Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2022

Spring/Summer 2022

INSIDE: COMMENCEMENT • ALUMNI WEEKEND • RED HAWKS!

homecoming

AND

reunion WEEKEND OCTOBER –

14 15, 2022 Save the date!

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

CONTENTS Robert E. Martini

Center for Music, Arts, and Community Cover image by Lori Lipsky

Also Inside:

Features: B UILDING CHARACTER:

Students develop individual excellence in ways that reflect the School’s core values of honor, virtue, and humility.

F INDING THE RIGHT FIT AT PENNINGTON:

How Pennington’s admission team works to find the right fit from an ever-growing pool of applicants

W ELCOME TO THE MMAC:

Pennington’s Campus Center gets a new name in honor of Robert E. Martini GP’19.

P ENNINGTON’S MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY ENRICHES ALL: How our multicultural community enriches the student experience at Pennington

A DVANCING OUR MISSION:

What’s next on the horizon for The Pennington School?

C LASS OF 2022:

The Horizon Experience, Senior Week, Senior Prize Ceremony, Baccalaureate, Senior/Parent Dinner, and Commencement

2. From the Head of School 6. Special Events 10. Grandparents and VIP Day 14. Middle School News and Athletics 20. New Student Clubs 23. Parents for Pennington News 24. Alumni Weekend 28. The Arts 38. Upper School Athletics 50. Middle School Graduation 60. Alumni Association Board 64. Class Notes/In Memoriam Spring/Summer 2022 • Volume 63, No.1

Head of School William S. Hawkey, Ph.D. Editor Lori G. Lipsky Director of Communications and Marketing llipsky@pennington.org 609–737–6156 Communications Team Meghan Coates, communications associate Tina Lambdin, graphic designer Julia Molchansky, digital media marketing associate Robert E. Martini Assistant Head of School for Community Life; Dean of Students Chad Bridges Assistant Head of School for Strategic Initiatives Charles D. Brown Director of Admission and Financial Aid Sharon Jarboe Head of the Middle School Chrissie Knight

Contributing Writers Margo Andrews, Karen Balerna, Chad Bridges ’96, Brooke Buchanan, Jane Bott Childrey ’89, Meghan Coates, Dolores Eaton, Lucy Harding ’22, William S. Hawkey, Lisa Houston, Suzanne Houston, Chrissie Knight, Lori Lipsky, Julia Molchansky, Patrick Murphy ’80, Gretchen Overhiser, Alicia Reed, Judy Rossi, Jessie Shaffer, Samantha Stern-Leaphart, Jessica Vincent P’26, Cynthia Wallace P’20 ’23 ’26, and Susan Wirsig Contributing Photographers/Artists Tamara Alito, Margo Andrews, Karen Balerna, Lida Castro, Tiernan Close, Mark DiGiacomo, Suhani Gharia ’23, Lucy Harding ’22, Shanti Hastings-Kimball ’23, Molly Hawkey, Stephanie Heyeck, Lisa Houston, Suzanne Houston, Jim Inverso, Chrissie Knight, Tina Lambdin, Lori Lipsky, Gloria Liu ’23, Kristen Lopez-Watt, Hieu Nguyen ’22, Keri Marino, Chelsi Meyerson, Julia Molchansky, Patrick Murphy ’80, Erin O’Connell, Laura Pedrick, Alicia Reed, Jennifer Roberts, Helena Roque Cohen ’27, Mike Schwartz, Tim Scott, Jessie Shaffer, Caroline Sirolly ’26, Christopher Sirolly ’23, Ryan Smith, Jessica Vincent P’26, Zuyi Wang, and Susan Wirsig

The Pennington School 112 West Delaware Avenue, Pennington, NJ 08534 609–737–1838 www.pennington.org All materials copyright © 2021 by The Pennington School unless otherwise noted. The cupola logo is a registered trademark of The Pennington School. The Pennington School®, registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Opinions expressed in Pennington Magazine are those of the authors, not necessarily those of The Pennington School. The Pennington School admits students of any race, religion, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, physical disability, national and ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and financial aid programs, employment policies, and athletic and other schooladministered programs.

Printing: Prism Color Corporation www.pennington.org

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A letter from the Head of School The Pennington School William S. Hawkey, Ph.D., Head of School

To all Members of the Pennington Community:

June 4, 2022, marked the one hundred and eighty-first Commencement at The Pennington School. It had been three years since we could once again celebrate this moment as a community, with all of our Upper School students, faculty, parents, and friends in attendance. It was a delight to look out onto the usual crowd and to actually see the smiles on everyone’s faces! This year also marked the long-anticipated return of all of our beloved traditions and activities. Students returned to Chapel and community meetings in person. All athletic teams competed in full seasons. Audiences returned to our McLarty Theater and to the Stainton Hall Lecture Center for plays and performances. With all of us in the community doing our part to follow health/safety protocols, we managed to complete the academic year without the need to cancel anything because of COVID. (Although, despite the technological advances that allow us to conduct every class remotely if necessary, I still declared an old-fashioned snow day at the beginning of January!) Every fall at Convocation, I challenge Pennington students to think of ways they can leave this institution better than they found it. This year’s senior class truly accomplished that—they founded a cappella groups and instrumental groups, started nonprofit organizations to benefit people around the world, created new student clubs (see pages 20–21), and organized many fundraisers for people in need. I am continually impressed by the involvement of our seniors and the entire student body; they make The Pennington School and our world a better place. During this year’s Senior Chapel, I was so moved while listening to many of the seniors share stories about their time at Pennington. There was a common theme that threaded through each story—a deep and abiding love for this School and for the people who intersected with their lives during their time here. This year’s Commencement speaker, Jordan Gray ’91 P’22 ’26, told a similar story, and reminded the graduates that they should always be guided by their own best instincts. And, members of the Class of 2022, don’t forget that if you ever doubt your instincts, you can always call Jordan collect! Finally, I want our seniors to remember this as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives: high school is just four years, but The Pennington School is forever.

HONOR. VIRTUE. HUMILITY. 2

112 West Delaware Avenue | Pennington, NJ 08534–1601 | 609–737–1838 | www.pennington.org

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2021-22

BUILDING CHARACTER

How The Pennington School nurtures the development of good character in all of its students

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he Pennington School is committed to developing individual excellence in all of its students. This is the School’s mission statement, and everything we do at Pennington, from designing the curriculum to after-school activities to community service projects, is planned with this mission in mind. But striving for individual excellence involves more than encouraging good academic habits; we also design programming to enhance the development of good character in all our students. Virtually every class at Pennington includes work designed to elicit empathy and understanding. And outside of the classroom, Pennington students hold the door, smile, make eye contact, welcome new people in the community, offer help to those who need it, and are good sports on and off the field. Pennington students participate in a variety of programs that are designed to help them develop strong habits of mind, resilience, perseverance, and ethical decision-making. These programs span grades 6-12 and are targeted to each age group.

Middle School community focus on character In Pennington’s Middle School, the character of our student body starts with admission process. Middle School Dean of Students Lisa Houston says, “We look for students who have an interest in being their best selves, rather than possessing a particular academic profile. We aim to get children engaged in the life of the School in ways that will help them develop personal excellence and our core values of honor, virtue, and humility and we are guided in this work by the mission of the School.” It all starts at the MS Launch: new students immediately learn they are part of a larger community. The Retreat, later on in the year, deepens bonds between individuals with team-building activities and allows students to take risks in a safe and appropriate way. Houston adds, “Community building helps build character—MS students learn to figure out who they are and how they fit into 3

the larger community and how they can benefit the community through what they have to offer. Classrooms and advisory groups all have norms that guide behavior, including how we treat each other and the campus.”

them make a concerted effort to get Middle Schoolers interested and involved.

Chapel

Weekly Chapel services for both Middle School and Upper School students provide a dedicated time each week for personal reflection and community discussion. As a community, we focus on spirituality and individual growth with messages of hope, challenge, inspiration, and reflection. Though the School has Methodist roots, Chapel is a time for students of all faiths and religious beliefs to come together and appreciate the values that unite us Character development all. We believe Chapel is a dedicated time for self-discovery, moral and ethical is a part of everything we development, and an exploration of do here at Pennington—in the world’s religious traditions with the classroom, playing an emphasis on the School’s core field, dorm, or even the values of honor, virtue, and humility. way we greet each other Guest speakers are frequently invited to participate in Chapel services, and while walking around they are chosen to reflect Pennington’s campus. We believe that diversity. Speakers may be drawn from character development is the student body, faculty, or the wider at the very core of what we Pennington family. Talented student and strive to teach our students faculty musicians and singers are also an important part of Chapel, and music is throughout their journey at carefully chosen to support the inclusive The Pennington School. mission of the Chapel program.

Access to US students is one of the biggest benefits to being a grade 6-12 school. All US students act as role models, which both reinforces good habits of character in Upper-Schoolers and offers an intentional example to Middle-Schoolers. Subtle lessons about character are woven throughout the MS curriculum; science labs and arts classes promote collaborative/ cooperative work so students can see how their strengths can complement/balance the strengths and weaknesses of peers. Working with partners in MS prepares students for larger group work in the US. Kindness Week takes place in February and began about five years ago as a way to boost awareness, in the dead of winter, of the importance of joy and empathy by performing acts of kindness. Weekly MS community meetings are times for this group to connect and continue the conversation about how students are expected to take care of our campus and each other. A great deal of respect and care is built into this guidance, and it is a consistent message to our youngest students from adults, advisors, Junior Proctors, and other members of the Pennington community.

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Hall Prefects

Hall prefects play a major role in Pennington’s residential community. —Chad Bridges ’96 Programs that emphasize the Their responsibilities revolve around Robert E. Martini Assistant dormitory life; they assist faculty importance of character Head of School for hall parents in handling the routine Advisory Groups day-to-day running of the dormitory. Community Life Every Pennington student has a faculty Prefects help maintain an atmosphere and Dean of Students advisor, who provides unconditional conducive to study, and they may guide support and the resources to guide academic other students in their academic work and personal growth. Advisors help students and social lives. Prefects also help new set goals, monitor academic and extracurricular progress, engage students adjust to boarding life at Pennington. Hall prefects (two in service projects, facilitate discussions on topics from world per hall, on average) are selected by dormitory heads and the Dean events to character development, and make recommendations for of Students on the basis of moral character, positive attitude toward the following year. Because faculty advisors are considered the School life, and potential for leadership. “hub” of information related to a student, they serve as advisors for Junior Proctors parents just as much as they do for students. Advisors meet with Junior Proctors are Pennington juniors who serve as role models and their advisory groups (consisting of six to ten students) for one mentors to our Middle School students in grades six through eight. scheduled meeting every week. Advisors might also meet with Meetings take place weekly on Friday mornings for interactive their advisees one-on-one during study halls, before or after school, experiences that are both fun and rewarding. Carefully selected or during lunch, as needed. Periodically, groups of three or four and trained teams of juniors are matched with small groups of advisories meet as “family groups” to work together on School-wide Middle School students, and connect with them in appropriate and projects. purposeful ways. The JP program helps build relationships between Affinity Groups students that last for many years. Students who join Pennington’s range of diversity and affinity Peer Leadership groups take on a large role in terms of mentorship. As Middle School The Peer Leadership program connects every ninth-grader with students become Upper-Schoolers, they can then mentor younger a small group of other freshmen and two senior Peer Leaders for students who join these groups. Eye to Eye, the Muslim Student weekly meetings. Peer Leaders are a selected group of enthusiastic Alliance, Black Student Union, the Green Team, and Intersectional Pennington seniors who volunteer their time to attend a daily Peer Feminism Club are just a few of the twenty (and counting!) studentLeadership class, and work weekly with the freshmen on Friday led affinity groups and clubs at The Pennington School. Many of 4

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

mornings. They also participate in numerous other activities outside of the traditional class day. As part of the curriculum for Peer Leadership, students engage in community service learning, following the model of education of self, education of others, engagement of the larger community, performance of community service, and genuine reflection on the process. Peer Leaders are role models for service, for both the freshman class and the entire Pennington community. Freshmen are inspired and encouraged by their Peer Leaders to participate meaningfully in the life of the School outside of the classroom.

Sustainability

Service

Students are encouraged to turn their environmental interests into action. Whether they are involved with the Green Team, the Sustainability Committee, the Global Studies and Applied Science certificate programs, or a class project, we support their efforts to make a difference at The Pennington School and beyond.

At Pennington, we believe that service is a large part of what it means to be a good citizen. Because we expect our students to become involved in many different ways in their own communities and at Pennington, we neither require service nor officially track student service hours. However, because of our close involvement with HomeFront (typically sponsoring both an annual holiday party and Gym and Swim events), Spring Break service trips, and our annual Community Day, virtually 100 percent of our students participate in some form of community service. Projects throughout the year are based on tradition, need, and student initiatives; this approach ensures a dynamic variety of opportunities. Traditions include the HomeFront holiday party, Run for the Cure, Race for the Cure, Shoot for a Cure, Dodgeball for Haiti, Gym and Swim, and the Red Cross Blood Drive. Students are involved in trips to international destinations to do service work, tutoring at local and international elementary schools, and STEM projects at the Christina Seix Academy. Other recent service programs benefited victims of pediatric cancer, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, and many other worthwhile organizations.

