>> A LUM N I PROF I L E
Alexandra Schwinn ’04 Alexandra Schwinn ’04 attended Miss Hall’s School, earned her undergraduate degree in music business/management from Boston’s Berklee College of Music, and recently graduated from Cambridge University with a master’s degree in choral studies. But her formative years at Cathedral made all the difference. “If it wasn’t for the choir, I would certainly not be where I am today,” Alexandra said. “Cathedral is a very encouraging place, especially to your specific talents. I struggled a lot academically when I was a child, so being in an environment that encouraged me to follow my own path was essential to my growth. I found my voice, metaphorically and literally, whilst at Cathedral, and that means so much. I was lucky to have been a part of such a strong community.” Several teachers stand out in Alexandra’s memory. “Dr. Vitale’s passion for Latin was very influential to my growth,” she recalled. “There were many other teachers who were specifically supportive throughout my time at Concanenda’s website Cathedral—most importantly and unsurprisingly, Mr. and www.concanenda.com Mrs. Delacey.” “The Cathedral School has such a strong arts program. Alexandra’s album It is imperative that children are challenged both academconcanenda.bandcamp.com ically and artistically,” Alexandra continued. “My teachers Alexandra’s BBC interview allowed us to push boundaries, to think outside of the https://soundcloud.com/ box, and most importantly, to have fun.” concanenda/bbc-radio3-the-choir-13-10-13 Alexandra continues to make her home in England, where she and Concanenda (the choir she founded at Cambridge) are flourishing. Concanenda’s debut album, Bright Shadows, was released online in November and is now on sale at the gift shop in The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Alexandra returns to the Close whenever she can and particularly enjoys following the progress of the Mission Outreach Committee, which she founded as a student. “I went in to meet the committee a few years ago, and it was just so humbling to see how helpful all of the children wanted to be. How passionate and involved they are. It’s truly inspiring.” As Alexandra’s star continues to rise (she was recently interviewed by BBC Radio about Concanenda’s success), she remains a proud Cathedral School alumna. “It’s important to remember where you’ve come from,” she said.
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engineering team won a 2008 Sports Emmy Award for the development of ESPN’s Virtual Playbook/”Augmented Reality” technology first featured on Sunday NFL Countdown and NFL Live. Since the conclusion of the 2013 World Series, Kofi has been pursuing endeavors in the NYC tech start-up industry and collaborating with his collegiate peers to develop plans for a physical fitness and lifestyle brand for Caribbean and West African youth. Anneka Ward graduated from Kenyon College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2007 and from Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing in May 2012. She began working as the school nurse at The Calhoun School in August 2013. Anneka recently moved to the Upper West Side, close to her childhood residential roots.
2001
Ariel Hidalgo is about
to complete her second and final year of graduate school in Sarah Lawrence College’s Health Advocacy program. Her senior thesis will focus on mental health and college-aged students. She recently ran into fellow Cathedral alumna Madeleine Rumely ’99 at a George Washington University alumni event, and “it brought back many memories of our time in the choir together, eating chocolate croissants at the Hungarian Pastry Shop, and countless other friends that we’ve tried to keep in touch with over the years,” Ariel said. “But overall, we kept discussing how much we love and loved our time at The Cathedral School.”
2003
Bradley Johnson
graduated from Ithaca College and now studies at Brunel University in London, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. He enjoys visiting The Cathedral School whenever he can. “I still stay in touch with many of my classmates and see them regularly,” Bradley said. “Go Cougars!”
C AT H E D R A L
WI NTER 201 4