Pegasus Magazine - Summer 2017

The Pegasus School

Issue 13/Summer 2017

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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PEGASUS NOW

FEATURES

5 HEAD’S MESSAGE

20 WHAT’S YOUR THING?

6 AT THE HEART OF PEGASUS 8 PROGRAM: KNOWLEDGE WORTH SHARING 10 INSIGHT: CHANGING (CAREER) LANES

24 IN PRAISE OF THE PERIPATETIC PATH

12 STUDENT PROFILE: SPENCER GREEN 14 PROGRAM: THE LAST GREAT RACE 16 FACULTY FOCUS: FINDING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE 28 INSIGHT: JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT 30 THOSE WHO SOAR 32 ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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SUMMER 2017 www.thepegasusschool.org

EDITORIAL BOARD

Nancy Conklin, Director of Admission Rick Davitt, Photographer Sue Harrison, Director of Advancement Karla Joyce, Writer Jason Lopez, Head of School Shalini Mattina, Director of Communications and Marketing Marrie Stone, Writer Nancy Wilder, Middle School English Teacher WRITERS

Benjamin Jenkins Karla Joyce Jason Lopez Marrie Stone CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Malinda Bryant Karen Hurst Carin Meister Kristen Perlmutter Eva Polizzi Patty Seyburn Monisha Vasa Shannon Vermeeren MISSION STATEMENT

The story of Pegasus begins with intellectual curiosity and compassion.

We are a vibrant academic community that inspires bright, motivated students to discover and develop their unique gifts. Teachers and students build trusting relationships that foster self-reliance, confidence, and innovative thinking. A Pegasus education equips students to achieve future academic success and make a positive impact on society.

COMMUNITY VALUES

Responsibility Kindness Teamwork Generosity Creativity Curiosity Courage Integrity Perseverance

PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE

Academically Confident Well Balanced Critical Thinker Exceptional Communicator Collaborative Leader Responsible Citizen Environmentally Conscious Technologically Adept Economically Astute Versed in the Arts Globally Aware

CREATIVE AND ART DIRECTION

Shalini Mattina GRAPHIC DESIGN

Sund Studio PHOTOGRAPHER

Rick Davitt PRINTING

Orange County Printing Pegasus Magazine is published twice yearly by the Office of Advancement at The Pegasus School. It is archived on the school’s website: thepegasusschool.org.

We welcome your feedback! Please address queries and comments to Shalini Mattina at smattina@thepegasusschool.org.

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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Life isn’t about finding yourself.

It’s about creating yourself.”

– George Bernard Shaw

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HEAD’S MESSAGE

The

Journey to

Self-Create

Education, we now know, demands far more than absorbing facts and figures. It requires more, even, than acquiring the critical thinking skills necessary to apply those facts and figures.

A good education facilitates self-discovery. A great education unearths students’ talents and passions, and directs that energy into accomplishing something distinctive. An extraordinary education reveals these experiences while also igniting children’s natural enthusiasms to discover, explore and—yes—invent themselves. That kind of education allows graduates to enter the world uniquely positioned to make a significant impact.

In this summer edition of the Pegasus Magazine, we invite you behind the scenes of this exceptional educational adventure to show you how self-creation evolves. From youngest students to alumni, from faculty to parents, the Pegasus community provides an environment conducive to lifelong learning and endless exploration. “The Last Great Race,” by Monisha Vasa, takes us alongside the first graders to the snowy tracks of Alaska’s Iditarod. Now that the classic project incorporates the enhancement of computational thinking, our students have one more discipline in which to create and skill-build. In the article, “Spencer Green: Renaissance Man on a Mission,” Eva Polizzi showcases seventh grader Spencer Green and how he’s unified his disparate talents to achieve incredible success. From first grade to middle school, we watch our students grow.

Pegasus teachers, too, are not afraid to explore. Patty Seyburn tracks the many varied interests and circuitous roads our faculty members took to teaching. And both Carin Meister and Karen Hurst honor several students, parents, faculty and alumni whose accomplishments exemplify the traits necessary to create authentic, engaging, and ever-evolving lives.

Across experiences and ages, Pegasus community members invent and reinvent themselves. But just how do they do this?

Kristin Perlmutter’s “Knowledge Worth Sharing” highlights the valuable PTO, which bring dynamic speakers to the campus to share their wisdom across disciplines to foster growth. Speaking of knowledge worth sharing, Shannon Vermeeren discovered research that stresses the importance of fun in her article, “Just for the Fun of It.” Fun, it turns out, leads to happiness, health, longevity and success. And there is no end to the ways our

community finds fun and random ways to stimulate their lives.

Marrie Stone’s “In Praise of the Peripatetic Path” provides some ideas of how to facilitate that necessary stimulation.

We inspire our students to find their personal paths and pursue them with enthusiasm. That doesn’t happen in a linear fashion and rarely does it come without pitfalls. Malinda Bryant’s “Finding Students Where They Are” considers the important role of the Learning and Support Team in giving students the tools they need—academically, socially and otherwise—to succeed. While Karla Joyce’s “What’s Your Thing?” reminds us to not be too directive of our children, too worried about their future, and allow them to find their own passions in their own time.

The journey to self creation requires intellectual curiosity and a variety of random stimulation. It requires us to make allowances for false starts and dead ends, and support each other wherever we are on our path. We invite you, in this edition of the Pegasus Magazine, to challenge yourself, to discover something new, to tackle something hard, to never stop exploring.

Jason Lopez Head of School

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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At the

Heart Of Pegasus

Carin Meister

Double Play

In the spring of 2015, MIKE and JESSICA BRENNAN, née Chaapel, were looking for an adventure. They unfurled a map of the United States, narrowed their new home search to five states, and finally settled on California and The Pegasus School. Jessica would join the fourth-grade team, and Mike would later begin work as an assistant in the middle school math department.

The couple said goodbye to their close-knit families in New York, sold most of their belongings, and loaded the car with only a few possessions and their beloved Boston Terrier, Mona.

They drove west, knowing only one person in California.

They were nervous.

It was a scary prospect. What do you do when you move cross-country and your entire support system resides on the East Coast? If you’re Mike and Jessica Brennan, you get involved.

The Brennans’ love of sports made them a natural fit for the Pegasus athletics program. You name the sport, the Brennans have played it, coached it, or are big time fans (the Bills and Yankees are tops with these New York natives). So, with a little nudging from Chrissy Bridges, athletic and activities director, they began coaching the school’s Developmental Sports League (DSL) and

Try. Succeed.

Try Something New. We’re all familiar with the old adage, “When at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” For eighth grader BELLA COTE, only the latter half of that saying is apropos. Bella has always been willing to attempt new things like drawing techniques and recipes she’s learned from both her Korean and Mexican grandmothers. Bella doesn’t shy away. This summer, she’ll teach herself guitar.

Whatever novel pursuit Cote attempts, success follows. The success is not magic. It arises from an intense dedication to her work and a repeated willingness to challenge herself. Classmate Jack Thompson recognizes this: “She always wants a challenge.

Once she wrote an entire essay on a simple short answer test.

She always goes above and beyond.”

Cote didn’t plan on joining debate—the arts have always been her strength, and her talents in both dramatic and fine arts abound. She didn’t cozy to the idea of speaking in front of crowds either. But she decided to give it a try and after the first 6

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middle school sports programs and have done so every single season for the last two years.

Bridges quickly recognized the Brennans’ impact: “Even though the Brennans are new to Pegasus, they fit in immediately. It’s been so nice to have such hardworking and talented coaches at our school. It feels like they have been at Pegasus forever.”

This fall was particularly fruitful for the Brennans — they were married in October, and Mike led the middle school boys to a football championship. With the Brennans’ loyalty and dedication to the sports programs, more victories are sure to follow. The greater victory, however, is that these two extraordinary people have become such a meaningful part of the Pegasus family.

tournament, she was sold: “I gained so much confidence, became a better critical thinker, and became more willing to speak my mind.”

In her second year of debate, Cote challenged herself further—she wanted to earn a golden gavel by the end of the season. As it turns out, she did earn that golden gavel...at the first tournament of the year.

During her last months at Pegasus, Cote continued to succeed.

After she spent countless weekends writing admissions essays, she will attend Phillips Academy Andover in the fall. Sharon Goldhamer, art teacher and debate coach, is sure Bella will make Pegasus proud: “She is truly multi-talented. Mature beyond her years, she is a Pegasus student exemplified.”

AT THE HEART OF

A Tradition of Perseverance Anyone who knows FINN MCCLINTOCK knows that he loves football, Notre Dame...and Notre Dame football. Should one need more convincing, his pet yorkies are named Knut and Holtz.

When you love football and its traditions, playing on the Pegasus middle school football team is a given. And, when you are slotted for the starting quarterback position in your eighthgrade season, everything is as it should be. But, sometimes traditions are upended.

