Alumni Connection Summer 2014

Gordon a lumni connect ion S u m m e r 2 0 1 4

Dear Gordon Friends,

The students and teachers of 45 Maxfield Avenue are navigating the final weeks of school as we push

toward the finish line that is Commencement. If you make your way to campus over the next few

months, you will surely notice Gordon’s new spaces. These thoughtful additions reflect the tremendous

investment that all of you have made in the school. Your incredible support has allowed Gordon to

move forward with the construction of facilities that will allow deserving programs from all areas of

school life to flourish, including a theater, a dining hall, two music classrooms and an after-school

programs classroom. In addition, the Second Century Campaign has raised close to $2 million to

support financial aid endowment; a strategic intention of the Board of Trustees.

As I contemplated the summer edition of the Gordon Alumni Connection, technology was on the

forefront of my mind. Our growing robotics program, a successful iPad arts elective course for middle

schoolers and the i2 Camp we will be hosting this summer (all highlighted in the Campus Notes

section) are just a few of the newsworthy technology-themed initiatives.

Gordon is a forward thinking school in so many ways, and that is evidenced through the impact

and success of our graduates. I have had the privilege of meeting with many talented alumni who

are contributing to society through technology, so I’ve highlighted just a few them in this issue to

complement the innovation taking place at school.

Additionally, I’ve enjoyed receiving the news of the next steps for the students from the Class of 2010.

Four of them agreed to discuss their experience at Gordon, and their hopes for the future. We are proud to

share the growing list of colleges and universities that they have chosen to continue their academic careers.

I hope you enjoy the issue, and as always your feedback is welcome!

Warm regards,

Mollie Mattuchio

Associate Development Director

[email protected]

1

On Wednesday, April 23rd, over two hundred

and fifty Gordon parents, alumni, faculty and

friends gathered to celebrate the continuing

success of the Second Century Campaign.

Head of School Ralph L. Wales and Gordon

Community Association Co-President Kitty

Douglas were the emcees for the celebration,

which was sponsored by the GCA and Bottles

Fine Wine. The campaign has reached new

heights as the largest fundraising effort in

the school’s history, supporting goals that

have already begun to enrich the Gordon

experience. The campaign publicly launched

in March 2013, having already raised $5.3

million. Since then, the Gordon community

has come together to raise a total of $7.5

million.

Raise the Red Roof

2

5.

1. 2.

7. 8.

11. 12. 13.

9.

3

1. Chip Riegel, Amanda Riegel

2. Michelle Collie, Curt Beckwith, Susanna Rhodes Beckwith ‘84

3. Ro Mede, Tom Rainey

4 Tammy Metz, Martha Palan, Amy Orth

5. Maggie Friedfeld, Eric Friedfeld, Bill Beaudoin, Sonnie Kpangbai

6. Irene Pappas, Peter Oppenheimer

7. Sue Brown, Harry Romain

8. Bernie Buonanno, Heidi Buonanno

9. Angela Alston, Lisa Jacobson, Rachel Gahan

10. Nick Longo, Gil MacLean

11. Don Powers, Dana Powers

12. Kevin Bowman, Lynn Bowman

13. Kathryn Webber, Rachel Legend, Stacey Legend

14. Peter Fuller, Amy Fuller

3. 4.

10.

6.

14.

4

Campus Notes

T h i s y e a r ’ s T r i p b o a s T e d f o u r

n e w e v e n T s :

• A meeting with three white students

who helped expose continued segregation

at the University of Alabama

• A tour of Selma with the youngest

participant in the Bloody Sunday march

• Breakfast with activists who are leading

efforts to help African-American farmers

retain ownership of their land.

• Lunch with white activists who helped

Dr. King organize the 1954 Montgomery

Bus Boycott

d a y o n e : M o n d a y f e b r u a r y 1 0 T h

birmingham Civil rights institute and

Kelly ingram park

In April and May of 1963, Fred Shuttlesworth,

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and James Bevel led

more than three thousand men, women and

children in large-scale protests against segrega-

tion in Birmingham, Alabama. These marches

began in Kelly Ingram Park, where police, led

by Birmingham chief Bull Connor, used mass

arrests, fire hoses and police dogs to disperse

the crowds. Images of these police actions

were published and broadcast internationally,

increasing public pressure to desegregate

public spaces in the South.

Class of 2014 Civil Rights TripThe Class of 2014 embaRked on GoRdon’s

annual TRip To GeoRGia and alabama

To ConClude TheiR sTudy of The Civil

RiGhTs movemenT. This T ime-honoRed

TRadiTion beGan in 2002, and is funded

by The Class of 2003 museum admissions

endowmenT fund and The bReady-lapides

eiGhTh GRade eduCaTional TRip fund,

whiCh was esTablished ThRouGh The

GeneRosiTy of RiChaRd bReady (paRenT of

aRika ’02 and max ’03) and sally lapides

(paRenT of ian baRnaCle ’99 and emmeTT

baRnaCle ’03.)

d a y T w o : T u e s d a y f e b r u a r y 1 1 T h

birmingham’s 16th street baptist Church

The marches in spring 1963 gave momentum

to the movement, and also to segregationist

resistance. Less than six months after the

Birmingham marches, in September, four

African-American girls were killed by a bomb

placed at Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist

Church. The church had been used as a

meeting place for marchers that spring. The

investigation into these bombings stretched

for decades.

In 2002, the first group of Gordon eighth

graders to travel to Alabama were able to

witness part of the trial of Bobby Frank Cherry,

one of four bombers identified by the FBI.

Later Gordon groups have been able to meet

with law enforcement investigators who had

been involved in this case.

Meeting with university of alabama

students abbey Crain, Matt ford and

Melanie Gotz.

In the basement of the 16th Street Baptist Church,

students met with University of Alabama

current students Abbey Crain, Matt Ford and

Melanie Gotz. The integration of the University

of Alabama in June 1963, and Governor

George Wallace’s resistance, helped put the

Civil Rights Movement into the national con-

sciousness. This year, fifty years after the school

was first integrated, two white U of A students,

Ms. Crain and Mr. Ford, exposed the continued

segregation of the school’s white sororities. In

their article for the school newspaper, sorority

member Ms. Gotz went on the record exposing

how sorority policies hindered integration.

Gordon students read the article and discussed

the issue in preparation for this meeting.

The conversation covered a great deal of

cultural ground, exploring the intricacies of

the Greek system at southern universities,

the difference between Texas and the “real”

south, and the importance of recognizing an

opportunity to make a difference. The question

of sorority segregation had been a perennial

conversation on the University of Alabama

campus.

What made it different this year was Ms.

Gotz’s willingness to go on the record with

her experiences, a lesson in the importance

of taking a public stand for one’s own beliefs.

After the presentation, the Gordon students

surprised their guests by asking for autographs.

Touring selma and crossing the edmund

pettus bridge

In 1965, Selma, Alabama entered the national

spotlight when police used tear gas and clubs

to halt a voting rights march. The march was

planned to leave from Selma’s Edmund Pettus

Bridge and proceed to Montgomery. After two

more attempts, the march was completed.

The anniversary of the Edmund Pettus Bridge

crossing has become an annual media event,

and the bridge served as the central metaphor

for David Remnick’s recent book The Bridge.

Gordon students toured Selma, and crossed the

bridge, with Cheyann Webb Christburg, who

was part of the first bloody attempt to cross the

bridge when she was eight years old. Her story

has been told in a book and movie, Selma,

Lord, Selma, as well as in a book by Doreen

Rappaport, Gordon’s visiting author last fall.

The group met Ms. Christburg and volunteer

Sam Walker at Selma’s Voting Rights Institute.

The Voting Rights Institute is on the Montgom-

ery side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where

police confronted marchers with bloody force

fifty years ago. On the way through town, stu-

dents saw the current site of a memorial being

built honoring General Nathan Bedford Forrest,

a Confederate general who was the first grand

wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

brown Chapel a.M.e. Church

Next stop was Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church.

Ms. Christburg met Dr. King when she was a

child, growing up next door to Brown Chapel

A.M.E. Church. Before entering the church,

she pointed out a few childhood landmarks

that would later figure in her stories about

sneaking out of her house, at age seven, to

listen to the organizing meetings at the church.

Inside, she elaborated on her story, and led the

students in song. On the ride back downtown,

Ms. Christburg stayed on the microphone

answering questions until the last possible

moment. Then, she led the group across the

Edmund Pettus Bridge, retracing the steps she

had taken almost fifty years before.

continued

5

6

On Tuesday, students heard how the sorority

system had been changed because Melanie

Gotz was willing to speak publicly to the press.

So, the significance of seeing their own names

projected on the wall was not lost on Gordon

students. As students added their own names,

they saw the names of siblings and school-

mates who had added their names in years

before.

