Webb Magazine: Spring 2025

LEADING THE WAY

MAGAZINE SPRING 2025

Family Day

OCTOBER 3, 2025

Join us on campus to experience a day in the life of your Webb student! We hope you’ll enjoy our beautiful campus and socializing with other Webb families. Go to webb.org/parents for more information or contact Jenna Gough at jgough@webb.org or (909) 482-5245.

Alumni Weekend

OCTOBER 24-25, 2025

Classes ending in 5s and 0s celebrate milestone reunions this year! Go to webb.org/reunion for more information or contact the alumni office at alumni@webb.org or (909) 445-8253.

Peccary Dinner October 24, 2025

LEADING THE WAY

How do you motivate a team? How do you inspire creative problem-solving? How do you achieve collectively what no one person can achieve alone? These are some of the questions our students are confronted with during their Webb experience.

As team captains and dorm prefects, in science labs and on the stage, in Honor & Leadership symposium challenges and Webb Day competitions, Webb students learn to collaborate with determination toward a common purpose. This spirit is embodied in the school’s founding motto—Principes non Homines. Leaders not ordinary humans. It is a phrase that inspires us all to be more, and yet it also can feel like a weighty responsibility. I try to assure our students that leadership is a team sport. At Webb, we work together to live this ideal. Every alumnus who has climbed Half Dome or hiked the Grand Canyon knows that there is power in a Webb class’s collective will!

Nowhere is this collaborative leadership more evident than in our Centennial Campaign, where this community has joined together to make a historic contribution to Webb’s endowment and collectively raised over $201,000,000—more than four times any other previous Webb campaign.

As you explore this issue, centered around the theme “Leading the Way,” you will find stories celebrating our mission to “lead with distinction.” Leadership as a cornerstone of a Webb education. Leaders in our community who help make the Webb experience possible. Alumni leading in their industries and Webb educators leading in their fields.

Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL

THE NEXT 100: THE CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN

Transformational Impact

We are thrilled to celebrate the successful completion of The Next 100 , Webb’s historic Centennial Campaign, which not only met but exceeded its ambitious $200 million goal ahead of schedule—raising over $201 million to benefit The Webb Schools. Launched by an extraordinary $100 million bequest from an anonymous alumnus, this campaign stands as the largest ever undertaken by Webb—four times the size of any previous effort—and is anchored by the most significant gift ever given to an independent high school west of the Mississippi. The Centennial Campaign has had a transformational impact on our campus, funding critical projects such as the addition of the Huang Innovation Wing in Fawcett Library, the renovation of Appleby Dormitory, the construction of a state-of-theart science lab in Bonnie Johnson Hall, and the revitalization of Centennial Plaza and the Stockdale Community Center. It enabled the purchase of 75 additional acres, preserving Webb’s stunning natural environment for future generations. This momentous achievement reflects the dedication of our entire Webb community—alumni, families, and supporters—who came together to ensure a bold and thriving future for Webb.

CAMPUS IMPACT: A REFLECTION

It is impossible to walk around campus and not see the impact of the Centennial Campaign. The beautiful entrance with our mission carved in stone leads to Centennial Field and the vibrant Stockdale Community Center, a gathering spot at the heart of our campus. There our entire community comes together for joyful engagement, whether it be Webb Day/Night competitions or just to hang out between commitments and grab a snack at Cafe 1175. On the other end of campus, we have Appleby Dormitory, a comfortable remodeled dormitory that enabled us to enhance the residential experience for all students, offering everyone the opportunity for single rooms and a roommate experience. And the best part is the view off the back balcony: Webb’s additional 75 acres that were acquired during this campaign!

Our revitalized academic center is also impressive, from state-of-the-art science labs to the Huang Innovation Wing to an inspiring outdoor learning space celebrating the incredible legacy of humanities teacher Larry McMillin. These facilities support our dynamic curriculum, which has been reimagined over the past decade. From our core program to our advanced studies offerings, Webb’s program is student-centered and forward-looking, and our facilities help to support this creative and focused work.

I joined Webb as the Centennial Strategic Planning process began under the leadership of my predecessor Taylor Stockdale, who always reminded us that “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Indeed, Taylor rallied us all around this plan and guided the entire community in this transformational effort. It has been inspiring to work alongside Taylor, our dedicated Board of Trustees, and our talented faculty and staff to help realize the Centennial plan. It has been inspiring to see our community come together to support these aspirations and help secure Webb’s future.

And now, it is time to build on that work and create our next big, bold vision for Webb. And so, our new strategic planning process is underway. Stay tuned!

Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL

READ MORE ABOUT THE NEXT 100 : THE CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN

The Centennial Campaign represents a seminal moment of time for Webb, establishing its foundational security in the form of a greatly enhanced endowment, securing the foothills to our northeast, and significantly enhancing the campus and our resources for cutting-edge teaching and learning. The sky is the limit for Webb in the next century. I am so proud of the alumni, parents, and friends who came together to make this happen. You have fundamentally changed the arc of the school and made us a world-class institution.

Taylor B. Stockdale HEAD EMERITUS

THE CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN BY

NUMBERS

44

NEW ENDOWED FUNDS, INCLUDING:

18

NEW ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS

15

NEW ENDOWED FUNDS FOR ACADEMIC & FACULTY SUPPORT

8

NEW ALF MUSEUM ENDOWED FUNDS

PURCHASE OF 75 ACRES

Webb purchased an additional 75 acres of contiguous land, doubling the size of its campus to 150 acres. This acquisition preserves Webb’s distinctive California feel while offering space for future facility relocation, expanded fields, or potential campus growth.

APPLEBY DORMITORY RENOVATION

As part of its recent renovation, Appleby Dormitory transformed former double rooms into spacious singles and updated its large, welcoming common room, where the entire dorm can gather and relax together. The campaign made this upgrade, along with new air conditioning in all campus dorms, possible.

CENTENNIAL PLAZA & STOCKDALE COMMUNITY CENTER RENOVATION

Centennial Plaza, with its sweeping, undulating lawn, is a vibrant outdoor space that hosts school-wide gatherings, and festive events like Alumni Weekend and the Centennial Celebration and serves as a spot for recreation and community connection. Overlooking the plaza, the Stockdale Community Center is the energetic heart of student life—home to offices, a café, the school store, and a constant buzz of activity from all-school assemblies and weekend events to group meetings, studying, and casual hangouts.

M c MILLIN PARK

Once home to the iconic Stone Hut, McMillin Park has been thoughtfully updated into a shaded, amphitheater-style gathering space nestled among mature live oaks at the heart of campus. Named in honor of beloved Webb teacher Larry McMillin, the park features terraced seating, a permanent stage, and natural contours that make it an inviting venue for student performances, outdoor classes, art installations, and community gatherings.

BONNIE JOHNSON HALL & ALF MUSEUM STORAGE

Previously the Ahmanson Lecture Hall, Bonnie Johnson Hall is now a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary science classroom and laboratory designed to support Webb’s hands-on, researchdriven courses. Lead donor Blake Johnson ’95 dedicated the space in honor of his beloved grandmother. His generous gift also enabled the creation of a lower level, providing muchneeded fossil storage for the Alf Museum and expanding Webb’s scientific capabilities.

HUANG INNOVATION WING

A dynamic addition to Webb’s Fawcett Library, designed to spark creativity and hands-on experimentation across disciplines. Its multiple studios, equipped with powerful processing computers, 3D printers, a rapidprototyping laser cutter, a robotic arm, and a dedicated podcast studio, give students space to ideate, incubate, and bring bold ideas to life.

The Webb Schools extends our heartfelt gratitude to Centennial Campaign CoChairs Blake Brown ’68 and Denis Yip P ’18, ’19, Board Chair Sanjay Dholakia ’87, Head Emeritus Taylor Stockdale, and to all of our donors.

Through their exceptional leadership, vision, and dedication, a bold dream was transformed into a powerful reality. The Centennial Campaign was more than a celebration of Webb’s extraordinary past—it was a meaningful investment in the future. Their belief in Webb’s mission and unwavering generosity helped bring this transformative effort to life, creating a legacy that will benefit generations of students to come.

We are deeply grateful for all they have done to help shape the next 100 years at Webb.

HUANG INNOVATION WING: A STUDENT REFLECTION

Shooting for the Stars in the Huang Innovation Wing

BY CHARLEY ZHANG ‘27

I am the lead engineer of Bluebird Aerospace, a student-run organization currently aiming to become one of the first high school teams ever to develop, build, test, and fly a liquid bipropellant rocket engine.

Our program started three years ago with a dream: to fly a liquid-fueled rocket to space. This dream is no simple task—thousands of variables must work together, and every process requires the utmost precision. We’ve already come a long way through countless obstacles of the design and validation process, yet we know that the path ahead will be equally as difficult. As we move closer to our first full-scale tests, we are grateful for all the support that the community has given us, without which we would not be where we are today.

The opening of the innovation lab this year provided a great opportunity to boost our progress as we overcome the challenges that come with this dream. The lab’s 3D printers enable us to manufacture parts at a moment’s notice, allowing the team to rapidly make prototypes, such as those making up our injector. We also used them to develop valve actuation components, a low-cost alternative for the initial testing of our propellant feed system.

Simulations form another significant component in our development process. Predicting complex fluid behaviors is too tedious to compute by hand, so mathematical analysis software is needed. However, high-fidelity analysis of fluids requires computing power: it is not uncommon for a given simulation to run for a few hours on our own computers. But with the lab’s new high-performance computer lab, these powerful machines bring new potential to our team.

The innovation lab’s educational program also helped solidify our project. This year, Webb debuted the technology and innovation seminar course, which provided the necessary time and funding for us to pursue this goal.

At the same time, Bluebird has grown beyond a simple technological endeavor. We found people who otherwise had no interest in STEM excited about our hardware. Others were eager to learn about aerospace, despite the field being completely new to them.

It is often said that the stars unite people. Building this dream with our team, the Webb community and the broader aerospace community truly gave me a perspective on what that means. We hope that even if you aren’t interested in spaceflight or technology as a whole, Bluebird can inspire you to reach for the stars no matter what your goal is.

The Huang Innovation Wing was made possible through the generosity of the Charles Huang Foundation and the leadership of Head Emeritus Taylor Stockdale.

Foundation support has been instrumental to The Webb Schools for decades, often serving as quiet partners outside our alumni and family philanthropic circles. Foundations have provided vital funding for scholarships, faculty development, academic initiatives, and campus enhancements, helping Webb expand student opportunities and sustain excellence in teaching and learning. Their investments have strengthened financial aid, advanced innovative programs, and supported capital projects that enrich our campus. As we look to the future, foundation partnerships will continue to play a crucial role in advancing Webb’s mission and impact.

If you know of a foundation that might be interested in supporting Webb’s mission, please contact giving@webb.org and our Webb team will be in touch.

THE NEXT 100: THE CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN RECOGNITION BY GIVING CLUB

The following includes gifts and pledges made between July 1, 2017 and December 31, 2024 to The Webb Schools and the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology.

HEAD’S CIRCLE

PRINCIPES CIRCLE

Gifts of $100,000,000 & above

Anonymous

Gifts of $5,000,000 to $10,000,000

Mr. & Mrs. Blake H. Brown ‘68

Mr. & Mrs. Wayne L. Hanson ‘59

Mr. & Mrs. Denis Yip P ‘18, ‘19

Anonymous

Gifts of $1,000,000 to $4,999,999

The Ahmanson Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Michael M. Chang ‘92, P ‘23

Mr. Jim ’63 & Mrs. Wendy Drasdo

Mr. David Fawcett ‘61 & Ms. Diane Wilsdon

Mr. & Mrs. Chip Greening ‘62

Mr. & Mrs. William K. Guptill P ‘85

Mr. & Mrs. William Hornbuckle P ‘19

Charles Huang Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Blake B. Johnson ‘95

Mr. Pak Fu King P ‘19

Mr. Yanji Luo & Ms. Li Jiang P ‘20

Mr. Timothy C. Moore ‘59

Mr. & Mrs. Douglas F. Myles P ‘80, GP ‘13

Col. & Mrs. John S. Rogers, USAF (Ret.) ‘59, GP ‘16

Mr. & Mrs. R.J. Romero P ‘12, ‘15, ‘20

Mr. Xueping Xu & Mrs. Elina Xu P ‘20, ‘26

Anonymous

FOUNDERS CIRCLE

Gifts of $500,000 to $999,999

Mr. & Mrs. Sameer P. Dholakia ‘91

Mr. Sanjiv Dholakia ‘87 & Ms. Melissa Barnes Dholakia ‘87, P ‘21

Mr. & Mrs. Carroll R. Duncan P ‘87

Mr. Liangyu Gao & Mrs. Kun Li P ‘26

Dr. & Mrs. James E. Hall ‘59

Mr. Dana E. Ketchum, Jr. ‘59

Mr. Ming Chung Liu & Ms. Yan Cheung P ‘10

Estate of Keith Wilson Loring ‘46

Mr. Wayne Lu & Ms. Tsui-Ying Yuen P ‘24

Dr. Lawrence E. Price ‘61 & Ms. Martha C. Lussenhop

Mr. & Mrs. Paul M. Reitler ‘54, GP ‘13

Mrs. Valerie A. Romero GP ‘07, ‘09, ‘12, ‘15, ‘20

Mr. Xusheng Xu P ‘24

Mr. Junsheng Zhang & Ms. Likun Jin P ‘17, ‘22, ‘27

Mr. He Zhu & Mrs. Fang Xiaoqiu P ‘25

Anonymous (5)

GOLD PATRON

Gifts of $250,000 to $499,999

Mr. & Mrs. R. Larry Ashton, Jr. ‘70

Mrs. Gretchen J. Augustyn P ‘89

Olive W. & Bruce P. Baganz

Dr. Robert Connolly ‘89 & Mrs. Nancy Tung

Mr. Yabing Dai & Mrs. Cuifeng Ma P ‘28

Kenneth J. De Nault, Ph.D. ‘61

Mr. Gerard DeMasi ‘77 & Mrs. Karen Huff DeMasi

Mr. & Mrs. John F. Holliday ‘84, P ‘15, ‘19, ‘22

Mr. & Mrs. Bingfeng Hu P ‘20, ‘23

Mr. Chao Jiang P ‘14, ‘16, ‘22

Mr. Frank Jiang & Mrs. Tina Luo P ‘20

The David B. Jones Foundation

Mr. Ming Li & Ms. Xufang Xia P ‘26

Mr. & Mrs. Peter K. Plaut ‘60

Stephen ‘62 and Elizabeth Shafer

Rick Wang & Fiona Wang

Mr. ChunXian Wei & Ms. Zhi Dou P ‘12

Mr. Lance Williams ‘97 & Mr. Grant Kretchik

Mrs. Meng Yu P ‘14, ‘16, ‘22

Mrs. Tammy Zipser P ‘94, ‘96

Anonymous (3)