In the first game of his final year of Pegasus football, McClintock suffered a season-ending injury to his elbow. He could have easily bowed out, quit the team, and used the extra time to work on homework or pursue another interest. But, he didn’t. McClintock remained as an assistant coach to Mike Brennan and helped lead the team to another championship.

Coach Brennan appreciated McClintock’s dedication: “He didn’t quit on the season and came to every practice, every game.

He didn’t have to do that. He earned that championship just as

much as the kids who played on the field.” Dan Rosenberg, middle school director, recalls: “His actions demonstrate the strength of his character, his optimism, and his ability to persevere with grace and dignity when presented with challenges.”

Football isn’t McClintock’s only passion—he also sails a sabot each summer with the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. Football and sailing might not seem similar, but when he talks about lessons learned, it’s easy to see the overlap: “Sailing teaches perseverance. Even if you’re having a bad race, you keep going.”

McClintock doesn’t limit hardwork and perseverance to sports alone—he also applies this work ethic to the classroom.

A distinguished honor roll recipient for five semesters in a row, he one day hopes to attend the University of Notre Dame, where tradition abounds.

P.T.O.TALLY Awesome CHRISTINA WELFORD, mom of Max (’17) and Ben (’21), is just plain cool. She grew up in Santa Monica with a skateboard in one hand and a stack of books in the other. She played on an ultimate frisbee team while studying art history at Stanford University. Upon graduation, she spent a year in Florence, where she took in a stray dog, rode a motor scooter, and helped put together a show of 16th and 17th Italian master drawings.

Did I mention she has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do? Just. plain. cool.

When you look more closely at these seemingly disparate interests, what you will find is that the PTO President Elect is driven, compassionate, and ultrasmart. She also happens to enjoy people. Her past experience working in management with Christie’s Auction House helped illuminate her affinity for teamwork. She actually thrives on the symbiosis that arises from a group of people working together toward a common goal.

In fact, teambuilding is the common thread that runs through her myriad Pegasus volunteer roles: Room Parent Coordinator, Golf Social / Benefit / Jog-a-thon Chair —she’s done it all. “She is an undaunted leader and team builder, but also an organized and meticulous workhorse,” says Jen Aguilar, friend and fellow PTO volunteer.

There’s this moment when a teacher assigns a group project when students start looking around the room to identify that one student who they want to work with— the intelligent, kind, motivated, and organized one. Christina Welford is The Pegasus School’s version of that student. Shannon Vermeeren, fifth-grade teacher, agrees: “Christina is a woman of action. Once she makes a decision, there’s no hesitation — it’s full steam ahead. When you take her confident decisiveness and blend it with her pure heart of gold, there’s no way we can lose with her leading the way.”

Carin Meister is The Pegasus School’s librarian and proud mother of Cate (’18), Reese (’20), and Sloane (’26). She is always in search of the next best read and a reason to wear a costume.

Contact: cmeister@thepegasusschool.org

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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Knowledge Worth

Sharing

PEGtalks and the Art of Ideas Kristin Perlmutter

When my husband and I were searching for the perfect school for our pre-K-aged twin daughters, we put Pegasus on the list. We toured the campus and were impressed with the facilities and programs offered, but it was something entirely unexpected that intrigued us most: public speaking skills.

During that initial gathering, a panel of eighth-grade debaters stood up in front of a full room and spoke like articulate adults. (It is no surprise that the Pegasus debate team regularly finishes at the top of every competition.)

We were sold. I wanted our three children to become exactly that—eloquent, composed, and openly confident. And it wasn’t just the older students. The school’s commitment to the cultivation of public speaking skills was easily evidenced in every classroom we visited...starting as early as pre-K! We applied immediately.

It was during our first year on campus that we learned Pegasus parents are just as well-spoken as their offspring.

Clearly, it is a shared value. In the fall of 2016, the

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Pegasus PTO launched a unique, mission-driven speakers forum called PEGtalks. Modeled after the popular TED organization, which hosts then posts talks online for free distribution, PEGtalks set out to deliver four live talks and four studio talks each school year, each taped and available on the Pegasus website. TED’s tagline — ideas worth spreading — is a testament to the insatiability of human curiosity and our desire to learn. PEG’s unofficial tagline is similarly inspiring and yet personally Pegasus: knowledge worth sharing.

The Pegasus parent community is uniquely impressive.

Almost universally well-educated, they practically radiate a love of learning and actively instill it (by choosing Pegasus) in their children. They’re driven in this regard. But beyond this shared value they are wildly diverse. The variety of professions, the range of cultural backgrounds, and the breadth of personal experiences make this one, relatively small population of parents a cornucopia of knowledge… worth sharing.

Today, as an official Pegasus parent, I consider it a gift to be able to learn in the same setting as my children. I haven’t missed a PEGtalk yet. Here are few samples of talks to date: Craig Boundy, parent to Felix and Angus and CEO of Experian North America, delivered the powerful and relevant message of “Make Money Make Sense” to Pegasus fifth graders at the start of their curricular unit on financial investment. By fifth grade, Pegasus students entered gently into the world of money through “Pegasus bucks,” but Boundy opened their eyes to the almost endless ways money weaves through our everyday lives. “I really enjoyed speaking to Pegasus fifth graders,” Boundy says. “I was amazed by the depth and complexity of their questions.” By delivering this talk directly to students, parents (watching online) learned how to communicate important yet complicated concepts in a developmentally-effective manner.

PROGRAM

A panel of eighth-grade debaters stood up in front of a full room and spoke like articulate adults. I wanted our three children to become exactly that—eloquent, composed, and openly confident.”

Ru Weerasuriya, parent to Seth and Kaya and founder/president of Ready at Dawn Studios, gave a PEGtalk on “The Importance of Creativity.” He inspired a packed theater with his educational and professional experiences, and how they were shaped by his personal relationships with creativity and curiosity. His consistent adherence to exercising his creativity, despite the swirling demands of company management, has made him one of the top game developers in the world. In his talk, Weerasuriya urges his audience to connect with that creative energy that exists within us all, and apply it both to our personal lives and our parenting. “Creativity is individualism,” Weerasuriya says. “Sentient beings are creative. Everything in the past is a lesson. Everything in the future is unknown.

Creativity allows us to tackle the unknown.”

Jeff Frieden, parent to Trace, Dason, and Hayes and a successful entrepreneur, spoke to eighth graders as they approached graduation about future career paths and their connections to personal interests. “It was an extremely gratifying experience for me,” Frieden says. His young audience’s enthusiasm spilled way beyond the filming into a lengthy Q&A. “Some of the questions they asked were unbelievably intellectual. I’m honored to have participated.”

Other memorable PEGtalks have included the following: Patty Seyburn, accomplished poet and assistant CSULB professor; Pernille Spiers-Lopez, director and co-founder of Good Life Designed; Donna Dyer, regional marketing

manager and personal energy coach; Risa Groux, holistic clinical nutritionist; Kelly McCann, parent and MFT; and even Jessie Harris ’12, an alumna, was interviewed by Pegasus student Molly Joyce on “The World Beyond The Pegasus School.”

PEGtalks have also included a few “outside” speakers when the thirst for specific information demanded it. Scott Burnett, owner of Integrity Computer Concepts, spoke to parents in great detail about the path to a safer Internet for our young students. And Audrey Monke, a two-time PEGtalks speaker, former Pegasus parent, and Director of the Gold Arrow Camp, has shared her extensive knowledge in social development in early childhood and the need to develop strong personal connections.

These speakers are only the start of an endless stream, one where wisdom is shared with the intent to inspire. This type of parent enrichment seems fitting at Pegasus, where learning and the ambition to create something bigger and brighter—by students and parents alike—is never ending.

PEGtalks are available on the Pegasus website, under “Community.” Watch, be inspired, and be proud.

Kristen Perlmutter, proud parent to Maya and Leah (’23) and Bennet (’26), is an enthusiastic volunteer, and participant of all things Pegasus.

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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Changing (Career) Lanes Pegasus Teachers on Circuitous Paths and Great Pursuits

Take Julie Warren, seventh-grade science teacher. Warren was a biology major as an Patty Seyburn undergraduate at University of California, Irvine.

“I saw myself being a doctor,” she says, “but by the end of my sophomore year, I knew that wasn’t right for me.”

“The road never stops arriving,” wrote She had taken some psychology classes, so after college, she obtained a job at a psychiatric hospital working poet Octavio Paz. When we talk about with 5 – 18 year-olds. After two years, she started her occupations, we often use the term “career MA degree in Family and Child Counseling. Warren helped in the classroom, facilitated group and individual path” to indicate that one does not “land” a therapy sessions, and taught PE, among other roles.