Lunch at odessa’s blessing with robert and

Jeannie Graetz

The group was joined by Reverend Robert and

Jeannie Graetz for a large buffet at Odessa’s

Blessing. Rev. and Mrs. Graetz have been

social justice advocates since the early 1950s.

Rev. Graetz spoke about his path to Montgom-

ery, and to the Civil Rights Movement. Before

moving south, he had been active in civil rights

actions. He had promised the church that he

would not “start any trouble” in Montgomery.

But when the bus boycott began, and Rosa

Parks was one of his parishioners, what else

could he do but show his support?

With gentle humor, he responded candidly to

the students’ questions, speaking about the role

of the clergy in a political movement, the role

of whites in a black movement, and the impor-

tance of love, guilt and the willingness to risk

one’s life.

The students responded warmly and effusively

to the couple, who let the group know they

were celebrating the sixty-second anniversary

of their first date.

d a y T h r e e : w e d n e s d a y f e b r u a r y 1 2 T h

Meeting with Gus Townes and George

parris, Montgomery, alabama

Gus Townes and George Parris are longtime

activists, who spoke about their work with the

Federation of Southern Cooperatives to help

African-American farmers retain ownership

of their land.

Mr. Parris explained the many ways that African-

American families have systematically lost

control of their land over the past fifty years.

They both made the case for land ownership

as an essential part of economic and political

self-determination. The conversation under-

scored how certain simple advantages, or

disadvantages, can impact a family for many

generations.

Tour of the southern poverty Law Center

and Civil rights Memorial

The SPLC was founded in 1971 to follow

through on the promise of the Civil Rights

Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, by tracking

the activities of hate groups, using the courts

to pursue reform, and developing educational

resources like Teaching Tolerance (used at

Gordon).

At the SPLC, students met with an undercover

hate crimes investigator, and Ashley Jackson

of the Center’s LGBT Project.

The SPLC has a Wall of Tolerance, where

visitors can add their own names and pledge

to speak out, and act, against injustice.

Earlier that morning, Ms. Jackson had spoken

about the importance of finding plaintiffs

willing to take a case to court.

7

head’s advisory Council

Head’s Advisory Council co-chairs Johnnie

Chace (parent of Sarah ’97, Ben ’97, Nathaniel

’00 and Lilly ’03) and Rob Glancy ’97 opened

the fall meeting by welcoming over thirty

alumni and parents of alumni. Johnnie and

Rob discussed their commitment to participat-

ing in the Second Century Campaign, and

the significance and depth of their individual

relationships with the school.

Head of School Ralph L. Wales then revealed

the progress of the Second Century Campaign.

The funds raised have yielded a new theater,

two Middle School music classrooms, an after

school programs classroom and a dining hall,

as well as funds for financial aid and unre-

stricted endowments.

Next on the agenda was a discussion surround-

ing the 2012-2013 Community Diversity

Assessment. Every four years since 2004, the

Board of Trustees has engaged in an assessment

of the school’s work regarding diversity, and

how it can strategically further the Gordon

mission. The 2012-13 Community Diversity

Assessment (CDA) was designed to collect

feedback across the entire Gordon community

including parents, faculty, staff, students and

trustees. The findings from the assessment were

presented by Mr. Wales, and Assistant Head

for Faculty Professional Growth and Multicul-

tural Practice, Dr. Kim Ridley.

Middle school performs ipan and seussical

iPan was the Middle School’s rewrite of J.M.

Barrie’s classic Peter Pan. The student’s adap-

tation last winter brought the humor, and the

dark edges, of the original into focus, while

also delivering plenty of swordplay, and dance

numbers too. This May, the Middle School

performed Seussical, which was the last pro-

duction in the Activity Room before the new

theater opens next fall. Gordon first performed

Seussical in 2008, and many alumni returned

to enjoy the revival.

2014 scholastic arts & writing awards

A Gordon seventh grader’s novel earned a

Gold Key award in the Scholastic Arts &

Writing Awards Competition, making him

one of the youngest novelists on this year’s list

of honorees. He wrote the novel in November

2013, when he and the rest of his Gordon

classmates participated in National Novel

Writing Month. Gordon alumni were repre-

sented at the highest award level by Singne

Brown ’10, who received a Gold Medal in

the drawing category. She was one of only

two gold medalists from Rhode Island.

high school alumni breakfast

The traditional December high school alumni

breakfast took place again this year. Over

thirty members from the classes of 2010-2013

returned to Maxfield Avenue to connect with

Gordon classmates, faculty and staff prior to

the winter assembly.

Campus Notes

national association of independent schools

calls on the expertise of Gordon’s own

dr. Kim ridley

When the National Association of Independent

Schools was compiling the book Diversity

Work in Independent Schools, the editor asked

Dr. Kim Ridley, Gordon’s Assistant Head for

Faculty Professional Growth and Multicultural

Practice, to write a chapter on Gordon titled

“Sustaining the Momentum” as a case study.

8

Lower school presents Mathstart Musical

This winter, the third and fourth graders

presented five performances of The Main Street

Kids Club: A MathStart Musical in the Activity

Room. The production explored the develop-

ment of mathematics across time and culture.

young Gators perform short play

The youngest students of Gordon’s after school

program were inspired to put on a short play

based on Who Made Me? by Shirley Tulloch.

They performed the play for some faculty, staff

and Early Childhood students.

a.T. wall ’67 visits campus

A.T. Wall ’67 spent an afternoon on campus

this spring meeting with Gordon’s seventh

graders and the members of the Student Lead-

ership Council. The seventh grade was fresh

from a field trip to the federal courthouse in

Providence, where they witnessed a sentencing

hearing and met with Judge John McConnell,

himself the father of three Gordon graduates.

Wall is the Director of the Rhode Island

Department of Corrections, the longest-serving

state director in the nation. He is also deeply

tied into Gordon’s history; his father John

Wall ’36, his sister Polly ’65, and his children

Lucy ’98 and Ash ’01 all attended Gordon.

He met with the seventh graders as part of their

continuing study of the US Constitution, to talk

about what he called “the often-forgotten last

step of the criminal justice system.” Each of his

three small group conversations were driven

entirely by student questions.

doreen rappaport visits as Karla harry

visiting author

Doreen Rappaport visited Gordon’s campus

Monday, November 18th to Friday, November

22nd as the seventh annual Karla Harry

Visiting Author. She worked directly with

students ranging from Kindergarten to eighth

grade, bringing her lessons on writing and

social justice into the students’ ongoing

exploration of biography, research, and

the role of the individual in social change.

Ms. Rappaport is an award-winning author of

thirty-eight fiction and non-fiction books that

celebrate multiculturalism, the retelling of

folktales and myths, history, the lives of world

leaders and the stories of those she calls

‘not-yet-celebrated.’

The Karla Harry Visiting Author Fund was

initially endowed by Almon and Suzanne Hall

and their children Stephen ’06 and Sara ’07 in

2006. Continued gifts from friends and family

have expanded its mission to bring an author

to Gordon annually for one week.

Next year’s Karla Harry Visiting Author, Andrea

Davis Pinkney, will be on campus for four full

days in November thanks to the support of the

Karla Harry Fund Visiting Author Fund and the

Gordon Community Association.

Campus Notes

9

seventeenth britt nelson visiting artist

Beginning April 7th, the Gordon community

welcomed ceramic artist Seth Rainville as the

seventeenth Britt Nelson Visiting Artist. He

worked with third, sixth and some seventh

and eighth graders in the studio. Rainville

is a potter and arts administrator based in

Dartmouth, Massachusetts. His work has been

exhibited at multiple galleries and museums,

and events such as SOFA Chicago and New

York. Rainville’s exquisitely formed ceramic

work is noted for its narrative surfaces and his

obvious devotion to storytelling.

i2 Camp comes to Gordon for summer 2014

This summer, a new partnership launches as

Gordon faculty lead i2 Camp, a two-week STEM

day camp for middle schoolers.

i2 Camp is a hands-on summer day camp that

offers a broad range of science, technology,

engineering and math courses created by

scientific and academic institutions that include

MIT and Boston’s Museum of Science.

Each twenty-student course will be led by

a lead teacher drawn from Gordon’s faculty,

supported by a graduate student and a recent

Gordon graduate.

Course topics include rocketry, medicine,

space exploration and acoustic science,

and guest speakers include entrepreneurs,

scientists, bioethicists and FBI professionals.

For more information, please visit:

i2camp.org/location/gordon/

robotics team named “Most innovative”

Gordon’s Middle School Robotics Team was

named “Most Innovative” out of forty teams

at the First Lego League’s state competition

in January.

ipad Course adopted by risd

This June, the Rhode Island School of Design’s

continuing education department is offering

iPhone Sketching with faculty member

Rebecca Jenness. The techniques covered in

the workshop (which RISD, significantly, filed

under “Drawing and Illustration”, not “Digital

Design”) were developed by Ms. Jenness and

her seventh and eighth grade art students over

the past two years.

