UPrep Magazine - Winter 2023

Belonging Matters

Affinity Groups Create Safe, Supportive Spaces Page 6

Defining Belonging at UPrep Page

OUR MISSION

University Prep is committed to developing each student’s potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible citizen of the world.

Above: In a fangram photo at a girls volleyball game, students strike the U for UPrep pose.

Front cover: Juniors Sonia Sidhu, Komathi Anand, Boden Wise, Roxanne Smith, Izzy Smith, and Marina Hao (clockwise, from upper left) at Culture Night in November.

Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Ed Billingslea, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR ACADEMICS

Susan Lansverk, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR FINANCE AND OPERATIONS

Joel Sohn, DIRECTOR OF UPPER SCHOOL

Susie Wu, DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Brian Gonzales, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

Ryan Hannon, DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Kelly Herrington, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING AND STUDENT SERVICES

Taylor Kanemori ’09, DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING

Mary Beth Lambert, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Debbie Playter, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AND BOARD ASSISTANT

Liz Van Hoy, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

UPrep MAGAZINE

EDITOR

Nancy Schatz Alton

CONTRIBUTORS

Nancy Schatz Alton, Anne Bingham, Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, Claire Fallat, Hebaq Farah, Nicole Harris, Coleman Hunter, Taylor Kanemori, Jonathan Kim, Mary Beth Lambert, Catherine McNutt, Rebecca Moe, Ty Talbot

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jim Anness, Kian Baghai, Patrick Cazeau, Claire Fallat, Abby Formella, Harrison Friedman, Payton Habel, Libby Lewis, Grace McLaughlin, Rebecca Moe, Brandon Patoc, Dylan Phillips, Jasper Schmidt, Andrew Storey, Claire Worzel

COPY EDITOR

Miriam Bulmer

DESIGNER

Anne Bryant Creative

© 2023 University Prep 8000 25th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98115

206.525.2714

www.universityprep.org

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Jennifer Zell, PRESIDENT

Scotland Nash, VICE PRESIDENT

Jarrad Harford, TREASURER

Ninevah Lowery, SECRETARY

Ric Anderson

Steve de Beer

Juli Cook

Elizabeth (Liffy) Franklin

Terry Nelson Froggatt

Michelle Goldberg

Quyen Hamilton

Van Katzman

Patricia Landy

Russell Normann ‘86

Sujal Patel

Timothy Richey

Danielle Ruthfield

Andrew Selby

PARENT GUARDIAN ASSOCIATION

President: Ursula Phelan

Upper School Vice President: Myndee Ronning

Middle School Vice President: Michele Miyoshi

Treasurer: Alexa Crawford

Secretary: Jenna Sylvester

Past Executive: Tracy Pozil

Governance Committee: Krysia Johnson

Development Liaison: Denise Angelone

Admissions Liaison: Quyen Hamilton

Andrea Thoreson

Blake Titcomb ‘09

Mandira Virmani

Jeremy Wacksman

Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, EX OFFICIO

Ursula Phelan, PARENT GUARDIAN ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, EX-OFFICIO

Christina Zembruski, FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE, EX-OFFICIO

Community Service Event Liaisons: Mary Balmaceda, Nicole Mirchandani

Diversity and Community: Julie Kang

Global Programs Liaisons: Laura Constable, Tracy Zheng

Parent Guardian Education: Rupali Chauhan, Melissa Heaton, Robin Waterman

Parents for the Arts: Melissa Donsbach, Paige Hansen-Shankar

Sports Boosters: Cynthia Dold, Kati Pagulayan, Michelle Perham, Robynn Takamiya

12th Grade Reps: Andrea Basinski, Amy Colando, Jean-Francois Luu

11th Grade Reps: Kimberly Briar, Sandhya Subramanian

10th Grade Reps: Julia Guthrie, Katrina Strand, Lauren Woodman

9th Grade Reps: Aija Christopher, Shea Godin, Gail Ticeson

8th Grade Reps: Kate Madrid, Wendy Guy, Kristie Shields, Tim Stoddard

7th Grade Reps: Lissa Armato, Kelly Campbell, Linda Chou

6th Grade Reps: Jen Falck, Alicia Litton, Alison Scott, Lucy Wacksman

and Alumni,

In my third year as head of UPrep, with school finally functioning the way it did before the pandemic, I can now say I feel at home here. As I reflect on how this sense of really feeling a part of the community came to be, I find myself asking one question: what does it mean to belong at UPrep? Most independent schools will say they are open and inclusive places that invite students, faculty, and staff to question, inquire, and grow. At UPrep, all students who want to play a sport can play one. All students who want to be in a play production can sign up for the class. All students who want to be visual artists, photographers, writers, and dancers can do so. We invite our teachers to have a say in what and how they teach and we welcome parents and guardians to get involved in our community.

Belonging takes inclusion one step further. According to Cornell University, “belonging is the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group.”

At UPrep, one way we gauge belonging is to hear from our community. In this issue of the magazine, you can read how some among us define belonging and what it feels like to belong.

Later this spring, we will engage in a school-wide assessment of inclusion and belonging at UPrep. This assessment, from the National Association of Independent Schools, is called AIM (Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism). We will invite many of your voices into focus group sessions. We will also ask all faculty, staff, parents and guardians, and some alumni to take an online survey asking for input on how included you feel or felt during your time at UPrep. This data will help us grow and learn as an institution.

Belonging matters at UPrep. We are a diverse group of people learning from and communicating with each other for a common purpose: to develop each student’s potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible citizen of the world. Our faculty encourage our students to step out of their comfort zones and take the roads less traveled by. We want all students to feel safe enough to take these actions at UPrep so that they will continue to do so once they find their place in the larger world. When our students feel like they belong, it is easier for them to act from the strong foundation of support provided by the adults in our community. They feel empowered to be brave, take risks, and do great things.

I belong at UPrep!

Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau HEAD OF SCHOOL

“We want all students to feel safe enough to take these actions at UPrep so that they will continue to do so once they find their place in the larger world.”

Nurturing a Sense of Belonging at UPrep

BY TY TALBOT, FINE ARTS TEACHER

Ihave always felt like I belong at UPrep, and it has long felt like my home away from home. When I started teaching here in 2004, I was a long-term substitute for the eighth-grade science teacher who was on maternity leave. My students were fun-loving, silly, hardworking, brainy, and incredibly kind, and they made me feel welcome immediately. A few of them created a fan club for me, going so far as to make “Talbot the Halibut” shirts. When the teacher-on-leave decided to stay home with her baby, the job was mine.

In education, as with so many fields, we are in a time of profound transition. In the wake of the pandemic, teachers continue to leave the profession and turnover at all schools—public and private— has been historically high. In fact, 44 percent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years of practice. Many who leave profess to feeling a lack of institutional support and that the school or district didn’t foster an inclusive sense of belonging.

As someone who feels that sense of belonging, I always want to help my colleagues feel the same. Knowing how those first years at a new school can be difficult, I spent time last spring rethinking our new colleague mentoring program and shared my ideas with Head of School Ronnie CodringtonCazeau. I didn’t propose anything radical, but I knew that a few things were important: mentoring should be consistent, helpful, collegial, and celebratory.

As the year began and new employees were paired up with seasoned teachers and staff, mentor pairs began meeting up monthly for lunch. These meals are generously provided by the school. Mentor pairs talk about logistics, UPrep culture, and whatever else comes to mind. In October, we hosted a mentor-mentee celebration at a neighborhood restaurant, and three similar events are scheduled for later this year. Seeing new colleagues connecting with experienced veterans is exactly what I hoped would happen with our rejuvenated program. After the scattered pandemic years, being together in the spirit of professionalism and joy is key for knitting the community together. Something new this year for faculty and staff is the Wednesday Morning Happy Half-Hour, a drop-in time in the art room before school starts when we can chat and enjoy a pastry or fruit. Even on a cloudy day, it feels sunny in the art room, and people seem happy just to be together. We aren’t all that different from our students, really, and the formula is often simple: food + friends + time = belonging.

Creating belonging takes intention. I hope my colleagues feel emboldened to bring their authentic selves to work and that they find joy in our connections to each other. Our students, who seek a sense of security and support at UPrep, look to us as guides in this regard. And we know belonging is an essential condition for healthy learning and development. In the following pages, we explore how we foster belonging at UPrep and why belonging matters.

“Our students, who seek a sense of security and support at UPrep, look to us as guides in this regard. And we know belonging is an essential condition for healthy learning and development.”

