Harker Magazine

A Lower School Day

CURIOSITY, CONNECTION AND JOY CAPTURED IN PHOTOGRAPHS

On the

Zelda Fitzpatrick, K, jumps for just the right book about cats.

Photo by Sophie Ormond. On

Kyla Lin and Melissa Zhao, both grade 6, help to honor loved ones at the annual Cancer Walk.

Photo by Kevin Reduta. On

Photo by Sophie Ormond.

The Gift of Time

Transitional kindergarten prepares young students for a life of education.

Following the Light

Photographs capture a day at the lower school.

Eagle Store Soars

Uniforms and spirit gear are a source of school pride.

18 28

Headlines

Senior collages inspire Brian Yager’s graduation address. 2 Top Stories

of significant stories from Harker News. 4

Gallery

Photo highlights from athletics, Near/Mitra, visual arts, performing arts, end-of-year activities, graduation and regional alum receptions. 12, 16, 24, 32, 38, 40 , 47

Alum Focus

Alums following their dreams and making a difference in the world. 14, 26, 34

Face Time

A glimpse into the educational expertise and personalities of our teachers. 17, 36, 42

Staff Kudos

in the professional lives of our faculty and staff. 37

news and photos. 43

About Harker

From its early beginnings in 1893 – when Stanford University leaders assisted in its establishment – to its reputation today as a leading preparatory school with graduates attending prestigious universities worldwide, Harker’s mission has remained constant: to create an environment that promotes academic excellence, inspires intellectual curiosity, expects personal accountability and forever instills a genuine passion for learning. Whether striving for academic achievement, raising funds for global concerns, performing on stage or scoring a goal, Harker students encourage and support one another and celebrate each other’s efforts and successes, at Harker and beyond. Harker is a dynamic, supportive, fun and nurturing community where kids and their families make friends for life.

Harker Magazine is published biannually, in December and June, to showcase some of the top news, visionary programs and inspiring people of the greater Harker community. This magazine and its predecessor, the Harker Quarterly, have been recognized with CASE silver and bronze awards, and three gold and four platinum MarCom awards.

We Carry The Collage

What Our Memories Teach Us

2025 GRADUATION ADDRESS

The collages in the foyer of Main Hall tell a number of stories. Each year when senior parents create these homages to their students, I find myself joining many others as we examine each one, admiring the details, the formats, and the messages of love, hope and pride that they convey. Each board is a reflection of the life the senior celebrated, and the personalities of the parents who created them. The collages are also windows into what matters for our graduates and their parents.

Subscribe to Harker News and get the latest daily updates. Visit news.harker.org.

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The Harker School is an independent, coed, college-prep school serving kindergarten through grade 12.

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NEXT ISSUE: FALL/WINTER 2025

There are certain consistencies within these displays. Most contain at least one portrait of the senior, and many have multiple images reflecting the physical growth from year to year. Oftentimes, these evolutionary portraits frame the rest of the collage, creating a timelapse border showcasing, year by year, the growth and changes, and also the fixed qualities, within each student. While the hairstyles change, and teeth come and go, along with braces, it is remarkable how certain character traits remain evident year after year.

There are also almost always images of other family members: brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and occasionally great-grandparents, smiling happily together at the camera. Frequently, a family pet gets a featured spot.

Often, the family photos are taken in foreign locations, or on family trips. Images of snow-covered hills, from the Sierras to the Alps, provide a backdrop behind the goggle-covered eyes of happy skiers. Or the waters of some tropical location in the Pacific or the Mediterranean produce an azure background against which the bronzed summertime visages smile radiantly. There are also photos of famous landmarks, reflecting family journeys that are not just recreational, but educational. As well, the collages capture moments of friendship and group camaraderie, sometimes with teammates, or fellow cast members from various productions, or partners from a class assignment or extracurricular project.

Collectively, all of the collages embody so much of your experiences, both as people, and as students at Harker. And they reflect what matters.

There are some things that are notably absent from these collages; these include images of the hard times. You don’t see many tears in the photographs, or the eye rolling that likely preceded some of the beautiful images. There aren’t a lot of pictures of students visiting the doctor’s office, nor are there pictures of students struggling through a physics worksheet, nor of sleepy juniors staying up late to finish an essay for English class. I’ve never seen a

It’s the simple things, really: family, wonder, beauty, adventure, and the learning that happens through it ….

picture of a test, transcript or SAT score. And there aren’t a lot of images showing the disappointment after a defeat, or that depict athletes or dancers lying spent on the field or stage. It is natural, of course, as we reflect on our lives, and take time to archive them in these photographic montages, that the focus is on the things we want to remember, and that matter for their positive impacts upon us. Yet, while their absence from these collages is understandable, these challenging times, these times of struggle, and even pain, also matter. In fact, many times, the images shared in these collages are those that implicitly reflect the successful navigation of life‘s challenges. Without them, the things that we celebrate wouldn’t matter so much.

Among all of the collages this year, there was one picture that evoked a particularly strong emotional response for me. It was Katerina‘s family picture in front of the great pyramid of Cheops, the largest of the pyramids of Giza, situated along the Nile River on the outskirts of Cairo. This picture contains many of the elements I’ve mentioned: the smiling faces of family members; the celebration of foreign places, and the adventure of getting there; and the presence of one of humanity’s most amazing achievements.

For me, the picture on that collage mirrors one of my own. On top of the shelves in my office, I have a photograph of me, my brothers and my parents, taken from atop that same pyramid when I was just 9 years old. Back then, there was less development on the outskirts of Cairo, and far fewer regulations at the pyramids. With a guide, we ascended the 480-foot structure just in time to view the sunrise over the desert. All five of us and our guide are smiling broadly in the photograph as the first rays of the sun‘s light illuminate our faces and the top of the adjacent pyramid, named Chephren.

As I think about what matters in my own life, I think of this photograph. It’s the simple things, really: family, wonder, beauty, adventure, and the learning that happens through it, and putting in the work to have an experience that changes your perspective and makes you a different person.

This year has been one during which I have thought a lot about what matters, as my parents enter the twilight of their lives. I’ve shared before with some of you that my father‘s memories are fading, especially recent ones, and that our conversations are often very circular these days. However, his long-term memories remain, which is likely

why he spends much of our time together sharing stories from the older days. In the stories, I see what matters to my father. These include friends, family, service, and a never-ending quest to grow and explore. My father does not often speak of death or his end, except to joke about it. However, he has expressed that he wants to be buried with one thing accompanying him: the photograph of his family atop the pyramid. It is a small thing, but it is what matters.

Graduates, you will have many adventures in your lives. You will face hardship; you will experience joy, sorrow and exuberance. There will be good times and bad times, successes and failures. These are inevitable. As you navigate the challenges and pursue the opportunities in front of you, the quality of your life will be determined not by chasing those things that make life easier. Rather, the quality of your lives will be determined by pursuing those things that matter. While it is up to you to determine what those things are, I am confident that they will include those things that we see most often in the collages in Main Hall: friends, family, adventure, learning, growth, and the love and kindness that accompany them all. May you fare well in your efforts and find these things with great abundance.

GIFTof the Time

Transitional kindergarten prepares young students for a life of education

On a sunny day, the light illuminates a room that could fit an aviary, and sunbeams dance through windows as tall as a giraffe.

Children sit on a rug patterned with squares of muted greens, browns and tans as a teacher reads aloud about dolphins, snakes or penguins. Their imaginations are stirred with every page, inspiring questions.

