Alumni Connection Summer 2014
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Transcript of 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
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.
what are some of the highlights from your
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!
what are some of the highlights from your
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.
how did your time at Gordon influence who
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.
what are some of the highlights from your
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
how did your time at Gordon influence who
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.
do you have a favorite memory from Gordon
that you would like to share?
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.
how did your time at Gordon influence who
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.
do you have a favorite memory from Gordon
that you would like to share?
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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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
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
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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].