VOL. 4 NO. 2
UPrep SUMMER 2020
MAGAZINE
Coming Together for Community
Lucia McClaren Issy Flack
Rowan Faulkner
Eleanor Bernard Rachel Selby
In this issue: 3
Welcome from the New Head of School
4
Message from Cheryl Scott
5
Building Community during COVID-19 By E-chieh Lin
6
Paying Tribute to Ken Jaffe’s Leadership By Susie Wu
8
Meet New Director of Upper School Joel Sohn By Nancy Schatz Alton
10
Learning Online: How UPrep Successfully Redesigned Classes under COVID-19 By Richard Kassissieh
12
Building Community with New Health and Wellness Endeavors By Nancy Schatz Alton
14
Students Connect and Create Community Online By Nancy Schatz Alton
16
Alumni Help Students through Puma College Connections Program By Kelly Herrington
17
On the Bookshelf By Anne Bingham and Leah Griffin
Lincoln Ferguson
Abby Marschell
OUR MISSION
Ben Pepe
Ava Durbin
Paris Buren
Ty Talbot
Ezra Kucur
University Prep is committed to developing each student’s potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible citizen of the world.
18
27
34
Student Awards
Class Notes
Compiled by Nancy Schatz Alton and Abby Formella
28
37
Faculty and Staff News
Upcoming Events
30
FRONT COVER: Class of 2020, except for student who chose not to include photograph.
We Care About Black Lives
20
Celebrating Our Seniors during the Season That Never Happened By Rebecca Moe
24
Congratulations, Class of 2020! By Kelly Herrington
Virtual Event Inspires Record-Breaking Community Support! By Catherine Blundell
32
Alumni News By Toby Cattolico ‘04
Above photos: Fine Arts Teacher Ty Talbot created an online TASK party for the UPrep community this spring. Visitors picked a creative task from a list, posted documentation of their task, then, ideally, added another task to the ongoing list. This sampling of student artwork from the TASK party includes assignments from Fine Arts classes. UPREP MAGAZINE
1
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Cheryl Scott, PRESIDENT
Andrea Barry-Smith
Patricia Landy
Tori Ragen, VICE PRESIDENT
Adrian Biesecker ‘95
Suzanne McGill
Mark Britton, TREASURER
Geoff Buscher
Sujal Patel
Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, HEAD OF SCHOOL
Charisse Cowan-Pitre,
Laura Domoto
Timothy Richey
SECRETARY
Richard Kassissieh, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL
Elizabeth (Liffy) Franklin
Andrew Selby
Lisa Bontje, PARENT COUNCIL
FOR ACADEMICS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
CO-PRESIDENT
Jason Froggatt ’87
Andrea Thoreson Mandira Virmani
Susan Lansverk, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL
Jennifer Zell, PARENT COUNCIL
Terry Froggatt Michelle Goldberg
Ronnie CodringtonCazeau, HEAD OF SCHOOL
FOR FINANCE AND OPERATIONS
Joel Sohn, DIRECTOR OF UPPER SCHOOL
CO-PRESIDENT
Ric Anderson
Jeanette James
Alma Andrade
Van Katzman
Susie Wu, DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL Catherine Blundell, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
PARENT COUNCIL
Kelly Herrington, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE
Co-Presidents – Lisa Bontje, Jennifer Zell
COUNSELING AND STUDENT SERVICES
Upper School Vice President – Jennifer Sill
Mary Beth Lambert, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Middle School Vice President – Michele Conrad
AND COMMUNICATIONS
Treasurer – Ursula Phelan
E-chieh Lin, DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY AND
Secretary – Elizabeth (Liffy) Franklin
COMMUNITY AND DIRECTOR OF HIRING
Past Executive – Barbara Sniezek
Shavette McGhee, DIRECTOR OF
Advancement Liaison – Kendall Burwell
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
Diversity & Community – Hamsa Abdulle, Danely Landeros Global Programs Liaisons – Belinda Buscher, Kristie Shields
UPrep
M AGAZINE EDITOR Nancy Schatz Alton CONTRIBUTORS Nancy Schatz Alton, Anne Bingham, Catherine Blundell, Toby Cattolico, Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, Leah Griffin, Abby Formella, E-chieh Lin, Kelly Herrington, Richard Kassissieh, Rebecca Moe, Cheryl Scott, Susie Wu
Governance Committee – Myndee Ronning Parent Ambassador Liaisons – Shelly Sage, Stephanie Standifer Parent Education – Mary Fitzgerald, Julie Kang, Kathy Park Parents for the Arts – Dean Carter, Dave Higley, Tina Scott Sports Boosters – Aija Christopher, Alexa Crawford, Julia Guthrie, Gail Ticeson 12th Grade Reps – Matt Frank, Lindsey Hewes, Anju Rao 11th Grade Reps – Mimi Worzel, Sally Wright 10th Grade Reps – Ivy Chen, Quyen Hamilton, Kathryn Wickham 9th Grade Reps – Paige Hansen-Shakar, Krysia Johnson, Jenna Sylvester, Robynn Takamiya 8th Grade Reps – Jennifer Castle, Katrina Strand, Nina Stuyt 7th Grade Reps – Denise Angelone, Hillary McLaughlin, Mara Roth 6th Grade Reps – John Madrid, Michele Miyoshi, Lauren Woodman
PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Blundell, Lisa Bontje, Josh Burke, Paul Dudley, GradImages, Kedzie Moe, Brandon Patoc, Kayla Robertson, Shylynn Rodrigues, Pat Sanford, Kristin Schriver, Kelabe Tewolde, Erica Tillinghast, UPrep Student Publications DESIGNER Anne Bryant Creative © 2020 University Prep 8000 25th Avenue NE | Seattle, WA 98115 206.525.2714 www.universityprep.org UPrep Magazine is published twice yearly by the Communications Office at University Prep. Comments may be sent to the address above, or emailed to: editor@universityprep.org. 2 UPREP MAGAZINE
The victory lap finale at the 2020 University Prep Commencement at Evergreen Speedway on June 19.
Welcome from the New Head of School Dear University Prep Community,
This has been a summer of listening to and learning from the
I am thrilled to finally be joining you as
community in small groups and virtual meetings. I also spent time
your new head of school. Although I cannot greet all of you in person, please know that I am sending virtual handshakes and smiles to all of you. This community is a vibrant and caring environment and that did not change with the move to online learning. I am proud of the work our teachers and administrators did and will continue to do to preserve the connections we all have with you and our students. As a newcomer to the UPrep community who is eager to get to know and partner with each of you, I thought it might be helpful for you to know a bit about me. I am the grandchild and the child of race pioneers. My grandfather J.T. Clark, who was born in 1900 to farmers in rural Guyana, served in World War I as a boot polisher. It was there he met the man who sponsored him— a Black man in the early 1900s—to attend the London School of Economics. He became a barrister, but, unable to practice in London, he moved to Buganda (the largest kingdom in what is now Uganda) to practice law. When he returned to Guyana, he was elected mayor of Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, and served as a lower court magistrate. His daughter, my mother, would later follow in his footsteps, leaving Guyana to study at the London College of Music. Years later, in the late ‘60s, she was the only Black student to get two degrees from the college in classical music. It was in London that she met my father, a British army soldier from Barbados. My father took the officer exam six times before the army would even score it. When they did, he quickly rose through the ranks and was the first Black officer in the British army when he retired in the mid-’70s. My family taught me that even though I will continuously be judged by the color of my skin first, it is my job to keep fighting for justice. I came to University Prep because it was a school founded by seven Seattle pioneers who left their public school teaching jobs to found
listening to and learning from faculty, staff, and administrators in small group and one-on-one sessions. What a remarkable community I am joining! My job, as head of school, will be to nourish, sustain, and grow this already strong school. UPrep is truly a special place and I will build on its unique qualities to guide change. I look forward to learning so much more from all of you during the course of the upcoming school year.
I am proud of the work our teachers and administrators did and will continue to do to preserve the connections we all have with you and our students. As an outside observer, it was remarkable to watch how University Prep teachers jumped into online learning. They engaged their students, met curriculum goals, sustained themselves, and remained positive. I still remember why I became a teacher: It was to interact with and engage students in my classroom. The energy that came from walking through loud hallways, hearing students call my name across campus, and watching a face light up when understanding had been achieved inspired and motivated me to hone my craft. That energy is difficult to re-create online, but our teachers rose to the challenge! I am also proud of the way UPrep parents, trustees, and broader community members jumped in to support our teachers. What a team! The Board of Trustees, the administrative team, teachers, and staff spent time this summer working on a plan for the 2020–2021 reopening of school. Their support of my leadership has only strengthened my vision for what this year will bring. I am so grateful to be here with all of you on this journey to make our community as strong as it can be! With gratitude,
an inclusive and diverse community that would guide students to reach their potential to become intellectually courageous and prepare them to be socially responsible citizens of the world. With all the global and social unrest caused by the onset and effects of COVID-19 and by current racial tensions, I am proud to be at a school preparing students to become socially responsible
Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau HEAD OF SCHOOL
citizens. When they leave UPrep, I hope they will never stop fighting for justice.
UPREP MAGAZINE
3
Dear UPrep Community,
ways. His official roles included assistant head of school, director of
Last fall, the Board of Trustees
the Upper School, Middle School basketball coach, math teacher,
recognized that the 2019–20 academic year would be marked by leadership transitions for our community. As a result, we chose Lila Lohr as our interim head of school for the year based on her vast leadership experience at several exceptional independent schools across the country. As a seasoned head of school who led ten schools before UPrep, Lila understood that UPrep needed to maintain both continuity and momentum during this time of transition. What we couldn’t have known or anticipated was how a global health pandemic would challenge the UPrep community to reconsider and reimagine everything that happens in the daily life of a school. Through this time of online learning and physical distancing, Lila led our community with positivity, resilience, and grace. Her weekly email missives to our community offered us adults the right combination of calm reassurance, parenting insights, and dry humor, while assuring us that we were not alone. As national and local protests erupted following the slaying of George Floyd, Lila brought the community together to rally against bigotry and hate. At our May Board of Trustees meeting, we thanked Lila for her steadfast leadership and commitment to the UPrep community and invited her to return for a future Grandparents and Grandfriends Day. (Next year, Lila has two grandchildren who will attend UPrep.)
student advisor, and parent of an alum (Will Jaffe ‘11). But Ken also held some equally important unofficial roles: UPrep concert and theatre patron, host for several exchange students, Halloween lover (he dressed up as a UPrep student each year), and front door opener/ closer, as he was typically the first to arrive on campus and often the last to leave. When Ken’s colleagues began collecting tributes from students and alums, what they repeatedly heard about was the deep care Ken had for each student and his knack for making students feel known and special. One alum said, “Mr. Jaffe was a true steward of the students.” Those of us who have had the honor and privilege of working with Ken during his UPrep tenure could not agree more. I invite you to read a tribute to Ken from Director of the Middle School Susie Wu on pages 6–7.
