this well anywhere else. So for these last 13 years of my life, I would like to thank the school and the community for making them wonderful. Mara Alissa Jaffe, daughter of David Jaffe ’74 and Erica Peresman of Birmingham and sister of alumna Adela ’09, attended Roeper for 13 years. The muffins Mara makes on “Muffin mornings” are not from a Betty Crocker box. That would be ordinary, and as Christina Miceli stated, “Mara Jaffe does not do ordinary. She has grand ideas that are combined with high expectations and a drive that brings her revelations to life. She sees what hasn’t been thought of and makes it happen.” Brooke Michelson recognized this trait even in Stage IV while building stick forts outside. “Mara went above the normal collecting sticks that the rest of us did. She assigned jobs to each of us, including ordering Matt and Tom to carry the larger sticks for her. She talked to the maintenance staff to get a bunch of sod and excess patio rock. A normal fort was not going to be enough for her.” Mara’s events are always impressive and require careful planning, powerful leadership, and a commitment to excellence. The work that she puts into these events stems from a common motivator — she wants more than anything to bring people together for an unforgettable experience. As Class President, Mara took it upon herself to establish the Class of 2013 as one force; she inspired support of everyone’s extracurricular endeavors and originated events beyond established traditions. Mara is ambitious; she sets her sights high and does everything in her power to achieve her goals. Mara’s Senior Project, The George, was a well-planned and successful pop-up restaurant in Eastern Market. Mara created top-notch recipes and took care of product ordering and menu design. Next fall Mara will be studying at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration.
This school has made me who I am today. Thank you to my teachers and fellow members of the Class of 2013 for inspiring me every day of the past 13 years.
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Gabriel Luke Lind, son of Steven and Elise Lind of Ortonville and brother of Alex ’10 and freshman Calvin, attended Roeper for 13 years. Eulalia tells the story of Gabe’s arriving at Roeper at the age of four, when the world was so new that many things had no names, at the enchanted Roeper Domes on the bank of the creek where he played in the shadow of the Trojan horse. Gabe loved his first teachers, teachers who at the end of each season change wrote affectionate comments: Annette and Laura sang his praises as a very inquisitive, cooperative child, who loved to play and to make people laugh with his bag full of jokes. Sue and Marta admired his empathetic, caring and cooperative spirit; and Gloria and Rosalee marveled at his integrity, sensitivity and willingness to stand up for his beliefs. Gabe serenaded his friends and loved ones with his piano and clarinet skills that he had been perfecting for 12 years. He sharpened his sense of humor. He took pleasure swinging for the fences and running bases on the baseball diamond. Gabriel’s comrades in comedy and parody grew closer and stronger. Jacob, Max and Alex all praise Gabe as a sassy, energetic, inspiring, amazing and loyal friend. As his hundredth month at Roeper comes to a close, his magical but real Roeper family left him a message: “Gabe, you are not leaving the Roeper family tree, you are simply branching out. It’s time to turn a new leaf, and as your future becomes more realized with every passing day, may you keep your wonderful sense of magic.” Gabriel is on his way to Kalamazoo College to study psychology and neuroscience.
I would like to thank everyone at Roeper. The teachers, the administration, the students, everyone. Every single person there at Roeper made Roeper what it is, and that is a great and wonderful school. Chloe Isabella Rybicki-Kler, daughter of Christina Rybicki and Robert Kler of Royal Oak and brother of sophomore Liam, attended Roeper for 13 years. Colleen Potocki stated when Chloe was born on a snowy day in
Mara … has set the bar high for every future leader in this community.
Gabe … a warmhearted, kind-hearted, good-hearted human being.