“Why do sharks have gills?”

“Why don’t we have gills?”

In the transitional kindergarten program, for students on the younger end of Harker’s kindergarten age scale, learning is just another fun activity. Just look at Alea Selburn’s music and movement class, where kids dance alongside their teacher while singing to Selburn’s ukelele.

On campus during outdoor time, Debra Cope, Harker’s primary division head (TK-grade 2), noticed something she didn’t expect through the whirl of tricycles and the stacking of blocks.

“Two students chose to walk around with each other and have a conversation about galaxies and black holes and the Milky Way,” Cope said. “They could be choosing to ride a tricycle, but no, they want to engage in this conversation because they were very excited about black holes.”

Harker was a K-12 school before adding preschool and TK in 2013-14. When the Union Avenue campus became Harker’s middle school, the TK program moved to Boynton Avenue – and its 6,000-square-foot main classroom and smaller ones for music and STEM – for the 2021-22 school year while the preschool programs were dropped.

Transitional kindergarten differs from regular kindergarten in that it is designed for students who turn 5 years old between June 1-December 1. TK provides the opportunity for them to develop and mature among other younger students, giving them a more sure-footed head start than if grouped with older students. Families can apply for kindergarten or TK, but not both.

“If you look at a kindergarten class and you see the younger kids compared to the older, there’s a huge difference,” said Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs. “We want all of our students to be able to enter kindergarten feeling like they can bring their 100 percent. Even if they are super bright and have academic minds, sometimes the students aren’t ready socially or emotionally. Because truly, learning is a social endeavor.”

Social and emotional learning is a major emphasis in Harker’s TK curriculum, helping students to acclimate to a classroom setting, and to become more assertive and sure in their decision-making.

“There are some students younger than the age of 5 who are totally ready in every sense of the word to go into kindergarten,” Gargano said.

“But what we have found is, that’s not the case for every student.

“We want to give students the gift of time, the gift of confidence where they can come out of TK and know, ‘I’m a good learner, I’m a good student.’ Now,

they’re ready to make the most of kindergarten and set themselves on a positive trajectory.

“We tell parents that gift of time … it might be the greatest gift they can give.”

Vincy Chan came from teaching higher grades in a public school to teaching Harker’s first TK class. All four of her children have gone through Harker.

“I’ve been here since the beginning,” she said. “I tell everyone, it’s my fifth child. It’s my baby.”

On the wall are framed photos of every class and every student she has taught. Standing on a rise above Chan in the oldest photo is a little girl with a strand of hair falling out of a clip and nearly covering her eye.

That’s Annabel Huang, now at the upper school, in the Class of 2027. She doesn’t remember taking the photo, but said, “I’m making a really dumb face.”

Huang was reunited with Chan in February as a director of STEM Buddies, a division of an upper school group called WiSTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Huang organized a visit in which Harker students brought scientific experiments to the TK classroom for students to try.

“When I was in TK, I remember when the WiSTEM club came and how these high schoolers in lab coats looked so cool,” Huang said. “And it’s so cool that now I’m one of those high schoolers coming back.”

When Huang and her group of 14 young women arrived, Chan was there to greet them as they came off the bus.

Huang wondered, does she remember me?

“Oh my God, Annabel!” Chan said, and greeted her with a hug.

Huang remembers being shy, especially around the high school students on their visit. “Terrified,” she recalled. But as she oversaw six stations of experiments around the classroom, she noticed a difference in the kids today.

“They weren’t scared to ask questions,” Huang said.

The children were enamored by the ProScope, a handheld digital microscope they used to examine objects like skin, hair and clothing, and then skipped through the classroom for more things to look at.

There were stations with activities covering pH tests with lemon juice and litmus paper, rain cloud experiments using shaving cream, light refraction with paper and water, lava lamps with oil and water, and a test that measured reaction times.

“When I was younger, whenever I had something really cool happen at school, I’d get in my car when my mom picked me up and I’d say, ‘Mom, look what I learned today. We did this demonstration and it was so cool,’” Huang said. “I want them to experience the same feeling, to tell their parents what they love doing and the fun activities that we

“When people say the grass is greener on the other side, this is the green patch. There is nothing greener than this.”

– Christine Thomas, TK teacher

“We want all of our students to be able to enter kindergarten feeling like they can bring their 100 percent.”

– Jennifer Gargano , assistant head of school for academic affairs

did. And be really excited.”

The three TK teachers – Chan, Selburn and Christine Thomas – experience that goal every day, as do the rest of the staff: Melody Nouralipour, who teaches art and handwriting as a teaching assistant; T’ana Singleton, an afternoon aide who taught STEM while Thomas was on leave; afternoon aide Joe Rodriguez; Warren Volk, the program coordinator; and extended care aide Sholeh Talemi.

STEM, for instance, doesn’t have to be a complicated endeavor, even for 5 year olds. It’s about being open, asking questions, collaborating, problem-solving. Signs on the wall encourage as much: “We connect,” “We Invent,” “We Make.”

On the wall in the makers space in the STEM room, the engineering design process is illustrated in five steps, beginning with “What is the problem?” and concluding with “What could work better?”

Thomas, whose passion for teaching can be sensed immediately, was intrigued by Harker when parents at the school she was teaching at often asked for referrals to try to transfer to Harker. When she finally came to Harker, she saw why.

“The community itself is one like no other,” she said. “And the students are unlike any I’ve ever seen before. When people say the grass is greener on the other side, this is the green patch. There is nothing greener than this.”

Thomas prides herself on making advanced concepts simple in ways that can demystify science and can be understood in their basic forms by young children.

“What’s a question that you have?” she

might ask. “How can you solve it? Talk to someone about it. Do it, try it.” And, of course, there’s the big question: “Who would like to take a risk?”

“Some are afraid to be wrong,” Thomas said. “But I teach them, ‘I can’t know your ideas unless you tell us what you think. What you say matters.’ When they have that in them, it’s a boost of confidence. And that’s what they need.”

There are 24 spots in each TK cohort, with students screened through cognitive evaluation and observation in a social setting. This is an entry point to Harker and can be the beginning of a 14-year educational journey.

“What attracted us to Harker was the promise of something different, a different approach to learning” said Latika Kohli, the mother of Neev, who entered TK in 202324. “It’s not rote learning, it’s not traditional academics.”

Drawn also by the self-contained campus and a student-to-teacher ratio of 8:1, Kohli and husband Ankit Tandon stepped into the learning space and felt this was a place Neev would be safe and with others who shared his inquisitive nature.

“We fell in love with the whole setup,” Tandon said.

“I remember thinking of it like a cocoon for these children to develop and blossom,” Kohli said. “It’s been more than we had even hoped for. Even while they’re having fun, they’re learning more than what textbooks can offer.”

It wasn’t just the advanced learning – like creating and testing hypotheses – that Neev’s parents were so impressed with, but also that students were learning to navigate social situations.

Selburn, a gifted musical theater performer who specializes in social and emotional

learning in addition to music and movement, said, “We help them transition from playbased preschool programs to a more academic setting. We are the bridge for that.” It’s useful to understand the environment where they’re coming from. And it’s not like the come-home-when-the-lights-turn-on childhood that many adults grew up with.

“Everything is very structured for these kids,” Selburn said. “And everything they do, the parent is right there. Kids this age have never been unsupervised, ever. And there’s an increased reliance on adult help.”