Although it’s clear that we have had many changes at the leadership level, a couple of things haven’t changed. Our values and mission are our north star—and they were in continuous use as we navigated this extraordinary year. The constancy of purpose of our remarkable faculty and staff was outstanding, as well. In early February, Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau announced that the search committee for the new director of the Upper School had chosen Joel Sohn. Prior to his arrival at UPrep, Joel served as
On July 1, we welcomed Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau to UPrep as
director of community and equity, taught English, and coached
our fifth head of school. Ronnie brings more than twenty-five years
at Episcopal High School, a Virginia boarding school. Those in
of leadership experience in independent schools, most recently
our community who have already met Joel highlight his kindness,
serving as head of school at The Evergreen School in Seattle.
an ability to connect with students, and his commitment to equity
Throughout her career, Ronnie has brought a student-centric focus
and inclusion. You can learn more about Joel and his prior
to all that she does, as well as a deep commitment to serving a
experience in the interview on pages 8–9.
diverse community. Ronnie previously served in senior leadership and teaching positions at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles and The Park School in Brookline, Massachusetts. She holds a BA in anthropology from Wellesley College and an MS in educational leadership from Pepperdine University. Ronnie has extensive local and national board experience, currently serving on the INDEX (Independent School Data Exchange) board, and formerly serving on The Overlake School Board of Trustees and The Downtown School Advisory Board. Ronnie’s arrival marks the beginning of
Although it’s clear that we have had many changes at the leadership level, a couple of things haven’t changed. Our values and mission are our north star—and they were in continuous use as we navigated this extraordinary year. The constancy of purpose of our remarkable faculty and staff was outstanding, as well. Their humanity, skill, and unwavering commitment to our students once again provided the glue that makes UPrep such a special place. Sincerely,
an exciting next chapter in UPrep’s history. Another important leadership transition that took place this year was in the Upper School. In the fall, Ken Jaffe announced that he would retire from UPrep at the end of June. During his 22-year tenure, Ken contributed to the UPrep community in many different
4 UPREP MAGAZINE
Cheryl Scott PRESIDENT, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Building Community during COVID-19 BY E-CHIEH LIN, DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY AND DIRECTOR OF HIRING
U
Prep is a place-based community: our physical space is the center for building our community. Yet our community extends beyond our campus. During a global pandemic, broadening beyond place involves community building with an intentional mindset. Our common purpose—to create intellectually courageous, socially responsible global
citizens—means we work together to both survive and thrive even when we are physically apart. During the spring of 2020, building community entailed purposeful connection in many forms.
As we transitioned to online learning, educators revised their curriculum to adapt to this new platform and make the material more relevant. We created virtual spaces and online activities to connect outside the classroom, meeting with people on Zoom, including check-ins with each other just to say hello— even if only one person attended some days. When Jay Inslee, governor of Washington state, issued a stay-at-home order, our community responded with resilience and creativity by offering virtual game nights, a Social Justice Speaker Series, and a day of Social Justice Teach-Ins, while also creating new opportunities to support the health and wellness of all community members. As we gathered in these different spaces, both familiar and unexpected faces contributed to building our community. To support our desire to stay together, our community contributed generously to UPrep Together to raise money for current and future financial aid needs. Our recent-alumni community connected with juniors and seniors to share their college experiences through the new Puma College Connections Program. The pandemic also inspired individuals to seek ways to contribute to communities less privileged than ours and to come together to grow our understanding of equity and social justice. Like mini-societies, communities continually evolve, depending on their membership, and new Top left to right: Faculty and staff members prepare care packages for UPrep seniors. Asher Todd-Taraday, 10th grade, celebrates with his family. Fine Arts Teacher Ty Talbot teaches art to his students.
members help grow and strengthen communities. The global pandemic offered opportunities for us to start this process on an accelerated schedule with our newest members, including new Head of School Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau and new Director of Upper School Joel Sohn. This spring, we began creating new practices and norms for future community development as we adapted to school life practiced off-campus. Within these pages, we take a look at how UPrep came together while physically apart to support each other as we grew to become a more resilient community.
UPREP MAGAZINE
5
Paying Tribute to Ken Jaffe’s Leadership, Head of Upper School 1998 – 2020 BY SUSIE WU, DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
The first time I saw Ken Jaffe, he was walking on the other side of the Commons from me. That was 18 years ago, during one of my first visits to a private school as a director at Rainier Scholars, and I was meeting with Roger Cibella, who was the school’s second admissions director. My impression of Ken—with his tall, confident demeanor, collared shirt and tie, and that purposeful stride—was that he was an old-school administrator. He had that aura of authority that comes from someone who has worked in schools for a long time. I wasn’t too far from the truth. For almost two decades, we communicated about our Rainier Scholars students at University Prep, and I came to rely on Ken’s instincts about our scholars and their well-being. Ken was that person who told our students what they needed to hear—sometimes it was the blunt truth; occasionally it was surprisingly gentle. Almost always, Ken said what needed to be said. I can tell you that our Upper School students, who know way more than we ever give them credit for, knew that Ken talked to them like they were whole people. They knew he had their backs even as he was laying out the challenges ahead of them.
As direct as Ken was with students, he felt their pain, he agonized over whether there was anything more that he could have done, and he tried to do right by them, even if it meant an extra hour that evening or on the weekend. That alone would have won me over—how he treated every student with the dignity and worth of an individual, regardless of age, ethnicity, or background—but it was the behind-the-scenes glimpses that clinched things for me. As direct as Ken was with students, he felt their pain, he agonized over whether there was anything more that he could have done, and he tried to do right by them, even if it meant an extra hour that evening or on the weekend.
6 UPREP MAGAZINE
Facing page, top left: Ken leading an all-school assembly. Facing page, top right: Susie and Ken volunteering at University Food Bank on Admin Team Building Day. This page, clockwise from top left: Upper School Field Day; first day of school; Ken with students, a few years ago.
I came to University Prep in large part to work with Ken Jaffe.
Ken has been a touchstone for all of us: students, teachers,
It was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made. In the last
staff, and colleagues. He is a truth-teller, a goofball, a formidable
two years, I found in him an experienced partner who had learned
teammate, and an unapologetic curmudgeon. He showed up to
how to harness his ability to read people and situations in order to
all the games, concerts, and dances, because he believes that the
steer us through the most complicated challenges. I found in him
heart of University Prep is in connecting with our students in all
someone who picks up the same nuances I do and understands
aspects of their lives. This is a person who truly loved his work,
their significance immediately. I also found in him someone who
who felt true joy in his connection with students every day.
reads me as well as a longtime friend. Working next door to him every day, I saw all the ways that Ken was committed to our hardworking teachers and staff. I watched as a number of people sought him out daily with an urgent “Do you have a minute, Ken?” Often people brought him a problem they needed to solve, or asked for his perspective regarding a dilemma. Sometimes they were racked with stress and needed a word of encouragement (or a kick in the pants) to help reset themselves before returning to the fray. Sometimes they brought him candy or cracked jokes together while they talked. Sometimes they just needed someone with whom they could be real. It’s not easy to be able to be present for that many people every day
Ken has been a touchstone for all of us: students, teachers, staff, and colleagues. He is a truth-teller, a goofball, a formidable teammate, and an unapologetic curmudgeon. So after Ken retires, our candy dishes will be fuller and our hallways will feel a little emptier. It will be hard for many of us who have woven Ken into the fabric of our lives to accept his absence. Ken challenged all of us to be our best selves, and University Prep is and will continue to be a better place because he was here.
for 22 years, but that is what Ken did in his time at University Prep.
UPREP MAGAZINE
7
“Kids need to see people who look like themselves—mirrors—and they need windows to look out to learn about people who don’t look like them. For kids who are historically underrepresented, their mirrors are few. If a student only sees one person who looks like them, be it a friend or teacher, that’s not an equitable environment.” —JOEL SOHN, DIRECTOR OF UPPER SCHOOL
Meet New Director of Upper School Joel Sohn BY NANCY SCHATZ ALTON, WRITER / EDITOR
B
efore Joel Sohn applied to UPrep, he watched videos on our website with his daughter, Tuesday. “We liked that the students seemed like teens who enjoy learning and want to have fun too, and she encouraged me to apply,” says Joel. After moving across the country with his wife, Sil, and Tuesday, who will be a sophomore at UPrep, Joel started his position as director of the Upper School in July.
Joel served as director of community and equity at Episcopal High School, a boarding school in Virginia. He also taught in the school’s English Department, where he designed interdisciplinary courses, and coached cross-country and track and field. As a member of the school’s senior leadership team, he worked extensively on strategic planning to institute equitable programs and practices for students and faculty. Previously, Joel taught at The Thacher School in California and Archbishop McCarthy in Florida. At Thacher, Joel was recognized as an NAIS Teacher of the Future for his technology use and integration of project-based learning. While Joel’s previous experience is impressive, he is also admired for his warmth, sense of humor, ability to connect with students, and steadfast commitment to equity and inclusion.
8 UPREP MAGAZINE
During a Zoom meet-up, Joel shared why he’s excited about the move to both University Prep and Seattle, along with his thoughts on diversity and community, why he loves working in education, and how he plans to build community. What drew you to the UPrep community? I first noticed University Prep when researching outdoor programs at Thacher; I appreciate that trips are intentionally planned to help build relationships. More recently, UPrep has been on my radar because of its strategic plan to create equitable hiring practices. I applaud UPrep’s institutional commitment to creating a system to help prevent bias in the hiring process through thoughtful, effective, and measured policies and practices. During interviews with students, I was blown away by their thoughtful questions— and that they felt free to disagree and explain their points of view. When I saw the students acting goofy while walking the halls with other students and staff, I realized UPrep is a healthy, resilient community where kids are free to actually be themselves.
Why does your family value UPrep’s commitment to diversity? This makes me think of the windows-and-mirrors metaphor: Kids need to see people who look like themselves—mirrors—and they need windows to look out to learn about people who don’t look like them. For kids who are historically underrepresented, their mirrors are few. If a student only sees one person who looks like them, be it a friend or teacher, that’s not an equitable environment. We know when students see an adult that looks like them and that adult gives them a nod or look of understanding, it actually helps them get through their days with more success. For Tuesday, who identifies as Asian, we wanted her to be at a school like UPrep that has many role models for her. It’s important to have women in positions of power and to have people of color as teachers and in leadership positions, and that’s true here. What valuable experience do you bring to your new role? My lived experience has been diverse. I was adopted from Korea and raised partly in Mobile, Alabama, by a white family. We moved every two to three years to different states on both coasts and throughout the South. Tuesday always teases me about how I say “Y’all,” but that’s from how I grew up. I was always negotiating spaces and giving people the benefit of the doubt as to why they are asking me certain questions. I know there is a lot of gray and nuance in everything, and my upbringing has built in me a kind of emotional intelligence. I try to listen and understand perspectives because I was always trying to learn from others. I also have worked in every type of school: public, private, independent, day schools, and boarding schools. I’ve taught students from elementary school to college age. All of these experiences inform how I approach my work and my conversations with people. Why did you become an educator and what do you love about being an educator? I went to college with the intention to be a musician and play trumpet and be in a band for the rest of my life. I also studied architecture as an undergraduate and discovered that wasn’t
my passion. I fell into teaching during a fellowship at graduate school that included teaching creative writing to undergrads. Through my teaching experiences, I believe people learn best through play and experimentation. I have a certain level of curiosity about the way people work, the way that community works, and the way teaching and learning work. I’ve found students to be the best teachers because you have to relinquish control in a way that takes a lot of courage. You really start growing as a teacher when the students guide you toward the best ways for them to learn. How do you hope to build community at UPrep? I’ve always believed that relationships come first for any community to thrive, and that those relationships are founded upon a shared sense of responsibility toward the collective good. When I was visiting the campus, I said that change is inevitable, but how we change together is the test of community strength. I want to walk alongside everyone at UPrep in order to best understand each person’s perspective and beliefs and motivation for being their best selves. Then, with that understanding, come to a shared vision of what UPrep can be to best live up to its mission in these uncertain times. Tell me about your family and why you are all excited about living in Seattle. Seattle has always been on our radar as a family. Historically, Seattle has been more devoted to publicly talking about issues of justice, with its commitment to recognizing its history of land oppression and marginalization. Seattle City Hall recognizes that we took this land from its Indigenous people. We also like that we will be an eight-hour flight away from Korea, because we have family there. My wife, Sil, grew up in Minnesota and she’s almost always worked in higher education research institutions, including roles at the University of Minnesota and Georgetown University. Tuesday is really excited about attending UPrep, to be in a place where she can explore different areas of interest, including music and science. All three of us are really into food, and we are all incredibly excited about the abundance of food options in the Seattle area.
