in hopes of further improving school culture and implementing unproctored evaluations.” Nearly 75 years later, the School remains committed to upholding and inspiring honor in our daily lives at Casa de Piedra.
“Among my highest priorities as Head of School is deepening our understanding of and appreciation for the Honor Code, which I view as the organizing principle undergirding everything we do,” said Jeff Hooper, head of school. “I truly believe that the most valuable gift we can give our students is a firm sense of the value of their own integrity.” This commitment is brought to life in ways both explicit and implicit, and at all phases of a family’s relationship to the School. Prospective families are introduced to the Honor Code and the School’s values during their admission journey, and new families learn more about how it plays out in everyday life during their onboarding experience in the spring and summer before a student begins at Thacher. “You have joined a community in which we commit to live by Thacher’s Honor Code by upholding our core values of Honor, Fairness, Kindness, and Truth,” said Hooper in his letter to new families this past April. “Membership in a community of values like Thacher confers both tremendous privilege and responsibility.” Supporting that responsibility is Thacher’s Student & Family Handbook, which also outlines community expectations around honorable conduct, emphasizing that the Honor Code and The Thacher School are “only as effective as the individuals who take on the responsibility to make it so. Thacher students are given a
Membership in a community of values like Thacher confers both tremendous privilege and responsibility.”
The Thacher School 29
tremendous amount of freedom, but with that comes accountability to themselves and the community. Mistakes and missteps will no doubt be a part of the journey, but earnest attempts to learn and grow will be supported with patient guidance, empathy, and compassion. All members are expected to uphold the integrity and spirit of the Honor Code.”
Exercising the “Honor Muscle” To further amplify the importance of this commitment, student programming this fall included a special Honor Week, during which the on-campus community more intentionally reflected on the role that our school values and the Honor Code itself play both on campus and in the broader Thacher community through assembly discussions, posted comments from alumni on display in the Commons and GATES, and a Head’s Invite panel discussion. Moderated by Honor Council President Emily Liu ’26, the panel represented several generations of graduates, with Pamona Alexander CdeP 1984, Brian Kelly CdeP 2001, and Amanda Nonomura CdeP 2006 (Alumni Council Member) as well as longtime faculty member, past parent, and current grandparent Kurt Meyer P ’98, ’00 GP ’28. The discussion focused on the role that Thacher’s Honor Code and our four core values of Honor, Fairness, Kindness, and Truth played in their lives during their time at Thacher and in the years since they left.
I N T R O D U C I N G T H E PA N E L The evening’s panelists represented a range of ages and educational, professional, and lived experience, and each brought a deep personal connection to Thacher’s values. Together, they explored what it means to live honorably, both within the Thacher community and beyond its gates. PAMONA ALEXANDER CdeP 1984, a public historian and librarian, has built a career in archives and education alongside years of social work. BRIAN KELLY CdeP 2001, now a lawyer and business executive, began his career at Google before earning a law degree at Stanford and moving into leadership at Docusign. KURT MEYER P ’98, ’00 GP ’28, a retired Thacher mathematics teacher, helped pioneer the School’s computer science and robotics programs during his tenure. AMANDA NONOMURA CdeP 2006 is an Alumni Council member who joined the School as a junior. She became an educator herself and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in education while working across Southern California. Use this QR code to watch a recording of the full panel discussion.
Moderated by Honor Council president Emily Lui ’26, a panel of community guests reflected on Thacher’s Honor Code and its ongoing role in their lives.
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“Life outside of the Thacher gates provides daily opportunities— along with plenty of challenges—to exercise the ‘honor muscle’ that you developed during your time at Casa de Piedra,” said Jeff Hooper, head of school, in a message to alumni earlier this fall. “As we have heard from several alums…Thacher’s Honor Code can be much more than a set of ideals or rules adhered to during high school—for many, it’s a way of life that still guides them today.” He went on to say, “While we will continue to explore, amplify, and celebrate the Honor Code in our daily life on campus, I truly believe that the ways you all continue to embody this value in your daily lives is the ultimate inspiration.”
— A L E C R O B I N S O N , Photography Teacher & Interim Animal Program Coordinator
That aspiration was at the heart of the panel conversation that followed.
ow Understanding of H the Honor Code Evolves The first question posed to the group invited reflection on how their understanding of the Honor Code had evolved over time. For Brian Kelly, the code began as something abstract—“one more element in that litany of things that made Thacher different,” he said. As a new student, he saw it as cost-free: an easy agreement for someone who already considered himself honest. But his understanding deepened when the code required something more difficult, when a friend’s mistake demanded accountability. “That’s when it stops being about superiority,” he said. “It becomes about ownership over something serious.” For Pamona Alexander, the code became a way to navigate life beyond Thacher. “What I learned here was flexibility—how to apply honor differently in different environments.” Living honorably, she said, is about being strategic, measured, and resilient. “Some of the easiest ways to do that are to be honorable,” she said. “Being honorable and living my truth made life easier. It helped me find my center.” Amanda Nonomura described her two years at Thacher as an immersion in a new way of life. “From the moment I arrived, it seemed like the Honor Code was both law and lifestyle,” she said. “It provided structure and boundaries as well as support—for the community and for myself.” Over time, she realized it wasn’t just about how she treated others, but also about how she treated herself. For Kurt Meyer, decades of teaching revealed that the code’s strength always depended on student leadership. “The strength of the Honor Code really is tied to the strength of the senior class,” he said. “Their
leadership shapes the culture. Think about what you inherited, and what legacy you want to leave.”
Learning Through Accountability When the conversation turned to how students—and the community—should respond when someone violates the code, the panelists’ answers converged around the importance of accountability and grace. “Part of growing up is owning up,” said Alexander. “There’s no shame in taking accountability, only in denying it. Making things right is how you keep your relationships and your integrity.”
