Issuu

WINTER 2019

OUR TOP PRIORITIES:

EXCELLENCE & INNOVATION

THEN & NOW

Message from the Head of School

WorldWonder at the Nature Center

Update on The Lighthouse Performing Arts Center

Excellence and Innovation Underscore Elementary’s SAIL Program

Alumna Leads AP Capstone Program

Innovation Tops the List of Middle School Electives

2019 Warriors Hall of Fame Induction

2019 Homecoming

Medder Reﬂects on His Role as Associate Head of School

1970s Alumni Reunion in Georgia

Alumni: Roll Call and Memorials

EDITOR: Ana M. Poveda ‘87 EDITORIAL STAFF: Patrick Wennin ‘12 PHOTOGRAPHY: Mark Tomaras Photography Carl Kafka Photography Chacon Photography Linda Chase Omar Valerio Ian Poveda ’17 COVER PHOTO: Preschool student Mariana Canaan ‘33 loves playing outdoors on the playground. Then & Now is published by the Communications and Marketing Ofﬁce of Westminster Christian School, and is distributed to alumni, parents, students, and friends. We welcome your submissions and story ideas. Please send them to communications@wcsmiami.org.

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The Gutierrez Family Field was dedicated in November 2017 at the Varsity Girls’ Soccer season opener. The ﬁeld is a regulation size football and soccer ﬁeld that serves the needs of many sports teams and Westminster athletic programs year-round. Maite Gutierrez ‘18 was a stand-out soccer player at WCS, and now plays for Babson College in Boston. Her brothers, Matias ‘21 and Mikel ‘26, also love the game and are integral members of the WCS Boys’ Soccer program. We THEN are grateful to their 3 & NOW parents, Maria and Camilo, for their generous support of Westminster.

2019-20 ADMINISTRATION

WCS MISSION STATEMENT Empowering learners, preparing hearts, and inspiring lives to faithfully serve as ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Scott Jones Head of School

Ursula Arner Controller

Lisa North Director of Admission

Donna Underwood Director of Fine Arts

David Medder Associate Head of School

Leonor Belaval Director of College Counseling

Mirtha Rodriguez Executive Assistant to Head of School

Omar Valerio Chief Technology Ofﬁcer

Kim Brigham Preschool/Elementary School Counselor

Julian Rosas Director of Maintenance

Rob Lundgren ‘76 Chief Financial/ Operating Ofﬁcer Caleb Lopez Preschool/Elementary Principal

Lenny Castaneda Student Activities Director

John Manoogian Middle School Principal

Yeni Dumas Middle School Counselor

Alex Gonzalez High School Principal

Lyle Green Personal Counselor

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Tom Schramm Director of Advancement Brenda Pedrayes GRASP Director Ana M. Poveda ‘87 Director of Communications and Marketing

Linda Walker Curriculum Director Ben Warren Director of Athletics Amy Williams ‘80 Associate Director, Advancement & Donor Engagement

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dr. Alexander Trujillo Chair

Dr. Philip Floyd Vice Chair

Mrs. Vanessa Turner-Fernandez Secretary

Mr. Paul Quentel Treasurer

Ms. Cindy “Cece” Boozer

Mrs. Sandy Carson

Mr. Rick Cook

Mr. Derek Deville ’91

Mr. Rich Gaschott Emeritus

Mrs. Lourdes “Luly” Hilliard

Mrs. Stacey Kern

Mr. Jorge Scopazzo

Newly appointed Trustees not pictured:

Mrs. Jennifer Coya and Mr. Javier Gonzalez

THEN & NOW

Dear Westminster family:

his is a great time to be a part of the Westminster community! I hope that this issue of Then & Now will give you insight into some of the exciting things happening on campus and around the world in the extended Westminster community.

On campus, construction continues. We do not mind the inconvenience, noise, and mess, because we anticipate the result. The Nature Center at WorldWonder was recently completed and is being used regularly primarily for elementary science instruction. Be sure to look at the spread starting on page eight. The second phase of WorldWonder, the two-acre outdoor botanical garden featuring a pond, amphitheater, aviary, winding paths, and an incredible collection of native and specimen plants, is under development and due to be completed soon. The new center for worship and performing arts is taking shape and will be completed in time for the next school year. It will be the ﬁnest such facility of any private school in Miami-Dade County, and you can see an update on this project on page 12. We have launched concept planning for a new athletic complex and will continue to make improvements and additions to our campus for the coming years.

Scott Jones Head of School

We continue to expand and strengthen our academic programs that provide a rigorous and relevant education to all our students from preschool to high school. In this edition, you will see several articles featuring some of our innovative programs in science. Our engineering and robotics programs continue to win awards. We are completing the installation of an observatory with a state-of-the-art telescope to expand our students’ exposure to astronomy. The feature article on page 20 about our AP Capstone Program (incidentally, led by one of our outstanding alumni) is one example of Westminster empowering learners with “the ability to solve problems effectively using research, analysis, and investigation” according to our guiding statements. We just unveiled the Emerald Scholars program that will provide further opportunities for high school students who seek additional academic challenge. Empowering learners is a core part of our mission, and I trust that you will see some snapshots of this mission in action as you peruse this edition of Then & Now. We are in the ﬁnal phases of the development of our strategic plan, which will give shape, structure, and direction to the decisions we make for the next three to ﬁve years. While Westminster has eight core values, this strategic plan will focus on two of those values: excellence and innovation. The plan is built upon our single mission statement, these two core values, and three strategic drivers. The key driver is that Westminster will pursue excellence through

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innovation, improvement, and accountability. We will be prepared to share the core components of the emerging plan with the community in early 2020, but you will already see some indicators and evidence of these two values and our strategic drivers throughout this publication. Speciﬁcally, be sure to look for the themes of excellence and innovation. In the broader Westminster community off campus, we are seeing more and more alumni reconnecting with each other and with Westminster. You can read about some of the gatherings and happenings among our alumni in the back pages of this publication. Westminster wants to help facilitate connections and community among our alumni, and one way we are doing so is through Warrior Alumni Connect, an online networking platform just for the Westminster alumni community. We encourage those of you who are alumni to let us know what’s happening in your lives, and we will be highlighting some of these stories on social media and in future editions of this magazine. I have recently had the pleasure of meeting some of our alumni in cities around the world from Austin to Boston to London. I love hearing stories of how Westminster played a role in shaping the lives of our alumni. This is my second year as Westminster’s head of school. It is truly a privilege to serve such a great community. Westminster has a long history of empowering learners, preparing hearts, and inspiring lives to faithfully serve as ambassadors for Christ. I am committed to working with the entire Westminster community to build upon this long and strong tradition to ensure that Westminster continues to fulﬁll its mission for our current community and the generations who will follow us. This is truly a great time to be a part of the Westminster community! Blessings,

Scott Jones Head of School

THEN & NOW

WorldWonder at the Nature Center

he Nature Center was unveiled in August 2019 to the cheers and roars of hundreds of Westminster families and friends who had been anxiously awaiting the completion of this one-of-a-kind learning facility. Students from kindergarten through ﬁfth grade convene daily to study, discuss, and piece together the lessons gained in their journeys through WorldWonder in this expansive learning studio made of glass walls, and wooden and steel beams. Today the center overlooks majestic oaks and grounds under development. The surrounding grounds will be complete in spring 2020. Students are brimming with excitement to discover the cascading water features, to breathe the aroma of the bamboo forest, to observe the tortoise terrace, and to gather with friends at a ﬁre pit. Thanks to Doug Heetderks, Westminster’s science educator for whom the WorldWonder program is named, for his innovative vision and his passion for learning through exploration.

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THEN & NOW

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THEN & NOW

A Place for Performance and Praise

he dream is coming true! For years, the Westminster community has dreamed of having a modern auditorium capable of showcasing the incredible talent of its fine arts students, and a place to nurture hearts for Christ through corporate worship and praise. The Lighthouse, a modern performing arts center is slated to open in fall 2020, ahead of schedule. The facility will house a 637-seat theater with a full stage and orchestra pit, first and second floor lobbies, choir room, classrooms, dressing rooms, an arts hub, sound room, concession area, and more. The current Guarch Auditorium will continue to serve the needs of Westminster’s fine arts curriculum, and will be repurposed as a black box theater and serve as practice space for all disciplines.

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THEN & NOW

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Excellence and Innovation Drive Choices for Elementary Students

he Students Achieving Individual Learning Program (SAIL) was implemented in 2016 with the goal of providing enrichment opportunities for Westminster students at the Elementary School level. This innovative program begins in the ﬁrst grade, and offers students the choice between two courses of study: Technology/STEM or Spanish language. Students receive daily instruction in their selected subject and complete the program in ﬁfth grade, prepared to take on the challenges of Middle School. “SAIL has allowed students the opportunity to enrich their academic experience through rigorous and relevant coursework in the areas of STEM and languages,” said Caleb Lopez, Westminster Preschool/Elementary principal.

During the Technology semester, students learn important skills that prepare them to better navigate the online world, now and in the future. In addition to technical skills such as keyboarding, students learn about digital citizenship, and how to safely navigate the Internet and to appropriately communicate via e-mail. They are also introduced to social media etiquette and age-appropriate guidelines. “It’s not only important for students to learn how to use technology, the Internet, and social media for the future, it is vital for them to understand the consequential nature of such things,” said Arlene Castellanos ‘00, Elementary technology and resource teacher. “Learning to use technology and all its components with godly virtue is the best way to prepare our students for the future.”