Affinity Groups Create Safe, Supportive Spaces

BY TAYLOR KANEMORI, DIRECTOR OF

At UPrep, our affinity group program offers students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to join a community they personally identify with.

In affinity groups, members speak from the “I perspective” about shared experiences related to their identity. In addition to student leaders, adult advisors share their experiences, their own identity exploration, and how they navigate the world.

UPrep’s affinity groups support students’ positive identity exploration and development, which leads toward the larger goal of creating an inclusive and thriving learning environment. I love how educator Darrell Fine explains the need for affinity groups:

“The reason why affinity groups exist in the first place isn’t because students want to segregate themselves from the rest of the population, but because the population is excluding them to begin with. Gathering in safe spaces around shared identity allows students to engage in conversations about how they can subvert the structures that push them to the margins. In turn, these conversations push the school to be more social-activist-oriented and less assimilationist-oriented.”

When students share their experiences during meeting times, they learn that they have some things in common. They also discover that not everybody has the same experiences as them—everyone’s life is different. Furthermore, some affinity groups include numerous identities, like the Asian, Pacific Islander Student Union (APISU) and the Latine Student Union (LSU). Still, they have a space to feel included in this small community. Within the affinity group, they know there are people who share commonalities with them, and they can talk about issues with each other. This safe space helps them feel less weighed down and more confident in the larger community. Someone I have worked with likens it to being in an orchestra: the flutists practice together and talk about flute stuff on their own, and then they can come back together and play with the full orchestra.

UPrep affinity groups offer a time and space for empowerment of individual students and of the group within the greater community. This year, active affinity groups include APISU, the Black Student Union, LSU, the Multicultural Student Union, the Muslim Student Alliance, the Queer Student Union, and White Aspiring Allies. On the following pages, two co-leaders of affinity groups share their experience within their group.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING

“When students share their experiences during meeting times, they learn that they have some things in common. They also discover that not everybody has the same experiences as them—everyone’s life is different.”

Belonging in the Black Student Union

By Hebaq

I’ll always remember my first day at BSU (Black Student Union). I knew attending UPrep for my freshman year was going to be different. I would no longer be in a space where I could easily see myself in my classmates. Private school felt like a foreign concept to the 14-year-old Hebaq who had attended public school for her entire life. To adapt to being in a new space, I mistakenly thought I needed to change. Suddenly I was speaking at a higher pitch, smiling more, and changing my language choices. That first day of BSU was my breath of fresh air.

BSU was and has always been a space where I felt I could be my authentic self, without having to change and adapt for acceptance. Entering a new environment is always a very difficult process, and one of the first things we look for is a space where we belong. For me, that sense of belonging was created by Lillian, Rihan, Devin, and Hibak, who were the first upper-class students that I interacted with. It was their kindness that inspired me to eventually become one of this group’s leaders.

Over these last couple of years, BSU has been more than a club; it’s been a family. Outside of the club, BSU members acknowledge and support each other in classes and sports teams and through genuine friendships. As a younger student, when I needed help picking classes and extracurriculars, I relied on older members to help. Now, when I need college advice and an extra set of eyes on my essays/supplementals, I know I have a whole support system that I can rely on.

Belonging. While for some it’s in a space and for others among a group of people, finding a way to belong is one of the most instinctual ways that humans survive. Belonging occurs when a person is comfortable enough to let their guard down and know that they are in a state of being that allows them to be vulnerable. While some may be a part of many groups, belonging is that additional layer of safety. A person is not going to belong in every space that they are a part of, but it is important that people are willing to extend that olive branch to new people whom they encounter. While similarities may be the first way that people gravitate toward each other, genuineness, kindness, and openness are necessary to maintain that sense of belonging for people. When I look at other affinity groups at UPrep and I speak to their leaders, I feel a sense of joy. Hearing the way that these leaders speak about their goals and aspirations for their clubs and their members, I know that they are fostering a community for members in their spaces. For the members of our UPrep community who are one of few who share similar identities, I believe that affinity groups are an integral part of the UPrep experience. As I near the end of my years here, I know that my time in affinity groups created experiences that I’ll take with me for the years to come! I will never forget how many people I had the opportunity to meet and become friends with through these groups. This year, I hope to continue contributing and doing my part so that the BSU is a space that is welcoming, fun, and comforting for Black students in our school. I want BSU to always be a space of celebration and acceptance at UPrep.

Farah, 12th grade

“While some may be a part of many groups, belonging is that additional layer of safety. A person is not going to belong in every space that they are a part of, but it is important that people are willing to extend that olive branch to new people whom they encounter.”

Creating Community in the Queer Student Union

By Coleman Hunter, 12th grade

I never know what to expect when I walk into Queer Student Union (QSU). In my three years of being a co-leader alongside fellow classmates

Claire Crawford and Talia LeVine, every meeting has been unique in some way. Perhaps it’s the locations of the meetings that stand out. I’ve led discussions in Spanish classrooms, art classrooms, and English classrooms. Maybe it’s the wide range of UPrep community members who might show up to any given meeting. As a space for both students and faculty/staff members, our conversations are always filled with multigenerational perspectives. Perhaps it’s because our topics are always changing, or maybe it’s the conversation you can’t always follow, or maybe it’s both the listening silence and the voices that fill the space as we watch and reflect on a documentary or presentation. Every meeting is different, and I love them all.

When I entered the Upper School, the QSU existed as UPrep’s Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA). Initially, joining the GSA didn’t appeal to me. I had only recently come to terms with my sexuality, and I was still far from fully embracing it. I had spent so long denying this part of my identity, and it wasn’t so easy to just walk into the GSA room. Looking back, I think that it was about pride and an unwillingness to admit that I was possibly wrong. As a Middle School student, people assumed I was gay, and I had always denied that—even if I knew deep down that they were correct. When I came out in high school, I felt like I was losing some sort of battle against my peers: They were right about me, and I was wrong. I was embarrassed.

When the pandemic hit and I was suddenly stuck inside, I began to research and discover ways to connect with other LGBTQ+ students around the state, as well as become engaged in activism for queer students. As I joined these various programs and met more people, I began to gain more confidence in my own identity, and I turned my focus back to UPrep. Along with three

friends, I spent the beginning of my sophomore year giving the GSA a makeover. The first step was to change the name of our organization. In the context of LGBTQ+ individuals, “queer” was and still is a derogatory slur that has been reclaimed by us. If at its core to be queer is to be different and to be othered, then isn’t that what defines us as a community? Sexuality and gender are fluid concepts that cannot be put into simple terms, and so what better way to describe them than by using a word like “queer.”

Like the fluidity of queerness, the space we now call QSU has been through many stages and versions. Before it was openly advertised, meetings for LGBTQ+ community members at UPrep happened in a space called “Cake with Fleming,” where students and faculty members could openly talk about their queer identities with Paul Fleming, UPrep’s first openly gay teacher. I’ve always loved getting to work with Mr. Fleming. To me, he’s an important part of the LGBTQ+ community and history at UPrep. Mr. Fleming was creating community and fostering feelings of belonging before it was even OK to speak out loud about queer identities confidently.

Today, I try to mimic those same skills that Mr. Fleming first instilled into UPrep’s queer spaces. In addition to holding education meetings where all UPrep community members are invited to learn and discuss topics and events that affect queer students around the school (as well as the city, state, country, and world), the QSU holds closed affinity space meetings once a month that are only open to individuals who identify with the word “queer.” In these closed rooms, we courageously discuss our own experiences at UPrep and dive into personal stories.

The goal of QSU is for all members of our community to know that there is a space on campus for them: a place where they’ll feel comfortable and accepted and feel a sense of belonging. ■

“Perhaps it’s because our topics are always changing, or maybe it’s the conversation you can’t always follow, or maybe it’s both the listening silence and the voices that fill the space as we watch and reflect on a documentary or presentation. Every meeting is different, and I love them all.”

ON THE BOOKSHELF

BY ANNE BINGHAM, LIBRARIAN

The Library offers opportunities to explore the idea of belonging. Through the lives of others, you can immerse yourself in unfamiliar worlds and experiences. These nonfiction choices offer philosophical reflection and insight by exploring identities and perspectives. You may deepen a connection or discover a new community to join.

Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions

By Temple Grandin

Belonging to and expanding our community requires an understanding of the gifts each of us bring. This book celebrates the many ways our brains intuit the world around us and will raise your awareness of the fascinating ways we think and process information. The author has useful recommendations on how to best use the talents of visual thinkers. This is a good read for anyone who learns or teaches.

Taking the Plunge: The Healing Power of Wild Swimming for Mind, Body & Soul

By Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan

If you are curious about year-round dipping in the Salish Sea or area lakes, this book will give you joyful encouragement to experience water at eye level. Cold-water swimming is a popular activity right now, with many groups meeting at local beaches. The authors provide a comforting, well-illustrated guide that will answer all your questions about wild swimming, including the benefits and pleasures of cold water.

The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

By Deidre Mask

Many urban residents take the importance of a street address for granted. Deirdre Mask shares her fascinating research into the history and essential practicality of a street address, beginning with Roman landmark directions and the Age of Enlightenment house numbers created with sinister intent. The lack of a street address exacerbates problems of banking, voting, delivery, identity, and belonging. One chapter talks about a global mapping program that divided the world into three-meter squares labeled with three words. Find out what words define the square of earth you are reading this on at what3words.com. UPrep’s main entrance can be found at ///spider.chips.trains.

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging

By Sebastian Junger

This author makes the case that we need adversity to pull us together as a community. Tribe begins with a review of the alienation prevalent in Western societies, exacerbated by increasing class stratification and other inequities. Contemporary society does not compare favorably with the egalitarian cohesiveness of Indigenous nations. Sebastian Junger interviews groups brought together by war, 9/11, natural disasters, and other crises. Although written before the pandemic, the principles of shared experience apply to this recent era-defining experience. ■

“To me, belonging means I can bring my full self to a community, and I will be accepted and respected for my similarities and differences. I have experienced belonging at UPrep through affinity spaces (for adults), as well as being asked to participate in the school community through coaching, advising, and chaperoning a Global Link trip.”

DOUG MOON, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION AND FINANCIAL AID

DEFINING BELONGING AT UPREP

BY NANCY SCHATZ ALTON, WRITER/EDITOR

OUR THEME FOR THE 2022–2023 SCHOOL YEAR IS BELONGING. WE KNOW THIS FEELING IS AN ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOR HEALTHY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT. WE ALSO KNOW THIS TERM CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE. IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS DESCRIBE IT FOR US AND OTHERS SPEAK TO HOW THEY HAVE FOUND A SENSE OF BELONGING AT UPREP.

"Shannon Salverda and Julie Smith [from the Integrated Learning Office] helped me feel like I belong by helping me install Learning Ally [a reading app] because my eyesight is not good. After that, I could participate in class."

Cadel Jarrett, 6th grade student

“Belonging is about all voices having an opportunity to be heard.”

LUCY PATTERSON, 8TH GRADE STUDENT

"Belonging is when we can be our authentic selves while participating in the world around us. We matter and we believe others do, too, and we aren’t afraid to express that. It is being in the world with open arms."

“UPrep provides so many different spaces and groups so people can see and feel if they belong in that space or group.”

“Communities create a sense of belonging when everyone adheres to the same general agreements to make the community as welcoming as possible. People have to welcome and accept each person for who they are and be willing to talk to and learn from those who are different from them.”

Priscilla Lindberg, history teacher

HANNAH SALEMY, 8TH GRADE STUDENT

“In advisory, I have liked getting to meet the new members of the UPrep community and connecting with them through activities and discussions.”

SOPHIE WHITTAKER, 9TH GRADE STUDENT

BERUK SIMS, 11TH GRADE STUDENT

“The work I do with students involves building rapport with them. During those initial meetings, I’m figuring out each student’s goals, fears, aspirations, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations.

I’m trying to build mutual trust, gain familiarity, and determine what makes them distinctive individuals—and that takes time.

I feel a sense of belonging when our conversations extend beyond the task at hand and become fun, weird, and totally off-topic. I hope in these moments my students feel like they belong, too.”

“Joining extracurriculars and such a warm, welcoming community has made feeling like a member of the UPrep community a very smooth transition for me!”

HANA HYDE, 11TH GRADE STUDENT

"Everyone is super welcoming, super kind, and accepts all differences, no matter the size. Personally, I feel acceptance and belonging in my group of friends and with all my teachers."

Nico Arabian, 9th grade student

BRITTEN NELSON, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING

“Culture Night is one of the UPrep events where I felt most connected with the community. Everyone brings their whole selves to share with each other.”

CHELSEA DORAN, MOTHER OF CHLOE (8TH GRADE STUDENT) AND SYDNEY GOITIA-DORAN (12TH GRADE STUDENT)

"Belonging is an anchor. It’s being tied to something (a place, a person) where you feel safe and comfortable. My family and friends are the main people who I find belonging with, and I made many of my friends through school (both at UPrep and UW) and I am so grateful for them."

Chris McCarty ’22

“One of my best connections happens every fall when the D1 girls soccer team is screaming (singing) their favorite songs on the bus to play SAAS. Every spring, I think I’m too busy to coach next year, but every fall on those bus rides, those players remind me that I belong on the field and in this community.”

BRIAN GONZALES, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION

AND EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

Celebrating Culture Night 2022

BY MARY BETH LAMBERT, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

On November 4, more than 400 members of the UPrep community came together to participate in Culture Night. This annual event, hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, was an opportunity to learn about, share, and celebrate the many cultures within our community that comprise the diversity of our school.

In addition to a potluck in the Lower Commons featuring foods from around the globe, the event included over a dozen sharing and learning tables hosted by students, parents, guardians, faculty, and staff. At a table hosted by the Latine Student Union, guests heard about Latine culture and sampled a variety of sweets, including pan dulce and agua fresca. Other tables included a display of Korean artifacts and a ramen sampling, an opportunity to learn about Jewish history and try an array of Jewish comfort foods, and a tasting of pastitsio, a Greek baked pasta dish.

Participants were invited to join half a dozen workshops, including Chinese calligraphy, Colombian dance, and Lotería, a popular game played in Latin America. The evening culminated with six performances in Founders Hall that included the Kotokoli cultural dance from Togo, West Africa; Ghagra, an Indian dance performance; and flamenco, a dance from southern Spain.

“Culture can be anything from religion and language to customs and traditions—anything that is passed down from generation to generation. For example, there was an LGBTQ+ culture table and a Francophone table,” said Taylor Kanemori, director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. “One goal of this annual event is to remind our community that everyone has a culture. Celebrating our differences, whether grand or subtle, fosters understanding and belonging, and makes our community stronger.”

“One goal of this annual event is to remind our community that everyone has a culture. Celebrating our differences, whether grand or subtle, fosters understanding and belonging, and makes our community stronger.”

–Taylor Kanemori

Within UPrep classrooms, students run with their minds. Every day, outstanding teaching and learning take place both on campus and in the world beyond our walls. The following Show Your Work article highlights how our educators foster academic growth, creativity, and curiosity in their students. First, you’ll read about an 8th grade English class where students learn how to create a complete plot, develop editing skills, and receive and give feedback with their peers. The second example focuses on the Upper School Yearbook class where students hone communication, design, and collaboration skills as they create the 2022–2023 UPrep yearbook.

Learning Editing Skills in Writers’ Groups

The Class: Eighth Grade English

English 8 incorporates vocabulary and grammar study, creative and expository writing, and the reading of classical and contemporary literature. Students study vocabulary drawn from the texts used and the genres encountered in the course, learn about voice and tense of verbs, and examine sentence structure. In addition to practicing different modes of expository writing, students write poetry and short stories. Students delve deeply into texts and participate in discussions to demonstrate their understanding.

The Task: Write and Edit a Narrative Story

Each student writes a short narrative/personal memoir moment based on a real experience that they had with an older person that taught them something. The work must include one main character (the student in some form), one or two supporting characters, a complete plot, and descriptive, effective dialogue. The story can only be 600 words long. Students also meet in three- or four-person writers’ groups and edit their work with each other three times during the writing process.

The Outcomes

Initially, this assignment demonstrates students’ understanding of what it takes to make a complete plot, said English Teacher Carrie Niebanck. While reading short stories and the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, they work to identify plot transition points and look closely at descriptive language and the tools writers use to tell a story.

“One story we read hinges on the moment in a third-grade classroom when a girl is told to wear a sweater. I ask the students, ‘Why can a seemingly simple moment have an impact?’” Carrie said. “I want them to take a seed idea that hinges on one moment where they learned something. For example, how do you narrow down a vacation to one specific ten-minute time frame, like a walk. Then they map out a plot around it and write a short narrative.”