BLUE PATRON

Gifts of $100,000 to $249,999

Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Adler P ‘96, ‘00

Mr. Warren J. Arnett ‘43

Mr. & Mrs. Guilford C. Babcock ‘49

Mr. & Mrs. C. J. Peter Bennett ‘40, GP ‘16, ‘17

Mr. Christopher F. Brown ‘81

Mr. Yong Cao & Mrs. Weihua Shi P ‘23

Mr. Robert Carr ‘61 & Ms. Carolyn Davis

Mr. & Mrs. Milton M. Chang P ‘92, GP ‘23

Ms. Lily Chen P ‘22

Mr. Ronald Chow & Ms. Flora Lee P ‘26

Mr. & Mrs. Richard H. Clark P ‘04

Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Clarke ‘63, P ‘98

Mr. Jian Ding & Ms. Yi Wang P ‘24, ‘28, ‘28

Richard K. Dukes ‘78

Mr. & Mrs. Deval R. Dvivedi ‘00

Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. Ensey ‘67

Mr. Fan & Mrs. Chen P ’16

Mr. & Mrs. Dodd Fischer ‘61, P ‘89

Mr. & Mrs. David Fleishhacker ‘55

The Edward E. Ford Foundation

Ms. Jenna Z. Gambaro ‘95

Mr. Douglas C. Gregg, Jr. ‘66

Lana and Kenn Guernsey

Mrs. Penny J. Holliday P ‘84, ‘01, GP ‘15, ‘19, ‘22

Mr. Alvin Hung ‘93 & Ms. Jacinta Lam

Mr. & Mrs. David J. Kahm ‘90

Mr. & Mrs. Sherwood Kinglsey ‘58

Mr. & Mrs. Vincent Lau ‘89

Mr. Jun Li & Ms. Yani Yang P ‘23, ‘24, ‘26

Mr. Mingluo Li & Mrs. Weihong Mo P ‘18, ‘25

Mr. Qin Li & Mrs. Emily Wang P ‘15

Mr. Yong Liu & Ms. Yiwen Sheng P ‘27

Mr. & Mrs. David Loo ‘79

Mr. Degang Lou & Ms. Lin Yuan P ‘27

Mr. Kimball P. McCloud ‘67 & Mrs. Claire McCloud P ‘95, ‘96

Mr. Roger J. Millar ‘61

Ms. Lisa S. Miller ‘89

Mr. & Mrs. William A. Ordway ‘41

Mr. Chao Ouyang & Mrs. Yanni Chen P ‘21

Mr. & Mrs. Eric Pauwels ‘79

Mr. Alvaro Rosales & Mrs. Lupe Cardenas P ‘21, ‘24

Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Rose P ‘82

Mr. & Mrs. Miles R. Rosedale ‘69, P ‘92

Mr. Dakota D. Santana-Grace ‘11

Mr. & Mrs. John M. Scalzi ‘87

Mr. & Mrs. Gordon M. Steel ‘63

Dr. John R. Stevens ‘52

Mr. & Mrs. Taylor B. Stockdale P ‘11, ‘14

Mr. Jiming Sun & Mrs. Jun Li P ‘23

Ms. LiangLiang Sun ‘06 & Mr. Jason Zhang

Mr. Lin Sun & Ms. Limei Tian P ‘27

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph S. Thomas ‘70

Mr. Ralph T. Thompson, Jr. ‘64

Mrs. Carol Bradford Worley, J.D.

Mr. Ian Yang & Ms. Pei Min Tang P ‘19

Dr. Yunsong Yang P ‘16

Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Zemurray, III ‘61

Anonymous (5)

PATRON

Gifts of $50,000 to $99,999

Mr. & Mrs. Arthur E. Bailey, Jr. ‘55, P ‘87, ‘88

Cleve B. Baker, M.D. ‘53

Mr. & Mrs. Leroy L. Carver, III ‘70

Dr. & Mrs. H. Henry Chang P ‘26

Mr. YunDong Chang & Ms. ChunLing Wang P ‘23

Ms. Weiping Chen & Mr. Wen Wang P ‘21

Mrs. Patricia Clarke Fisher & Mr. Michael Fisher

Mr. Jonathan Congdon ‘81 & Ms. Becca Halliday

Mr. & Mrs. Albert K. Davies ‘68

Mr. & Mrs. John S. Erving ‘61

Peggy & Bill Fenner P ‘23, ‘27

Dr. & Mrs. John C. Forney P ‘02, ‘03

Mr. Damao Fu & Ms. Haixiao Bai P ‘20

Dr. Daniel Gluckstein & Dr. Akemi Chang P ‘05, ‘08

Mr. & Mrs. Jack Greening, Jr. P ‘04, ‘06, ‘09

The Hastings Family

Mr. Michael He & Mrs. Livia Zhang P ‘17

Mr. Randall Rodman Holdridge

Mr. Jason B. Howard ‘95

Ms. Mabel M. Hsu ‘01

Mr. Naveen Jeereddi ‘92 & Ms. Amy Hathaway

Mr. Zhuang Jiang & Mrs. Yan Wu P ‘22

Mr. John A. Kramer, Jr. ‘67

Mr. Brent Lee & Ms. Jinhyun Ann P ‘18, ‘24

Dr. Sandra Lee Rebish ‘88 & Dr. Jeffrey Rebish P ‘23, ‘24

Mr. Lixin Li & Mrs. Shihong Peng P ‘20

Mr. Shenzhou Lin & Mrs. Yingchun Jiang P ‘27

Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey A. Luhnow ‘84

Mr. Patrick W. S. Ma ‘87 & Mrs. Wai Leung Lo P ‘22, ‘25

Mr. Peter Ma & Mrs. Molly Zhou P ‘20

Dr. & Mrs. Terry L. Maas P ‘01

Mr. & Mrs. Sandeep Madhavan ‘99

Mr. Michael McDermott ‘83 & Ms. Amanda Bi P ‘18

Mr. & Mrs. George I. McKelvey, III P ‘83

McMahan Family Donor Advised Fund at Rancho Santa Fe Foundation

Dr. Dale Miller & Dr. Lara Tiedens P ‘21

Dr. David Mirkin ‘66 & Mrs. Karen Piacentini

Mr. & Mrs. Robert N. Mixon ‘63

Dr. M. Rahmi Mowjood ‘90 & Mrs. Hafsa Nowfel Mowjood

Mr. David Myles ‘80 & Ms. Carrie Horsey

Mrs. Susan A. Nelson P ‘95, ‘97

Mrs. Shirley Ng P ‘19

Mr. Hung Nguyen & Mrs. Thao Pham P ‘28

Mr. Mickey E. Novak ‘70, P ‘22

Mr. Ming Pan & Mrs. Yi Zhu P ‘25

Janet K. Frampton Peddy

Ms. Lauren K. Piacentini

Mr. Rongjian Qiao & Ms. Xiuping Cao P ‘25

Dr. Mary W. Rose

Mr. Bruce S. Ross ‘64

Mr. & Mrs. Floyd H. Ross ‘89

Ms. Elizabeth Smith ‘92 & Mr. Patrick Smith P ‘25

Mr. Gewei Song & Mrs. Yanxia Dong P ‘22

Mr. Carl W. Stern ‘64 & Ms. Holly Hayes

The Hon. & Mrs. John A. Sutro, Jr. ‘53

Mr. & Mrs. Michael P. Turner ‘81

Mrs. Leslys G. Vedder

Mr. Michael Vincent & Mrs. Jessica Govias-Vincent P ‘14, ‘18

The Hon. & Mrs. Ronald M. Whyte ‘60

Ms. Katherine Winant Osborne ‘88 & Mr. James Osborne P ‘23

Mr. Chris Wu & Ms. Elizabeth Deng P ‘23

Mr. Zhiqiang Zeng & Ms. Nina Dong P ‘25

Mr. Kan Zhang & Mrs. Sherry Yang P ‘26

Mr. Min Zhang & Mrs. Ruoqi Zheng P ‘21

Anonymous

PRINCIPES SOCIETY

Gifts of $10,000 to $49,999

Julia M. Alexander, Ph.D. ‘85

Mr. Haissam Alrachid P ‘20, ‘22

Mr. Chris An & Mrs. Junghee Kim P ‘22

Mrs. Monica Atiyeh Whitaker ‘96 & Mr. Benjamin Whitaker

Dr. Sherlock Au & Ms. Janice Lai P ‘26

Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Augustyn

Mr. & Mrs. John A. Baer ‘74, P ‘22

Mr. & Mrs. William Baldwin P ‘16, ‘22

Mr. & Mrs. Dutch Barhydt

Mr. & Mrs. William M. Bauman P ‘82, GP ‘12

Mr. & Mrs. Jon B. Becker P ‘20, ‘24

Mr. & Mrs. Alexander H. Bell ‘98

Dr. Chris Berg & Dr. Susan Bohrer-Berg P ‘25, ‘28

Dr. & Mrs. Paul Brailsford P ‘18

Mr. & Mrs. Bruce J. Branson P ‘99

Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Callander ‘71

Mr. & Mrs. George Cardenas P ‘23

Mr. Arthur S. Chang ‘99 & Ms. Jasmine Cheng

Mr. Jimmy Chang ‘98 & Ms. Catherine Leung

Mr. Steven Chang & Ms. Ngar See Lam P ‘15, ‘19

Dr. & Mrs. Chatchawin Charoen-Rajapark ‘78

Mr. Qirong Chen & Mrs. Hongyan Zhao P ‘20

Mr. & Mrs. Simon Chen P ‘21, ‘23

Ms. Kathy P. Chen Liu ‘99 & Mr. Yu Liu

Mr. Mickey Cheng & Mrs. May Fan P ‘21

Mr. Rui Chi & Mrs. Xiaofang Gu P ‘20

Mr. Tony Chiu & Ms. Cheri Yim P ‘20

Mr. Jihoon Choi ‘99 & Ms. Helen Kim

Mr. & Mrs. Louis Chung P ‘22

Mr. & Mrs. C. Kit Clark ‘04

Dr. Bernard Cleyet ‘55

Mr. Jeffrey Cripe ‘08 & Ms. Eleanor Walper

Mr. Anthony F. Crocker ‘70

Mr. Xinyu Dai & Ms. Shuqing Liu P ‘18

Mr. BaoHong Deng & Mrs. Tong Jing P ‘20

Mr. Kenneth Dong & Mrs. Cathy Xu P ‘18, ‘22

Mr. & Mrs. Matthew J. Duffy P ‘22, ‘25

Mr. & Mrs. Wolcott B. Dunham, Jr. ‘61

Mrs. Anne G. Earhart

Dr. Stanley Eosakul ‘04 & Ms. Victoria Charoonratana ‘05

Mrs. Julia Falk ‘90 & Mr. Alex Falk

Mr. & Mrs. Ayad Fargo P ‘17, ‘21

Mr. Stephen J. Farley ‘81

Mr. Hanlin Feng & Mrs. Yiduan Zheng P ‘21

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Fidanque, Jr. ‘58

Drs. Daniel C. Fisher ‘67 & Cynthia S. Darling-Fisher

Mr. & Mrs. Leslie Fong P ‘20, ‘24

Mr. & Mrs. William L. Fraim ‘70

Dr. Jun Fu and Mrs. Xiangqun Qiu

Mr. & Mrs. Damon Gomez P ‘24

Mr. & Mrs. D. Michael Gray ‘67

Mr. & Mrs. Daniel M. Guggenheim ‘56

Mr. & Mrs. Ronald P. Hagander ‘66

Mr. & Mrs. Charles Han P ‘24

Capt. & Mrs. Robert M. Hanson, USN ‘62, P ‘90

Mr. & Mrs. James M. Hawkins ‘70

Mr. Ling He & Ms. Jin Liu P ‘11, ‘27

Mr. & Dr. John Helgeson P ‘16, ‘20, ‘23

Ms. Lexington B. Henn ‘09

Mr. & Mrs. Terry Henn P ‘09, ‘11, ‘13, ‘15

Mrs. Lorraine Higbie

Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Holt ‘67

Mr. & Mrs. H. Earl Hoover, II ‘52, GP ‘04

Mr. Yankun Hou & Mrs. Ningfang Chen P ‘20

Mr. Bayi Hu & Mrs. Wenfang Zuo P ‘23

Ms. Xiaorong Hu P ‘20, ‘23

Mr. Minghua Huang & Ms. Lijuan Ye P ‘22, ‘24

Mr. Wei Huang & Mrs. Hong Zeng P ‘18, ‘23

Mr. Xin Huang & Mrs. Yu Shi P ‘24

Mr. Christopher Wai Kit Huen & Mrs. Winnie Man Yin Yeung P ‘21

Mr. & Mrs. Charles Hung ‘97

Ms. Jennifer Ishiguro ‘91 & Mr. Warren Thio

Dr. F. Gard Jameson, Jr. ‘71 & Dr. Florence Jameson P ‘08, ‘09

Mr. Xiangyang Jian & Mrs. Hong Zhu P ‘23

Mr. Chris Jin & Mrs. Bin Hu P ‘23

The Mark Chapin Johnson Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Bradford K. Justus ‘78

Mr. & Ms. Tony C. Kan P ‘22, ‘24

Mr. Jun Kang & Mrs. Lei Liu P ‘21

Mrs. Monique L. Kaufman

Ms. Jennifer L. Keller

Ms. Caroline Kindrish

Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence B. Kong P ‘15, ‘18, ‘22