At Gordon, the elective is titled Experimental

Drawing, where students build on their existing

skills by drawing with their fingers on iPads.

CLass of 2014 hiGh sChooL ChoiCes

Barrington High SchoolBay View AcademyBishop Hendricken High SchoolBrooks SchoolClassical High SchoolConcord AcademyCranston West High SchoolDana Hall SchoolGroton SchoolHarvard-Westlake SchoolHolderness SchoolThe Hotchkiss SchoolLaSalle AcademyLincoln SchoolMiddlesex SchoolMoses Brown SchoolMount Saint Charles AcademyPhillips Academy AndoverPhillips Exeter AcademyPomfret SchoolPortsmouth Abbey SchoolProvidence Country Day SchoolPutney SchoolRocky Hill SchoolSt. Andrew’s SchoolSt. George’s SchoolSt. Mark’s SchoolTabor AcademyTaft SchoolWestover SchoolWheeler SchoolCLass of 2010 CoLLeGe ChoiCes

Berklee College of MusicBoston CollegeBoston UniversityBrown UniversityColby CollegeCollege of CharlestonCollege of the Holy CrossConnecticut CollegeCornell UniversityElon UniversityFranklin & Marshall CollegeThe George Washington UniversityHarvard UniversityJohnson & Wales UniversityKenyon CollegeMiami UniversityMiddlebury CollegePrinceton UniversityRollins CollegeStanford UniversityTufts UniversityUniversity of DelawareUniversity of PennsylvaniaVassar CollegeWarren Wilson CollegeYale University

10

aLuMni profiLe

nate bresnick ’10

naTe bResniCk ’10 is a senioR aT milTon

aCademy, and he plans To aTTend yale

univeRsiTy nexT fall.

how did you decide yale was the right fit for

you as a student? what do you hope to study

there?

As this whole process began last summer, I

visited the campus and I loved the place. I went

for the revisit days in April, and no matter how

much they tried to impress us as pre-freshmen

with all of the Gothic architecture, it was the

people I met that sold me. The vibe at Yale is,

for me, the best imaginable. Everyone is ridicu-

lously passionate about any number of pursuits

and ideas, but for the most part, they don’t take

themselves too seriously. It’s humbling and

really exciting.

One of the most exciting parts of college

is the expectation of tremendous personal

change, but as of now I think I want to study

cognitive science. It’s an awesome, cutting-

edge combination of neuroscience, psychology,

philosophy, and computer science, with the

end goal of figuring out how and why we think.

And because I’m really interested in all those

fields, I don’t have to pick just one.

what are some of the highlights from your

time at Milton?

Honestly, most of my time here has been worth

remembering, even the most trying late nights

of work and self-doubt. What I’ve always loved

about Milton is that with each year, everything

just keeps intensifying. Yes, there’s more work,

but there’s also more academic achievement,

more opportunities, more fun to be had with

friends and more crazy stories to tell.

Looking back, I would single out a few things.

The summer after my sophomore year, I went

on Milton’s Spanish Exchange. We spent a

month living with students in Madrid, explor-

ing the city and making friends. It was a lot of

fun, and I learned a tremendous amount of

Spanish and a lot about myself.

This fall, I took a pretty incredible history class

called Senior Seminar. While it was ostensibly

about American culture in the ’60s and ’70s,

it was really about the kinds of existential

questions that high school seniors face as we

start thinking about what happens after high

school. For maybe the first time in our lives,

we get to think about what we, not our families

or schools, want from our futures. In trying to

answer those questions, I also got hooked on

writing poetry.

what kinds of activities did you become

involved in outside of the classroom?

I spent an absurd amount of time this year as

Opinion Manager for The Milton Paper. We

publish weekly, so meetings were three times

a week well into the night, but it was worth

it. We had so much fun, and it really helped

shape my views on community. I was responsi-

ble, in part, for the weekly editorials, and that

was awesome. At our best, we were somewhat

able to provoke school-wide discourse, and at

our worst, we had a blast. I’ve also been pretty

involved in liberal politics, in and outside of

school, and doing biology research at the

Pierce Lab at Harvard University.

how did your time at Gordon influence who

you are today? is it true you built a computer

while you were a student?

Gordon was such an exciting place to be a kid.

Academically, it was foundational in my love

of seeing all of my interests as inherently,

obviously connected. The constant overlap

between my humanities and math or science

classes, the way we took big ideas and tackled

them from every perspective imaginable,

instilled in me a passion for the unity of

knowledge. More importantly, however, were

all the people I spent my time with. My closest

friends, and favorite teachers and advisors

really shaped the person I became. Middle

school, especially, is when you first begin to

think independently, and my friends and teach-

ers were always there to help me figure out

exactly the kind of person I wanted to become.

Spending so much time with people who

were so formative impressed upon me the

significance of building such close relationships,

not just making acquaintances. Through today,

this is one of the most important things I want

in my future, and I can’t imagine myself with-

out my Gordon friends.

I did build a computer, in seventh grade on a

snow day. Making things has always been a big

part of my life, and everyone at Gordon was so

excited to share the perspective I gained from

my less common endeavors like these. When

I brought in a transistor as my time capsule

item in eighth grade, Mr. Wales said he wasn’t

even a little bit surprised. What surprises me,

in hindsight, is how directly my love of building

things came from my growing up at Gordon.

Everything we learned was always taught

with the expectation of innovation, of making

new and better ideas to supplant the old ones.

The worldview this made us develop was a

progressive one, always seeing the universe

as an exciting, dynamic place—a place which

we had a duty to make even better.

do you have a favorite memory from Gordon

that you would like to share?

I remember the Civil Rights Trip most fondly. It

was such an exciting time, as we got a glimpse

of the world outside Gordon which we were

soon to inhabit. I remember sitting in the back

of the bus with my friends as we drove through

the Alabama night. Someone’s iPod was play-

ing Lonely Island and we were laughing so

much we could hardly hear it. I just remember

being suddenly filled with an intense excitement

for the future and a love for the friends with

whom I was going to spend it.

11

what is ourGoods, and what was your intent

as co-founder?

OurGoods is a resource sharing network for

independent artists, performers, and makers

in New York City. We foster a community of

mutual support by creating in-person resource

sharing events, at which independent artists

can support each others’ work and find support

for their own work. Our online platform

makes visible the resources available in our

community, supports and amplifies our in-

person events, and helps artists share resources

asynchronously.

OurGoods users have established hundreds

of mutually beneficial relationships. Dancer

and choreographer Maria Bauman wrote an

artist statement for visual artist Sarah Vogwill,

and in exchange Sarah designed a promotional

postcard for Maria’s work; it was a successful

barter for both individuals. Users often develop

genuine relationships, and aside from the

integrity piece, there is also rating system

that provides incentive for artists to produce

strong work for each other. More stories about

successful bartering can be found at ourgoods.

org/stories

We believe that a culture of resource sharing

in the arts is best facilitated by a fusion of live

events and cutting-edge technology. After five

years of research and development on the

online platform ourgoods.org, we believe that

our next five years should focus on creating

live events that are supported by online tools.

We will use our online platform to support

deep, in-person connection.

you also co-founded Trade school. Can you

discuss what prompted you to do so?

After OurGoods.org started, I realized that

sharing skills did not need to happen as

a one-to-one exchange. Trade School is a

non-traditional learning space where students

barter with teachers. Anyone can teach a class.

Students sign up for class by agreeing to bring

a barter item that the teacher requests. An

example from the Indianapolis Trade School

chapter is half a pound of organic coffee for

a spot in a Real World Nutrition lesson. Since

2010, TradeSchool.coop has spread to fifty

cities internationally, forming a global network

of volunteers who believe that education is

a human right. The full story is online at

tradeschool.coop/story/.

what was the impact of your experience

at Gordon, and how did it influence your

decision to pursue a career as a creative

professional?

I think having equal playing time on the soccer

field contributed to my understanding of the

power of cooperation. Initially frustrated that

we might not win because the best players

were put on the field as often as the weakest

players, I now see how this ethos of shared

ability and interest permeates my work.