Sophomore Character Development and Leadership Program

This program, based on work done at the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, was specially designed to continue to develop our students in the areas of self-awareness, self-identification, grit, and leadership. The sophomore class meets twice a month and follows a curriculum created specifically for the tenth-grade year. Students assess their character strengths; then activities, discussions, and challenges are set so that each student has a unique experience based on areas of strength, and learns to use those positive skills to navigate any obstacles encountered. There are multiple opportunities for students to take on volunteer and leadership roles within the sophomore program with guidance from the faculty.

An important part of the The Pennington School’s vision is that our students develop a sense of responsibility for themselves, for others, and for the world in which they live, all of which contribute to the formation of ethical character. We continue to enhance and develop interdisciplinary opportunities to get students outdoors to explore campus ecologies. This environmental education opens students’ eyes to the various effects—both positive and negative— they can have on local and global environments and provides them with the tools and opportunities to make a difference in the world.

Travel

Faculty-led travel opportunities also reinforce the academic, service, athletic, and spiritual growth of our students. All trips complement on-campus programs and support and enhance students’ informed participation with global ideas, issues, and communities, both at home and abroad. We encourage our students to explore the world with curiosity and receptivity, carrying forth an awareness of their own perspectives and a willingness to learn from the world outside their home environment. Trips can offer students opportunities to practice language skills, participate in service, or explore new geographic and cultural destinations. In June 2022, the School resumed international travel with a STEMrelated journey to assist refugees in Malawi. Pennington also sends groups of students to events including the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia’s annual Summer Global Leadership Seminar and the annual People of Color Conference. All of these programs work together to guide Pennington students to develop good character as they mature from Middle School pre-teens to the young adults they have become by the time they graduate twelfth grade. Head of School Bill Hawkey noted at a recent Convocation ceremony that, “Our commitment to our students goes far beyond learning in the classroom to include their continuing development as thoughtful, ethical, and curious young people who don’t just acquire knowledge but who seek truth and ask incisive questions.” And, of course, he advises all of us to remember the advice of his wife’s Grandma Bella: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice!”

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SPECIAL EVENTS 6

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

Our eighth-graders had a special surprise when they went to their last period of the day on February 8. Instead of class, they were invited to a s’mores party outside.

B The Animal Rights Club held a “Doggie Social” at the Rosedale Dog Park on Saturday, January 8. Hot cocoa was served, dogs were played with, and $100 was raised for the SAVE Animal Shelter!

C Students in the Chinese classes spent some time in

late January writing the 福(Fú) and learning about Lunar New Year with some of our Chinese-speaking students. 福(Fú) is usually written on a red diamond paper to put on doors or windows, embracing good fortune, blessing, and happiness.

D Ashley Goldberg ’21 and Lizzy Adams ’21 returned to campus in January to visit the Peer Leaders! They offered advice about making the transition to the second semester of senior year and shared guidance on making the most of your first semester of college. Afterwards, they stayed to answer individual questions.

E On Thursday, January 27, Pennington welcomed Corina Shika Kwami ’06 Ph.D. MPH to speak with current students about her work around the world. Now based in London, Kwami works for Purpose, an agency that partners with organizations to influence social change through building narratives and strengthening public engagement.

F On Friday, January 28, Pennington welcomed Dr. Dean Giacobbe P’22 to speak with the community about his experiences as a Navy physician.

G On January 28, our Vocal Ensemble class was engaged and energized by guest artist Corinna Sowers Adler. Adler is CEO of a successful performing arts school and a wellrespected singer of classical and musical theater repertoire.

H On Friday, February 4, Robert Eaton P’22 spoke to students about his work with BlackRock, a financial planning and investment management company.

I The Pennington School Community Service Club held a successful Food Drive for Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry on Friday, February 11.

J Upper School students and faculty spread some love on Valentine’s Day. Handmade cards were delivered to HomeFront and placed in the food bags at the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry.

K In February, students from the Latinx Club collected $450 for the tamale benefit for ESWA (Eastern Service Workers Association) as part of their winter survival campaign to collect funds to help families. ESWA works with a large Latino population in Trenton, providing resources and services to improve their quality of life. www.pennington.org

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L The Art Club and the Black Student Union teamed up to create some amazing artwork for Black History Month.

M The Junior Proctors held a successful blood drive on March 2. They collected 55 pints of blood, almost doubling last year’s total.

N On Wednesday, March 2, Dr. Patrick Sharkey P’25 met with students over Zoom to speak about his work as a social scientist and as a professor at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

O On Friday, March 4, Kira O’Neil ’22 and her father, Scott O’Neil P’22 ’25, spoke with Global Studies students about their volunteer work in Mozambique during the summer of 2021.

P The Pennington School hosted a Paris-themed Cotillion in Sparks Gymnasium on March 5.

Q The Middle School welcomed back students from the Spring Break with a special treat — Kona Ice!

R On Friday, April 1, Diane Blumenthal P’25 spoke with Applied Science students about her work in gene therapy.

S Dodgeball for Haiti on April 1 was a huge success, bringing in over $400 in donations. Special thanks to Mr. Thompson for organizing the event and to all who participated, espcially the Red Hawk team of teachers!

T Pennington students volunteered at the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry on April 6 and packed 64 bags of food for families in need in the area.

U For the first time since 2020, the Upper School ventured to the Methodist Church on April 5 for an in-person Chapel, focused on the theme of community.

V Alumnus Lewis Pollack ’64 met over Zoom on April 7 with students currently taking Chinese classes to discuss his time at Pennington and his special interest in world languages.

W On April 9, students from the Latinx Club went to Trenton to help with the Spring Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt for Eastern Service Workers Association (ESWA). This celebration provides entertainment to the many Latino families that ESWA supports.

X The History Club went on a trip to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown on April 9–10. 8

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

SPECIAL EVENTS

Y On April 19-20, 115 college and : Our Chinese classes had a hot

= On Friday, May 13,

c On Friday, May 20, the

university admission representatives joined us on campus for our annual College Fair for juniors.

pot dinner experience with Ms. Wang in April. In class, students learned about the nuts and bolts of hot pot, from the different broth options Z Cast members from the to the various ingredients. At the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey restaurant, students were excited to performed A Midsummer Night’s place their orders in Chinese, learn Dream and Romeo and Juliet for about Chinese dining etiquette, and Middle Schoolers and the ninth grade. try some new food.

Lawrence Hibbert P’23 gave a presentation entitled “Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Social Change: The Pursuit of Purpose and Passion.” Hibbert detailed his journey from finding his place as an engineering student at Rutgers University to co-founding BCT Partners, a national consulting firm.

Entrepreneurship Club sponsored a Shark Tank event, organized by seniors Liam Goldstein and Brynne Taranto. Sixth-graders Francesca and Katherine won with their pitch, “Beads for Books.”

8 On Thursday, April 21, two

; A representative of the Esther

a Mr. DiGiacomo’s AP US History

Raab Holocaust Museum & Goodwin Education Center, Jeff Zeiger, shared the moving story of his family’s experience during the Holocaust during a special Chapel service to honor Yom Hashoah.

class spent the day in NYC brushing up on their studies by seeing Hamilton. Trustee and Tony Award nominee Jacob Levy ’09 also joined the group!

< On Friday, May 6, members of

returned to campus to speak with Applied Science students about his neuroscience research at Rutgers University. He is currently studying the effects of a mutation in a cell’s potassium channel in causing epilepsy.

intellectual property lawyers, Caitlin Wilmot and Sharon Crane, met with students involved in Pennington’s philanthropic work in Malawi, particularly those participating in Women in STEM Solving Problems (WISSP) and those designing the “Better Kitchen Sink.”

9 On Friday, April 22, Gordon Ennis P’23 spoke to Applied Science students about his work as vicepresident of operations and supply chain for BlueCrest Inc.

the Community Service Club hosted a 3 vs. 3 basketball tournament. Players and spectators were asked to bring canned goods to be donated to the local food pantry.

b In May, Koray Ercan ’19

d Students in the Radical Change in Postwar America course traveled to Bethel Woods Museum and Arts Center, the historical site of the 1969 Woodstock concert. Students learned about how the time period contributed to cultivating activism and providing youth with a voice.

e The annual Chariot Races returned on May 31. During this event, students in Latin classes in the Middle School and Upper School work in teams to create their own chariot and race to the finish line on the turf field.

www.pennington.org

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Pennington staff and students welcomed grandparents to campus on a glorious spring day.

In April, we were delighted to have Pennington grandparents back on campus for our

Grandparent and VIP Day.

Guests enjoyed the stylings of the student Jazz Combo and stunning student artwork in the Silva Gallery prior to the start of the day’s program.

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Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2021-22

The event has become a beloved tradition for the Pennington community, celebrating the important role grandparents (and other VIPs) play in the lives of our students. This year, over 125 guests, representing students in all grades, joined us on campus for a luncheon, speaker presentation, and tour of Pennington’s outdoor classrooms and nature trails. Others who were not in the area were able to join portions of the program online over Zoom. It was wonderful to welcome grandparents back to campus in person, and these smiling faces say it all!

The most meaningful moments from the day were seeing the joy and pride on grandparents’ faces as they connected with their Pennington grandchildren!

As the afternoon concluded, grandparents toured the grounds, visited the Campus Store, and enjoyed a performance from Pennington’s student a cappella group, SoundProof.

The day’s program included an insider’s look at the School from the student perspective and tours of Pennington’s outside classrooms, garden, pond, and Special Collections and Archives Room in Meckler Library.

Over a delicious lunch held in the Campus Center, grandparents shared stories and were treated to a welcome from Head of School Bill Hawkey.

www.pennington.org

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Finding the right

FIT March 10 is a celebratory day in Old Main. Students across the country and around the world receive a personalized letter inviting them to join the Pennington community. Months of applications, tours, and interviews culminate in this moment, both for the students and Pennington’s Admission Office. But, how exactly does the team manage to put together the ideal incoming class?

Over the years, the Pennington admission pool of applicants has grown substantially, both in number and achievement; applicants’ grades and scores have risen, and the competition has grown steeper for a place at our School. Director of Admission Sharon Jarboe, along with the rest of her team, knows that students are much more than their statistics, and appreciates that Pennington’s emphasis on the right fit gives the admission committee the flexibility to look for a student’s strength of character and potential for growth rather than focus solely on past accomplishments. Pennington’s mission is to help each student reach individual excellence, but equally as important is how each student can contribute to the School as a whole. “The strength of our community is where we excel,” Jarboe says, “and you get out of something what you put in.” This mindset allows the admission team to focus not only on applicants’ academics and extensive extracurricular lists, but also on what personal qualities each student will bring to the campus community. The admission team notes everything, from a prospective student’s 12

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PENNINGTON

genuine enthusiasm about Pennington, to their willingness to try new things, altruism, and global perspectives in their reading of applications, essays, and recommendation letters. Every candidate is seen holistically: as an academic performer, as a campus participant, and as an overall good citizen of the community and world. These community-minded characteristics can stand out particularly in the boarding students, the small but mighty group at the heart of campus life. Successful boarding students are those who want to fully immerse themselves in Pennington’s culture, and their positive experiences can attract others! Record numbers of day students are becoming interested in boarding, a reflection of the wonderful work done by Pennington’s residential life faculty. Boarding while in high school also gives these students the confidence and independence to navigate an easier transition to college life. The admission process is not only about what students might bring to The Pennington School; the team also wants to admit students who will benefit from Pennington’s particular areas of strength. If an applicant has a clear passion for a sport, the arts, or an academic program where Pennington excels, the admission team loves to offer that candidate the opportunity to explore those interests! Students who feel invested in their time at School will flourish, and Pennington’s programs continue to be so successful because of our students, who are dedicated to the work being done.

It is also important to the admission team to continue the longstanding Pennington tradition of opening doors to a wide range of students. As well as building an international community of students and celebrating the multitude of cultures on campus, neurodiverse students also have the opportunity to grow under the guidance of the faculty in the Edmund V. Cervone Center for Learning, who are able to match applicants with the supports offered by the Center. Having this team involved in the admission process means that students whose grades may not match their full potential are not overlooked; they can find a home in the Pennington community where they can flourish. Jarboe’s own boarding school experience opened her eyes to the invaluable opportunities an independent school can offer, and she feels honored to be able to offer that experience to incoming students. She is grateful to do so at a School that values the importance the admission team places on creating a kind, inclusive community, and where she can always feel confident that students will have a healthy, worthwhile, and engaging high school experience.