Two years later, the hospital closed. Warren learned job and stay there for life, but that a single job about a job for a biology and PE teacher, and realized is part of a longer journey. A survey conducted this might be the right course for her. “I always wanted to be in a helping profession. I was still

by New York University’s School of working on a master’s degree, and counseling at a center on Beach Continuing and Professional Boulevard—everyone from families to children.” She had Studies showed that I could get to complete 1500 hours of New York professionals counseling after certification students passionate and was working two projected themselves to about science and learning. evenings a week and Saturdays. change careers three I could help students foster By the time she finished times in their lifetimes, and the master’s degree, and follow their passions, she knew she wanted to see their strengths, and only 28 percent expected continue being a full-time teacher.

“I felt my psychiatry help them grow.” lifelong careers. degree and teaching went hand in hand. I could use those skills in The careers of some of our the teaching world and get students Pegasus teachers confirm the passionate about science and learning. I could help students foster and follow their passions, see their vitality of change. strengths, and help them grow.”

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INSIGHT

Jim Conti, eighth-grade social studies teacher, always wanted meaningful work. As a child, Conti I can ‘perform’ attended a school akin to Pegasus that challenged him to excel and think vocabulary and situations critically. His high school experience in front of my students, and was less satisfying. “There were so many missed opportunities, and I could have been seeing them happy and more empowered.” making them laugh and After Conti earned an undergraduate degree from Menlo College and obtained a teaching credential from Chapman learn is rewarding.”

University, he taught at Villa Park High School for seven years—and then his career veered into insurance. He worked for Pacific Life Insurance Company for ten years; by the end of his time there, he was a Product and Fund Analyst. While there, his daughter Mia was born, and within three years, Lisa Botts, seventh-grade both his mother and mother-in-law died of cancer. All of Spanish teacher, started on these events invited some serious soul-searching. her path to teaching quite early. She “I was working all the time, traveled a great deal, and felt like started thinking about the profession I never saw my family. I started having doubts,” he said. in high school when her Spanish teacher asked her to be his “We were doing well, but was I missing my daughter’s life?” teaching assistant. “I had always loved school, and instantly fell His concern lead him straight to The Pegasus School. “It’s in love with Spanish when I started taking classes. It felt natural important to keep a mindful eye on all students; given the right to go into teaching.” opportunities, there will be lots of children who will shine.

Botts did, however, have another passion: theater. After It’s played out in the world of debate. Inside of the world of finishing a BA in Spanish and beginning the credential debate, many students are successful and gain confidence they program at Cal State, Long Beach, she began performing in might not gain outside of this arena.” In fact, Conti’s career community theater. Shortly after being hired as a Spanish has already shifted since the interview for this article. teacher at Saddleback High School, she offered to help In 2017-2018, he will become the Pegasus with their production of The Wiz. “That’s when oratory and debate teacher/coach and will I realized how much I had missed acting and have the opportunity to work with stage production.” students and teachers at all levels.

Botts started taking local acting/

Confucius, the famous video classes and began submitting sixth century philosopher and for auditions in Los Angeles. After Inside of the world teacher, said, “Choose a job you teaching, she would drive up to L.A. love, and you will never have of debate, many students for auditions. She did a few small to work a day in your life.” pilots, videos, a local commercial, a are successful and gain While no one would dispute PBS clip, and a TV pilot in Spanish that teaching is hard work confidence they might called “A Tu Salud” (“To Your (and a quantity of it!), finding Health”), as well as worked as an extra. meaning, wanting to make a not gain outside of this Having a dual-career life, however, did difference in people’s lives, and arena.” not coincide with plans for a family. Botts being willing to embrace change became the drama teacher at Bolsa Grande characterize the Pegasus faculty across High School and had her two sons in three the curriculum. years. And she realized there was no time for acting.

Patty Seyburn is the Pegasus parent of Sydney (’15) and “I missed it so very much, but teaching foreign language Will (’17). She is a poet and associate professor in the was the next best thing—I can “perform” vocabulary and Department of English at California State University, Long situations in front of my students, and seeing them happy and Beach. Contact: patty.seyburn@csulb.edu making them laugh and learn is rewarding.”

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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Spencer Green:

Renaissance Man on a

mission

Eva Polizzi

Passionate people are passionate all the way down.

They often pursue many interests across several subjects.

Soccer, piano, Tae Kwan Do, theater—how can they focus on any one thing? At best, we call these people “polymaths” or “Renaissance men.” At worst, we say they’re “jacks of all trades, masters of none.” If they can’t focus or master one thing, how can they create anything impactful, or find success?

Seventh grader Spencer Green describes himself as “just a boy who loves engineering, science, and the outdoors, who’s a gymnast in his free time.” He excels in many subjects at Pegasus. He loves social studies, and he cracks up his classmates with his creative writing saga about a loquacious whale. These disparate interests melded together into a unique and fascinating project requiring Green to research, wire, code, and return to the drawing board a few times to perfect his design.

At the Orange County Science Fair last March, Green won first place in the Electronics and Electricity division for his project on the sonification of movement for elite gymnasts. He also qualified for the Beekman-Chapman Award, which will turn his presentation poster into a professionally-made print to be displayed at Chapman University for a year. Placing in the OC Fair qualified Green for the State Fair, where he earned third place in the same division. Furthermore, at the State Fair, he qualified for Broadcom MASTERS, a science and engineering fair for the top 10% of middle school science students.

During the Olympics last summer, Green read an article about pressure sensors on swimmers that help them train their turns in the pool. A swimmer’s turn is a repetitive movement. That made Green wonder if he could develop a device to train gymnasts’ repetitive movements because, in his own words, “you have to get it right every time.”

Designed to track the movement called “giants” (fully extended circles around the bar), Green’s speaker gives real time feedback enabling the gymnast to hear his form while still on the bar. Using an accelerometer, Green learned

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STUDENT PROFILE

he could hear the difference between good form and poor form, which would allow the gymnast to make adjustments while working.

Green wrote in his science fair summary, “For every obstacle encountered, there was always a workaround.

Additionally, anything you build yourself that you blow up, you can fix.” And fixes he made. The original prototype was too big, and the sound quality too poor to be useful. Back at the drawing board, Green created a wearable prototype of his amplifier. He experimented with cascading filters to improve the sound quality, starting with a low pass filter and then adding in a bandpass filter. He later added in Bluetooth capability so the speaker could be remote. He tested the device with several gymnasts and their coaches, who agreed that what the athlete heard matched what the coach saw. The athletes were able to make necessary changes while mid-movement on the apparatus.

When asked if he thought this device could be applied to other sports, Green answered, “Oh, yeah.

Golf, baseball, anything where there is a repetitive movement that needs to be perfect.”

Would all this success have been possible if Green were single-mindedly focused on one area? If he solely studied science, would the idea of correcting gymnastic movement mid-performance occur to him? If he exclusively practiced gymnastics, would he create a science fair project? If he weren’t obsessed with exploring the outdoors, hiking and bird watching, would he think about the ways sound travels through the air? Perhaps. But Green’s varied interests created the perfect conditions to chase an idea. And his parents, Julie Warren’s science fair elective, and his teammates gave him room to explore and experiment.

Warren, impressed with Green’s determination and dedication, particularly because he had to learn how to code to create his project, says, “I can’t wait to see what he does in the future, as I know it will be related to science and technology. When he wants to do something, there is no stopping him!”

When he’s not soldering capacitors and resistors together, Green can be found hiking, birding, vaulting a pommel horse, and rereading Harry Potter.

A Renaissance man, indeed.

A boy who loves engineering, science, and the outdoors, who’s a gymnast in his free time.”

Eva Polizzi is the seventh-grade English teacher at The Pegasus School. Contact: epolizzi@thepegasusschool.org

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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last

The Great Race Monisha Vasa

One of the most beloved units of study at Pegasus happens in first grade, where students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in all things Iditarod. The Iditarod, otherwise known as the “Last Great Race on Earth,” might seem like an unusual choice for first-grade education. But the race itself has a variety of exciting and engaging aspects, with applications extending into math, art, reading and writing, technology, and character development.

According to Cheryl Howard, first-grade teacher, the range of activities and learning points is one of the best parts of the unit. In her class, children start by learning the characteristics of the “perfect Iditarod dog.” For example, they learn how dogs need to be agile, have the right amount of fur, and perform as leaders. The children also learn about animal awareness and care from individuals such as Shelley Gill, a former musher and environmental activist. Next, the children study the various relationships critical to the Iditarod

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race, such as the relationship between mushers and dogs, the teams and the trail, the teams and the weather. Included in this discussion are the various systems that impact the mushers and dogs. This involves learning about both manmade systems, such as the race and the team, as well as natural systems, such as weather and other environmental conditions.

These concepts are illustrated through a variety of engaging and interactive activities. Of course, the children are assigned different mushers and follow the course of each musher throughout the race, from winner to last man standing. Teachers and children alike cheer for each musher, no matter when they cross the finish line, knowing that it is a tremendous accomplishment even to make it to the starting line. During center time, children might tackle story problems related to the race, study Alaskan land forms, write Diamante poetry, and create prototype bibs.

For the first time this year, children also used technology and coding to create their own version of the Iditarod race.