Mr. Jadon Koo & Ms. Minyoung Kim P ‘25, ‘28

Dr. Richard G. Kron ‘68 & Ms. Deborah A. Bekken

Mr. David Lahar ‘74 & Mrs. Julie Westcott

Mr. Amar Lalvani ‘92

Mr. Donald Lam & Ms. Yim Shan Lee P ‘11, ‘12, ‘23

Mr. Joseph Lange & Dr. Marina Russman P ‘22

Mrs. Dana Su Lee ‘84 & Mr. Gregory Lee

Mr. Wai Hung Lee & Ms. Stella Leung P ‘15, ‘19

Dr. & Mrs. Weiguo Li P ‘21, ‘22

Mr. Yanping Li & Mrs. Zhifang Zhao P ‘24

Mr. & Mrs. Zhehui Li P ‘20

Dr. James Lilley & Dr. Yi Zhang-Lilley P ‘19, ‘22

Mr. & Mrs. Neville Lin P ‘14, ‘21

Mr. & Mrs. Zhenhong Lin P ‘15, ‘24

Mr. Fei Liu & Mrs. Nan Yang P ‘18

Mr. GuoHua Liu & Mrs. Rebecca Wang P ‘23

Mr. Guodong Liu & Mrs. Yanling Bi P ‘23

Mr. Ken Liu ‘10

Mr. Wendong Liu & Ms. Huirong Liang P ‘20

Mr. Xin Liu & Mrs. Yanjun Zeng P ‘15

Mr. YuanHai Liu & Ms. RuiFang Ran P ‘20

Mr. Zhijian Liu & Ms. Chun Yao P ‘25

Mr. James Luo & Mrs. Fai Hui P ‘23

Mr. Shengzhang Luo & Mrs. Yingjun Li P ‘22

Mr. & Mrs. John R. Lynas ‘55

Mr. Fuhua Ma & Mrs. Lijun Liu P ‘25

Mr. & Mrs. Eric C. MacDonald ‘62

Mr. & Mrs. Bruce W. Madding ‘69

Mr. & Mrs. Simon I. Mansfield ‘85

Mr. Thomas Marlitt

Mr. & Mrs. Victor Martinez P ‘19

Mr. & Mrs. John E. Maschler P ‘21, ‘24

Mr. & Mrs. Richard U. May ‘88

Mr. Todd McGinley P ‘12, ‘16

Dr. Christina Mercer McGinley ‘84, P ‘12, ‘16

Mr. & Mrs. Dana Messina P ‘23

Mr. & Mrs. John Metz P ‘22, ‘25

Estate of Jean E. Miller

Dr. & Mrs. Rodrigo Miranda P ‘95, ‘98

Mrs. Pilar Mitchell-Campbell ‘04 & Mr. Christopher Campbell

Mr. Dwight S. Morgan ‘65

Mr. & Mrs. Brook B. Morris ‘76

Dr. & Mrs. L. J. Patrick Muffler ‘54

Mr. & Mrs. George A. Murphy ‘49

Mrs. Jody L. Novak P ‘22

Dr. Tommy Oei ‘89 & Ms. Dawn Flock P ‘18, ‘20

Mr. & Mrs. Ryan M. O’Grady P ‘21

Mr. Kevin O’Hearn ‘86 & Ms. Anthea Liao P ‘24, ‘26

Dr. & Mrs. Melvin L. Oliver GP ‘23

Mr. Jun Pan & Ms. Xiaojing Ye P ‘24, ‘27

Mr. Seung Kweon Park & Dr. Hye Yoon Chung P ‘21

Mr. & Mrs. John S. Pettingell ‘62

Mr. Hugh Pitcher ‘68 & Mrs. Linda Lebsack

Mrs. Michelle Plyley & Mr. Donald Plyley P ‘12

Mr. & Mrs. Alexander M. Power ‘43

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Prendiville ‘76

Mr. Hanrong Qiu & Mrs. Yin Karon Li P ‘24, ‘26

Mr. & Mrs. Ronald C. H. Quon ‘55

Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. Ratinoff ‘83, P ‘17

Mr. & Mrs. Eric J. Ratinoff ‘84, P ‘23, ‘25

Mr. Michael Reichartz & Ms. Angela Mildon P ‘19, ‘23, ‘25

Mr. William L. Reinking ‘57

Mr. & Mrs. Garland S. Reiter ‘72

Mr. Shang Jin Ren & Ms. Hong Zhou P ‘28

The Rev. William Ripley ‘60 & Mrs. Erin Davis-Ripley

Mr. James T. Romero ‘15

Ms. Valerie C. Romero P ‘07, ‘09, ‘23

Michael J. and Karen M. Rosenthal P ’91, P ’93

Mr. R. Bruce Rule ‘62 & Mrs. Janice Brody

Mr. Joshua Saltman ‘87 & Mrs. Jill Cohen

Mr. & Mrs. Peter D. Sanders ‘76

Mr. & Mrs. Peter C. Sawyers ‘68

Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Schachtel P ‘21

The Seaver Institute

Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. Sego

Mr. Daniel K. Seligman ‘81

Mr. & Mrs. Nihar J. Shah ‘04

Mr. Jun Shao & Ms. Jing Yu P ‘26

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Sharifi P ‘21, ‘26

Mr. Ralph R. Shaw P ‘00

Mr. & Mrs. Fred Sherman P ‘92, GP ‘25

Mr. & Mrs. Pichai Sinpatanasakul P ‘23

Dr. Theresa Smith & Mr. John Ferrari P ‘22

Dr. Wendin Smith ‘89

Mr. Liang Song & Mrs. Honglan Liu P ‘22

Mr. Brendt Stallings & Mrs. Tracey Letteau P ‘21

Dr. & Mrs. Charles Steinmann P ‘98

Mr. & Mrs. Dane Stoddard P ‘15, ‘18

Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Stoker ‘56

Mr. & Mrs. James Stooksberry P ‘27

Mr. Hui Sun & Ms. Xing Wang P ‘22

Mr. Jiaming Sun & Ms. Yi Yang P ‘25

Mr. Peng Sun & Mrs. Xiaoyan Zhang P ‘24

Mr. Guangming Tan & Ms. Rong Huang P ‘24

Mr. Vorapak Tanyawong & Ms. Kanokporn Seetavorarat P ‘24

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Terris P ‘06, ‘09

Mr. Orapong Thien-Ngern & Mrs. Arunporn Limskul P ‘23

Dr. Stanley Toy, Jr. P ‘20

Mr. & Mrs. John V. Trefethen ‘62

Mr. & Mrs. Elliott C. Trommald ‘55

Mr. Hon Fai Tsoi & Ms. Lai Wa Li P ‘19

Mr. & Mrs. Todd Wagner P ‘17, ‘19

Mr. Guibo Wang & Ms. Xiaojun Mu P ‘25

Mr. & Mrs. James K. M. Wang ‘51

Mr. Jen-Lung Wang & Ms. Ya-Hsin Hsiao P ‘27

Mr. & Mrs. John Wang P ‘20, ‘22, ‘26

Dr. Stewart Wang & Mrs. Ruth Yang P ‘20, ‘23

Mr. Sui Wang & Ms. Rong Chen P ‘24

Mr. & Mrs. Nick Wechsler ‘67

Drs. Hongsheng Wei & Lynn Wang P ‘18

Dr. & Mrs. Eric Weigand P ‘20, ‘23

Mr. & Mrs. Theodore L. White ‘71

Mr. & Mrs. Jack K. Williams ‘60

Mr. Geoffrey C. Winssinger ‘00

Mr. Dan Wood ‘74 & Mrs. Julianna Rogers

Dr. David T. Woodley P ‘98

Mr. & Mrs. James A. Wooldridge ‘67

Mr. Charles Work ‘58 & Ms. Veronica Haggart

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Y. C. Wu ‘65

Mr. & Mrs. Pierre Wuu P ‘20

Mr. Steven Xi & Mrs. Lu Xia P ‘27

Mr. Gao Rong Xiao & Mrs. Lily Feng P ‘21, ‘25

Mr. Henry K. Xu ‘12

Mr. Yu Yan & Mrs. Weihua Yang P ‘19

Mr. Li Tian Yang & Mrs. Wei Yi Chen P ‘15

Mr. Youyu Yang & Mrs. Caiyun Shi P ‘25

Mr. Charles Yen & Mrs. Jennifer Chee P ‘21

Mr. Eddie Yeung & Ms. Xiujie Zhang P ‘19, ‘22

Mr. Ralph D. Young, III ‘63, P ‘01

Mr. Sicheng Yu & Mrs. Zhiyu Wu P ‘21

Mr. Thomas K. Yu ‘06

Mr. Yan Zeng & Mrs. Chun Gao P ‘24

Mr. Lang Zhang & Dr. Yingxia Cao P ‘21, ‘23

Mr. Remond Zhong & Mrs. Sandy Zhang P ‘20, ‘28

Mr. Wenbo Zhong & Mrs. Lina Ai P ‘21

Ms. Trarisa Zhou P ‘23

Mr. & Mrs. Peter F. Ziegler ‘63

Anonymous (6)

During Alumni Weekend 2024, we celebrated surpassing our initial campaign goal of $200M almost one year ahead of schedule.

Centennial Campaign Celebration at

LEADING THE WAY WITH A RESPONSIVE CURRICULUM

BY MICHAEL HOE ‘04 ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

Imagine a classroom where world-class educators transform every lesson into an opportunity for creativity and innovation. Welcome to Webb’s academic program, where our faculty doesn’t just teach— they inspire, challenge, and create unforgettable learning experiences. At Webb, our educational environment empowers our expert teachers to go beyond traditional instruction, making every class a dynamic, lived experience for our students.

One of the hallmarks of Webb’s academic excellence is our remarkable teaching staff. Rather than hiring conventional educators, we recruit experts in their fields who bring passion and deep knowledge to the classroom. This commitment to exceptional teaching ensures that our students learn from professionals who don’t

simply cover material but bring subjects to life with authority and enthusiasm. What’s most impressive about Webb’s teachers is their constant innovation— most Webb teachers will proudly admit that they never teach their course the same way twice, constantly adapting to new developments and student needs. As a result, Webb students experience education delivered by passionate experts who are constantly refining their craft. Students aren’t passive recipients of information but active participants engaged by teachers who respond to their interests and questions. This develops critical thinking, adaptability, and a genuine love of learning—skills essential in today’s rapidly changing world.

ONE KEY WAY WE MAINTAIN A DYNAMIC CURRICULUM IS BY ACTIVELY RESPONDING TO STUDENT INTERESTS AND LEVERAGING FACULTY EXPERTISE. WE RECOGNIZE THAT EACH COHORT OF STUDENTS BRINGS UNIQUE PASSIONS AND CURIOSITIES TO THE TABLE, SO ALLOWING THESE INTERESTS TO HELP SHAPE OUR CURRICULUM CREATES A MORE ENGAGING AND PERSONALIZED LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

Webb’s approach stands in contrast to institutions where educators are constrained by rigid frameworks. While traditional teaching models have merits, they often limit a teacher’s ability to adapt to students’ evolving interests or incorporate emerging topics. Webb teachers are empowered to respond to students’ questions, follow intellectual curiosity where it leads, and create connections between classroom content and real-world applications, making learning relevant and engaging.

Our teachers excel at incorporating current events into their lessons. In today’s interconnected world, it’s crucial for students to understand and experience issues as they unfold. Webb’s outstanding faculty seamlessly integrate discussions of current events into their classes, whether analyzing the economic impacts of global developments or exploring the implications of new technological breakthroughs in science courses.

Additionally, our faculty don’t simply feel constrained by the four walls of their classrooms. For example, our Advanced Studies Environmental Solutions class took a field study to the San Diego Safari Park, where students were able to work with a world-class institution of learning and research. During their visit, they engaged in a lab related to the park’s ongoing research into animal behavior due to climate change, participating directly in the work scientists and researchers are doing there.

Advanced Studies Literature of Revolutions and the Atlantic World students took a field study to the Huntington Library while the class was reading the book The Boston Massacre: A Family History. During their visit, they had the opportunity to meet and work with the author, Serena Zabin, who was on fellowship at the

Huntington. Students were able to talk to her about her craft and engage with her around the work of doing research and constructing a research project before starting their own research project.

As evidenced by these examples, one of the most distinctive aspects of Webb’s teaching excellence is how we empower our educators to develop specialized courses. Our faculty members design unique electives ranging from biotechnology to gothic literature to multivariable calculus and beyond. Teachers are encouraged annually to propose new courses based on their expertise and passions, creating an environment of continuous intellectual growth. This freedom allows them to move beyond standardized approaches and make a profound difference in students’ educational journeys. This culture of innovation is key to attracting and retaining exceptional teaching talent.

Webb’s faculty represents the gold standard in education, preparing students not just for tests but for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. By investing in our teachers, responding to student interests, integrating real-world relevance, and empowering our world-class educators, we create a learning environment that is truly transformative. As we look toward the future, we remain committed to supporting our outstanding teachers. We believe that by continuing to prioritize teaching excellence, we provide our students with the inspiration, knowledge, and mindset they need to thrive. At Webb, we’re not just covering subjects—our extraordinary teachers are inspiring the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators.

Sabbaticals are an opportunity for teachers to step away from campus and find inspiration in the world around them, free from the daily demands of the Webb schedule. Faculty who have served at Webb for ten years or more are eligible to apply for a sabbatical. Each year, we typically support one or two faculty members in their journeys. Upon their return, they come back refreshed, inspired, and ready to help students tackle both current challenges and those they will face in the years after they leave Webb.

2024–25 SABBATICAL RECIPIENTS:

Andrew Hamilton and Brian Caldwell

RESTORATION, DISCOVERY, AND BELONGING A Reflection on my Sabbatical

BY LISA NACIONALES

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT CHAIR

In 2023, after a decade at Webb, I took a semester-long sabbatical to reflect on my personal and professional journey. I planned to spend part of the time working on teaching and department goals and part of the time traveling. Over the years, my roles at Webb, especially those that involved taking students on outdoor trips, allowed me to connect deeply with students and colleagues through a shared love of science, adventure, and nature. Yet, over the years, themes of identity and belonging began to emerge, prompting a desire to explore what it means to be “of somewhere.” As a first-generation American who grew up in the US, I have often felt disconnected from my heritage as a Filipina. I decided to use part of my sabbatical to travel and explore this question in my own life.

I traveled to the Philippines, my parents’ homeland, a place that shaped my identity but where I had never lived and hadn’t visited in years. I was eager to reconnect with my family and immerse myself in the culture.