UPREP MAGAZINE
9
James Ouma of Lifesong Kenya, a non-governmental organization that works work with male teens in prisons, speaks with Ian Beck, 11th grade, on Zoom as part of Ian’s LaunchPad project on the effects of COVID-19 on teenagers’ mental health.
Learning Online:
How UPrep Successfully Redesigned Classes under COVID-19 BY RICHARD KASSISSIEH, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR ACADEMICS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
O
n March 10, UPrep moved all classes to online
Strong Foundation
learning. That meant transforming 100 courses,
Our priorities in the first weeks were strikingly clear. All learning
taught by 80 teachers to 600 students, to a
had to take place remotely. Zoom and Schoology became key
dramatically different format, with one week to
classroom tools. Communication was limited to email and video.
prepare! Given the circumstances, the switch was
Everyone had to reach out more deliberately to connect with each
as successful as we could have hoped: teachers continued teaching,
other. The foundation we established in the years prior allowed
students kept learning, and the entire community found support
us to make a strong start. Teachers and students already had their
and connection. How did we make this massive shift practically
own devices. Every class already used Schoology and Google Drive.
overnight, given the thousands of adjustments needed?
Everyone was already committed to the key importance of
Growth Mindset A key part of intellectual courage—belief in one’s ability to learn— provides resilience in the face of challenge. Our students learn how to learn through coursework, partnership with teachers, and support from specialists. Our teachers engage in continuous growth through collaboration, partnership with students, and our Individualized Teacher Improvement Plan. Everyone’s initial reaction
connection and relationships. Our technology experts quickly adopted Zoom and provided intensive training. Having the infrastructure for online learning already in place—in tandem with our community values of integrity, respect, and responsibility— allowed us to immediately turn to transforming curriculum and teaching practices.
Thoughtful Innovation
of “Can I do this?” quickly became “I will figure out how to do
In 2015, we launched a community-wide discussion and embarked
this.” That’s part of our community’s growth mindset: success, skill
on a five-year strategic plan focused on teacher leadership, next
building, and intelligence depend on time, effort, and persistence.
generation learning, and campus transformation. We developed a
Growth mindset is a tremendous asset in a time of uncertainty
culture of thoughtful innovation, in which we identified the areas
and risk. This mindset, combined with commitment to our mission,
of the student experience that would most benefit from focused
vision, and values, guided a raft of decisions as we quickly converted
design and then implemented new, transformative programs,
into an online school. Students, teachers, and staff showed up and
consistent with our school mission of developing each student’s
delivered their best, building on our connections to create an even
potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible
stronger community.
citizen of the world. We practiced adopting big changes together
10 UPREP MAGAZINE
Teachers Jess Klein and Kayla Robertson had students in their Yoga classes record their reflections, videos, and images in an ongoing Google slideshow and Flipgrid. Left: Students practicing yoga in class. Above: Tree pose photo from 10th grade student Gabrielle Pitre’s slideshow.
For the 6th grade Geography class, Teachers Melinda Hayden and Andrew Schneider redesigned the Country Project, where each student becomes an expert on one country. After creating a hand-drawn map of France, student Maiya Duncan researched France and then presented her findings to her classmates.
Teacher Karen Slon mailed lab kits (with the help of Main Office staff) to her Quantitative Chemistry students. Abby Headstrom, 10th grade, learned about oxidation-reduction reactions by designing and building a “kitchen” battery. Students used common items from their homes along with additional items like electrical wires they requested from Ms. Slon, and then tested the efficacy of their batteries using low-voltage LED lights.
before COVID-19 arrived, including adopting a block schedule,
and what course material they needed to throw out and replace
adding intensives and more off-campus learning, strengthening
with new material. The results were startlingly original and relevant.
our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, and creating
Teachers in subjects such as biology, history, and statistics
our first Diversity Strategic Plan. The framework, expertise, and
immediately incorporated lessons about COVID-19 and its
common experience gained through Strategic Plan 2020 meant we
global impact into their courses. Some seniors redesigned their
were able to quickly develop an appropriate schedule for online
LaunchPad projects around dimensions of the pandemic, such as
learning, apply SEL to the challenges of disconnection and global
its effects on adolescents, the response of city government, and
crisis, and provide more resources to those most at risk during
the experiences of frontline medical professionals. And teachers in
this sudden transition.
performance-based subjects such as physical education and music
Independent Curriculum UPrep has tremendous autonomy and responsibility to decide what to teach our students. Our teachers therefore have lots of practice determining what students most need to know to prepare for college and life. As the world suddenly changed, teachers adapted their courses in powerful ways. All teachers quickly assessed what parts of the planned curriculum they could deliver as originally designed, what they needed to teach with substantial modification,
developed incredibly creative ways to overcome physical distance. While we continue to face the stark challenges of meeting learning targets, coping with loss, and designing for uncertainty, we take hope from the strength of our community and the innovative practices that have allowed us to persevere in these first months of this global crisis. Everyone should expect this creativity, resilience, and commitment to community growth to continue as we design school for 2020–2021. UPREP MAGAZINE
11
Left: The June daily wellness challenge Instagram post. Center: Race bib from Wellness Wednesday on Earth Day. Right: Interim Head of School Lila Lohr and her grandson, Theo Barton, 10th grade, on a Wellness Wednesday scavenger hunt.
Building Community with New Health and Wellness Endeavors BY NANCY SCHATZ ALTON, WRITER / EDITOR
H
umans are designed for in-person connections, and
This spring also saw the advent of Wellness Wednesday. When
we know that in “normal” times the UPrep community
academic classes were canceled on Wednesdays to allow faculty
fosters these vital connections. After we transitioned
planning time for Extensions, faculty members Jill Leahy, Jess Klein,
to online learning on March 10, UPrep staff and faculty
Mikayla Patella-Buckley, Emily Schorr-Lesnick, Kayla Robertson,
members created numerous ways to take care of our
and Rebecca Moe created virtual physical activities for students
students—who were being asked to forgo their developmental
and their families. In the mornings, workshops and classes such
need to be with other teenagers. They also created new supports
as Turbo Kick, Dance, and Improv were offered on Zoom. During
for our students’ caregivers and the UPrep faculty and staff. Each
one Wellness Wednesday afternoon, community members were
endeavor aimed to create a virtual sense of community—while
challenged to a virtual Social Distance 6K walk or run and received
helping everyone stay physically and mentally healthy this spring.
a race bib, and people also participated in a late-afternoon
Within the first week of our campus closure, Director of Athletics
scavenger hunt in their own neighborhoods. The second Wellness
Rebecca Moe and Physical Education Department Head Kayla Robertson came up with a plan to help keep the hearts of the Pumas strong. They created a new Instagram account to share daily
Wednesday coincided with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day; the wellness team partnered with Teacher Carrie Niebanck and the Helping Hands Club to spread environmental protection
wellness tips and challenges. The UPrep community responded by
awareness to our community.
posting pictures and notes about their own task completion,
Meanwhile, Counselors Lindsay Metcalfe, Andrea Moore, and
including a video of Science Teacher Tom Strouse doing push-ups
Amy Sanchez and Social Emotional Learning Coordinator Emily
(with his dog’s assistance) during the April daily push-up challenge.
Schorr-Lesnick reformulated the work they do on-campus to meet
The UPrep Wellness Committee, started several years ago by a
our students’ needs virtually. Without being able to gauge how
group of faculty members to provide wellness opportunities,
students were coping in person, Google surveys were used
including fitness classes and social events, began inviting students
regularly to assess their well-being. These surveys allowed students
and their families, alumni, and incoming families to join faculty and
to give anonymous feedback on the unique challenges and
staff at Community Wellness events. These classes transitioned
successes that pandemic life included, and to ask for additional
seamlessly to the Zoom platform, and the schedule included Red
counseling support, if needed. Overwhelmingly and unsurprisingly,
Hot Dance, Barre, Tabata Tuesday, Turbo Kick, Yoga HITT, and
students reported that they missed the social connections that
Fitness Fridays. The feedback was so positive: people were moving
on-campus school provides. Emily supported educators tasked
and connecting with each other during this challenging time.
with fulfilling students’ need for community during online learning.
12 UPREP MAGAZINE
“Whatever the prompt, research clearly shows that if we don’t feel heard and connected, it’s far harder to do rigorous Clockwise from left: A screenshot of the 6K course that spells out “UPrep”; an image from the Wellness Instagram account; a certificate of race completion; a Community Wellness class before classes transitioned to Zoom.
academic work, so I see SEL as a crucial foundation for learning and growth, especially during these difficult and isolating times.” —HISTORY TEACHER DAVE MARSHALL
As one student in Emily’s Advisory Group noted, “You go to
to their children,” says Lindsay. The counseling team consulted with
school to make those connections, so taking away those
individual caregivers as needed and sent out weekly resources to
connections makes the school environment so different …
the parent community on building routines, navigating screen time,
being in an environment where you have to unmute yourself
and encouraging healthy sleep. The counselors and Emily also
to talk with people is really bizarre. Teachers have to make
hosted Zoom chats with caregivers, creating a space to share
that connection in order for us to really learn.”
information on how to help teenagers cope and build community
Both teachers and advisors did intentional work by implementing
out of shared experiences.
Social Emotional Learning exercises to help students build
On May 28, the UPrep Counseling Office hosted a community
connections and process their emotions. For online classes,
Zoom talk with Dr. Lisa Damour, a bestselling author whose recent
History Teacher Dave Marshall started most lessons with a quick
articles in The New York Times have been critical to parents by
check-in. “It could be one to two words to describe how you’re
providing a window into understanding how our changing world
feeling right now, one thing that you’re grateful for, or how you’ve
affects teenagers. She shared evidence-based psychological advice
been exercising lately (as my students are probably sick of me
on how parents can address the difficult emotions teens are
saying, regular exercise is so essential right now),” says Dave.
expressing, noting that families should focus on positive coping
“Whatever the prompt, research clearly shows that if we don’t
strategies: social connection, happy distractions when needed,
feel heard and connected, it’s far harder to do rigorous academic
physical self-care, and caring for others in and/or outside of
work, so I see SEL as a crucial foundation for learning and growth,
our homes.
especially during these difficult and isolating times.”
This spring illuminated the depth of our UPrep community.
The Counseling Office expanded its focus this spring. “We con-
Thanks to the creative, hard work of our faculty and staff,
tinued to support students, while also offering more resources to
every member of our community had opportunities to strengthen
parents, now that they’re tasked with providing even more support
their bodies, minds, and spirits. UPREP MAGAZINE
13
A FISHBOWL DISCUSSION
Left: An electronic flyer from one of four online community-wide discussions held by the Upper School Global Action Club.
to be us in the media
5.21.2020 1pm PST
Right: A post inviting the community to a Zoom Q&A with Lauren Ashley Smith, the head writer of A Black Lady Sketch Show.
Students Connect and Create Community Online BY NANCY SCHATZ ALTON, WRITER / EDITOR
For students, this spring of being apart led to innovative ways of being together, leadership opportunities, and a deeper appreciation for the UPrep community. While students found routine and structure in online classes, they missed the spaces for growth within our community life. What emerged was creative online community-building from students, faculty, and staff. Affinity groups met regularly, community-wide events and discussions were organized, some clubs met online, and students found new ways to volunteer. “Social interaction is a huge part of the strength of our community,
“It’s nice to see everyone’s face while playing a game at the same
and that matters to everyone,” says Sydney Goitia, 9th grade student.
time,” says senior Hibak Hassan, who says activities like this helped
“The leaders of student life were forced to get creative with their
bring everyone together. “They put a lot of effort into making sure
planning, and those on the receiving end had the opportunity to see
that we all felt that sense of community at home that we feel while
how much hard work goes into creating such a great community.
on campus at UPrep.”