“

The strength of our

COMMUNITY is where we excel.

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—Sharon Jarboe Director of Admission and Financial Aid

Pennington’s principles reflect the vision of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who envisioned schools as places that cared for the whole individual; central to his philosophy was the belief that the real purpose of education is not just to fill students with information, but to enable them to think. We are proud to nurture and sustain this vision for almost 185 years! www.pennington.org

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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

MIDDLE EAST LEARNING STATIONS Sixth-graders in Mrs. Shaffer’s class participated in learning sessions about the Middle East on January 26. The students traveled to various stations in the classroom to explore the different cultures of each country in that region.

LIFER INTERVIEWS

On February 10, our sixth-graders got to know the senior lifers a little better by interviewing them! The seniors spoke about their personal journeys here at Pennington, shared some of their favorite memories from Middle School, and passed on some good advice. We love building connections between the different grades!

KINDNESS WEEK

The Pennington Middle School celebrated Kindness Week from February 14-18. Kindness Week is organized by our MS student leaders. Every day offered a new theme for the students to give back, share thanks, and spread kindness. Monday was “Many Thanks Monday,” and the MS students kicked off the week by making thank-you cards for staff in Operations, Sodexo Dining Services, and the Health Center. Kindness Week continued on Tuesday with positive chalk messages around Stainton Hall. On Wednesday, students collected food to donate to the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry. In advisory on Thursday, students made kindness rocks with positive and inspiring messages. The week finished up with a dynamic duo contest where students had the chance to win a prize by wearing the best and most creative costumes! This annual tradition is a favorite among the faculty and the students in the Middle School.

SKATING FUN

On Thursday, March 3, the Middle School took the afternoon off from school to have lunch and to go ice skating at Ice Land Skating Center in Hamilton, NJ. Students and teachers had the chance to hit the ice and test out their skating skills. This academic year presented opportunities for several celebrations throughout both semesters!

SUCCESS in SPANISH Seventeen Middle School students took the Level 1 National Spanish Exam, and thirteen of them earned ranked scores, with one student earning a Gold medal with a score in the 95th percentile.

www.pennington.org

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MS NEWS

ZOOM with JORDAN

On Wednesday, March 30, Pennington’s sixth-grade students participated in a Zoom call with a class in Jordan to talk about life in both countries, discuss student-made artwork, and learn more about each other’s cultures. The conversation was facilitated by Alan Steckler of Creative Connections, who prompted the students to discuss different aspects of their personal experiences. At the beginning of the call, students from both classes talked about the weather in their cities and compared their schools. Pennington students shared photos of the New Jersey sunrise and a bright afternoon on campus. The classes had previously shared student-created artwork designed around the topic “Nature and Me.” After each picture was displayed, students took turns asking each other about their pieces, which continued into conversation about topics ranging from future plans and examples of hospitality in each culture to pets and favorite musical artists. Students found common ground in areas like protecting the environment and reading, and then in doing dances like the Cotton-Eyed Joe and Cupid Shuffle, which they performed on both sides of the call at the end of their conversation!

STORIES from SUDAN

After reading the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, sixth-graders welcomed Bruce Brown P’24 ’26 ’28 to class to speak about his time working in South Sudan. On Friday, May 20, Brown shared photographs, items, and stories from his travels in Africa to give the students a closer look at what life was like there during his trips. He visited Sudan multiple times with organizations striving to improve healthcare training, malaria prevention, and hygiene, among other areas of wellness. In 2001, he returned with President Jimmy Carter’s Foundation to work towards eradicating guinea worm from drinking water. Brown demonstrated the use of one of the pipe filters he taught the Sudanese to use to purify their water, and discussed organizing the assembly of them for efficient and widespread treatment. As well as the pipe filter, other objects from his travels were passed around the room, including decorative masks (which the students were eager to try on!), instruments, and traditional jewelry. The students asked many enthusiastic questions and were excited to hear about how Brown’s experience connected to what they read. It was a wonderful opportunity for the students to continue building global perspectives in the Middle School.

ODYSSEY of the MIND

Two teams of Middle Schoolers worked, beginning last November, to produce creative solutions to Odyssey of the Mind problems for this year’s contest. The teams traveled to Woodstown High School to compete in the regional competition on March 5. The “problem 1” team finished in third place and the “problem 2” team finished in first! The team moved on to the State Finals on April 9. In that competition, they finished in second place and moved on to the Worlds competition which took place on May 26 in Iowa. On the trip were student coaches Jiwoo Kim and Minnie Wu as well as team members Ciaran Walsh, Norah Youngblood, Ainsley Hardt, Max Kaufman, Bryson Chase, and Katharina Koppenhofer. Team member Muhan Tian was unable to make the trip to Iowa, but her teammates figured out a way to keep her character in the 8-minute performance. Countries represented at the competition included South Korea, Poland, and Switzerland in addition to teams from all over the United States. We are very proud of all of this year’s OotM students for their continued problem-solving, creative drive, and teamwork. This team did a great job representing The Pennington School!

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

MS BOYS’ BASKETBALL

MS TRACK AND FIELD

The boys’ A team had a 36-34 home win over PDS! The game went down to the wire, and the boys made a great defensive stop to hang on for the win.

A small, but mighty group of runners braved cool spring winds to learn new skills and run one group meet at the start of the season.

MS SWIMMING

MS GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

The T he girls’ team took home third place in the Ranney Invitational, and the boys’ team placed fourth. The whole team working together, cheering each other on, and swimming their best swims of the season made it all possible. They then went on to win their last meet of the season 91/78!

A gutsy 39-30 win on the road at Cranbury Middle School was perhaps the team’s best overall game; however, there was no shortage of highlights for this impressive group, not the least of which was the improvement made from the season’s start to finish.

MS ATHLETICS WINTER and SPRING HIGHLIGHTS MS BOYS’ LACROSSE

Seasoned three-year veterans and new players of all ages combined for an energetic dynamic on the field. It was great to see their teamwork improve throughout the season. Whether they won or not, they played hard and had a blast.

MS GIRLS’ LACROSSE

The teamwork was strong, and the girls’ undefeated season was because of the way all players came together, supporting each other and improving their skills. There is a bright future ahead for MS and US girls’ lacrosse because of these players. They won a very exciting game at Hun to cap off an amazing season!

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Leave Your Legacy and Help Shape the Future By naming The Pennington School as the beneficiary of a planned gift, you invest in the School’s mission and ensure a bright future for generations to come. All planned-giving donors become members of the esteemed Francis Harvey Green Society and serve as models of legacy giving at Pennington. Planned gifts are easy to arrange and can cost you nothing during your lifetime. Our Advancement Office can help you determine if a bequest, charitable trust, IRA rollover, or other giving vehicle may be right for you. Depending on your goals, your planned gift can: • Minimize your tax burden • Maximize your philanthropy and make a deep impact at Pennington • Create a lasting legacy to help generations of students • Be changed at any time if needed To learn more about gift planning at Pennington, please contact Charlie Brown, assistant head of school for advancement and strategic initiatives, at 609–737–6103 or at cbrown@pennington.org.

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NEWS STEM

Pennington’s Women in STEM Solving Programs (WISSP) club was one of twenty groups selected as finalists in the MIT Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge, and won funding to continue their work. The international competition invited participants to submit tech-based solutions addressing unmet needs around the world. WISSP’s submission, “Hybrid Sanitary Napkin for Economic Change,” detailed their part disposable/part reusable product that helps keep menstruating girls in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi from missing school and offers refugees the opportunity to work towards economic independence by making and selling the reusable pads. The team was also chosen as finalists for a subset of the competition, HP’s Girls Save the World contest.

For the fourth year in a row, Pennington’s team finished in the top four places in the international American Computer Science League contest. From October through May, eighteen students devoted time during lunch periods and evenings to learn and prepare, and then participate in the competition that challenged them on college-level concepts and coding. In addition to the team success, twelve students earned the individual honor of an invitation to the All-Star finals. Twelfth-graders Anna Zhang, Ben Jiang, and David Zhang, as well as tenth-grader Shinyi Li had individual scores in the 90th percentile.

Humanities

The 2021 issue of Pennington’s literary magazine Pennyroyal received the rank of Superior in the Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines program (REALM), awarded by the National Council of Teachers of English. The program accepts submissions from middle and secondary schools, colleges, and universities across the country, in Canada and the Virgin Islands, and from American schools abroad. Superior is the second-highest ranking a magazine can receive.

ACADEMICS

ACADEMIC

World Languages Pennington’s World Languages department had an extremely successful year, with many students receiving recognition for their performance on national language exams. The Spanish IV Honors class did very well on their exam, with eighteen students receiving prizes and two twelfth-graders, Christopher Ly and Hexin (Ben) Jiang, earning the Oro prize with scores in the 95th percentile.

Twenty-two students in Latin I through AP Latin earned awards on the National Latin Exam, which was administered to over 100,000 students from the United States and around the world. Two students, Kurt (Eddie) Kennedy ’22 and Caleb Collins ’25 received the highest honor of the Gold Summa Cum Laude Award. Students in French I through AP French took Le Grand Concours, a national French competition, and eighteen received nationally-ranked scores. Two AP French students, Sarah Gastelbondo-Le Metayer ’25 and Rishi Duggal ’24, were awarded silver medals on the Level 5 contest for their scores in the 91st percentile. Several students also received recognition for their performance on Levels 1 through 4 of the National German Exam. Maya Meehan-Ritter ’24 earned a Gold medal on the Level 4 exam with a score in the 90th percentile. Siyi Yang ’25, a German I student, earned a Gold medal on the Level 1 exam and received the second-highest score of all Level 1 test-takers in New Jersey!

Senior Jonathan Eaton’s paper “Early Aviation” was published in the summer issue of The Concord Review. Founded in 1987, The Concord Review is an international, quarterly journal that publishes academic history papers written by high school students. Jonathan’s paper was one of only eleven chosen for recognition in this issue. 19

STUDENT CLUBS

NEW

STUDENT CLUBS Aerospace and Aviation Club

Originally two separate clubs, the Aerospace and Aviation Club introduces Pennington students to aerospace engineering. Club members built their own flight simulator last year, and they won second place in the GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association) aviation design challenge competition. This year they focused on rocket launches as well as competing again in the GAMA contest. The club hopes to spark interest in aerospace, engineering, and aviation throughout all grades at Pennington. This club was started by Sebastian Drezek ’24, Jack Wang ’21, and Jonathan Eaton ’22.

Animal Rights Club

The Animal Rights Club focuses on promoting awareness for animal rights issues. The club is open to all students in grades 6-12 who are interested in or passionate about animals. Activities may include discussing solutions to issues such as endangered animals, poaching and deforestation, testing on animals for makeup and beauty products, inhumane experiments that exploit animals, pet abandonment, animal mistreatment in zoos or circuses, and the factory farming industry. The goal of this club is to offer perspective and education to students. This club was founded by Maya Meehan-Ritter ’24 and Ariana Colner ’22; Dr. Margo Andrews is the faculty advisor.

Better Kitchen Sink

Students in this club use their STEM skills to solve real-world problems. During the 2021-22 school year, the club worked on a design for a water filtration system in a refugee camp, so that water used to wash clothing could be recycled and reused rather than discarded. During the design process, students considered the camp residents’ access to materials, how filtration systems work, and how to set up and test for water quality. They hope to devise a solution that will make a huge difference in countries where access to fresh, clean water is limited and this essential resource is in short supply. Susan Wirsig is the faculty advisor.

Medical and Healthcare Club

Pennington’s Medical and Healthcare Club offers the opportunity for students interested in pursuing careers in medicine to connect with others who share their passion. The club discusses current events and invites guest speakers to share information about their jobs and career paths. The club also hosts fundraisers to collect medicine, supplies, and other health-related products for individuals in need. The overall goal of the Medical and Healthcare Club is to encourage students’ interests in health science fields. This club was started by Jonell Adu-Gyamfi ’22. 20

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

Mountain Bike Club

The Pennington MTB Club offers the fun and thrill of mountain biking. Members explore the many different mountain biking trails in the area, work on skill development, and have a lot of fun. The club meets every Friday for a trail ride, with some skills sessions during the week to help build confidence and ability. Open to students in all grades, mountain biking sessions take place on a single track-style trail with natural obstacles and varying terrain. The faculty advisor is Elliot Coates.

Muslim Student Alliance

The Pennington School is a highly diverse community, with a multitude of different cultures and religions. The Muslim Student Alliance provides a space for Muslim students to celebrate their faith and allows all students to learn more about Islam and the daily practices. The main goal of the club is to incorporate Muslim culture and celebrations into the Pennington community and to have an open dialogue about ways to make the community more inclusive. Stephanie Cohen is the faculty advisor for the club, but it is student-led. The MSA meets every Thursday afternoon and will always be open to new members, non-Muslim or Muslim. The club was founded by Chelpang Sulemana ’25 and Naomi Craig ’25.