I spent a month mainly on the island of Luzon. I split my time in the capital city of Manila, visiting historical sites and museums, my mother’s hometown of Bayombong in a mountain province, and the northern city of Bagio, a center of agriculture known for its cool climate, and the island of Palawan, renowned for the island hopping tours, hidden lagoons, and pristine beaches. Being there, I felt so connected to the land, the history, and the people.

I experienced a country that had survived centuries of colonization, wars, and military occupations. To me, it was still so uniquely Filipino in the spirit of the people.

While in the Philippines, I visited schools and colleges. I met with science teachers whose commitment to their students and schools was truly moving. The Philippines is a country known for its great hospitality. At each school I visited, I was given tours and talked with teachers who were eager to hear about the science program at Webb. Near where my mother grew up in the mountain province of Nueva Vizcaya, I visited the Philippine Science High School,

a STEM boarding school, that reminded me of Webb, with its beautiful mountain views and state-of-the-art science labs. The students reminded me of Webb students, eager to share their work in their new fabrication lab. The library was like our library, a place where students gathered to study, socialize, and hang out. Though my trip had been transformative in so many ways, I longed to be at home, back in Claremont, at my house at Webb. My travels confirmed that the feeling of belonging comes from a sense of being cared for and caring for others, wherever you happen to be. Many of our students are far from home. One of the most important parts of my job as a teacher is to create the kind of environment in my classroom and in my interactions with students in which they feel a sense of belonging. In the end, fostering this sense of community is not just about location but about connection—creating spaces where all individuals feel valued and supported, no matter where they come from. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally during my sabbatical. I genuinely feel that it has made me a stronger teacher and department chair.

The Gao/Li Family Fund for Faculty Development and Support , created in memory of longtime teacher, Jim Dahler, provides funds for the faculty sabbatical program. Sabbaticals give teachers time for restoration and inspiration in various ways including research, travel, and the acquisition of new skills.

Lisa Nacionales in the Classroom

JULIE ZHU ‘25

Learning to Be Fearless

In her freshman humanities classroom, Julie Zhu ‘25 encountered the “ominous feeling” that sometimes accompanies students’ introduction to Harkness discussions. “I remember getting a 1 out of 4 early on because I only mustered the courage to speak up in the final five minutes of class,” she shared. But she was determined to meet her fear head-on, challenging herself with small, sequential goals to “speak once, then twice, then thrice.” With the encouragement of her teachers and peers, she quickly began to thrive. “Turns out, it wasn’t that scary after all.”

“I discovered not only the deeper messages behind thriller films, but also the art of crafting horror effects in literature and movies.”

Despite her fear of horror films, Julie’s favorite class is Advanced Studies in Gothic and Horror Literature & Culture, where students delve deep into the genre’s themes and devices. Psycho and Get Out especially “left a strong impression” on her.

After steeling her bravery in Webb’s humanities classrooms, Julie set herself to supporting others through her scientific ingenuity. She designed a highly flexible ankle joint lower limb exoskeleton that integrates assistive and rehabilitation functions. Her exoskeleton helps hemiplegic patients. Regeneron recognized Julie as a 2025 Science Talent Search Scholar for her project, making her one of the top 300 STEM students in the US.

“Science unravels the mysteries of life, from every atom to every cell,” Julie shared. “It’s how I make sense of myself and the world, and it holds the power to heal, help, and create a better future.”

SAIRA BHAGAT ‘25

Becoming Better Together

When preparing her speech for this year’s convocation, student body co-president Saira Bhagat ’25 felt a serious responsibility: “To me, it was a culmination of my time at Webb and commitment to the school, as well as a valuable opportunity to give advice I would have liked to hear freshman year.”

Saira has dedicated her time at Webb to nurturing the community that she loves. Through her four years of involvement in student government, she has learned how to plan fun events that engage her peers, carry on beloved traditions, and reflect the community’s growth. “I have realized over the years that being a part of student government is not only about keeping Webb traditions alive but also making changes to support a growing community with diverse interests,” said Saira. As Webb entered its first year as one school, student government led the way with spirit, declaring the school year’s theme to be Better Together

Even when studying, Saira prefers to be amongst the Webb community. “I love studying with Webbies around me,” she said, “knowing I can always take a break or ask questions if I need help.” When she manages the girls’ soccer team in the winter, she likes to study on the Faculty Field benches, even if it might come with some distractions like running after soccer balls or watching the sunset.

“Webb cultivates a close community that is always willing and happy to help.”

GWEN KEITHLEY ‘27

Discovering More

Gwen Keithley ‘27 has been interested in paleontology for as long as she can remember. “My oldest memories would be when I was a little kid drawing dinosaurs and visiting the Alf Museum,” she shared. “There was some sort of wonder to the ancient rocks and bones that captivated me, and I have had that with me ever since.”

Now that Gwen is at Webb, she has the chance to directly contribute to the museum she grew up visiting. Her favorite activity is interacting with the specimens found on Peccary Trips.

Gwen has also found new experiences on the theater stage, starring as Jo March this past fall in Webb’s production of Little Women. “The thing that excites me most about theater is the ability to become completely immersed within another person’s story and character alongside others,” she said.

Amid the challenge of balancing all her activities, she delights in the adventure of creative and hands-on learning in classes at Webb. “It’s unlike what I had at my old schools,” she said. Heading out on class retreats, Unbounded Days, and Peccary Trips have especially been a highlight of her first two years.

“When on the stage, you’re not quite yourself anymore, rather a whole new person with a story to continue.”

“What I’ve learned [at Webb] has changed the way I see my own identity and the world around me.”

HANBO XU ‘25

Limitless

Opportunities

Readers might know Hanbo Xu ’25 as an award-winning clarinetist, but he has challenged himself to engage with his many passions while at Webb.

“A truly unique thing about Webb is that here, you can truly do anything you want,” shared Hanbo Xu ’25. “There are no stereotypical high school archetypes: no band kids, no jocks, no debate kids. Everyone can be a variety of different things, and Webb offers the opportunity to pursue a variety of different hobbies and interests without being limited to doing a singular thing.”

Hanbo has definitely not limited himself to a singular thing while at Webb. In the last year alone, he was the Grand Prize Winner in the 37th Annual Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition, argued on a national champion debate team, was named a Finalist for From the Top! musicians competition, and earned a Semifinalist spot in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Competition.

Despite the expanse of Hanbo’s accomplishments, the highlights of his time at Webb remain the “small moments” he has shared with peers and faculty. “I will miss the people,” he said.

The diverse, interesting course offerings of Webb’s humanities program inspired Hanbo.

“Webb’s humanities program has transformed me as a thinker and writer,” he said. “Also, what I’ve learned in classes like Advanced Studies Thesis Seminar and Advanced Studies Creative NonFiction has changed the way I see my own identity and the world around me.”

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: MELANIE BAUMAN

DIRECTOR OF WELLNESS

Building a Community of Care

When you step into the Health and Wellness Center at The Webb Schools, it becomes clear that this is more than just a place for treating colds or injuries. It is a hub of support, education, and connection—a cornerstone of the Webb experience. Recently, Webb Magazine spoke with Melanie Bauman, the director of wellness, to learn more about her vision, her work, and how Webb fosters an environment where health and wellness permeate every aspect of campus life.

A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO HEALTH

The Health and Wellness Center at Webb is far from what most people think of as the typical school infirmary. “We operate somewhere between primary care and emergency care on the medical side, and between emergency triage and short-term counseling on the mental health side,” Bauman explains. This holistic approach ensures that students’ physical and emotional needs are met in an integrated manner.

The center’s reach goes beyond immediate care; it is heavily involved in preventive education, partnering with the Dean’s Office, the Residential Life program, advisory groups, and the athletic department. Bauman highlights freshman seminar, a required year-long course that addresses foundational topics such as social-emotional learning, sexual health, conflict resolution, and nutrition. Students aren’t just attending lectures; they actively apply these lessons in real-world settings, from planning meals in the dining hall to learning proper form in the weight room.

“Our goal is to give students practical tools they can use,” Bauman states.

“Whether it’s creating a balanced meal or managing stress, we want these skills to become part of their everyday lives.”

BUILDING WELLNESS ACROSS THE GRADES

Wellness education at Webb doesn’t stop after freshman year. Sophomores engage in difficult conversations with the help of the Office of Culture and Community. Juniors explore personality dynamics through the MyersBriggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and participate in leadership training. Seniors focus on preparing for the transition to college, discussing topics like substance abuse, sexual health, and social norms in higher education.

The Peer Advisor program plays a vital role in this continuous learning. “Peer Advisors are integrated into freshman seminar, acting as co-teachers alongside faculty members,” Bauman explains. “They also serve as mentors throughout the year, providing younger students with another layer of support and connection.” This robust program ensures that students have multiple contact points within their community, fostering meaningful and supportive relationships.

BAUMAN’S JOURNEY TO WEBB

Bauman’s path to becoming the Director of Wellness at Webb is as multifaceted as the role itself. With a psychology, sociology, and anthropology background, she has always been fascinated by how people respond to challenges and build connections. Her early career included work as a therapist and guidance counselor.

When Bauman first visited Webb, she was struck by the school’s commitment to community. “[The students] were engaged, curious, and genuinely invested in creating their community—and I knew this was a place where I could make a difference.”

Over her 20 years at Webb, Bauman has been instrumental in bringing significant changes to the health and wellness program and integrating it into campus life. Under her leadership, the counseling and nursing teams have become a unified department, providing comprehensive care that reflects Webb’s values of connection and support.

LET’S TALK ABOUT STRESS

Stress is a common theme in conversations about student wellness. Bauman acknowledges that it’s a challenge not unique to Webb but pervades high-achieving communities. “We’re seeing more stress than ever, and we’re actively measuring and addressing it,” she says. “One of the most important things we can do is create space for students to pause, reflect, and recharge.”

The Health and Wellness Center offers various resources to support this, from quiet spaces for relaxation to interactive tools like magnetic poetry and fidget toys. “Sometimes students just need a moment to sit in front of the fish tank and exist,” Bauman adds with a smile. “Health isn’t just about treating illness; it’s about fostering a sense of balance and well-being.”

Looking ahead, Bauman envisions expanding wellness initiatives to include Webb’s faculty and staff. “The adults in our community are integral to the boarding school experience,” she notes. “We want to ensure they’re healthy and supported, too.”

BAUMAN’S TIPS FOR STUDENT HEALTH & WELLNESS

1

Take risks. Exploration of the unknown keeps us engaged, excited, and interested! Try a new dish in the dining hall. Sign up for an off-campus trip and see new places. Talk to the person in your class that you don’t know well.

2

3

Embrace vulnerability and foster authentic connections. “Sharing your story and valuing your emotional experiences are foundational to building a connected life,” Bauman emphasizes. “Don’t be afraid to share who you are.” Webb’s storytelling and chapel programs are intentionally designed to build connection.

Prioritize sleep, rest, and self-care to maintain your well-being. The Health Center provides comfortable spaces where you can relax, recharge, and reset.

As our conversation ends, it’s clear that the Health and Wellness Center is more than a resource—it reflects Webb’s commitment to nurturing the whole student. Under Bauman’s leadership, this commitment continues to develop and expand to meet the needs of every member of the Webb community.

At Webb, we lead the way with our exceptional faculty, whose dedication to academic excellence and student growth defines our community. Each year, we honor outstanding educators who exemplify Webb’s mission through their passion, innovation, and unwavering commitment to their students. These faculty members go above and beyond to inspire, challenge, and support the next generation of leaders. Scan the QR code to see this year’s award winners and celebrate their achievements!

WEBB LEADERSHIP NEWS

We’re proud to welcome the newest members of Webb’s Board of Trustees. Learn more about their backgrounds, passions, and the unique perspectives they bring to our community.

Tammie Brailsford P ’18

Tammie is the principal and executive coach at The Brailsford Group, a company that supports executive leaders who want to fine-tune their leadership effectiveness and shape their organizational culture. Before founding her own company, Tammie served as COO for a number of major hospitals in the Southern California region. Her husband, Paul, is an ophthalmologist who has been practicing for over 30 years. Tammie speaks passionately about how their son Matt ‘18 had a boarding experience at Webb that shaped his life and had a profound impact on their family. Tammie is passionate about giving back to Webb and sharing the story of the transformative impact of living in a global boarding school community.

Kathy Chen Liu ’99

Kathy is an experienced TMT (technology, media, and telecom) investor and capital allocator in Asia. She currently manages a family office in Singapore and previously worked at Allianz Global Investors and Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong and New York. She is a strong Webb supporter. She has represented Webb at admission events in Singapore, where she currently lives with her husband, Yu Liu, and their three children. Kathy grew up in Diamond Bar, CA and graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in management science and engineering.

Jessica Gupta ’05

Jessica is an account manager at BetterUp, a coaching firm and is the founder and CEO of Taavi, an online community-building organization for parents. After graduating from Webb, Jessica attended Wellesley College. She has been an active volunteer for Webb, serving on the Alumni Council and as a reunion chair, and has hosted many events both at her home in San Francisco and at her parents’ home in Claremont. Jessica recently completed her service as board chair for Cow Hollow School, where her two daughters attend preschool.

Dakota Santana-Grace ’11

Dakota is a partner with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he has worked since starting as an associate in 2016. He specializes in transportation and logistics, serving clients globally on their operations and logistics strategies. Additionally, he is an active leader in BCG’s LGBTQ affinity group, serving on the North America PRIDE Operating Committee. He was the valedictorian for the WSC Class of 2011 and attended Harvard University. He has been a dedicated alumnus serving on the Alumni Council, as a commencement speaker, reunion chair, and a regional representative for Webb in Boston. As a student, he was a Rogers Peccary Scholar, co-founder of the Webb debate team, and was active in the theater program.

Board Chair Transition

After more than a decade of dedicated service on Webb’s Board of Trustees—including the past seven years as chair—we extend our deepest gratitude to Sanjay Dholakia ’87 as he passes the torch to incoming chair, Rahmi Mowjood ’90. Sanjay’s leadership, vision, and unwavering support have made a lasting impact on the Webb community.

We are excited to welcome Rahmi into this new role and look forward to the continued strength and guidance he will bring to the board.