And because of how hard it was, I think we all realized how fortunate we are to be a part of this community and how much we value the time we spend together in person.” Here’s a glimpse of how the UPrep community connected virtually this spring—to stay connected, to learn from each other, and to serve the greater community. Online Events Connect Community Behind-the-scenes planning by faculty and staff and Upper School
Clubs and Affinity Groups Continue Meeting Some clubs and affinity groups began meeting online. Eleven Middle School clubs and affinity groups met, including Creative Writing, Debate Club, Chess Club, Survivor Club, and Robotics Club. After realizing many 6th graders were missing casual at-school friendships, Counselor Amy Sanchez began hosting a weekly 6th Grade Group Chat, with students meeting for 45 minutes to casually talk, build new connections, and understand people are
ASB students kept our community connected. Online events included
having similar experiences during quarantine.
a school-wide Friday-night trivia game and grade-level events like
Spanish Teacher Jacob Taylor Mosquera began hosting a weekly
scavenger hunts and Kahoot! games. In the Middle School, each
Spanish Conversations Club. “It gave students an opportunity to
grade level combined advisories so students could connect socially
speak and make mistakes—with the understanding that I wouldn’t
with more students. For a community-wide Friday-night Bingo
be correcting them like I do in class—or to be a frog on a log who
Game event in May, bingo cards were emailed to each student,
learned by listening,” says Jacob, who adds that Upper School
staff, and faculty member. ASB President Michael Gary called out
students were occasional guest speakers.
the numbers pulled from the bingo cage by his two younger brothers during this Zoom event. 14 UPREP MAGAZINE
Clockwise from top left: Global Action Club event flyer; Weight Training class on Zoom; an 8th grade class shares the love during Teacher Appreciation Week; flyer for a June Global Action Club discussion.
“It’s nice to see everyone’s face while playing a game at the same time,” says senior Hibak Hassan, who says activities like this helped bring everyone together. “They put a lot of effort into making sure that we all felt that sense of community at home that we feel while on campus at UPrep.”
The Upper School Robotics Club also met virtually. Tenth grade
Sketch Show Lauren Ashley Smith about how Black women are
student Katherine Van was hesitant to continue electronically
represented in the media and the power of voice.
because she appreciates the hands-on experience of this club.
“Hands down, the discussion was the highlight of this spring for
“I remembered that what brought me to involve myself in Robotics Club was that goal I set for myself to step outside of my comfort zone. This definitely helped me approach the virtual aspect of
me,” says Sydney. “It was incredibly fun and I think our audience enjoyed it as much as we did, and I hope they learned a lot from it.”
the club positively and more willingly because I can only develop
Students Serve the Greater Community
and continue to grow if I’m outside of my comfort zone,”
Students also gave back to the greater community in many ways.
says Katherine.
During spring break, student Anders Pohlman, 11th grade, started
The Community and Diversity Office hosted the Middle School Multicultural Student Association, Middle School POC & LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, Middle School GSA, and Upper School Affinity Groups, including a new LGBTQ+ Affinity Group. Sixth grade student Evan Hooe says attending online affinity groups was a good way to be social, and she enjoyed reading and discussing
a weekly neighborhood drive to support the University District Food Bank; he plans to continue this summer with a goal of raising $10,000 alongside the food donations. Student Siona Wadhawan, 10th grade, set up online donation domains to help with fundraising for the Sunnay Foundation, an organization in Delhi, India, that provides education to low-income families.
books as part of the Middle School GSA. “I really trust the people
The UPrep student coordinator for Students Helping Student Seattle
in the GSA, and it was really important to me to see people in
(SHSS), Alexa Levy, 11th grade, organized more tutors from UPrep
this group,” says Evan.
so they could help students at many high schools. “What I have
The Upper School Global Action Club organized several communitywide discussions, including a dialogue with Jon Wu of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation about his work leading Asian Americans/ Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy. The Diversity and Community Office
learned during my UPrep years is the importance of realizing my privilege and using that to benefit others who may not have the same resources as I do,” says Alexa, who notes that this spring made her appreciate the UPrep community more.
also hosted a weekly Social Justice Series from mid-May to mid-June
Social and Emotional Learning Coordinator Emily Schorr Lesnick
to share a diversity of knowledge and experiences with families,
seconds this appreciation. “It has been incredible to see students
students, faculty, and staff. For this series, students Sydney Goitia,
rising to create the community they crave,” says Emily. “Students
9th grade; Shay Cornelius-Shears, 9th grade; and Hermona Hadush,
emerged as leaders, organizers, and creators of community in
10th grade, co-led a discussion with the head writer of A Black Lady
imaginative ways, and that brought the community closer together.” UPREP MAGAZINE
15
Alumni Help Students through Puma College Connections Program BY KELLY HERRINGTON, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING AND STUDENT SERVICES
W
hen COVID-19 hit, the College Counseling Office took the opportunity to create the Puma College Connections Program, an innovative initiative that connected our alumni currently attending college with our juniors and seniors going through the college application process. After college campuses halted in-person tours, ninety UPrep alumni offered to talk by Zoom,
email, or phone about their collegiate experiences with current students. We also invited them to join admissions representatives from their respective colleges for virtual information sessions held for our current students. Listening to our alumni during these sessions reminded me of the words spoken by my UPrep predecessor when I accepted my position. She said, “You will not find a nicer or smarter group of students with a wider range of interests anywhere.” Our alumni’s collegiate majors are as vast as the diverse range of colleges they attend—from aquatic and fishery sciences to neuroscience, all branches of engineering, and Arabic. They also write for their schools’ newspapers, act in their universities’ theatre productions, and lead collegiate aeronautical teams. They play varsity and club sports, and they give back to their communities through service. Yet UPrep alumni share one common trait: they strive to be forces for good, excellence, and innovation in all of their chosen pursuits, including the time they spent helping our current students with their college searches. Below are thoughts from UPrep students and alumni about their Puma College Connections Program experiences this spring.
“It was helpful to receive insight directly from a student who
“It’s gratifying to be able to lend a little guidance and assurance to students who are undergoing the college search under such unprecedented circumstances. I have been so impressed with the students’ clear visions regarding what they’re looking for in a college. Communicating with alumni can help the students really suss out whether or not a school
actually experienced
is going to offer everything (or, at least, most of the things) they’re interested in, especially
the college and can
whether it’s going to have an atmosphere and student culture that suits them.”
really speak to their
–SALLY ROBERTS ’13, ATTENDED VASSAR COLLEGE
time there. It gives prospective students a good idea if it would be a good fit.” –LAILA RHENIFEL, JUNIOR
ONCE A PUMA, ALWAYS A PUMA
“After receiving very in-depth email responses from many alumni—one of the responses was just shy of 2,000 words—I was able to understand more about what direction I wanted to go in my college search and what majors I might enjoy. At a time when communities around the globe are being pulled apart, this program helped keep our community knit together.”
“The most helpful thing about Puma College Connections
–IAN BECK, JUNIOR
Program is the alumni you talk to have had a very similar high school experience as you. They know the level of challenge at UPrep, the teaching style, and the sense of
“Becoming comfortable initiating contact with
community. Alumni were able to provide me with specifics
academic or vocational peers is such a vital tool
about how the school was and wasn’t like UPrep. Speaking
in anyone’s undergraduate degree, and Puma College
with alums also made me realize what aspects I believe are most important in a college.” –ANJALI CHOUDHURY, SENIOR WHO WILL ATTEND QUEENS UNIVERSITY IN ONTARIO, CANADA
16 UPREP MAGAZINE
Connections encourages students to become comfortable utilizing these connections early on.” –HANNAH KLEIN ’17, ATTENDS WELLESLEY COLLEGE
ON THE BOOKSHELF
BY ANNE BINGHAM AND LEAH GRIFFIN, UPREP LIBRARIANS
Our sense of community expanded and contracted in this time of quarantine. Our immediate community was really small—just within our homes. But our communal experience of the pandemic is global. Here are some books to broaden your thinking about community, and your place in it. These books can help you consider aspects of racial identity, ecological recovery, and global cooperation. These titles are available from our local public libraries in digital and audio formats. Hearts Unbroken By Cynthis Leitich Smith Teenagers are at times proud, self-conscious, embarrassed, or brazen about their emerging identity. There are so many ways to be authentically yourself, yet sometimes teens feel like hypocrites or act inappropriately. Louise Wolfe, the main character in Hearts Unbroken, has the same identity issues. Cynthis Leitich Smith realistically portrays teen life, dialogue, and preoccupations, and she also captures how Louise Wolfe embraces, defines, and presents her Muscogee Creek tribal identity. This novel shows racism and ethnic discrimination, including uncovering more subtle biases. You’ll learn a lot about subtleties that might be invisible to you, and how comments and actions affect others. This young adult novel won the 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award. It’s a good way to learn about community, and how teenagers feel defined by it—while also struggling to find their place in it.
After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens By Eric Wagner Resilience is an educational catchphrase used to emphasize the pliable mechanism of our learning brains, emotional experiences, and belief in hopeful change. Ecosystem recovery is all about resilience—surprising resilience. The stories and details of the Mount St. Helens explosion are still stunning, forty years after the event. Even more stunning is the speed and path of ecosystem recovery. In case you weren’t around or don’t remember the blast, Eric Wagner gives a recap of this powerful, regionally defining event. He artfully narrates stories of plants, animals, geology, and people. For example, the unlikely pocket gopher has been a catalyst for extensive habitat renaissance. Our current pandemic is also of stunning magnitude, and like this author, we are wondering how life will continue after this devastation. In what ways will our environments change? After the blast, you can be the pocket gopher for recovery!