While working on the narrative on group days, the students meet in writers’ groups that contain three to four students. Carrie asks the students to let her know one person they would like in their groups that makes them feel safe, and the groups stay the same for the duration of the project. She clearly structures what will happen during each group. “I also model being vulnerable. I write during our free writing time, then I read it out loud and ask, ‘What does my piece need? What do you want to hear more about? What confuses you?’” Carrie said.

She also reads their writing while they write in class. Then she might interrupt them and read a sentence out loud and tell them what she likes about that sentence. She thinks it’s helpful for students to know they will get both specific compliments and constructive criticism in their small group.

Student Isla Maron said the first and second writers’ groups were the most helpful for her process. During the first one, they talked through the plotlines of their stories before they wrote them, which helped her map her story. At the second one, they read their drafts out loud and received feedback from each other. “Doing this helped me identify problems with my story, like the over-usage of starting sentences with the word ‘I’ that I may not have caught otherwise,” she said. “People also told me what confused them in the story, so I knew where I needed to explain things more.”

Student Amara Kavoussi-Koerner said the rule about not defending your story after someone gives you feedback was helpful. “Ms. Niebanck told us to just take the feedback for yourself. You’re not writing it for them. You can hear their comments and then decide what you want to change yourself,” she said. “Getting feedback helped me become more comfortable with sharing my work, especially with a personal piece of writing. Probably everyone was a little uncomfortable, but I knew they were not judging me but trying to help me.”

During the third writers’ group, the students used a Revising Game Board that has 12 rectangles with either instructions or hyperlinks to websites that can help them revise and improve their narratives.

GET TO KNOW ENGLISH TEACHER CARRIE NIEBANCK

Since age seven, Carrie has known she was going to be a teacher. As a young person, she felt welcome and engaged in her schooling. She attended a cooperative learning program in the ’70s in central California that had three grade levels in one open classroom. As a teacher for the past 20 years, Carrie has strived to create that same ease and engagement with knowledge with her students. She’s taught in Mali, Venezuela, and a boarding school on a farm in upstate New York, where she and the students would collect eggs, groom horses, and feed the sheep every morning. “I started out as a theatre teacher,” said Carrie, who earned her BA in sociology at Oberlin College and her Master of Education at Seattle University. “In both theatre and English classes, young people have a pathway to express themselves creatively and think analytically. I believe you can know and invent yourself, evolve, and get to know other people through playing with words, telling, reading, and writing stories.”

For example, one tool checks how often they start sentences with the same words. Another tool has them record their story so they can listen to it, since listening to your work can help you decide what needs editing. The Hemingway app helps users make their writing bold and clear. “This game board gives them choices for revising their pieces and multiple ways to edit. I want them to finish Middle School with a variety of tools they can use for writing in high school, including one another,” Carrie said.

Isla also liked the fact that they could add creative, made-up details to their true stories. “I didn’t think I would like writing about myself that much, but this project helped me discover that writing about myself is easy,” she said. “I can write whatever I want without feeling like I am putting words in someone else’s mouth. Many of the little details in my story are not factual, and I could create dramatic dialogue that never happened and dramatize what was dull to be vibrant and captivating. The endless possibilities are addictive.”

Honing Design, Communication, and Collaboration Skills

The Class: Upper School Yearbook Class

This class introduces students to layout, design, and photography. They acquire advanced skills in appropriate computer applications to create and publish the school’s yearbook. Students are required to photograph events outside of class time. Students are encouraged to take the course for the full year, and they may take the course more than once and advance to more responsible positions on the yearbook staff each year.

The Task: Design and Create Spreads for the 2022–2023 Yearbook

In five-week cycles, students design two-page spreads for the yearbook. They are assigned the pages by the three student editors, who manage the creation of the yearbook (and many class sessions) with the help of Journalism Teacher Scott Collins. Students use design elements to create pages that grab readers’ attention, write short stories and captions that tell stories, and collaborate with design partners, the photo editor, the copy editor, and the editors as they refine and complete their spreads.

The Outcomes

In this class, students are putting out an actual product that everybody in school is going to see, said Scott. “While working on a publication, they learn how to manage time, communicate and collaborate with other people, think critically, and take an introspective look at their community while making sure the book represents everyone at UPrep,” he said. “It’s great if they learn design skills and how to write good captions, but all of them will have jobs someday where they work with other people, and that’s what I hope to prepare them for. They will use these skills regardless of their career path.”

Junior Wynne Johnson said she’s learned Photoshop and design techniques that she uses to elevate her projects in other classes, but she is most appreciative of how much this class has taught her about working with other people, including giving people feedback. “I’ve learned that communication is the key to collaboration,” she said.

Junior Alexa Carlisle said she’s learned how to receive and give honest feedback. “The deadlines in this class matter. If you don’t get your copy editor the copy in time, they can’t copyedit it,” she said.

Alexa and Wynne worked on 21 pages for this design cycle, finding and writing short stories on the pages that contain the school photos of students, faculty, and staff. Alexa also discovered that there is so much diversity within the UPrep community. “I used to think everyone does similar activities and has the same routines, but I interviewed a student who wants to be an astronaut and students who bike to school,” she said.

After taking the class as both an eighth grader and a sophomore, junior Kian Baghai is the photo editor for the 2022–2023 yearbook. “I think the facial expression in a photo and the emotion displayed can tell a story, and then the caption builds on that story,” he said. Along with his photo editor duties, Kian designed the Halloween spread during this five-week cycle. “Choosing the dominant photo to represent the day’s events was tough,” he said. “I picked a photo from the ‘Thriller’ dance performance put on by students, faculty, and staff because that’s the most traditional part of the UPrep Halloween celebration, and some of the faculty and staff danced with students for the first time this year.”

Like all the students, Kian communicated about the design and stories on his spread as he created it with his assigned editor. “I communicated with Max [Rubenstein, 12th grade] frequently. I sent my ideas and designs to him, and we had an ongoing conversation. I’ve learned not to get defensive when an editor tells me what they think,” he said. “You have to learn to take the teaching in a good way and apply the critiques where you feel it works best.”

This ability to dialogue respectfully with other students to create a finished product that everyone in the class is proud to hand to students in the spring is one of Scott’s main goals. “In the end, I want them to be proud of what they produce,” he said. “I try to give them a lot of editorial independence, so they feel real ownership of their work.” ■

GET TO KNOW JOURNALISM TEACHER SCOTT COLLINS

When Scott was working as a television news producer in Portland, an anchor he was working with decided to get her teaching certificate. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s what I want to do. I’m so jealous!’” he said. That realization led Scott to earn his Master of Education at University of Oregon. (He earned his BA in journalism at the University of Missouri.) After teaching in Eugene, Oregon, and Raytown, Missouri, he arrived at UPrep in 2017. He has also led sessions on video journalism at national conventions. Scott loves that he teaches both Middle and Upper School students and sees students evolve throughout their time at UPrep. “I like building relationships with the students— learning how they see things and who they are as people. It keeps me young,” Scott said.

Catching Up with Alumni on the East Coast

BY CLAIRE FALLAT, DEVELOPMENT ENGAGEMENT AND ALUMNI MANAGER

This fall, I traveled with Head of School Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau to New York City and Washington, D.C., to meet our alumni living on the East Coast. During these trips, we connected with young alums who graduated between 2008 and 2020.

Meeting these alums highlighted how our Pumas, as global citizens, go on to thrive in a variety of environments, careers, colleges, and universities. While the alumni we met are all pursuing different callings, they each attended the events excited and ready to share memories from their time as students and to learn about what is happening on campus today.

During the New York City gathering, we were impressed to learn that every alum in attendance is pursuing a career that they hadn’t considered when they were in high school. In D.C., Ronnie and I were struck by the fact that the majority of the alums in attendance had gone on at least one school-sponsored international trip during their time as students.

At both events, alumni reminisced about many of their favorite teachers and assignments and shared what aspects of their UPrep education have stayed with them in the years since graduation. Multiple people credited the Fine Arts Department with helping them find their passion, the Mock Trial Club with growing their confidence and public speaking skills, and the History Department with developing their critical thinking skills. They all emphasized that their time at UPrep taught them to be strong self-advocates. I was impressed with the warmth, the sense of belonging, and the strength of community that our alumni displayed as we gathered together.