Learn more about Rahmi Mowjood, our incoming chair:

Rahmi Mowjood, D.O. ’90

Dr. Rahmi Mowjood is the CEO of Cucamonga Valley Medical Group, where he specializes in family medicine. He has been the vice chair of the Webb Board of Trustees and has served on the board since 2017. Prior to becoming a trustee, Rahmi was the President of Webb’s Alumni Council from 2013 to 2017. He has served in many other volunteer capacities, including reunion chair, Junior Career Evening speaker, member of the Medical Advisory Board, and more.

CAMPUS HAPPENINGS & GUESTS

Dr. Jane Goodall Inspires Webb Students

In October, legendary primatologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace Dr. Jane Goodall joined the Webb community for an inspiring virtual conversation. She shared her insights on environmental stewardship, the future of conservation, and the power of hope, encouraging everyone to take action to protect our planet.

The interactive session allowed students to engage directly with Dr. Goodall, asking questions and discussing her groundbreaking research and advocacy.

Holocaust Survivor Dr. Monique Saigal Shares Her Story at Webb

Dr. Monique Saigal visited Webb in December to recount her childhood survival of the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied France. As part of our advanced studies course on fascism, she not only delivered a powerful presentation but also engaged students in personal discussions.

A former Pomona College professor of 45 years and author of Heroines Francaises, 1940–1945, Dr. Saigal closed her talk with a poignant message: “We must not be afraid to resist the unacceptable... We regain confidence in our capacity to resist racism, antisemitism, and attacks on freedom.”

We are grateful for her courage, her wisdom, and the inspiration she brought to our community.

THANK YOU TO WEBB TRUSTEE LANCE WILLIAMS ’97 FOR MAKING THIS EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY POSSIBLE!

Webb Girls’ Basketball Coaches Support Coaches vs. Cancer

This winter, Coach Brian Kays and the girls’ basketball coaching staff participated in Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week, teaming up with the American Cancer Society to raise awareness in the fight against cancer. Swapping dress shoes for sneakers, they showed their support and inspired hope during their wellattended game in the Les Perry Gym.

Honoring LA County First Responders

We are deeply grateful for the courageous firefighters and first responders who battled the recent devastating wildfires and continue to protect our LA County communities. In January, Webb students and community members united in support and assembled care packages for our local fire station as a small gesture of appreciation.

Strategic Planning Team Explores Innovative Education Spaces

In February, Webb trustees, school leadership, faculty, and staff working on strategic planning conducted two insightful site visits.

The first stop was at Pomona College’s Center for Global Engagement, where the team learned about the school’s upcoming expansion and construction plans. The second visit took them to Claremont McKenna College’s Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences. There, they were joined by Harvey Mudd College Professor Zach Dodds, a longtime collaborator in Webb’s advanced computer science program. The visit also featured a hard-hat tour of Claremont McKenna’s new Robert Day Sciences Center, the future home of the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences.

THANK YOU TO POMONA COLLEGE

PRESIDENT GABY STARR P ’28 AND CMC PRESIDENT HIRAM CHODOSH FOR HOSTING US!

LEADING THE WAY IN CONSERVATION PALEOBIOLOGY

BY MAIRIN BALISI, PH.D.

Worried about biodiversity loss and climate change? You have reason to be. We are in an extinction crisis, rapidly losing species through habitat degradation and other human actions. Extreme weather events are now common, even in perennially mild Southern California. The unprecedented wildfires that razed Altadena and Pacific Palisades in January 2025—causing widespread displacement, loss of lives and property, and economic and societal impacts for decades to come—make clear that we have entered a period of environmental instability that we can no longer ignore.

But what if shifting our perspective— looking back thousands to millions of years ago—could provide hope and solutions for our modern challenges? What if the key to rescuing endangered species and slowing global change lies not only in the oceans and rainforests of today but also in the rise and fall of ecosystems now buried in the fossil record?

Consider conservation paleobiology: a discipline bridging the gap between deep time and current crises; an opportunity to leverage the past toward a sustainable future. Webb students, with the Alf Museum, stand at the forefront of this emerging field.

The history of extinction and wildfires goes deeper than just the last few centuries. Take the case of Los Angeles: A study recently published in the journal Science by our colleagues at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum reconstructs unprecedented fire activity toward

the end of the last Ice Age (ca. 11,700 years ago). Simultaneous with climatic warming and drying, fire transformed the landscape from a cool, moist woodland to our modern-day chaparral ecosystem. Following this sudden transition as well as increased human hunting, large herbivores like bison and camels disappeared; large carnivores like saber-tooth cats and dire wolves soon followed—leaving behind only coyotes and mountain lions as the largest-bodied predators surviving in Los Angeles today. Students in my Advanced Studies in Paleontology course read this study in the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires, examining how paleontological research can facilitate understanding the complex interplay of climate change and human impacts in driving biodiversity change.

Yet, at the Alf, we not only read about conservation paleobiology; we do conservation paleobiology. Six Advanced Studies in Paleontology students last year pursued “cons paleo” projects. Comparing fossils from the La Brea Tar Pits with historic specimens from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Dayun Suh ’24 tracked how bobcats responded to the Ice Age megafaunal extinctions. Madison Gutierrez ’24, Annie Han ’24, Matthew

Maschler ’24, and Elaine Tang ’24 studied fossils from the McKittrick asphalt seeps in California’s Central Valley to investigate why dire wolves went extinct, yet coyotes survived, part of a National Science Foundation-funded collaboration with the University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and the University of California at Merced. Connor Keeney ’24 studied Ice Age insects from Maricopa, another Central Valley asphalt seep, establishing baseline biodiversity knowledge in a region undergoing accelerating land-use change. The students shared their results at three conferences this past year: the Western Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists in Prescott, Arizona, in February; the North American Paleontological

Convention in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in June; and the Ecological Society of America in Long Beach in August. Suh and Maschler furthermore received student travel grants from the Conservation Paleobiology Network to present in the “Lessons learned and future visions for conservation paleobiology” symposium at the Ann Arbor conference, recognizing their early investment in this field.

The implications of these students’ research—particularly on Maricopa and McKittrick, which are understudied compared to La Brea—transcend Webb. Thanks to our work, in December 2024, I joined a conservation paleobiology working group at the Nature Conservancy’s Randall Preserve in the Tehachapi Mountains, California. The working group aimed to determine how fossil data can inform biodiversity management at the Preserve, generate recommendations for conservation practitioners, and, ultimately, create a model for the Conservancy to do similar work across their estate: applications of lessons from the fossil record. And, this year’s students are continuing “cons paleo” research. Last semester, they analyzed how rodents—including species still at Webb today—may have changed despite the environmental upheaval of the last several millennia and how this affects their resilience through the intensifying human-driven change that we see today.

Dinosaurs and coral reefs, mammoths and monarch butterflies: these appear worlds apart, extinct and living. Yet the echoes of vanished ecosystems can inform our choices in how to preserve our planet. The fossil record represents a portal to the past—whose clues will guide our conservation efforts into the future.

Dayun Suh ‘24 Publishes Rare Fossil Research

Dayun Suh ’24 has made an exciting contribution to paleontology with her recent publication on a rare fossilized tuna from the Miocene-aged Duho Formation in South Korea. Her research team’s findings suggest the fossil may belong to a previously undiscovered species—an incredible discovery in the world of prehistoric marine life.

THE ALF MUSEUM STORAGE EXPANDS

The Alf Museum’s new storage space beneath Bonnie Johnson Hall provides much-needed room for collections management, research, and public engagement. With wide, pull-out shelving and other storage spaces, students and paleontologists now have improved access to specimens, making research more efficient and allowing for better organization. The additional space is also used for public events, such as the recent Fossil Fest in March.

Dayun began her independent research on the fossil while studying at Webb, guided by the expertise of Alf Museum curator, Dr. Balisi.

Fun Fact from Dr. Farke: The fossil tuna Dayun studied is approximately the same age as the fossils that Webb students unearth in Barstow!

READ DAYUN’S PAPER:

32ND ANNUAL PECCARY SOCIETY DINNER

Over 150 guests from the Webb community gathered to celebrate the 32nd Annual Peccary Society Dinner. The evening was composed of a cocktail reception on the Alf Museum steps, followed by a three-course meal nestled under a beautifully adorned tent on Centennial Field.

During dinner, guests were privileged to hear from Museum Director Dr. Andy Farke, who shared insights into the latest fossil discoveries from the Summer Peccary trip and highlights from groundbreaking research conducted by Webb students. Dr. Mairin Balisi, the Augustyn Family Curator of Paleontology, also took the stage to share exciting updates on museum programming and introduce this year’s Rogers Peccary Scholars.

The evening concluded with the beloved traditional singing of the Peccary Song, led by Museum Board Chair Larry Ashton ’70. We are deeply grateful to all of the sponsors and guests whose continued support makes the Alf Museum’s work possible year after year.

PALEO NEWS:

Jurassic World ™ Lego Set

BABY DINOSAUR DOLORES: AQUILOPS

Aquilops is a Lego play-and-display building kit that will soon be available as part of Jurassic World™ movie merchandising. Dr. Andy Farke, director of the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, was part of the team of paleontologists who named the dinosaur. Webb Magazine (WM) recently talked to Dr. Farke about this very exciting news.

WM: WHAT’S AN AQUILOPS AND HOW DID YOU NAME A NEW DINOSAUR?

Dr. Farke: I was part of a research team that named the dinosaur Aquilops. It is a cousin of the well-known Triceratops. It was found in 1997 in Montana by a research team from the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. I was brought in many years later to help lead the research that interpreted and then named the fossil itself—which was very exciting. Even more exciting was seeing recently that this dinosaur is now a Lego building set as part of the Jurassic World™ merchandising for the next movie being released this summer.

WM: WHAT DID THE AQUILOPS DINOSAUR LOOK LIKE?

Dr. Farke: It would have been about the size of a small dog or a raven, something you could very comfortably hold in your arms. Imagine a bipedal [walked on two legs] lizard. Overall, it was pretty cute, but on the downside, it had a very sharp beak that it used to cut off plants to eat, making it not so great a pet if you wanted to keep all of your fingers.

WM: WHEN DID THE AQUILOPS LIVE?

Dr. Farke: It lived during the Early Cretaceous, so that’s the last part of the Mesozoic, maybe around 104 to 109 million years ago. That puts Aquilops nearly 40 million years before its more famous relative, Triceratops.

Only one skull is known in the world. The fossil is now at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. We borrowed it here at the Alf Museum when we were studying it, and we have replicas that we use for research and education.

But what’s important about Aquilops is that though it was found in North America, its closest relatives are found in Asia. The closest relative that science knows right now is found in Japan. Similar, closely related animals are also found in China. Aquilops is an animal that helps show that these early horned dinosaurs traveled between Asia and North America.

WM: HOW COULD THERE ONLY BE ONE SKULL?

Dr. Farke: Some dinosaurs were super common, and some were rare. I think Aquilops itself probably wasn’t very common. It was also small, and smaller animals often don’t fossilize as easily as big ones.

WM: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HAVE A DINOSAUR YOU HELPED NAME AS A LEGO SET AND POTENTIALLY IN A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE?

Dr. Farke: I was a little surprised! It’s not what you expect as a paleontologist, but it is a pleasant surprise. I’m hoping it shows up in the movie because that’s a kid’s dream come true. I was probably 11 or 12 when I saw the first Jurassic Park movie, and I never imagined a dinosaur I helped name might one day be on the big screen.

READ DR. FARKE’S 2014 BLOG POST ABOUT AQUILOPS

GO GAULS!

ALUMNI WEEKEND

Alumni Weekend 2024 was filled with comradery and connections as over 350 alumni and friends returned to The Webb Schools for two days of activities. Many celebrated milestone reunions, while others took this opportunity to gather with friends and classmates.

The weekend kicked off Friday morning as alumni jumped back into the classroom alongside students to experience the Webb of today. During chapel, Priscilla Galvan ’09 spoke about embracing change through her journey from pre-med to public health and staying true to your authentic self and values. Later in the afternoon, alumni enjoyed tours of Stockdale Community Center with Dean of Campus Life Ken Rosenfeld and the newly renovated Bonnie Johnson Hall Science Lab led by Science Department Chair Lisa Nacionales. The evening was capped off with an all-alumni gathering at Old Stump Brewery.

Saturday’s activities started with breakfast at McMillin Park, followed by a tour of the

Raymond M. Alf Museum with Museum Director Dr. Andy Farke. Director of Culture & Community John Choi led a session with current Webb students, highlighting their work across campus. Alumni were then given a sneak peek of the Huang Innovation Wing in Fawcett Library before it opened to students in November. Head of School Dr. Theresa Smith and Assistant Head of School Michael Hoe ’04 showed off the space and the technology including a robotic arm and multiple 3-D printers.

For those wanting to get a little exercise while back on campus, alumni and guests could conquer Gym Hill by walking up the famed road on their way to Mini Gaulf on Faculty Field and pickup basketball in the gym. Observatory Director Steve Sittig showed off a variety of scopes in Webb’s collection before everyone gathered for the Alumni Chapel Service in Vivian Webb Chapel, led by Rev. Bill Ripley ’60. Chapel included a talk by John Baer ’74 with a reading by Caitlyn Ossa ’19.

The Class of 1974 celebrated their 50th reunion with a pinning ceremony in the chapel. They were then invited to join fellow alumni who have celebrated their own 50th reunion in past years at the inaugural Club 50 event.

The Alumni Awards ceremony recognized three remarkable alumni for their service to Webb and their communities. This year’s recipients were Randall Lewis ’69, Dana Su Lee ’84, and Prabhjit Marwah ’09.

The weekend concluded with the Webb community joining together for a magical evening on Centennial Field. After dinner, guests danced the evening away with stylings from Los Angeles DJ and Sirius XM radio host Richard Blade. Many marked this celebration as the cherry on top of a fine weekend at Webb.

Thank you to all who attended Alumni Weekend 2024! Webb had a great time celebrating with you. We hope to see you at the next Alumni Weekend— October 24–25, 2025! For more information, please visit webb.org/reunion.

2025 COOKIE MAILING

Baked Fresh & Delivered to Webbies Just in Time for Midterms

Every spring semester, around midterms, Webb alumni in college eagerly await news of the arrival of a cherished care package. Nearly 300 boxes are sent from the Alumni Office, filled with freshly baked cookies, bringing a bit of joy from the Webb campus.