From the moment I arrived, it seemed like the Honor Code was both law and lifestyle. It provided structure and boundaries as well as support—for the community and for myself.” The Thacher School 31
Honor Council members showcase community comments about the Honor Code at assembly.
What’s special about Thacher is that it gives you that sense of self.”
Nonomura agreed: “Holding that shame inside is uncomfortable. Facing it, even when it’s painful, is what leads to growth.” Meyer added that restoration is as important as consequence. “Once a student has faced the Honor Council and served the consequence,” he said, “their slate should be clean. They return as a full member of the community. That’s a matter of dignity for all of us.”
For Pamona Alexander, her Thacher experience guided her toward a life of service. She recalled field trips to Camarillo State Hospital and to orphanages along the Mexican border that shaped her understanding of empathy and humanity. “I saw how much joy people could have with so little,” she said. “It reframed my idea of what matters.”
Kelly offered a lawyer’s reflection. “My father used to say the only infinitely renewable resource in nature is the human ability to justify one’s own behavior,” he said. “The opposite of that is accountability—and that’s the beginning, middle, and end of what the Honor Code is about.”
Nonomura reflected on how the code continues to inform her interactions today and the importance of “how you choose to present yourself, how you treat others, how you discern authenticity. You can’t control how others act, but you can control your kindness,” she said.
Carrying Honor Forward Asked how the Honor Code continues to shape their lives, each panelist spoke of its quiet, lasting influence.
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For Kelly, the values run deep. “I was married 300 yards from here to my classmate, Heather,” he said, smiling. “I still wear my Thacher belt buckle. I still believe, as I did when I graduated, that when you participate in a community that values integrity, it changes you.” He quoted educator Edith Hamilton’s definition of human flourishing: “the exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence.” “That’s what you do here,” he said. “And one of your vital powers is the capacity to act honorably.”
Meyer’s answer was simple and resonant: “My wife and I have been married 51 years,” he said. “Honor, fairness, kindness, and truth.”
What if There Were No Honor Code? When asked how Thacher would be different without an Honor Code, the panelists spoke with conviction. Nonomura, who attended other schools without such a code, recalled what that felt like. “It was scary,” she said. “At my first high school, my calculator was stolen from my backpack during track practice. Coming to a place where people left things out and trusted one another—it made me feel safe. The Honor Code creates structure and support. It allows learning to happen.” Alexander added that integrity is a foundation. “When the foundation is good, the structure is good,” she said. “Out in the world, I’ve met many people who don’t have an honor code for themselves. You can have success and power that way, but do you have a sense of self? What’s special about Thacher is that it gives you that sense of self.” Kelly agreed. “If you took away the Honor Code and the Horse Program,” he said, “you’d still have a good school, but it wouldn’t be Thacher. You’d have a transactional relationship: I produce the academic output; you give me a credential. What you’d lose is exactly what Pamona described— the development of the self.”
the question becomes: why is it still important to learn? Why does it matter to acquire knowledge and skill when a machine can produce the same outputs instantly?” His answer circled back to purpose. “The real question is about human flourishing,” he said. “You have to find value in learning that’s internal to you.” Alexander agreed, noting that education is about building skills and confidence. “AI can write your paper and get you the A,” she said, “but it can’t give you the skill. And when you master a skill, no one can take it away. A little pain now means more comfort later.” Nonomura, who studies education and technology, added a glimpse from her graduate coursework. “I took a class called Generative AI for Graduate Studies, taught by an economist. Everyone there said AI would replace teachers—that education was dying,” she recalled. “But every educator I know says the opposite. You can’t replace human connection or learning by doing. Those are things an algorithm can’t replicate.”
Nothing’s perfect. But this is a very unique experience. Enjoy it as much as possible.
Enduring Lessons As the evening drew to a close, what emerged from the conversation was not nostalgia, but gratitude for a living code that continues to shape lives. The Honor Code, the panelists agreed, is not a set of rules to memorize but a practice to inhabit. It asks students to be honest even when it’s hard, to extend kindness even when it costs something, and to see fairness and truth not as abstractions but as habits of being.
For Kelly, Alexander, Nonomura, and Meyer, those lessons have lasted well beyond their years at Thacher. They endure in marriages, in classrooms, in boardrooms, and in communities.
The Challenge of a Changing World
As Alexander put it, “Nothing’s perfect. But this is a very unique experience. Enjoy it as much as possible.”
In the final stretch of the conversation, the discussion turned to technology and the new pressures it brings, from social media to generative AI.
And perhaps that, too, is part of honor—the recognition that integrity is not about perfection, but about striving, forgiving, learning, and carrying forward the best of what one has received.
Kelly observed that the old “arms race” between schools and students over cheating is changing forever. “At least with digital work, that battle is over—and probably in favor of the student,” he said. “So
The Thacher School 33
COMMUNITY GATHERINGS Thank you to all our hosts, special guests, speakers, and volunteers for this season of gatherings. This community wouldn’t be the same without you. Next up on the regional gathering schedule are events in Seattle, NYC, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Orange County, Nashville, Austin, Scottsdale, and Aspen. Reach out to events@thacher.org if you would like to be a part of a future community event in your own city. Bob Kendig CdeP 1967 and Thacher student Zain ’28.
ASPEN, CO Kim Master and Noah Lieb P ’25, ’28 hosted a summer event for the Thacher community at their home in Aspen. Guests enjoyed home-roasted coffee and homemade bagels by Avery Lieb CdeP 2025. The Sunday brunch included a lovely mix of Thacher students, alumni, and parents.