Philosophy Club

This club is for anyone who takes an interest in the study of philosophy. All students are invited to join the conversations, whether they already know a bit about philosophy or have never engaged with the subject before. The club has discussions, does thought experiments, plays games, and considers ideas from both classic and modern philosophers. The goal of this club is for students to learn something new and to foster a love for the study of philosophy. This club was organized by Avery Sichel ’22, and the faculty advisor is Dr. Nate Van Yperen.

South Asian Student Society

A student-led club designed to bring awareness about the South Asian community at Pennington, this club works to create ways to share and appreciate South Asian culture. The group also offers South Asian students opportunities to connect with their culture and with other students from similar backgrounds. The group discusses future events for the Pennington community, talks about their experiences as South Asians, discusses ways to make Pennington more inclusive, and meets with other clubs. This club was founded by Sanjana Padmanabhan ’24, Sandhya Mahadevan ’24, Shayna Mehta ’24, and Ananya Madireddy ’24; Samantha Stern-Leaphart is the faculty advisor.

Sports Statistics Club

The Sports Statistics Club is for anyone interested in sports or who wants to do something related to sports in the future. Sports Statistics Club explores the data aspect of modern sports. They look at some fundamentals of statistics, such as scouting players based on their performance in football, or predicting soccer scores based on the win/loss ratio. They even collect and analyze real-life data the same way an actual statistician does. This club was started by Ricky Li ’23, and the faculty advisors are Len Leib and Chad Bridges.

www.pennington.org

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Pennington Giving Day is the School’s annual day of giving in support of the Pennington Fund. In February, alumni, parents, past parents, grandparents, friends, faculty, and staff came together and broke all previous records for

Pennington Giving Day, by raising $285,806 from 536 donors. The day was a tremendous showing of our community’s commitment to Pennington’s mission of developing individual excellence in all of our students.

Celebrating the power of the

PENNINGTON COMMUNITY Pennington GIVING DAY 02.11.22

We are grateful to all of the donors and volunteers who helped make the day a great success. Thank you!

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

To learn more, please contact Director of the Pennington Fund Brooke Buchanan at 609–559–5203 or at brooke.buchanan@pennington.org.

Parents for Pennington has been hard at work this year trying to bring back various community activities after Covid restrictions forced a hiatus. The most anticipated event was the first in-person Red and Black Bash since 2019! On April 30, the Pennington community came together to Paint the Town Red. Sparks Gymnasium was transformed into a sea of red and black, which was the perfect setting for dinner, dancing, and silent and live auctions. Thanks to the generosity of the Pennington community, we raised over $110,000, including $35,000 that is earmarked for a project to refresh and upgrade the outdoor space between the volleyball court and the Michael T. Martin Aquatic Center, making that area a comfortable gathering place for students. The upgrades are in keeping with our commitment to making Pennington’s campus one where students can share many different kinds of indoor and outdoor spaces and fully embrace the Pennington experience.

PARENTS

FOR PENNINGTON

NEWS

It was an active year for the various parent clubs sponsored by PfP. The Book Club was consistently well-attended and read books from a variety of genres and authors. We hosted monthly parent coffees, where staff spoke on topics including internet safety, the role of the College Counseling Office, and the course selection process. The Walking Club had a dedicated group of walkers who met every Wednesday morning in Yardley—even throughout the winter months! Much fun was also had at the various Wine Club events; the Winter Wine and Whisky meet-up was extremely popular, and members enjoyed learning about the wines of Tuscany at the Italian Wine Showdown in May. The easing of COVID restrictions on campus ushered in the return of various PfP-sponsored student activities. Middle School students enjoyed an ice-skating party at Ice Land, and the eighth grade was treated to an afternoon at Colonial Lanes. The Upper School saw the return of Promenade, when parents gathered to view all of the students dressed to the nines for Prom before they boarded the PfP-sponsored buses to take them to The Franklin Institute. Numerous parents of rising seniors kept tradition alive when they volunteered to help PfP decorate the tent used for the Senior/Parent dinner and other Commencement festivities. Photo above: PfP Red and Black Bash Committee; Photos to the right: Sparks Gymnasium transformed into the Bash’s Paint the Town Red theme; PfP Walking Club; PfP Executive Board - Lewis Arthur P’24, Julian Kim P’23, Chandra “Binky” Sanders P’25, Jessica Vincent P’26, Cynthia Wallace P’20 ’23 ’26, Michelle Meinhart P’23, and Vandana Bhanote P’23 ’26 (not shown Lisa Hardt P’24 ’27 and Katherine Birkenstock P’25 ’26) www.pennington.org

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ALUMNI WEEKEND

Alumni, family, and friends braved the record-breaking heat on May 20 and 21 to come together for

Alumni Weekend.

After two years of being postponed due to the pandemic, the Pennington community gathered once again for a flurry of events, including alumni vs. student athletic games, networking brunches, career panels, and much more. The weekend wouldn’t have been complete without plenty of time for alumni to grab a drink and some barbecue with former teachers and classmates. Thanks to all who joined us for the festivities!

Young alumni spoke at a career panel and represented their colleges during the college fair.

Pennington Leadership Council and Alumni Association Board volunteer leaders gathered on campus for planning sessions and spring meetings.

Class of 2020 alumni, including donors Blake Hart ’20 and Gavin Hart ’20, joined Head of School Bill Hawkey for a dedication of the beautiful new bronze statue in honor of their class.

www.pennington.org

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ALUMNI WEEKEND

Members of Pennington’s Black community came together for a networking brunch, where alumni, parents, and students connected with each other.

Alumni took to the fields to play in lacrosse, soccer, and baseball games against Pennington’s varsity student players.

Guests enjoyed food, fun, and visiting with faculty and classmates during the All-School Barbecue.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

Robert E. Martini

WELCOME TO THE

MMAC! Pennington’s Campus Center was recently appointed with a new name: the MMAC

(Martini: Music, Arts, and Community) —and these four words speak volumes.

The MMAC celebrates our School’s Arts and Music programs and serves as a treasured space for students to come together in Community. The name also honors the family legacy of Pennington Board of Trustees member Brenda Martini O’loughlin P’19, whose father, Robert E. Martini GP’19, was a powerful role model who imparted his entrepreneurial spirit, his values, and his belief in hard work and a dedication to philanthropy to his family. O’loughlin’s commitment to Pennington stems from her desire to make a difference and ensure that all students receive the level of attention and care that her daughter (Julia Wakin ’19) and her classmates experienced. O’loughlin

saw first-hand the transformational possibilities of a Pennington education for all students—made possible by the remarkable leaders, teachers, and staff who are dedicated to the School’s mission of developing individual excellence in every student.

The family’s deep belief in and love for The Pennington School has translated into significant investments over the years in the Pennington Fund, the Dining Hall, the Campus Center, arts and music programs, athletics, financial aid, and faculty and staff professional development. The Pennington School is honored to name a distinguished campus building in recognition of the family’s generous commitments.

Center for Music, Arts, and Community

“

It is an honor to make these gifts and support the future leaders of tomorrow. Our family’s commitments to the School reflect our gratitude for all of the teachers and staff who inspired Julia and supported her and our family for seven years. Pennington is a place where students can develop and thrive in pursuit of their passions, and my dad would have loved that.

”

—Brenda Martini O’loughlin P’19

Next time you are on campus, swing by the MMAC and take a moment to be inspired by the spirit of generosity and care that welcomes you in this very special space. www.pennington.org

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THE ARTS

To Whom It May Concern The Silva Gallery of Art was pleased to present its comeback show, “To Whom It May Concern.” This new Upper School student exhibition highlighted artistic work completed during the 2021-22 school year, and was just a small fraction of all of the beautiful pieces that the students produced during this time. We finally returned this year to using our arts spaces and tools to their full potential, and we were overjoyed to fill the Silva Gallery with work that spoke to each student’s personal experience. The students chose the title “To Whom It May Concern” because they believed that all the work in this exhibit—from self-portraits to photos of where they live, from teapots to paintings of imaginary places— represented their personal expressions of themselves as artists. Their stories were told not to a specific person, but to whoever was viewing them. The student artists were delighted to offer these expressions as gifts to all who wanted to take them in.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

PERFORMANCE

SPRING CONCERT

The Pennington School community came together in Sparks Gymnasium on the evening of April 28 to celebrate the talents of student musicians at the annual Spring Concert. The vocal performances, conducted by Director of Choral Music James Horan, began with “The Disney ‘I Want’ Medley” from the Middle School Singers, who were then joined by the Pennington Singers for the Bruno Mars song “Count on Me.” The Pennington Singers’ next piece, “I Sing Because I’m Happy” was conducted by Hexin (Ben) Jiang ’22. A cappella group SoundProof took the stage for their rendition of “Stand By Me” (which they also performed for Grandparent and VIP Day!), and the Treble Tones group sang an Empowerment Medley. The entire Pennington Singers group finished the performances with “Sing!” and a moving medley of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Somewhere” from West Side Story, when they were accompanied by instrumentalists Jialun (Gavin) Cui ’22, Patrick Powichrowski ’23, and Chenxu (Larry) Xu ’24. The second half of the concert belonged to the instrumentalists, conducted by Director of Instrumental Music Donald Dolan. The Middle School Instrumental Ensemble kicked things off with “Fly Me to the Moon,” followed by the whole Orchestra’s performance of “The Blue Danube.” Each ensemble was then given a chance in the spotlight, with the String Ensemble playing Van Halen’s “Jump,” the Percussion Ensemble playing “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and the Rock Ensemble playing Ray Henderson’s “Bye Bye Blackbird.” The Jazz Band finished a night of wonderful performances with “The Chicken.”

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Music by Richard Rodgers Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II New book by Douglas Carter Beane Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II Orchestrations by Danny Troob • Musical Adaptations and Arrangements by David Chase

Director’s Note by Suzanne Houston We were delighted to welcome an in-person audience back to the Lecture Center for our first live musical in two years and to once again share this experience with the Pennington community! It may be surprising to learn that a musical theater nut like me has never seen the 1959 version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the 1965 version, or the complete 1997 version. I missed its recent run on Broadway, as well. Fortunately, through friends and the internet, I have become familiar with the score over the years and have formed a true affinity for it. In 2013, Broadway producers wanted to bring the R&H Cinderella to contemporary audiences. The producers insisted the script undergo changes to give the characters greater agency in their lives and destinies, and be more than the rather passive characters. This Cinderella would have to earn her Prince and, in return, the Prince would need to earn her. The magic and whimsy of the classic tale is still present and visible for the audience to see, but this updated version adds modern humor, social justice, and a few new characters. 30

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

The last two years have been difficult, and this winter especially, we all needed some joy, warmth, hope, and positivity. In choosing a show, I wanted to sing songs that made us smile. I also wanted to challenge our talented performers with choral harmonies and well-drawn characters; to offer the tech crew opportunities to use their imaginations and skills to build impossible things; to put our incredible costume crew to work on magical dresses and more; and to give the pit orchestra a lush and traditional score to play. On some of the longer, grayer days of the winter months, I thought we were crazy to take on such a big show...and yet—at rehearsal in a Black Box with no windows, there would be a ray of sunshine that would tell us, “It’s possible!,” as the Fairy Godmother repeatedly reminded Ella in the show. Sometimes said with sincerity, and sometimes to bring levity to a difficult or ridiculous situation, that phrase became the mantra that brought us to opening night. As we approached the final dress rehearsals in February, I encouraged the hardworking students with more wise words from the Fairy Godmother: “Go, with the promise of possibility,” and do impossible things!

www.pennington.org

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Written by seniors Chloe Boocock, Chris Cromarty, Sydney Francis, Ruby Grisin, and Lucy Harding Directed by seniors Chloe Boocock, Chris Cromarty, Sydney Francis, and Ruby Grisin

Mine or Yours? is the fourteenth Spring Play under the leadership of Mr. DiGiacomo and Mr. Moore, and the fourth from the Senior Seminar taught by Ms. S. Houston. The class initially struggled to name their play, but after the name Mine or Yours? was proposed, they were drawn to the number of double meanings it revealed. The play developed into the perfect depiction of this particular class of seniors, with distinctive personalities and individual stories to tell. The directors are grateful for the work of Mr. DiGiacomo, Mr. Moore, Mr. Harding, Ms. S. Houston, Ms. Wang, Ms. L. Houston, Mr. Vogel, Mr. Jeff Bender, and Mr. Doug West.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

by Lucy Harding ’22 My experience within Theatre at Pennington (TAP) has been a whirlwind. It’s where I’ve learned lessons in leadership, patience, creativity, and flexibility. When I learned that I would be directing the Middle School play, I was ecstatic because I knew it was a chance to pass on my love of theatre to a new generation of actors and crew members. This show has strong themes of acceptance and leaning into discomfort, which correspond to the last two years of our lives, but also directly to this experience. I wanted the actors to lean into their discomfort, embrace it, and grow from it. Being in theatre is about learning to deal with the absurd… and this show has everything to do with the absurd. I wanted the audience to watch this show and not only laugh, but also think a bit about what it means to truly accept circumstances. Within the last two years, we’ve been told to accept what comes next and “pivot” to the best of our abilities. At times we had to accept what came next without any understanding of what was actually happening, which could feel overwhelming. In this show, Victor and Shelley take a bit of getting used to, but people wholeheartedly see them and learn to accept them for who they are. It’s now time to really slow down and listen to ourselves and each other. In order to accept, we must first stop and understand. Theatre at Pennington has been my home forever, and it will continue to be as I become an alumna. I can’t thank my TAP family enough for all the joy they have given me. Theatre is a collaborative art, and there are so many people who helped in this show or along the way in my Pennington career. I am forever thankful for their wisdom, love, and support. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without Mr. Secrest, who has been my mentor as I enter young adulthood, not only with acting, but also in life. I wouldn’t have been able to complete this without his unwavering energy, much-needed honesty, and stage sense. I know that the theatre program is in very good hands, and I invite all students at Pennington to immerse themselves in the arts and to enjoy their time doing so; the arts are an unwavering constant in life. www.pennington.org

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CERVONE CENTER ARTICLE

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

Pennington’s Multicultural Community

ENRICHES ALL The Pennington School has a long history of welcoming students from all faiths, backgrounds, and cultures. International students first arrived in 1885, coming to Pennington from South America, Asia, and Europe for an education in English before enrolling at American universities. In that era, students traveled to the United States by boat, then loaded their steamer trunks on trains, before arriving at the Pennington campus in horsedrawn carriages. In the dormitories, students had folding beds with the finest horsehair mattresses and studied by the light of gas lamps. During World War II, at a time of incredible exclusion in the world, Pennington opened its doors and welcomed students of diverse backgrounds. Many students found refuge in Pennington’s supportive community.