The TK kids are taught to think for themselves and make decisions on their own. Rather than solving their problems, teachers encourage the kids to create their own solutions and build their independence.

The entire staff collaborates in all aspects of the program, though each has their specialties. For Chan, it’s language arts. “My goal is for all students to be able to read

when they leave TK,” said Chan, though that task is not easy with some already reading at third-grade level or above, and some still learning the alphabet.

Which begs the question: What are kids this age capable of? That’s hard to say, which is why Thomas believes in “up teaching” – instructing at a high level and providing “scaffolding” to help students succeed. Each teacher is careful not to limit their expectations.

“At this age, we often underestimate what they can do,” Gargano said. “At Harker, we have found time and time again that if you teach in an engaging way, students can really learn in a deep way. Parents have told me, ‘Oh my goodness, the kids told me about the life cycle of a butterfly and metamorphosis ….’”

The TK doors open at 7 a.m. and close at 6 p.m., with both before- and after-school care available. The regular school day lasts from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and typically begins with playground activity before students return to the classroom for a morning meeting, often incorporating some math, such as counting students or subtracting those who are absent. They then break into groups of eight for different lessons and the day begins in earnest.

“Our goal is to get them excited about being in school,” Cope said. “We set the foundation for their educational career.”

Of the 24 kids in the original Harker TK class, six remain at Harker, with two years

remaining before reaching the ultimate Harker Lifer finish line.

Huang, among the “original six,” doesn’t remember many specifics from Chan’s class, but does remember how she felt there.

“They really emphasize characteristics, like integrity and kindness,” Huang said. “And that’s stayed with me. And the work ethic – I think it influenced who I am today.”

The campus was different then, but that class picture hasn’t changed, as Huang discovered during her STEM Buddies visit.

“I have a mystery for you guys,” Chan told her students. “One of the volunteers in this room was in my first TK class. She’s in this picture. Can you figure out which one?

One student pointed to Huang in the photo, but was unable to identify her in the classroom. Still, the full-circle moment was special.

“I was so touched,” Huang said.

After taking a new photo together, Huang returned to her campus and Chan to her classroom. But, to both, the visit meant something a little bit more: What they shared in a TK classroom years ago had made a difference.

David Kiefer is a freelance writer and former journalist at the San Jose Mercury News.

Additional photos from Harker’s archive.

In April, five seniors pledged to participate in athletics at the collegiate level during a special signing ceremony at the upper school’s athletic center: Audrey Feng (Dartmouth, tennis), Chayce Milheim (Lewis & Clark College, lacrosse), Isabella Lo (CalTech, basketball), Kaleb Goldin (Boston University, track and field) and Kyra Cui (MIT, swimming). Other spring semester highlights included an impressive season from boys tennis, which had a 12-3 record at press time as they headed into the WBAL individual tournament. Track and field ended their season in April with a 52-second win by the girls in the 4x100 relay, followed by individual event wins from juniors Sophia Ou, Timmy Chen (pictured at left), Brady Tse, Maryanne Davies and many more. For more photo highlights from the spring 2025 semester, view our online gallery at https://news. harker.org/gallery-spring-2025-athletics/.

athletics

Photo by Sophie Ormond

From Calculus to Confidence

How Avni Barman ‘15 is changing the game for women in business and tech

“It wasn’t until I realized that true impact is only scalable and sustainable with a strong business that everything clicked and Gen She’s potential became limitless.”

- Avni Barman ‘15

When Avni Barman ’15 first joined Anthony Silk’s AP Calculus BC class, she was immediately noticeable for her infectious energy and lively conversations. Although she seemed more passionate about other subjects, her enthusiasm and positive attitude stood out. But Silk saw something more; he recognized potential in Barman.

“My sense was, at least in the beginning, that she didn’t trust her own abilities, but they were very strong,” said Silk, mathematics department chair. “Her grades improved steadily, which is rare in a course like calculus, where the material only gets harder. Her chattiness faded over the year, but her enthusiasm and confidence only grew.”

Barman credits Silk with helping her believe in herself. He was one of the first teachers to see her potential, a revelation that was transformative for her, especially since she struggled with “imposter syndrome” during her time at Harker.

By the start of her junior year, Barman was uncertain about her future – unsure of which college to attend or even if she wanted to go at all. Then, during spring semester, she watched as the seniors received college acceptance letters. That is when she learned about The Iovine and Young Academy at USC, a new entrepreneurship program designed to merge creative education with technological and business skills.

“Wow, that’s the dream – that’s it!” remembers Barman, who, at first, felt motivated but also terrified. “I decided not to apply because I couldn’t imagine myself getting in, but then I mentioned the program to my dad during dinner and he said, ‘Just apply, you never know unless you try.’ So that’s what I did.” Even though only days remained before the application deadline, nothing was going to stand in her way.

She was one of 20 students accepted into the highly selective program, where she thrived in an environment that combined design, technology and business. It was there that she founded Gen She, an initiative aimed at closing the gender gap in leadership and entrepreneurship. She did this by hosting conferences in collaboration with Snap and Lyft, building free mentorship programs for female entrepreneurs and growing Gen She to more than 100 chapters globally.

After graduating, Barman joined software company Atlassian as an associate product manager. She excelled in her role and was climbing the corporate ladder, but realized that the grind wasn’t what she wanted. She longed for the freedom to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams.

Determined, she saved up, left her job and took the leap into entrepreneurship. Her first venture was an app, for which she raised

money. But soon, she found herself trading one set of pressures for another – shifting from one corporate boss to a handful of involved investors. Realizing this wasn’t the path she wanted either, she shut down the app, returned the investment money and decided to make a move across the country.

“I left my dream apartment in NYC and sold nearly everything I had with literally no plan,” said Barman. “I decided on San Francisco, the city with the highest density of founders, because the best way to be like someone successful is to surround yourself with them first.”

In San Francisco, she immersed herself in an entrepreneurial community that encouraged her to start a podcast to share her ideas. Open to new possibilities, she began recording episodes, and the podcast quickly gained traction.

This was the perfect platform for Gen She to have its most significant impact yet,

allowing it to do its best work through the podcast, conferences, a newsletter and a fund that invests in early-stage companies. She realized that media was the key to achieving infinite scale and sustainability for the business, allowing her to deliver maximum impact without ever charging the people she wanted to help and the fund allowed her to “put her money where her mouth is.”

“I’ve been working on Gen She on the side for six years, but it wasn’t until I realized that true impact is only scalable and sustainable with a strong business that everything clicked and Gen She’s potential became limitless,” said Barman, who is committed to supporting women. “By building this incredible company, I’m finally able to create the level of impact in the world that I’ve always wanted – and I’m only just getting started.”

Vikki Bowes-Mok is a freelance writer and editor. Additional photos from Harker’s archive.

Photo provided by Avni Barman ‘15

Near/Mitra Celebration gallery

This year’s Near/Mitra scholars were celebrated by mentors, families and friends on April 29. The John Near Excellence in History Endowment and the Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities sponsor grants to enable selected seniors to research a U.S. history or humanities topic of their choice, which they work on throughout the school year. Each scholar is mentored by a librarian and one or two teachers, made possible by the Chen Lin Family Faculty Grant Program.