Director of Advancement Jeff Berndt P ’20, ’21, Thacher student Zander ’26, and David Glickman P ’22, ’26.
Kim Master P ’25, ’28, Avery Lieb CdeP 2025, Thacher students Zain ’28 and Nell ’28, and Lisa Kazazean P ’24, ’28.
Head of School Jeff Hooper P ’23, ’25 and Arianna Finger CdeP 2015. 34 fall/winter 2025
PITTSBURGH, PA Bob Nutting P ’14 hosted Thacher community members at a summer Pirates game at PNC Park, where the Pirates faced off against the San Francisco Giants in an exciting East Coast–West Coast matchup.
TOADX SERIES As summer kicked off, we hosted the first Virtual Toadx with presenters: Amanda Nonomura CdeP 2006 (moderator), Christian “Kip” Donath CdeP 1999, Alex Dotson CdeP 2007, and Rita Walton CdeP 2008. We took Toadx on the road for the very first San Francisco Toadx at the Marina Theater. We learned from moderator Lee Wittlinger CdeP 2001 and our inspiring speakers: Dan Klein CdeP 1986, Tyfahra Milele CdeP 1996, Katy Bartzokis CdeP 2009, and Sarina Patel CdeP 2010. We count ourselves lucky to be reminded regularly of the brilliance, care, innovation, and expertise of our community.
Snapshot of some of the current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends of Thacher at SF Toadx. Thank you to the iconic Marina Theater for hosting us!
Speakers: Dan Klein CdeP 1986, Tyfahra Milele CdeP 1996, Katy Bartzokis CdeP 2009, and Sarina Patel CdeP 2010.
Katy Bartzokis CdeP 2009 and her presentation on Pack Mules for Public Lands Management. The Thacher School 35
GATHERINGS
A FESTIVE FALL FOR CDEP 2025 IN BOSTON Some of the Class of 2025 kicked off their first year of college over shared meals in Boston! We can’t wait to see all that you accomplish in this next chapter. CdeP 2025: Ama Okigbo , Elina Chen, Margot Edwards, Nicolas Peyromaure de Bord, Pierce Kelly, and Henry Molfino.
Members of the Class of 2025, including: Lance Jin-Ngo, Jackson Harr, Charlie Parkes, Mateo Nix, Henry Molfino, Elina Chen, Julie Lui, Maya Harish, Ama Okigbo, Annabelle Wei, Margot Edwards, Catherine Galvez, Kaili Chu, Pierce Kelly, George Daniel, Nicolas Peyromaure de Bord, and Johnson Ngota.
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CdeP 2025: Elina Chen, Margot Edwards, Lance Jin-Ngo, Jackson Harr, Julie Lui, and Kaili Chu.
SOCAL HAS TOADS, TOO! CLAREMONT GOLD GATHERING Graham Rogers CdeP 2024, Cody Lee CdeP 2023, Lily King CdeP 2023, Ellis DelVecchio CdeP 2022, Trevor Carson CdeP 2022, Ethan Zhang CdeP 2022, Jordan Yates CdeP 2023, Ali Bennett CdeP 2023, Maria Galgon CdeP 2024, Elena Townsend-Lerdo CdeP 2022, and Elizabeth Dominguez CdeP 2024.
PHILADELPHIA BRUNCH Lincoln Hollister CdeP 1956, Ben Billings CdeP 2024, Ella Thimons CdeP 2023, Jay Jiang CdeP 2024, Darius Lamport CdeP 2024, Vanessa Lu CdeP 2022, Abbey Alvarado CdeP 2020, Brooke Porter CdeP 2016, and Melissa Jensen Williams CdeP 1985.
The The Thacher Thacher School School 37 37
GATHERINGS NYC FALL EVENTS The Thacher New York Entertainment Networking Event was everything we hoped for, and more! Thank you to our host Martha Gregory CdeP 2006 for putting this together. We had an incredible group of alumni show up to connect, collaborate, and inspire one another. We cannot wait to see what’s next! Back row: Mateo Thacher CdeP 2020, Vincent Langan CdeP 2020, Emma Robertson CdeP 2016, Nicole Bassolino CdeP 2018, Ted Brown CdeP 2006, Trevor Mulchay CdeP 2011, Martha Gregory CdeP 2006, Sarah Voss CdeP 2016, Jose Garcia, Lydia Paxton CdeP 2016, and Andrew St. George CdeP 2015. Front row: M Kenig CdeP 2022, Aris Zhou, Clinton Lowe CdeP 1999, Victoria Lowe-Garcia CdeP 2008, Jina Zhao CdeP 2020, Elsabet Jones CdeP 2016, and Avery Bearden CdeP 2016.
BROOKLYN BRUNCH WITH THACHER ALUMNI AND PARENTS! Thank you to Lauren Zakarian-Cogswell CdeP 2010 for opening up her home and to Mandy Sonenshine Wynn CdeP 1996 for providing some tasty treats. Top Left Photo - Back row: Ford Shaper CdeP 2019, Dan Hu CdeP 2011, Martin Sawyer CdeP 2004, Danica Hernandez CdeP 2025, Medina Yusuf CdeP 2025, Alyssa Ruiz CdeP 2022, Sukari Frain CdeP 2025, Malena Solin CdeP 2020, Mandy Sonenshine Wynn CdeP 1996, Dermond Thomas CdeP 1994 P ’24, Benita Chan CdeP 2007, Eric Oregel CdeP 2017, Shana Ashwood-Viala P ’28, Kim Thomas P ’24. Front row: Adriana Meza CdeP 2008, Lauren Zakarian-Cogswell CdeP 2010, Clemencia Garcia-Kasimirowski CdeP 2014. 38 38 fall/winter fall/winter 2025 2025
TOKYO
THACHER IN ASIA Director of Advancement: Philanthropy, Governance, and Strategy Jeff Berndt P ’20, ’21 and Director of Enrollment Jorge Delgado visited cities throughout Asia for admission receptions and community dinners. We were so happy to see our alumni in attendance: Shinnosuke Taniya CdeP 2017, Hisakazu Hirose CdeP 1966, Yun Jae Chun CdeP 1993, Josh Cho CdeP 2013, Ryan McMorrow CdeP 2007, Jonathan Chang CdeP 2014, Katie Vyhnal CdeP 2021, Casey Muller CdeP 1998, Wayne Chang CdeP 2000, and Eric Lynge CdeP 1979, and David Chao CdeP 1984. Other cities visited by Thacher but not pictured: Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, and Singapore.