Today, Pennington’s student body represents over thirty-five countries and numerous cultural identities. The 2022 “We are Pennington” Culture Fair, an event developed this academic year, celebrated each individual and the diverse community we create together at Pennington. Students, parents, faculty, and staff eagerly shared elements of their own cultures with their peers in the popular World Market. Each table included a display of artifacts (clothing, art, jewelry, musical instruments, souvenirs, crafts, and more). There was also an array of food items, reflecting the varied ethnic heritages, offered in the Dining Hall. The Culture Fair is likely to expand next year and is expected to become a cherished annual tradition at Pennington. Photos - Left: Faculty member Jo Prockop displayed Ukrainian eggs at the World Market. Right top: Students placed a pin on the world map indicating where they are from. Right middle: Sandhya Mahadevan ’24 performs a Bharatnatyam dance as part of the Showcase during the Culture Fair. Right bottom: Gabby Hall ’25 and her mother, Joy Hall, shared the foods, flag, and dress of Dominica at the World Market. www.pennington.org

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Cultures and clubs represented at the Culture Fair: China • Cuba • Dominica • Guatemala • Hungary • India • Ireland • Russia • Senegal • South Korea • Ukraine • Vietnam • Latino Club • South Asian Society • Muslim Student Association •

Pennington Jewish Community • Latin Club • United People

of Many Colors

Chinese Students Bring Lunar New Year Traditions to Pennington by Judy Rossi, director of international student services

The Pennington community came together on February 1 to celebrate the Lunar New Year— the Year of the Tiger! Thanks to Parents for Pennington, the Dining Hall was transformed with beautiful yellow chrysanthemums, lanterns, and other Chinese New Year decorations. The New Year celebration began on Sunday night at the Happy Lamb Hot Pot restaurant in Edison, where thirty-two of our students and faculty enjoyed a delicious meal together. On Monday, the students were greeted at brunch with red envelopes containing gold candy coins and wishes for a Happy New Year. Tuesday, which was New Year’s Day, began with a virtual meeting for our Chinese parents and School administrators. Dumplings were shared over Zoom, followed by the viewing of a recorded concert arranged and performed by our students. The community met for a Lunar New Year Chapel service, organized by our Chinese students, where they shared their traditions of the New Year as well as Chinese music and poetry. The day would not have been complete without all the delicious Chinese food, prepared by our Dining Hall staff, which was served for lunch and dinner. To end the evening, the recorded student musical performance was shared with our community for all to enjoy. 36

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

COMMUNITY DAY 2022 ReCharge, ReConnect, ReMember Friday, April 29, was a cool but glorious day on campus, and the perfect setting for Community Day 2022. Community Day is an annual tradition when everyone at Pennington comes together to celebrate our special community of learners and to give back by engaging in various service activities both on campus and off. In the morning, the student body gathered in Sparks Gymnasium and had the opportunity to hear from climate activist Kristy Drutman, founder of Brown Girl Green and Green Jobs Board. After an engaging Q&A with the presenter, student singers and instrumentalists performed before sending family groups across the campus for activities ranging from chalk art to connection-building conversations. The morning finished on the turf with an all-School dance celebration. Everyone had a delicious bagged lunch prepared by Sodexo, then headed out by class for different events in the afternoon. Grade 9 had Peer Leader activities at Rosedale Park, Grade 10 met for their own leadership activities on the turf, seniors began their Horizon program, and Grade 11 performed service activities around campus and in the town of Pennington.

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US ATHLETICS 38

WINTER HIGHLIGHTS

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL n 2022 Prep B State Champions n Amazing 20-4 season n Semifinalists in the Mercer County Tournament n Morgan Matthews ’24 named Co-Player of the Year by The Trentonian n Scott O’Neil named Co-Coach of the Year by The Trentonian n Three players made All-Prep team and one player made the All-Area First Team (The Trentonian)

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

n Team played in the NJISAA Prep A tournament for the first time in the School’s history n Pennington hosted the Mercer County Tournament game for the first time in six years n Won 10+ games for the first time in five years n First victory over The Lawrenceville School in 30 years n Chandler Fraser-Pauls ’11 named Prep Coach of the Year by The Trentonian n Junior point guard Corey Miller reached the 1,000 point milestone and was selected for the First Team All-Prep by The Trentonian n JV/JV II teams accomplished incredible wins over The Hun School and Peddie after trailing behind www.pennington.org

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INDOOR TRACK

n Second-place finish for the boys’ team in the NJISAA Prep B State Championship, missing out by two points to Newark Academy n Drayton Kolaras ’23 finished in first place in the 800 meter run at the Mercer County Championship n Kolaras selected to the NJ.com/The Times of Trenton All-Area Indoor Track Team for the 800m n Girls’ team beat many personal best times n Both teams competed in the Bishop Loughlin Games and Ocean Breeze Freedom Games in Staten Island

SWIMMING

n Girls’ team finished with an undefeated 8-0 season and captured their thirteenth NJISAA Prep B State Championship n Boys’ team finished the season 5-2-1 and had a third place finish at the NJISAA Prep B State Championship n 23 swimmers and two divers attended the Easterns Swim Meet; the girls finished 10th overall and boys 21st n Girls’ 200 medley relay team set a new School record of 1:46.59 in the A Final at Easterns n Ellie Schinsky ’22 rewrote two School records in the 100 butterfly and twice over in the 100 backstroke. She received an All-American consideration.

ICE HOCKEY

n Tri-captains Pepper deTuro ’22, Wolfie Meinhart ’23, and Chris DeLellis ’23 received Second Team All League Honors and were selected to the All-Prep Ice Hockey Team by The Trentonian. n Wolfie Meinhart ’23 named Defensive Player of the Year by The Trentonian n Played in the Independence Hockey League playoffs for the first time since finishing runner-up in the league championship game in 2018 n Victories over Haverford Academy and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and a nail-biting tie against a tough Academy of the New Church team n Third place in the regular season 40

US ATHLETICS

SPRING HIGHLIGHTS 41

BOYS’ TENNIS

n The team finished the regular season undefeated at 10-0 and won over Lawrenceville twice, as well as Blair Academy and Princeton Day School. n Finished second at the Mercer County Tournament with two individual championships n Finished second at the Prep B Tournament with two individual championships n Theo Sardain won the Mercer County Tournament and the Prep B tournament at 2nd Singles. He finished the season undefeated. n Ishan Gupta won the Mercer County Tournament and the Prep B tournament at 3rd Singles. He finished the season undefeated. n The entire team made it to the semifinals of the Mercer County Tournament and the Prep B Tournament. n Josh Finkle, Theo Sardain, Ishan Gupta, Avery Sichel, Nikolas Chase, Dhruv Ramaswamy, Declan Karp, and Caleb Li gave their all in every match. A coach couldn’t ask for a better group.

BASEBALL

n Team was the 4-seed in the Prep B State Tournament and hosted Morristown-Beard n Pennington won their Mercer County Tournament 1st Round game as the 12-seed, upsetting the 5-seed Allentown. n Junior Ronan Hwang and sophomore Bryce Meccage had remarkable ERAs of 1.45 and 1.61, respectively. n Junior Will Bercaw and freshman Landon Hallett led the offense with respective batting averages of .395 and .350.

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n Pennington graduated three seniors—Luke Kavulich, Max Gibbard, and Lorenzo Amico—who played a substantial role in getting the baseball program to where it is today. Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

n Won the first round of the Mercer County Tournament in a home game vs Steinert High School n We had a wonderful Senior Day in an exciting game against Gill St. Bernard’s School. n Team played in the NJISAA Prep B Tournament vs Newark Academy n Our senior captains were Stephanie Balerna and Eva Guerino. n Eva Guerino ’22 had her 300th career save, and is heading to play lacrosse GK at Scranton University. n The team raised $200 for Go 4 the Goal, an organization that helps children with cancer and their families.

BOYS’ LACROSSE n 6-6 record

n First victory over Princeton Day School in 20 years n Team played in the NJISAA Prep B Tournament and the Mercer County Tournament n Senior Captain Jabril Belle-Walker selected to US National U-18 Developmental Team n Belle-Walker recruited to play on Division I team at Hobart College n Anthony Argiropoulos recruited to play on Division III team at Montclair State University n Belle-Walker and Pepper deTuro were selected to be on the Prep B boys’ lacrosse coaches’ team

www.pennington.org

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GOLF

n 2-8 season record n Third place in NJISAA Prep B State Championship n Senior Luke Jeanes finished sixth at the State tournament and tied for tenth at the Mercer County Tournament.

GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD n Final record of 11 wins and 4 losses n Fourth place at States n Naomi Craig, Macayla Rodriguez, Makenna Urbanek, and Julia Klukowski ran the 4X100m Relay, taking fourth at the Mercer County Championship and first place at the Prep B State Meet. They ran a new School record of :51.25. n Makenna Urbanek took first place in the 100m and 200m at the State Championship Meet (top time in both Prep A and B). n Urbanek also won the 100m and took third in the 200m at the Mercer County Meet. n Macayla Rodriguez took second in the 100m and 200m at States and placed fifth in the 200m at Counties.

BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD n Final season record 9 wins and 4 losses

n Came in fourth at the Prep B State meet n Drayton Kolaras, Isaiah Muse, Zack Tomlinson, and Chris Xia ran the Sprint Medley Relay and won at the Mercer County Relays. n Kolaras won first place at States in the 800-meter and set a School record of 1:57.22 (Top Prep A and B) and came in third at the County meet. n Kolaras also ran a School record of :50.89 in the 400m at the Pingry Invitational. 44

The School unveils new nickname for its teams The Pennington School has used “Red Raiders” as a team nickname for many decades. The red-tailed hawk has been the mascot since 1992, though the “Red Raiders” nickname was also used in connection with the School’s previous mascot, which was a Native American chief or brave that was chosen at some point before the 1960s. In January of 1992, then-Head of School Steve Bowers announced that, “Here at The Pennington School, we believe strongly in welcoming and nurturing families of all races and religions. For these reasons, many members of the community and I have become convinced that a caricature of a Native American is not an appropriate mascot for The Pennington School.” He then initiated a Schoolwide contest to choose a new mascot, while deciding to keep the nickname “Red Raiders.” The red-tailed hawk was chosen from among the names submitted to the contest. At that time, some in the Pennington community suggested that the nickname become the “Hawks” (“Fridge Raiders” was another suggestion!), but it was decided that “Red Raiders” could continue and thereafter represent the red-tailed hawk. In the winter of 1993, the School’s Environmental Club adopted a oneyear-old red-tailed hawk from the Cape May Bird Conservatory to honor the new mascot. During the 2019-20 academic year, the senior class voted to make their class gift a statue of the red-tailed hawk mascot. Over the past two years, the School’s Leadership Team discussed the nickname and asked student government and the Alumni Board for their input. After further consulting the Alumni Board during Homecoming Weekend 2021, followed by class committee meetings in late October and early November so that current students could also weigh in on the decision, the results were unanimous: Pennington’s teams will now be known as the

The new red-tailed hawk statue was a gift from the Class of 2020 with support from Parents for Pennington and from generous donors Blake Hart ’20 and Gavin Hart ’20. The statue was installed in March 2022 on the Campus Center plaza, and it was unveiled to the Pennington community right after Spring Break on March 29. A formal dedication ceremony for the new statue was held during Alumni Weekend, on May 21, 2022. The sculpture was created by Hanlon Sculpture Studio in Toms River, NJ.

