THE CLASS OF 2022

Cla of

I HAD NO IDEA

By Jason LaBau, Class XII Dean

Journey with me for a moment back to the spring of 2018. The Class of 2022 was in Class IX. They were braving Biology and Human Geography and had no idea what awaited them. I was still a new teacher, finishing my fourth year, and applying to be a Class Dean. I knew there was a new plan, in which Class Deans would move with their group each year, strengthening the bonds they would forge along the way. “Ok,” I thought, “I like this group well enough. I’ve taught them Ancient History and Human Geography and know most of them. They’re good kids that I’d be happy to get to know better.”

Readers, I had no idea.

I had no idea how quickly they would seep into my head, how soon I would be thinking about them all the time, much like my own kids. I had no idea that Spring Break of 2020 would end with an abrupt pivot to online learning — after, you know, an extra day off for the earthquake. I had no idea the struggles and resilience we would witness among this group of students as they dealt with changed schedules, hybrid learning, masking, distancing, a campus rotation system, and all the other challenges of a global pandemic. I had no idea what that long year would bring, the ways it would tear at our sense of community, the extra anxiety students would carry while also carrying the usual junior year anxiety. I had no idea how brilliant they would be about finding new ways to forge community—or how they would teach us about what they needed or what community could look like in very different circumstances.

I had no idea how many leaders would emerge, how many champions, how many friends. I had no idea how they would emerge this year, ready to craft new traditions and find new ways to build the ties of community. And here we are, now, still wrestling with uncertainty and pushing forward.

What will this year bring? Truly, I have no idea. But I can tell you that we will celebrate. That is my goal this year, to celebrate. To celebrate this most outstanding of Waterford classes, the Class of 2022. They have braved a pandemic and can conquer anything, celebrating as they go. And so, in the following pages, here is a glimpse of the Class of 2022. I hope you’ll come to appreciate them as much as I do.

Cla of

ON THIS DAY

JUNE 4, 1987

Waterford’s 1st graduating class received their personal tributes from then Head of School, Nancy Heuston, at the Commencement ceremony.

Senior retreat at Snowbird, August 2021. Photo by Andrew Patteson

Photo of seniors in traditional green senior sweaters, Class Day, October 2021. Photo by Andrew Patteson

Halloween Senior lunch, October 2021. Photo by Andrew Patteson.

Emma G., Lalith S., Devon T., and Sophia T (Class of 2021). Photo by Andrew Patteson. Senior Sunrise, August 2021. Photo by Jason LaBau.

Scan the QR code to read the full senior profiles online

AUDRIE JENN :

How has your time at Waterford shaped you?

My time at Waterford has profoundly shaped who I am today. Waterford has shaped my perspective on life and has crafted me to be an ambitious learner, curious thinker, and an empathetic and kind person. Waterford has taught me many valuable life skills and instilled in me a lifelong love of learning. I have been at Waterford since I was 5 years old, and I can proudly say I wouldn’t want to go to any other school.

KASPER NILSSON :

What advice do you have for younger students at Waterford?

My advice to younger students is to slow down and enjoy their time at Waterford. When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to be a Senior and to enjoy all of the many privileges it has to offer. While I am very grateful for all the wonderful things that come with being a Senior, I wish I could go back and enjoy a Lower School game of kickball or a Middle School Latin class just one more time.

CHRISTINE PENG :

What have you loved most about your Waterford experience?

What I love most about Waterford is the academic environment here. Every day, I can always learn something new from my classmates in English class discussions. Moreover, I appreciate how my classmates treat homework: homework is not drudging work, but an opportunity to explore themselves and to create.

Student Body President, Fabiola Paredes ’22, speaking to all of Waterford students, faculty and staff for First Friday celebration, September 2021. Photo by Andrew Patteson.