Endurance By Scott Kelly What does a year on the International Space Station have to do with the UPrep community? A lot, really. First of all, any struggling student whose level of engagement varies will be encouraged by Scott Kelly’s path through school and college. Figuring out how to learn was key to his progress and goal setting, and then the sky wasn’t even the limit. The global community in space includes former enemies now collaborating on science projects to benefit all of Earth’s inhabitants. Scott Kelly, and, by extension, his readers, are in awe of this change in history. In recounting his year in space, he becomes increasingly appreciative of his community on earth, and his poetic list of daily life treasures will inspire you to give thanks for everything in your own daily orbit under quarantine. UPREP MAGAZINE
17
Photo by Kelabe Tewolde ’13
We Care About Black Lives COMPILED BY NANCY SCHATZ ALTON, WRITER / EDITOR, AND ABBY FORMELLA, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL & BRAND COMMUNICATIONS
This spring, the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans ignited a national awakening and acknowledgement of societal discrimination toward Black people. At UPrep, this awakening led to several community conversations. On June 2, the Diversity and Community Office moderated a fishbowl conversation on Zoom for the Black Student Union members to share their thoughts and feelings regarding the killing of unarmed Black people and their experience as Black students at UPrep. On June 10, community members also led Race and Social Justice Teach-Ins via Zoom. Below are insights from student discussion leaders about these vital conversations. 18 UPREP MAGAZINE
“I’d say the biggest thing I hope those in attendance took away from the Black Student Union discussion is understanding. We spoke about personal experiences that mattered to us. For me, I’ve either not told anyone about them or only talked to people who can relate to it. If others can understand even a fraction of what it’s like to be a Black student at UPrep, I think that will lead to more comfort around having discussions. These discussions can lead to education, and education can lead to action, which is the most important thing. I don’t want people who listened to our conversation to feel sorry for us, or only send us an email telling us they support us. I want them to learn, reflect, and make a change in their everyday lives. That would be meaningful to me.” ~Sydney Goitia, 9th grade, member of the Black Student Union, who participated in the UPrep community discussion about the experiences of Black students “I hope that the Black Student Union discussion helped show just how much words and actions matter. Regardless of a person’s intentions, impact is always more important. And you can’t call yourself an ally for any group of people if you don’t listen to, value, and amplify their voices. And I hope students can now check themselves and check their peers, especially White and
non-Black students, because Black students have not always been respected when we speak out and what we say is not always valued. I hope White students are able to see this as their problem and not a problem that Black students face at UPrep and in the world—that they can choose to sympathize with Black people. I hope everyone starts to use their privilege, platform, and money to advocate for and support the Black community.” ~Mimi Zekaryas, 12th grade, member of the Black Student Union, who participated in the UPrep community discussion about the experiences of Black students “With E-chieh moderating it, the discussion gave Black students a place to speak. It felt like people had good intent: they were listening to understand instead of listening to reply. I know this conversation was hard for UPrep to hear, but the number of people who reached out to me after the talk meant a ton for me. Teachers told me they wanted to implement things into their curriculum based on what I said, and students reached out to thank me and offer support. It felt really powerful because it went beyond what most one-on-one conversations do—with people telling me what actions they are going to take. I wanted to take a leadership position in this conversation because I wanted to create a platform for people with less privilege to speak. While I’m perceived as a Black student at UPrep, I am biracial and I do have a White identity; I am well-off enough financially; and I am cis-gendered. As much as you can understand how your identity makes your experience more difficult, it’s equally important to understand where you have privilege. That’s one of the best things you can do with your privilege: to understand how that makes you a leader instead of thinking of privilege as something to be ashamed of. Privilege—including the privilege of a UPrep education—is a great tool to utilize to help people.” ~Lillian Bown, 12th grade, member of the Black Student Union, who participated in the UPrep community discussion about the experiences of Black students “Something that surprised me when preparing for the teachin was the number of ways you can show allyship. I knew the more common things such as posting on social media and protesting, but there are so many other ways to support oppressed communities. So much work goes into organizing protests, including providing supplies and supporting protesters. Additionally, many local organizations are deeply related to social justice work, like Community Passageways and COVID-19 Mutual Aid, where you can volunteer. With so many opportunities to be an ally, you can get involved.” ~Nicholas Lee, 11th grade, member of the Asian/Pacific-Islander Student Union, who co-led The Next Steps in Allyship Teach-In
“Something I share with members of our Black community is our experience as students of color. While the oppression and discrimination we face is not the same, I understand how having allies during these times is crucial. It’s not enough if just the Black community tries to stand up to these unjust institutions. It’s our job as allies, peers, friends, and family to stand together with the Black community, especially during times of tragedy. Furthermore, it is equally important to show this allyship and solidarity even after the media coverage of these tragedies dissipates.” ~Joseph Yeung, 11th grade, member of the Asian/ Pacific-Islander Student Union, who co-led The Next Steps in Allyship Teach-In
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: KELABE TEWOLDE ’13 Recently, we spoke with Kelabe Tewolde, an academic counselor at Rainier Scholars who is also a frontline caregiver and organizer of food for Seattle-area protesters. Why did you decide to become involved in the Seattle-area protests? When I saw people being tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed, it hit me hard. One day, I went on a run and cried while reflecting how certain people in my networks view the statement “Black Lives Matter.” Some people have the luxury of tuning some issues out; they don’t see what I see daily. I knew protesters needed food and water to sustain themselves. Within two weeks, I had raised around $9,000 to feed protesters and provide medical supplies, hard hats, and protective clothing. As of July 20, we have raised more than $12,000 and have continued to feed protesters. How did your education inform your decision to work toward change? I was a political science major in college; you learn a lot about the theories but I had to learn about real-life applications mostly on my own. I have learned a lot from teachers who talked with me one-on-one. I remember talking about protest and why civil disobedience is important with Ms. Hundley at UPrep. I’ve realized you can’t do everything. But if you intentionally do something to bring about positive change and you’re doing it at 100 percent, that’s important work. What do you think people can do to help support the Black Lives Matter movement? A lot of folks are in positions of power to uplift the voices of Black people. It’s going to be uncomfortable to listen to the experiences of Black people, but I think there needs to be a moment of discomfort. It’s easy to not see the problems with police brutality if you don’t see police stopping your kids. What we can do is vote in our local election because local elected officials have a major influence on how Black and Brown bodies are policed.
UPREP MAGAZINE
19
Celebrating Our Seniors during the Season That Never Happened BY REBECCA MOE, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Spring is a fun season to be the athletic director: the end of the school year is within sight, the days get longer, the sun often shines, and we only need to deal with the rain occasionally. Our spring teams had goals, hopes, and dreams. Many varsity programs looked to build on the success of last spring and leverage the renewed school spirit, all led by our seniors. Like clockwork, the calendar turned to March and spring sports started. We officially practiced five to six times—the ink was barely dry on rosters. On March 10, UPrep transitioned to online learning. Five pivotal moments capture the spring season’s reality and heartbreak: Moment One: On Thursday, March 12, Governor Inslee decreed that all schools would be closed until April 24, and any hope of having a traditional season was lost. Moment Two: On Wednesday, March 18, the Shoreline Parks Department said our home soccer/Ultimate field, Shoreline Center B, would be converted into a temporary field hospital for COVID-19 patients. The field hospital, with a capacity of 200 patients, was being dismantled at press time. Moment Three: On Thursday, March 26, I hosted a Zoom meeting with approximately fifteen UPrep sport leaders to address concerns and gather ideas on resuming their season in late April. Moment Four: On Monday. April 6, Governor Inslee announced schools would remain closed for the school year, officially ending the season.
Top row, left to right: Nicolas Arron, Ashley Shackleton. Second row, left to right: Azita Shirinzadeh, Alcen Chiu, and Anna Inghram.
Moment Five: On Tuesday, April 14, my UPrep sport leaders group convened to discuss how we wanted to celebrate our teams, coaches, the season, and seniors. I followed their lead and our mission became clear: to honor and celebrate our seniors via Senior Spotlights on Instagram and create an appreciation video.
Nicolas Arron: Four-year team member “Nicholas was a calm yet motivating leader who played great tennis while lifting his teammates up to do the same.”
I am pleased to share Senior Spotlights, below, with you. These student-athletes deserve their moment and I am grateful to have been on this journey with them. They will be part of the UPrep legacy and should be admired for their Puma Pride! As we say on social media: #onceapumaalwaysapuma. Go Pumas!
Alcen Chiu: Three-year team member “I have always really enjoyed playing matches with Alcen because of her positivity with teammates. Alcen is an incredible tennis player with spin and consistency; her serves are very low and a power move on the court!”
Boys Tennis
Anna Inghram: Four-year team member “Anna, I will always remember your dedication to doing your best. Your tennis skills definitely improved—you were ready for a strong spring season.”
Last October, six members of the Varsity Boys Tennis Team qualified for the Spring Tennis State Tournament in Yakima in May. The Pumas had enough qualifiers to make a run for the team trophy, along with top finishes as individuals. During the previous three state tournaments, the team finished third in 2019, and first in both 2018 and 2017. Our program has a legacy of strong individual players with a team-first mindset, allowing the Pumas to compete as one of the best teams in the state.
20 UPREP MAGAZINE
Girls Tennis
Ashley Shackleton: Four-year team member “Ashley is competitive, strategic, and supportive on the court. She is a stellar volleyer at the net. Ashley has improved so much, and she would’ve lead the Pumas as co-captain to success as league champions again!”
Top row, left to right: Julian Renschler, Julian Madrid, Sam Lewis. Second row, left to right: Michael Gary, Harrison Probst, Antonio Bernardo.
Azita Shirinzadeh: Four-year team member “Azita always had a happy attitude that reflected her love for the sport. She was a great role model—respectful to the coaches and nice to everyone. She is the most energetic, hardworking, and positive player on the court!”
Boys Soccer Antonio Bernardo: Four-year team member “Antonio puts his heart into the field. He is our team finisher— always in the right place at the right time. As a teammate, you know that he’ll do anything for you. He’s aggressive, hypercompetitive, and someone who leads by example.” Michael Gary: Four-year team member “Michael is our team’s talisman and maestro: great at connecting passes, leads by example, and scored a goal of shocking quality against SAAS in our playoff match at Sammamish in 2019.” Alex Kolios: One-year team member “In the first few weeks of training, I saw an immense amount of effort. On the first day, I looked over at Alex and he was dripping with sweat by the end of the first drill. It made me so proud to see him working so hard after making the decision to play.” Sam Lewis: Four-year team member “Slew has an undoubtedly strong love for the game. He is a team leader and I was looking forward to seeing his left-footed strikes. He was the difference the first time we played Bush last year.”
Julian Madrid: Four-year team member “Julian massively stepped up in preparation for our spring season. In the months leading up to the season, he was at every kickaround, and led many of the practices. All his years on Varsity, he’s had an impressive bite: he’s a strong tackler, hard worker, and constant competitor.” Harrison Probst: Four-year team member “Harrison was an amazing defender, and having him back there was key for our success. He was an easygoing, funny leader who knew how to be a team player.” Julian Renschler: Four-year team member “Julian is the calm of the team. He makes sure that people don’t get too caught up in their emotions and that everyone is having fun as they play the game. He always shows up and brings consistency to the field, helping the team play at a constantly high level.”
Girls Ultimate Julia Beitel: Two-year team member “Julia is an amazing athlete. Every time she goes out on the field she gives it her 100 percent.” Alana Berger: Four-year team member “A quiet force on the field, Alana improves so much every year, and it’s crazy to see how good she is, and it’s bittersweet, too, to miss the pinnacle of her UPrep Ultimate career.” Lillian Ellis: Four-year team member “Lillian is an incredible teammate who knows how to make Ultimate fun. Her happy energy and goofy jokes bring the team together and keep us from getting too serious.” UPREP MAGAZINE
21
ONCE A PUMA, ALWAYS A PUMA
22 UPREP MAGAZINE
Hibak Hassan: One-year team member “Hibak is a really fast learner, and is very brave to try a sport she’d never played before. She’s got raw talent for Ultimate, and if she decides to continue playing, she’ll be unstoppable.” Nubia Robles Santiago: Four-year team member “Nubia is a leader. She pushes everyone, including herself, every day, and is responsible for a lot of our team’s improvement. She is talented and extremely friendly and kind to everyone on the team.” Camille Neutz: Four-year team member “Camille is a caring teammate and leader. She has years of experience and impressive skill, but her biggest gift is how she motivates and inspires our team to play hard and work together.” Rachel Selby: Four-year team member “Rachel is the person we look to when we’re not having a great day. She lightens the mood and motivates us to keep trying our best to improve as a team.”
Baseball Nate Burbage: Three-year team member “Nate always has brought the fun and energy to the team. His impeccable attitude could lift the entire team.” Jacob Fried: Four-year team member “Jacob was a selfless leader, always willing to help his teammates while setting a prime example of attitude and talent. I have learned a lot about leadership and baseball from him.” Ben Rothman: Four-year team member “Ben’s drive to win carried past his strategic planning/desire to be part of the coaching staff and went on to inspire his teammates to maintain a competitive spirit.”
Boys Track & Field Kodaran Anan: First-year team member “Although new to the team, Daran always worked hard with a smile on his face!” Charlie Kauffman: Three-year team member “Charlie has been a mentor, always helping out, always cheerful and supportive. He has done so much for the team. Thank you.” Zachary Leid: First-year team member “Although new to the team, Zach was ready to try any of the sixteen events with an open mind! This mindset was crucial for our team goal to win the team championship in May.” Connor McConville: Three-year team member “It was fun seeing Connor challenge himself in the 800 and 400, but it was most exciting watching him support his teammates in the 4 x 400 meter relay! Connor was quiet in his words, but loud in his hard work.” Adam Shego: First-year team member “Adam is naturally fast but he continues to improve his talents by pushing himself during drills and practices. He brings really good energy and is super fun to be around.”