RED HAWKS! www.pennington.org

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A dvancing 46

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

S

ince the Kenneth Kai Tai Yen Building opened in January 2017, many people in the Pennington community have wondered, “What’s next?” There have been a number of improvements to the campus since then, which include a new floor for Sparks Gymnasium, new Student Center, brand-new turf on Liwosz Field, a beach volleyball court, a renovated pool, and much more. But what else is on the horizon?

Priorities shift due to COVID-19 Over the following eighteen months, landscape architects were engaged to design a Landscape Master Plan, and specific initiatives were identified to fulfill the objectives of the Strategic Plan. The costs of each initiative were gathered and the resources needed to accomplish each of these goals were identified. Then, in

Our Mission: What’s ahead for The Pennington School? New strategic plan is born Back in January 2018, Pennington’s Board of Trustees and senior School leadership kicked off a strategic planning process designed to carry The Pennington School forward for the subsequent decade. Application and enrollment numbers had never been higher, and have continued to grow since 2018, and this measure of success presented an opportunity to harness the momentum the School had achieved over several years. The forward-planning process began with a close look at what the School does well and what makes Pennington such a special place. Two elements of the Pennington experience immediately stood out: the individual attention that is given by teachers to every student, which allows them all to reach their full potential, and the special sense of community on the campus. These characteristics were clearly identified in surveys of parents, students, and alumni, and they resonated with School leadership’s sense of Pennington’s strengths. Following a year of study and deliberation, School administrators shared a new strategic plan that focused on two key areas: Faculty Excellence and the Student Experience.

March 2020, strategic planning priorities had to change immediately as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. Instead of focusing on plans for Pennington’s future, an entirely new curriculum that could be taught remotely had to be developed. Faculty members needed new tools and strategies to engage students with the online curriculum using best practices imbued with our own Pennington flair, and administrators had to work quickly and carefully to reopen our campus safely and effectively for the following fall. Over the past year, as the acute needs created by the pandemic subsided, Pennington has returned its focus to advancing the priorities of the Strategic Plan. Next steps are now underway on securing the funding, determining timing, and developing in-depth operational plans for the projects outlined in the Landscape Master Plan.

New opportunities on Pennington’s horizon The Pennington School’s Advancement Office creates opportunities for members of the Pennington community to get involved in the strategic direction of the School and to provide the necessary resources www.pennington.org

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ADVANCING OUR MISSION

Faculty Excellence for continual improvement, ensuring that the Pennington experience will remain transformational for generations to come. Current parents and friends of the School, alumni, past parents, and faculty and staff all have a keen interest in protecting and enhancing Pennington’s reputation for developing individual excellence in all of its students. The Advancement team is dedicated to fostering alumni and volunteer relationships, coordinating special programs and events, and telling the Pennington story to its most important stakeholders—all of you! The Advancement Office engages with all community members to “advance” the goals of the School. In the coming months, you will hear more about

all the ways in which you can get involved as The Pennington School looks forward to the next chapter in its storied 184-year-old history. If you have a special passion or interest you would like to share with the Pennington School community, please contact Charlie Brown, assistant head of school for advancement and strategic initiatives, to find out how that interest can evolve into a valuable opportunity for the students of today and tomorrow.

To learn more, please contact Charlie Brown, assistant head of school for advancement and strategic initiatives, at 609–737–6103 or at cbrown@pennington.org.

Student Experience

4848 Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22 Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-

The Arts and Language Honor Societies Induction Ceremony was held virtually on Monday, January 24. The program included a pre-recorded performance from Patrick Powichrowski ’23, who played “Allegro non troppo” from Symphonie Espagnole by Édouard Lalo on violin. Between the language and arts inductions, there was a pre-recorded vocal performance from Zoe Eaton ’23, who sang “What Baking Can Do” from Broadway’s Waitress, written by Sara Bareilles. Congratulations to all the new honor society inductees on being recognized for their hard work!

Arts and Language Honor Societies Inductees 2021-22 National Art Honor Society: Miami Celentana ’22, Hieu Nguyen ’22, Avery Sichel ’22, Lauren Woodroffe ’22, Suhani Gharia ’23, Yeunsoo (Jake) Jung ’23, Gloria Liu ’23, Chloe McKain ’23 Tri-M Music Honor Society: Avani Prakash ’22, Xavier Sang ’22, Zoe Eaton ’23, Leanne Griffiths ’23, Michael Petrane ’23, Patrick Powichrowski ’23, Dailan (Susie) Xu ’23 International Thespian Society: David Cahn ’22, Jialun (Gavin) Cui ’22, Sydney Francis ’22, Avani Prakash ’22, Zoe Eaton ’23, Sofia Gruson ’23, Shanti Hastings-Kimball ’23, Ian Huizer ’23, Gloria Liu ’23, Garren McCauley ’23, Nicholas Moran ’23, Linh Pham ’23, Dailan (Susie) Xu ’23 Spanish National Honor Society: Jonell Adu-Gyamfi ’22, Liam Goldstein ’22, Hexin (Ben) Jiang ’22, Aidan Keith ’22, Christopher Ly ’22, Aidan Medina ’22, Kira O’Neil ’22, Gia Villegas ’22, Minghao (Anna) Zhang ’22, Yiyao (Carrie) Zhu ’22, Isabel Adams ’23, Lana Beck ’23, Benjamin Clabbers ’23, Kate Coakley ’23, Lauren Decker ’23, Gordon Grandbouche ’23, Jonah Heimann ’23, Sung Min (Ronan) Hwang ’23, Claire King ’23, Evan Levy ’23, Yuda (Ricky) Li ’23, Garren McCauley ’23, Francesca Pendus ’23, Enrique Porras ’23, Evin Roldan ’23, Maygala Selvisudhakar ’23, Elena Sperry-Fernandez ’23, Heidi Vander Schaaff ’23, Dailan (Susie) Xu ’23

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

HONOR SOCIETIES

CUM LAUDE The Pennington School inducted ten seniors as student members of the School’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society in May. Students inducted are within the top twenty percent of the class, as determined by grade point average, and the School views selection for this membership as one of the highest honors it can confer. The Cum Laude Society is an international organization that is dedicated to recognizing academic achievement in secondary schools. There are 382 institutions currently in the Society, and most are independent schools. The newest members of The Pennington School’s chapter of Cum Laude (pictured below) are Hongyi (Janes) Cai, Mia Cresti, Jonathan Eaton, Ruby Grisin, Daisy Hutnik, Kurt (Eddie) Kennedy, Kira O’Neil, Avery Sichel, Gia Villegas, and Yiyao (Carrie) Zhu. Eleven seniors were inducted into the Cum Laude Society in October 2021. Those students are Akshay Arun, Chi (Charlie) Chen, Ariana Colner, Hexin (Ben) Jiang, Merrick Liu, Christopher Ly, Avani Prakash, Dahe (Billy) Wang, Lyuxin (David) Zhang, Minghao (Anna) Zhang, and Yiweh (Vicky) Zhu. Congratulations to the 21 students listed above on their academic achievements!

Latin National Honor Society: David Cahn ’22, Mia Cresti ’22, Kurt (Eddie) Kennedy ’22, Beatrix (BB) Kim ’23, Elena Nechay ’23 French National Honor Society: Theophile Sardain ’22, Jacob Ernst ’23, Isabella Fermo ’23, Amelie Halgan ’23, Grace Kantra ’23 German National Honor Society: Xinyi (Gina) Ge ’22, Lyuxin (David) Zhang ’22, Nikolas Chase ’23, Zoe Eaton ’23, Gloria Liu ’23, Kyle (Wolfie) Meinhart ’23, Gracen Ward ’23 www.pennington.org

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MS GRADUATION 50

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

On Thursday, June 9, the

Pennington Middle School celebrated the members of the

Class of 2026

at their graduation ceremony at the Pennington Presbyterian Church. “Canon” by Johann Pachelbel was performed by the Middle School Instrumental Ensemble, followed by the invocation and opening comments from Head of School William S. Hawkey. Dean of Faculty Debbie Fermo then presented The United Methodist Church Exemplary Teacher Award to Teacher of Middle School Spanish Tracy Kuser. The First in Scholarship address was given by Yanxin Wu ’26, and Head of Middle School Chrissie Knight offered her own remarks. The Advisors spoke

about each student as they received their diplomas, which were awarded by Chrissie Knight after a musical interlude by the Middle School Singers performing “What We’ve Learned Here,” written by Director of Choral Music James Horan. Robert E. Martini Assistant Head of School for Community Life and Dean of Students Chad Bridges welcomed the class to the Upper School, and Chaplain David Hallgren offered a benediction before the ceremony concluded. A reception was held immediately following the graduation on the Campus Center Plaza as students, parents, and teachers congratulated the class, and the eighth-graders celebrated their accomplishments. www.pennington.org

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CLASS OF 2022

The 2022 Senior Horizon Experience

was comprised of two main elements: two weeks of on-campus programming designed to engage and excite students about life beyond high school through workshops, speakers, seminars, and hands-on learning, followed by two weeks of individually designed experiential learning projects, ranging from traditional internships to student-created experiences. This new format provided many different types of opportunities for the seniors. Events kicked off on the afternoon of Monday, May 2, with a class lunch from a favorite food truck. This was followed by keynote speaker Sean Woodroffe P’22, who spoke about the workplace of tomorrow and how students today can start thinking about and preparing for their futures. The seniors then participated in a workshop to polish their résumés and work on their LinkedIn profiles. During the first week of Horizon, students explored important themes of mental and physical health and wellness. School counselors discussed potential mental health challenges and a panel of young alumni shared their own experiences with mental health issues. The class also explored topics of physical well-being in the posthigh school years with School nurse Kenya Samad and discussed sexual assault prevention. One day of the week was spent honoring Pennington’s commitment to serving others by making meals for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, stocking supplies at HomeFront, and clearing woodland trails at Toll Gate Grammar School. The second week of Horizon provided more opportunities for learning essential life skills, with hands-on financial literacy lessons in a “Money 101” seminar led by economics teacher Holly Jones. Students learned about how to work with their future college advisor and how to handle possible collegiate academic issues from Pennington School alumna Jennifer Ramsdell ’10. Health and wellness activities continued throughout the week, with students spending some time reflecting on their Pennington experience in a workshop with English teacher Erin O’Connell. The week concluded with an engaging panel discussion by recent graduates moderated by Dean Bridges. The transition to a Horizon Experience that engages students in two weeks of programming and two weeks of personal experiential learning allows students to practice essential life skills, offers an opportunity to reflect on their years at Pennington, and provides important time to get excited about the next stage of their life journey. Many thanks to all of the Pennington parents and mentors who were integral to the success of this year’s Horizon program!

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Here are a few highlights from the

2022 Horizon Experience:

Jonell Adu-Gyamfi at Alliance Dermatology Associates During her first week, Jonell observed patients and learned to identify skin pre-cancers and cancers and studied many genetic and acquired skin diseases that affect certain populations. During the second week, she worked at the Rejuvenate Center for Medical Aesthetics and Wellness where she observed an array of aesthetic/cosmetic procedures that helped boost patients’ self-esteem. She also was able to participate in hands-on post-procedure patient care.

Akshay Arun at Lupin Pharmaceuticals

Akshay analyzed medicinal data to determine how often batches of medicine add too much or too little of certain ingredients. This information was then used to determine which machines are most effective and how much medicine did not meet the standards set.

Mame Baffour-Awuah at Christina Seix Academy

Mame’s internship with the counseling department at CSA allowed her to put her passion for advocating for and destigmatizing mental health into practice. Her two-week experience was truly insightful, inspirational, and transformative. She left CSA even more passionate and eager to begin this work and very thoughtful of her own journey so far and moving forward.

Ariana Colner at The Watershed Institute

Ariana worked with the education department at this Hopewell Valley nonprofit to teach people about science and the environment. She worked on a program plan related to microplastics and helped to facilitate activities with visiting school groups. One of her favorite activities was learning about animals and seeing many up close, in nesting boxes or through the game camera.

Eddie Kennedy at Stradley Ronon

Eddie worked at this law firm in Philadelphia. He discovered what it means to be a litigator by interacting with successful and experienced attorneys and reading and analyzing legal documents such as judges’ statements, complaints and responses, and settlement agreements. He also helped his mentor research witnesses and prepare for an upcoming trial.