THEN & NOW

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“I like to come to TechTime because we learn how to use our email account and do fun activities on PowerPoint,” said Addison Castenada, third grade student.

Students also learn to master the Microsoft Suite, becoming proficient in Word and PowerPoint. Students use Microsoft Surface tablets, and in third through fifth grade, are assigned a personal tablet for use at school. They also practice their technology skills by learning to navigate myWCS, the student online management system, where they can look up assignments, see their grades and communicate with teachers. In addition, they use software such as i-Ready, Reflex Math and Splash Math, that support our academic curriculum.

Learning by doing is an important part of the Technology/STEM curriculum. By creating videos and stories using Microsoft tools, and learning to navigate online systems, students are ready for the challenges of Middle School and beyond. For students on this track, one semester is all about technology, and the other semester is focused on STEM. Using the nationally-recognized Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum, students learn about the engineering design process, robotics, programming/coding, critical thinking and problem-solving through project-based lessons.

“Students in PLTW learn how to solve real-world problems using the engineering design process and various programming languages. As a result, their math, writing, and verbal skills are reinforced and often enhanced beyond their grade level,” said Claudia Pastrana, Elementary enrichment teacher/robotics coach. In ﬁrst through third grade, students utilize the Scratch program to animate stories and design games at various levels of complexity. In fourth grade, students focus on building and designing. By ﬁfth grade, students learn RobotC programming language through the use of Expedition Atlantis and virtual worlds. These students participate in robotics and automation challenges both in the classroom and through the VEX IQ Robotics Education and Competition Foundation. “Thanks to the math I learned while programming in PLTW, I can do percentages and positive and negative numbers,” shared WCS third grader Dylan Hudson ‘29.

THEN & NOW

This elective taps into the exploratory nature of students, engages them in learning that feels like play, and encourages them to keep discovering. As students engage in hands-on activities in computer science and engineering, they become creative and collaborative problem solvers. Many fourth and ﬁfth grade students who select the Technology/STEM track and wish to further their engineering skills, may also apply for the VEX IQ competitive robotic teams. These after-school clubs allow

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students to build and program their own robot, and to showcase their skills at local, state and national competitions. While STEM and education technology is of interest to some, others are more excited about the opportunity of learning a foreign language like Spanish, and the many doors that it will open in the future. Language acquisition at an early age is valuable and that is why the SAIL program offers Spanish to students from kindergarten through ﬁfth grade.

“Students who enroll in the Spanish track of the SAIL program can expect to achieve fluency in the language by the time they complete fifth grade,” said Caleb Lopez, Westminster’s Elementary School principal. Students who select the Spanish track are evaluated to determine their level of capacity to speak and understand the language. From that, two groups are created: beginners, and those with advanced skills or native abilities already established. In kindergarten, students attend weekly classes focusing on fundamentals such as greetings, numbers, colors and vowels. The goal is to expose the students to the language as well as to finish the year with them able to read in Spanish.

“This program benefits students by meeting them at their level of fluency and preparing them for middle school, high school and beyond,” said Maxi Hughes, Elementary Spanish teacher. “In the future, they will be equipped to compete more effectively as bilingual candidates in their career of choice.” Beginning in first grade, students attend class daily and learn through the comprehensive program “Descubre el español con Santillana” and “Antología,” a collection of authentic leveled stories by renowned authors from the Spanish-speaking world. Selections include different genres with a focus on reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling and writing activities.

“Spanish is fun because I get to learn another language that will give me more advantages for ﬁnding a better job,” said Emilio Rovira, WCS fourth grader. “We learn about places, verbs, spelling, Bible, and we also use PowerPoint and Word. It is really fun!” The SAIL program develops students within their area of interest, and prepares them to take on the challenges of Middle School and beyond. Technology/ STEM students can continue to develop

their skills through the Middle School and High School Engineering programs. SAIL Spanish students can choose to continue developing their language skills by taking high school level courses in Middle School, and AP level courses in High School. Innovative programs like SAIL that prepare students by leveraging their interests and by providing a continuum of support, set Westminster apart and underscore our pursuit of excellence.

The curriculum supports students of all language levels, from beginners to heritage speakers and develops vocabulary and language skills in a culture framework. The stories and characters allow the students to be introduced to people, places, cultures, foods, and animals of Spanish-speaking countries. WCS Elementary/Middle School Spanish teacher Yudyt Bermudez shared, “My favorite quote is by highly regarded pyscholinguist Frank Smith who states ‘One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.’ I strongly believe that when we teach another language to our children and students, we are preparing them for life.” In fourth and ﬁfth grade, the advanced group works through and completes the curriculum developed for middle school students. Also during this period, the advanced group will read literary works in Spanish such as the series of The Magic Tree House, Diary of the Wimpy Kid, La Escuela de Espanto, and The Magic School Bus, among other ﬁctional titles, with the goal of acquiring the skills of comprehension, critical thinking, creative writing and in-depth discussions and debates.

THEN & NOW

Westminster Rolls Out AP Capstone Program By Hannah North ’09, High School Teacher/AP Capstone Coordinator

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n fall 2018, Westminster introduced the AP Capstone program to our high school students. AP Capstone is the crown jewel of the College Board curriculum, offering two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research, that develop students’ skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing, and presenting. These courses are designed to complement the nearly 30 other subject-specific AP courses available to Westminster students. I was confident that the AP Capstone program would provide a purposeful preview of the demands and rewards of college-level work, so I was grateful when Westminster’s High School Principal Alex Gonzalez gave me the opportunity to lead the program. I believe that AP Capstone best prepares high school students for college because the program fulfills what education should be — interdisciplinary, rigorous, character-driven, and inspiring.

AP Capstone courses allow students the space to exercise real intellectual autonomy and then use that freedom to take part in academic conversations occurring nationwide about highly significant topics. Students begin this exploration in the first course of the program, AP Seminar, which is generally taken during sophomore or junior year. This course challenges students to engage in research and make sense of competing perspectives in order to develop and convey key arguments. Westminster junior Andrea Escobio ’21 is one of five students enrolled in AP Seminar. She remarked, “This was the hardest class I’ve ever taken...Through this class, I’ve learned how to work harder, more efficiently, and better with others in order to achieve a common goal. I consider it a leadership class as you develop the qualities a leader has throughout the year in order to succeed.”

“These courses are designed to complement the nearly 30 other subject-speciﬁc AP courses available to Westminster students.”

Unlike typical AP courses, the College Board assesses AP Seminar students throughout the year in addition to the more traditional exam in May. These mid-year assessments are called Performance Tasks and they both require a well-researched paper ranging from 1,200 words to 2,000 words as well as a multimedia presentation lasting up to ten minutes. After each of these presentations, the students are also responsible for ﬁelding oral defense questions just as they might for a graduate school dissertation defense.

THEN & NOW

Last year, AP Seminar students earned a 100% passage rate with scores of 4 and 5. This proves that the College Board considers these students to be well qualified for the rigor and autonomy of college. Dr. Michael Lee, WCS parent of AP Seminar student James Lee ’22 commented, “I have been listening to him speak about you and the class, and he is very enthusiastic about it. The things that he is learning in this class will serve him for the rest of his life. I told him this may be the most important class he takes in all of high school.” Those first-year students are now enrolled in AP Research, the second course of the AP Capstone Scholars Diploma Program. Taught by Dr. Lynell Martinez, these 11 students will be conducting original research for their 5,000-word paper and 20-minute presentation with oral defense. Once they have passed both AP Seminar and AP Research, as well as four other AP exams, our students will graduate with the AP Capstone Diploma from the College Board — a highly coveted and prestigious honor. Having taught this course for two years now, I have come to see it as absolutely fundamental in teaching students the power of a growth mindset, and my students agree. WCS junior Catalina Corpas ’21 acknowledged, “I have learned that in order to succeed, failure is important.” Ashley Arango ’21 added, “…It has genuinely taught me that with hard work there will be improvement. Before I took this class, school came naturally to me and I did not struggle very much with any subject. This all changed when I took this class, and I could not be more grateful for all the times I have failed yet continued to work hard and push through.” I think that is exactly what we want to hear from the next generation—that they learned to push through failure to accomplish something significant. I’m excited to see the program grow and how the students will continue to grow from it.

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Getting to Know Hannah North ’09 Tell us about your family. My husband and I met while I was an undergraduate and he was a law student at the University of Miami. We got married three years later with my brothers Michael North ’04 and Zachary North ‘07 acting as proud best men at the ceremony. My husband is an assistant chief counsel for the Department of Homeland Security.

Our daughter, Rose Elizabeth, was joined by her baby brother, Luke North, earlier this year in March and we feel incredibly blessed by the Westminster community that has played such an integral role in their lives already. We are currently in the process of applying for PK3 for Rose, who could not be more excited to be a Warrior!

How long have you worked at Westminster, and what have been your roles? This is my fourth year as a teacher here and I have taught Creative Writing, AP English Language and Composition, Yearbook, Honors Yearbook and AP Seminar.