Each package contains a half-dozen chocolate chip cookies, lovingly baked in the Dining Hall, and a special postcard from the Alumni Office featuring memories from the previous year’s mailing. Cookies made their way to young alumni in 32 states and Washington, D.C.

This beloved tradition would not be possible without Guadalupe Perez, a longtime member of the Webb Dining Hall staff, who arrives at 5 a.m. to bake nearly 2,000 cookies. Webb parents, along with alumni and parent relations staff, carefully assemble and ship the packages, ensuring every recipient gets a heartfelt reminder of Webb.

The excitement is unmistakable as many alumni remark how much they miss these cookies and being on campus. Director of Alumni & Donor Relations Lexus Beaman ’08 shares her enthusiasm for this annual treat. “It is one of my favorite traditions here at Webb! I look forward to seeing the photos each year. It brings me so much joy knowing we can brighten their day even from miles away.”

FAMILY DAY & AFFILIATES GIVING

On Thursday, October 10, families were welcomed to campus to experience a day in the life of their students. Attendees met for breakfast in Price Dining Hall, went to classes with their students, where they gained insight into Webb’s faculty and the incredible work happening within the classrooms, ate lunch with other families, and roamed the Webb campus. Families also gathered in the Liu/Cheung Theater to hear from Dr. Smith. They watched faculty and staff awards presented, and learned from New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Breheny Wallace about achievement culture and how parents can best support their students to counteract this unprecedented pressure.

The day concluded with a reception hosted by Dr. Smith at her home. This reception celebrated the great work of the Affiliates during the Affiliates’ Week of Giving.

A special thanks to fundraising chairs Emily Birkenseer, Julia Falk ‘90, and Rick Wang, along with President of the Affiliates Joycelynne Palmer-Stodghill, for making this event such a great success.

Over one week in October, the Affiliates, in support of athletics and afternoon activities, emailed, called, texted, and shared their enthusiasm with one another on social media. Because of the generosity of the parent community, they raised over $118,000 in support of athletics, afternoon activities and The Webb Fund.

Thank you to all who participated!

JUNIOR CAREER EVENING

Alumni and Friends Share Career Skills, Advice, & Stories

On February 23rd, Webb alumni and friends joined junior students on campus for the annual Junior Career Evening. Hosted by the Alumni Council in collaboration with the Alumni Office, this year’s program featured eight speakers covering four key professional development topics.

CAREER PATH ADVICE

Doug Lee ’96 and Whitney Wharton ’05 shared their personal journeys from academics to career, emphasizing that career paths are rarely linear—and that’s okay. They recounted how their professional trajectories evolved over time, offering students reassurance that unexpected turns can lead to many fulfilling opportunities.

NETWORKING & INTERVIEW SKILLS

Kathy Fredrich ’02 and Kunal Shah ’97 provided students with strategies for navigating in-person professional experiences, such as networking events and interviews. The session even included hands-on practice with a fundamental yet often overlooked skill—the handshake—demonstrating how a simple gesture can leave a lasting impression.

RESUME WRITING

Alexis de la Rosa ’11 and Megan Key (daughter of Jim Hawkins ’70) led a session on crafting the perfect resume. They emphasized the importance of building a personal brand, aligning passions with career goals, and structuring resumes to effectively highlight strengths. Their expert tips helped students understand how to stand out on paper and make a strong impression on recruiters.

COLLEGE TRANSITION & INTERNSHIPS

Christina Dong ’18 and Jill Hawthorne (from Pitzer College’s Career Services) guided students through the transition from high school to college and the early steps of building a career. Christina shared her experiences as a recent college graduate, illustrating how persistence helped her secure a role at Impulse Space. Jill provided insights on the career services available to college students and how they can leverage these resources to find internships and job opportunities.

A NIGHT OF LEARNING & CONNECTION

The evening wrapped up with cookies and cocoa at the Stockdale Community Center, where students had the chance to network, continue conversations with speakers, and connect with members of the Alumni Council in a relaxed setting.

Events like Junior Career Evening play a vital role in enriching students’ journeys toward self-discovery and career readiness. These opportunities wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of Webb’s alumni and friends. A heartfelt thank you to all our incredible speakers for making this event a great success!

If you are interested in sharing your expertise at a future Junior Career Evening or similar event, please reach out to the Alumni Office at alumni@webb.org.

CAREER PATH ADVICE

Doug Lee ’96

Whitney Wharton ’05

NETWORKING & INTERVIEW SKILLS

Kathy Fredrich ’02

Kunal Shah ’97

RESUME WRITING

Alexis de la Rosa ’11

Megan Key

COLLEGE TRANSITION & INTERNSHIPS

Christina Dong ’18

Jill Hawthorne

ALUMNI COUNCIL VOLUNTEERS

Christine French ’90

Jim Hawkins ’70

Coleen Martinez ’86

Jim Reese ’67

NEWS NOTES

UPDATES FROM WEBB ALUMNI

1950s

1951 • Jim Wang met with Theresa Smith, Bob Fass, and Hector Martinez during their travels to Shanghai, China in April 2024. Jim reminisced about his time at Webb, including when he discovered a complete brontothere skull and lower jaws on a Peccary trip in July 1950, which he named Linda after his sister.

1955 • We look forward to welcoming the Class of 1955 back to campus for their 70th reunion this fall! Alumni Weekend 2025 is October 24–25 so save the date.

1960s

1960 • We welcome the Class of 1960 to join us in celebrating their 65th reunion this fall! Mark your calendars for October 24–25 and join us on campus! Please contact the Alumni Office with any questions.

1961 • Chris Reynolds is busy enjoying his very large family of 30, including seven children and 16 grandchildren. After a long and successful professional career in real estate, Chris likes to spend time in the Camelback Mountain area and have regular Zoom gatherings with his classmates.

1964 • Stephen Boyer, Chris Holmes, and Bruce Ross served as reunion chairs for the Class of 1964’s 60th reunion during Alumni Weekend. This included arranging a special class tour of the Alf Museum as well as a dinner at Packing House Wines. The class also attended the inaugural Club 50 event which celebrates all alumni who have reached a 50th reunion and beyond.

1965 • Class of 1965, your 60th reunion is around the corner! We hope you’ll join us for your reunion on campus this October 24–25! If you’re interested in helping to plan for this momentous occasion, please email alumni@webb.org.

1967 • Fletcher Stricker and Stephen Farley ’81 are still close Webbies since meeting at an alumni reception fifteen years ago. They caught up recently in Tucson, along with Fletcher’s wife Becky, and they didn’t forget to bring their Webb gear!

1969 • Randall Lewis received the Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award during Alumni Weekend 2024. This award commemorates Randall’s extensive career and leadership in the real estate industry, his philanthropic support, and how he exemplifies being a Principes non Homines Randall’s family, many of them Webbies themselves, were present to share in the celebration as he received his award.

The Class of 1969 celebrated their 55th reunion at Alumni Weekend 2024. The class had an intimate dinner hosted by Miles Rosedale, who served as their reunion chair this year. The class also cheered on Randall Lewis during the Alumni Awards Ceremony as he received the Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award.

1970s

1970 • Mark your calendars, Class of 1970! October 24–25 will be your 55th reunion at The Webb Schools! We hope you’ll join us on campus! More details to follow. Questions? Contact alumni@webb.org.

1974 • In addition to celebrating his 50th reunion during Alumni Weekend 2024, John Baer gave a compelling chapel talk in the Vivian Webb Chapel during the alumni service. He spoke about what the WSC school motto, Principes non Homines, has meant to him over the years.

The Class of 1974 celebrated their 50th reunion at Alumni Weekend 2024! This momentous occasion included a dinner at Sycamore Inn on Friday evening as well as a pinning ceremony on Saturday. The whole class were also welcomed into Club 50, which celebrates all alumni who have celebrated a 50th reunion. Thank you to John Baer, Jack Crummey, Bob Heintz, Pete McCrea, and Walter Ogier for their efforts as reunion chairs.

1975 • Class of 1975, your 50th reunion is coming up on October 24–25! What a momentous occasion! Not only will you be recognized in a special ceremony, but you will also be the newest class welcomed into Club 50! Interested in helping with plans for your reunion? Email us at alumni@webb.org.

1978 • Eric Sack recently retired from teaching. He built a career teaching high school and college English, composition, and literature. Eric and his wife of 34 years, Theresa, are looking forward to retirement. They have four children and three grandchildren.

Geoff Sturr and his son Charlie attended a moving memorial service in the Netherlands to honor his uncle Melvin “Dinghy” Young ‘30 and his heroic crew of seven airmen from the 617 Squadron, known as the “Dambusters” who led a 1943 raid on three dams in the Ruhr Valley of Germany and were tragically shot down over the seas at Castricum aan Zee during World War II. The memorial contains a silhouette of each of the men. Geoff is 3rd from right with his son Charlie, 2nd from right.

1979 • The Class of 1979 celebrated their 45th reunion at Alumni Weekend 2024. This momentous occasion was marked by a celebratory gathering at the home of Craig Scheu on Friday evening. The class also enjoyed many events on campus on Saturday including a tour of the Alf Museum and the Centennial Campaign Celebration. Thank you to David Baer and Blair Brown for their support as reunion chairs.

1980s

1980 • Class of 1980, are you ready for your 45th reunion? Save the date for Alumni Weekend, happening October 24–25! More details to follow. Send your questions to alumni@webb.org.

1981 • Walt Linaweaver, his wife Nancy, former faculty Gerry Gems and his wife Gertud visited campus in April 2024. Nancy taught at Webb in the 1980s, the same time Walt did. Gerry also taught and coached at Webb and that’s when they all met and became friends. Gertrud has studied and written about women’s sports and history for decades, and has authored 45 books, earned two PhDs, and has three honorary PhDs for her work.

1982 • King Lai and his wife Elsa stopped by campus to walk around his alma mater. Bob Fass from the Advancement Office enjoyed visiting with them while they were in town from Hong Kong.

1984 • AJ Chamberlain and John Hamilton led the charge as reunion chairs for the Class of 1984’s 35th reunion at Alumni Weekend 2024. They celebrated Dana Su Lee’s Alumni Award and danced the night away on Saturday evening to tunes spun by celebrity DJ Richard Blade during the Centennial Campaign Celebration Dinner.

Dana Su Lee was recognized for her contributions as a dedicated advocate for education, gender equality, and the arts at Alumni Weekend 2024. During the Alumni Awards Ceremony, Dana received the Colborn Distinguished Service Award which recognizes an alumnus/a for selfless commitment and ongoing volunteer service to The Webb Schools and the Alf Museum.

1985 • We welcome the Class of 1985 to join us on campus for your 40th reunion this fall! Mark your calendars, Alumni Weekend is October 24–25! If you’re interested in helping to plan for this momentous occasion, please email alumni@webb.org.

1986 • Bill Rogers and wife Markita bought a personal care products manufacturing facility in Riverside, CA last year. They are currently producing clean, white label and private label product lines for a variety of influencers, athletes, and boutique brands as well as introducing some of their own brands of skin care and hair care into the nation’s largest retailers.

1987 • Ken Han is a urologist and urologic surgeon who always shows up for Webb gatherings in Phoenix, Arizona. Ken and his wife are getting ready to enjoy an empty nest when their triplets head off to college in the fall.

1989 • Wendin Smith and her daughter Luca had a wonderful time on the Alumni & Friends Peccary Trip! It was Luca’s first Peccary experience, and she is excited to return soon to see what else she can uncover.

The Class of 1989 had an exciting celebration on campus for their 35th reunion at Alumni Weekend 2024. Many reconnected during a weekend of events from the Peccary Dinner to learning about new and updated spaces on campus like the Bonnie Johnson Science Lab and the Huang Innovation Wing. The weekend concluded with a special Centennial Campaign Celebration where alumni dined and danced the evening away. Thank you to Bob Connolly, Lisa Miller, Tommy Oei, Michele Raphael, and Floyd Ross for their work as reunion chairs.

1990s

1990 • We’re looking forward to welcoming the Class of 1990 back to campus for your 35th reunion at Alumni Weekend 2025, happening October 24–25! More details will be announced soon. Interested in helping to plan your reunion? Email alumni@webb.org.

Rajan Bhatt has been named CEO of OrthoArizona, one of the nation’s largest privately held orthopedic groups. With his credentials spanning both medicine and business leadership, this renowned physician-entrepreneur brings a unique perspective to leading this organization into its next phase of growth and operational advancement.

1994 • The Class of 1994 reunited during Alumni Weekend 2024 to celebrate their 30th reunion. Classmates reconnected and gathered all around campus reflecting on memories of their time as students at Webb. The class reunion chairs, Will Allan, Amy Doutt, and Paula Wichienkuer, also planned a special celebration off campus for the class at Punch Bowl Social.

1995 • We hope that the Class of 1995 will join us on campus in the fall for your 30th reunion! Save the date, Alumni Weekend is October 24–25. More details to follow. Ensure that you’re receiving the most up-to-date information from the Alumni Office! Email your most recent contact information to alumni@webb.org.

1998 • Preston Clarke and his dad Rick Clarke ’63 enjoyed catching up over lunch with Webb staff, Christine Leible.

Thatcher Woodley is now the Director of Athletics and Varsity Swim Coach at Horace Mann School in New York.

1999 • Kyna Sanchez, Nirav Shah, and Julia Woertink helped organize the Class of 1999’s 25th reunion at Alumni Weekend 2024. It was a fun weekend of reconnecting with Webbies, revisiting old hang outs, and learning about new spaces on campus like the Stockdale Community Center, Bonnie Johnson Science Lab, and the Huang Innovation Wing.

2000s

2000 • We’re excited to welcome the Class of 2000 back to campus this fall for your 25th reunion! Mark your calendars for Alumni Weekend, happening October 24–25. More details to follow. Any questions, please email alumni@webb.org.

2004 • Rachel Christopher joined the cast of the Tony Award-winning Broadway production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in November 2024, taking on the iconic role of Hermione Granger.

Stan Eosakul married Vicki Charoonratana ‘05 at Padua Hills in Claremont in the spring of 2024. May Thu Saung was also in attendance.

In November, Michael Glavan spotted former Alf Museum Director Don Lofgren in the Smithsonian fossil prep lab while Doc was volunteering.

The Class of 2004 gathered for their 20th reunion during Alumni Weekend. It was a fun-filled weekend from gathering at Old Stump Brewery to networking and taking professional headshots at the WebbWorks Networking Event. Thank you to Emily Boyce, Will Habos, Stephanie Ho, and Bassil Madanat for your help as reunion chairs.