Lauren Woodroffe at TIAA Lauren worked as an intern for ten days in the human resources department, where she had the opportunity to meet with TIAA’s president and CEO, Thasunda Brown Duckett, who shared this advice with a group of graduating high school seniors from Girl Inc.: “If there is not a seat for you at the table, you bring your own and sit. If you ever walk in a room and nobody resembles you, that is because you were the chosen one; so, take that assignment and be great.” Lauren was so impressed with this advice that she displayed it on her cap at Commencement! www.pennington.org

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Senior Week 2022 commenced with the Prom

at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 28. May 31 was the date of the Senior Chapel, Horizon presentations were on Wednesday, June 1, and the Senior Prize Ceremony and traditional Baccalaureate service were held on Friday, June 3. Following Baccalaureate, seniors, their parents, and faculty members celebrated at the Senior/Parent dinner, where the Class of 2022 showed off their “Cupid Shuffle” moves and gave thanks in their senior video.

Applied Science Certificates

Certificate Programs: Applied Science and Global Studies + Recipients of The Pennington School Award for Distinguished Achievement in Applied Science

v Recipient of The Pennington School Award for Distinguished Achievement in Global Studies 54

Tyler Anderson Akshay Arun Jenna Bluni Olivia Bottomley David Cahn Hongyi Cai Miami Celentana Chi Chen Maxwell Close

Ariana Colner Mia Cresti Christopher Cromarty Jonathan Eaton Ganesh Feroze Maxwell Gibbard Lucinda Harding Daisy Hutnik Ronan Karp

Global Studies Certificates Jonell Adu-Gyamfi Sydney Francis Mame Baffour-Awuah Jack Giacobbe Stephanie Balerna Cormac Glanas Chloe Boocock Liam Goldstein Scott Caponi Bennett Gray Jialun Cui Ruby Grisin Jonathan Eaton Kirsten Griswold

Kurt Kennedy Merrick Liu Mateo Lopez-Castro Christopher Ly + Zachary Merritt Hieu Nguyen Elliot Overhiser Collin Penders Erin Penders

Avani Prakash Michael Salak Avery Sichel + Makenna Urbanek Gia Villegas Sindhu Yaramosu Lyuxin Zhang Minghao Zhang

Eva Guerino Aidan Keith Julie Kennedy Mary Kathryn Kramli Caroline Loonie Aidan Medina Kira O’Neil

Daniel Sampaio Keira Stampe Brynne Taranto Lauren Woodroffe v Yiyao Zhu

Academic and Department Awards:

Salutatorian: Ariana Colner Valedictorian: Yiwei (Vicky) Zhu

Senior Prizes

We are proud of all the senior prize winners listed below. Congratulations to all on a job well done, and those students who earned special certificates in Global Studies or Applied Science.

Named and All-School Awards: The Capria DeVenuto ’04 Award to the Most Outstanding and Devoted Swimmer—Elinor Schinsky The William E. Long Award to the senior boy who has made the greatest contribution to Pennington’s athletics—Isaiah Muse The Brigid Kilfoyle ’91 Memorial Award to the senior girl making the greatest contribution to Pennington School athletics—Makenna Urbanek The Monique Visser ’88 Memorial Award for the senior girl who has most improved the quality of life at Pennington— Mame Baffour-Awuah The Charles G. Bennett ’59 Memorial Award for School Spirit— Jabril Belle-Walker and Kira O’Neil The Pennington School Award to the senior who exemplifies the development of individual excellence—Jane Cormier The Pennington School Award to the senior outstanding in volunteer service—Gia Villegas The Pennington School Award for Outstanding Citizenship— Jonathan Eaton The Pennington School Award for International Citizenship— Hexin (Ben) Jiang and Yiwei (Vicky) Zhu The Community Life Award—Jonell Adu-Gyamfi, Jabril Belle-Walker, and Minghao (Anna) Zhang The Head of School Prize for Grit, Determination, and Perseverance —Mia Gorczynski, Evan Lewis, and Yiyao (Carrie) Zhu The Gateway Prize to the seniors who best exemplify Pennington’s core values of honor, virtue, and humility—Tyler Anderson, Sydney Francis, Eva Guerino, Ronan Karp, Hieu Nguyen, Xavier Sang, and Gia Villegas The Head of School Prize for the best all-around student— Ariana Colner

The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in English—Lucinda Harding and Dahe (Billy) Wang

The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in instrumental performance— Jialun (Gavin) Cui

The Pennington School Award for Excellence in Spanish—Yiwei (Vicky) Zhu

The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in vocal performance— Jonathan Eaton

The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in French—Jenna Bluni The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in German—Ariana Colner The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in Latin—Kurt (Eddie) Kennedy The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in Chinese—Isaiah Muse The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in mathematics—Akshay Arun and Lyuxin (David) Zhang The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in science—Liam Goldstein and Christopher Ly The Scientific Inquiry Award—Ariana Colner The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in history—Jonathan Eaton The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in religion—Mia Cresti The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in computer science—Lyuxin (David) Zhang and Minghao (Anna) Zhang The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in journalism—Jonathan Eaton and Ruby Grisin

The William Alford Award for Distinctive Service in Music—Yiwei (Vicky) Zhu The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in video production—Scott Caponi The G. Arthur Campbell Award for Distinctive Service in Drama—Lucinda Harding The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in technical theatre—Ariana Colner The Pennington School Award for Continued Excellence in Theatrical Performance— Gia Villegas The William Mastrosimone ’66 Award for Excellence in Writing and Directing an Original Play—Chloe Boocock, Christopher Cromarty, Sydney Francis, and Ruby Grisin The Kersey Award for the student showing most promise in visual art—Miami Celentana The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in photography—Hieu Nguyen The Pennington School Award to the senior excelling in sculpture and ceramics— Erin Penders The Pennington School Award for Peer Leadership—Lauren Woodroffe

www.pennington.org

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US COMMENCEMENT 56

June 4, 2022, was a perfect day for the first full Pennington community

Commencement since 2019. Only the graduating seniors had ever attended the ceremony before, and it was wonderful to have all of the Upper School students participate once again.

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

“

Find the people and ideas that you believe in. Act on the thoughts you can’t articulate but feel deep inside of you. And let your instincts be part of your decision-making process.

”

—Jordan Gray ’91 P’22 ’26 Commencement Speaker

www.pennington.org

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

The Pennington Class of 2022 will be matriculating at the following colleges and universities: American University • Babson College • Bard College • Bates College • Bentley University • Berklee College of Music • Bloomsburg University • Boston College • Brandeis University • Brigham Young University • Bucknell University • California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) • Carnegie Mellon University • Chapman University • Clemson University • Coastal Carolina University • College of Charleston • Columbia University • Connecticut College • Cornell University • Delaware State University • Denison University • Drew University • Duke University • Elon University • Emory University • Fairfield University • Fairleigh Dickinson University (Florham) • Fordham University • Georgetown University • Haverford College • High Point University • Hobart and William Smith Colleges • Hope College • Indiana University (Bloomington) • Johns Hopkins University • Lafayette College • Lehigh University • Loyola University Maryland • Lynn University • Marist College • Middlebury College • Millersville University of Pennsylvania • Montclair State University • Moravian University • North Carolina A & T State University • Northeastern University • Northwestern University • Pennsylvania State University (Abington) • Pennsylvania State University (Main Campus) • Pomona College • Post University • Rhodes College • Rutgers University (New Brunswick) • Santa Clara University • School of Visual Arts • Spelman College • St. Lawrence University • Syracuse University • Texas Christian University • The University of Tennessee (Knoxville) • Union College • University of Arkansas • University of California (Irvine) • University of Cincinnati (Main Campus) • University of Denver • University of Kentucky • University of Miami • University of Notre Dame • University of Pennsylvania • University of Scranton • University of Southern California • University of Toronto • University of Vermont • University of Virginia (Main Campus) • University of Wisconsin (Madison) • Villanova University • Wake Forest University • Washington University in St. Louis • Wesleyan University • Williams College • Xavier University 59

Getting to know the

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION If you pull back the curtain on Pennington’s alumni programs, you will find thirteen dedicated volunteers hard at work–they are the dynamic members of Pennington’s Alumni Association Board (AAB). The AAB represents the School’s Alumni Association, comprised of over 5,000 alumni living in all 50 states and over 60 countries. The AAB alumni leaders instill Pennington pride and are committed to strengthening the bonds within our community by connecting alumni and students with the School and with one another. The AAB has helped move the needle on alumni engagement at Pennington over the past decade; they were instrumental in

launching our international alumni festival, expanding regional and affinity alumni gatherings, and creating meaningful ways for alumni to get involved. And they are just getting started! With the energetic leadership of AAB President Jacob Levy ’09 and Vice President Coltrane Stansbury ’92, the AAB is continuing to build strategic programs to serve and engage all alumni. Although this group never seeks the spotlight, we wanted to shine a light on their impressive accomplishments and get to know a little bit more about these School champions and what makes them tick.

Matthew L. Biedron ‘08 Senior Research Analyst at Oliver Luxxe Assets, LLC

Favorite class or teacher from Pennington: Drama class with Mrs. Houston allowed us to be creative, express ourselves, and make new relationships with other students.

Lauren Brown ‘15

Senior Data Analyst at Cogo Labs Important lesson from your Pennington experience: Pennington’s attention to community-building has remained foundational to the way I try to build empathy for and/or learn about the intersectional experiences of others. I still employ some of the key active listening techniques I learned during Peer Leader training in my day-to-day life.

Terry (Wonchang) Choi ‘13 Partner, Investment Principal at Amadeo Global

Favorite class or teacher from Pennington: My favorite class was AP Macroeconomics with Ms. Jones. She was a wonderful teacher, and I loved her “chain of logic” problem-solving technique. Today, I still use her way of approaching problems–it shaped the way I think. 60

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

BOARD Wha t ’s on t he AAB c hec kli s t? o Grow connections throughout the alumni community o Create more opportunities for alumni to interact with current students and faculty o Design focused offerings for young alumni o Increase engagement around career networking o Excite alumni about being involved as volunteers and donors o Encourage alumni to come back to campus for reunions and signature events o Engage alumni through affinitybased activities and offerings o Inform plan with voices from across the generations and from every corner of the globe

Archel G. Desir ‘00

Diana Moore ‘02, Secretary

Favorite Pennington alumni tradition or event: The annual holiday gathering in NYC!

Favorite Pennington alumni tradition or event: I always enjoy the NYC Holiday Reception. It is an event I try to get to every year!

President/Founder at Hyperion Advisory LLC

Evander Duck III ‘08

Head of Global Corporate Communications at Amicus Therapeutics

Director of Customer Success at Retina AI

Philip A. Prassas ‘99

Favorite class or teacher from Pennington: Lisa Houston! She was more than a teacher to me; she was a mentor who helped build my confidence during those formative years.

Favorite class or teacher from Pennington: Anything with Mr. Bretzger; enough said!

Marly R. Faherty ‘08

Vice President, Strategic Initiatives at Endeavor Favorite Pennington alumni tradition or event: Homecoming! I love seeing traditions that existed when I was a student (like the Coffee House) continue today. Plus, autumn on campus is beautiful.

Spencer G. Garrison ‘05

Army Public Affairs Officer and graduate student at Georgetown University Important lesson from your Pennington experience: Amazing things happen when you’re in a welcoming, supportive environment like Pennington. With the encouragement from my track coach and teammates, I found the confidence and motivation to become an avid runner and eventually a mentor to others.

Timothy Johnson ‘03

Project Manager at Network Connex Favorite class, teacher, or activity at Pennington: I enjoyed the weekend trips to New York City four times a year to see Broadway and off-Broadway shows with Mr. and Mrs. Burns. After the show, they always invited students to have a wonderful NYC culinary experience. Le Bonne Soupe in midtown was one of my favorites!

Jacob A. Levy ‘09, President Co-Founder and Producer at Complicated Things

Favorite Pennington alumni tradition or event: Giving your sibling or relative their diploma at Commencement. I have always loved that simple, but touching, tradition.

Founder and Managing Principal at Prassas Consulting, LLC

Coltrane C. Stansbury ‘92, Vice President

Vice President- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Macmillan Learning Favorite Pennington alumni tradition or event: We introduced a number of networking and connection events for students and alumni to connect as part of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts during Alumni Weekend and throughout the year. I have enjoyed meeting other members of the Black community at Pennington during these events.

Courtney E. Stewart ‘10

Senior Associate, Development and Investor Relations at Reinvestment Fund Favorite class or teacher from Pennington: History classes were my favorite at Pennington. I had phenomenal teachers, like Mr. Fanning, Mr. DiGiacomo, and Ms. Malloy. These classes influenced my decision to pursue two higher education degrees in American studies.

Want to get involved? To learn ways to help Pennington, use the QR code here or visit pennington.org/community/ alumni/get-involved.

www.pennington.org

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PENNINGTON

IN FLORIDA

In February 2022, staff from the School’s Advancement Office hit the road to meet with Pennington alumni and friends in Florida. The visit included a gathering in Miami, where community members had a chance to connect over cocktails. It was wonderful to see so many of you in the sunshine state!