What brought you back to campus? God brought me back to Westminster. The knowledge of that makes every day here an exciting and fulﬁlling one. I started teaching through Teach For America at Homestead Senior High School and I loved it so much that I thought I would never leave public education. I taught for two years: Writing, Reading, Reading Enrichment, Honors English II, and Poetry Club. I founded the Drama program and a competitive Speech and Debate group, and served as the head of the English department. It was during that year that God really put an insistent call on my heart to pursue education that restores and inspires through the Gospel. But I honestly fought that call. I knew that God put me at Homestead during that time to serve students who didn’t eat on the weekends, who coped with fear and hurt and loss beyond anything a teenager should face, who had ultimately been dismissed by a system that had consistently failed them. Thinking about leaving that school felt like I would lose the purpose God had given me. Still, I thought I should apply, thinking that maybe God would close that door and I would take that as a sign. Instead, I was actually offered the job and, unbelievably, I turned it down. I would not

be at Westminster if it hadn’t been for Pete Cabrera ‘74, the superintendent at the time, who called and prayed with me after my decision. I realized, and over the years I have seen this in action, that Westminster is a place of family and of ardent faith. I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be a part of a teaching community that would challenge my faith and grow my ability to point students to Jesus. And now, in my fourth year, I see the way that God trained me to be the educator and mentor I need to be to pursue His big plan at Westminster.

What is your favorite memory as a Westminster student? I love that Westminster offers students so many opportunities to take risks and explore their interests. My favorite memory from Westminster is just how exciting a typical day was because of that. I took ﬁve AP classes my senior year, ones that really were not my forte, and then I’d head to the yearbook room, check out a camera and do some interviews, go to a math club meeting, head to drama rehearsal and work on lines for the upcoming play or for the Speech and Debate tournament that weekend and then think, “Did I just spend another twelve hours here?” And because of the kind of school that Westminster is, I remember all of that with fondness and a lot of gratitude.

really shown me in a new way her vision, leadership, and encouraging spirit.

What do you ﬁnd the most challenging about being a teacher? I adore being a teacher, the intellectual challenge of pushing students in innovative ways and the relational fun that happens when you get a really beautiful class culture going. One of the most challenging aspects of teaching to me is trying to achieve my goal of no longer being needed by my students. I think the sign of a great parent is when your children want you but no longer need you, and I think the same is true for effective teachers. I want to convey to them my high expectations in such a way that those expectations become internalized as their own, not just for the year that we are together but for the rest of their lives.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give young Hannah? I would tell her that feeling comfortable can be a bad thing. I think that we should be continuously growing and for that to happen, we need to seek out some opportunities for stepping out of the boat and walking to Jesus, even when it doesn’t make sense to the world around us.

What do you enjoy most about being back on campus? Without a doubt, my favorite part about being back on campus is working with my mom, Lisa North. From parent to board member to teacher and now as director of admission, my mom makes this school seem like home to me. I’m incredibly blessed to have her as my mom but enjoying her as a colleague has

THEN & NOW

Innovation

is on Top of the List for Middle School Electives

iddle School electives at Westminster are all about students growing and discovering their interests and talents. From classes in dance and movie making, to Spanish and debate, students can test their interests in a variety of areas thanks to an expansive choice of electives. “Our approach to electives in the Middle School is innovative,” said John Manoogian, Middle School principal. “We believe the best approach is to provide students with a range of options that complement their main courses, and open their minds to a future career or ﬁeld of study.”

The electives offered as part of Middle School’s Engineering curriculum meet both of these goals. They provide a solid base for those who are new to engineering, and also provides the next

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level in instruction for students who have already completed the STEM curriculum offered in Elementary. Several years ago, “Computer Programming & Keyboarding” was the only engineering course available to students. From that, the Middle School Engineering Program was developed and formally introduced to students in 2017. Students interested in engineering can now choose from among the following: Fundamentals of Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, and BioMedical Engineering and Design. The Middle School Engineering Program utilizes the nationally-recognized Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum because it addresses the interest and energy of middle school students, while incorporating national standards in math, science and technology. PLTW is “activity-oriented” to show students how technology is used in

engineering to solve everyday problems. The instructional units motivate students to use their imaginations and teaches them to be creative and innovative, while gaining the skills they need to develop, produce and use products and services. Fundamentals of Engineering is a year-long beginner’s course that focuses on teaching the steps of the engineering design process and how to apply these concepts to solve real world problems. “Students come into this class, whether they have experience with Robotics or not, eager to learn,” said Michael Gambrell, Westminster’s director of engineering. “Building on their excitement, Fundamentals of Engineering teaches students how to use the engineering design process to solve many different types of problems they may face.”

THEN & NOW

“I like the Fundamentals of Engineering class because we get to design things with our minds and then build them!” said Julia Kanold ‘26.

Students start with examples of how to use the engineering design process on something as simple as making a paper plane ﬂy the farthest, before being introduced to the VEX EDR Robotics system. During the ﬁrst half of the course, students learn about mechanical systems, and microcontroller-based automation. Using VEX, they also learn how to program robots to function autonomously using a C based programming language. They test their programming skills with in-class competitions where robots are assigned with completing a variety of tasks. “I like the Fundamentals of Engineering class because we get to design things with our minds and then build them!” said Julia Kanold ‘26. Fundamentals of Engineering lays a foundation for students, enabling them to take more specialized courses in seventh and eighth grade. Environmental Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering is an option for grades 7 and 8, while BioMedical Engineering and Design is reserved for students in eighth grade. “Environmental Engineering was really fun. We did a lot of interesting building projects,” said Gabriel Alvarez ‘24. “My favorite was the Energy Expo because my partner and I built a hydropower model to show how energy is created by water. I plan to take Aeronautical Engineering next.” Environmental Engineering students investigate how energy is used in daily living, how it is generated, and how it affects the environment. A portion of the course is also dedicated to the future of green energy. Students explore and model alternative

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energies used around the world and participate in a school energy audit. They gain a valuable foundation for understanding the need for alternative energy technologies, a fast-growing industry. Students with a passion for environmental engineering can continue their studies into high school and will likely have the opportunity to apply what they learn in the ﬁeld. For the ﬁrst time this year, a group of Westminster high school students traveled to the Dominican Republic to work alongside Blue Mission’s engineers on a water project. Students gathered GPS

coordinates in the ﬁeld, learned how to calculate elevation changes, and how to create the project map to provide fresh water to a local area. The students will use this experience to inform research for the senior Engineering Design and Development course, and complement the knowledge they have acquired throughout the WCS engineering curriculum.

“Environmental Engineering is a great class to get a hands-on understanding of our energy needs and how we as a society can meet those needs in more eco-friendlyways,” shared Kelly Gordon, Middle School science teacher. “The students build their own energy models and host an Energy Expo where they present to administrators, teachers and other students.” She added, “This is a great class for anyone who likes to build and wants to learn more about ‘green’ technology.” Aeronautical Engineering is also a semesterlong, project-based course available to students in seventh or eighth grade. Students learn the history of ﬂight and space, aeronautics, possible careers, and traveling and living in space. Students also design, build, and test a variety of ﬂying machines, including a Mars Rover. “In this course, students are engaged in a hands-on class environment,” said Mrs. Enmarie DeWitt, Middle School Science teacher. “The students see that what we

do in the classroom can have a real impact in the world that they live in.” A course newly added to the Middle School engineering curriculum for the 2020-21 school year is Biomedical Engineering and Design. In this course, students will discover the design process and develop an understanding of the inﬂuence of creativity and innovation. Students play the role of real-life medical detectives as they analyze genetic testing results to diagnose disease and study DNA evidence found at a “crime scene.” They solve medical mysteries through hands-on projects and labs, investigate how to measure and interpret vital signs, and learn how the systems of the human body work together to maintain health. Many students who want to pursue additional opportunities to study engineering, choose to join the after school Middle School Robotics Club. For some students, this is a natural extension of their involvement with competitive robotics in Westminster’s elementary

school program, and for others it is their ﬁrst opportunity to use their newly acquired skills to compete. The VEX EDR competitive robotic teams meet weekly to provide an avenue for students to build and program their own robots, and to showcase their skills at local, state and international competitions. “Teaching the Middle School robotics course and coaching the robotics team is very exciting because the students really get into building, programming, and then competing against other teams from South Florida,” said Gambrell. While still in its early years, the Middle School Engineering curriculum will continue to keep innovation as its focus, offering courses that challenge students and open doors for them in the future. Students on each campus have the opportunity to develop their aptitude or interest in this area. Middle School Engineering electives serve as an excellent transition for those students interested in learning more about engineering and robotics, or for those who are just becoming curious about this ﬁeld of study.

THEN & NOW

WARRIORS Hall of Fame Induction On October 10, 2019, four new members were inducted into the Westminster Christian School Athletic Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees were Caitlin Charlton ‘14, Sylvia Hernandez ‘14, Brittany Husk ‘14, and Julian Infante ‘15. This year’s ceremony was held in the Nature Center at WorldWonder on campus. The WCS Athletic Hall of Fame honors the achievements of former Warrior athletes who have made a positive impact on the school’s athletic program through their athletic abilities and Christian witness.

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JULIAN INFANTE ‘15 I BASEBALL Julian is a member of the 2015 State Championship Team and holds the Westminster and State of Florida home run records during BBCOR era. As a sophomore, he earned 2nd Team All-Dade honors, and was named 1st Team All-Dade as a junior and senior. In his junior year, he was also selected as Miami-Dade County Hitter of the Year. As a senior, he was selected Perfect Game 1st Team All-American, and Miami-Dade County Baseball Player of the Year. During high school, he also played on the basketball team. He continued his baseball career at Vanderbilt University, serving as Vanderbilt’s captain during his junior and senior season. He was a member of the 2019 Vanderbilt Baseball National Championship Team.