SHENZHEN HONG KONG
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GATHERINGS SAN FRANCISCO WINTER EVENT The annual San Francisco Winter Event never disappoints. We loved seeing so many community members ahead of the holidays. We will let the photos of these alumni, parents of alumni, current families, and faculty speak for themselves! Rebekah Witter, Kip Witter CdeP 1964, Head of School Jeff Hooper, and Kaggie Orrick CdeP 2006.
Brísha Howe CdeP 2013, Brianna Bohnett CdeP 2010, Albert Perez CdeP 2010, and Sarina Patel CdeP 2010. ,
Joerg Schumann P ’28, Liz Laub P ’27, and Cathy Parkes P ’25, ’28.
Hannah Norman CdeP 2011, Mary Ellen Funke CdeP 2011, Past Faculty Tony Franco, Sarina Patel CdeP 2010, and Alex Duncan CdeP 2013.
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Wendel Nicolaus CdeP 1960 and Steve Mayne CdeP 1959. Rose O’Neal CdeP 2017, Phoebe Cao CdeP 2019, Anna-Liisa Eklund CdeP 2019, and Holland Stacey CdeP 2021.
Yasmine Love P ’29, Melylah Smith P ’28, Paul Smith P ’28, and Mehri Brown P ’28.
Charles Bang CdeP 1979, Sean Ehringer CdeP 1979, and Martin Cunningham CdeP 1980.
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CLASS NOTES 1963 A group of Thacher alumni and self-
described “faculty brats” enjoyed a trip to the rustic cabin of STEVE GRIGGS on Mt. Riga in Salisbury, Connecticut in July. From left to right: WOODY HALSEY 1965, NICK THACHER, Leigh Griggs Curran (older sister of Steve), Steve Griggs, and JOHN HUYLER.
ALUMNI PROFILE
STEPHEN HUYLER CDEP 1969
Rooted at Thacher, Reaching the World When Stephen Huyler CdeP 1969 returned to Thacher to speak at assembly in late October, in many ways it also felt like a visit home. “I was born in Santa Barbara,” he began, “but I was here from day two or three.” For Huyler, who spent his early years living in an apartment attached to the Upper School dorm with his parents, Thacher wasn’t simply a place of learning—it was home, community, and family all in one. Beginning in 1948, Stephen’s father, Jack Huyler, taught English and led Thacher’s horse program; his mother, Margaret, brought warmth and openness to the faculty household that became a second home to generations of students. “Thacher is my family,” Huyler reflected. “And my work for the last 54 years in India is directly inspired by that sense of community.”
1968 BRAD MACNEIL hosted TRAV NEWTON at a
meeting of the LA Westerners at the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum in Wilmington, California. Phineas Banning (great-grandfather of JOHN BANNING), known as “the Father of LA Harbor.” built the Banning House in 1862 and the nearby barracks for Union soldiers. Trav Newton and GREG BARD’s great-grandfather, Thomas Bard P ‘40, served the Union Army as a scout at Gettysburg, and with his brother, Dr. Cephas Bard (founder of the Ventura Museum), at Antietam. Thomas’ son Richard Bard was “the Father of Hueneme Harbor,” and the first President of the Thacher Board of Trustees.
Thacher is my family. And my work for the last 54 years in India is directly inspired by that sense of community.”
Growing up, Huyler rode horses before he could walk, ate nearly every meal alongside students, and spent countless hours playing on campus. Those early experiences, he says, instilled a lifelong curiosity about people and cultures.
Huyler’s own family background was global long before he ever left Ojai. His mother and maternal grandparents were born in Korea; his mother spoke Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (as did his father), and English. That international perspective, paired with the mentorship of beloved Thacher teachers like Fred Goode and David Lawyer, helped set his path. “Mr. Goode taught me how to write well,” Huyler recalled, “and Mr. Lawyer taught me that every point of view is valuable. Those lessons have guided everything I’ve done since.” After graduating from Thacher in 1969, Huyler attended the University of Denver, where his curiosity blossomed. Inspired by artist Beatrice Wood, a longtime Ojai resident who Huyler worked for during his summer breaks, he created his own major in South Asian Studies. Determined to learn firsthand, he traveled alone overland from Los Angeles to Paris to India at age 19, journeying through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. “That drive to do something meaningful,” he says, “I learned at Thacher.” In India, Huyler found his life’s calling. Guided by prominent cultural leaders, he began documenting the country’s living artistic traditions—from clay horse sculptures made as offerings to the gods to the ephemeral rice-flour drawings created daily by women across South India. His fascination with these fleeting expressions of beauty evolved into a celebrated career as a writer, photographer, and anthropologist. Huyler’s work has appeared in acclaimed books and exhibitions around the world, including Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion at the Smithsonian Institution—the most visited show in its history at the time. Through decades of fieldwork, he has donated more than 250,000 photographs to Indian archives, ensuring that the communities he studied remain visible and valued and honoring the families and artisans. As he told Thacher students, his journey began right where they sit today.“ Thacher taught me to care, to listen, and to build bridges,” he said. “We are all equal. No one is superior or inferior. There’s no such thing as them and us.”