2024-25 SCHOLARS

Near ScholarS

Felix Chen

“Nothing is So Important as a Public Library”: Free Public Libraries as a Barometer for Public Sentiment in Civil Rights America Mentors: Carol Green and Amy Pelman

Anwen Hao

“Evolution Over Revolution: How Judicial Adaptation Undermined Roosevelt’s CourtPacking Plan”

Mentors: Matt McCorkle, Kevin Oliver and Amy Pelman

Gabe Sachse

“Cinematic Frontiers: John Ford and Sergio Leone’s Influence on the Western Genre” Mentors: James Tate and Meredith Cranston

Jason Shim

“From Tuskegee to Tongnip: Yun Chi-ho’s Diaries as a Transpacific Dialogue on Uplift, Sovereignty, and Assimilation” Mentors: Byron Stevens and Amy Pelman

Mitra ScholarS

Mu Jia Jiang

“Simplicity in Feeling, Totality of Grief: An Analysis of the Manifestation of Käthe Kollwitz’s Personal Experiences in Her Art”

Mentors: Donna Gilbert, Bronwen Callahan and Meredith Cranston

Valerie Li

“Manufacturing Amnesia: How Japanese Media and Wartime Correspondents Justified the Nanjing Massacre”

Mentors: Bronwen Callahan, Byron Stevens and Amy Pelman

Katerina Matta

“Lo pasado me estirá pa’ trás / y lo presente pa’ ‘delante”: Analyzing Strategies of Cultural Subversion in Chicana Feminism

Mentors: Chuck Witschorik and Connie Hollin

Young Min

“The Evolution and Resilience of Korea’s Medical Benevolence”

Mentors: Jonathan Rim and Connie Hollin

Emily Mitnick

“Hmong at Heart: Understanding the Hmong American Story”

Mentors: Mark Janda and Connie Hollin

Sahngwie Yim

“Missing the Forest for the Family Tree: How Cultural Misalignment Undermined South Korea’s Family Planning Program”

Mentors: Clifford Hull and Meredith Cranston

Photographs by Deborah Lord

Talk to upper school math teacher Bradley Stoll and you’ll find a deeply compassionate, empathic and introspective person. Mostly raised in Minnesota, he lived in five states before age 8, a fact he credits with his development as an independent person. Stoll advises the Social Action Club and is a part of the LIFE board. He also gives his time to ServiceSpace, a volunteer-run organization whose “aim is to ignite the fundamental generosity in ourselves and others, creating both inner and outer transformation.” Stoll and his wife of almost 34 years, Carol, raised two Harker grads, Brandon ’17 and Emma-Leigh ’21.

What do you dislike that everyone else loves?

It’s taken a while, but I’ve convinced my family to make a donation to one of several nonprofits that resonate with me, rather than spend money on a gift for me. I have received some handmade gifts, though, which hold a special place in my heart.

What are you doing when you feel most alive?

When I’m brave enough to do a random act of kindness for a stranger, that engagement makes me feel more connected to all of humanity.

What do you most apologize for?

I’ve apologized more than once to my children for the mistakes I made as a father when they were younger. They’ve forgiven me!

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest and why?

Jesus. Did he really think he was the son of God, or was he just a man full of compassion and love who wanted to serve others? Does he really want people to worship and fear him? I have my own thoughts on this, but I’d like to hear what he has to say!

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

I would like to be fluent, or at least conversational, in Spanish, Mandarin and Hindi. I’d feel like a new, huge part of the world had opened to me.

Classroom In the Honors Discrete Math

In groups, students have to figure out how to “fairly” divide discrete objects. There are rules that they must follow, e.g., they have no knowledge of what the other person likes. We go to Davis Field and I line up (peanut-free) candy, and they have to come up with a method that will work. What they’re stumbling upon is the Method of Markers.

What do you like to do when you finally have a block of free time?

Browse through Pinterest looking for new vegan meals and desserts to try out.

Bradley Stoll

PROLOGUE:

The Day’s Story Begins

Following the

Photographs capture a day at the lower school

8:01 a.m . Debra Cope, primary division head, provides a warm greeting at drop-off.

7:45 Thomas Downard braves the cold to raise the American and California flags at the front of the lower school campus.

8:15 a.m . Kindergarten students grab some early play time together, burning off that extra energy before lining up for class.

8:20 a.m . A line of kindergartners winds along the play area as they visit quietly while waiting to be called to class.

CHAPTER 1: The Business of School

8:23 a.m. It’s organized chaos for Kristin Giammona, elementary division head, as she greets parent chaperones and grade 4 students and gets them lined up to board buses for their field trip. Today, they’re going to the Exploratorium!

9:11 a.m . It’s the third graders’ turn to work off some morning energy with a robust flag football game on the field.

9:01 a.m . Morning light streams through the window of Priyanka Biswas’ grade 5 English class.

9:17 a.m . Juan Jimenez’ knife blurs with speed as he preps lunch; after nearly 30 years, he hardly needs to look!

CHAPTER 2: Break Time

11:44 a.m . Third graders seem pretty excited about today’s mac and cheese, along with lots of sandwiches and fruit to choose from.

CHAPTER 3: Back to Class

10:10 a.m. Recess provides a great time to share some laughs with a friend.

11:37 a.m . A student shows she can balance schoolwork and fun time … literally.

10:23 a.m . A break between classes provides a quiet moment for friends to chat at a locker.

CHAPTER 4: A Special Treat

1:47 p.m . Second graders are amazed by a display at the Environmental Detectives assembly.

CHAPTER 5: The Team That Keeps Us Going

2:09 p.m . Tony Zamora prepares to spruce up empty classrooms.

2:10 p.m . The kitchen staff is always out and about keeping the campus fed. We caught Hugo Parra crossing the blacktop.

2:14 p.m . Vince Salinas hits the gym … to prep the space for the next activity after the assembly.

CHAPTER 6:

Afternoon L earning

2:30 p.m . Cassidy Caldwell guides first graders through the differences between butterflies and moths. Can you say “metamorphosis”?

2:41 p.m . Kindergartners love library time!

CONCLUSION:

2:32 p.m . Carena Kay leads an afternoon of music.

The BEST Time of Day

4:11 p.m . Some intense martial arts action takes place as kids wind down the day with a great mental and physical workout.

4:03 p.m . The setting sun highlights the lonely life of the goalie.

3:45 p.m . The American Sign Language class is working on words for emotions!

EPILOGUE:

Time to Go Home

3:05 p.m . The BEST team deploys to their stations to supervise the final activities of the day.

3:08 p.m . Afternoon light shines around Andrea Ledford as she delivers snacks.

2:30 p.m . Brandon Hightower enjoys a chat with a student as he walks her to her ride.

to a close as Antonio Cobarrubias makes sure all the internal and external gates are locked up tight.

4:39 p.m . Students board the shuttle so cheerful driver Charlene Figone can deliver them to another campus to meet their parents.

visual arts

Oren Ioffe grade 6

“Face” (linocut print)

Visual arts students showcased second semester work in several shows at our campuses. Here are some of the many standout pieces from the classes of Peggy Lao, Gerry-louise Robinson, Sofie Siegmann, Brian Caponi, Joshua Martinez and Pilar Agüero-Esparza.