Remy Talbot: Four-year team member “Remy was the most calming presence on the team. I really enjoyed watching him work hard in workouts and seeing it pay off in races. One of my favorite memories of Remy was seeing him come in fifth place at league championships with a huge smile on his face.” Jerome Todd: Three-year team member “Jerome is a good captain but an even better friend and teammate. He knows when to be serious and when it’s OK to be lighthearted.” Jason Xu: Two-year team member “Jason brings really good energy to practice. It’s fun to run with him during warm-ups, and he always has a new joke that will crack you up.”
Girls Track & Field Sara Colando: Four-year team member “Sara’s obvious dedication shows in hard work during practice, enthusiastic leadership, and great times at competition. She would always encourage and befriend younger athletes, and we all saw her as a role model.” Nikki Falicov: Four-year team member “Nikki’s ever-present smile and fun-loving spirit has been a boost to the Pumas. She demonstrated a balance between focus and fun that is so important for healthy team culture.” Sam Kim: Two-year team member “Sam brings a lot of energy and friendliness to the team, collaborating with different people to create a better team environment. Sam doesn’t back down from challenges, even if they come in the form of a 400-meter race.” Olivia Poolos: Four-year team member “Olivia is such a strong runner and a positive leader. She reminds me what I love about running: the support and kindness of the team. She has shown unmatchable leadership and care at every practice.” June Oto: One-year team member “While this would have been June’s first year, she would have been an amazing asset to the team. June leads by example—always working hard and inspiring others to do so themselves. She keeps spirts high with her positivity.” Rihan Delora: Three-year team member “Rihan is the queen of the circle. Behind her illuminating smile, she would throw rockets in the shot. I will miss her hard work, but I will mostly miss how she embodied the spirt of track and field, always cheering for everyone even if they weren’t on her team.” Facing page Row one: Julia Beitel, Alana Berger, Lillian Ellis. Row two: Nubia Robles Santiago, Camille Neutz, Rachel Selby, Nate Burbage. Row three: Jacob Fried, Ben Rothman, Kodaran Anan, Charlie Kauffman. Row four: Connor McConville, Remy Talbot, Jerome Todd, Sara Colando. Row five: Nikki Falicov, Sam Kim, Olivia Poolos, Rihan Delora. Action sport photo unavailable: Hibak Hassan, Alex Kolios, Zach Leid, June Oto, Adam Shego, Jason Xu.
UPREP MAGAZINE
23
Photos from left: Graduate Jerome Todd and family at Evergreen Speedway; graduates and their families line up for the drive-up style UPrep Commencement on June 19.
Congratulations, Class of 2020! BY KELLY HERRINGTON, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING AND STUDENT SERVICES
I
wish I could bottle the pride
roller coaster of snippets from the past four years: that time we all
I feel when I think about the
dressed up for Halloween as Secret Service agents, the Post-it notes
class of 2020. Each student
of communal support in the Commons, a friend’s face when they
exemplifies one hallmark of
learned they were admitted to college, and conversations after class
an UPrep education: humble
with our favorite teachers. Our times at UPrep called for our resil-
intelligence in action. They won
ience, and we rose to the occasion of the moment so many times.”
national awards in journalism
Senior student and ASB President Michael Gary recalls Upper Head
and contributed to state championships on the playing field. They thrived across the academic spectrum in classes ranging from quantitative physics to environmental ethics and advocacy. They gave their time to more than fifty community service organizations. Just like the UPrep alumni who have come before them, they will pursue an equally diverse range of majors and careers.
of School Ken Jaffe noting last fall that the class of 2020 was one of the most positive and spirited classes he has seen in his thirty years as an educator. That momentum has continued throughout the year, with sports game attendance doubling, and students coming together through co-curricular activities to create school memories. The leadership shown by seniors during COVID-19 will never be forgotten. They held community-wide online activities that ranged in nature from a Friday-night bingo party to in-depth conversations about the state of our world during this troublesome spring. As Michael notes, “When the traditional finale of an already incredible
Senior Beatrice Cappio, one of the editors of our school newspaper,
year was taken away, the senior class invoked a feeling of obligation
recently shared the following thoughts with me. Her words so
to continue to carry on as best we could—the class of 2020 is
beautifully capture the impressive nature of the class of 2020:
resilient, and we decided to continue connecting and keeping
“In retrospect, it is challenging to recall what our class looked like
school spirt alive this spring.”
before we were forced off campus. Our collective memory of high
Although at this time of year we celebrate our students’ college
school will be tinged with the reality of what our world looks like
outcomes, what we rejoice in the most are the values of humble
today—the masks, the parking lot meetings with friends, the worry,
intelligence in action that the class of 2020 will bring to fifty-one
the grief. Yet we remember what our home at UPrep looked like
different institutions in twenty-three states and two foreign
before this, along with what has brought meaning to this defining
countries. We cannot wait to see how their spirit, range of interests,
period of growth within our lives. In the aggregate, the plentiful
and compassion will shape and inspire our ever-changing world.
late nights studying and the calamitous end to high school are
And, as Beatrice and Michael remind us, this class will always rise
not the entire story of our lives at UPrep. Instead, we will recall a
to the occasion called for by each moment.
24 UPREP MAGAZINE
CLASS OF 2020 AT A GLANCE: Students: 80 AVERAGE SAT SCORE: English: 665 Math: 655
Composite: 1320 AVERAGE ACT SCORE:
Graduate June Oto’s family celebrates her graduation.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FAST FACTS:
English: 30 Reading: 30 Math: 28
Science: 28 Composite: 29 Mean Grade Point Average: 3.51
The class of 2020 will attend 51 different institutions in 23 states and 2 foreign countries 23% of the class of 2020 will attend public schools and 77% will attend private schools
National Merit Commended Scholars: 8 National Merit Finalist: 1 National Hispanic Scholar: 1 Washington State Honors Award: 58% of the class Total Applications Submitted: 757
78% of the class of 2020 will attend colleges 1,000 miles or more from home 81% of the class of 2020 will attend college out of state
Applications per Student: 9.4 The class of 2020 submitted 757 applications to 215 different colleges and universities 13% of the class of 2020 was recognized by National Merit 187 college admissions representatives visited UPrep this fall 67% of the class of 2020 will attend a college with 5,000 students or more Graduate Hibak Hassan celebrates with her family.
UPREP MAGAZINE
25
Seniors make their victory lap at graduation.
ASB President Michael Gary addresses the graduates.
Senior Sasha Lees crosses the finish line with her family.
CLASS OF 2020 MATRICULATION LIST Arizona State University
Pomona College
Bard College
Queen’s University (Canada)
Berklee College of Music
Santa Clara University (3)
Boston College (2)
Scripps College (3)
Brown University
Seattle University (2)
Bryn Mawr College
Skidmore College
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (2)
Southern Methodist University
Carleton College (2)
Tufts University
Colorado College (2)
Tulane University of Louisiana
Cornell University
University of California, Los Angeles (2)
Dartmouth College
University of Denver (2)
Elon University
University of Edinburgh (Scotland)
Emory University (2)
University of Florida
George Washington University (3)
University of La Verne
Gonzaga University
University of New Mexico
Grinnell College (3)
University of Redlands
Loyola Marymount University (2)
University of Southern California (2)
Middlebury College
University of Washington (4)
Montana State University
University of Washington Bothell (2)
New York University (2)
U.S. Armed Forces
Northeastern University
Washington State University
Northwestern University
Washington University in St. Louis (3)
Occidental College (2)
Wesleyan University
Oxford College of Emory University
Western Washington University (2)
Parsons School of Design
Whitman College
Pitzer College
Yale University
26 UPREP MAGAZINE
Student Awards DAVID BASS MEMORIAL AWARD Each year this award is given to recognize notable academic improvement, which embodies the spirit of growth recognized by University Prep. • Caitlyn Makar-Witucki • Rihan Delora FACULTY RECOGNITION AWARD This award is given to the senior who consistently cares for others, has a positive spirit, embodies inspirational qualities, and whose very presence enhances life at University Prep. • Michael Gary GARRY & ELLEN JONES MEMORIAL AWARD Each year, the Garry and Ellen Jones Memorial Award is given to an outstanding student on campus. This award goes beyond academic achievement; it is for the human qualities within the individual. It is given to an individual who has exhibited special qualities in relationships with others on campus. The recipient is a positive force on campus, has a special sense of commitment and compassion, and is able to maintain his or her own individual self without diminishing another’s self-dignity. • Henry Buscher • Grace Capossela JULIA CALHOUN COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD This award is given to that graduating senior who throughout his or her time at University Prep has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to serving those in need. The recipient may designate a nonprofit organization to receive a donation from University Prep in his or her name. • Olivia Poolos • Ziah Daily PUMA PRIDE AWARD This award is given to those students whose quiet contributions have made a significant difference in the life of the school. • 9th Grade – Shay Cornelius-Shears and Sydney Goitia • 10th Grade – Jamila Abdilahi and Ananya Randeria • 11th Grade – Joseph Yeung and Maya Istafanous SILVER TALON AWARD The Silver Talon Award is given to senior class students whose standards of personal excellence and willingness to risk acceptance deserve recognition. The students are selected on the basis of commitment, scholarship, pride in University Prep, leadership, integrity, inspiration, sportsmanship, and citizenship. • Lillian Bown • Hibak Hassan • Ursula Sargent • Mimi Zekaryas
JEANETTE C. WILLIAMS WRITING AWARDS Jeanette Williams, for whom this award is named, held a special place in her heart for all those students who, in her words, “[weren’t] done cooking yet.” This award is open to all Upper Schoool students, and is given to recognize exceptional skill in the craft of writing and to reward those students who risk originality and risk the interpretation of their work. • Olivia Poolos – Best Portfolio • Sara Colando – First Runner-Up • Georgia Paterson – Second Runner-Up • Ilham Mohamed – Honorable Mention THEATRE ARTS AWARD These recognitions go to students who have shown their dedication to the theatre arts at University Prep by having been enrolled in the equivalent of at least four Play Production or Theatre Performance classes and having given artistic effort beyond required class time in the crafts of acting, directing, and theatre production. • Kendall Fosse • Charlie Kauffman • Kedzie Moe • Dorothea Orth-Smith • Rachel Selby Technical theatre achievement is recognized with the Golden Hammer. Golden Hammers were first presented in 1987 and are awarded to graduating technical theatre students who are truly deserving; they are not awarded on a yearly basis. • Emily Lyons-Hammond THE NATIONAL ORCHESTRA AWARD This award goes to a student who demonstrates high levels of musicianship, leadership, and dedication to Chamber Orchestra. • Alcen Chiu DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR ORCHESTRA This award recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding leadership and dedication to orchestra. • Melia Hsu WOODY HERMAN AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE This award goes to members of the Jazz Ensemble I and recognizes emerging leadership ability and potential. • Sophie Biernacki LOUIS ARMSTRONG AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING MUSICAL EXCELLENCE This award recognizes members of Jazz Ensemble II who demonstrate strong leadership and strong commitment to improving the quality of our program. • Ciaran Healey • Ursula Sargent ERICA HAMLIN LEADERSHIP IN MUSIC AWARD This award recognizes members of Jazz Ensemble II and Chamber Orchestra who demonstrate outstanding leadership. • Alana Berger • Thalia Frank
UPREP MAGAZINE
27
Faculty and Staff News Nancy Schatz Alton, Writer/Editor, and Richard Kassissieh,
Jeff Tillinghast, Director of Learning Design and Technology, was
Assistant Head of School for Academics and Strategic Initiatives,
asked to serve as the next president of the Independent and Interna-
co-wrote “In Practice: Launching an Intensives Program to Prepare
tional School Network for the International Society for Technology in
Students for a Changing World” for the spring 2020 issue of the
Education (ISTE), starting at the annual conference in June.