Gordon also connected me with Zara

Serabian-Arthur ’98, and we have been

working together as she is part of a cooperative

aLuMni profiLe

Caroline woolard ’98

CaRoline woolaRd ’98 is a Co-foundeR of ouRGoods and TRadesChool, whiCh aRe

boTh online neTwoRks ThaT enCouRaGe individuals To use skills, spaCes and objeCTs

as baRTeRinG Tools. fRom 2008-2013, CaRoline was suppoRTed by TRansfoRmaTive

oRGanizeRs she meT as The media CooRdinaToR foR solidaRiTynyC.oRG, a fellowship

aT eyebeam, a ResidenCy aT The maCdowell Colony, waTeRmill, iland and fundinG

fRom The RoCkefelleR CulTuRal innovaTion fund. she is CuRRenTly an aRTisT in

ResidenCe aT The Queens museum, a leCTuReR aT CoopeR union and The new sChool,

and a membeR of TRade sChool and The pedaGoGy GRoup. mosT ReCenTly CaRoline

was named To The wiRed smaRT l isT 2013.

filmmaking group called Meerkat. Meerkat

helps produce media for another collective

I help coordinate called Solidarity NYC

(solidaritynyc.org/).

what’s next for Caroline woolard and

ourGoods?

Last June, I finished a project at The Museum

of Modern Art. The project was organized

as part of the Department of Education’s Artists

Experiment Initiative. Entitled Exchange Café,

it was set up as a social space in the mezzanine

of MoMA’s Education and Research building.

It was dedicated to exposing guests to

exchange-based practices. Taking the form

of a café, the studio encouraged visitors to

question notions of reciprocity, value, and

property through shared experiences. Tea,

milk, and honey were available by exchange.

Instead of paying with cash or credit cards,

Exchange Café patrons were asked to make a

resource based currency, basically exposing

visitors to the ideas and practices found on

OurGoods.com. Now, as an Artist in Residence

in the Queens Museum of Art and a member

of a coalition for affordable housing in New

York City (nyctbd.com), I am working to orga-

nize artists (bfamfaphd.com) while making

furniture, sculpture, and installations. You can

find updates at carolinewoolard.com.

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12

aLuMni profiLe

yi liu ’98

a GRaduaTe of haRvaRd univeRsiTy and sTanfoRd GRaduaTe sChool of business, yi

l iu ’98 CuRRenTly Resides jusT ouTside of san fRanCisCo wiTh heR husband. eaRly in

heR CaReeR, yi held a job wiTh The laRGe enGineeRinG fiRm noRThRop GRumman in los

anGeles. afTeR ReCeivinG heR mba, she deCided To puRsue a CaReeR wiTh The sTaRT-up

f iRm inklinG. inklinG pRoduCes ediTions of inTeRaCTive books on vaRious TopiCs.

did you know you wanted to work in

technology when you graduated from

harvard?

I’ve always been curious about how things

worked from an early age and really enjoyed

math and science in high school. That led me

to pursue a degree in engineering in college.

I loved all my hands-on engineering classes,

and I even built a surfboard that helped

beginner surfers learn how to surf as my senior

thesis. When I graduated from Harvard, most

of my engineering friends went on to do invest-

ment banking or consulting, but I thought it

would be fun and rewarding to be an engineer

and build things of my own. So, for my first job

after college I joined an aerospace engineering

company, Northrop Grumman, to build

satellites.

what prompted you to pursue business

school?

I worked at Northrop Grumman for a few years

and I learned a tremendous amount about

satellite design, engineering and testing, but

I also realized that the space defense industry

has notoriously fickle funding levels and a

risk-averse attitude. The product development

cycle is long and complex. It can take up to

ten years and one billion dollars to launch

a satellite. I also felt I wasn’t making enough

of an impact. When I transitioned to business

development at Northrop, I realized I loved

analyzing the business case for new markets,

formulating the capture plan and then execut-

ing the strategy in the proposal phases. This

made me want to go to business school and

learn the business side of technology. I wanted

to transition to a company with shorter

development cycles, like a start-up, and be

influential in strategy, operations and product

development. Stanford, being in the Silicon

Valley, was a natural fit.

what is your role at inkling?

Inkling is a platform for publishing and reading

interactive eBooks on the iPad and iPhone,

Android, and the web. We work with a variety

of publishers and corporations to help transform

their content for the Inkling platform. As a

Senior Implementation Manager at Inkling,

I help our clients develop their vision for

interactive content across devices, distill that

vision into goals and requirements and then

lead cross-functional teams to execute that

plan. For example, in my latest project I

managed the implementation for Inkling’s first

enterprise partner, Elsevier. We adapted over

800 of their medical titles to Inkling and built

two white-labeled sites that replaced their out-

dated digital libraries (studentconsult.inkling.

com and expertconsult.inkling.com). I really

enjoy my role because it is very fast-paced

and challenging. I am able to keep my feet wet

in both the technical product and operational

strategy worlds.

what is your favorite memory of Gordon?

My favorite Gordon memory is the Memory

Map experience in seventh grade. My map still

hangs in my parents’ house today. I remember

being in awe of the memory maps that previous

seventh graders drew and wondering, “how

on earth did they do it?” It seemed to be such

a daunting task! That year-long journey was

an incredible experience for me. Not only did

I learn a tremendous amount about geography,

but I also learned that every formidable task

starts with a single step. We started with North

America, and once I had memorized and could

draw that, the rest of the continents didn’t seem

so bad. I also liked the project because, as

typical with every Gordon project, it had a

creative component. The border was a unique

art project, and I loved turning mine into a

tropical fish seascape.

how did your experience at Gordon shape

who you are today?

Gordon really promotes intellectual curiosity.

Anytime I had a question or interest, all of

my teachers supported me in pursuing greater

understanding and mastery. Gordon was a

special environment where I felt supported,

confident, and eager to explore the outside

world. I learned how to push myself into new

challenges and not be satisfied with the status

quo and I think that has really shaped who

I am today. I have so much love for Gordon.

It’s such a unique place for a child to grow up.

what are your goals for the future?

What I learned in business school is that while

you can set five, ten and twenty year plans for

yourself, you never quite end up where you

think you will. I would love to stay connected

to technology, especially products that can

revolutionize an entire industry like education.

I also want to scale a company and grow it from

one hundred people to one thousand or more

people. One of my favorite parts about my cur-

rent job is that I can help this start-up grow and

mature from an idea into a real business with

paying customers! I hope to do more of that,

and eventually lead my own tech firm one day.

At the same time, I also want to keep exploring

the world, a bug that probably started when I

was at Gordon. I recently got married. My hus-

band and I would love to live abroad for a few

years and make time for some surf trips before

the kids come.

13

aLuMni profiLe

dan landy ’78

dan landy ’78 GRaduaTed fRom haRvaRd univeRsiTy, and wenT on To puRsue his ph.d.

aT The univeRsiTy of CalifoRnia, beRkeley in indusTRial enGineeRinG and opeRaTions

ReseaRCh. CuRRenTly, dan Resides in san fRanCisCo, and is a fReelanCe sofTwaRe

enGineeR developinG business appliCaTions foR eaRly-sTaGe TeChnoloGy Companies.

pRioR To his woRk aT invu, dan was a foundeR and senioR aRChiTeCT aT GeTaCTive

sofTwaRe (now Convio), whiCh pRovides web-based ConsTiTuenT RelaTionship

manaGemenT seRviCes To ChaRiTable oRGanizaTions. dan has also ConsulTed foR

numeRous TeChnoloGy fiRms.

why did you decide to become a software

engineer, and what do you really enjoy

about your work?

I started my career doing consulting of a tech-

nical nature, helping clients to solve various

business problems like how to schedule

operations in a factory, or plan maintenance

in an electric power plant. In the course of

doing this work, it seemed to me that the

software engineers were the ones grappling

with the challenging pieces of the puzzle.

They were the ones who had to devise and

implement the algorithms used to generate

solutions. So, I got into software the way

many people do, by learning it on the job.

There are several things I love about creating

software. One is the satisfaction that comes

from creating something new from scratch.

Hopefully, it has an internal structure and logic

which not only solves the problem at hand but

also can be extended and generalized to apply

to future, unanticipated scenarios. There is

a certain elegance to such a structure. You

know it when you achieve it, or when you see

it in the work of others.

An aspect of software development that is both

a blessing and a curse is the high degree of

control one has. Operating in a very contained

and well-defined space means having total

responsibility for what gets built. In other

words: if it’s working, you can take full credit,

but if it isn’t, you must take full blame.

did you know you wanted technology to

be a significant part of your career when

you graduated from harvard? what was

your major?

When I was an undergraduate, the field of

software engineering barely existed, so it was

not a career that many people were consider-

ing. In fact, Harvard first created a major in

Computer Science while I was a student there.

I studied pure math, which is great training

for any sort of technical or scientific field.

what prompted you to pursue your ph.d.?

