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Spring 2006 As all of us begin to use technology more and more in our daily lives, Seven Hills too is making the transition away from paper and postage. Last spring we launched our first electronic newsletter and it was well received . We plan to continue sending future newsletters via e-mail however we will be printing some copies for mail distribution. If you would prefer to receive your Alumni newsletter through the mail please contact Gretchen Bartzen at 925-933-0666 ext.4981 or e-mail |
In This Issue The Matthews Family Music Fund |
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Seven Hills Has A New Look With A New Seven Hills Website |
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Visit the new www.sevenhillsschool.org! Seven Hills launched a new website in January, thanks to parents Linda Loza, Co-President of the Seven Hills’ Parent Involvement Association (PIA) and now webmaster, and Kristy Miller, website content editor. Loza and Miller first teamed up last fall to implement a new website design, and update many of the perennial features of the site as well.
New features you
will find when you visit
www.sevenhillsschool.org include a simpler design made possible
by a division of information with
The home page features tabs to assist navigation to an overview of Seven Hills with a major focus on why a family would want to send their child to the school. There are easily accessed pages with information on what’s new at School, how to visit, and how to apply for admission, with links to application forms that are fully on-line. In addition, there are many School forms that current parents might need such as the volunteer form which can be filled out online, along with the usual FAQ’s and current statistics. A “School Life” section has been added that gives an overview of key services such as bus and extended daycare, and enrichment activities including after school classes, athletics, and summer camp. Each grade has, or soon will have, a “Beyond the Books” video section which samples the range of field trips and learning simulations that happen throughout the entire School year at every level of Seven Hills. Coming soon too will be a shopping cart that will allow parents and friends to register and pay for most events online. The back end/current community portion of the website is entered through the “7H Net” button and a password given to all current families and alumni (through a simple on-line registration process), and contains the school directory, a searchable School calendar, on-line access to teachers, and the start of a library reference center. Here parents can find the latest information and events from the Room Parents and PIA pages. “We are so excited about the website’s new focus and features. And we are so grateful to Linda and Kristy for conceiving of, and designing and maintaining, so many of the useful new services and views that the website provides for Seven Hills and the world around us, ” notes Headmaster Bill Miller. |
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Willy’s Wild West Auction heading our way |
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Seven Hill’s 33rd
Annual Benefit Auction has really gone loco this year. We’re having
an old-fashioned barbecue, prize-callin,’ and hoe-down dancin’
cowboy round-up, headed up by our own Headmaster Bill Miller. Rowdy
Miller has donned a Stetson from his hat collection, and is ready to
ride us into the sunset at the North Gait Equestrian Center near
Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, on Saturday, April 22, 2006,
startin’ at 4 PM, with the
Yes, there will be horses, chickens, and even a barn owl observing the festivities, (and looking for crumbs and handouts). Our auctioneer, Kevin O’Callaghan, is one of the top cattle auctioneers in the country, but for us he will be selling a wonderful selection of some of Tiffany’s finest, vacation getaways, celebrity chef dinners, and Seven Hills only items. Be sure and see items early on the website: On-line Auction Catalog
“The Seven Hills
Auction has been providing a rousing community party and Shari Lucas, Chair of this year’s Roundup, took on the leadership of our biggest event because she loves the mission of the Auction-to strengthen our community and School for our children. She knows that everyone at Seven Hills works so hard for our children, and wants everyone to be a part of our community celebration in whatever way they can. “The most important way you can help us is with your presence—perhaps it is through a donation, or your hands-on help. We would love it most if everyone could join us at the Roundup.” |
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Seven Hills Alumni Reunion is June 10, 2006
Seven Hills alumni, former faculty, students and families are cordially invited to Reunion Day on Saturday, June 10, 2006 from Noon to 4 PM in the Seven Hills inner Courtyard. Special focus this year is on alumni artists, and on the Classes of 1976, 1986, and 1996. Inside this issue are Class lists from those years, notes on some members of the Classes. Also featured are several alumni artists, and how they strive to keep art central in their lives—either as their profession, or favorite pastime. We hope to exhibit Alumni art of all kinds in the Tenvold Student Center, including CD’s, canvass and hand work, and live music. A barbecue luncheon will be served from Noon to 3 PM, and alumni networking seminar will take place from 1 PM-3 PM, led by Marianne McBride, Ross Warner, Class of 1994, and Linden Van Wert. Invitations to be emailed and mailed in April.
(last update 3/31/06) Class of 1976 boys in concert, circa 1976 |
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New music fund created at Seven Hills During December when the spirit of generosity runs strong, Seven Hills School received a major gift of $35,000 to establish a perpetual fund which will produce an annual grant for instrumental music lessons for a deserving student every year, starting this school year.