Using an app called “Blockly,” students created their own Iditarod sled dogs and used iPads to usher them through course checkpoints. Each dog carried a musher and sled that were lovingly created in art class. The race occurred on the final day of the unit, alongside a wax museum where each child represented his or her musher. By knowing the biographical details of each musher enough to embody them, students have another wonderful opportunity for public speaking and confidence building.

PROGRAM

It is wonderful that one race can teach our children so much about animals, the environment, grit, teamwork, and bravery.”

No unit of study at Pegasus would be complete without a focus on character development. According to Peggy Paules, first-grade teacher, learning about the traits of success that are a core part of the Iditarod race is one of the most important aspects of the entire unit. As she says, “One part of the unit that I particularly love is the focus we put on the eight traits of the Iditarod, (Innovation, Diligence, Integrity, Teamwork, Attitude, Respect, Optimism, and Determination). We start by teaching the students the meaning of each Iditarod trait, and then we share stories of how each trait is demonstrated in the Iditarod. Finally, we brainstorm and discuss examples of each trait in our own lives and discuss how they relate to the Community Values at Pegasus. I find it to be a meaningful character education piece of our year that seems to really resonate with our students.”

With such a multi-disciplinary deep dive into the Iditarod race, it is no wonder that students remember the Last Great Race for years to come. Every student can find an aspect of the race that he or she can personally connect with, be it nature, animals, art, technology, poetry, or math. It is this personal connection that inspires students to continue studying the Iditarod in depth for years beyond first grade. Many students and families have been inspired by the unit to take a trip to Alaska to see the Iditarod dogs and visit the area where the mushers race.

It is wonderful that one race can teach our children so much about animals, the environment, grit, teamwork, and bravery.

In studying the Iditarod, students see these principles in action, not just in theory, laying an important foundation for continued development in the years ahead.

Monisha Vasa is a psychiatrist, writer, and co-founder of Shyft.

She can be found blogging on her website at www.monishavasa.com.

Monisha is mom to two Iditarod lovers, Lakshmi (’21) and Rohan (’22) Jeyanandarajan. Contact: mvasamd@gmail.com.

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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Finding Students Where They

are

Malinda Bryant

Consider some of the most successful people in their field— Albert Einstein, Meryl Streep, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Fallon, Elon Musk, Julia Child. What do you think they were like in grade school? Unassuming students who got A’s and never strayed outside the standardized norm of “success”? Or do you think they pushed the boundaries, challenged the preconceived notions of achievement, and functioned somewhere decidedly outside the box?

The Pegasus School was inspired by its founder’s philosophy of nurturing each child’s uniqueness. Dr. Laura Hathaway welcomed students where they were rather than force them

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into a preconceived mold. Her school was a place where uniqueness would be nurtured, supported, and celebrated.

Easier said than done, this endeavor requires a village. So she selected a devoted staff who could respond on a personal level as they recognized the individual needs and requirements of each student. Helping students who struggle because they are gifted, have special needs, or could simply use some extra guidance and support academically, medically, or emotionally was their siren. Therefore, student development situations that might have been labeled as “concerns” are instead looked upon as opportunities to help children thrive within their personal environs. The Learning and Support Team (LST) at Pegasus embraces this philosophy and provides this invaluable support.

Academic Well-Being Michelle Carr is the cornerstone of the LST, having brought her vision of individual child development to Dr. Hathaway more than 20 years ago. As the lower school learning specialist, Carr fills many roles from reading specialist to educational therapist, to developer of parent and staff education programs covering learning techniques. In this realm, she meets the needs of teachers, trains faculty, responds to parent concerns, and participates in admissions evaluations. Carr aptly sums up her many jobs as “nurturing the success of students.”

FACULTY FOCUS

Carr is joined by Kristen Diehl, lower school instructional coach, who works from the top down providing ongoing professional development for lower school staff. Through one-on-one meetings with teachers, in-class observations, and weekly debriefs, Diehl is able to get the big picture of the lower school. She feels her “bird’s-eye view” of all the classrooms allows her to ensure our program’s rigor remains consistent across grade levels.

Kristen Brady, the Middle School learning specialist, continues this individualized support with students in fourth through eighth grade. She focuses on more mature executive function skills such as organization, time management, backwards planning, and study strategies. She gives her students a great study skills “toolkit” and empowers them to advocate for themselves. Brady also works closely with teachers to support pre-teen and teen students with their emotional needs.

Both Carr and Brady recognize the importance of student interest and motivation. They provide students with a meaningful, active, well-balanced learning environment so they can reach their full potential. Dr. Hathaway’s vision was to create “a safe and non-threatening environment where students are challenged and not unproductively stressed,” says Carr. Clearly, she and Brady have stayed true to that vision.

Without hesitation, both teachers cite their most rewarding moments as seeing the fruits of their labor. “Reaching students and seeing them soar…knowing how proud Laura [Hathaway] would be,” says Carr.

Mental, Physical, and Emotional Well-Being Well beyond providing ice packs and Band-Aids, Karen Hurst, school nurse, sees her role as “identifying students who need extra support to optimize their learning.” Hurst works with students, parents, teachers, and often doctors to help children thrive at Pegasus within their own personal circumstance. She facilitates medication support, identifies learning challenges, recommends protocols, and advocates for accommodations for those with temporary or permanent limitations.

The expansive reach of her assistance is on full display in her care of concussed students. Not only is she adept at diagnosing and caring for children who suffer head injuries at school, she is an invaluable resource for students’ sometimes lengthy healing process. An expert in the guidelines for care and recovery, Hurst is a fierce advocate for students. She works with teachers and other members of the LST to ensure students gets the rest they need, without undue pressures from missed academics.

“School Psychologist” is a title that can conjure preconceived notions and potential stigma. But at Pegasus, David Andrade strives to overcome those barriers and educate

every student on what a helpful resource he can be. Beyond those experiencing ongoing difficulties, he is available to help all children be their best. He brings the school psychologist motto of “Helping children thrive — in school, at home, in life” to his role every day.

Stress is a common theme dealt with by students from all walks of life, and the Pegasus population of driven, inspired, high-achieving students is not immune. Andrade works with teachers and other members of the LST to identify those needing assistance with coping, time management, and general perspective toward managing their stress. His most rewarding moments are when he is approached by a student he’s never worked with before and asked, “Can I come and work with you one day?” Going beyond students with serious concerns, Andrade is accessible for every student to thrive.

While the members of the LST have their own specific areas of expertise, the team works together to bring out the best in each and every student. Their roles overlap in providing the best care to the gestalt of the Pegasus student.

A child with a physical injury or limitation may need academic and emotional support. A student with a learning issue may need counseling and medication management. This teamwork places Pegasus students in great hands. They find our children where they are, and help bring them where they need to be so they can soar.

Malinda Bryant, proud parent to Rachel (’14), Jackson (’16), and Carter (’19), is a long-standing supporter, volunteer, and advocate for the Pegasus community. Contact: malindab@mac.com

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SEARCH Our world teems with hidden treasures. Discoveries that might delight, excite, challenge and—yes—sometimes scare us. Some of these gifts land in our laps. A talent exposed early. A passion found young. But, for most of us, the world keeps revealing itself. And, as we grow, we keep opening ourselves to the world. It’s the newly appreciated interests, the surprising talents, and the synergies between our passions that create our unique life path. Never stop searching.

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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What’s Your

Thing?

This question is the crux of a college application, the essence of any interview and, some would say, the key to happiness. Knowing this, do we compel our kids to identify personal passion before its natural discovery?

The real question may be: Are we building wings‌or branding?

Karla Joyce

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FEATURE

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

– Simon Sinek

Meet Joe CEO. He wears jeans on Tuesdays with shirt untucked and hair stiff from surfing. Over the hump of hard work, he is now a hands-on family man who covets for his children the kind of cadillac education he never had; he came from modest means and wasn’t, by his own admission, a student. The fact that he dropped out of a community college in Anaheim is significant to his story. His higher education was, instead, the years spent selling or doing, clawing then slipping then redirecting again and again along the rutted path of personal interest. Tech, real estate, online shopping — just fill in the blank.

Oh, and he’s rich.

Hooking readers with generalization may be cheap, but it’s intentional. Most middle schoolers can name the entrepreneurial gods who dropped out of high school or ducked college to manifest a particular obsession and, eventually, built empires. In fact, the stories of Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Rachel Ray, or Richard Branson, to name a few, fuel dreams. But, while dreams are awesome, there is a mighty big leap between the billionaire’s swashbuckling retrospective and the moment, some thirty years prior, when he needed to pay rent.

“How did he do it?” the eighth grader asks.

The answer (typically delivered with reverence, repeated-to-the-point-of-cliché, lacking any actionable take-aways) makes it sound so easy: He followed his passions.

If I’m an eighth grader, I’m going to find a passion…and fast.