After college I was very interested in environ-

mental issues, so I began a master’s degree

in Energy and Resources, which was an

interdisciplinary department at the University

of California, Berkeley. At some point in the

middle of that program I came to the conclu-

sion that the obstacles to improving our

relationship to the environment were more

political than technical, and I didn’t think that

I had much to contribute in that realm. So I

switched over to the department of Industrial

Engineering and Operations Research, which

is a field concerned with optimization and

efficiency. I originally decided to get a Ph.D.

because I was interested in becoming an

academic, but by the end of the program I

decided that I have a practical bent and would

prefer solving real-world problems over

theoretical ones.

what is your favorite memory of Gordon?

I have many memories of both teachers and

friends, some of whom I still keep in touch

with. A particular highlight was putting on

our graduation play, Bye Bye Birdie. It was

a huge amount of fun, and it felt good to end

our time together collaborating on a big project

like that.

I also have a distinct memory of being at a

summer camp one year when the season

was drawing to a close. Some kids there were

complaining about having to return to school

imminently, and I remember thinking, “What?

I can’t wait to go back to school!”

how did your experience at Gordon shape

who you are today?

I credit Gordon with giving me an early love

of learning, and the freedom to think in

unconventional ways. Gordon encouraged

us to approach new subjects from a variety

of perspectives, and to not get stuck in one

standard viewpoint. That is a great mental

habit for people who work in technology today,

because things change so quickly.

14

maddy beRkson ’10 is an aCComplished

senioR RunneR aT ClassiCal hiGh sChool.

aT The GiRls sTaTe Championships on

saTuRday febRuaRy 15Th, maddy won

The 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meTeR RaCes.

addiTionally she anChoRed ClassiCal’s

4x400 meTeR Relay Team To The sTaTe

TiTle. ReCenTly she was named The 2013

viRGinia l. “Gini” duaRTe aThleTe of The

yeaR. maddy will ConTinue heR sTellaR

RunninG CaReeR aT sTanfoRd univeRsiTy

This fall.

how did you decide stanford was the right

fit for you as a student-athlete? what do

you hope to study there?

When I visited Stanford, it was incredible. The

weather was great, the campus was massive

and beautiful, and everyone I met was friendly

and interesting. I knew that Stanford is a great

school, and many successful students and

professors have emerged from there. Since

it is near Silicon Valley, which is a hub of

technological innovation, it has a unique,

entrepreneurial spirit. I am interested in

biotechnology; there is a lot happening in

that field right now all over the world, and

especially at Stanford. All kinds of famous

professors teach there, including Drew Endy,

a pioneer in synthetic biology. I figured going

to Stanford would be a great opportunity to be

immersed in that inventive, creative atmosphere.

Also, I think being a member of the Stanford

track team is a great way for me to improve my

running. Stanford has a high level of success in

track; many Stanford runners have continued

their careers professionally and have competed

in the Olympics and other world-class events.

The athletes currently on the team are competi-

tive on national and international levels. The

sunny, warm weather year-round and access

to high-tech sports equipment is conducive to

great performance.

mia muRphy ’10 Rows CRew aT noble and

GReenouGh in dedham, massaChuseTTs.

she is a fouR-Time leTTeR winneR, and she

CuRRenTly CapTains The sQuad. she has

eaRned hiGh disTinCTion aT nobles, whiCh

is an awaRd based on GRade poinT aveRaGe,

and was one of 3,000 senioRs in The

CounTRy nominaTed To be a us pResidenTial

sCholaR. mia will ConTinue heR RowinG

CaReeR aT bRown univeRsiTy nexT fall.

how did you decide brown was the right fit

for you as a student-athlete? what do you

hope to study there?

I think I will concentrate in public health and

try to fulfill additional pre-med requirements

as well. I’m also looking forward to taking more

unique courses in philosophy and English. The

rowing team is extremely successful, hardwork-

ing, and closely knit and I’m really looking

forward to being a part of the program. For me,

Brown is the perfect fit for me to push myself

academically and athletically over the next four

years, while also living in my favorite city.


rowing career?

Last fall, I raced in the Head of the Charles

Regatta in the women’s youth four event. It was

so humbling to race down the same course as

so many legends in the rowing world, and it

was thrilling to row under bridges packed with

spectators. It was a very special race, and I’m so

lucky that I got to share it with my teammates.

Pictured above right, Mia and teammates row the

Powerhouse Stretch of the Charles River in Boston

last year. They went on to win the race!


track career this year so far?

I competed in cross country for the first time

for Classical High School, and placed third in

the state meet. I broke the Rhode Island indoor

state record for the 3000 meter on January 4th

of this year.


you are today?

It was a friendly, welcoming environment that

encouraged me to do my best. It allowed me

to become immersed in learning, without

unnecessary pressure or competition. I learned

how to work hard, not for a test score, but for

the sheer joy of learning.

do you have a favorite memory from

Gordon that you would like to share?

I have many happy memories from Gordon

recesses. Every day at recess my group of

friends and I would play some game we had

invented. The games usually involved a lot

of running around, hiding in bushes and trees,

arguing over the teams or rules and laughing.

I always came back into class after recesses

pleasantly tired and smiling about the idiosyn-

crasies of that day’s game. We all loved

playing these games and looked forward to

recess every day.

Another memory that stands out is testing a

mysterious liquid found in the school parking

lot. Every day when I walked into school,

I noticed a strange-colored puddle. It was

always there, no matter the season or time of

day. My friends and I were curious about it so

we took the school science equipment out to

the parking lot one day after school and tested

puddle samples. I forget exactly what the

puddle was, but I think we found evidence of

rust and oil in it. It was very satisfying to apply

the knowledge from class to real life.

maddy berkson ’10 mia murphy ’10

C L a s s o f 2 0 1 0

aLuMni aThLeTes

15

saRah sTeinGold ’10 has had an exTRaoR-

dinaRily suCCessful CaReeR in The moses

bRown swim pRoGRam foR The pasT fouR

yeaRs. in addiTion To swimminG aT mb,

saRah CompeTes ouTside of sChool yeaR-

Round. heR sChedule inCludes ThRee houR

pRaCTiCes, eaCh and eveRy day of The

week. heR CaReeR as a swimmeR will Con-

Tinue aT ConneCTiCuT ColleGe nexT fall.

how did you decide Connecticut College was

the right fit for you as a student-athlete?

what do you hope to study there?

There were many factors that went into my

decision to attend Connecticut College. Fairly

early in my college search, I realized that I

wanted to attend a smaller sized liberal arts

college with a good faculty to student ratio,

which would allow me to know my professors

and pursue my love of learning. Initially, my

search to find the right swim program led me

to the New England Small College Athletic

Conference, also known as the NESCAC.

From my first visit to Connecticut College,

it was clear that the coach, swim program

and facility would be a perfect fit for me to

pursue my love of competitive swimming.


swimming career so far this year?

This year, I competed at the Division III New

England Prep School Championship winning

the 200 meter freestyle and placing third in

the 100 meter butterfly. I was recognized

as an outstanding swimmer at the Bay View

Invitational, a meet for thirty area high schools.

In addition, I was awarded the MVP award

of the Moses Brown swim team all four years.

sarah steingold ’10


you are today?

I feel that I have a really deep understanding of

social issues that our generation will be facing

and fighting for the next several decades. I’m

really grateful to Gordon for teaching us about

these issues and encouraging us to share our

own opinions. Personally, I gained a lot of

confidence and maturity while at Gordon, and

I’m really happy that my younger sister and

brother have shared that with me.



I ran track at Gordon for three years, and I was

really hopeless at running, especially compared

to my teammates Maddy Berkson ’10 and

Sylvia Skerry ’10. In eighth grade, Mr. McAdam

(Bob McAdam, physical education teacher)

decided to teach me how to throw the discus,

so while the other runners were doing their

laps around the field, I would practice throw-

ing with Mr. McAdam. Several weeks later

I competed at the State Meet, and I was up

on the discus pitch with Mr. McAdam for the

event while the runners were down by the

track. In the contest, you’re supposed to get

three throws each. Well, there was some

confusion, and the woman who was in charge

of the event only let us do two. I wasn’t very

high on the rankings, but Mr. McAdam walked

right up to her and insisted that we follow

the rules and get a third throw. After the third

throw I came in fourth, and my very mediocre

career as a runner culminated with a great

moment with the discus thanks to Mr. McAdam.


you are today?

At Gordon, I learned to take a step back and

be thoughtful and respectful of others’ feelings,

thoughts and opinions. Essentially, I learned

how to be a good citizen to the communities

I am a part of.



I have a few favorite memories from my time

at Gordon. I will never forget Mrs. Reeves’

(Diana Reeves, Lower School teacher) legend-

ary “teacher touchdowns.” Whenever the

class did something well she would reward us

by taking us outside and doing a cartwheel.