FIRST FRIDAY

Speech by Student Body President, Fabiola Paredes ’22

E L EBRATI N G 4 0 YEARS O C F

Excellence

Good Morning, everyone. I am happy to be here speaking to you all today. It is amazing to have everyone back! Starting with the Lower Schoolers all the way to Upper Schoolers. First and foremost, I would like to say congratulations to our beautiful school on reaching its 40th year anniversary! And recognize the hard work and perseverance of the founders, faculty, staff, students and parents that have made this possible. Now, I would like to start with a quote from Will Richardson, not the basketball player but rather, the speaker on educational technology. He says “School is the path, not the point,” I would add on “In which you are shaped and it is the place where you will have the best memories of your life.” Don’t you always hear your grandparents talk about the “good old days” and then tell you a story from school? The ironic thing is that we don’t realize this until we are older and take some time to appreciate our experiences. Sure, school can be tough sometimes, but these are the things that shape you. Waterford is a liberal arts school in which, through its core values, we are exposed to a diverse spectrum of opportunities. Moreover, Waterford has helped us to be open minded, always able to adapt to constant change, and supported by the various resources that are available to us. Express yourself, challenge your limits, get out of your comfort zone, make new friendships, create new relationships with faculty members, be innovative and creative, don’t be afraid to share your ideas. There is so much room for us to grow: through academics, the arts, music, and sports. These are the ways in which we strive for Excellence. As we adjust back to the school year, know that one thing is for sure: change. We live in an era where things change rapidly. Do not fear change and challenge the “status quo,” the way things are. We challenged this. We adjusted to the new schedule which I think most of us are happy about. We are here to grow as human beings. Following Excellence also means failing. Not your classes of course; as Michelle Obama stated: “failure is an important part of your growth and developing resilience. Don’t be afraid to fail.” Be proud of who you are and the mistakes you make, but the most important thing is to learn from them and keep the momentum going. Anything can happen. I invite you to take advantage of your everyday life, as there is a saying in Spanish “sacale el jugo cada dia,” “squeeze your day to the fullest.” I wish every single one of you, starting from the little ones to the Senior Class, a wonderful school year. Thank you.

25 YEAR TIME CAPSULE, BURIED IN 1996

Waterford School’s campus has buzzed this year with renewed celebrations. With ever-increasing knowledge about COVID-19, many of our traditions have moved outdoors and have resumed. Having our students and parents back together in shared experiences is a welcome change this school year. From First Friday to our 40th Day of School celebrations, our 5th decade has been marked with community-oriented events. Additionally, new favorites such as Halloween dress-up have been well received by all students across campus, especially the Lower School students who paraded around the Main Quad with their teachers for parents and friends to watch! Students look forward to more events later this spring with Visiting Days, Spring BBQ and more. We hope for a clearer, healthy path forward for these to take place.

In 1996, Waterford School was expanding its brick and mortar footprint across the campus we now know. In this year, construction was completed on the 600s (Humanities) Building that sits on the North side of the Main Quad and along 9400 South. When construction was complete that Fall, students and teachers from each class and grade level included a submission that was buried in a large metal time capsule. The plaque noted that the capsule should be unburied in November 2021, exactly 25 years from the burial. This November, after the capsule’s unearthing, the contents were shared in Middle and Upper School Assemblies and displayed in the Heuston Concert Hall.

Waterford Dance Department and faculty members particpated in a special performance at the Halloween assembly. Photo by Andrew Patteson

Special 40th Anniversary cookies in celebration of First Friday. Photo by Heather Mortenson. The second-annual Halloween dress-up Day at Waterford, October 2021. Students in the Lower School parade. Photo by Heather Mortenson.

(Left) November 2021, the 1996 time capsule plaque and contents on display. (Right) Students burying time capsule in 1996.

By Amanda Apple, Director of Marketing and Communications

Opening Family Brunch has been a time-honored tradition. This year, it was ever more welcome after Waterford needed to take a year off with the many unkowns of the pandemic in 2020. Due to historic enrollment and families who looked forward to a safe outdoor gathering, Opening Family Brunch this year was well-attended and a lot of fun. The food was fantastic (and safely individually wrapped), the weather was beautiful, and families gathered to reconnect with friends and classmates as well as enjoy more time with their teachers.

Madison (II), Arianna (K), Elijah (II), and Dylan (II) at the Opening Family Brunch. Photo by Heather Mortenson. Middle & Upper School Families gather on the Main Quad for Opening Family Brunch, August 2021. Photo by Heather Mortenson.

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

RISING SENIOR INTERNSHIPS

By Daniel Osipovitch, Science Teacher

The University of Utah Pharmacology Internship, in its seventh summer, hosted another amazing group of Waterford students who participated in the summer pharmacology research internship program.

On Friday, July 30, 2021 this group of hardworking rising seniors, including Neve Ruascher, Devon Tonneson, and Howard Wang, presented their research outside at the University of Utah. Diya Garg also participated in the Internship, but was unable to present due to scheduling.

Howard worked on protein/substrate computational modeling. Neve worked with an animal model of epilepsy to study impacts of drugs on learning and memory. Devon worked on expression of a gene in a mouse model to determine its effects on heart structure. Diya worked on data analysis of EEGs for a study as well as visualizing protein expression with immunohistochemistry.

This incredible annual opportunity allows our students to be directly involved in high-level research in an academic lab.

Community Service ran a “Pumpkin Palooza” in October, selling pumpkins harvested from History Teacher Emily Mortensen’s garden and raising over $1,186 to benefit refugees resettling in the Salt Lake valley.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

LegacyLegacyLegacyOF SERVICE

FACULTY RETIREMENTS 2020-21

SHERRY EGAN

Sherry Egan is a Waterford Original, beginning when the school was in Provo, UT. Sherry has been instrumental in Waterford’s growth, especially in creating an exceptional Lower School tutoring program that is well known in the Salt Lake Valley for its research-based foundations and efficacy. She has worn many hats, including teacher, tutor and director. One teacher said she has never known anyone who works as hard or attends to each detail as carefully and meticulously as Sherry. Sherry’s knowledge, steadiness, and warm smile was key to Waterford flourishing, and will be missed!