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Clichés have legs for the truths they hold. “FollowPassion is not a plan. your-passion” is buzzword for finding meaning in It's a feeling, and life; “outside-the-box” thinking is the fuel of feelings change.” innovation. But Pegasus students are pressed as early as pre-K to reflect, to question, and to think. By and, by middle school, it’s bordering indelible. “Clichés are a shortcut to thinking,” Nancy Wilder, eighth-grade English teacher, reiterates patiently, as often as necessary. “Why bother to think when you can use a cliché?”

Thinking-kids poke holes. They know that some passions are better than others; maintaining Snapchat streaks and Netflix streaming need not apply. They know that a resumé of balanced specialities, pursued to the point of achievement, impresses adults. They know that daydreaming and nothingness, while deeply satisfying at fourteen, isn’t fodder for college essays. Thinking-kids, under pressure both to craft the box and land distinctly outside of it, have two choices: push away or play the game.

As parents of thinking-kids, which do we prefer?

Branding 101 Branding, at its core, is the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product or service. According to the editors at Entrepreneur Magazine, “Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.” A personal brand, similarly, seeks to convey uniqueness. When (per a 2016 Southeast Education Network study) more than 200,000 high school seniors graduate with a 4.0 GPA, nearly 3,000 students score 2,200-plus on the SAT and Harvard rejects 200 applicants who boast a perfect 2,400, developing a distinction is practically mandatory.

The impulse to self-differentiate may be fueled by a market bubble, but it is also cultivated by a well-meaning cast of parents and counselors. Recently, I took my eighth-grade girls to an educational advisor, one specifically equipped to help kids navigate the private-to-public school transition and map a four-year curriculum to maximize college choice. Before any meaningful dialogue could occur, he needed to know who they were, in a nutshell. The resumé framework was useless; on paper, they’re practically identical. They have carbon-copy transcripts, grades and ERB scores, similar extracurriculars and shared friends. (In life, however, they are complete opposites.)

“What’s your thing?” he asked each one, individually. “Give me a snapshot of yourself, the spokes of your wheel, in five minutes or less.”

Twin A brought her A-game and laid it out like a pro. She connected the commitment to her chosen activities (club volleyball, performance band) to her learning style (the need

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to repeat, ask questions, work harder) to her nature (dogged, competitive, and a tad insecure). The counselor added in his notes a healthy dose of self-awareness to her bag of goods.

Twin B, on the other hand, simply darkened the bubbles (club sport, check; grades, good; seven years of classical piano, gleefully abandoned). Left unsaid were Twin B’s real goods: laser focus, devil-may-care quirkiness, love of languages, a mature mind.

“Personal branding is about standing out,” writes Stacey Cohen, CEO of Co-Communications PR/Marketing and a Huffington Post columnist. Standing out, it seems, doesn’t just happen. According to Cohen, teens should be identifying and honing their strengths and interests as they enter high school.

“A growing number of high schools are offering courses that embrace personal branding,” she explains. (It’s the new math.)

“Now more than ever, this age group has to counteract fierce competition with a stand-out brand and ensure their digital footprint is positive and consistent.”

Our counselor wasn’t as calculating in his intentions, but he was adamant about this: the self-discovery that typically occurs in high school has been stamped out by an Uber-driven, prematurely-ripened youth culture and carefully-crafted (to fit in) online personalities. Typical teen distractions now verge on dangerous; in the very least, they’re derailing. Charting a unique path and staying on it is critical, he insisted. My skeptical twin may buck the find-your-passion pep talk (because she really, really doesn’t know) but identifying next steps based on what intrigues her is both a short-term action plan and a template for differentiation in the long run.

That’s a good thing, right?

Passion Is Not a Plan If memory serves me, my fourteen-year-old self never searched for a passion. If I’d had to identify one for the sake of selfdescription, I probably wouldn’t have said journaling, . . . although, that’s what I did daily. My college applications sold a then-common combination of academics and athletics with a uniquely personal voice; I wrote freely. But I wouldn’t have made the connection. And, nobody asked.

Today, the constant drum of passion, the incessant search-for and volume of empirical work on the construct of passion has elevated a once-simple inclination into a life-defining activity.

“Passion,” explains one study published in Self and Identity, “is a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that one loves, values, and in which one invests a substantial amount of time and energy.” (That’s way bigger than keeping a diary.)

In another collection of studies called Emerging Perspectives on Values in Organization, Robert Vallerand gives it even greater gravitas: Passion is “a personally important activity that becomes a central part of one’s identity.”

This assumes a passion is lifelong. But as Terri Trespicio observes in her TEDx Talk, “Passion is not a plan. It’s a feeling, and feelings change.” Last year Trespicio, a former editor and radio host for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, delivered this blunt message: “Stop Searching for Your

FEATURE

Passion.” Two-and-a-half-million people, so far, have watched it. Despite her laudable resume and happy life, Trespicio — like most of us — has experienced the forceful cultural imperative to choose a passion. “I thought something was wrong with me. That’s the fear, isn’t it? That when someone asks you at a party or on a job interview what you are passionate about, that you’re not going to have this “wow” compelling answer, and that that means you’re not interesting or ambitious… and that your life is not worth living.”

A sizable offshoot of the self-help industry has sprung up around helping people find their passions, professedly motivated by self-discovery. But the mere act of looking, Trespicio says, is limiting. “Passion is not a job, a sport, or a hobby,” she says. “It is the full force of your attention and energy that you give to whatever is right in front of you, and if you are so busy looking for this ‘passion’ you could miss opportunities that change your life.”

Carol Dweck, Stanford University professor and the author of Mindset, coined a catchy phrase to encapsulate this idea that labeling our disposition before it hatches organically, through hard work, stifles growth. She calls it: The Power of YET. “I heard about a high school in Chicago where students had to pass a certain number of courses to graduate, and if they didn’t pass a course, they got the grade ‘Not Yet.’ And I thought that was fantastic, because if you get a failing grade, you think, I’m nothing, I’m nowhere. But if you get the grade ‘Not Yet’ you understand that you’re on a learning curve. It gives you a path into the future.”

Dweck challenges parents to ask: “Are we raising our kids for now instead of yet?” In other words, are we shaping their obsession with getting A’s? Are we winnowing their vision and, consequently, their natural delight, their unique passion, their true potential? The temporal framework of Dweck’s analysis is important. It highlights the pitfall of locking-in on who-weare at a specific moment in time; it limits self-discovery.

Create Yourself First Let’s return, for a moment, to the life of Twin B. She whiles away hours in anticipation of high school and new friendships, mentally writing scenarios that may or may not play out. She is systematically dropping the activities that have been her brand thus far and rests, contentedly, in limbo. She is both the teenager I once was and the teen that dogs me, today. It has nothing to do with her; she is giving the full force of her attention to what is right in front of her. I simply hadn’t figured that into my plan for her. (Twin B is smarter than I am.)

Rick Davitt, alumni parent, thinks that personal branding is an essential skill to teach teenagers, but only after the quirks and attractions have manifested. “We create ourselves first,” he says. “Ultimately, on college applications and in job interviews, we need to communicate who we are. But if the cart comes first, it’s inauthentic.” He’s seen that happen. “As a former tech-marketing executive,” Davitt explains, “I know it’s best when the public face and the real world are in sync, when a brand matches an identity.”

According to Davitt, identity “work” isn’t linear and a parent can’t chart its path. Randon ’12, his then 10-year-old son, is proof to that. “My son’s interest in blacksmithing ended abruptly after one full year, with a well-used anvil and small forge collecting dust in my garage. They haven’t been touched since. But swinging a sledgehammer on hot iron was replaced with a drum set and a bass guitar. Now he’s studying in the Thornton School of Music at USC.” So, was blacksmithing a dead end, an interesting bullet-point for a future resume, or the spark that ignited his passion, I ask? “We’ll never know,” Davitt admits.

Translation:

Life just happens. Let it.

Karla Joyce is a Pegasus parent, PTO president and contributing writer for the Pegasus Magazine.

Contact: karlajoyce@cox.net

Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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In Praise of the

Peripatetic

Path

Marrie Stone

In 1996, the worst question you could ask alumni parent Jeff Rovner was, “What do you do for a living?”

Rovner had just walked away from fourteen years as a municipal bond lawyer, seven of them as a partner at Morrison & Foerster, to pursue his real interest—technology. But what did that mean? He didn’t yet know.

A friend and former colleague, Bruce Hallett (also a Pegasus alumni parent), took a chance and hired Rovner to join his firm with no real title or job description. He was simply tasked with thinking about how to apply technology to the legal practice.

Drawing upon every skillset and interest he held—from close-up magic to a background in philosophy and the sciences, from acquired knowledge about computers and technology to extensive experience in the law—Rovner emerged as one of the earliest pioneers of legal knowledge management.

Twenty-one years later, he’s the Managing Director for Information at O’Melveny & Myers, and an adjunct professor of Information Technology and Knowledge Management at George Washington University’s Master’s Program in Law Firm Management.