Independent School, the award-winning quarterly magazine published by the National Association of Independent Schools. Karen Natrop Anderson, History Teacher, was featured in the Gay and Lesbian Independent School Teachers Network’s blog in April as an educator who “breaks the silence” by teaching about LGBTQ+ people, identity, historical events, and themes. Her 11th grade Topics in United States History course examines United States history through the lens of gender and sexuality. Scott Collins, Journalism Teacher, was elected as Vice President of the Washington Journalism Education Association.
Farewell We bid a fond farewell to the following members of the faculty and staff who are moving on to new adventures. We thank you for being part of our community and wish you the best: Asha Dean, Peinda Diop, Eric Huff, Ken Jaffe, Lila Lohr, Nicholas Serpanos, and Meg Shortell.
Welcome Cassandra (Cas) Fricke joined us in February as our new Main Office Coordinator,
Leah Griffin, Librarian, was profiled in Seattle Magazine’s March
sharing the office with Main
issue as a local activist working toward the creation of laws that
Office Coordinator Sashil Pillay.
help rape survivors in Washington state.
A recent Seattle transplant from
Emily Schorr Lesnick, Social Emotional Learning Coordinator, wrote a blog post about the importance of social emotional learning during remote schooling that originally appeared on the National Association of Independent Schools’ Independent Ideas blog in May.
Chicago, Cas comes to us with more than ten years of nonprofit management experience. She is excited to live close enough to walk to work and is enjoying getting to know our community.
Shavette McGee, Director of Enrollment Management, will present “Focusing on the Human Side of Enrollment Management: Why Having a Customer Service Focus Is Integral in Today’s Competitive Market” at the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals annual conference in 2021. Rebecca Moe, Director of Athletics, wrote about leading through COVID-19 for the summer issue of the Washington State Secondary Athletic Administrators Association magazine. Moses Rifkin, Science Teacher and Department Head, and alumna Olivia (Livvy) Eickerman ’19 co-wrote “The Elephant in the (Physics Class)Room: Discussing Gender Inequality in Our Class,” which was published in the May issue of The Physics Teacher, the publication of the American Association of Physics Teachers. Jacob Taylor-Mosquera, Spanish Teacher, self-published his memoir, I Met Myself in October: A Memoir of Belonging, this August. Proceeds from this book will contribute to higher-education costs for students in Colombia.
A Story of Faculty Connection Last summer, not only did Fine Arts and Drama Teacher Bretta Ballou Ringo begin working at UPrep, but her husband, Stephen Ringo, received a kidney from her new colleague Ty Talbot, Fine Arts Teacher and Department Head. “My connection to Ty is through Stephen. I met Ty the summer after his first year at Stanford. Ty has been a part of my life ever since,” says Bretta. Ty was an eighth grader when Stephen was his pastor and youth group leader at St. Mark’s Church in Spokane, and they have been friends ever since. “Steve was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease about 10 years ago, and I pretty quickly told him to put me on the list of folks who could possibly donate a kidney,” says Ty.
28 UPREP MAGAZINE
In 2018, Ty began the lengthy
Management at Wall Data, Inc.
screening process to see if he
Liffy has served on the boards
was a good donor match, and
of the Seattle Public Library
this journey culminated in two
Foundation and nonprofit
surgeries that happened on
affordable housing developer
June 5, 2019. Ty says that this
Common Ground. Recently,
experience was strangely fun—
she has been an active member
albeit painful at times—and that
of the University Prep Parent
he could only have donated his
Council and is currently serving
kidney thanks to all he learned
as Secretary. Liffy and her wife,
from Stephen through decades
Jennifer Cast, have twin sons,
of friendship.
Will and Carter Cast ’23.
Bretta notes that this new kidney for her husband and working with
Sujal Patel is the Founder and
Ty at UPrep are both dreams come true for her. “I was actually in
CEO of Nautilus Biotechnology.
the hiring process at UPrep at the same time Ty and Stephen were
In 2001, Sujal founded Isilon
in the operation prep for the transplant. I was offered the job just
Systems, an enterprise data
days before the surgery,” says Bretta. “Ty and I are now colleagues,
storage provider. After Isilon
Stephen has a new life expectancy, and we all share such joy every
was acquired by EMC in
day for the gift of being in each other’s lives.”
December 2010, Sujal served as the President of EMC’s Isilon
Board of Trustees Update
Storage Division from the
We welcome the following new members of the board and bid
acquisition until November
goodbye to Helen Bowen Blair, Devindra Chainani, Rita Egrari, Lila Lohr, Yazmin Mehdi, and Barb Sniezek. Lisa Bontje began her career as a CPA with Deloitte & Touche, before her role as Senior Manager of Investor Relations at Microsoft.
2012. Sujal holds numerous patents in the areas of storage, networking, and media delivery; is a well-known speaker on entrepreneurship; and has received a variety of industry awards. Currently, Sujal serves on the board of directors at Qumulo and is a trustee of Rainier Scholars and Bertschi School. Sujal and his wife, Meera, have twin sons at UPrep, Avi and Niam ’26.
After having children, she
Andrew Selby spent 20 years
redirected her efforts toward
working in investment banking
family, community service, and
at companies based in Hong
photography. Lisa provides
Kong, London, and Johannes-
photography services to many
burg, with a culminating stint
local and international non-
at Barclays Capital, setting up
profit organizations, including
the Africa Investment Banking
Social Venture Partners, Child Care Resources, Boys & Girls Clubs of
operations. After retiring from
King County, and University Prep. Lisa is the incoming Co-President
banking, Andrew founded a
of Parent Council, where she has previously served as Parent
sporting events company.
Education Committee Co-Chair, Grade-Level Parent Representative,
The Selby family moved from
and, for the most recent two years, Advancement Liaison.
Cape Town to Seattle in August 2018, with Aleksandr ’22 and
She serves on the Advancement Committee and Co-Chaired
Matthew ’24 settling in at UPrep. At the children’s previous school,
the 2020 UPrep Together event. Lisa has also served as a Parent
Andrew chaired its finance committee, launched a major fundraising
Ambassador. She and her husband, Norm, are the parents of
campaign for capital expansion, and founded the Extra Term
Nate ’19 and Alex ’22.
initiative, which provided an opportunity for current parents to
Elizabeth (Liffy) Franklin’s career was dedicated to both the public and private sector. She was Chief of Staff to the Chancellor at Indiana University/Purdue University Fort Wayne, and her private-
sponsor and mentor children who needed financial assistance. He currently serves on the Advancement, Finance, and Investment Committees at UPrep.
sector career was focused on technology sales and marketing. For the last seven years of her career, she was VP of Product UPREP MAGAZINE
29
Inc l
re
Invent Ins e pi ud
UPrep Together
Virtual Event Inspires Record-Breaking Community Support! BY CATHERINE BLUNDELL, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
UPREP TOGETHER PLANNING COMMITTEE
T
Co-chairs Lisa and Norm Bontje,
funds, due to COVID-19, many of our families needed immediate, unexpected support and we
Co-chairs Stephanie and Derek
established the new Temporary Emergency Financial Aid Fund.
Standifer, Denise Angelone, Leora Bloom, Alexa Crawford, Katharine Durkee, Paige Hansen-Shankar, Karina Kunins, Mary Beth Lambert, Jill Leahy, Catherine McNutt, Scottie Nash, Alexis Ortega, Kathy Park, Holley Ring, Jennifer Sill, Barb Sniezek
his year’s UPrep Together event was a feat of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. One day prior to our in-person event, we canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Our Advancement Team and UPrep Together Committee, led by Co-chairs Lisa and Norm Bontje and Stephanie and
Derek Standifer, began reimagining a virtual event. While UPrep Together usually raises endowment
On May 1, the UPrep community gathered virtually in our UPrep Together Zoom Room. Teachers and administrators led sessions with attendees joining from home—using the chat feature to join in the conversation. I served as our emcee, providing updates on our fundraising progress and introducing each session: • Director
of Middle School Susie Wu and Assistant Director of Middle School Kyle Lawhead
led Growing Together in Middle School, which outlined how teachers transitioned to online learning and supported students in new ways. • Fine
Arts Teacher and Department Head Ty Talbot and Dance Teacher Jess Klein shared
video clips from their virtual classes and highlighted how students embraced creativity while learning from home. • An
interactive Alumni Panel featured one alumnus from each of UPrep’s four decades.
Al Merati ’82, Sarah Salemy ’94, Blake Titcomb ’09, and Malvika Wadhawan ’19 spoke about their time at UPrep and shared how they stay connected to the school.
30 UPREP MAGAZINE
FAST FACTS $702,978 raised for financial aid, exceeding our goal by $202,978 303 families contributed, representing a 92% increase over last year’s event 190 families were first-time donors to UPrep Together 71% increase in giving from families new to our community
Special thanks to our two generous anonymous donors for their challenge match opportunities. Our alumni parent donor offered a $200,000 challenge for the community. Additionally, an anonymous new family stepped up with a $30,000 challenge for their fellow new families. Both of these challenges were maximized during the event!
Pictured: Catherine Blundell (left) and Jeff Tillinghast (above) work together to create behind-the-scenes Zoom magic from their living rooms.
• Director
of College Counseling and Student Services
Kelly Herrington and Associate Director of College Counseling Britten Nelson provided levity with their morning-talk-show-style session that explored the current college application process. • Director
of Athletics Rebecca Moe and Assistant
We raised more than $700,000 from 300 donors, which is an astounding 40% increase in giving over last year’s effort. This once-in-a-lifetime UPrep Together 2020 event filled our
Head of School and Director of the Upper School Ken
community with Puma pride. We raised more than $700,000 from
Jaffe shared the various ways we are celebrating the
300 donors, which is an astounding 40% increase in giving over
class of 2020, which included installing yard signs and
last year’s effort. Two incredible challenge matches given by
a graduation photo shoot. We also recognized Ken
anonymous donors were maximized, providing an additional
as he concluded his 22nd and final year at UPrep.
$230,000 in immediate tuition assistance for our families.
We concluded with our Main Event: Interim Head of School Lila Lohr, Board Chair Cheryl Scott, and our incoming Head of School Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau thanked our community for their
The virtual format allowed us to reach more donors than ever! Many thanks to each and every donor for your incredible generosity and for helping us keep UPrep Together.
unwavering support for the school during difficult times.
UPREP MAGAZINE
31
Alumni News
BY TOBY CATTOLICO ‘04, ALUMNI AND ADVANCEMENT ASSOCIATE
Alumni Panel Speaks at UPrep Together Event During the UPrep Together fundraiser on May 1, four alumni who represented different decades served on a panel moderated by Director of Advancement Catherine Blundell. Al Merati ’82, Sarah Salemy ’94, Blake Titcomb ’09, and Malvika Wadhawan ’19 shared stories and talked about why UPrep remains important to them. While UPrep’s physical footprint has changed through the years, the importance of student and faculty relationships remained a prominent theme. Parents, grandparents, and students all enjoyed hearing from this snapshot of our alumni community. We plan to continue involving and highlighting our alumni community at future events!
Puma College Connections Program Begins When college campuses began halting tours and closing campuses during COVID-19, our alumni community sprang into action to support our current students and families. Director of College Clockwise from top left: Al Merati ’82, Sarah Salemy ’94, Malvika Wadhawan ’19, Blake Titcomb ’09
Counseling and Student Affairs Kelly Herrington teamed up with Alumni and Advancement Associate Toby Cattolico ’04 to ask our college-age alumni to help our current junior and senior families. Through the newly created Puma College Connections Program,
SUPPORT UPREP
our junior and senior families connect with alumni to receive first-
Make a gift in honor of a faculty member. Please visit www.supportuprep.org.
person accounts of their college experience. Families and alumni meet via email, phone, and Zoom to discuss what academic and student life is like for UPrep graduates at colleges throughout the world. Ninety Puma alums stepped up to support our students and their families to help with this important step of the college decision. Thank you to each Puma alum who supports this effort! This is a true display of our UPrep alumni community giving back.