After our trips, we were able to catch up with a few of the alums. Here’s what they had to say about how their experiences at UPrep affect their lives today.

Alumni, two staff members, and our head of school in New York City; alumni, two staff members, and our head of school in Washington, D.C.

Jacob Iglitzin ’15 is completing the Musical Theatre Writers Collective program, a two-year educational program for emerging musical theatre writers, composers, and directors that is housed at the Dramatists Guild of America in New York City. He’s focused primarily on lyric writing and is currently writing a full-length musical with another student. After they complete the program in May, they will try to get readings of the script around town. In 2019, Jacob graduated from Columbia University with a BA in European history.

How did UPrep prepare you for your career?

The clearest throughline was participating in shows with teachers Paul Fleming, Meleesa Wyatt, Tim Blok, and Jess Klein. On the other hand, you don’t know what you are interested in until you have the opportunity. When I did a scene from Macbeth in the Shake Hands with Shakespeare Club in 6th grade, I realized I enjoyed being on the stage. It’s not like I knew I wanted to write musicals for a living, but when I am writing now, I am trying to put myself into the minds of the people who will say these words, and I’m constantly drawing on my theatre experiences at UPrep.

What do you still carry with you from UPrep?

Some of these things are quite specific, like my ability to conduct historical research and literary analysis. I’m in the process of trying to develop my own writing style, but I first learned about concise language and clarity of thought at UPrep. I also learned about the

relationships between different disciplines, and that philosophy, literature, history, religion, and science feed each other and are not siloed disciplines. For me, theatre is the vehicle where I explore these relationships and ideas. I also carry my friends with me, including the group of alums who are involved in theatre in New York City and new people I meet at alumni events whom I share an immediate understanding and point of reference with through UPrep.

Where did you belong at UPrep?

I belonged to a number of activities and places, including Mock Trial Club, my French language classes, and a lot of my humanities and history classes. Belonging to the Opera Club, run by Mr. Grant, was formative; we saw operas together at Seattle Opera. The physical place where I felt like I most belonged was Founders Hall and the Fine Arts basement area—I moved between the yoga and dance class spaces, the music rooms where I practiced piano, the dressing rooms, and the stage in Founders Hall.

“I’m in the process of trying to develop my own writing style, but I first learned about concise language and clarity of thought at UPrep.”

Top row, from left to right: Jacob; with his team for the reading of his one-act musical; at the summer 2019 Alumni Party. Bottom row: Both photos are from a Suessical performance at UPrep.

Kai Milici ’16 is a strategy and consulting senior analyst at Accenture Federal Services in Washington, D.C. There she works on projects that help federal agencies operate more effectively and address any number of executive orders and initiatives, including ones that prioritize equity and sustainability. In 2021, she graduated from Middlebury College with a BA in geography and political science. Kai also spent eight months in Ecuador in a gap-year program run by Global Citizen Year.

How did UPrep prepare you for your career?

UPrep provides good mentorship opportunities for students. I was encouraged to really get to know my teachers and activity leaders. When you have the expectation that you are going to have mentors in academic or professional settings, you seek out mentorship wherever you go. Through asking questions and learning from these mentors, you become successful. Making good connections and finding opportunities for myself comes naturally to me now, after having it be such an integral part of the UPrep experience.

What do you still carry with you from UPrep?

UPrep students are taught to not think about themselves in a single way. I participated in sports, Mock Trial, and the newspaper. I can connect with a lot of different people because I assume everyone is multifaceted. I think going through life feeling like you aren’t defined by a single thing also helps you be open to trying anything.

Where did you belong at UPrep?

The Athletic Department, in general, is a place that I stayed really close to during my years at UPrep. I ran track and played soccer and I worked at the concessions stand during basketball games from sophomore through senior year. Director of Athletics Ms. Moe creates a community where people feel at home. My coaches also encouraged everyone at every level equally, with no favoritism. I remember that success in track and field was about taking the leap to try new events, and trying your best was enough to garner praise. The Athletic Department put community and belonging at the forefront for me.

“Making good connections and finding opportunities for myself comes naturally to me now, after having it be such an integral part of the UPrep experience.”

Clockwise: Kai and her mom; at the state championship with Isabel Duxbury ’17, Ani Pigott ’19, and Emily Weintraub ’18; with her host family in Buenos Aires; and with Annie Cohen ’16 at a University of Michigan football game.

Nick Sage ’16 is the speechwriter for U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer, the former Democratic majority leader of the House of Representatives. He absolutely loves working on the Hill in Washington, D.C., but still misses Seattle and what he firmly believes is the better of the two Washingtons. Nick graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a BA in government and history in 2020.

How did UPrep prepare you for life beyond UPrep?

Just the other week, I worked on a floor speech for a bill to remove the bust of Dred Scott decision author Chief Justice Roger B. Taney from the Capitol and to commission one of Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice. I distinctly remember working on a project in a history class with Mr. Grant that examined the Dred Scott Supreme Court case. That context and familiarity with the case enabled me to dive headfirst into the speech without much need for background research.

I discovered my love of history at UPrep. The entire History Department was fantastic. And although I do not have any artistic talent, I can always say I won a “Dancing with the Stars” competition with Mr. Grant. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was laying the building blocks of my speechwriting skill set through my classes and activities at UPrep. That includes writing and delivering my first speeches: one for a Veterans Day Assembly and another one for the commencement ceremony.

What do you still carry with you from UPrep?

Curiosity and empathy. These traits are helpful in anyone’s life. These traits enhanced my college experience, and they are important for speechwriting, too. UPrep also challenges students intellectually. I always appreciated the opportunity to talk with my peers and teachers about what was in the news, both in classes and in Community Conversations [now called LEAD]. Most importantly, I cherish the lifelong friendships I forged during my seven years at UPrep.

Where did you belong at UPrep?

I belonged in the Library. There is one corner of the Library where my friends and I ate lunch every day, and I spent free periods there, as well. I really felt that same sense of belonging within the History Department. UPrep was a great place to explore interests. I appreciate how UPrep accommodates a wide variety of students and their interests. My older brother [Jackson ’14] cultivated his quantitative side and I cultivated my qualitative side. ■

“I didn’t know it at the time, but I was laying the building blocks of my speechwriting skill set through my classes and activities at UPrep.”

Clockwise, from upper left: Nick during his senior year with friends at Gasworks Park; with U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer; volunteering with Habitat for Humanity during a UPrep Service Day; and at Congressman Hoyer’s former office.

In the Arts

Upper School Musical

In November, the Upper School Play Production and Stagecraft classes presented Mamma Mia!, the musical based on Swedish pop-rock group ABBA’s immortal, sing-along-inducing music. Twenty-six acting students composed a high-energy acting, singing, and dancing ensemble. The set, a taverna on a mythical Greek island, was designed and built by 21 talented stagecraft students who also ran crew for the sold-out November 17–19 production. The play came to life under the direction of faculty members Jess Klein, choreographer; Tim Blok, musical director; Bretta Ballou Ringo, design and stagecraft; and Paul Fleming, production director. “Mamma Mia! is a crowd favorite; there was so much enthusiasm for it,” said Paul. “It was the perfect show to continue our theatre program’s post-Covid bounce-back.”

Following the final performance, members of the cast, Upper School Director Joel Sohn, and Fine Arts Department Chair Jason Parker paid tribute to Paul, who announced this year that he will retire in spring 2023 after 42 years of teaching at UPrep. Plans are underway to celebrate and thank Paul this spring.

Middle School Play

On December 8, the Middle School Theatre Program brought the beloved classic The Little Prince to Founders Hall. Written in 1943 by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, this imaginative fairy tale tells the story of a pilot who crashes into the Sahara Desert and meets a gleeful and spirited little prince who shares stories of his intergalactic travels. Adapted by composer Rick Cummins and playwright/lyricist John Scoullar, the UPrep production included a cast of six students. The set of the Sahara was created by the Middle School Stagecraft class and included sand dunes, an airplane, and several planets.

Visual Arts Showcases and Musical Performances

On December 9, students from Visual Art, Sculpture, Photography, and Graphic Design classes shared their work produced during fall semester with family and community members. Artworks were displayed in galleries throughout the main front hallway, Lower Commons, and Visual Arts classrooms. Student artists were on-hand to discuss their projects and answer questions.