BRITTANY HUSK ‘14 SOFTBALL

CAITLIN CHARLTON ‘14 SOFTBALL

Brittany is a member of both the 2009 and 2014 State Championship Softball Teams. She was a six-year Varsity starter, and earned 1st Team All-Dade honors in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. She was named 1st Team All-State in grades 10, 11 and 12 and Florida Defensive Player of the Year in grades 11 and 12. As a senior, she was named Miami-Dade County Softball Player of the Year, hitting .586 her senior season with no strikeouts and a perfect 8-8 at the State Final Four. She continued her softball career at Villanova University and set Villanova’s career record for doubles and runs scored, earning 1st Team All-Big East honors.

Caitlin is a member of both the 2009 and 2014 State Championship Softball Teams. She is three-time 2nd Team All-Dade member, three-time 1st Team All-Dade member, four-time 1st Team All-State selection, and 1st Team All-American in 2014. She was also honored in 2014 as All-Dade Scholar Athlete and WCS Female Athlete of the Year. As a stand-out athlete in softball, swimming and basketball, Caitlin holds WCS records and earned All-Dade honors in swimming, and also scored over 1,000 points and earned All-Dade honors in basketball. She continued her softball career at Baylor University.

SYLVIA HERNANDEZ ‘14 VOLLEYBALL Sylvia is a member of the 2013 State Volleyball Championship Team. She was named 1st Team All-Dade in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, and was a three-time Miami-Dade County Volleyball Player of the Year. As a junior, she was named State of Florida Volleyball Player of the Year, and as a senior was named Miami-Dade County’s Overall Female Athlete of the Year. She also earned 1st Team Prep Volleyball All-American honors. Sylvia was also a member of the WCS 2014 Softball State Championship team. She continued her indoor volleyball career at the University of Miami, and also played beach volleyball at Loyola Marymount.

Athlete nominees must have graduated from Westminster at least three years prior and have demonstrated a clear Christian testimony while at school. Nominations are screened by the Hall of Fame Committee, who then create a ﬁnal ballot that is voted on by all members of the WCS Hall of Fame. Visit the Hall of Fame page, under the Athletics tab, at www.wcsmiami.org to learn more.

THEN & NOW

HO ME COMIN G 2019 30

lumni gathered at Homecoming this year to watch the Warriors battle the Florida Christian Patriots on Saturday, October 5. The Warriors were victorious with a 14-12 win, making it a great way to kick-off a week of activities. For the ﬁrst time ever, Homecoming Week for students began with the traditional football game, rather than ending with it. It turned out to be a successful change in tradition. Search “Westminster Christian School” on Flickr.com to view photos from this event and more.

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Interested in hosting a reunion for your class? Contact Amy Williams â€˜80 in the Advancement OfďŹ ce at events@ wcsmiami.org for more information.

THEN & NOW

David Medder Reﬂects on His Role as Associate Head of School

am humbled when I consider the 19 years the Lord has allowed me to serve the Westminster community. After teaching for 11 years in public schools in rural Southern Illinois, God led me and my family on an incredible journey that brought us to Westminster in August 2001. I taught U.S. History in the High School during my first year, and then moved up with my students to teach Government and Economics the following year. I was then blessed to join the administration and spent nearly three years as the High School assistant principal, followed by 11 years as the High School principal. The Lord was preparing me to serve for a year and a half as interim head of school, before accepting the new role of associate head of school, where I have now served for two years. During my first year in this role, I had the privilege of working alongside Westminster’s new Head of School Scott Jones to assist with his transition. As that need diminished, the role of associate head of school has developed into one that focuses on the student experience in terms of academics, athletics, fine arts and student culture. The impact a Westminster Christian education has on students has always been my passion. Our goal is to graduate students who are prepared, well rounded and balanced, ready to serve their communities. To achieve this, we continually assess the culture of learning at Westminster and work to improve and enhance what is happening both inside and outside of the classroom. Working daily with the principals, curriculum director, athletic director, and fine arts director allows us to align our mission of empowering learners, preparing hearts and inspiring lives to faithfully serve as ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Having been a part of the Westminster community for nearly 20 years now, I have witnessed the outstanding results a WCS education has had on the lives of our alumni. Connecting with alumni to learn more about their experiences as students, and their level of preparedness for college, is a priority for me and helps inform our plans for the future. So much has changed over the years at Westminster, and that’s a good thing! What has not changed is our unwavering commitment to being the best choice for an excellent Christian education. For that reason, we are in constant pursuit of excellence through innovation, continuous improvement and accountability. We are striving to enhance student engagement in their learning, in the life of the school and in their own spiritual growth. We continually seek to advance in academics, programs, athletics, fine arts, facilities, and student activities. This is an exciting time for WCS! God has blessed the school and the families that have attended for the past 58 years, and as we look to the future, we pray and believe that even greater blessings are on the horizon.

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1970s Fall Reunion

lumni from the 1970s gathered in Cartersville, GA at the end of October for a weekend ﬁlled with events to reminisce and to create new memories. Nearly 100 alumni and guests attended this unforgettable Fall Reunion. Special thanks to Cookie Frederick Meireles ‘75, Wayne Sloop ‘74, Robert Denny ’75, Laurie Holloway Forare ‘74, Reid Latham ‘76, and Tom Gentsch ’74 for coordinating the event, and to the many others who communicated with alumni to ensure a great turnout. Search “Westminster Christian School” on Flickr.com to view photos from this event and more.

THEN & NOW

Is Your Directory Listing Up-to-Date?

Have You Joined Warrior Alumni Connect? Warrior Alumni Connect (www.warrioralumniconnect.org) is an exclusive networking platform for alumni. Looking to connect with other Warriors in your town? Or looking for a referral in a certain industry? Join Warrior Connect and see how your Westminster family network can help. We have hundreds of Warriors signed in willing to help. You can sign up using your LinkedIn or Facebook account, or by signing up directly at www.warrioralumniconnect.org. Warrior Alumni Connect enables you to:

Give back - Introduce, employ, provide informational interviews, and/or be a mentor to graduating students and young alumni.

Expand - Leverage your professional network to be introduced to people you should know; join industry-speciﬁc groups.

Re-connect - Find and reminisce with classmates. Reunions, networking, and regional events are posted in class and geographic groups. Post jobs - Potentially hire highly qualiﬁed and reliable WCS alumni.

Contact Tom Schramm at advancement@wcsmiami.org for more information. Congrats to Kelley Falk ’91 on winning an iPad from the WCS Alumni Relations Ofﬁce for being one of the ﬁrst 341 alumni who registered on Warrior Alumni Connect by October 15. Her name was randomly drawn at the WCS Fall Association meeting on October 22.

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Your contact information in the directory is used to send information about reunions, alumni gatherings in your area, updates on alumni, school news, and more.

How Do I Login to the WCS Alumni Directory? To login, visit www.wcsmiami.org, and click the “MYWCS LOGIN” on the upper right hand corner of the homepage. At the login screen, click “Forgot Your Login,” which appears on the bottom right hand corner. You will be prompted to enter your email address, and request your username and password. Please enter the most recent email address you provided the school* You will receive two emails:

Questions?

Every WCS alumni has a profile on the password-protected, online Alumni Directory. You have the ability to manage the information you share with us in your profile such as: address, phone number(s), email(s), and more. Please take a moment to login to www.wcsmiami.org and update your profile.

1) containing your username; and, 2) with a link to create a password. * If the system does not recognize your email, please send your name, class year, and email to alumni@wcsmiami.org, and we’ll set-up your account. It’s that easy!

Questions? Contact alumni@wcsmiami.org.

Mingle with Medder A Westminster Alumni Brunch

Saturdays February 1 and March 14, 2020 10:00 a.m. â€“ 12 Noon WorldWonder Nature Center WCS Elementary Campus

Join Associate Head of School Mr. David Medder and fellow alumni to reminisce and be reacquainted with Westminster Christian School. Be among the ďŹ rst to visit the WorldWonder Nature Center, and view the many campus improvements that have taken place since you were a student on campus. Enjoy a day on campus with family and friends. RSVP to alumni@wcsmiami.org

THEN & NOW

ROLL CALL 1970s

Martha Apgar Power ‘74 lives in Columbia, SC.

Deborah Renick Sims ‘72 lives in Terrace Park, OH.

They live in Conover, NC. Her oldest daughter and husband had their second daughter in 2019, and their middle son and his wife had their ﬁrst child. Her youngest son is in his second year of law school. Adrian Munzell ‘75 attended Westminster from fourth grade through tenth grade. He wrote, “still consider WCS my family.”

Pam Anderson Admire ’72 goes on a cruise each year with her sisters, Cindy Anderson Stroman ’78 and Barbara Anderson Reichick ’73, and their husbands. She lives in Coral Gables and has three grandchildren. She works with her husband John, who is an attorney with Sullivan Admire & Sullivan.

Bruce Kaplan ‘74 and wife Vicki live in Miami. They have ﬁve children who graduated from WCS, Krista ‘01, Greg ‘04, Michael ‘06, David ‘09, and Samantha ‘11. Bruce works for the Miami Dade Police Department in the Property and Evidence Bureau and Vicki is in her 19th year at WCS as the administrative assistant to the middle school principal. They love spending time with family and especially their seven grandchildren.

Larry Gautier ‘76 has been selected by Mayor Francis Suarez to Chair the 125th Anniversary Celebration for the City of Miami in 2021. The celebration will be a yearlong event beginning in early 2020 and ending in the spring of 2021. It will focus on Miami’s past, present and future and will have a series of events during the year celebrating all things Miami. Terryce Kaplan Gilchrist ‘76 lives in Woodstock, GA. Lonnie Baker ‘76 lives in Ft. Myers, FL.