Arman Sawood kindergarten “Dancing Giraffe” (tempera paint, collage)

Clara Yu-Svensson grade 7

“Butterflies” (sculpture with rock, foil, wire)

Rayan Ardestani grade 3

“Polish Folk Art” (oil pastel, construction paper, crayon)

Ariel Zhu grade 5

“Urban Landscape” (graphite pencil)

Ethan Guan grade 12

Ayza Tahirzad grade 8

Madelene Hu grade 9

“Empyrean” (ceramic with mixed media)

“Made of Stars” (short film)

Vera Sorotokin grade 10

“Identity” (oil on canvas)

“Bowl” (ceramic)

WORDS BY VIKKI BOWES-MOK

PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY JACK FARNHAM ’17

UNLESS NOTED

Call A Trumpet’s

LIFE IN THE ARTS RECIPIENT

JACK FARNHAM ’17’S MUSICAL JOURNEY

hen Jack Farnham ’17 was six years old, he joined an after-school music program where the focus was on bongos and drums. But it was his teacher who often stole the show. Every so often, he’d pick up his trumpet and play for the young students. For Farnham, it was a revelation. “I thought it was super cool,” he says, recalling how the sound of the trumpet captivated him in a way no other instrument had.

Farnham had grown up surrounded by music; his father was a drummer and his mother played the piano. But it wasn’t until he heard the trumpet that he realized music could be his calling. He remained committed to the after-school program throughout elementary school, and by the time he was in third grade, he had made up his mind: the trumpet was his instrument.

As his passion for music deepened, his family began exploring private high school options. It was during this search that they discovered Harker.

“I first met Jack when he was in eighth grade, performing with the wind ensemble at the Golden State Youth Orchestra,” recalls Dave Hart, Harker’s current middle school and former upper school instrumental music teacher. “I was brought in to help with the concert, and I had the pleasure of playing trumpet next to him. It was clear from the start that he had tremendous potential.”

Photo by Sophie Ormond

“[Jack’s] contributions helped elevate The Harker School Orchestra to new heights.” – Dave Hart, instrumental teacher

Hart remembers Farnham’s solo on Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” which became one of the most exciting performances in Harker’s history. “When I found out Jack would join Harker as a ninth grader, I was thrilled. Over the next four years, his contributions helped elevate The Harker School Orchestra to new heights.”

While attending Harker, Farnham also played for prestigious groups including the California Youth Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. His dedication was unmatched. “He’d show up [at school] every morning by 7:15 a.m., and without fail, I’d hear trumpet exercises echoing down the hallway next to the rehearsal space in the aux gym,” Hart recalls. “That hallway wasn’t exactly inviting or cozy, but it didn’t stop Jack. His commitment was nothing short of impressive; he never missed a day.”

Despite his intense focus on music, Farnham also found time to pursue water polo, swimming and academics. He met Mia Giammona ’17 during his freshman year, and they began dating as sophomores. Today, the two are engaged to be married.

After Harker, Farnham continued his education at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where he graduated in 2021 as a program honors recipient with a Bachelor of Music degree in trumpet performance and a minor in music theory. He chose Northwestern for its renowned brass section and the expertise of its dedicated faculty.

When Farnham received a full-ride scholarship to attend The Juilliard School, he didn’t hesitate.

“I knew the chance to learn from legends like Raymond Mase and Chris Martin was a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity,” he says. “Juilliard is filled with incredibly talented students, so the pressure can be intense. But I thrived on that challenge. I knew I wanted to rise to the high expectations of such an esteemed institution.”

Farnham graduated from Juilliard in 2024 with an impressive list of accomplishments under his belt. Today, he is a member of the New World Symphony in Miami, where he lives with Giammona, and continues to push the boundaries of his musical career.

“I really loved my time at Harker, because it gave me the freedom to fully pursue my passion for the trumpet,” reflects Farnham, who is the Life in the Arts recipient for 202425. “It took a lot of bravery to focus on music, especially because it was a bit different, but I realized that if you’re truly passionate about something, Harker will support you. That support definitely played a big role in my journey.”

Vikki Bowes-Mok is a freelance writer and editor. Additional photos from Harker’s archive.

Farnham’s musical journey

Fellow, first year, New World Symphony

Winner, Hartford Symphony Orchestra assistant principal trumpet audition

Finalist, Philadelphia Orchestra’s fourth/utility trumpet audition

Finalist, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s second trumpet audition

Finalist, San Diego Symphony’s second trumpet audition

Finalist, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s third trumpet audition

Finalist, Symphony San Jose’s principal trumpet audition

Finalist, Harrisburg Symphony’s principal trumpet audition Fellow, Spoleto Festival

Fellow, Tanglewood Music Center

oars

Harker uniforms and spirit gear are a source of school pride

WORDS

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

MARLA HOLT

SOPHIE ORMOND

The true heart of school spirit is always in the people of the Harker community, but much of the gear that shows it can be found through Harker’s Eagle Store.

The store, located on the second floor of the upper school’s Nichols Hall and overlooking the building’s rotunda and its Foucault pendulum, is a celebration of Harker pride. It’s fully stocked with everything from hats to flannel pajama bottoms and hoodies, tees and jackets in all sizes, making it easy to outfit the whole family, from babies to adults. Need a stadium blanket, tote bag or keychain? They have that, too!

While for years Harker has made it easy for parents to purchase school and P.E. uniforms online, having an attractive physical space to browse and purchase Harker spirit wear is a newer endeavor, according to Kimberly Lobe, director of advancement, who noted that all the store’s proceeds benefit Harker’s endowment as an “investment in our future.”

“Until about seven years ago, the Eagle Store was a closet where you could get a water bottle or sweatshirt. Not many people knew it was there,” Lobe said. “We’ve made a concerted effort to grow into a fully fledged store because we know that wearing Harker-branded gear fosters a sense of community, belonging and school pride.”

School Uniforms and Beyond

When Heidi Artiss joined Harker as the Eagle Store manager in 2024, she began her tenure by listening to the Harker community about how the store might better serve its needs. She established a partnership with Lululemon in response to requests for women-specific fits. At school uniform fitting sessions, she heard from parents who wanted warmer options, and now updated sweaters, bucket hats and beanies are popular with lower school students.

Perhaps most exciting is the Eagle Store’s new partnership with Patagonia to offer its beloved Nano Puff jackets, branded with the Harker logo. It’s the first-ever partnership Patagonia has entered into with a school store (including those at colleges and universities) and it’s thanks to Artiss’ efforts to persuade Patagonia that Harker was a good fit.

“We needed an alternative to hoodies, and I immediately thought of Patagonia, particularly because its commitment to environmental stewardship and using sustainably sourced materials is such a good match to Harker’s values,” Artiss said. Soon the Eagle Store will offer a line of Patagonia gear, including vests, Nano Puffs and down sweaters. Families will also have the option of participating in Patagonia’s “Worn Wear” program, which accepts used gear for resale or recycling.

“Patagonia is recognizing how dedicated Harker is to sustainability,” Artiss said. “I’m excited to include its merchandise in our store, which I think will be well-received.”

The Eagle Store offers pop-up sales at events, works with student clubs and organizations on branded orders, and orders Harker staff uniform items.

“Having a centralized point for all branded items to be ordered has tremendously improved the pricing, consistency and quality of all Harker-branded items,” said Pam Dickinson, Office of Communication director. The Office of Communication oversees the school’s brand guidelines and works closely with the Eagle Store to ensure that anything bearing the Harker logo meets those guidelines and suitably represents the quality of the school. Harker’s senior graphic designer, Becky McCartney, is the school’s visual brand manager and has worked with the Eagle Store in all its variations since its inception to guide and approve all designs. “I’ve been invested in the design and development of products in Harker’s online store for years and take pride in the amazing store it is today,” said McCartney. “This collaboration has been strong and effective in helping the school present a united and consistent image, both inside and outside the community,” Dickinson added. She said that the centralization also allows the school to make orders with sustainability in mind, using recycled materials where possible, choosing companies aligned with sustainability values (such as Patagonia) or finding sustainable ways to recycle items. “For many years we have recycled school banners into bags, luggage tags and pouches, which are also a hit in the store.”