2005 • Class of 2005, your 20th reunion is happening this fall at Webb! Join us on October 24–25 for the celebration at Alumni Weekend 2025! Interested in being a reunion chair? Email alumni@webb.org for more information.

2006 • Joon Woo Choi married Ashley Seo in Seoul, South Korea on February 8, 2025. Among those in attendance were fellow Webbies James Kim ’07, Hae Ran Park ’07, Steve Kim ’07, Benjamin Ma, Kimberley Yoon, Jun-Ha Yoon ’04, Ka-Ha Jung ’07, and Jaimie Lee ’07

Chad Pharnichyakul married Laura in Cancun, Mexico surrounded by families and friends. Aaron Harris officiated the ceremony and Michael Sun was a groomsman from afar as he welcomed a new son just a week before the wedding.

2009 • Priscilla Galvan returned to Webb during Alumni Weekend to give the Friday chapel talk. She spoke about embracing change and staying true to your authentic self and values as it applied to her journey from premed to public health. Nancy Blayney was her reader.

Lexington Henn, Prab Marwah, Keeley Nakamoto, and Dylan Sittig took on the responsibilities as reunion chairs to head their 15th reunion for Alumni Weekend 2024. The class enjoyed a spirited pick-up basketball game in the Les Perry Gym. They also cheered on Prab as he received the Young Alumni Rising Star Award during the Alumni Awards Ceremony.

Raffi Kiureghian graduated from Vassar College in 2013. He went on to earn a MFA in poetry from Brooklyn College and is currently working on a PhD in English from University of Texas at Austin. Raffi is in the process of writing his dissertation and teaching English at Middlesex School in Concord, MA. He lives on the campus with his wife Leah, son Milo (5), daughter Sybil (3), and newborn son Oren (born June 2024).

they were in the navy stationed at the naval nuclear power training command while playing soccer, of course!

Congratulations to Prab Marwah, who received the Young Alumni Rising Star Award during Alumni Weekend 2024. This award recognizes Prab for his excellence in the marketing industry and demonstrating leadership beyond Webb.

2010s

2010 • Save the date! Alumni Weekend is October 24–25. We hope that you’ll join us at Webb for your 15th reunion this fall! More details to follow. Interested in helping to plan your reunion? Email us at alumni@ webb.org.

Eunice and Nick Kim-Skenderian ‘09 welcomed a baby boy named Teo Blu in April of 2024. Both parents are over the moon with their new son.

Marina Lesse married David Stutzman in Bass Lake, CA on October 13, 2024. Marina’s dad Steve ‘76 walked her down the aisle. Marina and David met when

2011 • Danielle Foley and her husband Braden welcomed a little girl named Rowan Elizabeth Kimberley in April 2024. She joins big brother Benjamin to complete their family of four.

Brittany Lamon-Paredes now works at the Department of Defense as a Deputy Branch Chief. She remembers her time with the Alf Museum and Peccary trips fondly!

Congratulations to Dakota SantanaGrace on being elected to Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group!

2012 • Tommy Mi Tan and his wife Jes welcomed a baby girl named Carly in March 2024.

Shiyao Wang is currently working in Belgium as a perfumer for Proctor & Gamble.

2013 • Belinda Lei and her husband Shane welcomed a little boy named Teddy in April 2024.

2014 • The Class of 2014 celebrated their 10th reunion at Alumni Weekend 2024. Attendees reconnected with friends, classmates, and the campus with a weekend of activities from attending Back in Class sessions where alumni sat in classes alongside current students to touring the Alf Museum guided by Andy Farke, Director of the Alf Museum.

2015 • We’re looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2015 back to campus for your 10th reunion on October 24–25! More details to follow. Make sure we have your updated contact information to ensure you’re receiving the most up-to-date information on Alumni Weekend 2025!

2019 • While traveling in Hong Kong last fall, Head Emeritus Taylor Stockdale caught up with Bill King and his father. Bill lives in NYC but returned home for a family visit.

2020s

2020 • Class of 2020, mark your calendars! Your 5-year reunion is coming up this fall! We hope to see you on campus October 24–25 to celebrate your first milestone reunion at Alumni Weekend 2025. Any questions, please contact alumni@webb.org.

2021 • Sneha Jindal is enjoying her time at Haverford College. Outside of school, she works at an immigration non-profit, working on legal applications for asylees and refugees.

2022 • Sofia Centeno is keeping busy while at Pomona! She is working as a literacy tutor for Uncommon Good and is also starting a job in Pomona’s sustainability office.

As an aspiring pre-med student at UCSD, Leeann Shu has been working in a research lab at the UCSD School of Medicine that’s focused on developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. She is also an EMT providing medical services at concerts, hockey games, fashion shows, conferences, and various other events! She also recently started a chapter and serves as President of the Dementia Art Therapy Alliance organization at UCSD that’s dedicated to supporting individuals with dementia or other neurodegenerative disorders.

2023 • Taylor Crawford is leaving her mark on the field. She is playing on the women’s soccer team at Piedmont University. A highlight from her time on the team has been scoring a goal during her first collegiate game after coming back from ACL surgery.

Valeria Gonzalez is getting into the music biz. She’s been working shows at USC and BMO Stadium, and has booked local artists in smaller venues throughout LA with her friends. She also started an independent promotion company with her peers, Lizard and Gecko!

Viraj Nigam interned at PwC in Luxembourg last summer (peek at the office in the photo) as an economist and is currently exploring the intricacies of quantitative finance and portfolio optimization. He has also been trying his hand at rock climbing!

Kylie Osborne is building an electric racecar with the Dartmouth Formula Racing team. As the Project Manager of the team, she is working with both Dartmouth Engineering students and motorsports industry professionals to create an agile, energy-efficient vehicle.

Jamie Zeng has filled her schedule as a student at Wellesley. She performed in Wellesley’s first Mandarin play, joined a band as the drummer, and is doing research at MIT on memory and sleep.

2024 • Emily Berg hit the ground running at Mount Holyoke. She is a section editor for the science & environment section in the school newspaper, has earned her lifeguard certificate, started working on a database for the school’s paleontology collection, and is enjoying the outdoors and the changing of the seasons in New England!

Joseph Yates continues to pursue his passion for sports and music. He has joined the Pepperdine track team and sings in the choir, performing in multiple concerts throughout the year.

IN MEMORIAM

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE

ALUMNI

1949

M. CLARENCE HUANG passed away on September 3, 2024. As a student, Clarence wrote for the Blue & Gold, was involved in music, and attended Peccary trips. After graduating from the College of William & Mary and MIT, Clarence returned to Webb to teach algebra, math, and chemistry for two years. He then attended the University of Michigan, where he earned an MBA in marketing. He established a career in chemical and pharmaceutical industries, even owning his own chemical company, before retiring with his wife, Susan, in California and Washington. Clarence always regarded his classmates as the finest peers and was very grateful to Webb and to Dr. and Mrs. Webb for “a great education and for many favors to me, both as a student and as a teacher.”

R. THOMAS LOCKIE passed away on October 23, 2024. Tom had a big heart for Webb, remaining connected throughout the years in many capacities. He was a volunteer for the Alumni Association and the Affiliates as a parent and served as a member of the Board of Trustees in the 1970s. As a student, he was a member of Block W, played football and basketball, and ran track. Tom obtained his bachelor’s and law degrees from Stanford University after returning from service in the Marine Corps. Tom left his law career for more creative endeavors, such as crafting hand-made furniture with his wife, Ann, and becoming integral in the formation of the Los Angeles Opera Company.

WILLIAM R. WOODFORD passed away on November 22, 2019. After Webb, Bill attended Occidental College and then the University of Southern California School of Law. He then returned to Riverside, California, where he established a career in law, first working for the Riverside County District Attorney’s office before establishing his own law firm. He then pursued new endeavors, including co-managing the National Orange Company Packing House. Bill found great happiness in pursuing his artistic and creative interests and became very proficient in wood carving, ceramics, woodworking,

painting, and gourmet cooking. Bill loved to travel with his wife, Liz. They spent a large part of their free time going on trips all over the country and around the world.

1954

We recently learned that ROBERT COSGROVE passed away on June 16, 2022, in Keizer, Oregon.

1960

We recently learned that GARY F. THOMSON passed away. He attended Webb from eighth to tenth grade and actively participated in football and basketball. Gary was also involved in the photo club and the Peccary Society. After graduating from the University of Colorado, his career led him to become the President of Inland Lumber, Co. Because of his enthusiasm for sports, he became Commissioner of Wrestling for the LA Olympic Organizing Committee in 1984 and was President of the Eagle Challenge for America’s Cup in yacht racing from 1986–1987.

1961

SAMUEL MCCLURE passed away on May 22, 2023. At Webb, Sam played on the football, basketball, soccer, and baseball teams, participated in intramural sports, wrote for Blue & Gold, and was a member of the art, camera, drama clubs, and Debating Society. Sam attended the University of Oregon before enlisting in the U.S. Army. After serving in Vietnam as First Lieutenant, he returned to Oregon to finish his degree in psychology and then earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology at Dominican University. His genuine, caring heart led him into a career in social work, helping people such as families in crisis, rehabilitating perpetrators of domestic violence, and serving as a mental health worker with the Red Cross following Hurricane Katrina. Throughout his lifetime, he was a loyal supporter of Webb and the Alf Museum, often returning to attend reunions, Peccary Dinners, and alumni Peccary trips.

1962

BRUCE H. HOWE passed away on April 26, 2024. At Webb, he was involved in music and played baseball, football, and tennis. Bruce was also a member of Block W, the California Scholarship Federation, and the Cum Laude Society. Bruce graduated from Stanford University with a degree in history and received his MBA from UCLA Business School. He worked in sales for different large companies before becoming the owner of HouseMaster Home Inspection franchise in Oregon, Washington, and California in 1992. In 2012, Bruce wrote a 50-year retrospect of his life to that point and stated the importance of all he learned from Webb, attributing the education he received as an important cornerstone to the person he became. He remained connected to the Webb community and volunteered as a class agent for many years.

1963

JOHN S. BOYER, JR. passed away on August 22, 2024. At Webb, John participated in Block W, El Espejo, the Peccary Society, chapel choir, glee club, and Webb’s literary magazine Sage. He excelled in sports, receiving varsity letters in soccer and track, and was a member of the cross country, lacrosse, and basketball teams. He also served on the Honor Committee and was a Dorm Prefect. After Webb, John attended Wesleyan University, studying English and geology before obtaining a teaching certificate at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Upon graduating from Wesleyan, he returned to Webb as a faculty member teaching ninth-grade English and coaching cross country for one year before heading off to teach in public schools. He went on to own, manage, and work on his family farm in his hometown of Savery, Wyoming.

1967

STUART H. SHELDON passed away in April of 2024. As a student at Webb, Stuart was respected by his peers, exemplified by his election onto Senior Committee, the highest position for day students. He also displayed ideal leadership and team skills as captain of the track team and his participation on the varsity football team. He served as a station manager for K-WEB and, with his keen interest in broadcasting, improved the quality of the programming and increased the audience for various programs. After Webb, Stuart went on to graduate with a degree in history from UCLA.

His interests in gardening and the outdoors inspired him to join the world of landscaping and horticulture.

1970

LEROY L. CARVER, III, passed away on July 16, 2024. Roy attended Webb for three years before heading to USC, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance. At Webb, he actively participated on the basketball, golf, and soccer teams and took part in outdoor activities. Roy built a career in real estate development in California and Oregon. With his entrepreneurial spirit, Roy diversified his opportunities and started a wasabi business. He owned farmland in several parts of the U.S. and was even known in the 1990s as the largest commercial producer of wasabi outside of Asia. He remained an avid supporter of Webb, attending reunions and keeping in touch with classmates.

ROBERT M. GILMORE passed away on April 25, 2024. At Webb, he excelled as the swim team captain and a member of the varsity football team. Robert was also headwaiter in the dining hall, where he supervised his peers in the early mornings. He received his bachelor’s degree from UC San Diego and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame Business School before establishing a career as a Certified Public Accountant. Robert also had a passion for performing, taking on acting roles in plays such as A Lie of the Mind and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. He played a key role in planning his 30-year Webb reunion, was a regular attendee at the annual Peccary Dinner, joined numerous alumni Peccary trips over the years, and even took part in many alumni vs. varsity water polo matches during Alumni Weekend.

1974

ROBERT DONIN passed away on October 21, 2024. At Webb, Robert participated in Blue & Gold, chess club, El Espejo, K-WEB, and was part of the golf team. After studying health science and health facilities management at Whitworth College and obtaining a Master of Public Administration degree from USC, Robert went into the healthcare industry, focusing on policy and advocacy for patients, often identifying resources for nonEnglish speaking patients. He was also involved in many non-profit associations in the healthcare field

and was passionate about healthcare reform. Later in life, he became an independent insurance agent working with Anthem Blue Cross. He remained connected to his Webb community and often returned for class reunions. Just days before his passing, classmates who were in Claremont for their 50th reunion were able to visit him and present him with his commemorative reunion pin.

1976

CHRISTOPHER AVANT passed away on February 5, 2024. During his time at Webb, Chris was a varsity athlete in both football and baseball. His days at Webb were enriched by longlasting friendships and cherished memories that stayed with him throughout his life. Chris embarked on a path marked by enthusiasm and kindness. His gentle demeanor and compassionate nature endeared him to many, fostering admiration within his personal and professional spheres. Chris will be remembered for his steadfast loyalty to friends, contagious laughter, and vibrant zest for life.

1979

We recently learned that TEYMOUR AFRASIABI passed away on December 21, 2023, in Tarzana, California.

1985

JULIA ALEXANDER passed away on May 4, 2025. As one of the 34 founding pioneers of Vivian Webb School, Julia was a student counselor, part of the Honor Cabinet, junior class president, member of the volleyball and swim teams, and participated in theater. Her hard work led her to become valedictorian of her class. After Webb, she earned degrees from Wellesley and NYU before obtaining her PhD at Yale. She built an extensive career as an art historian and curator, working at such prestigious places as the Yale Center for British Art and the National Portrait Gallery in London, to name a few. Most recently, she served as the president of the Kress Foundation. Julia served in many capacities for Webb over the years – a reunion chair, chapel speaker, class agent, member of the Alumni Council, and VWS commencement speaker in 2016. She also served as a member of the Board of Trustees. Most importantly to her, Julia was a loving mother to her two children, Jack and Beatrice.