Following the showcase, the Upper School Winter Lights concert took place in Founders Hall. The Chamber Orchestra performed Handel Concerto Grosso in B-flat Major, Opus 3, NO. 1 with soloists Max Bolen, 11th grade, on oboe and Ellie Assadi, 11th grade, on first violin, and Symphony NO. 4 in G Minor, K. 550. The Intermediate Jazz Ensemble performed four pieces, including “Second Line” (Joe Avery’s Blues), “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Mercy Mercy Mercy,” and “Groove Merchant.” The Varsity Jazz Ensemble closed out the concert with “Let’s Play One,” “Blue Bossa,” “The Sidewinder,” “Spain,” and “Cubano Chant.”

The Middle School Visual Arts Show Case and Winter Lights Concert took place on December 15. Artists from the Sixth-Grade Fine Arts Rotation, Art Foundations, and Photography classes shared works they were most proud of with family and friends. The student artists took a turn at modified line drawings, experimented with how color can be used to represent meaning, and explored how sound inspires visual art. The concert in Founders Hall featured 114 wind, brass, percussion, and string players and a passel of vocalists. Musical highlights included Sakura Sakura, a Japanese folk song arranged by John Higgins and performed by Orchestra and Band I (winds, brass, and percussion), and the classic Ode to Joy by L. van Beethoven (strings). Orchestra and Band II (winds and brass) rocked the house with Eye of the Tiger by Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan III and Snow Ride by David Bobrowitz (strings). The Middle School Orchestra delighted listeners with Polar Express by Ballard and Silvestri. Vocalists rounded out the evening with Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing from Stevie Wonder and Blue Skies by Irving Berlin.

ONCE A PUMA, ALWAYS A PUMA

Athletics in Review

BY REBECCA MOE, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

This fall, we had more than 350 Pumas participate on one of our 24 teams. Our students competed in approximately 167 games, contests, and meets, traveling throughout the Seattle and King County area. While the smoke provided unique challenges for our coaches, players, and Athletics Department, our Pumas rallied and demonstrated grace and flexibility while dealing with air quality and rescheduled competitions. Most of our varsity teams advanced in their playoff structure, and the future looks bright for our fall teams next year. My favorite highlight was our student fans who eagerly attended games. Thank you to the ASB for their efforts to seek opportunities to support our teams and reenergize our fan base.

Congratulations, Seniors!

We celebrated 29 seniors whose participation ranged from one to seven seasons with their sport.

BOYS TENNIS

Carter Cast, Will Cast, Trevor Zell

BOYS ULTIMATE

Josh Amador, Jack Basinski, Henry Curran, Landry Ellis, Peter Kong, Charles Luu, Ethan Matsubayashi

BOYS AND GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Luca Callari, Haley Hoffman, Diego Rubiralta, Emma Serralles, Ashutosh Thapa, Sophie Ziedalski

GIRLS SOCCER

Ella Griffin, Payton Habel, Charlotte Pozil, Mia Predmore, Katherine Jackson

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Shay Cornelius-Shears, Claire Crawford, Mira Hinkel, Alice Kauffman, Sophia Mahon, Loobna Shego, Paige Thoreson, Annabel Wickham

FALL EMERALD SOUND ALL CONFERENCE AWARDS

BOYS ULTIMATE

Honorable Mention: Josh Amador

GIRLS SOCCER

First Team: Eliza Barton

Honorable Mention: Payton Habel Team Sportsmanship Award

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

First Team: Annie Sjolander

Honorable Mention: Maddie Takamiya, Annabel Wickham

Coaches of the Year: Jonathan Kim, Leilani Moody

Middle School Wrap-Up

BY JONATHAN KIM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Our philosophy for UPrep Middle School athletics is building community through playing sports while also competitively competing with our classmates in our league. UPrep Middle School athletics had more than 190 students participate this fall. These student-athletes were spread among six soccer teams, four volleyball teams, and a cross country team. We also had 16 coaches, 12 of whom were faculty and staff. Our Pumas competed in more than 60 games and events as part of the Crosstown Middle School League that includes our peer schools.

Our soccer players excelled on the field with a winning record. Volleyball saw a record number of players, with more than 70 girls participating in this sport. Our cross country team won multiple meets. We are so proud of how our Pumas competed in these events. Still, we are prouder of how they handled themselves in the heat of competition: with sportsmanship and as good teammates who supported everyone participating in the game or race.

The Winter Season Is Underway

Basketball season runs from November to February. It’s exciting to watch Pumas of all ages take to the court and represent our school. Many varsity teams play non-league games over winter break, and they are an important part of team program building. This season, UPrep hosted its first Winter Holiday Tournament, on December 28 and 29. UPrep welcomed several schools to the Pumadome: Charles Wright Academy, Vashon Island High School, Muckleshoot Tribal School, Olympic High School, and Bellevue Christian School. Four games were played each day during this fun competition. It was great to see many families and alumni in attendance. We look forward to hosting again next winter and inviting more alumni to come cheer on the Pumas!

Coaches Corner

BY NICOLE HARRIS, VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER HEAD COACH AND PE TEACHER

For students in high school, it is always advised to get involved in co-curricular activities. You meet new people, you get to work out of your comfort zone in a safe and fun environment, and you can pursue your passions without having to put a grade on them. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since joining the UPrep community, it’s that this advice applies just as much, if not more, to staff. Being on the coaching staff at UPrep allows me to be part of a community that extends outside the walls of our school. Whether it’s going for walks to help clear our minds, running a session or drill idea by someone, or showing up to watch each other’s teams play, there’s always someone willing to listen and share ideas with on the coaching staff. Replacing a coach who had been with the team for roughly 30 years was admittedly quite intimidating for me, but since day one I’ve felt nothing but support,

encouragement, and a true sense of community from both the players and UPrep athletic staff members.

I’m also grateful for the opportunity to build relationships with the players. Most coaches would agree, these are the best relationships to build—as the players continue to push me to try new things and make me a better coach every day. Coming off club soccer coaching, it was refreshing to be able to exist in both the students’ school and sport communities. This allowed me to see the ways in which those two environments interact with each other. The players enjoyed popping by my office or saying hi in the hallways, and I got to remind them that they are student-athletes, and to support them in balancing their school and sport lives. A few of my favorite memories from the season were attending a University of Washington soccer game, having team dinners after games, and joining in with the players by participating in dressing up on game days. Everyone agrees that participating in a sport teaches you so much more than how to play the game. Joining the UPrep community this fall reminded me that this idea applies to us coaches as well!

Faculty and Staff News

Nancy Schatz Alton, Writer and Editor, was invited to write a section for The School Blogging Toolkit, a handbook created by Finalsite, a school website platform that partners with more than 8,000 schools in nearly every U.S. state and 115 countries.

Meg Anderson-Johnston, Assistant Director of Upper School, was a facilitator for the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) People of Color Conference this past fall. She also presented a session with Emily Schorr Lesnick, Director of Social Emotional Learning, entitled “Teaching Leadership: Imagining, Organizing, and Running a Summit for Student Leaders” at the ISEEN (Independent Schools Experiential Education Programs) Winter Institute in January.

Kelly Herrington, Director of College Counseling and Student Services, serves on the admission advisory boards for Bryn Mawr College, Grinnell College, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is also a board member for College Possible Washington, an organization dedicated to college access for low-income students of color in Seattle and south King County. Kelly is in his 18th year of volunteering for Hamilton Scholars, a national leadership and educational access program for historically underrepresented students.

Mary Beth Lambert, Director of Marketing and Communications, was invited to join the United Way of King County Brant Enhancement Committee, composed of United Way board members and marketing executives from Seattle companies and nonprofit organizations.

Emily Schorr Lesnick, Director of Social Emotional Learning, received the Ernest McAneny Alumni Spirit Award from Riverdale Head of School Dominic A.A. Randolph this fall. She graduated from Riverdale in 2007.

Catherine McNutt, Annual Giving Manager, presented to development professionals from around the country at the annual CASE-NAIS (Council for Advancement and Support of Education-National Association of Independent Schools) Independent School Conference in January. She shared how our parent and guardian volunteers, along with our generous community, help the Puma Fund achieve such incredible results.

Andrea Moore, Counselor, and Matthew Palubinskas, Science Teacher, welcomed Zara Jaymes Palubinskas on July 30, 2022.