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CLASS NOTES
INDICATES REUNION REUNION YEAR YEAR * INDICATES
1973 DAVE LIVERMORE retired from his
work with The Nature Conservancy in 2024 after 44 years. Dave helped save millions of acres of land in the West, founded both the Utah and Nevada chapters, established iconic preserves like the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve and the Scott and Norma Matheson Wetlands Preserve near Moab, and has been a leader in conservation in the West.
ALUMNI PROFILE
The presentation offered a vivid Preserving Voices, reminder that history Healing History lives not only in When Awele Okigbo CdeP 1993 P ’24, ’25 speaks about the importance of memory, textbooks but also her conviction is clear: stories are how we heal, how we learn, and how we in the voices of those make sure the past doesn’t fade into silence. That belief lies at the heart of who lived it. Biafra Memories, a digital initiative by AWELE OKIGBO CDEP 1993
1989 If you tuned in to the 77th Primetime
Emmy Awards, you witnessed the unforgettable moment when our very own NOAH WYLE took home some of the night’s biggest honors! Noah won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his powerful and deeply moving performance as Dr. Michael Robinavitch in HBO Max’s critically-acclaimed medical drama, The Pitt. The show, of which Noah is a creative force and executive producer, also took home the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.
the Foundation she and her husband Patrick run to preserve and share firsthand accounts from survivors of the Nigeria-Biafra War (1967–1970). Awele, a current Thacher trustee and parent of two alums, collaboratively conceived the project as a “living archive” of survivor memories. The effort seeks to create a comprehensive digital archive of testimonials, including interviews, written accounts, photographs, and artifacts, to provide an authentic and nuanced record of this pivotal chapter in Nigerian history. Biafra Memories aims to ensure that the lessons and realities of this pivotal period in Nigerian history remain accessible and meaningful for generations to come. Harnessing the power of digital technology, the project allows survivors and their families to share their experiences through a dedicated website and mobile app. Participants can contribute testimonials in text, audio, or video formats—creating a layered, deeply personal record of war and survival.
1995
This past Reunion, at their class dinner, WOLFE WEBER shared his wine, the 2023 En Cavale Sauvignon Blanc, which paired perfectly with the oysters brought down from the Pacific Northwest by MARCO PINCHOT. The label for En Cavale was designed by friend and Thacher alum, ROBERT VAN HORNE 1996.
In addition to collecting memories, Biafra Memories aspires to create community. The platform aims to build a supportive community network for survivors, historians, and stakeholders, encouraging continued storytelling and sharing. Earlier this fall, Thacher’s History Department and Black Student Union hosted Awele and Patrick to share their work with Thacher students in an engaging presentation to Dr. Spinney’s World History II: History of Africa. Students learned not only about the history of Biafra but also about the power of storytelling to shape our collective conscience. The presentation offered a vivid reminder that history lives not only in textbooks but also in the voices of those who lived it. In addition to her work on this project, Awele is also the Founder and CEO of Credo Advisory, a leading strategic and development communications consultancy based in Abuja and Washington, DC. Credo supports governments, international institutions, donors, organizations, and INGOs to raise awareness, develop campaigns on key development issues, build trust with diverse target audiences, and effect change. The Thacher School 43
CLASS NOTES 1996* BRITTANY SANDERS shared: “I was
honored to interview Jane Goodall this May for my documentary, Moving Joy. Jane spoke about the importance of friendship, aging, and having a passion and purpose in life. Truly a remarkable human being! My film will be finished in early 2026. To learn more, check out: www.movingjoyfilm.com.”
2009 WILS DAWSON and ALEX MONTAGUE are excited to share that they got engaged to be married in Golden Gate Park in August.
ALUMNI PROFILE
ABBY ROMO CDEP 2019
Finding Joy in the Journey For most endurance athletes, crossing the finish line at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawai’i, is a dream years in the making. For Abby Romo CdeP 2019 and current Thacher Fisher Fellow, it marked both the culmination of a long journey and the start of a new relationship with the sport that has shaped much of her adult life. After graduating from college, Abby decided to take on the ultimate endurance test: the Ironman triathlon—a grueling combination of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and marathon run. “I wanted to push myself to do something longer than my college races,” she explains. “Training for an Ironman takes a huge time commitment, so I figured the summer after graduation would be my best chance to really go for it.”
This time, I wanted to enjoy the experience and reconnect with the sport.
With a close friend from her college triathlon team, Abby road-tripped to Canada for her first Ironman. Although the swim portion was canceled due to race conditions, she performed well enough to qualify for the Ironman World Championships—a coveted slot that would give her another shot at completing the full 140.6-mile experience. Abby’s love of the sport traces back to her college years on the Stanford Triathlon Club, a tight-knit group of about 40 athletes who trained together nearly every day. “The team was a huge part of my college experience,” she says. “It was about fitness, yes, but also community—sharing meals, traveling to races, biking through Yosemite and along the Santa Cruz Mountains. Everyone was kind, adventurous, and just fun to be around.”
2012 JAMES PAXTON stars in the new film Last Train to Fortune, an 1870s adventure where a schoolteacher seeks the escort of an outlaw heading west on his travels to a new opportunity as a headmaster.