Bob ’63 and Nancy Pearl

Danny Viasman ’69 and Fernando Garcia ’66

CALLING ALL ALUMNI!

STAY CONNECTED @ PENNINGTON Check out the latest alumni events and volunteer opportunities: pennington.org/community/alumni Submit a Class Note: pennington.org/community/alumni/class-notes Update your contact information: pennington.org/support/updatecontactinfo Join our Alumni Groups on Facebook and LinkedIn Follow the Pennington Alumni Instagram account: instagram.com/penningtonalumni

FOLLOW US!

pennington.org instagram.com/thepenningtonschool instagram.com/doc.hawk facebook.com/penningtonschool linkedin.com/school/the-pennington-school

ALUMNI! STUDENTS! PARENTS! Write a positive review about your Pennington experience on popular school review sites. Scan here to post a review:

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

https://bit.ly/PenningtonSchoolYouTube twitter.com/tps_news

h

ic

ss

The P e Sc

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ool ch

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a r s hip C l a

The twenty-seventh annual Scholarship Classic was a huge success.

Thank you!

Over 100 guests came out for the Scholarship Classic in June, joining us for golf, tennis, and pickleball at Bedens Brook Country Club in support of financial aid at Pennington. Parents, alumni, faculty, and friends showed their Pennington pride with some friendly competition, raising a record

$51,368

for student scholarships. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of the 2022 Scholarship Classic Committee, who made this year another great success.

Thank you to this year’s generous sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor

Mike Allen ’09 Matt Biedron ’08 Gina DiVincenzo P’24 Pete Egbert P’16 Alene Frankel P’26 Nick Hill ’07

Gold Sponsors

Michael Jingoli ’85 Chris Long ’91 P’12 ’17 ’20 Amy Walton P’25 63

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Celebrating new unions and new arrivals...

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CLASS

NOTES

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1940s

PHOTOS: 1. Kelsey Richardson ’11 and her husband had their “We Do Redo” wedding on October 9, 2021. From left to right: Caroline Morano ’14, Alyssa Hullings ’11, Matthew Weyand ’11, Kelsey Richardson ’11, Rev. Chuck Coblentz, Kathleen Richardson P’11 ’14, Christopher Wirth-Kenyon ’11. 2. Kathryn (Brown) Moore ’09 married Josh Moore on October 9, 2021 at the Inn at Barley Sheaf. 3. Jaclyn (Immordino) Wollett ’03 and husband Chris announced the birth of their first child, a boy named Arlo, on January 22, 2022. 4. Jae Heo ’08 and his wife Stella welcomed their first child, Riley, this past spring.

Senator Rudy Boschwitz ’47 reports life is good with 65 years of marriage and still going strong with a great-grandbaby on the horizon! He goes into the office daily and is very active in his consulting business and in political fundraising.

1950s

Joel Blumberg ’54 is still alive and kicking despite being listed as deceased in the last issue of Pennington Magazine. (We offer our most sincere apology for the error!) He is enjoying life in Florida and has a special relationship with the Hard Rock Casino, helping them secure athletes for appearances. He even enjoyed a special trip up to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City with Hulk Hogan. Craig Jurgensen ’58 has remained busy and committed to humanitarian deeds in the 64 years since he graduated from Pennington. He volunteers in many capacities: as a member of a Clean Air Board, youth development board, preschool board, special child advocacy team, and Afghan resettlement team; by participating in church outreach projects and medical advocacy for friends with illnesses; through involvement with music therapy; and as a regular speaker at the Pathways for Lifelong Learning. He says his commitment to service is “founded and grounded upon my educational experiences at Pennington.” www.pennington.org

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CLASS NOTES

1960s

Andy Schwarz ’65, thanks Pennington staff for reuniting him with Andy Adams ’66. Fifty-seven years had passed since they last saw each other; they enjoyed the evening (and bored their wives) talking about the good old days and remembering things that took place more than a half-century ago. Jed Feibush ’66 , Allan Rosenberg ’66, and Charles Dixon Clark ’66 (CDC3) (with his wife) got together for a lovely lunch at Perry’s in Larkspur, CA. Bob Turner ’69, a Pennington Hall of Famer, was inducted into Mercer County’s Soccer Hall of Fame on April 2.

1970s

Karen Martindell Buxton ’79 was announced as the head coach of Greensboro College’s Women’s Triathlon team. Karen has completed thirteen Ironman competitions and has over thirty years of experience as a professional triathlon coach, which made her the optimal person to start the program at Greensboro College.

2000s

Robyn Horner ’03 has been named head coach of the USL W League team, a pre-professional women’s soccer team in Charlotte, NC. She writes, “I am so thrilled, and consider myself very fortunate, to be leading our club’s first-ever W-League team in their inaugural season.” Jaclyn (Immordino) Wollett ’03 and husband Chris announced the birth of their first child, a boy named Arlo, on January 22, 2022. (See photo #3 on page 64) Julia (Bruskin) Garland ’05 moved to Park City, UT with her husband and their daughters Ava, four, and Zoe, born in March 2021. Jae Heo ’08 and his wife Stella welcomed their first child, Riley, this past spring. (See photo #4 on page 64) Jae also writes to tell us that he met fellow Pennington Board member Dan Mahony P’18 ’21 in Singapore while Heo was there on business, and they exchanged great stories of their experiences at Pennington. Jae looks forward to more trustees and alumni visits in Asia. Kathryn (Brown) Moore ’09 married Josh Moore on October 9, 2021, at the Inn at Barley Sheaf. They plan to buy a horse farm in order to start a therapeutic riding facility. (See photo #2 on page 65) 66

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

2010s

Alexa DeMaio ’10 and Kaitlyn Kerr ’10 cheered on fellow Pennington alumni Nicole Baxter ’12 (Gotham FC) and Amber Brooks ’09 (Washington Spirit). (See photo #1 below) Renee Washington ’10 was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at LaSalle University this past February for her outstanding contributions to the Women’s Soccer program. Washington was a three-time All-American at La Salle, where she led the Explorers to accomplish many firsts, including their first Atlantic 10 Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament. Renee is still a top three record holder at the University in career goals and points. (See photo #2 below)

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Kelsey Richardson ’11 had her “We Do Redo” wedding on October 9, 2021. She and husband Conner were able to celebrate with her Pennington classmates and friends. (See photo #1 on page 64) Jake Valente ’12 is living in Los Angeles and finished his first year of law school in May 2022. This past winter he and his girlfriend traveled to Europe and, on the way home, they stopped to visit his parents in Charleston, SC, where they recently moved. Peter Secrest ’13 met Nick Palombi ’14, Greg Gravalis ’14, and Will Harding ’19 in November 2021 to visit Peter’s brother, Tim Secrest ’14, who is on tour as the lighting designer for Mayer Hawthorne. (See photo #3 below) Jordan Page ’13 was a recent contestant on Wheel of Fortune, which was a dream come true! He says, “This was always a game that my grandmother, family, and I enjoyed together, and I wanted to do it for them.” He says it was an awesome experience, and he is thankful for the opportunity. (See photo #4 below) Christopher Maselli ’14 has been coaching high school football at Notre Dame for three seasons and recently ran into Pennington football coach Jerry Eure at the National Hall of Fame (Delaware Valley chapter) dinner in Princeton, NJ. Maselli played football for Coach Eure during all his years at Pennington and says,

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“It is rather surreal now to be a coach myself and in the same circles as my former coach.” Luke Blair ’18, Pennington assistant baseball coach Byron Kou, and Ryan Harris ’19 got together following a game between Lebanon Valley College (LVC) and Vassar College. LVC won this one, 6–4. (See photo #5 below) Ruosi (Elena) Hu ’18 graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in May with a double major in mathematics and finance. She will be starting her master of finance program at MIT Sloan School of Management this summer in her pursuit of a career in the field of finance. She hopes to visit Pennington sometime soon! Olivia (Liv) Mahony ’18 and sister Jordan Mahony ’21 continued the tradition of playing soccer together at American University before Liv graduated in May. Liv is starting a full-time position with Ernst & Young as a technology consultant.(See photo #6 below) Emma Garry ’19 is excited to share that she was elected president of American University’s School of Education Undergraduate Council. In this role, she hopes to build a sense of community within SOE, advocate for student needs, and bring awareness on campus to the amazing work being done by SOE students down the hill in Spring Valley. She has already started working toward her goals and cannot wait to see what the future holds!

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CLASS NOTES

Sydney Gibbard ’19 and Amy Garry ’19 helped Penn State set a new financial record for their annual THON dance marathon, which requires dancing for 46 hours. They danced for the kids and families affected by childhood cancer. Sydney also cut 14 inches of her hair at THON, donated for those who have lost their hair. Sydney and Amy were a big part of student government, community service, and the start of Mini-THON during their time at Pennington.

2020s

Oliver Gassman ’21, a rising sophomore at the University of Maryland–Baltimore County, was named Most Outstanding Rookie at the America East Swimming Championship. Stas Korzeniowski ’21 just finished his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania. This first year offered many memorable learning experiences, and he was excited to return to Pennington’s campus as a presenter for the May 2022 College Freshman Realities Panel. He enjoyed speaking with current students about his experiences.

FORMER FACULTY Betty Ann Winkler P’87 ’89 and Dean Waters P’95 ’98 caught up with alumni Katie Winkler ’89 and Harvey Melamed ’64 over dinner in Bluffton, SC. Front row from left: Katie Winkler ’89, Betty Ann Winkler P’87 ’89 (former faculty), and Kathy Waters P’95 ’98. Back row from left: Harvey Melamed ’64, Mary Melamed, and Dean Waters P’95 ’98 (former faculty, coach, and athletic director).

Send your updates and news

to pennington.org/community/alumni/class-notes, or email Director of Alumni Relations Jane Bott Childrey ’89 at jane.childrey@pennington.org.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021-22

In Memoriam With sadness we remember the following members of the Pennington community who died or whose death we learned of since the publication of our last magazine:

Gwendolyn Holmes S’43 Stanley T. Holmes, Jr. ’43 Elsie F. Sherburne S’45 James F. Sherburne ’45 William Poore ’48 Robert Smyth ’49 FT James Hallo ’52 L. Dirk Richter ’54 Price M. Collins ’58 Keith J. Myers ’69 Thomas A. Ursic ’69 P’98 ’01 Jack Green P’71 Patricia Green P’71 Robert I. Gaydos ’72 B. Douglas Muchmore ’72 Anna M. Pryor S’72 Brian P. Pryor ’72 O. L. Starnes ’72 John J. Rufe, Sr. P’73 ’75 ’78 Joseph A. Mellodge ’75 Chester George Klabbatz P’79 Jenifer Landis P’80 ’81 GP’13 ’14 Walter Wenczel P’82 GP’00 ’11 ’15 Judith Manukas P’85 ’87 Wycliffe B. Childrey III S’89 P’18 ’21 ’24 Emily Lynch P’89 John D. Lynch P’89 Jesse J. Williams ’89 Ruth Ignatoff P’92 John Gervasoni P’01 ’02 Robert Mitchell GP’06 ’12 Kent Paige GP’14 ’17 Dorothy Herbert GP’15 ’19 John J. Freeman ’16 Vicki Wallace GP’20 ’23 ’26 Michael Naughton GP’21 ’26 Vanda Cresti GP’22 George Goodrich GP’23 ’26 Hugh Jamieson GP’25 Antonio Lopez Lopez GP’27 P–Parent; GP–Grandparent; S–Spouse; FT–Former Trustee

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The Pennington School

Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage

112 West Delaware Avenue | Pennington, New Jersey 08534-1601

PAID

Permit No. 579 Cinnaminson, NJ

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

The Cultural Map was designed to highlight what makes Pennington unique and different, where we intersect, and where we diverge. Under the direction of Lucy Harding ’22, the Art Club brought this idea to life at the We are Pennington! Cultural Fair in April.

UPCOMING

EVENTS 2022–23

August 27–28: Music Preseason 28–30: Drama Preseason 28–Sept. 2: Varsity Athletic Preseason

October 5: No Classes: Yom Kippur 12: MS Retreat 14–16: Homecoming

December 1: New York City Alumni Reception 13: Lessons and Carols 16: College Alumni Spend-a-Day Winter Break begins at noon 26–30: Pennington Offices Closed

September 6: US Orientation/ MS Launch 7: First Day of Classes 9: Convocation 22: MS Back-to-School Night 26: No Classes: Rosh Hashanah 29: US Back-to-School Night

November 2-5: Fall Play 14: Fall Instrumental Concert January 16: Fall Vocal Concert 3: Classes Resume 21–25: Thanksgiving Break 26: Winter Alumni Games 30: Washington, D.C. Alumni Reception