As of April 2019, Deb Campbell Witham ‘73 is a retired anesthesiologist. She is a widow and lives in Paris, Maine with her best buddy, Ridgeley. Mary Smoak Murray ‘73 has two new men in her life! Her ﬁrst grandchild was born on November 7, 2014, and she married on July 14, 2019. She lives parttime in Savannah, GA, with her husband, and works in the Georgia branch of their construction company. Most weekends, however, are spent back in Clemson. She is “blessed beyond measure!” Tonie Watson Knight ‘73 lives in Saltillo, MS.

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Wayne Sloop ‘74 has been appointed to the board of the Georgia Trustees Wine & Spirits Challenge. He will also be releasing his book, “Grape Escapes: A Guide to Georgia Wineries” in 2020. Mary Grace Liebler Hektner ‘75 lives in Maryland with her two grandchildren, daughter and son-in-law. “I’m having a great time being grandma to Ellie (6), Thomas (4), and Will (Nicole’s one-year old). I visit Will frequently in New York.” Kim Horst Kline ‘75 is busy with her family practice as a nurse practitioner, and her husband loves working in real estate.

Ruth Dolansky Herr ‘77 and husband Dave have been living in the Charlotte, NC region for over 20 years. They have four married children and three grandchildren. They are enjoying life serving at their local church, MorningStar Fellowship, in various capacities, and love to travel when given the chance. Dave is also a realtor, and Ruth is grateful for the solid scholastic foundation and

grounding in the Word and Christian faith she received at Westminster growing up. Ann Telfair Cramer ‘77 has been a freelance writer and editor for many years, and has taught English for Speakers of Other Languages since 2008. Her husband Paul works for Deutsche Bank, and they have one son, Alex, born in 1987. Terry Pero Jordan ‘77 lives in Charlotte, NC. Rob Lambdin ‘78 lives in Pompano, FL. Steve Fisher ‘78 lives in Statesboro, GA.

Cathy White McIntosh ‘79 is moving back to Texas, after living in Vero Beach for the past four years. “The pull of four precious grandchildren, all living in Texas, is just too great. I will be setting up my art studio and home in Fort Worth, TX, where I will continue to paint atmospheric landscapes in oil and whimsical ﬂoral and fauna in watercolor. We hope to still spend lots of time at our house in Islamorada, so I can maintain my South Florida connections and inspiration! Follow me on Instagram @catherinewhite. art to see my latest artwork.”

Friends from the Class of ‘79 had an impromptu reunion in October. In attendance were Elise Wright Wood ‘79, John de Olazarra ‘79, Todd Williams

‘79, Cathy White McIntosh ‘79, Faris Potter ‘79, Suzanne Robinson ‘79, Nick Stieglitz ‘79, Becky Shamas Guilford ‘79 and Todd Melgaard ‘79. Other WCS alum in attendance were Gregg Guilford ‘78, Amy Anderson Williams ‘80, George Williams ‘16 and Lanier Williams ‘18. It was a fun night ﬁlled with storytelling, great memories and lots of laughter. Hunter Talbot ‘79 says, “God has blessed me with many great adventures since WCS. One is living in Sarasota surrounded by Circus royalty.” Photo: Hunter with Nik Wallenda, known as “King of the Highwire,” during his practice for the wire walk in Times Square.

the world. Their ﬁrst grandson was born last year, and they are expecting a second grandchild in 2020. Tammy Eyrich Hendrick ‘85 shares, “Life has been a wonderful whirl of ups and downs. I have been married to Rev. Robbie Hendrick for 31 years. We just moved to Augusta, GA and are ministering at Christ Church Presbyterian. We have ﬁve children, two of our sons are married, a daughter who is a junior in college, a son who is a sophomore in college, and one son who is a freshman in high school. Our oldest son and his wife have blessed us with two beautiful grandsons.”

1980s Kerry McKnight ‘81 lives in Bloomington, Illinois. James Kern ‘82 splits his time between Miami and New Smyrna Beach. Daughter Sarah Kern ‘15 just graduated from FSU and now works with The Kern Co. Son James “Jimmy” Kern ‘18 is a sophomore at FSU.

Tami Maier’s ‘85 sons, Austan Scherr ‘14 and Hunter Scherr ‘16, are both ﬁreﬁghters. “I’m proud that they are doing a job they absolutely love.”

Mike Henson ‘83 lives in Bradenton, FL. Steven Gary Hollingsworth ‘84 lives in Celebration, FL. Lisa Taylor Wenzloff ‘84 and husband Steve live in Ponte Vedra, FL. She is celebrating their ﬁtness center’s successful eighth year of business. Steve continues to build golf courses around

Laura Ecklebarger Charlton ‘86 and David Charlton ‘87 recently celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary. David is president of Centres, Inc., a commercial real estate development company, and Laura is a Registered Nurse working part time in the nurse’s ofﬁce at Westminster. Their daughter Caitlin ‘14 is in graduate school at Colorado State, and their son Dylan ‘16 is a senior at the United States Military Academy in NY. They live in Palmetto Bay.

THEN & NOW

Julie Johnson Hause ‘86 shared, “My husband Greg and I have raised two great young men. Our oldest, Chad, is getting married in March 2020. I’m gaining a daughter and ﬁnally won’t be out numbered. My youngest, Garret, is a sophomore at Florida Atlantic University. My husband and I have purchased a second home in Steinhatchee, FL, where we can ﬁsh and enjoy the salty air. Life is good.” Ken Van Ness ‘86 lives in Conyers, GA.

Bill Henderson ‘87 hosted a gathering of Westminster friends at his home in South Carolina for a weekend full of activities. In attendance were (as pictured): Scott Byrns ‘87, Lynn Ludwig Warnock ‘87, Scott Schoonmaker ‘87, Michelle Wilson ‘87, Carrie Skinner Henderson ‘90, Nancy Baldwin Calhoun ‘88, Tara Marshall Kaplan ‘87, Amy Bronson Wesselink ‘88, Bill Henderson ‘87, and Chris Callahan ‘87. Chris Callahan ‘87 lives in Newnan, GA. Amy Carrier Hollingsworth ‘87 moved with her family this summer to Alpharetta, GA from Tallahassee. Her husband Adam accepted a position as chief marketing ofﬁcer for the North American Mission Board. They have two children: Hugh Michael, 12, and Haley, 10. Daryl Dotschay ‘87 is the development director at Creekside Christian Academy in McDonough, GA.

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Since 2001, William (Bill) Gautier ‘89, has been partner with Gautier & Hasty, P.L., specializing in family law. His partner Marian Hasty specializes in wills, trusts, estates, and probate. He is engaged to Ancuta Savu.

Michelle Morris Meditz ‘87 shares, “My husband and I are enjoying retirement by splitting our time between Chicago and Naples, FL. When we are not home enjoying these two great cities, we love to travel and ﬁsh.” Heather Townsend Riera ‘89 shared, “My son will graduate high school this year and my daughter started tenth grade at WCS this year. I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for 20 years in April. We still co-own Sunset Feed & Supply with my sister, Tara ‘86.”

Ana Aguilera Poveda ‘87 and husband Giovanni celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year. Their twins, Sophia ‘17 and Ian ‘17, are both juniors in college. Gio is a sergeant with the Miami-Dade Police Department Motorcyle Unit, Special Patrol Bureau, and is nearing retirement. Ana has been the director of communications and marketing at WCS since 2002. Todd Sampson ‘87 lives in Naples, FL.

Matthew Stone ‘89 has been married to his wife Robin for 25 years. They have four children. Matt and Robin currently live in Chicago, IL where he serves with the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service (FPS) as the regional director of Region 5 - The Great Lakes Region. Matt oversees all FPS operations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. William Walker ‘89 lives in Gardnerville, NV.

Jeff Seide ‘87 is a fire engineer for the City of Hialeah Fire Rescue. Jo Ann Cooper Serafini ‘88 and her husband Tony will be celebrating 25 years of marriage this year. Their daughter, Angelina, is currently in the seventh grade and aspires to be a veterinarian someday. Jo Ann is a pediatric nurse practitioner in Maryland and has served over 25 years in the Air Force, both active duty and reserves. She is currently the chief nurse executive of her squadron. She enjoys volunteering for 4H, American Heritage Girls, swimming, boating, kayaking, fishing, crabbing and the beach.

1990s Ray Brana ‘90 is married to Elizabeth Sanchez Brana, and they have three children: Brandon, 15; Lucas, 13; and, Ellie Grace, 10. Elizabeth is the director of the Florida Blue center near the Falls. Ray just opened Ponce MediClub, a large medical center to serve the community.

Drew Kern ’90 and brother Jim ’82 traveled to the Kalahari Desert in Namibia in August 2019 for a two week African adventure.

World Resorts & Vacation Experiences. When not at work, she and her husband of 11 years are sailing. They will be part of the Race Committee hosting and organizing the 2020 Optimist North American Championships.

Anthony Liggio ‘90 lives in Port St. Lucie, FL. Eric Alexandrakis ’90 was nominated for a GRAMMY in the “Best Spoken Word Album” category. John Babun ‘91 is the national manager of vertical glass & modular construction at Sika Corporation. He and Jamie Lee Rhodes ‘92 have been married since 1996, and have two children, son J.J. and daughter Julia. Courtney Wanderon Hoffman ‘93 shared, “Having had the best experience in high school at Westminster, I am blessed that I still live in the area and my daughter Kaitlyn Criado is a senior in the class of 2020. It is a great experience to visit the school, and remember all the good times from 1993.”