1986

HESSAM BOROUMAND passed away on October 29, 2024. As a student, Hessam played soccer and made many friends throughout his time at Webb. After earning a degree in psychology, Hessam became a business owner, real estate investor, and karate instructor.

1994

TONY L. CHEN passed away on September 29, 2022. At Webb, Tony participated in music as a violinist, played on the tennis team, and was a dorm prefect. His dedication to academics was apparent by the many awards he received, including the Harvard Club Award, the Rensselaer Award, and the John Lesser Award in Physical Science. After graduating, Tony attended Yale University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. He also received an MBA in entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategy from MIT Sloan School of Management. Tony built an impressive investment career spanning over 15 years, including co-founding CASC Investments, an alternative investment management company.

FACULTY

STEVEN SITTIG passed away on March 21, 2025. Steve started teaching chemistry and physics at Webb in 1996. In his 24-year career at Webb, he also served as Dean of Faculty, interim chair of the Science Department, and was a coach for tennis, softball, volleyball, and baseball. His endless patience and compassionate spirit were apparent in his work as a long-time VWS and Chapel Council advisor. Steve was twice the recipient of the Perry Teaching Award. In 2020, he returned from retirement to offer athletic support as a scoreboard operator, shot clock technician for football and basketball games, and other athletic contests. One of his lasting contributions on campus is the Webb Observatory, which he built in 2000 using plans designed by his father. Outside of Webb, he built a catamaran, was a Big Bear Ski Patroller, went backpacking in the mountains at least yearly, learned to brew beer, donated blood and platelets, read over 80 books for Reading Ally, served in leadership at his church, and participated in numerous other good causes in the community. Most of all, he was a loving husband, proud father to Alyssa ’07 and Dylan ’09, and a very proud grandfather.

WEBB AROUND THE WORLD

Every year, Webb staff and leadership journey across the country and around the world to reconnect with alumni and families. From California to New York, Thailand to South Korea, these visits are a cherished opportunity to celebrate the strong and lasting bonds within the Webb community.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST YEAR!

Los Angeles Holiday Party, 12/11/24

Denver, 05/15/24

Hong Kong, 04/14/24

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: AMAR LALVANI ‘92

PRESIDENT & CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF LIFESTYLE GROUP AT HYATT, a Leading Global Hospitality Group

BY ZONA ZHOU ‘26

Amar Lalvani ’92 is a builder—of businesses, brands, and above all, communities. His journey from being a Webb student to leading Hyatt’s Lifestyle Group as President and Creative Director has been guided by his time at Webb: the importance of community and the value of integrity. At Webb, Lalvani was surrounded by people who inspired and supported him and helped shape his independent thinking and moral compass. These lessons have stayed with him throughout his career, where he has built not just businesses but lasting relationships. Today, Lalvani scales a bold vision of hospitality, leading with the same principles of honor and trust that Webb instilled in him. His story is one of vision, resilience, and the lasting impact of community.

How did Webb’s academic environment shape your thinking and personal growth?

At Webb, I was pushed to go beyond the surface, to think critically, and to approach learning independently. One of the most formative experiences for me at Webb was taking a course called Individual Humanities with Larry McMillin. We read about historical real-life and fictional figures who changed the world and challenged the way humanity saw itself. From Don Quixote to Othello and other works about immortal figures, the course pushed me to think deeply about human relationships and civilization. On my first paper, I got a 29/100. Mr. McMillin didn’t mess around. He told me what I wrote was “superficial.” And he was right. I am often told today that I am a great writer, and I attribute that to him, because being a great writer starts with having something compelling to convey. From there, the thoughts need to be distilled into their essence and communicated clearly and succinctly without losing their depth. Similarly, my Latin teacher and advisor, Mark Rumpler, demonstrated the type of humanity we read about and the type of honor the school espouses. In 1991, the year before I graduated, he gave a chapel talk in which he came out as gay. This was a big deal in 1991.

Mr. Rumpler showed the courage to be himself despite the consequences. That was humanity and honor in action. I recall vividly the hugs and tears that followed. Tears of sadness that we would miss him and tears of joy that he could live the life he wanted to.

How did Webb prepare you for your college experience at Wharton (UPenn)?

Many students who go to Wharton already have clear career goals, with paths like investment banking or consulting in mind. While I was academically prepared, I was not as ready for the commercial mindset or intensity that existed there. I was out of my depths. What carried me through were the relationships and bonds I formed immediately. I showed my vulnerability and humanity, which connected me to others who did not come from the intense East Coast schools. I wasn’t alone. The same type of late-night bonding sessions we used to have in Alamo served me well to connect with friends who are dear to this day. Friends from Arkansas and Minnesota who felt equally out of their depths. Once again, being authentically human and being willing to demonstrate that humanity is a strength, not a weakness. It allowed me to form the type of bonds that have been so instrumental in my career.

In what ways have your relationships with Webb alumni continued to shape your life and career?

Webb has always been a close-knit community for me, and while we are not in touch regularly, my friends from Webb are dear to me. Our friend group at Webb still stays connected through a group chat, and when events like the California fires happen, we check in on those still in the area to make sure everyone is okay. One of my closest friends from Webb, Naveen Jeereddi, serves on the board of Webb, and whenever we connect, we immediately reminisce about old times. We laugh the same way we did back then. So much time has passed but those experiences made us who we are. I also maintain a close relationship

with Taylor Stockdale. My class’s first year at Webb was Taylor’s first year as well, and he was our class advisor. He also became my economics teacher, and his mentorship played a crucial role in my decision to apply to Wharton and pursue business. He believed in me. And there is nothing like when someone you look up to believes in you. Beyond personal relationships, I recommend Webb to parents of prospective students. It made me happy when the son of a colleague from Thailand came to Webb based on my recommendation. He was a great student and contributor to the Webb community.

Can you share with us any more about your current projects?

I built a business called Standard Hotels over the past fifteen years, growing it from a small New York-based company with four hotels to 22 hotels worldwide (and 30 more in development). With investors from around the world, we have built cool, fun, interesting hotels. Late last year, we made a deal to sell the company to Hyatt, and I was asked to lead their entire lifestyle division, which now includes 150 hotels around the world across 10 brands.

The highlight of my work is opening new hotels in exciting locations. In mid-May, we will debut a Standard Hotel in Brussels and will also be open at a Thompson Hotel in Shanghai. My role focuses on brand strategy—determining where to expand, shaping the identity of each hotel, and overseeing their development. The kick I get is that each new hotel changes the skyline and cultural fabric of a community. People for decades to come will share momentous life events in those buildings. It’s where they may have a first date with a future spouse, land their dream job, celebrate their graduation or wedding, or just have an incredibly fun night they’ll never forget. It has been a challenging yet rewarding journey.

What aspect of your work is the most challenging, and how do you overcome it?

The biggest challenge is scaling creativity. We built a company that thrives on doing things differently: creating hotels that are unconventional and dynamic. Doing things that no one has done before. The challenge is: how do you grow something inherently creative in scale? How do you keep it feeling fresh and independent? Doing this at speed and on a large scale is incredibly difficult, especially in an industry so deeply tied to location, real estate, and physical spaces. I am navigating how to stay true to our vision while expanding globally within a big company.

And the only answer is to have a great team that is inspired and empowered. This goes back to my initial points about the importance of humanity and relationships.

In trying to do what we do around the world, you cannot run everything from the center. You have to decentralize and have the right people on the ground in the right places. Hiring, recruiting, and training the best talent is key, but just as important is keeping them engaged, excited, and supported. Giving them the autonomy to be creative and do what they were hired to do is essential. There is no question; the only way to succeed is by finding the right people and trusting them to make it happen.

Is there a particular accomplishment or project you’re especially proud of?

I am most proud of the team I have built. The people I have worked with and mentored over the years have gone on to do incredible things in the industry, whether with me or somewhere else. Seeing them succeed, whether starting their own ventures, taking on leadership roles, or pushing the boundaries of hospitality, has been incredibly fulfilling. For me, success is not just about personal achievements but about the impact you have on others. I am proud to have played a role in their journeys and to have built something lasting with them.

What advice would you give to Webb students?

It is easy to say, “follow your passion,” but that is only part of the equation. In combination with passion is figuring out what you are truly good at. When you can align your strengths with something you genuinely enjoy, that is the golden ticket. Without the predilection and skills to back passion up, it is hard to turn passion into something you will excel at. I wished I could be a professional baseball player. I had more passion for the game when I played at Webb than anyone else, but sadly, that passion did not align with my talent. The key is finding that intersection where your talents and your passion meet because that is where you will thrive. And when you find that, get moving. Put points on the board. Make things happen that you can point to and say, “I did that.” No matter how small, take accountability, ownership and responsibility. Another Headmaster at Webb, Randall Holdridge, often quoted Teddy Roosevelt and told us to “get in the arena.” I couldn’t agree more. READ TOWN & COUNTRY’S

THOMPSON & VIVIAN WEBB SOCIETY

The Thompson & Vivian Webb Society recognizes and celebrates alumni, parents, and friends who have honored Webb or the Alf Museum through a planned gift. Planned giving ensures your support endures for generations. Options include: Gifts in your will or trust, beneficiary designations, IRA rollover/QCD/RMD, and gifts that pay you income.

To learn more about planned giving at Webb or the Alf Museum and access resources and estate planning guides, please visit legacy.webb.org.

For more information, email giving@webb.org and our Webb team will be in touch.

PLANNED GIVING CULTURE & COMMUNITY

Webb is committed to making the Webb experience accessible to all students. Thanks to endowed funds and generous gifts, our financial aid program continues to grow, expanding opportunities for students and their families. In addition, support for our Office of Culture & Community helps ensure every student feels a deep sense of belonging and has the resources they need to thrive at Webb.

Learn how you can support these important Webb programs. Email giving@webb.org today!

ADMINISTRATION

Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D.

Head of School

Susan Carpenter

Director of Marketing & Strategic Communications

John Choi

Director of Culture & Community

Jamila Everett, Ed.D.

Director of Admission & Financial Aid

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2024-25

Sanjay Dholakia ’87, Chairman

R. Larry Ashton, Jr. ’70, Chairman, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, ex officio

Tammie Brailsford

Michael M. Chang ’92

Kathy Chen Liu ’99

Deval R. Dvivedi ’00

Jenna Z. Gambaro ’95

Jessica Gupta ’05

Wendy Hornbuckle

William Hornbuckle

Jennifer Ishiguro ’91

Naveen Jeereddi ’92

Sandra Lee Rebish, M.D. ’88

Rahmi Mowjood, D.O. ’90

Ming (Andrew) Pan

Miles Rosedale ’69

Dakota Santana-Grace ’11

Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D., Head of School, President and Chief Executive Officer, ex officio

Wendin Smith, Ph.D. ’89

Jordan Taylor ’02

Lance Williams ’97

LIFE TRUSTEES

Robert (Bob) Adler

Anne Gould

H. Earl (Bud) Hoover ’52

Ann Longley

Claire H. McCloud

Kimball (Kim) McCloud ’67

Roger J. Millar ’61

Susan A. Nelson

Paul M. Reitler ’54

Peter F. Ziegler ’63

Andy Farke, Ph.D.

Director, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology

Michael Hoe ’04

Assistant Head of School

Hector Martinez

Dean of College Guidance

Reco Sanders Director of Campus Operations

LeAnne Schweitzer

Chief Financial Officer

ALF MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2024-25

R. Larry Ashton, Jr. ’70, Chairman

Gretchen J. Augustyn

Terry W. Baganz, Secretary

Richard H. Clark

Jeffrey C. Cripe ’08

Sanjay Dholakia ’87, Chairman, The Webb Schools, ex officio

Andrew Farke, Ph.D., Museum, Director, President, ex officio

Daniel Gluckstein, M.D.

Ronald P. Hagander ’66

James E. Hall, Ph.D. ’59

Lexington B. Henn ’09

F. Gard Jameson, Ph.D. ’71

Carl W.R. Lachman ’86

David P. Mirkin, M.D. ’66

L.J. Patrick Muffler, Ph.D. ’54

Michelle Plyley

Mary W. Rose, Ph.D.

Elizabeth A. Smith ’92

Theresa Smith, Ph.D., Head of School, ex officio

Charles Steinmann, M.D.

Page W. Thibodeaux

Thomas Yu ’06

Tammy Zipser

LIFE TRUSTEES

Anne G. Earhart

John R. Lynas ’55

Douglas F. Myles

Michael O. Woodburne, Ph.D.

CREDITS

EDITORS

Melodie Akers, Lexus Beaman ’08, Susan Carpenter

CONTRIBUTORS

Mairin Balisi, Ph.D., Michael Hoe ’04, Lisa Nacionales, Amanda Sun, Charley Zhang ’27, Zona Zhou ’26

DESIGN

Studio DBC

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

The Webb Schools admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the schools. The Webb Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law in administration of their educational policies, tuition assistance, athletic, and other school-administered programs, or any other basis in law.

THE WEBB SCHOOLS – MEMBERSHIPS

The Association of Boarding Schools; National Association of Independent Schools; California Association of Independent Schools; Western Boarding Schools Association; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; National Coalition of Girls’ Schools; Independent Curriculum Group; College Entrance Examination Board; Educational Records Bureau; Association of Independent School Admission Professionals; National Association of College Admission Counselors; Council for the Advancement and Support of Education; and the Cum Laude Society.

ALF MUSEUM – MEMBERSHIPS

Geological Society of America; Society of Vertebrate Paleontology; American Alliance of Museums; Association of Science Museum Directors; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections; and the National Association of Geology Teachers.

PUBLICATION INFORMATION

WEBB Magazine is the official publication of The Webb Schools.

POSTMASTER

Send address changes to:

The Webb Schools 1175 W. Baseline Road Claremont, CA 91711

PH: (909) 626-3587

FAX: (909) 621-4582

EMAIL: alumni@webb.org webb.org

Webb’s mission is to provide a dynamic learning community that nurtures and inspires our students and alumni to:

think boldly, mindfully, and creatively; act with honor and moral courage; lead with distinction; serve with a generous spirit.