Magic. Philosophy. Zoology. Technology. Law. In the mid-1990s, the only thing those interests had in common was Jeff Rovner. From them, though, a new field was born.

These one-off stories of success often sound the same. A strange series of seemingly random events or interests combine to create the perfect career that no one else can replicate because there’s no definitive roadmap. Perhaps, though, randomness is the roadmap.

Today we are tempted to find a path for our children Courtney, Hair Fashion Aficionado

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FEATURE

at the earliest possible age and set them upon it, nudging them toward a certain future with defined goals. Find the interest young, the theory goes, and begin doggedly pursuing it. Preferably it will involve math, science, or engineering.

Preferably they will love it.

But maybe that’s no longer the best approach. And here’s why…

Divers versus Scanners Over a decade ago Barbara Sher, British author and career counselor, coined the terms divers and scanners in her book, “What Do I Do When I Want To Do Everything?” Divers, she says, are perfectionists. They strive to reach mastery over a subject and see projects through to their end. They focus deeply. Scientists and musicians tend to be divers. They pursue one career, and perhaps only one hobby, for their entire lives. They repeat the same experience, over and over, improving and refining each time.

Scanners, on the other hand, embrace everything that excites them, and may abandon an interest when the enthusiasm wanes. They’re attracted to the initial learning curve. “People accuse scanners of being dabblers, and they get a lot of grief for never finishing what they start,” says Sher.

“This isn’t really accurate. Scanners do finish things. It’s just that they do it on their own terms. They bail out when they feel they’ve got what they need from a particular activity. They tend to be less ambitious than divers because they don’t fear failure. What scanners fear more than anything is boredom.”

I suspect young divers make their parents happy—or at least calm. Their path is clear, their focus strong. They have grit, perseverance, and determination. They’re not quitters.

But Sher argues in defense of scanners. Now that we can no longer expect a job—or even an industry—to remain for life, there are advantages to taking a generalist approach. If the implications of artificial intelligence and its impending impact on our children’s future don’t delight, excite, and simultaneously scare the pants off you . . . they should. Career paths in the coming years, more likely than not, will look nothing like the past.

Scanners have experience across a wide array of disciplines that can be brought to bear on new endeavors. Each new experience and interest feeds the next, no matter how random or different they seem. And this is where humans may have an advantage over technology.

Scanners themselves fall into several categories. “Serial specialists,” Sher says, can stay with a particular career for years and become very skilled at what they do before moving on to something completely different. “Plate spinners,” by contrast, work on several projects at once. The rest are known as “dabblers.”

Catherine, Fashion Designer

Max, Go-Cart Racer

Isabella, Earth Scientist

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Rovner identifies himself as a diver. But it’s his scanner autobiography: “The rules that I drew up required that every qualities (as a “serial specialist”) that have served him best. member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries “The critical thing,” he says, “is to pursue each random on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to enthusiasm as deeply as possible, even if you’re not sure be discussed by the company; and once in three months where it will lead. This allows you to get the most from the produce and read an essay of his own writing on any subject experience and take that knowledge with you to the next he pleased. Our debates were to be . . . conducted in the one.” Zoology, for example, wasn’t merely a means to an end sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for for Rovner. He tackled it as though his future depended on it dispute, or desire of victory.” because, at the time, he thought it did. But from it, he came Franklin compiled a list of twenty-four questions for the to understand systems of classification very well. And that members to consider in advance of the meetings. understanding has served his current career in knowledge A few examples: management in countless ways.

If we agree that approaching the world as a scanner has “ Have you met with anything in the author you last read, value, but we’re still inclined to encourage divers, is there a remarkable, or suitable to be communicated to the Junto? way to foster both? How can divers incorporate some of those Particularly in history, morality, poetry, physics, travels, beneficial traits held by scanners? And how can scanners mechanic arts, or other parts of knowledge.” further exploit their natural tendencies? “ Do you think of anything at present, in Here are two approaches—one which the Junto may be serviceable to collaborative and cerebral, the other Today we are mankind? To their country, to their individual and athletic—to incorporate friends, or to themselves?” tempted to find a the scanner mentality into our deepdiving lives. They can be mixed and path for our children From Franklin’s Junto were born the matched, modified or expanded. first lending libraries, volunteer fire at the earliest But they’re intended to spark a new departments, public hospitals, and night approach to an encroaching new future. possible age and watchmen. set them upon it, There are several modern-day Juntos Ben Franklin’s Junto across the United States. In the late 1990s, nudging them toward In his early 20s, already successfully I was a member of one myself. Known as operating the printing press, a certain future with “The Academy of the Obscure,” ten of us Benjamin Franklin wanted more. met once a month, taking turns presenting defined goals.

His circle of friends was expanding, talks on obscure or hidden knowledge. and his curiosities were growing. He We came from a variety of disciplines and longed, he said, “for a club of mutual backgrounds. We covered topics ranging improvement.” From that longing was from the origin of zero, to the Knights Templar, to alchemy. born the Junto—a weekly discussion Some piece of arcane knowledge, it was thought, could group of twelve men, chosen across inform our professional or personal lives. a variety of disciplines, who Most members of our group were divers—enthusiastic shared his thirst for learning and and knowledgeable in their respective fields, connoisseurs conversation. The men met to of particular subjects. They brought their infectious discuss “morals, politics, or enthusiasms and quirky interests to a group of individuals natural philosophy (science).” who otherwise would have no exposure to their ideas. Divers Franklin wrote in his allowed other divers to scan their pursuits.

Creating or participating in a Junto is a deliberate way to introduce beneficial randomness in one’s life.

Jay Koger’s North Pole Far from the fireside chats of the Junto is the relentless cold of the North Pole. Negative 41 degrees, to be precise.

Also wind. And polar bears.

It’s a dry cold. Still, your eyes freeze shut. Every layer of clothing—and there are lots of them—freeze together into 26

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Lucas, Geologist

FEATURE

one solid mass, making it difficult to move and impossible to turn your head. Eye protection is futile because it fogs and ices. At that temperature, frostbite sets in after ten minutes. Hypothermia, dehydration, and cramps all quickly become problems.

And yet, this year, 56 people from 21 nations converged on the North Pole to run a marathon—26.2 miles. Jay Koger (former Pegasus parent) was one of them. He timed in at 8:42.24. “The snow felt like running in deep sand,” Koger says. “Often runners fell through, occasionally up to their knees, and struggled to get up.”

Every 10 years or so, Koger sets himself a challenge. He swam to Alcatraz. He ran the Death Valley Trail Marathon.

And, this April, Koger ran the North Pole.

“The question most have is Why?” Koger says. “Simply put, I believe you should scare yourself with something new to prevent becoming stagnant. Although painful, scary, destructive, dangerous, and selfish for the worry caused to my family, it made me stretch outside of my current boundaries and beliefs. We live but a short time. An intense challenge such as this reminds a person what is truly important, to live and feel alive.”

Remember: scanners fear boredom. Koger is rarely bored.

FaceBook CEO Mark Zuckerberg follows this approach as well. By every indication, Zuckerberg is a diver. But once a year he takes on a personal challenge to learn new things and grow himself outside of FaceBook. Past challenges have included reading two books a month, running 365 miles, learning Mandarin, and building an AI machine to run his home. Every challenge has a theme. The AI theme, for example, was invention. This year’s challenge is to travel to, and meet people from, every U.S. state.

Personal, social, and business challenges inspire Zuckerberg’s annual resolutions. The challenges never apply to just one area of life. He ensures he will benefit from them in a number of ways. In 2011, he ate only meat he killed himself, which essentially meant he became vegetarian. “In order to practice thankfulness,” he says. “I want to be more connected to the food I eat and the animals that give their lives so I can eat them.” Sacrificing something he took for granted every day made him realize its importance in his life.

Personal challenges, like those tackled by Koger and Zuckerberg, can jar even the deepest divers out of their framework. One can’t help but see the world from a different perspective. And modeling these challenges for our children sends a visceral message of optimism and determination at any age.

So if your garage, like mine, looks like a graveyard of adolescent whims—rusted fencing foils and discarded tennis rackets, dusty violins and abandoned chessboards—don’t despair. In tomorrow’s world, serial interests may be your child’s biggest advantage. But if your closet brims only with ballet slippers—one in every size from toddler to teen—techniques like the Junto, Koger’s athletic pursuits, Zuckerberg’s personal challenges, or any number of other deliberate random endeavors can provide that bit of scanning that will allow your diver to lead a full and interesting life.

And might someday create a more resilient career path.

Creating or participating in a Junto is a deliberate way to introduce beneficial randomness in one’s life.