Cindy Daras Daniels ‘96 lives in New Bern, NC with husband David and three teenagers: Hunter, 16; Caitlin,15; and Laura Holdyn, 14. Annie Arroyo Luisa ‘96 lives in Cancun, Mexico with husband Imanol Luisa and their three boys, Ander, 9; Jokin, 7; and, Kai, 4. After ﬁnishing her master’s degree in graphic design from Pratt Institute, she moved to Cancun to work in her family’s business. She is now the brand and communications director for Sunset

Carolina Rovirosa Marrelli ‘96 left her work in music ministry after surviving a deadly health crisis after her second son was born. She pursued a career in a very different form of ‘ministry’ - holistic healthcare. She went back to school to become an integrative holistic health coach and plant-based medicine instructor. Two years ago she launched her practice, EquiBalance Health, and since then has been coaching/teaching women how to improve their health. She speaks for various corporations, and has been featured in magazines such as The Scout Guide Miami, Voyage Miami Magazine, Home & Golf Magazine and has been a guest on several top-rated podcasts. Her family will be relocating to Charlotte, NC at the end of May/early June 2020. “We are super excited for all that the Lord has in store for us there. So sad to be leaving WCS though.” Her son, Justice, is a ﬁrst grader at Westminster. Chris De Moya ‘96 lives in Coral Gables, FL.

Raul Pujol ‘96 lives in Boca Raton, FL. Etienne Bejarano ‘97 lives in Palmetto Bay, FL.

Dacia Chaffin Wiegandt ‘97 is a busy mom of three children, all of whom attend Westminster. She is a senior national director with MARY KAY, Inc., a fashion and beauty blogger (@nsddacia) and runs a family farm (@burrsberryfarm). Adrianna Cuevas Henderson ‘97 shared, “My debut middle grade novel, The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, will be published by FSG/Macmillan on May 12, 2020. It deals with a boy who moves in with his grandmother while his father is deployed in Afghanistan and is based on my experiences while my husband was serving in Iraq.” Kevin Condon ‘99 is an air traffic controller in Atlanta. He has five children, with the sixth on the way. Victoria Rovirosa Gauthier ‘99 and husband Brian live in Atlanta and have two children: Gavin, 8, and Gracyn, 5. They have been married 15 years and enjoy UGA football, traveling, and spending time as a family kayaking down the Chattahoochee river. Victoria spends her days volunteering at the elementary school as well as decorating homes for clients.

THEN & NOW

Yvette Rodriguez-Arce ‘99 is a nurse manager for the University of Miami Bascom Palmer of Naples. Scott Tabor ‘99 is married to Stacey Buck Tabor ‘00. He is a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is doing an internship in pursuit of a master’s in clinical and counseling psychology.

2000s Debra Amundson Lopez ‘00 teaches fourth grade at Westminster, where her ﬁve children attend. Two of her daughters play volleyball for the Warriors. Her oldest wears the same number Debra wore.

Justin Spinella ‘00 lives in Orlando, FL. Michael Green ‘01 is a screenwriter living in Los Angeles with his wife, Simone Boyce, a news journalist with NBC. I am Mother, a ﬁlm he wrote and co-produced was released on Netﬂix in June. Marilyn Lindsley Cortes ‘01 lives in Asheville, NC with her husband Michael, whom she met in college at Stetson. They have two children: William, 7, and Evelyn, 3. She works part time as a physical therapist focusing on patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia and spends her free time serving as vice chair of the board for the Buncombe County Literacy Council and trail running on weekends. Her son William is blessed to have her WCS elementary art teacher, Mrs. Patete, at his school in Asheville.

Michael Allen ‘00 was a visiting fellow of the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University in 2019. “Our family of four spent the Easter Term there while I was on sabbatical from my post as the John Dyer Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.” Jolien Roodenburg ‘00 lives in Houston and has been teaching orchestra for 15 years. She works at a public 6A high school and also performs cello from time to time around the greater city. She earned a master’s degree in music education in 2013. “I have a little doggie named Tchaikovsky and really enjoy traveling and visiting friends. Go Warriors!”

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Krista Kaplan Vega ‘01 and husband Hector live in San Antonio, Texas with their three children: Kaila, Juliette and Nicholas. Hector is in the trucking business and Krista is working on her teaching degree. Dalisse Dittmar Chulk ‘01 resides in Destin, FL with husband, former MLB pitcher Vinnie Chulk, and their two children: Hudson David, 9, and Spencer Grace, 6.

Jenna Haas Springer ‘02 graduated from FIU with a B.S. in occupational therapy in 2008, and a M.S. in occupational therapy in 2009. She works at a skilled rehab facility as an occupational therapist and is also a health coach. She moved to St. Petersburg, FL in early 2013 and has been married to Eric for ﬁve and a half years. They have two daughters: Sienna, 4, and Savanna, 1. They enjoy anything outdoors and being with their children. John Strickland ‘02 married in 2014. He is a ﬂight attendant for Delta Air Lines.

Charles Winters ’02 and wife Katrina own Miami String (www.miamistring.com), serving the South Florida music community. Their full service string shop specializes in the sale, restoration, instruction, and rental of upright basses, cellos, violas, and violins. Miami String services range from individual students in universities and local public and private schools, to world-renowned music performers and arts centers. Daniel Vander Woude ‘02 currently works for Youth for Christ in Miami doing Campus Life ministry at a number of schools. “I also got married in August 2018 to my beautiful wife!” Catalina Rodriguez-Edwards ‘03 is married to Michael Edwards. Their son, Michael, is in his second year at WCS, as a PK4 student. “We are proud Warriors!”

Alexina Binnie Alonso ‘04 co-founded Built Story, a tech start-up, that serves as a marketplace for tours by allowing users to search digital and self-guided tours in their immediate area. Built Story also allows the user to share stories of their neighborhoods by building customized tours for others to learn from. Check it out on www.builtstory.com. Chase Babcock ‘04 and wife, Erin, welcomed daughter Penelope Elizabeth Babcock on February 2, 2019 in Redwood City, CA. Jonathan Gonzalez ‘04 is married and is a dentist. Michael North ’04 is an assistant professor of public relations writing and social media at Central Connecticut State University. He graduated in 2015 with his Ph.D. in public relations from the University of Miami School of Communication, in 2009 with his M.A. also from the School of Communication, and in 2008 with a B.A. from UM’s Business School. The classes he teaches focus on running social media campaigns, conducting public relations research methods, and writing for public relations. High school sweethearts Allison Newland Jamison ‘04 and Jeff Jamison ‘02 were married on June 6, 2008, and now have two children. Daughter Adelaide Bell was born on May 5, 2014, and son Donovan Meeks was

born on May 10, 2016. The family lives in Gainesville, FL where Allison practices at the North Florida/South Georgia Veteran Health System as an inpatient clinical pharmacy specialist and Jeff is a Lieutenant and paramedic with the City of Gainesville Fire Department.

Greg Kaplan ‘04 and wife Janell live in Miami with their two daughters, Quinn and Tess. Greg is a physical therapist at Baptist Hospital and Janell works for The Miami Foundation. Kyle Schulberg ‘04 lives in Wilton Manors, FL with wife Deming and son Hugh, 1. Kyle currently serves as chief of staff to Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine. Michael Winters ‘04 is married to Heather, and they have a son, James Thomas “JT.” He is a pharmacist with Walgreens. He comes on campus every year to provide ﬂu shots for Westminster employees.

Rachel Carson McDaniels ‘05 and her family relocated to New Orleans from St. Louis in June. Her husband Joseph is now serving as pastor at Woodland Presbyterian

Church (EPC). She is substituting at the church’s preschool. They have two children: Ben, 4, and Mollie, 2. Gabi MartinezEsteve Grogan ‘05 shared, “After graduating from the University of Florida, I had this urge to go into education, but without an education degree, I didn’t know how. Because of my experience at Westminster and my Christian education which was the foundation for my growing faith, I knew I wanted to work in a Christian school. I googled Christian schools in Atlanta, and was accepted to a Fellowship program for Wesleyan School, a Christian school in the suburbs of Atlanta. I taught high school Spanish for seven years, met my husband through a Wesleyan family, and we now just celebrated our son Christian’s first birthday. I am at home full-time with our little one. In addition to that, I also work part-time for Young Life-Metro Atlanta, am a safer beauty advocate with Beautycounter, and a certified birth doula.” Cristina Puente Perez-Medrano ‘05 is currently working as an associate director of college counseling at Westminster. She has been married for five years to Pete Perez-Medrano and they have two daughters: Lucia, 3, and Liliana, 4 months. Lucia is a preschool student at Westminster.