Another highlight was in eighth grade science

class with Mr. Kravitz (Eric Kravitz, 8th grade

math and science) when we made ice cream

from liquid nitrogen. Finally, I will never forget

the time I spent at a senior center with my good

friend Audrey Chisholm ’10, for our experien-

tial learning project at the end of eighth grade.

I never could have anticipated how much fun

I would have and how much I would learn

working at a place that provides services to

elderly people when I was just fourteen.

3Os‘Fricky’ Lyon Vaugn ’36 writes: “I am still

having fun working—I do income taxes. I go

to Jamestown, Rhode Island July, August and

part of September.”

4OsDr. W.B. ’Buck’ Greenough ’42 was awarded

the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in

Medicine Award by the American Geriatrics

Society.

5OsKit Langdon ’50 writes: “My life in Northamp-

ton, Massachusetts is busy and challenging. I

am a hospice volunteer. I love having time to

paint with pastels. Mostly portraits of children

in my family, and children I take care of a few

mornings per week. I exercise with a personal

trainer and do yoga twice per week with an

exceptional teacher. I sing at a preschool once

per week. I’ve seen my sister Ann Langdon ’56

quite a bit.”

Dottie Lund Sager ’51 writes: “I just enjoyed

a visit with my granddaughters Eilidh (10)

and Zoe (6) and my son Ted in Lake Stevens,

Washington. I had a great visit with my brother

Ned E.G. Lund, Jr. ’49 and his wife Judy last

fall.”

6OsBarbara Taylor Renza ’65 stopped by campus

in the fall to say hello. She is pictured with

Development Director Kerrie Donahue. photo 1

James F. Causey ’68 writes: “Jan and I dodged

the terrible tornados of last November. No direct

hits, just lots of wind. Still growing soybeans

and food-grade corn out here on the prairie.”

16

7OsKim Triedman ’73 promoted her debut novel,

The Other Room, last November at Books on

the Square in Providence, Rhode Island. photo 2

8OsLast November, five members of the class of

1983 gathered for dinner at Rasa in East Green-

wich, Rhode Island. Michaela O’Donnell ’83

captured the moment. Pictured in the back

row, left to right: Monika Merva ’83 of New

York, Michaela O’Donnell ’83 of Rhode Island.

Front row: Deborah Forman ’83 of Rhode

Island, Lauren Hall ’83 of New Jersey, Erica

Craig ’83 of Rhode Island. photo 3

Frank Ryan ’87 and his wife, Agnieszka, live

in Cranston with their two boys Francis V and

Mitchell. Frank works for Entercom Communi-

cations as a producer.

Sarah McKenna ’87 welcomed daughter

Lidewij (Dutch name) at home on March 3,

2014. Her parents, and siblings Eloïse (9),

Lucas (6) and Ilias (2.5), are smitten.

Eugene Johnson ’87 is part of the Kappa II

class for Leadership Rhode Island this year.

Todd Greenbaum ’87 lives in San Francisco

with wife Assia and children Amaya (7) and

Kenzo (3). Todd works for Adobe where he

runs their Adobe Pass business for which he

accepted an Emmy Engineering Plaque at the

Primetime Emmy Engineering Awards.

Sarah Funke Butler ’87 reports that Lucy

Abigail Butler, who was born on August 14,

2013, chews on a Gordon frisbee every

morning—the world’s largest teething ring!

Chris Bissonnette ’87 married a wonderful

woman in October. He lives in Durango,

Colorado, and works as a sous chef at a great

restaurant called El Moro. He still rides his

snowboard forty-plus days a year. Chris sends

much love to the Gordon family!

9OsMarie Ewens Brown ’91 writes: “we welcomed

our second child, Luke Thomas Brown. He was

born on December 8, 2013.”

Abby Ruby ’93 resides in Colorado, and

she welcomed a baby girl named Kinley on

January 8, 2014.

Chris Liao ’94 writes: “Last summer I experi-

enced a change in career and have become

Assistant Front Desk Manager at the Langham

Hotel in Boston. It is always a pleasure to

continue to help guests as well as enriching

my experience in the tourism industry.”

Anthony Dumville ’96 and Kimberly VanNess

were married in Romainmotier on October 5,

2013. They live and work in Lausanne,

Switzerland. Anthony is a creative director

for Leo Burnett, Lausanne office. photo 4

Sarah Reeves Williams ’96 writes: “I now live

in central Maine with my husband and three

children. I am pleased to say that I have my

own mental health counseling private practice.”

Jenn Andreoli ’97 has been living in down-

town Boston for the last ten years. She’s a

Senior Manager for a recruitment company,

and has been in human resources for nine

years now. Jenn lives with her boyfriend and

their crazy cat.

Tal Bar-Zemer ’97 is living in Brooklyn, New

York and works at an arts non-profit called City

Lore, running arts education programs in schools

all over the city. She is getting married in Sep-

tember to Nate Storey, and in May, Tal was in

the wedding of Zara Serabian-Arthur ’98. Zara

married Tal’s best friend Jay!

Tiffany Spencer ’97 lives in Land O’Lakes,

Florida with her husband Ross and their ten

month old son Boone. She’s a New Teacher

Mentor under the Gates Grant (she coaches

new teachers through their first years of

1 2 3class notes

17

teaching.) They have a crazy dog, Jax, who

is more of a handful than the baby.

Lily Benedict ’97 pursued a Masters in Public

Humanities at Brown University. She finished

in May. Before going back to school, she

worked as the education curator at the

Museum of Natural History in Providence.

Lily lives in Providence with her husband

Nidal Fakhouri. They were married in 2011.

Emily Bresnahan-McRae Mahoney ’97 is

working at the Groden Center in a position

contracted by the Rhode Island Department

of Children, Youth & Families. She works with

families whose children have been placed out

of state. Last summer, Emily worked on a case

with fellow social worker and Gordon class-

mate Raydeana Watts Roderick ’97. Emily

married her wife, Laura Mahoney on September

10, 2011 in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and

classmate Rob Glancy ’97 attended the recep-

tion. Emily and Laura are living in Providence

with their dog, Sully. photo 5

Sarah Chace Cotter ’97 was married in 2010

to Robert Cotter, and their first son Robert

Benjamin Cotter was born in August 2012.

A second baby, a girl, is due this spring. They

live in Connecticut with their two dogs, and

Sarah works as a marketing consultant when

she doesn’t have her hands full with being a

mom. Sarah reports that Ben Chace ’97 is in

the process of finishing a movie he directed

in Cuba (in Spanish—shout out to Mr. Isidoro).

Sarah also reports that Carter Read ’97 is get-

ting married this summer in Dartmouth, MA.

Noah Davis ’97 is a freelance writer living

in Brooklyn, New York. In June, he’s headed

to the World Cup in Brazil to report on the

United States National Team. He hopes his

editors don’t mind when he uses the inventive

spelling he honed in Mrs. Emmet’s Kinder-

garten and Mr. Moore’s first grade classrooms

at Gordon.

Karl Dunkelman ’97 lives in Winter Park, Flor-

ida with his wife Megan and their dog, Daisy.

Karl is a Senior Digital Producer at Lightmaker,

an Orlando-based digital advertising agency.

Director Sam Fleischner ’97 is promoting his

award-winning film Stand Clear of the Closing

Doors. The drama tells the story of an autistic

teenage runaway and his mother in the days

leading up to Hurricane Sandy.

Gia Garzone ’97 works at Early Intervention

as a language specialist. She is engaged to be

married to an awesome guy, Jesse Walsh, and

they have a beautiful nineteen month old son

named Anthony Joseph. photo 6

Rob Glancy ’97 lives in Cambridge, Massachu-

setts and manages business operations, staffing

and enrollment for the Family Schools and

Brewster Day Camp, a year-round independent

school for young children and summer day

camp, located on Cape Cod. These programs

host over seven hundred children and one

hundred seasonal employees in Brewster each

summer. Rob is currently co-chair of the

Head’s Advisory Council at Gordon, alongside

former parent Johnnie Chace. Rob also sits

on the Alumni Board at the Wheeler School.

Recently Rob and classmates Andrea Weisman

Russell ’97, Gia Garzone ’97, Lisa Tartaglione

’97 and Emily Bresnahan-McRae Mahoney ’97

gathered for dinner in Providence. photo 7

Kristen Hopkins ’97 lives in Asheville, North

Carolina. She recently received her master’s

degree, and for the last three years has been

a medical social worker for a hospice organi-

zation in the rural south. Mr. Isidoro (beloved

Spanish teacher) has been on her mind

recently as she tries to recall all the Spanish

she learned at Gordon. Kristen also has two

rescue pups, Annabella and Maybe.