Preparing for Kona, however, was a very different story. Between traveling in southern Africa, moving to Ojai, and starting work at Thacher, Abby had less time and energy for the kind of high-volume training she’d done before. “This time, I wanted to enjoy the experience and reconnect with the sport,” she says. “I wasn’t trying to compete or hit a certain time—I just wanted to finish strong and appreciate what my body could do.” When race day finally came, Abby found herself immersed in what she calls “an electric sea of energy—so many strong women, all ready to race.” The swim began with a water start off the Kona coast, where she spotted three dolphins gliding nearby. The bike leg, stretching through the island’s legendary lava fields, proved the toughest challenge. “It was long, hot, and windy,” Abby says. “I forgot sunscreen and ended up with some pretty wild tan lines after seven hours out there.” Still, the beauty of the course—and the determination to reach the run—kept her going. To Abby’s surprise, the marathon that followed became her favorite part of the day. As the sun set over the ocean and the air cooled, she ran through the dark, rain-slicked roads under a soft drizzle. “It was surreal,” she says. “Running alone through the night, in the warm rain—it was a really rewarding finish to a long day.” Now back in Ojai, Abby’s taking a gentler approach to her training—”I’m trying to fall back in love with swimming, biking, and running after such a long period of intense training,” she says. “I’m especially excited about doing more trail running and hiking since Ojai has so much nature to offer.”
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CLASS NOTES
* INDICATES REUNION YEAR SARAH HANCOCK got engaged to be married to Mattie Conaghan this summer. We look forward to officially welcoming Mattie into the Thacher Community!
industry, she set out to build a company that offers a contemporary take on the classic Western aesthetic. Her goal with By Collier is to create high-quality products that meld contemporary trends and refined silhouettes with traditional craftsmanship and detailing. Check out her selection of leather handbags and accessories at bycollier.com.
Kara Hooper visited GOLD alums CHARLIE PARKES, KEELY SIMPSON 2022, CATHERINE GALVEZ, and AUGIE THORNE 2024 in Waterville, Maine for a fall kick off at Colby College.
2024 A group of alums and current students
participated in the DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay, the oldest distance relay in the U.S.! The alums placed first in the Mixed Open and students placed first in the High School Mixed. Go Toads!
2013 Check out LILLI KAY as she plays Zero
in the new Apple TV+ show Stick, about an ex-golfer (Owen Wilson) who was fired from his job and finds hope in coaching a troubled teen prodigy.
For her 30th birthday, BRÍSHA HOWE and a childhood friend went to see her favorite band, Young the Giant, perform their second studio album, Mind over Matter, at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. From left to right: Top: NICO DILULLO 2023, DIEGO ESCALANTE, ZANDER SCHATZBERG, JEREMY BYWATER 2023, LILY CLEMENS, and TAYLOR GUDEBSKI. Bottom: AVERY LIEB 2025, LOLA ’27, ANNIKKA ’26, CHLOE ’26, MATEO ’26, MATTHEW ’26, and LUCAS ’26.
2025 JAYDEN LEE, PIERCE KELLY, HENRY 2016* COLLIER SMITH launched her
accessories brand, By Collier, in August 2025. Drawing on years of experience in the luxury leather
MOLFINO, CHARLIE PARKES, and LANCE JIN-NGO enjoyed a shared meal together in Boston when they all were in town together for fall break.
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IN MEMORIAM ALUMNI Charles Blyth Jr. CdeP 1951 We recently learned of the passing of Charley Blyth; he passed in May 2024. Charley grew up in Northern California. While at Thacher, he was a member of the track team, soccer team, and Glee Club. He then attended Amherst, where his major was classics. After Amherst, Charley studied at Harvard, earning an MA in 1957 and a PhD in 1963. He was drafted in 1959 and served two years in Germany. Charley then spent nine years teaching English at Columbia and Brandeis. In 1972, he decided he did not want to leave Cambridge or search for a teaching position elsewhere. He then worked full-time as an independent scholar in the field of medieval literary studies. He published articles and did scholarly reviews for learned journals. Charley also produced an edition of a long 15thcentury poem. Charley married Birgit Foged in 1972. They lived in the same apartment in Cambridge for well over 30 years. The Blyths had a second home in the Berkshires, where they spent summers and occasional weekends. He is survived by Birgit and their two children.
Don Yates CdeP 1952 Don Bradshaw Yates CdeP 1952 passed away at home in Portola Valley, California, on July 10, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was 91. Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, Don attended Thacher before earning a BS in engineering from Stanford University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi. He later received an MBA from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar and a PhD in organizational behavior from UCLA. His career spanned work at 46 46 fall/winter fall/winter 2025 2025
Bechtel and extensive research into the evolution of education and human-centered business practices. At Thacher, Don was a prefect, captain of the A Track Team, and a member of the First Soccer Team, Lettermen’s Club, Dramatics, The Notes Board, and Committee of X. His classmates remembered him as dedicated, thoughtful, and engaged in every aspect of school life, from athletics and academics to planning dances and student leadership. Don was an avid soccer player, a longtime referee, and played into his seventies. He also had a deep love of opera and classical music, and served as a classical music DJ while in the Army in Greenland. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and their family.
Born on April 22, 1943, in Kansas City, Missouri, John was the son of Elizabeth Wales Truog and John Bammer Truog. At Thacher, he was known for his calm confidence, dry wit, and athletic versatility. He played on the varsity basketball, soccer, and tennis teams, served as captain of the varsity soccer and basketball teams, and was a Tri-Valley League Singles Tennis Champion. He was also a prefect, Indoor Committee President, and Vice President of the Thacher Lettermen’s Club. John went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and later served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves in San Diego. In 1976, he moved to Seattle, where he remained active in tennis, coached youth and family soccer, and cultivated a career as an art dealer in Pioneer Square, specializing in Japanese woodblock prints, Edward Curtis photogravures, and antique decorative objects.