Michael Kaplan ‘06 and his wife Julia live in Winter Park, FL with their two sons, Ari and Oliver. Michael is a physical therapist and manages the

THEN & NOW

Winter Park location for Ability Rehabilitation Clinic, and Julia works at Summit Church as the hospitality coordinator. Jim Traynor ‘06 married Katie Holt of Dallas, TX on May 11, 2019. Many former WCS classmates joined in the celebration, and six of Jim’s groomsmen were WCS classmates: Danny Golik ‘06, Jason Benn ‘04, Michael Kaplan ‘06, William Nordstrom ‘06, Andrew Williams ‘06, and Joel Jezequel ‘06. Kayla Barrera ‘07 was recently awarded “Top 20 under 40 Professionals” by Brickell Magazine. She works for Swire Properties, developer of Brickell City Centre, as the senior marketing manager for the residential component of the business. Gabby Marcellini Satterberg ‘07 and husband Steve welcomed the arrival of their second daughter, Hannah Grace, on October 3, 2019 at 12:32 a.m. She joins big sister Mackenzie Faye. Silvia Amador Brett ‘09 graduated in 2013 from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies and minors in Spanish and psychology. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in 2016. During law school, she clerked for The Honorable Caroline J. Tesche

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

and acted as a certified legal intern for the Office of the Public Defender for the Sixth Judicial Court. As a member of the Trial Advocacy Team, she competed nationally on behalf of Stetson University College of Law and won the National Ethics Trial Competition. She was awarded the Wehle Trial Advocacy Award for demonstrating excellence in trial advocacy. She is an attorney with Vanguard Attorneys in Tampa, FL, where she defends Florida residents who have been injured or wrongfully harmed by others. She lives in St. Petersburg, FL with her husband David Brett. Taylor Chao Butler ‘09 is a vice president for Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City, UT. She married Saxon Butler one year ago. “God is good! Alexis Lassonde ‘09 is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida. She recently accepted a new position as an outpatient counselor for Florida Behavioral Health, serving individuals of all ages throughout the Orlando area. She previously worked as a counselor at Hastings Comprehensive Mental Health Treatment Facility where she counseled at-risk adolescents in a residential, juvenile justice setting. Brittany Hays Nicholas ‘09 shared, “In 2018, I took a leap of faith and moved from Miami to Alexandria, VA to be a lead teacher at a private Christian school. I was also now closer to my then boyfriend, Michael Nicholas, who was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. Our relationship flourished and we became engaged a few months later. We recently got married at The Citadel in Charleston,

SC and are now living in North Augusta, SC after being stationed at Fort Gordon. We look forward to seeing what the Lord [and the Army] has in store for us!” Chris Dunn ‘09 became a father in August 2019. His daughter’s name is Mila Dunn.

David Kaplan ‘09 and wife Vanessa live in Winter Park, Florida. David works at Rollins College as the athletics operations manager and Vanessa is a wealth management ﬁnancial planner. Courtnie Stephens ‘09 teaches seventh grade English at Great Oaks Charter School in Bridgeport, CT. She also added Social Studies to her teaching schedule, and is very excited to combine novels like The House On Mango Street and the immigration issues many of her students live every day. She continues to mentor new teachers and works closely with them to lay the foundation of pedagogy. Her favorite part of the day is reﬂection with students who made poor choices and lifting them up to be the scholars they can be.

2010s David Alfonso ‘10 holds a degree in Chemistry as well as an MBA. He currently teaches Mathematics at DASH in Miami.

Soﬁa Alexandra Rodriguez ‘10 runs Tundra Productions, LLC, a successful production company based in New York City with her boyfriend Jeremy. She is also the restaurant manager of Alice’s Tea Cup, one of Manhattan’s most popular restaurants. She juggles all that with also being an actress. “My true love for the arts began in that theater at WCS! I will never forget it!” Andrew Hays ‘11 graduated in 2015 from Baylor University with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, and in 2017 with a master’s in mechanical engineering. He currently works in McGregor, TX, for SpaceX, testing and developing rocket engines and propulsion systems for the Crew Dragon vehicle, the next generation ﬂight vehicle for NASA astronauts and private customers. Joe Fernandez ‘12 is a partnerships development manager with the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee. “We’re looking for 10,000 volunteers to be the face of South Florida as we welcome thousands of visitors for Super Bowl LIV!” Jessica Forbes ‘12 is a third-year medical student at Nova Southeastern College of Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale. She is currently on rotations in the West Palm Beach area. Her interests include Dermatology, Internal Medicine, and Emergency Medicine. Kosette Smith ‘12 offers individualized academic and behavioral support for children through ABA Therapy, parent training, and academic tutoring. She has a master’s of psychology in applied behavior analysis from the University of Miami.

Alex Forjan ‘12 passed the Bar Exam in Florida and was sworn in as an attorney. Candace Morris Tabb ‘12 is currently living in Charlotte, NC. She originates residential mortgages at Wyndham Capital Mortgage. Ainsley Wright Bjernegård ‘12 shared, “On August 15, my husband Sebastian and I welcomed our first child, Felicity Austen Bjernegård. This is the first grandchild on both sides! We are all healthy and doing well. God is so good and gracious.” Erin Wynne ‘12 teaches first grade in South Florida. Taylor Infante ‘13 is in her third season working with the Miami HEAT. “WCS helped me fall in love with sports and now I am turning that love into an incredible career path.”

Jos “Skip” de Kanter ‘13 graduated with two associate degrees from Miami Dade College, took a gap year, and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in IT with a focus on cybersecurity. He is a United

States Parachuters Associated A-Licensed Skydiver with 80 jumps from 13,500 feet and ﬁve from 5,000 feet. He is about to be upgraded to a B-License to jump out of helicopters and hot air balloons. “I currently work three part time jobs as I am still in school: GeekSquad agent at Best Buy, independent contractor as a ﬁlm editor, and a licensed commercial drone pilot. My family and I recently moved to Coral Gables. I hope all is well with the WCS faculty and teachers, God bless you all!” Colin Lee ‘13 is currently a second-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law. Over the summer, he worked as an LSO Fellow at Yale Law School where he assisted unrepresented clients in eviction, foreclosure, and fair-housing cases. As a member of the Housing Clinic, he drafted and submitted legal briefs to the Housing Session as well as the Connecticut Supreme Court. “It was a privilege to represent low-income clients who could not afford a private attorney in New Haven and as I continue my studies in Charlottesville, I cannot wait to see how I can use the law to serve others in the future.”

Kelsey Parker ‘13, (far right) is in her third and ﬁnal year of law school at William & Mary College. She has accepted a position at the law ﬁrm of Holland & Knight in Northern Virginia/Washington DC area starting fall of 2020. Photo: The Parker and Machado families, which include alumni Grant Parker ’17, Anthony Machado ’17, Alex Machado ’15, and Julie Patterson Parker ’78, in Greece. Their friendship spans nearly 20 years thanks to their Westminster connection.

THEN & NOW

Jackie Boulris ‘14 graduated from Wheaton College in 2018. She is currently working as a nurse assistant at Baptist Hospital in Miami to earn the necessary clinical experience hours to apply to physician assistant school. “I’ll be applying to school in April 2020, and will hopefully matriculate in the summer or fall of 2021.”

Caitlin Charlton ‘14 is in the second year of a master’s degree program in ecology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. She is researching alpine lakes in the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in CA, speciﬁcally looking at lake primary productivity responses to climate change and changes in nutrient deposition/dynamics. Her work involves taking lake sediment cores to see how alpine lakes responded in the past, to determine where they are now on the trajectory towards becoming more “green” or productive. This activity has negative implications on water quality and the dynamics of the entire ecosystem. She will likely stay in Colorado to pursue her Ph.D. after completing her master’s degree in summer or fall of 2020. “I am having the time of my life in Colorado. I am out in the ﬁeld at least once a week collecting samples in Rocky Mountain National Park.” She’s an avid hiker and backpacker, and has recently taken up rock climbing. She enjoys going on lengthy road bike rides around Fort Collins, and exploring Colorado whenever she can. “I also just got inducted into the WCS Hall

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

of Fame, which was really incredible and I am so honored to be part of such a great legacy.” Lexie Diaz ‘14 graduated with her BA in business. She is working at Wilhelmina Models as a scout in Miami Beach with her best friend Maria Alejandra Vinent ‘14, who is also an agent. Susie Forbes ‘14 is working as a full-time registered nurse (RN, BSN) in the emergency room at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, FL. She will graduate with a master’s of science in nursing with a focus in nursing leadership in spring 2020. “I’m living in Davie, FL, and seeking to travel more, explore different avenues of nursing, build relationships, grow in my relationship with Christ, and find joy in each season!” Gabriela Meitin ‘14 graduated from the University of Florida in December 2018 with a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering. She is currently working for an American multinational engineering firm, AECOM, in Miami as a roadway design engineer with an EIT license. She has been working on various projects designing local highways and has been involved in creating maintenance traffic plans and designing interstate roads in North Carolina and Texas. She will be taking the professional engineering license exam in April to become a PE in the future. Laura Moya ‘14 graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in communications and media studies in May 2018. After a bit of traveling and job searching, she started working at NBC in February 2019 as part of the Page Program in New York City. She is currently halfway through the program and has been able to

work on shows such as the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Saturday Night Live. She hopes to continue her career at NBC once she finishes the program and wants to pursue a job in entertainment news. Noel Powell ‘14 graduated from Elon University in North Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2018. She met her fiancé at Elon and they are getting married in May 2020. Margaret Tienstra ‘14 will be the maid of honor. She is currently living in Charlotte, NC, pursuing a master’s degree in social work. She will graduate in May. While still a student at Davidson College, Adrian Mayans ’15 started Lucid Technologies with two friends after inventing a drone that can clean skyscrapers. Today the company builds and leases their drones to cleaning companies all over the U.S. The company was recently featured in Forbes magazine. Daniel Dvorak ‘15 graduated from Purdue University in May with a degree in mechanical engineering and is now working for 3M in Saint Paul, MN. Julian Infante ‘15 won the College World Series with Vanderbilt University on June 26, 2019. Julian was the team captain in his final year of college baseball. Alexandra Hensley ‘15 graduated from Marshall University and works as an emergency room nurse at Mercy Hospital. She is engaged to a cardiac nurse from West Virginia. Tristan Suris ’15 and Jami Ness Suris ’15 welcomed Tinley Grace on Tuesday, November 12. She joins big brother, Hayden.