Marrie Stone is a local writer, interviewer, and the co-host of “Writers on Writing” at KUCI, 88.9FM and the mother of Haley Rovner (‘15). Contact: marriestone@gmail.com Pegasus Magazine Summer 2017

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Just for the of It

fun

Shannon Vermeeren

Reduce stress. Boost energy. Improve memory. Sleep better. Deepen social connections. Live longer. The list of benefits goes on and all it takes is adding more servings of one particular thing to your life. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and calorie free, and can easily be found in even the most remote corners of the world. What is this magical, lifechanging ingredient? Nothing other than pure FUN! The Pegasus community is filled with members who not only recognize the importance of fun, but ensure their personal lives are enriched by activities that bring them happiness. As individuals, the adults on campus readily engage in activities that have no other purpose but to add fun and happiness to their day. On a random Monday morning Mrs. Brennan might be seen having a mini dance party with her fourth graders as they transition from one activity to the next. Tuesday evening

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might find Ms. Olivadoti heading out for an evening of swing dancing with her friends. On Wednesday nights, there are dozens of Pegasus fathers and faculty members mixing it up in the gym for Dads’ Basketball night. Book clubs, hiking groups, garage bands, painting classes, French lessons…you name it, Pegasus people do it. When asked why, when there may be so many other responsibilities they should be tending to, the most common reason was, you guessed it, “Because it’s FUN!” While the adults in our community seem to enjoy themselves, nothing can compete with the sheer delight reflected in the in the eyes of a child who is having a ball.

Wander our playgrounds at recess or step into one of the numerous after-school classes offered on campus and fun is in full swing. One of the greatest things about watching youngsters engaged in their enthusiasms is that there is absolutely no judgement about the goal of the actual activity causing joy and laughter, nor any concern about how long the gratification will last. Five minutes of giddiness is just as valuable as 45 minutes of amusement. Unlike many adults, when children are fully engaged in enjoyable activities, there never seems to be a concern about what else they could, or should, be doing with their time. To-do lists have no business invading such sacred moments. Whether digging in the mud alone in the pre-K Outdoor Classroom playing whiffle ball during recess, or coding a new video game on a

INSIGHT

first came to light in a TED Talk by Emilie Wapnick in which she defines a multipotentialite as “one with many interests and creative pursuits.” Although it is true that some people seem to discover a true, lifelong passion at an early age and choose to spend vast amounts of their time pursuing this single interest or goal, most others find that they can glean great amounts of joy from many different pursuits of leisure, and that they find themselves emotionally satisfied when they choose to do things simply because they enjoy them. With no ulterior motive behind their choice of activities, no concerns about advanced class placement, building up college applications, or bolstering job resumes, they are able to simply immerse themselves in an activity just for the fun of it. Fun leads to happiness. Happiness leads to physical and psychological health. Health leads to stronger relationships and longevity. In combination, this equals a definition of success that has nothing to do with money or career prestige, but results in living a life fulfilled, even if the participant is ten years old and far too young and having too much fun to even take notice. That’s my kind of diet! home computer, children are able to let go of all other responsibilities and live in the moment, thereby gleaning all of the benefits that come along with having a good time.

Sometimes, doing something for the joys of it can turn into a long-term passion. Fifth grader Luca Shakoori has developed a love of movie making. This year, realizing YouTube was a platform for people to share their passions in an entertaining way, he created his own account to preview his documentary style videos with his friends and family.

When asked why he decided to pursue movies, Shakoori replied, “I don’t know. I just thought learning how videos were made and figuring out how to share my entertainment with others was really fun.” Further discussion revealed even more about his initial mindset. According to Shakoori, he never thought about movie making or editing as anything other than an enjoyable interest until other people started asking him if he hoped to turn his enthusiasm for video creation into a career someday. “I never thought about that,” he said. “I really was just thinking that I was having fun sharing things that I liked in a creative way.”

“So, now that it has come up, have you ever seriously considered possibly following through on filming or editing as a career?” I asked.

“I don’t really know. I really like doing a lot of things.

Can I be a travel photographer, a movie maker, and still become President someday?”

Shakoori, like many others, is a young “multipotentialite” who has found delight in a variety of activities. The term

Shannon Vermeeren is a fifth-grade teacher at Pegasus School and a professional fun-seeker.

Contact: svermeeren@thepegasusschool.org

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The Business Of Being

creative

Bryan Tallichet (’08) Karen Hurst

production of two Super Bowl commercials, one for the Netflix show Stranger Things and the other for the movie A Cure for Wellness. Bryan’s job is very collaborative, and teamwork, good people skills, effective communication and organizational skills are critical to his success.

James Swiger, seventh-grade social studies teacher, says two things stood out when he first met Bryan. “I remember he had this unwavering sense of compassion for others, especially when it came to his sister and family,” Swiger says. “I also admired his humble confidence in the classroom and on the football field. His infectious smile and actions on and off the field made him one of the greats to come through Pegasus.”

He says Bryan is “one of those souls you just don’t forget.”

While Bryan doesn’t work with movie stars, he does interact with movie studio executives on a daily basis and is very happy in his first “real job” experience. He stays in touch with his insightful Pegasus friends who saw the creative side in him long before he saw it himself.

At Pegasus, the Class of ’08 voted him “Most Creative.”

Bryan Tallichet doesn’t remember feeling very creative.

At the time, he was inclined toward a career in business.

That is, until he discovered the joint degree program at the University of Southern California in Business and Cinematic Arts.

Looking back, Bryan says an early interest in history helped lead him to his current career, crediting Mr. Swiger and Mr. Conti for providing that initial spark. A high school writing assignment about the Civil War gave Bryan the idea for a video game, which led him to explore film and video. While the game never became more than an idea, it made him think about his interests and how he might make a career out of the fun activities he loved to He [Tallichet] do. Those interests, combined with Ms. Olivadoti’s early influences, has assisted in the stressing importance of Proper Prior production of two Super Planning Prevents Poor Performance (“PPPPPP”), has charted Bryan’s Bowl commercials, career course. one for the Netflix show During his time at USC, Bryan interned at Marvel Studios, Talent Stranger Things.”

Agency ICM, and Universal Pictures. He took classes in marketing, the business of filmmaking, production, general video studies, and introduction to film. He has always loved movies and enjoyed playing with iMovie on his computer, changing the musical score to movies just for fun.

Bryan graduated from USC in 2016 and now works as a production coordinator for Trailer Park, a creative marketing firm in Los Angeles. He is responsible for coordinating efforts to ensure film producers have what they need, and editors have the relevant film files from the studios. He works long and unpredictable hours, but the work is creative and interesting. He has assisted in the

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THOSE WHO SOAR

warrior

A for Women

Karly Bennett (’02)

Who are you when nobody’s watching? If you’re Karly Bennett (‘02), you’re a crusader for girls, women, and their health. You’re a defender of human rights. You study hard.

You travel wide. You care deeply.

From the time Karly was in college, she committed herself to working overseas. While studying Peace and Conflict Studies at University of California, Berkeley, Karly spent time teaching English in Ghana. That experience solidified a love of travel, a commitment to humanitarian efforts, and a career devoted to women’s issues.

“Working abroad reminds me to be hopeful about the future,” says Karly. “The rhetoric used to divide us—race, religion, culture—is largely propaganda. My experience is that humans are strikingly similar across all countries.”

After graduating from Berkeley, Karly spent the next year working in disaster management around the United States for Americorps. She also spent time in Uganda, Jordan and Palestine providing gender based violence programming, with specific emphasis on child marriage, obstetrics, and other issues related to women’s health. “What I loved about Pegasus was the open environment which fostered creative thinking and inspired students to follow their passions,” Karly says. And so she did.

While studying for her Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) degrees at Columbia University, Karly connected with a professor who would be instrumental in her future. Although mainly interested in women’s sexual and reproductive health and violence against women and children, Karly’s next career took her to Nepal. There, she researched child mental health, specifically the impact of trauma (i.e. earthquakes) on the effectiveness of related emergency responses.

She remembers randomly wandering into a massive impromptu dance party in the middle of a Nepali forest with 50 women and girls. And, of course, being forced to dance. “At times it feels like things are going to hell in a handbasket,” she says. “But the vast majority of people are kind, welcoming and decent.”

From Nepal, Karly returned to New York City where she now works for the non-profit Girls Educational and Mentoring Service (GEMS). She supports survivors of domestic sex trafficking, training service providers—such as law enforcement and emergency room staff—to detect sex trafficking. She also designs educational curriculum for New York City youth concerning commercial sexual exploitation, and leads sexual education classes.

Her friend and classmate Sara Becker (‘02) says, “I’ve always admired Karly for being deeply motivated to change the world. Through her relationships and career it’s clear she has and there’s no stopping her now!”

Coach Tyler’s philosophy of character as “who you are when nobody’s watching” has worked its way into Karly’s classroom instruction. When nobody’s watching Karly, she’s deeply engaged in making the world a safer, kinder, and more connected place.

Karen Hurst is the Pegasus school nurse, former PTO president, and mother of Jenny ‘02, Danny ‘03, Brian ‘06, Matt ‘10, and Robby ‘12. Contact: khurst@thepegasusschool.org

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Alumni Connections Benjamin Jenkins

03

Lindsay Cumming lives in San Francisco. Cumming works for Magnum PR representing and marketing upscale restaurants, wineries and hotels.