Matthew Palubinskas, Science Teacher, became the director of CPR Seattle Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness Responder programs in fall 2021. As director, he’s updated curriculum and equipment, expanded their wilderness medicine courses, and onboarded many new instructors. This winter (on the weekends), Matt is volunteering as an EMT for Mount Rainier National Park; the national park requested highly trained and experienced volunteer EMTs from Washington state’s mountain rescue units in order to keep the park open to skiers, snowshoers, climbers, and recreationalists this season. While working for the Park Service in the winter is a new experience, he’s assisted park personnel with patrols and numerous rescues during summers.

Joel Sohn, Director of Upper School, was a facilitator for the NAIS People of Color Conference this past fall. He was also a facilitator at the ISEEN Winter institute in January and a member of the think tank that planned the February NAIS Annual Conference and will be a presenter at the AsEA (Asian Educators Alliance) Conference in April.

Emily Schorr Lesnick with her dad, partner Dr. Jamila Humphrie Silver, and baby Freddie. Photo credit: Jim Anness

Matthew Palubinskas, on the right, during a rescue on Glacier Peak

Ty Talbot, Visual Arts Teacher, exhibited 30 paintings in a show at Jellyfish Brewing in Georgetown this past fall. The series “Grab a Beer” was inspired by one of his favorite painters, Edouard Manet. In a show of Manet’s work, he noticed the occasional glass of beer, painted beautifully. This inspired Ty to do a series of paintings of beer, noting that when a friend asks another friend to “grab a beer,” they’re basically saying, “I love you.” You can see photos of the series at www.tytalbot.com.

THE “THRILLER” DANCE TRADITION EVOLVES

Susie Wu, Middle School Director, was recently interviewed by ParentMap magazine for an article on their website. The resulting Q&A is entitled “Cultivating Confidence and Leadership Skills in the Middle School Years.”

Last fall, Dance Teacher Jess Klein invited faculty and staff to learn the last minute of the “Thriller” dance so they could perform with students during the dance performance at the various Halloween Assemblies. Several faculty and staff members practiced with Jess—and sometimes students— and then joined students onstage during three performances on October 31. Faculty and staff hope this new tradition continues in the years to come.

Faculty and Staff Attend 2022 People of Color Conference

Thirteen faculty and staff members attended the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference (PoCC) held in San Antonio, Texas, November 30 to December 3. They joined more than 7,800 educators and students at the 35th annual PoCC and the 29th annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). Both conferences included keynote speakers, practitioner-led workshops, affinity group work, and dialogue sessions. Director of Upper School Joel Sohn was part of a panel presentation entitled “BTS: How the World’s Biggest Band Is Changing the Landscape of Inclusion and Belonging.” English Teacher Alana Kaholokula helped organize and was part of “This Is What Indigenous Looks Like,” a panel that included many voices from the Indigenous affinity space

There was this feeling of appreciation and gratitude to be in fellowship with people from all over the country, said Ed Billingslea, assistant head of school for academics. “Authenticity kept coming up and we talked about code-switching [adjusting one’s appearance and behavior to optimize another person’s comfort]. For me, this led to reflecting on my own transparency about who I am, from my interests to how my experiences shaped me. Truthfully, I started wearing my earrings upon my return to UPrep, and it has made me feel more authentic, like this is my space, too,” Ed said. “The conference allowed me to be proud of what I have accomplished so far, and to believe that I can be professional with my own sense of flair.”

The conference also made Ed think about how students are also questioning their identity, their character, and their beliefs. “We talked about the difficult world our students of color live in now and how we can support their journeys. I always tell myself I am here for all students. The reality is that I need to help ensure that everyone can bring their whole selves to school and that there is a space for them here to be themselves. I was able to reflect and recommit myself to put action to my words that I am here for all students,” Ed said.

History Teacher Cindy Chavez said the most meaningful part of PoCC for her was getting to hear what the UPrep students shared at the end of the conference. “They had separate programming, so they led us in a discussion about all the things they learned at SDLC,” Cindy said. “This experience seemed as important to them as it was to us, and I left that conversation feeling more connected and intentional about my relationship to the UPrep community.”

Math Teacher Lourdes Gutierrez said the conference filled her with feelings of empowerment and awe. “The guest speakers are phenomenal leaders whose captivating stories not only take you on a roller coaster of emotions but impress upon listeners the urgency to right the wrongs of the world,” Lourdes said. “Their compelling messages of overcoming adversity, changing national laws, and uplifting their communities left attendees feeling inspired and eager to effect change in their schools and regions.”

Puma Fund Volunteers

Thank you to our stellar volunteers for making this effort possible!

CO-CHAIRS

Nicole and Rishi Mirchandani

Lissa and Steven Armato

CLASS AGENTS

Becky Aronchick

Mary Balmaceda

Andrea Basinski

Margaret Bolger

Cara Butcher

Chris Butcher

Linda Chou

Lara Constable

Krysia Johnson

Sandy Margoles

Kara Mattaini

Sarah Miller

Rachel Pesando

Kate Riley

Carrie Rosenthal

Allison Schuchart

Amy Smith

Lisa Stiffler

Jenna Sylvester

Robin Waterman

Betsy Webb

Heather Zorn

Challenge Match

Puma Fund: A Community-Wide Success!

BY CATHERINE MCNUTT, ANNUAL GIVING MANAGER

Once again, our generous donors stepped up and helped us reach our ambitious Puma Fund goal this fall. Thank you to the 680 families who prioritized the Puma Fund and recognize the impact it has on the education of all our students. Thanks to support from parents and guardians, faculty and staff, trustees, alumni, grandparents, and more, we raised $1,135,409 and achieved 85 percent participation from our families during the five-week Puma Fund. This year, our donors helped facilitate the return of Global Link trips, gave students a chance to connect during all grade-level retreats, and brought the community together during festive events. The Puma Fund helps make all this possible!

Total Community Giving to Date

An early group of motivated families created our annual challenge match. The first 60 gifts of $3,500 or more were matched with an additional $3,500. Their generosity inspired: • 84 gifts of $3,500 or more • 8 new families gave $3,500 or more • 19 families increased their giving to activate the match

There’s Still Time

If you haven’t made your gift, there’s still time! Make a gift or pledge online today at supportuprep.org to benefit all our Pumas. Pledges made now can be paid anytime through June 30, 2023.

Alumni News

BY CLAIRE FALLAT, DEVELOPMENT ENGAGEMENT AND ALUMNI MANAGER

An Exciting Fall for Alumni Events!

The Alumni Association has been busy hosting events both here in Seattle and on the East Coast. We kicked off the fall by celebrating the 10-year reunion for the Class of 2012 at Bickersons Brewhouse in Ballard. It was a fun event that celebrated friendships and connections, with surprise guest appearances by faculty members Moses Rifkin and Kelly Herrington. Ronnie and I also traveled to the East Coast in October and November and had opportunities to meet alums who graduated between 2008 and 2020; see more about these events on page 22. In January, we hosted an Alumni Back-to-School Night and we had 41 alumni, teachers, and community members return to campus to play pickleball in the Pumadome, reconnect with beloved teachers and favorite classes, and get a sneak peek at some of what the new ULab will facilitate for Upper School students. I have loved meeting so many of you in person over the past few months and I look forward to seeing you all at more events in the future.

Mark Your Calendars: Alumni Reunion Event 2023

On Saturday, June 10, 2023, all alumni are invited to return to campus for our Alumni Reunion! Classes ending in the number three will receive a special invite to celebrate their 10th, 20th, 30th, and 40th reunions. We will have games, food, drinks, tours of campus (including details about our new ULab building slated to open in the fall), and more! If you’re a member of the class of 1983, 1993, 2003, 2013, or 2018, and you would like to be involved in planning your reunion celebration, please email me at cfallat@universityprep.org.

GET INVOLVED!

We have many opportunities for you to get involved with UPrep outside of our events. Consider volunteering as a guest speaker or LaunchPad mentor, assisting as a coach for one of our teams, or joining the Alumni Board. If you’re interested in learning more about any of these opportunities, please email alumni@universityprep.org.

Upper left and right: Alumni from the classes of 1985–2022 returned to campus in January for our Alumni Back-to-School Night, where they reconnected with former teachers and enjoyed a variety of activities. Lower left: Members of the class of 2012 gathered in September at Bickersons Brewhouse in Ballard to celebrate their 10-year reunion.

Class Notes

Sarah McGregor Horner ’84

In May, I joined Left Coast Estate Winery as director of marketing, communications, and consumer experience, marking 18 years in the Oregon wine industry! I connect regularly with fellow class of ’84 alums Cathy Faulkner, Julie Keaton, and Debbie Roby, and love our virtual happy hours! Best of all, I became a grandma on April 3. Being a nana is a dream come true!