32 UPREP MAGAZINE
Welcome Class of 2020 This year’s graduating seniors were unable to experience the same traditions that make senior year so special. Even so, they left their mark on the school and will always remember this unpredictable spring. UPrep’s community stepped forward to support and congratulate all 80 of these incredible individuals. Conversely, the senior class also offered their words of encouragement to the faculty and staff (see photo on facing page). Please join us in welcoming the class 2020 to the UPrep Alumni Association!
Shane Salk ’04 Supports Upper School Play Production After this year’s production of Radium Girls was upended by the closure of UPrep’s campus, Fine Arts Teacher and Theater Manager Paul Fleming asked UPrep alumnus Shane Salk ’04 for help reenvisioning the performances. Shane was uniquely suited to help with this because he runs Shane Salk Productions in Los Angeles, which has a full recording studio. Together they brainstormed ways to remotely showcase the cast’s hard work and creativity, resulting in an exciting first for the UPrep Theater Department: a radio production of a play. “When I received the call from Mr. Fleming, I was more than happy to help! He provided me so much support and guidance throughout high school and I felt that this would be one small
Alumni Board Profile: Sarah Salemy ’94
way I could return the favor,” says Shane.
Sarah joined UPrep as a member of the very first 6th grade class.
Paul introduced Shane to the performers to go over the basic tech
There were 18 students in her class during that first year. PE took
needs to create the most ideal setting to record in their homes.
place in a double-wide trailer with wood floors, and the Commons
After successfully recording their tracks, Shane worked remotely
and gym were under construction. Her first UPrep memory includes
with Paul to add additional sound effects, create a radio broadcast
a giant gravel lot with many mud puddles!
experience, and finalize audio balance before mastering the track.
Sarah’s mother chose UPrep because she knew it would provide her
Visit bit.ly/3ezBWPn to listen to this wonderful production!
with a culture of consistency, community values, and individualized
Alumni Board News
attention. UPrep would be a place that provided good structure where she could make supportive friends and be in an environment
The Alumni Board has continued to meet virtually over the past
where she could try and do anything. Sarah was in a musical,
several months. In addition to rallying alumni to participate in the
enrolled in stagecraft, participated in student government,
spring’s UPrep Together event, the board has also supported the
and played every sport offered.
virtual summer events. The Alumni Board continues to pursue increased alumni engagement. Katie (Schoene) Abel ’03 coached girls’ soccer last fall. Jackson Sage ’14, a strategic analyst at Pitchbook Data, was a guest speaker at the winter Entrepreneurship intensive. UPrep alumni continue to support the school and we are grateful to the entire alumni community for donating $97,784 this year! Thank you to everyone
During her senior year, the girls’ soccer team went to the state tournament for the first time. She remembers that her coach, Mr. Chursky, who was also her English teacher, led the team through the experience of trying exceptionally hard—and failing. This taught her there is much to learn from failure and that you must pick yourself up and continue on.
who contributed! With a
A spirit of risk-taking remained with her while she attended
new school year just around
Occidental College; she majored in biochemistry and minored in
the corner and much
art history. After a few years off, Sarah attended UW Medical
engagement shifted to a
School, completing her residency at George Washington University.
virtual format, we invite
She now lives in Seattle and works as an OB-GYN at Kaiser
our alumni who are not
Permanente. She remains grateful for her education and time
local to be more involved.
at UPrep. Her advice to current Pumas is to try everything and
Please reach out to us at
take risks! UPrep is a safe place to fail. Sarah’s daughter Hannah
alumni@universityprep.org.
will be starting 6th grade this fall! UPREP MAGAZINE
33
Class Notes
Aaron Casson Trenor ’96 Hello, everyone! I’m honored and humbled to announce that my new children’s book, Umijoo, has just won the Nautilus Book Awards gold medal for mid-grade fiction. The Nautilus Book Awards are some of the most highly regarded awards in modern American literature. They specialize in acknowledging and elevating “Books for a Better World,” which is all that Umijoo has ever striven to be. A bit about Nautilus: “The Nautilus Awards
Kyle Sims ’88 As my hobby/side job of private chef/whole pig roaster is on hiatus, I am spending my time down here in the Willamette Valley expanding my other DIY skills. I have been exploring hand-papermaking and made my own pulp beater, press, and molds. Next, I will be learning to carve wood blocks and making ink from the oak galls here on the property or from my own home, and I want to make charcoal to do some printing.
program seeks, recognizes, honors, celebrates, and promotes print books that inspire and connect our lives as individuals, families, communities, and global citizens. We look for exceptional literary contributions to spiritual growth, green values and sustainability, high-level wellness, responsible leadership and positive social change and social justice.” To all the old friends and UPrep classmates who supported the Umijoo project: Thank you all so much. It never would have happened without you! Andy Vonasch ’02 After earning a PhD in psychology from Florida State University, Andy did postdoctoral research on the social psychology of moral decision-making at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2018, he moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, where he continues his research and teaches as a lecturer at the University of Canterbury. In his new country, he has started surfing and mountain biking, and also enjoys hiking the many nature trails.
Maria Breuder ’92 I am living in Seattle with my kids, both current students at UPrep. (Dante is in the Class of 2024 and Giovanna is in the Class of 2026.) As the principal of an elementary school in Seattle, I am in the midst of remote/distance learning with my school community and we are all staying safe and healthy. I am grateful to have my family and friends nearby and I feel so lucky for my own children attending UPrep to continue their learning during this time. As a proud UPrep alumna, it’s a lot of fun to meet many former Pumas as they come through my school! I have also seen a number of former students at UPrep, which has also been fun. Looking forward to getting the class of 1992 together for our 30-year reunion!
34 UPREP MAGAZINE
the mechanics of writing—a passion I’ve nursed since UPrep days with Ms. Ghavamian, Ms. Patella, Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Duxbury. My dear mother, Susan Aldrich, passed away suddenly in February; I can say with sadness that the world is a different place without one’s mother in it and I miss her terribly. We currently live on Capitol Hill; reach out to us for anything, architecture or otherwise!
Greg Borish ’04 At the very end of 2019, my son, Wesley, was born! He is my first child, and so far he is happy, curious, funny, wonderful, and healthy. He is already a massive Seahawks fan and I could not ask for a better son. Besides that, I just finished my 11th year teaching high school math and computer science in Southern California. I have also become obsessed with golf. Over the past year, I got to play at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach, and Nick Peterson ’04 and I went on
Cleopatra Cutler ’07
a three-day golf trip that we are hoping to make a yearly tradition.
I became a self-employed artist in the fall, and I’ve just hit a
Life is good!
milestone of 50 paintings! It’s a scary time to be entering the arts, but there’s nothing I’d rather be doing. Daily painting has been an anchor, and posting my work has been a great way to connect with the Seattle community and with artists from around the world while everyone is at home. You can see my work at cleopatratheartist.com.
Annie Aldrich ’04 My life has changed more in the last four years than ever before! I met my fiancé, Mark Keller, while working together at Seattle’s Olson Kundig. Yearning for fresh experiences, we traveled the country looking for landscapes and communities in which we could build a prototype of our patent-pending home-building technique. We spent some time with Mark’s family in Maine and Virginia. Highlights included camping and hiking across beautiful country in Arizona and Utah. In 2018, we started our own architecture studio, TYP, with the goal to design lean, resilient, healthy homes— we support the 2030 Challenge and perform life cycle assessment for every project. We are building our own zero-carbon, zero-energy home in Roslyn, Washington. I copyedited articles for the spring ARCADE magazine. I’ve enjoyed sinking my mind into language and
Allison Arrigoni ’08 On May 16, I graduated (virtually) from Tulane University School of Medicine, receiving both my MD as well as a master’s in public health and tropical medicine. Even though it was virtual, my dad was still able to hood me in person, and I received the best surprise: UPREP MAGAZINE
35
Cooper Hollie ’16
video messages of congrats from my best friends and fellow former Pumas, Colette Kent, Hannah Asher, Nina Rabins, and Erin Bosetti
I graduated from the University
(all class of 2008)! In July, I started residency as a pediatrician at the
of Oregon in June and have
University of Tennessee in Memphis.
accepted a job at Artisan Electric in Seattle as a solar
Anling Kaplan ’15
sales consultant! Looking
I can’t believe it’s been a year
forward to what is to come.
since I graduated from Agnes
Go Pumas forever!
Scott College. Since then, I have been working at Emory University while I study for the
Anika Meisel ’16
MCAT and apply to an MD/PhD
(UPrep Middle School)
program. I am a research
Since serving as concertmaster
specialist in the Department
of the Chamber Orchestra at
of Pharmacology and Chemical
UPrep in eighth grade, I’ve
Biology and I conduct
discovered a passion for music.
experiments using electrophys-
After four years at Garfield High
iology that focus on human diseases. Since this pandemic, we have
School and two as a member
been busy working to upgrade our lab to a Biosafety Level 2+ in
of the Seattle Youth Symphony
preparation for testing COVID-19 patients’ biofluids with high
Orchestra, I will be to attending
throughput and robotic electrophysiology assays.
college as a violin performance major!
In Memoriam Dorothea Bourque—Grandmother to Ashley (Locke) Beade ’01 and Lauren “Will” Locke ‘05 Longtime University Prep community member Dorothea Bourque passed away at age 93 on Christmas Day 2019. Dorothea tutored at University Prep for almost a decade, from approximately 1995 to 2004. Prior to this, Dorothea taught high school and was the head librarian at the Electrical Engineering School at the University of Pennsylvania. Kaeley Pilichowski ’15 I recently graduated from Whitman College with a bachelor of arts in environmental sociology (class of 2019, not 2020) at the same time as many fellow University Prep classmates. In the year since I’ve graduated, I moved to Oahu, Hawaii, and worked as a PADI Divemaster at a small shop called Aaron’s Dive Shop before getting my PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor certification with them in February. Although I miss the rain and home, the water here is a little bit warmer and clearer than Puget Sound.
36 UPREP MAGAZINE
Students will remember her as a quiet fixture in the library, patiently and expertly tutoring Middle and Upper School students in English, math, and social studies. While she was raised in the Depression era, when educating girls was often viewed as a waste of money, her family valued education above all. Her father’s attitude was that education is the key to becoming the best a person can be. Dorothea was a lifelong educator and academic, and she will be missed.
Upcoming Events Please note that dates may change; check event details at www.universityprep.org/calendar.
First Day of School Wednesday, September 2 Welcome back! The 2020– 2021 school year will begin with the ceremonial ringing of the UPrep bell.
Puma Fund Kick-Off Thursday, October 1 Each fall, our entire UPrep community comes together to support our Puma Fund campaign in an inspiring effort that benefits every student and every teacher at our school.
Alumni Virtual Winter Party
Parent Council Meeting Monday, September 14, 6:30 p.m. All parents and caregivers are invited to the first Parent
In November— check our website
Council meeting of the new school year. This month,
Maintain your connections to
our pre-meeting speaker is Head of School Ronnie
UPrep and your fellow Puma
Codrington-Cazeau. Please join us!
grads at our yearly Winter Party—now online, so you can attend even if you no longer live nearby!
Induction Ceremony and Town Hall Wednesday, October 7, 6:30 p.m. UPrep Board Trustee Cheryl Scott welcomes our new Head of School Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau during
OUR MISSION
our online Induction Ceremony.
University Prep is committed to developing each student’s potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible citizen of the world.
Afterwards, Ronnie, Director of Upper School Joel Sohn, and Director of Middle School Susie Wu will answer questions from the UPrep community.
UPREP MAGAZINE
37
Nonprofit ORG US POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO. 1268
8000 25th Ave NE | Seattle, WA 98115
2019 – 2020
A Few Highlights from the Past School Year