“Putting on something with the Harker logo gives you a sense of pride, a puffing out of the chest, a feeling of ‘I belong at Harker.’”

– Kristin Giammona, elementary division head

K Through Life Spirit

Wearing Harker-branded swag contributes to a sense of belonging for everyone connected to Harker – students, families, alumni, faculty and staff.

Artiss notes a tightly bonded community when she sees Harker students wearing the store’s green sweatshirts and hoodies. “Having spirit wear in common promotes a sense of unity and shared identity, and strengthens connections across a diverse group of people,” she said.

While they’re required to wear school uniforms, lower school students also regularly wear Harker gear during free-dress days and Spirit Week. “Putting on something with the Harker logo gives you a sense of pride, a puffing out of the chest, a feeling of ‘I belong at Harker,’” said Kristin Giammona, elementary division head.

Paul Barsky, upper school head, agrees. He loves seeing a sea of green among spectators in support of teammates and friends at athletic and other events. “Wearing Harker gear is a great way for our community to come together in a show of unity and connection,” he said. Such displays fit Harker’s values of personal accountability, respect, integrity and kindness, he said. “The care and wearing of Harker clothing shows our commitment to those ideals.”

And what about alumni? Sameer Dean ’04 loved his time at Harker, especially as a basketball and football player. He describes himself as having a “casual, laid-back vibe,” so the Harker tees and shorts – emblazoned with the school eagle – he received as a student-athlete instantly became favorites in his closet. He attended Boston College, which also has an eagle mascot, so it was easy to continue wearing his Harker swag during his four years there.

Dean recently showed up at a Harker alumni event, hosted by Harker’s outgoing alumni director Karan Lodha ’04, wearing his very well-worn shirt and shorts. “Karan looked at me and was like, ‘What are you doing?!’ I told him I love wearing this stuff. It’s super comfortable and it represents my time at Harker, where I developed such great friendships and learned so many life lessons,” Dean said, noting that Lodha was so surprised at the state of his dress

“Wearing Harker-branded gear fosters a sense of community, belonging and school pride.”

– Kimberly Lobe, director of advancement

that he offered to send Dean a new set. “The new Under Armour stuff is just as comfortable and I love wearing it to support Harker because those years were very meaningful to me,” Dean said. Lucky for him, he works remotely in software sales in the Bay Area, so his Harker swag continues to be part of his daily rotation, and has even spurred conversations while he’s out and about, prompting new friendships with other Harker alumni.

So, whether you are an incoming family getting your spiffy new Harker uniforms for the first time, or an alum with fond memories, The Eagle Store is ready for you. Go Eagles!

Marla Holt is a Minneapolis-based writer whose clients include a variety of educational institutions and nonprofit organizations.

Additional photos from Harker’s archive.

The online Eagle Store is open 24/7 and stocked with Harker-branded gear – everything from water bottles to puffer jackets. You can shop at https://eaglestore.harker.org. Physical store hours are posted on the store’s website.

performing arts

The busy spring semester started in January with Student Directed Showcase, followed by the upper school dance production, “All You Need is Love,” which featured 100 dancers. The upper school Conservatory’s spring musical, “Guys and Dolls,” earned Rita Moreno Awards nominations for juniors Tom Campisi and Simon Kirjner. The talents of lower, middle and upper school musicians were highlighted at An Evening of Jazz, the annual spring orchestra concerts and the lower school’s Spring Music Concert. At the annual United Voices concert, vocalists from all divisions shared the stage at the Patil Theater. Senior Showcase featured the talents of this year’s Harker Conservatory certificate graduates, and the school’s youngest dancers performed at the lower school’s annual dance concert. For more performing arts photos and highlights, visit the spring 2025 performing arts gallery at https://news. harker.org/gallery-spring-2025-performing-arts/.

Photo by Branden Keller

Photo by Karen Jimenez

Photo by Branden Keller

alum focus

BY VIKKI BOWES-MOK

KELLER’S COACHING CRED

1995-96 Del Mar High School in San Jose, assistant coach

1999 Harvard-Westlake High School in North Hollywood, head coach

2000-2006 Bay to Bay, boys’ volleyball club in Northern California

2011 UC Irvine men’s program and UConn, assistant coach

2012 Santa Clara University women’s program, assistant coach

2013-2018 UCLA men’s volleyball, assistant coach

2019 UCLA women’s associate head coach

2020-present USC women’s head coach

Brad Keller MS ’94 has always had a passion for sports. Growing up, he played soccer, football and baseball, but it wasn’t until he was 13 that he tried volleyball. His first experience, however, was far from smooth. At a Team Santa Cruz tryout, Keller found himself lining up to hit the ball when an older, taller player snuck up behind him and pantsed him. He fell to the ground and rushed out of the gym, upset and embarrassed. But his mother wouldn’t let him quit. She retrieved him and made him finish the tryout. It was a rough start, but Keller learned to love the game, and today, he’s the head coach of the Division I women’s volleyball team at the University of Southern California. His journey to success didn’t happen overnight, and he credits much of it to the solid foundation he built at Harker and Bellarmine, where he attended high school.

“I have vivid, fond memories of Harker, and I consider it a life-altering chapter,” said Keller with gratitude. After transferring to Harker’s middle school due to bullying at his previous school, Keller found a nurturing environment that helped him thrive. “I’m here today because of my family, Harker and Bellarmine.”

Though Keller wasn’t a stereotypical Harker student, his family chose the school for its safe environment and excellent education. Keller embraced the challenges, worked hard and appreciated the teachers who supported him, even when his feisty nature made him a bit of a handful. Over time, he transformed from a rebellious student into a determined, caring coach.

“This past summer, Brad invited me to USC to meet the players and join their preseason practices,” said Theresa “Smitty” Smith, lower and middle school athletic director and head varsity volleyball coach, who coached Keller at Harker. “Each player introduced themselves and made me feel welcome. They even thanked me for helping with drills. This level of kindness and respect is a direct reflection of a coaching staff that values the details and believes in the power of every moment.”

Brad Keller MS ’94 goes from humble beginnings to USC volleyball head coach

Keller, a self-described volleyball dork, learned these important lessons from coaches, mentors and teammates throughout his career. After high school, he attended Loyola Marymount University, where he played volleyball for two seasons until the school discontinued the program. He graduated with a degree in graphic design and a minor in marketing.

While Keller had dabbled in coaching during high school and college, it wasn’t until after graduating that coaching became his true focus. His brother, who is seven years younger, asked him for help on the court, and Keller, eager to share his knowledge, jumped right in. He quickly discovered a natural aptitude for coaching and a deep, unrelenting passion for the sport. This led him to found Bay to Bay, a boys volleyball club in Northern California. Under his leadership, the club earned two silver medals at the Junior Olympics and produced numerous NCAA Division I athletes. Keller also served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team in 2006.

After six years running Bay to Bay, Keller transitioned to coaching college teams. He worked with the men’s programs at UC Irvine, University of Connecticut, Santa Clara University and UCLA, where he coached both men’s and women’s teams. In 2020, he was recruited to USC, where he’s remained ever since.