We recently learned of the passing of Morton Strahan Hodgson III CdeP 1961. He passed away on February 10, 2024.
He is survived by his sister, Donna Lee Griffiths; his children, Michael John Truog and Laura Truog Fierce; grandchildren Vinh and Hanh Le-Truog; and former spouses Judith Platt and Darlene Albright. He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Kent Wales Truog.
Paul McCoy CdeP 1961
Stephen Newcomb CdeP 1967
We learned of the passing of Paul Bowe McCoy CdeP 1961. He passed away on June 20, 2024.
We recently learned of the passing of Stephen Newcomb CdeP 1967. Stephen built an international career in finance and spent most of his adult life living in São Paulo, Brazil. After graduating from Thacher, where he was involved in riding and student life, he went on to earn both his undergraduate and MBA degrees from UC Berkeley, completing his MBA in 1974.
Morton Hodgson CdeP 1961
Born on April 14, 1943, to Col. Howard Monroe McCoy and Pauline Bowe McCoy, Paul attended Thacher for one year and later went on to Washington College, where he began his lifelong journey of learning and growth. Paul devoted much of his career to the marine industry, becoming a presence in boatyards and marinas. He was always there to lend a hand with any project, no matter how big or small. Known for his quick wit and insightful observations, he often delivered life lessons with a joke, leaving those around him with both laughter and wisdom. Paul is survived by his wife, Muriel McCoy; his children, Kevin McCoy and Brooke LM Fernon; his son-in-law, Benjamin Fernon; and his cherished grandsons, Van Fernon and Asher Fernon.
John Truog CdeP 1961 John McKenna Truog CdeP 1961 passed away on March 26, 2024, in Seattle, Washington, at the age of 80.
He began his professional life in international banking, working for First Chicago (now JPMorgan) with assignments in Chicago, Mexico, Panama, and Brazil. He later joined Bankers Trust (now Deutsche Bank), where he remained until 1990. Afterward, he worked in financial leadership roles with Brazilian banks and corporations before founding his own business. He is survived by his four children, Yasmin, Luan, Nicholas, and Alexandra.
Roger Hooper CdeP 1971
Nikke Alex CdeP 2003
Roger Hooper passed away peacefully on May 18, 2025, after suffering a severe stroke. He was 71.
Nichole Alexis Alex CdeP 2003 passed away on June 1, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. She was 40.
Born in 1953 and raised in Ross, California, Roger developed a love for the outdoors early on through hiking, fishing, and sailing. At Thacher, he enjoyed camping and riding. After Thacher, he attended and graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 1975 with a degree in English. A lifelong reader, he especially enjoyed books on history, politics, and the natural world. Roger built a career as a nature photographer, mentored by West Marin photographer Ernie Braun. His images of forests, waterfalls, and coastlines are widely admired and shared. Over the past decade, he focused on photographing every waterfall in California and Oregon, often hiking to remote areas in search of the perfect shot. He is survived by his sisters, brothers-in-law, nephews, and many cousins.
John Wilcoxson III CdeP 1971 We learned that John G. Wilcoxson III CdeP 1971 passed away in February of 2025.
John Grace CdeP 1989 John Zacharias Grace CdeP 1989, known to many as Zachary Grace, passed away on September 29, 2025. Born on June 23, 1971, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Zach was a gifted composer, writer, and music producer. Zach pursued his passion for the arts through education and achievement. After Thacher, he earned his BA from Vassar College and went on to complete a master’s degree in music business and technology at New York University. Following his studies, he created Mean Red Music, a company through which he composed a variety of songs and collaborated with artists such as Sadie Jones as well as Tyler Conti with songs like “Dream.” A man of deep Catholic faith, Zach was known for his intelligence, artistry, and devotion to his loved ones. Above all, he cherished being a father, finding his greatest joy in his son, Luke. He will be remembered for his artistic talent, his intelligence, his humor, and his love for his family. Zach is survived by his beloved son, Luke Grace; his sisters, Yvonne Sumner and Ginger Grace; his brothers, Winston Grace and Michael Grace; and many extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Michael Paul Grace and Corinne Grace.
Born in Gallup, New Mexico, on March 19, 1985, Nikke was Áshįįhí (Salt Clan) nishłį, Ta’neeszahnii (Tangle Brush) bashishchiin, Totsohnii (Big Water) dashicheii, and Tłááschíʼí (Red Bottom) dashinalí. A proud Diné Asdzáán, she dedicated her life to justice, advocacy, and service, especially for Indigenous and environmental causes. She was known for her strength, compassion, and fierce leadership. After graduating from Thacher in 2003, Nikke became a passionate human rights and environmental advocate, a world traveler, a farmer, and a devoted mother. She lived her values deeply and inspired many through her courage, empathy, and commitment to community. She is survived by her eight-year-old son, Rey Mato; her partner, Robert; her mother, Bernadine; her siblings, Clint, Peyton, and Courtney; and many cousins and extended family. She will be remembered with deep love by the Thacher community and all those whose lives she touched.