Martha Quinn is both a colleague and a dear friend in Lower School. Her two boys enrolled at Waterford in 1988, she became our first Parent Association President, and in 1990, she began as our librarian at Waterford’s small, one-room library. Martha built and expanded our collection of books which has resulted in the beautiful library we have now. And Martha knows books—there were many times a student asked her for a certain book or a book on a certain topic and without hesitation, Martha walked right to the book. When Martha tells a story you can hear a pin drop, the children are so enthralled with her stories. Martha loves to bake, go to farmer’s markets and be with her grandkids. Her warmth and knowledge will be missed!

As a teacher, JoAnne is intentional in everything she does. Every detail is designed to complement her teaching process. Each year, JoAnne carefully develops a relationship and deep understanding of each child, she knows what encouragement and redirection they need: a touch, hug, nod, another chance, and the list goes on. She establishes successful relationships with parents that benefit the students, and she quietly educates and collaborates, always with an open mind to try something new. Always generous to colleagues and Waterford with her time, and creating an unmatched kindergarten curriculum, many teachers have the aspiration to “teach just like JoAnne when they grow up.”

MARTHA QUINN

JOANN PRICE

35 Years

Betty Neal

Class I Teacher

25 Years 30 Years

Charles Rosett

English Teacher

20 Years

Mike Johnson

Class V Teacher Nancy Woller

Math Department Chair Paula Getz

Class V Teacher Kent Hercules

Aux. Program Director

15 Years

Barbara Biscupovich Spanish Teacher

Liz Elggren Director of Tutoring Amy Dolbin Registrar

Heidi Hicks Strings Teacher Gladys Palma Custodian Javen Tanner Dean of Arts

Tim Stout Chinese Teacher

FLASH BACK TO THEIR EARLIER YEARS

Nicole Miles Reading Tutor

Heidi Poole Latin Teacher

10 Years

Erika Munson Librarian & Dean Laura Peterson PreK-3 Teacher

Lisa Sintz Events Manager Kathy Thames Reading Tutor

Brant Vest Art Teacher

Julie West Reading Tutor

Sue Sharma Reading Tutor

Milestones FACULTY & STAFF Milestones Milestones

Outdoor Program teacher Bekka Joslin and a student checking the snow pack. Photo by Chris Watkins.

BACKCOUNTRY SAFETY

“Throughout the course, one day within the week is dedicated to classroom case studies, guest speakers and lectures. Two of the days, the students are outside learning and improving their outdoor recreational skills. One of the days, they may ski downhill at Snowbird, while another, they will take the school-provided backcountry ski equipment—complete with avalanche beacon, probe and shovel—and venture into the wilderness. In each outing, about 12 students are teamed up with two instructors. ‘We’re teaching the techniques of how to use that type of equipment, but the curriculum is even more about the avalanche awareness components,” [Chris Watkins-Outdoor Program Leader] said. “It’s a really direct experience or education; you’re in that environment talking about it.’” Read the full article on sandyjournal.com

“Since arriving at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, shortly after graduating from Penn, [Sawyer] Brooks has primarily worked on testing the sample caching system for Perseverance, which is slated to land in Mars’s Jezero Crater on February 18. The main focus of the mission—which will also test technologies for long-term goals of human exploration—is to drill for rock and soil samples that might contain evidence of past signs of life, analyze them, and store them in tubes on the Martian surface for a future mission to retrieve and return to Earth.”

JAIMESON MEYER ’21- THE FIRST DESERET NEWS MS. LACROSSE

Excerpt by Tyler Haslam, Journalist for Deseret News Excerpt by Julie Slama, Journalist for Sandy City Journal

Excerpt from The Pennsylvania Gazette, University of Pennsylvania’s alumni magazine, featuring NASA robotics systems engineer Sawyer Brooks ’10 contribution to the work on Perseverance, the Rover that landed on Mars this year.

“To go along with a state-leading 143 goals, Meyer recorded 44 assists, which was good for second in the state. The improvement in her passing game allowed Meyer to finish with a state-high 187 points — 50 points more than the player in second-place. Her sheer dominance in an attack made Meyer the clear and obvious choice to be the recipient of the first ever Deseret News Ms. Lacrosse award.

‘From an individual point of view, this season, for me, was really about proving that I had what it takes,” Meyer said. “I was able to lead in points and I’m so grateful for that, and for my teammates who just had my back and supported me all season. But yeah, I really couldn’t have asked for a better season, it was so awesome.’” Read the full article on deseret.com

Ms. Lacrosse Jaimeson Meyer during a home Lacrosse game at Waterford School, 2021. Photo by Steve Earl.

MISSION TO MARS- SAWYER BROOKS ’10

Read the full article at https://thepenngazette.com/mission-to-mars/.