“I have the best job in the world, at one of the best universities on earth!” said Keller, who led the team to a 22-10 record and its 40th appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2024. “I get to teach life lessons through sports. The ability to help others reach their full potential and see them grow both as athletes and people is incredibly rewarding. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.”

Though Keller is single, he often jokes that he feels like he has 18 daughters, referring to the players he mentors.

“He is one of my favorite coaches – not afraid to show emotion, not afraid to say he loves us and always open to conversation,” said Mia Tuaniga, who played under Keller for four years and now plays in the pro league for the Atlanta Vibe. “He teaches us to always be ourselves, to be authentic. I know he will always be there for me, on my best days and my worst.”

Vikki Bowes-Mok is a freelance writer and editor.

Additional photos from Harker’s archive.

“The ability to help others reach their full potential and see them grow both as athletes and people is incredibly rewarding.”

- Brad Keller MS’94

Kathy Peng ’05 holds the distinction of being the first upper school alum to return to Harker as a full-time teacher. She lives in San Jose with her husband and two kids, the eldest of whom is now a Harker kindergartner. In addition to teaching grade 8 biology and chairing the science department, Peng is a coleader for the middle school’s DEI Committee and a mentor for the grade 8 science research program. When asked what she loves most about her life, she replied, “I get to do what I love for a living: inspire young people to be curious about and care for themselves, each other and the world!”

What are you obsessed with?

Baking without (always) measuring.

What is an experience you’ve had that you don’t believe anyone else has had?

I flew across the Pacific Ocean at the age of 3, without the accompaniment of any family members, to immigrate to the United States.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

This too shall pass. The only constant is change. Life is change.

In what way are you above average?

I’m a good listener. I can also feel the emotions of people in my proximity.

What do you dislike that everyone else loves? Hot pot.

What do you love that everyone else dislikes?

Talking about feelings.

Classroom In the Biology

Recently, I split my students into small groups and assigned each group an organelle (a component of the cellular machinery). Nucleus was retiring as the president of the cell, and each group prepared and performed a short election campaign speech to propose their organelle as the new cell president.

What is something interesting about you that almost no one knows?

I love to dance the Lindy Hop, which I learned as an adult.

Kathy Peng ’05

In February, K-12 performing arts director Laura DeKraker Lang-Ree released “The Cancer Parent’s Handbook: What Your Oncologist Doesn’t Have Time to Tell You.” The book contains insights on how to raise children through the difficult stages of living with cancer, based on her own family’s experience grappling with the leukemia diagnosis of her daughter, Cecilia ’13 (now cancer-free). https://cancerparentshandbook.com

staff kudos

Professional accomplishments of our faculty and staff.

Karan Lodha ’04 departed as Harker’s director of alumni relations in March to pursue a master’s degree in journalism. Stepping into the position will be upper school mathematics teacher Caren Furtado. Harker thanks Lodha for his years of service, which also included a stint as a middle school teacher!

DEI director Patricia Burrows was one of three experts on a virtual panel called “SEL and DEIB in the Age of Pushback,” sponsored by the Institute for Social and Emotional Learning. The event was for members of IFSEL’s Leadership Program and was intended as an opportunity for participants to share ideas, hear best practices and ask questions.

The Harker Board of Trustees bids farewell to four members and welcomes three others. Retiring are: Marie Clifford, nine years of service, grandmother of Harker teacher Keri ’13 and sister of Diana Nichols; Huali Stanek, nine years, parent of Steven ’97, Alexandra ’03 and Andrew ’09; Rebecca Cox, two years, parent of Siobhan ’13; and Steve Lajala, three years.

The school deeply thanks them for their dedicated service.

Joining the board are: Yabo Lin, parent of Millie ’18 and Jason ’21, partner at Sidley & Austin LLP; Mylene W. M. Yao, Board of Fellows since 2019 and parent of Athena Wu ’23 and Arthur Wu ’25, co-founder/CEO of Univfy Inc.; and Mary Cranston, mother-in-law of upper school librarian Meredith Cranston and grandmother of James, grade 4 and Tyler, grade 1, former chair/CEO of Pillsbury LLP, among others.

Marie Clifford Huali Stanek

Rebecca Cox

Steve Lajala

Yabo Lin

Mylene W. M. Yao

Mary Cranston

May 16 was an exciting day of senior activities, starting when several members of the Class of 2025 gathered in Graduates’ Grove to place bricks bearing their names. Then, the entire class gathered alongside the juniors for Baccalaureate, where the seniors said goodbye to the class that would be assuming a new role as leaders in the coming school year. And finally that evening, seniors who had joined Harker as kindergartners met and reminisced at the annual Lifers dinner at the lower school campus. In the final days of May, the grade 5 and grade 8 promotion ceremonies marked those students’ completion of their grade levels, and lower school students enjoyed their last day of school at the Kiddie Carnival. For more photos and highlights from these events, visit our gallery online at https://news.harker.org/gallery-2025-end-of-yearcelebrations/.

end of year

The Class of 2025 took their final steps as Harker students at this year’s graduation exercises, held at the Mountain Winery. Emily Mitnick delivered this year’s senior address, offering words of admiration and inspiration to her classmates. Peer AI co-founder and CEO Anita Gupta Modi ’04 shared her insights in this year’s alumni keynote, and Head of School Brian Yager bid one last farewell to the graduates before each of them received their diplomas. The newly minted alums then turned the tassels on their caps, which were then jubilantly tossed into the air in celebration. The ceremony closed with the release of a flock of doves into the crisp evening air. For more photos of graduation, visit https://news.harker.org/gallery-2025-graduation-ceremony/.

graduation

Photo by Deborah Lord

Kindergarten and grade 3 P.E. teacher Joseph Mentillo is a Chicago native who lived in New Haven, Conn., and Mountain View before landing in San Jose in 1980. Proud of his family, he comes from an Italian American father and an African American mother, and has two brothers, a sister, a niece and two nephews; and his girlfriend, “the love of my life,” is also an educator. He enjoys his time spent as a coach of the Silicon Valley Soldiers, a high school Amateur Athletic Union boys basketball team. Mentillo told Harker Magazine he teaches to have a positive impact on children’s lives, and remembers his parents telling him, “Treat others the way you would want to be treated.”

What is the one thing in the world you would fix if you could wave a magic wand?

Homelessness.

When did you first really feel like an adult?

When I had to pay taxes!

What is an experience you’ve had that you don’t believe anyone else has had?

When I was 10, I was catching a fly ball and my braces got caught in the fence at the ballpark.

What is something that you pretend to understand when you really don’t?

Computers.

Where is one place in the world that you like to escape to?

I enjoy going to Las Vegas to visit the casinos and go to concerts, shows and sporting events. It has a variety of activities to choose from.

What do you dislike that everyone else loves?

Pineapple on pizza and drinking coffee.

Classroom In the Grade 3 P.E. –Friday Health Class

To help my students understand nutrition and healthy eating, I have them develop a healthy menu for a restaurant and give the restaurant a name.

Joseph Mentillo

class notes

Keep up to date on the lives of your classmates.

Alumni from all classes through 1997 are listed under the years they would have completed grade 8 at The Harker School, Harker Academy, Harker Day School or Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA). For all classes after the Class of 1997, alumni are listed under the class years they would have graduated from high school, regardless of whether they completed high school studies at Harker. All photos submitted by the subject unless noted.