Jonathan Pedrayes ‘16 graduated from the South Florida College of Nursing. Sara Alvarez ’16 graduated in October from ﬁlm school and moved to L.A. to pursue her dream of being a screenwriter and actor. “I miss WCS every day and all of the things it helped me become.” Dylan Charlton ‘16 is a senior at West Point, the United States Military Academy, majoring in space science with an electrical engineering and robotics track, in the physics and nuclear engineering department. He was one of three cadets selected to intern this past summer at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. He worked in the Rapid Prototype Lab on the Orion Spacecraft, which will travel to the moon and Mars. He is also a member of the Cadet Glee Club and is the cadet in charge/president of the Knightcaps, an all-male acapella group, performing around the country. He had the honor of singing the National Anthem this year at the Army football game vs Morgan State and again at the Army homecoming game. He is a member of a rock band where he plays drums, guitar, bass guitar, and sings. Katy Milian ‘16 and brother Max ‘18 wrote an original song together, which was featured in Wake Forest University’s theatre production of “How I Learned to Drive” this September. In addition to being a songwriter, Katy was also in the cast. Max was credited as composer and honored for his work in the show.

Dillon Riera ‘16 was selected to be on the 2019 FSU Homecoming Court.

Gabriella Rodriguez ‘16 is graduating from Georgia Tech this May with a mechanical engineering degree, and leadership and organizational change minor. She completed two semesters at an ExxonMobil reﬁnery during an internship in Houston, TX and Baton Rouge, LA. She recently accepted a job with ExxonMobil in Baton Rouge with the projects department, handling multi billion dollar projects as a new hire.

Trey Sutton ‘16 became a father in September 2019. His daughter’s name is Hazel T. Sutton.

Luis Aviles ‘17 is a junior at Tulane University, where he plays baseball and is majoring in psychology.

Ashley Castano ‘17 is currently a thirdyear health science major at the University of Florida. She shares, “UF has been a great school to expand my faith and pursue my passion of becoming a physician. At UF, I am a part of a Christian organization known as Navigators. I work at the UF bookstore, and I am treasurer of UF Footprints Buddy and Support Program

which volunteers at UF Shands Children’s Hospital weekly. In addition, I have been researching Muscular Dystrophy in Dr. Sweeney’s Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics in the Academic Research Building. Reﬂecting on the past three years in college, I am beyond grateful for the teachers and faculty that invested in me and encouraged me at Westminster. Because of them, they have reminded me to stay constant in my faith and to pursue my goals.” Michael Castillo ‘17 spent the summer interning with Senator Marco Rubio. “The experience was amazing!” He is a junior at FSU, majoring in business ﬁnance, and looking into a future in law. Jacob Feder ‘17 has always wanted to work with animals. Growing up he had exotic pets from toucans to snakes, but what he really wanted was to work with big primates and cats. In the fall of 2017 he began building his personal animal collection and started working at the Zoological Wildlife Foundation. What started out as a passion, has now turned into a full-time job thanks to social media. His social media audience is almost 500,000, with more than 200,000 subscribers on YouTube. In addition, he breeds and keeps many different species of critically endangered turtles, tortoises and iguanas from all over the world, aiding in the propagation of these endangered species. “For me, getting to educate, breed and share these beautiful animals with people from all over the world is one of the greatest feelings by far. Never in a million years did I think I would end up where I am today, but God works in mysterious ways!”

THEN & NOW

Sofia Forwood ‘17 is a third year economics student at the University of Florida with a double minor in French and geography and a certificate in geospatial information analysis. She will begin her combined master’s of science in management in January where she will graduate with her undergraduate and graduate degrees by spring of 2021. Sofia currently serves as the operating director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences student council and the vice president of her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. Sofia spent last summer working for the Department of Commerce at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina alongside alumna Sophia Poveda ‘17. Next summer, she will be interning at Morgan Stanley in New York City. Sofia is excited to continue learning and developing networks with people from all over the world as she works toward a career in management consulting.

Sophia Poveda ‘17 interned this past summer in the Commerce Department of the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, working with clients in the healthcare and finance sectors. She interned alongside classmate Sofia Forwood ‘17. After returning to Miami, she also worked at Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A. as a summer law clerk. She is a junior in the Honors Program at Stonehill College in Boston, majoring in economics with a double minor in political science and business. She is also a peer mentor to first-year honor students and captain of the women’s volleyball team. Next summer, she will be interning as a summer analyst for Accenture in their Charlotte, NC office.

Luis Jaime ‘17 received a two-year scholarship from the ROTC program at FIU. He completed boot camp this past summer at Fort Knox.

Ian Poveda ‘17 is a junior at Pomona College in Claremont, CA. This summer he worked with Pomona’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program conducting research in computational chemistry with professors and fellow students. During the school year, he works as a photographer for the College Communications Ofﬁce and The Student Life newspaper. He also serves as mentor for ﬁrst-year Chicanx/ Latinx students, is on the board of the 5C pre-dental club, and served as an Orientation Adventure Trip leader. He is a Spanish major and plans to minor in either Biology or Chemistry.

Grant Parker ’17 is a junior at SMU in Dallas. Photo: He and Bryce Zomerfeld, former ‘17 classmate, at SMU/TCU game in Ft Worth, Texas.

Anais Pozo ‘17 is a junior at Florida International University pursuing a double major in accounting and ﬁnance. Inspired by a retail job, she launched her own on-

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

line boutique, ShopNisea.com. “I am very excited to have the opportunity to participate in this year’s Westminster Christmas Marketplace.” Dylan Sanchez ‘17 currently attends the University of Florida and majors in public relations. Valentina Saavedra ‘17 is a junior at Duke University. She is currently studying abroad at Yonsei University, in Seoul, South Korea. She is double majoring in linguistics and international comparative studies with a concentration in East Asia and China. She currently handles the communications and social media strategy at DukeEngage, and is editor for the DukeStudents social media team. Nicolas Danna ‘19 is a freshman at Furman University. He volunteers as a host for prospective students. He is also a member of the Furman Marching, Symphonic, and Jazz bands and is pursuing a B.A. in music performance. He intends to pursue a doctorate in psychology. Erin Hall ‘19 is enjoying her freshman year at the University of Alabama, where she has joined a sorority and writes for the university’s fashion magazine. Gabriela Hernandez ‘19 attends Pace University in New York City. She spends her time improving her musical theater technique by taking dance at the Broadway Dance Center multiple times a week and takes voice lessons with amazing voice teachers. “Going from Miami to New York City is deﬁnitely a change, but I truly wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Being here, I feel like I am one step closer to reaching my goals and dreams!”

Have news to share? Send your update and photo to alumni@wcsmiami.org

Made by God “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” Philippians 1:6b

ALUMNI MEMORIALS Gregory “Ross” Carrier ‘77 passed away on January 17, 2019 in Ponte Vedra, FL. He was 59. He was brother to Chris Carrier ‘82, Amy Carrier Hollingsworth ‘87, cousin to Terri Ross McGehee ‘79, Todd Ross ‘82 and Shana Ross ‘84. Natalie Reynolds Schneider ‘80 passed away November 20, 2018. Her sister Betsy Reynolds Mark ‘78 wishes to thank Mary Jean Gray-Lafferty ‘80, Diane Zeiler-Beidell ’80 and Leslie Lillard-McReynolds ’80 for their support throughout her illness, as well as many of her friends from the class of ‘78.

Wilton White ‘81 passed away on July 10, 2018. He was 55.

Doug Glassford ‘82 passed away June 17, 2019. He had two brothers Dale Glassford ‘78 and Darwin Glassford ‘76.

Tim Moore ‘82 passed away on February 10, 2019 in Clearwater, FL. He was 55. He was a brother to

Fletcher Moore ‘77, Melodee Moore Hicks ‘79, and Jennifer Moore Fernandez ‘85. Steven Boerma ‘83 passed away on May 6, 2018. His sister, Lynne Perry, was class of 1980.

Kevin Stack ‘83 passed away on August 31, 2017. He was the brother to Connie Stack Mohrman ‘86 and Caroline Stack Simmel ‘82. He was 51 years old. Rolando Navarrete ‘05 passed away on March 25, 2018. His brother Emmanuel Navarette was class of 2008.

FACULTY/STAFF MEMORIALS Dan DeLange, Sr. passed away on March 21, 2018. He was Westminster’s ﬁrst principal and a strong inﬂuence in the development of the school. DeLange served as a WCS Board

Member and WCS Foundation Board Member, and was a generous benefactor to the school. Dan DeLange is the father to WCS alumni Kristina DeLange Clements ’76, Daniel DeLange ’74, Greg DeLange ’82, Phillip DeLange ’84 and his wife Debbie Allen DeLange ’85, and Aisa Pinto-Ramirez ’97; and grandfather to Gregory Pinto ’17.

Linda Hamlin Russin passed away on April 17, 2019. Linda taught English, journalism and cheerleading at Westminster Christian School. Jean Peterson, longtime WCS High School receptionist and secretary, passed away on June 25, 2018.

THEN & NOW

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