Adam Mandelson ’97 married his wife

Joan in 2012. James Thomas ’97 was a

groomsman and Lisa Tartaglione ’97

attended the wedding. They currently split

their time between Arlington, Virginia and

Harrisonburg, Virginia since Joan is getting her

master’s degree at James Madison University,

and Adam works in Washington, DC in televi-

sion as the Head of Network Planning for the

EBU, Eurovision’s U.S. subsidiary.

Julia McCann ’97 received her M.S. in public

relations in 2012 from Boston University, and

is now living in Bristol with her boyfriend Josh

and their dog Bruin. She works at Hasbro (the

toy company, not the hospital) in corporate

communications.

Cara Monroe ’97 has been working in

Healthcare IT since 2009, and is now living

in Dallas, Texas where she recently accepted

a senior consulting position with Deloitte.

Ben Papps ’97 recently moved to Scottsdale,

Arizona with his girlfriend of six years, Sara.

They have two Border Collies, Ella and Timora,

(eight and ten years old) and Ben’s been work-

ing at REI to support his outdoor habits. He’s

backpacking the 210-mile John Muir Trail

in California’s High Sierras this July.

Sareh Rajaee ’97 attended Alpert Medical

School at Brown and has a Master’s in Public

Health from Harvard. Sareh is currently in

training to become a Vascular Surgeon at Yale

New Haven Hospital.

Andrea Weisman Russell ’97 has been working

as a licensed therapist at Community Counseling

of Bristol County in Taunton, Massachusetts

since 2009. She married Ben Russell on

September 9, 2012; Gia Garzone ’97 served

as one of her maids of honor. She and her

husband bought a house in Seekonk this

past October, and on September 29, 2013

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G o r d o n a L u M n i C o n n e C T i o n s u M M e r 2 0 1 4

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they welcomed their son, Steven Alexander

Russell. He was born 8 lb., 10 oz. and 21.5”

long. photo 8

Lisa Tartaglione ’97 has been living in New

York City for the past nine years, since she

attended New York University for graduate

school in 2005. She’s been working at an inner

city school in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn for

the last eight years as a special education

first grade teacher for students with Asperger

Syndrome. Lisa also has a nine month old

puppy named Sachi.

James Thomas ’97 got married in 2011 and

had both Adam Mandelson ’97 and Steve

Johnston ’97 as groomsmen. Recently he and

his wife Ashley bought a condo in Washington,

DC where James is a lieutenant in the Navy

serving as an intel-officer.

Sailor Charlie Enright ’98 will skipper the Volvo

Ocean Race Team, which is a nine-month race

around the world that starts in Spain next

October, and concludes in Newport in May

of 2015.

Last year, Emily Glinick ’98 decided to leave

theatrical stage management for a less stressful

career as a massage therapist. So far it has been

a welcomed change and incredibly satisfying.

She still gets to hang out with Gordon class-

mates and best friends Zara Serabian-Arthur

’98 and Edith Palmieri ’98 in New York City,

now friends for over twenty years.

Noa Goldberg ’98 is a first grade teacher and

lives in Los Angeles. She is getting married to

her fiance Jon in July. Noa’s mother, and for-

mer Gordon Nursery teacher Shira Goldberg,

sent along a photo of the Goldberg family, and

she writes: “I taught in the Nursery class with

Maryjane Heymann from 1988-1994. Each

one of my three children attended Gordon

School during that time. Rob and I returned

home to Buffalo, NY where we both grew up,

almost ten years ago. We have such wonderful

memories of our time at Gordon, especially

Pat Emmet and Elizabeth Bakst.” photo 9

Greg Katzen ’99 is engaged to Caitlin Miller,

sister of Gordon employee Joe Miller ’02, and

they have just moved west to a town outside of

Palo Alto, CA. Greg started a doctoral program

in Clinical Psychology this past fall. He writes,

“life is lovely on all fronts out here on the

Golden Coast; lots of work and lots of play!”

Jamie Storrs ’99 writes: “I have recently moved

from Jackson Hole, Wyoming back to New

England and took a job in tech public relations

with fama PR in Boston.”

OOsElana Goldberg ’00 is a Senior Consultant with

Accenture. She and her husband, Seth, live in

Chicago.

McCurdy Miller ’00 is currently studying for

her International MBA at the IE Business

School in Madrid. She will be living in Spain

until at least next December.

Kelly Allen-Kujawski ’01 writes: “I’m a stay-

at-home mom to our son Ethan who turned

two last December. My husband and I excit-

edly welcomed our second child, a little girl,

in March. We’ve also recently adopted a dog,

so I’m pretty entertained and busy.”

Ash Wall ’01 writes: “I recently joined up with

a software startup company in Auckland, New

Zealand, working on a new platform for com-

panies to reward their customers. It’s a small,

but energetic group which allows me to take

on a few different roles. It is exciting, challeng-

ing and a tremendous learning experience.

Auckland is in a beautiful setting, and I’ve

been lucky enough to spend some free time

taking in some of the fantastic sites around the

north island.” photo 10

Terry Moran ’02 writes, “I worked for Heavy

Seas Brewery in Maryland as their Maryland

Marketing Manager. I moved up north in April

to take over the New England Territory for the

brewery and I am based out of Boston.”

Katja Nelson ’02 writes: “I’m working for

Twitter in San Francisco as the Mobile Special-

ist for the Global Sales Team. I’m living in the

Lower Haight in what my neighbors tell me

is Janis Joplin’s old house.” In February, Katja

and Sasha Nelson ’99 had breakfast with Mr.

Wales while he was in San Francisco visiting

alumni. photo 11

James Pinkham ’02 writes: “I’ve graduated

from the University of New England with my

master’s degree in Educational Leadership.

I will be leaving the Forman School where I

have worked for the last four years and I will

be taking a job at Ridley College. Ridley is a

boarding school in St. Catharines, Ontario. I

will be working in their admissions office as

the American recruiter, so I will travel around

the United States representing the school at

school fairs and on the road trying to increase

American enrollment at the school.”

Nolan Hartley ’03 writes: “I am currently in

my first year in the interdisciplinary graduate

program in the biomedical sciences at

Vanderbilt University, where I will pursue my

Ph.D. in the neuroscience program. Thus, I

have landed myself in Nashville, Tennessee.”

Allie Ziino Hicks ’03 writes: “Things are going

well here! My husband and I celebrated our

second wedding anniversary on January 7th,

so that was pretty great. I’m working as an

Adoption Social Worker in Delaware with

Bethany Christian Services and have been

doing that for the last four years. I work with

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19

children in foster care helping them process

where they have come from and where they

are going. I also work to find adoptive families

for children in foster care who are in need of

permanent families. I love what I do!”

Justin Kahn ’03 writes: “I’ve been working

as an actor and musician in Providence. I

performed music and acted in two shows by

Elizabeth Keiser, my former acting teacher

from Gordon who is currently an artist in

residence at AS220. The shows were called

“Perversion Incognito” and “Blue Collar

Clown” and were performed at the 95 Empire

Black Box Theatre. The shows dealt with

Elizabeth’s experiences of working with at-risk

youth in New York and Rhode Island, using

comedy as an intervention. Also a part of the

show was an independent RISD movie called

“Shelf Life” which featured Elizabeth. That

movie is currently up for an Ivy League Film

Festival award for Best Undergraduate Comedy.

I’ve also been volunteering with Allegra

Scharff ’03, who has been coordinating

mentoring programs in Pawtucket Housing

Authority Community Centers. Last year I

helped a girl learn how to perform Girl On

Fire by Alicia Keys. This summer I plan on

mentoring again.” photo 12

Jamie Macdonald ’03 lives in Los Angeles and

is a performance coach and recruiting director

at Velocity Sports. Jamie also plays professional

lacrosse for team LXM Pro Team STX.

Bo (Bret) Clarkson ’04 graduated from the

College of Charleston in 2012, and now works

as an insurance agent for Bankers Life and

Casualty Company in Charleston, South

Carolina.

Ari Goldberg ’04 graduated from the

University at Buffalo with honors and will be

attending law school in the fall.

Maggie Moran ’04 stopped by campus on

December 23rd last winter to come and

see the new facilities. She is pictured with

Mrs. Baker. Maggie will be the 2014

Commencement speaker. photo 13

Nate Ardente ’05 received a master’s degree

in Sustainable Real Estate Development from

Tulane University this spring.

Chris Kingdon ’05 started at Bloomberg News

in London as a journalist on April 22nd. He

will take on the role of Social Media Monitor-

ing Reporter.

Liam Miner ’05 is working as a Business

Analyst and Consultant at ClickFox, a software

company based in Denver. He has spent the

past year enjoying the beauty of the Rocky

Mountains, including its wonderful ski resorts

and gorgeous hikes.

Maggie Sawdy ’05 will continue her work with

hyenas in Kenya. You can follow her adventures

though her blog at: travelsofacollegegrad.

wordpress.com/.