Jesse Garrett CdeP 2011 It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the tragic passing of Jesse Garrett on June 20, 2025. Jesse is survived by his loving parents, Gwen and Sandy. Born in San Francisco, Jesse grew up in the city and attended Cathedral before arriving at Thacher. He went to Columbia University in New York, and he lived there working in finance and real estate.
meaningful friendships with different segments of his community. At his graduation, Joy read: “Magnificent in the classroom and efficient, at ease in collaboration and independent work, Jesse puts a capital P in ’Preparation.’ He is, simply, matchless in his dedication to the pursuit of excellence. It’s no fruitless chase—Jesse catches it, takes the briefest moment to appreciate his accomplishments, and then he’s off again, iridescent as the hummingbird, his heart beating as powerfully as the bird’s wings are fast.” Sandy Garrett: “He was brilliant, creative, compassionate, and relentless in his pursuit of excellence. Though he struggled with the weight of his own expectations, he touched so many lives with his kindness, his intellect, and his vibrant spirit.” Graham Abbey: “I don’t think I could have predicted how much of an impact he would have on our school, and on me personally. Jesse was too creative to be mundane. Late on Saturday nights after check in, you wanted to be in Jesse’s room to watch a movie and talk shop.” Will Callan: “Jesse moved with a certain disheveled flair. He was always kind of flourishing or wielding himself. We played soccer together, and there was nothing that got my adrenaline pumping like watching him pirouette, leap, and descend upon the gentle folk of Midland. Jesse, I miss walking around New York with you, talking on the phone, hearing about architecture and movies, but most of all, I miss your presence, your attitude, and your physical aura.” We had a meaningful opportunity to remember Jesse with friends and teachers at a service on campus at the Outdoor Chapel on September 20, 2025. We are raising funds to create a plaque in memory of Jesse at the new health center. Get in touch with Avery for questions, or information on sending condolences to his parents. Written by Avery Hellman CdeP 2011
Even though many of us never got a chance to say the words, we loved Jesse for the entirety of his unique personhood. At Thacher, Jesse excelled in academics, photography, and sports. He possessed an ability to develop intensely
The Thacher School 47
hen Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, the storm surged into history as one of the most destructive natural disasters the United States had ever seen. With sustained winds reaching Category 3 strength and a storm surge that overwhelmed miles of Gulf Coast shoreline, Katrina caused catastrophic damage across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. In New Orleans, the failure of the federal levee system led to flooding that covered 80 percent of the city, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee and leaving entire neighborhoods unrecognizable. More than 1,800 people lost their lives, and hundreds of thousands were displaced—many for months or years.
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20 Years Later: LOOKING BACK ON A PIVOTAL MOMENT OF STUDENT SERVICE
48 fall/winter 2025
During that chaotic week, Thacher students and faculty were scattered across the backcountry on their fall EDTs, far from any communication. By the time they emerged from the wilderness and returned to campus, the enormity of the disaster had become painfully clear. Almost immediately, the students asked the most Thacher of questions: What can we do?
...inspire and encourage hard work, integrity, self-reliance, a lifelong love of learning and truth, self-knowledge, and a deep concern for the world in which we live. Within days, students mobilized, calling a meeting at the Outdoor Chapel after community dinner to talk, reflect, and build a plan. They didn’t want to just raise money or send supplies, although they did that too. They wanted to travel to the Gulf Coast themselves and help. Kara Hooper stepped forward as the faculty member ready to help shape this impulse into action. Coordinating student travel to a disaster zone was complex, and given the damage to the area, the soonest possibility for a trip was over the School’s Thanksgiving break. Still, the students held fast, and Thacher backed their determination. Through the Berenson Fund, fundraising events, and support from students’ families and the Thacher community, airfare and hotel costs were covered, ensuring that the opportunity was available to anyone committed to the work. In the end, nearly 20 students, three faculty members, and one parent signed on. As logistics developed, Kara Hooper discovered Hilltop Rescue & Relief, a nonprofit that accepted volunteers regardless of age and connected her with Renaissance Village in Baker, Louisiana—the largest FEMA trailer park created after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A nun had established a makeshift school within Renaissance Village, offering stability for displaced children amidst the turmoil. It was there that a group of Thacher students assisted in classrooms, read with young students, and created moments of joy during recess— small gestures that carried weight in a community facing so much instability. The group also traveled into New Orleans East to support demolition efforts, clearing damaged homes to save families thousands in insurance-related labor costs. The work was physically demanding and emotionally heavy, yet the students approached it with humility, grit, and compassion. Students also handed out Thanksgiving food baskets and helped fill backpacks with toys and goodies for children. The students and faculty members worked from Saturday through Wednesday, flying home just in time for Thanksgiving. For many, the experience reshaped their understanding of service, empathy, and the power of showing up.
Twenty years later, this event remains a defining moment for the Thacher community—a time when students saw tremendous need in the wider world and stepped forward, guided by the School’s mission to “inspire and encourage hard work, integrity, self-reliance, a lifelong love of learning and truth, self-knowledge, and a deep concern for the world in which we live.” “While Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath were certainly extraordinary circumstances, the way our students responded is very much in line with the commitment to service and community that they demonstrate every day,” said Kara Hooper. “Decades later I’m still so proud to have worked alongside our inspirational students on this impactful relief work.”
STUDENT PARTICIPANTS: Allie Barbey CdeP 2008 Julia Bosson CdeP 2007 Ted Brown CdeP 2006 Olivea Callender-Scott CdeP 2007 Benita Chan CdeP 2007 Eliza Cope CdeP 2007 Anoush Dadian CdeP 2006 C.C. Hayne-Regan CdeP 2007 Genevieve Jensen CdeP 2008
Molly Katz CdeP 2007 David Kepner CdeP 2007 Jenny Morrill Koland CdeP 2006 Kaggie Orrick CdeP 2006 Sophia Ouyang CdeP 2006 Catherine Robinson CdeP 2006 Katherine Sawyer CdeP 2008 Drew Smith CdeP 2006 Dan Vega CdeP 2006 The Thacher School 49
The Thacher School 5025 Thacher Road Ojai, CA 93023 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Student SCUBA divers spent a day exploring the Channel Islands in November. Photo courtesy of Jungbin Yoon ’27.
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