Elizabeth Weber (maiden name Zadro) wed Mark Weber this past year.

Congratulations to them both!

07

Allison Krugman is attending Columbia University. Krugman is a master’s of public health candidate at the Mailman School of Public Health.

Elizabeth Weber(Zadro) ‘03 with her newlywed husband, Mark Weber.

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Dustin Fujiwara has been working as a firefighter and paramedic for the city of Rialto since 2002 and was recently elected Treasurer of Rialto Professional Firefighters 3688 for three terms.

Fujiwara has been married for 14 years with a ten-year-old daughter Samantha and an eight-year-old son Carson.

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Lisa McCall (maiden name Wiley) has been an attorney for nine years. McCall practices family law litigation and appeals. She became a certified family law specialist last year. Currently McCall is an associate attorney at the law offices of Dorie A Rogers, APC, in Orange. McCall has been enjoying marriage for almost six years. She has a three year old son named KJ and a four month old daughter named Lyla.

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08

Braden Cluck graduated from Loyola Marymount University and is getting married in June. Cluck has been working at Aon for over two years and recently purchased a house in Irvine.

Erin Vogel recently graduated from California State University, Fullerton and will be pursuing her master’s degree at University of San Francisco in a three year program for marriage and family therapy.

Kent Willett graduated in 2016 from the University of Notre Dame, Mendoza School of Business with a B.A. in Finance. Willett is currently working as a financial analyst in mergers and acquisitions for Duff and Phelps Investment Bank in Chicago.

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Sara Cluck graduated from Mater Dei High School and is attending Texas Christian University.

She recently interned at Clean Energy.

Jack Williamson attends Yale

Erin Vogel ‘08 at her graduation from California State University, Fullerton.

University and is expecting to graduate in May 2018 with a B.A in History with a concentration on war and society. Williamson is a United States Marine Corps Officer candidate.

Shelby Williamson attends Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee studying and working in music business. She will be spending the upcoming fall semester doing a school program in Los Angeles. Williamson hopes to work with music in the film and television industry.

Daniel Willett is attending the University of Notre Dame as a finance major in the Mendoza School of Business. This summer he has an investment banking internship with Lazard Freres & Co. in the Chicago office.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

Ryan Harrison ‘13 received the Student Athlete with Character Award by the OCDA along with one of his Estancia classmates.

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John Drayton became an Eagle Scout and currently attends Orange Coast College.

Kelli Nagasawa currently attends Loyola Marymount University and is pursuing her degree in graphic design and marketing.

Niki Nourmohammadi graduated from George Washington University in 2016 with a major in biochemistry.

She is now in graduate school at Columbia University working on her masters in public health and planning to go to medical school.

Lauren Tallichet attends California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and is an environmental science major.

Alice Kate Willett attends the University of Notre Dame. She is studying graphic design and visual communications with a business minor.

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Katelyn Harvey recently completed her freshman year at Auburn University. Harvey plans to double major in entrepreneurship and economy. Harvey is a member of Pi Beta Phi. This summer she will spend a month traveling to China and Nicaragua.

Cooper Hendrix is studying at the University of Alabama Honors College with a Presidential Scholarship. He plans to graduate with a double-major in political science and spanish and a minor in environmental science.

Hendrix was initiated into the Iota Iota Chapter of Sigma Chi. He will be traveling to Belize in May for an environmental science class. In July, Hendrix will travel to Belgium for a political science class.

Sarah Groux ‘10 currently studies marketing at Tulane University as a rising senior. In the fall of 2016, Groux studied abroad in Venice, Italy. This summer she is working in New York for Rauxa, a marketing agency, doing strategic branding.

Hawken Miller ‘11 with faculty member Nancy Wilder at the Festival of Books in April.

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

Sam Nitz was Newport Harbor High School’s valedictorian, and graduated with an International Baccalaureate diploma. Nitz will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall. Nitz became an Eagle Scout in October. Last summer Nitz also completed an internship at UCI and continues working as an intern in Huntington Beach at an aquaponic garden.

14 Juliana Brandt ‘14

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Wells Drayton graduated from Sage Hill School and has been accepted to Tufts University, class of 2021.

Ryan Harrison recently graduated from Estancia High School where he continued his baseball career as a catcher. He was recognized in May as Estancia’s Male Student Athlete with Character by the OC Athletic Directors Association. He is excited to study industrial engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in the fall.

Katie Hendrix will be playing on the Arizona State University’s inaugural women’s division one lacrosse team.

Hendrix has been accepted into the Barrett Honors College and the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. Hendrix received the Provost’s Scholarship as well as a partial athletic scholarship.

Darius Lam is very excited to be attending Harvard College in the fall.

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Juliana Brandt is looking forward to senior year at Sage Hill as she finds the path she wants to take. Inspired by her seventh-grade Pegasus teacher, Julie Warren, Brandt has been learning more about biology and is discovering the specific parts the peak her interests. She recently reflected on a presentation she did on ADHD, learning about dissections, the in-class labs, and advisory that she had with Mrs. Warren. Her main interest is in marine biology and she hopes to find a career linked to it someday.

This past summer, Brandt had the opportunity to travel to Ecuador and learn about the biodiversity and environmental impacts in a cloud forest, the Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands, completing different research projects. Interested in learning about river dolphins, Brandt completed a study on their overall characteristics and behavior. She was able to swim with them in the Amazon river and see first-hand how they interact with humans. Brandt also did a study on the behavioral patterns of sea lions while in the Galapagos. She collected data seven times a day for a week of their preferences of what gender each adult and baby preferred to lay around. Brandt became scuba certified with her service learning group in order to help the state have updated records of Pisaster starfish off the

coast of Crystal Cove. The species has suffered a disease that has traveled and the records of them were last updated thirty years ago. Brandt is excited to find out how the water and marine life around them has affected the way these starfish live and what has caused a major decline in population.

Rachel Bryant will be a senior at Sage Hill School this fall. She is part of the community service program 3-D printing prosthetic arms for children.

Bryant continues to dance ballet and this past Christmas was the Sugarplum Fairy in “The Nutcracker” with Maple Youth Ballet. This summer Bryant is excited to study with Oregon Ballet Theatre.

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Alexander Christiano is a sophomore at Sage Hill School. After being on the debate team, Christiano has started a new program at Sage Hill called “Youth and Government.” Youth and Government is a popular program at public schools but it did not exist at Sage. Alexander is also a member of the school’s tennis team. Christiano is continuing his love for Spanish culture and will be going to Argentina as

Alexander Christiano ‘15

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

Sage Hill School graduates from the Pegasus Class of 2013 enjoy a photo opp at the beach before prom: (L-R) Justin Sung, Cole Mitchell, Madeline D’Amico, Wells Drayton, Catherine Malzahn, Shane Larimer, Sarah Lowey, Nelson Kim, Sabrina Alterman, Logan Niedermayer, Julia Fishman, Charlotte Lynskey, Amir Asadi.

part of 2017 Spring at Sage program.

“Pegasus really did a great job teaching Spanish culture and language.”

student board of Algalita and a peer advisor at Plastic Oceans Pollution Solution Youth Summit.

Jenna Dyer co-founded Steel My Straw at the 2017 Algalita Youth Summit where she worked as a peer advisor. Dyer thanks Mrs. Pam Conti for her success.

Garrett Cogan attends Huntington Beach High School where he participates in Model United Nations, a four-year honors program, nationally recognized for its excellence. Student delegates assume the role of diplomatic representatives to the UN and consider items from their agenda. In 2016, Huntington Beach High School was ranked in the Top 25 overall for the top 150 North American Model UN teams and it was one of three schools that made this list from California.

Cogan was a delegate representing Huntington Beach High School at the Novice Conference in January where he received Best Delegate and Best Research awards.

Mitch Harvey attends Mater Dei High School. Harvey is on the varsity rowing team at the Newport Aquatics Center.

Skylar Neubauer attends Sage Hill School, where she enjoys swimming for their varsity swim team and riding horses.

Brooke Sloman plays varsity water polo at Mater Dei High School.

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Isla Andersen ran for the varsity cross country team as a freshman at Newport Harbor High School. She is also applying for the National Honor Society.

Jackson Bryant attends Sage Hill School where he plays basketball and volleyball. Bryant is a member of the

Nicole Harvey attends Sage Hill School. Harvey broke two swim records the first week on the high school’s swim team. She continues to swim for her club team and Sage Hill and hopes to continue to break records.

Lucy Nitz enjoyed her freshman year at Newport Harbor High School.

Nitz has been allowed to access higher level classes and attributed this to her preparation at Pegasus.

Abby Nutt recently moved to Seattle, Washington. Nutt is enjoying high school. “I definitely feel like Pegasus prepared (maybe even over prepared) me for high school, both in California and Washington.”

Garrett Cogan ‘16 at the Model United Nations Conference.

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