Coby Unger ’05 spends most of his time

building things in his wood shop, hiking in

Philadelphia’s parks with middle schoolers

and conducting design research about the con-

struction industry. He graduated in May from

Philadelphia University with a degree in indus-

trial design. He has been working on a series

of tool design projects culminating in his thesis

project for DeWalt Tools. He will be spending

the upcoming summer in San Francisco, work-

ing as an artist in residence at Instructables.

Tavie Abell ’06 was recently selected as the

recipient of the 2014 Political Economy Senior

Scholar award, given annually to a top senior

in the political economy program at Tulane

University. This award was given in recogni-

tion of her outstanding record of academic

achievement as a political economy major.

Aspiring journalist Avery Stone ’06 was

recognized as a voice for gay rights in a January

issue of the Boston Globe. Avery has had work

featured in the Washington Post, the Huffington

Post and on Forbes.com. Avery recently

graduated from Amherst College.

Jessie Litwin ’08 had the opportunity to

perform at the White House with her college

a cappella group, the Nor’easters, in a private

performance for the President and the First

Lady at the end of last semester. Jessie joined

the Nor’easters her freshman year at Northeast-

ern University and had the chance to compete

in (and win!) the International Competition

of Collegiate A Cappella with the group last

spring in New York City. Jessie is pictured in

the group photo in the first row second from

the left. photo 14

1Os

Audrey Chisholm ’10 earned a spot on the

All-State Girls Volleyball team last fall for her

performance on the Classical High School

team. Audrey is a four year letter winner,

and she played a significant role in Classical’s

journey to the Division I state title game.

Margot Creamer ’10, Mia Murphy ’10 and

Alice Rayner ’10 were all named Presidential

Scholar nominees for the state of Rhode Island.

The Presidential Scholar Award recognizes

some of the nation’s most distinguished high

school seniors. Up to 141 students nationwide

are selected for the honor.

Jillian DeStefano ’10 was named to the Rhode

Island All-State team for her performance on the

Moses Brown girls field hockey team last fall.

Tom Horvat ’10 was named to the Boys Soccer

All-State Second Team for his performance on

the Providence Country Day squad last fall.

141312

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Rhode Island Scholastic Art Awards were

awarded to Jonah Parker ’10 and Ruby Schnir-

man ’13. Jonah won a gold key for his portfolio,

and Ruby won a silver key for her sculpture of

a dress. They both attend Wheeler.

Gordon was well represented in Wheeler’s

winter production of A Chorus Line. Ben Tau-

ber ’10, Sherry Romanzi ’10, Kayla Campbell

’11, Trevor Dorman ’11, Kat Templeton ’11,

Henry Frishman ’12 and Jonathan Gunasti ’12

all had leading roles, and Will Lupica ’10,

Jonah Parker ’10, Sarah Chin ’11, Dani

Michaud ’11, Sophie Jackson ’12, Macken

Murphy ’12, Chase Penhallurick ’12, Maya

Hayda ’13 and Will Templeton ’13 were

all part of the Ensemble. Meghan Wales ’10

served as the stage manager. This March

Wheeler’s a cappella group the 18 Wheelers

placed third in the Northeast division of the

International Championship of High School

A Cappella. Representing Gordon were

Sam Becker ’10, Sherry Romanzi ’10, Trevor

Dorman ’11, Kat Templeton ’11, and Jonathan

Gunasti ’12.

Emily Sulanowski ’10 is a senior at Bay View

Academy in Riverside, RI. Emily was named

a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist for

2014, and also received the Rensselaer Medal

from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This

award is given to one junior student at partici-

pating high schools who has shown outstand-

ing achievement in math and science. Emily

is a member of the National Honor Society,

the Excalibur Science Honor Society, the Mu

Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society and

the National English Honor Society. She has

received bronze and gold medals in the annual

National Spanish Exam.

Class Secretaries 1987 annie white

1997 rob Glancy

1998 Merebea danforth

1999 Georgia Mischak nick wall

2000 isaiah osofisan

2001 rebecca nelson

2002 Katja nelson

2003 Carlin o’donnell

2005 Liam Miner

interested in becoming a class secretary

and managing updates for your class?

email Mollie Mattuchio, associate

development director, at

[email protected]

for more information.

Dani Michaud ’11 is enjoying her second

year in the Studio Art Program at Wheeler.

As Wheeler’s varsity field hockey goalkeeper

last fall, she led the league in saves with 235

for the season and another 31 in her team’s

single playoff game against the top seed

Barrington. She was selected for First Team

All Division by the Rhode Island Field Hockey

Coaches Association and earned a place on

Rhode Island’s second team All-State roster.

Last winter Jamie Pine ’11 earned her second

consecutive first-team All-State selection as a

member of the Lincoln School Girls Tennis

team. She achieved an 11-4 record.

Lucy Carpenter ’12 was the lead in Classical’s

Black Comedy this winter.

Case Taylor ’12 recently won first place in

the pro-division at the Maul’s Brawl BMX

competition in Taunton, MA. Case is currently

a tenth grader at Charleston Collegiate School

in Charleston, South Carolina. photo 15

Tyler Frails ’13 is thriving at St. Andrew’s

School in Barrington. He is living at school

with four housemates and one roommate.

Anthia Joukowsky ’13 portrayed Warren

Sheffield in Lincoln’s Meet Me In St. Louis

this winter. She was joined on stage by Gordon

alumnae Madison Kelly ’13, Kara Berlin-Gallo

’13, and Mimi Springwater ’13.

Lex Majoros ’13 played the major role of

Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

at Moses Brown last fall. Lex originally slated

to play Moth; he was able to learn a lot of

dance choreography and play cello parts.

As Lysander, Lex had to transform his

character, which included learning a lot of

fight choreography, and falling in love twice.

15

facebook.com/thegordonschool

@Gordonschool

@gordonschool

w w w. g o r d o n s c h o o l . o r g

Visit Gordon school online

Xilian Sansoucy ’13 is now a freshman at

Classical High School on the high honor roll.

She is involved in two Providence youth

programs and is the co-secretary for the board

of the non-profit organization, Young Voices.

As part of inspiring other Providence students

for education reform, she has helped plan a

Providence Mayoral Candidate Forum that took

place in April 2014. Xilian also was accepted

into a three week summer program at Bryant

University where she will be studying Chinese

in an intense Chinese language immersion

class.

please consider making your donation to the annual

fund before June 30th for the 2013-2014 school year.

your participation is so important, and enriches the lives

of students and faculty year after year.

Ways to give:1 Log on to www.gordonschool.org/give

2 use the enclosed envelope

3 phone the development office at 401 434-3833

Alumni Voices: Supporting the Annual Fund at Gordon

e u G e n e J o h n s o n ’ 8 7

C u r r e n T G o r d o n p a r e n T a n d T r u s T e e

“I support the Annual Fund, because I believe in my school’s

mission. As a child, I experienced a lot of joy at Gordon.

As an adult, I appreciate the foundation that Gordon School

provided me. Ultimately, Gordon School’s mission strength-

ens our community by developing our next generation of

leaders. Giving to the Annual Fund is my show of support

and faithful hope that this school will continue to grow its

legacy, shaping brilliant young minds.”

G e o r G i a M i s C h a K ‘ 9 9

“The reason I give to the Annual Fund is simple: I’m in love

with Gordon. I give $25 a year, which isn’t breaking any

records, but I know it goes towards supporting an incredible

community of students and faculty!”

J e f f p e i r C e ’ 8 1

“I give because I see the options available to my friends’ kids

and they don’t compare. Gordon is a special place. My regu-

lar donations help ensure future generations benefit as much

as I have from the student-centric, rigorous, yet fun approach

to learning that seems to be in such short supply today.”

L a u r e n r o s a L a n K o ‘ 0 7

“I was a student at Gordon from first through eighth grade.

Over the course of those eight years I had countless amazing

teachers, met many of my closest and oldest friends and I

was introduced to community service, which I am passionate

about today. I believe it is important to support the Annual

Fund to help give students the same unique opportunities

that I was able to enjoy and to stay connected with Gordon

after graduating several years ago.”

45 maxfield avenue east Providence ri 02914 www.gordonschool.org

non-profit org.

u.s. postage

paidpermit #365providence, Ri

facebook.com/thegordonschool @Gordonschool @gordonschool

1910 soCieTyin april, members of the 1910 society had a preview

of the new facilities during their annual luncheon.

The 1910 society honors those supporters who have

designated a portion of their assets in their will or

through their estate planning to benefit Gordon. if

you are interested in joining this group of Gordon’s

loyal supporters, please contact Kerrie donahue,

development director at [email protected].

Documents

Alumni Connection Summer 2014