If you’re interested in submitting a class note or getting in touch with your class representative, please email alumni@harker.org.

Harker Academy

Lower school teacher Mena Killarney Lynch passed away peacefully on March 3 at the age of 91. She came to Harker with Howard Nichols when the school moved from Palo Alto to our San Jose location. Elementary division head Kristin Giammona ‘81 remembers her fondly, saying she was a great first grade teacher and “put up with no nonsense!”

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/santa-clara-ca/philomena-lynch-12271109

2002

Stephanie Tsao’s “Warrior Serpent” statue was featured at San Francisco’s Chase Center as part of Thrive City’s Lunar New Year celebration. https://www. instagram.com/ chase_center/reel/ DFWlfliRzTz/

2004

In January, Ravi Mishra published his book, “Vow of Aliveness,” a memoir exploring his two-decade journey of training in Zen Buddhism. It can be purchased through Amazon.

2005

David Chen announced that he and his wife, Carissa Chu ’06, are expecting their second child.

2007

Natasha Sarin was honored as part of the inaugural Post Next 50, the Washington Post’s collection of individuals expected to make an impact in 2025. She was recognized for her work as president and co-founder of the Budget Lab at Yale, a non-partisan policy research center dedicated to providing in-depth analysis of federal policy proposals for the American economy. https://wapo.st/4hPgCFS

2008

Stephanie Benedict was recently married to Kalen Brantley and has relocated to San Luis Obispo, where she works for the Gates Foundation and takes care of her mother.

Please send your updates to your class representative or email them to alumni@harker.org.

2010

Victor Chen reports, “I moved back to the Bay Area in December 2024 to join the UCSF Department of Radiation Oncology as an assistant clinical professor.”

We are deeply saddened to report the death of Aadithya Prakash. Friend Santosh Swaminathan ‘11 remembers, “Aadithya was a vibrant spirit and a beacon within the many communities he helped build. His raucous laughter –deafeningly loud and utterly infectious – pierced through any room, and his quirks were just as memorable. From his unruly hair and lanky limbs to his inexplicable loyalty to the Cincinnati Bengals to his comically geriatric passion for birding, Aadithya lived with a boldness and authenticity that impressed everyone he met, even the likes of Conan O’Brien (https://www.earwolf.com/episode/the-cock-of-the-rock/).” For his full obituary, visit https://www.flintofts.com/obituaries/Aadithya-Prakash?obId=40264002

2011

In March, Nidhi Gandhi joined the Oakland Museum of California as Curator of the Art of California. While sad to leave her position as curatorial and programs associate at the San José Museum of Art, she says, “I look forward to playing a more pivotal role within the wider Bay Area arts community!”

2012

Akshay Tangutur has started his second year of medical school.

2013

David Lindars married Abha Sathe on March 2 in Woodside. The couple met in medical school at California Northstate University in Elk Grove and are now in their second-year medical residency in Jacksonville, Fla. Alums in the photo (all 2013 unless noted) with the bride and groom are: Tara Rezvani, Curran Shah, Varun Gudapati, Josh Tien, Neel Bhoopalam, Simar Mangat, Nick Chuang, Rohan Chandra, Sumit Minocha, Isabelle (Connell) Mui, Ryan Mui, Kevin Moss ’14 and Kevin Susai.

Dance Program Alums Staying Active

In March and April, dance students attended workshops conducted by Ashley Cook ’18 (shown above), Gracean Linthacum-Janker ’18 and LeAnn (Nguyen) Reidenbach ’17, who all now work as professional dancers. Ashley is a choreographer in the Bay Area and Southern California and is currently working toward an MFA in dance at UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts. After dancing at Santa Clara University for four years, Gracean has served as the SCU dance team’s graduate assistant coach for the past three years. LeAnn, a UC Berkeley graduate, is dancing for the NBA in addition to working full-time for a Bay Area-based tech company and teaching high school dance in San Jose.

Victor Chen ’08 and Daisy Mohrman ’11 took second place in the Rising Star division of the Open World Swing Dance Championships, held in November in Burbank. The pair became dance partners in 2022 after meeting in San Diego, where Chen had been teaching a West Coast Swing class. In addition to her love of dance, Mohrman is pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy from San Diego State University.

Please send your updates to your class representative or email them to alumni@harker.org.

Photo by

Sophie Ormond

2013

Nayeon (Kim) Chung was married in 2021 and as of September 2024 is an assistant district attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

2014

Brandon Yang was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (see this issue’s Top Stories on page 4 for more details). https://news. harker.org/brandon-yang-14-named-toforbes-30-under-30/

2017

Joyce Li recently “switched roles at Tesla to be a data engineer” and is living happily in San Francisco.

2020

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ishaan Chandra relocated to New York City and currently works at PayPal.

Ronit Gagneja recently moved to New York City and works at Deloitte.

Nina Gee has been writing the webcomic series “Taejin: Legend of the Yang Metal” since May 2024. The comic is produced by actor and reality TV personality Kevin Kreider and available to read online at Webtoon.

2021

Austin Killam reports: “I’ll be commencing the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at Cornell University this fall!”

Jason Lin was featured on The Harker Alumni Podcast in January, talking about how he finds joy and purpose in tinkering. Listen to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify. com/episode/4z1d3oGbLHdi7ARtG26Qq6?si=ece6658862644a46

2022

Prakrit Jain and his colleagues made headlines for taking the first-ever photos of the Mount Lyell shrew. See this issue’s Top Stories section on page 4 for more details.

In March, Riya Arora led a team of more than 30 students in organizing TEDxBabsonCollege’s flagship event, “The Ripple Effect.” Attendees praised the event as one of the most successful in the organization’s history, featuring 12 speakers in a variety of industries and disciplines.

We are deeply saddened to report that Brandon Park died on March 15. A memorial was held on April 5 at the University of California, San Diego, where Brandon was a student. His family remembers, “Brandon was truly brilliant, his intelligence a rare blend of precision and artistry. Whether analyzing music to make choreography or an orchestral arrangement, breaking down engineering problems, or outmaneuvering opponents in strategic games, his mind worked in extraordinary ways. Brandon’s thoughtfulness, humor, and quiet strength touched everyone who knew him.”

For his full obituary, visit https://www.eventcreate.com/e/brandonparkmemorial

Please send your updates to your class representative or email them to alumni@harker.org.

Photo provided by Robin

Johnathan Mo and Robert Zhang won the “Most Creative Hack” grand prize at Stanford’s TreeHacks hackathon. Their creation was an end-to-end delivery robot called OmNom.

https://bit.ly/3Xc5F9z

2024

Zachary Blue is currently delving into his longtime passion, studying robotics at Case Western Reserve University.

Cynthia Wang’s team won second place in the Web3 track at Stanford’s TreeHacks hackathon. In just 36 hours, the team devised and built a decentralized platform for hospitals to securely and confidently send sensitive data. https://bit.ly/3X7uK5C

Class representatives serve five-year terms coinciding with reunion cycles. If you’re interested in learning more about the role or volunteering to represent your class, please email alumni@harker.org.

2002 Yasmin Ali

2003 Jess Killips

2004 Karan Lodha

2005 Shikha Mittal

2006 Meghana Dhar

2007 Lucas Motro

Joanna Xu

2008 Senan Ebrahim

2009 Stephanie J. Guo

2010 Niki Agrawal

2011 Hassaan Ebrahim

2012 Will Chang