Sydney Gillman Wissel ’93

Kneil and I have moved our family to a park-like 10 acres outside Spokane, where I have built a large garden and tend to five acres of native forest for the local critters. I am in my second year of serving as the chair of the Spokane County Libertarian Party, with which I affiliated in 2021. Three mornings a week, my teenage daughter and I volunteer at a local food bank. I’ve been inspired to make several stained-glass mosaic portraits this past year. My dad downsized and brought me a glass mosaic I’d made as part of a Winter Opportunities class and it reminded me what a fun challenge it is to break some glass and turn it into something glorious. In case you are curious, here is a link to my Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/Squidburg.

Erica (Perkins) Jasper ’97

In late October, Susan Hale ’97 and I hiked the rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon. We braved an early-season snowstorm to hike down the South Kaibab Trail across the Colorado River and up the Bright Angel Trail.

Teresa

K. Miller ’00

I appeared on the podcast Wild Precious Life to talk about the theme of intangible inheritance in my National Poetry Series–winning collection, Borderline Fortune. Links to that episode, an interview on NPR’s Bookworm, a conversation with Pulitzer Prize winner Forrest Gander, and other recordings are available at teresakmiller.net/media.

Madeline (Dow) Pennington ’01

As a newly ordained wedding officiant (thank you, internet), I had the honor of officiating the marriage of fellow alum and dear friend Adam Glant ’01 and Josh Lackey in September 2022. The intimate wedding at Canlis included UPrep alumni guests Ian Gallaher ’01 and Ashley (Locke) Bede ’01. Many wonderful memories and hilarious toasts were shared over the wedding weekend, thanks to nearly 30 years of friendship! Pictured at top, left to right: Josh Lackey, Madeline Dow Pennington ’01, Adam Glant ’01, Ian Gallaher ’01.

Sam Spector ’07 and Katelin Roberts ’07

I hope everyone is well! I wanted to share a cool alumni story! I live in Utah now and our governor put together a delegation for a trade mission with Israel and the UAE [United Arab Emirates].

As a rabbi in Salt Lake City, I was honored to be a part of his delegation but was more thrilled to see that another person on the delegation was Katelin Roberts, also from the class of 2007! University Prep was easily the best-represented high school on the governor’s trade mission.

Madeline (Dow) Pennington ’01

Sydney Gillman Wissel ’93 Erica (Perkins) Jasper ’97

Sarah McGregor Horner ’84 Sam Spector ’07 and Katelin Roberts ’07

Hailey

Bobin Cole ’08 and Matt Cole ’09

Matt Cole ’09 and I are elated to share that we welcomed our son Jefferson “Jac” Ace Cole this past winter! Jac is named in memory of my father and in celebration of Matt’s dad. Though he doesn’t have much insight into the matter, we hope to make him proud as we both progress in our respective careers: Matt in regional sales leadership at DocuSign and myself as a nurse practitioner with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Leading up to the pandemic, while still in my doctoral program, I was invited to be an assistant coach for the UPrep girl’s soccer team alongside Alec Duxbury ’86 and Katie Schoene Abel ’03. It was such a pleasure to work with talented coaches, and the young women we had the privilege to coach were truly inspiring. I can’t wait to see what they all get up to in the future! Wishing everyone a lovely start to the year!

Drew

Blundell ’10

2022 was a big year! I recently graduated from the MBA program at UW Foster, which meant a move back to Seattle in 2020. I’m now working at Microsoft in product marketing. I also married Caitlin, and we added a puppy to our family in December. It has been great reconnecting with many Pumas in the area over the last two years. I can’t wait for more meetups with local Pumas!

Kaustubh

Deo ’12

I recently moved back to Seattle (just in time for our 10-year reunion) because I acquired a local residential tree service from its retiring owner. The company is called Blooma Tree Experts

(www.bloomatree.com), and I’m running the business day-to-day as an owner-operator. I’m enjoying the new challenge and life change! It’s been amazing to be back home in Seattle and reconnect with old friends from UPrep. Looking forward to seeing more folks at upcoming alumni events now that I’m local again! The picture includes, from left to right, James Pabiniak ’12, Kaustubh Deo ’12, Anthony Dario ’12, Max Zaslove ’12, Sarah Afromowitz ’12, Mikey Sylvester ’13, and Will Marks ’12; the women on the far left and the 4th from right are not UPrep alumni.

Mia Dulude ’12

I graduated with my doctorate in physical therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah, on December 9! I am looking forward to starting my career in Salt Lake City, helping people move and live their best lives.

Priyanka Jain ’12

My co-founder and I are so grateful and excited to announce that we were included on the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for consumer technology for the work we’re doing at Evvy. Evvy is on a mission to close the gender health gap by discovering previously overlooked female biomarkers, starting with the vaginal microbiome. Check out the list here https://lnkd.in/e6im_SDG and learn more about Evvy at evvy.com.

Kaustubh Deo ’12

Hailey Bobin Cole ’08 and Matt Cole ’09

Mia Dulude ’12

Teresa K. Miller ’00

Drew Blundell ’10

Priyanka Jain ’12

Jess Zaslove ’18

After graduating from Whitman College, I’m now serving with City Year AmeriCorps in an elementary school in south Seattle. I’m based in a third-grade classroom for the year!

Lucy Day ’20

I am spending this fall semester in Madagascar before I go to Poitiers, France, in the spring! I’m participating in a SIT (School for International Training) program focused on biodiversity and resource management. During my trip, I’ve gotten to visit rain forests, deserts, and the coast to learn about research and conservation efforts happening in those areas. I’ve had the good fortune to observe some of the rarest lemur and bird species on the island. I spent a month this fall conducting my own research on faunal biodiversity in mangrove forests up north. So far, I’ve learned so much about this incredible island and so much about myself, and I still have so much time here. Shoutout to UPrep for fostering my love for travel and adventure and teaching me how to do it meaningfully.

Ursula Sargent ’20

This past fall, I was accepted into the Jazz and Gender Justice Institute at my school, Berklee College of Music. I was placed into the Afro-Futurism/Afro-Electro ensemble, where I play drums. We play music inspired by artists such as Sun Ra and improvise using cymatics (the visible representations of sounds and vibrations). The ensemble director is Val Jeanty, a Haitian turntablist, percussionist, and composer. She is a pioneer of the Afro-Electro genre and teaches us how to improvise around traditional Haitian rhythms. My ensemble also gets to work with the legendary singer Ledisi, who is the guest artist in residence at the institute this semester.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH UPREP!

Have you moved, started a new job, gone back to school, or experienced other exciting life changes in recent months? We’d love to hear what’s new in your world and share your updates with the UPrep community. Send your news and photos to us at alumni@universityprep.org.

Jess Zaslove ’18

Ursula Sargent ’20

Lucy Day ’20

Upcoming Events

Please note that dates may change; check the Family Portal for updates.

Grand Day

Friday, March 10

All grandparents and grandfriends are invited to visit the UPrep campus and experience an afternoon in the life of a UPrep student. Join us to participate in an Assembly featuring student performances and speakers, visit classrooms, take a tour of the campus, enjoy refreshments, and more. Visit bit.ly/grandday23 to learn more and register.

8th Grade Graduation

Thursday, June 8

We look forward to celebrating out 8th grade students as they complete their Middle School years! Our 8th Grade Dean Brian Johnson, the 8th grade advisors, Head of School Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, Middle School Director Susie Wu, and Assistant Director of Middle School Tim Blok will host this celebration on the UPrep campus.

UPrep Together

Friday, March 31

Join us for our annual community celebration and fundraiser in support of our Endowed Financial Aid Fund. You won’t want to miss this festive event! Visit upreptogether.org for more details and to register!

Spring Intensives

Tuesday, May 23–Friday, June 9

Students take one class fulltime during this three-week term. Intensives promote student-led learning, collaboration, off-campus learning opportunities, and community engagement.

Commencement

Monday, June 12

We look forward to the 45th UPrep commencement exercises for the class of 2023 at McCaw Hall, with remarks by a student class speaker, 12th Grade Dean Elena Tello Portoles, Head of School Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, and Director of Upper School Joel Sohn. We hope you will join us in celebrating our seniors before they embark on the next stage of their journeys. Congratulations, Pumas: you are now UPrep alums!

OUR MISSION

University Prep is committed to developing each student’s potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible citizen of the world.