Robert J. (Bob)
Matthews, grandparent to five Seven Hills' alumni, and great
grandparent of a current Kindergarten student, was inspired by a
story he had read entitled, “The White Envelope.” The story prompted
him to donate a violin, a clarinet, and a flute to Seven Hills for
the music program, along with a major endowment grant that will
sponsor yearly music lessons for a student. Bob wanted to do
something that would benefit others in need, and to honor his wife
Betty, who is a musician and former elementary school teacher.
The story which inspired Bob was about a woman who began the practice of giving a Christmas gift to others in her husband’s name, rather than buying something for him. She started what became a family tradition, now carried on by her children, by donating helmets and uniforms to a local school’s young wrestling team, and telling her husband about the gift in a note tucked into a white envelope tied to their tree on Christmas morning. “When I read that, I thought of the gift of music, something that is dear to Betty’s heart,” explained Bob. Though the notion of giving something away to help others is definitely not new to the Matthews, the thought of doing it to please and honor his wife, was. On Christmas Day, when Bob told Betty of his present for her, she wanted their gift to be remembered as “The Matthews Family Music Fund”. And so this January a new fund named for the entire Bob and Betty Matthews’ family (their three children, Robert C., Patrick, and Scott, and their families) has been established in the Seven Hills School Endowment Fund. “We both love music and have played instruments, as did two of our children. I played the violin, Bob played the clarinet, and Pat played the oboe in the school orchestra at The Peninsula School,” recalls Betty. Their oldest son, Robert C. Matthews, forged a successful career in the rock music world, first as a guitarist, and then as a recording engineer for The Grateful Dead. Headmaster Bill Miller commented, “It is an exciting gift for Seven Hills for many reasons. It will inspire children who might not have had the chance to play an instrument. The music they will create will touch many more children. And this fund will continue to remind us of all the Matthews and families of their generation whose support and generosity in the last 15 years have helped us educate hundreds of students and grow strong as a School.” |
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The Seven Hills Heritage Society –What Is It? The Seven Hills Heritage Society is an honorary club established in 2003 to recognize families and friends who have included Seven Hills in their estate planning, and to inform and encourage others to consider making a planned gift to the School. This year’s annual Heritage Society luncheon was hosted in March by Headmaster Bill Miller, at Scott’s restaurant in Walnut Creek. Several current parents and trustees attended, along with former parents and trustees Shiva Berman, Deb Jansen, Mary Ann Jorde and Alice Villanueva. Bill Miller thanked everyone present for their great past support and for either including Seven Hills in their estate plans, or for considering it in the future. He noted that planned gifts provide the majority of donated dollars to mature charitable institutions, and that though we have only begun promoting planned gifts at Seven Hills, the actions we take today will bring about great benefits to the School in the next decades.
Planned gifts are most often made through a bequest, but there are a variety of other commonly used means such as charitable trusts, life insurance, and IRA’s, which can greatly benefit both one’s estate and heirs through tax advantages, as well as the beneficiary charity. “It is wise to plan for the eventual transfer of wealth in the event of the sale of a
business, or upon receipt of, or distribution of an inheritance. One can often actually increase the amount of money in one’s estate by making a charitable gift. Evaluating one’s will and or estate every 5 to 7 years with an estate planning expert and financial advisor is a good thing to do,” noted Chapman. Everyone at the luncheon shared their “connection” story to the School and how much their children and they personally have benefited from their years at Seven Hills. John Villanueva, who couldn’t be present, sent a message through his wife Alice who said, “We are members because we want to protect the investment of all of the hours of hard labor we put in to install the new gym floor that long hot summer of 1993!” Seven Hills Heritage Society Members 2006* Gretchen Bartzen Director of Development 1995 to present Lisa and Jon Blake Parents of Adam Blake, Class of 2011 and Andrew Blake, Class of 2012 Laura and Jim Hulburd Parents of Alanna Hulburd, Class of 2006, and Kyle Hulburd, Class of 2009 Deborah and Paul Jansen Parents of Ben Jansen, Class of 2003, and Nicholas, Class of 2005 Mary Anne and Tom Jorde Parents of Kevin Jorde, Class of 2001 and Christopher Jorde, Class of 2003 Joel King Director of Finance and Operations, 2000 to present Marina and Dan Miller Parents of Marshall Miller, Class of 2001 Bill and Kristy Miller Headmaster, 1992 to present Parent of Hennessy Miller, Class of 2004 and Keenan Miller, Class of 2008 Alice and John Villanueva Parents of Amber Villanueva, Class of 1996 and Erica Villanueva, Class of 1999 *If you have included Seven Hills in your estate plan and would like to be listed in the Seven Hills Heritage Society, please contact us the Development Office at (925) 933-0666 ext. 4981. |
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Community
Service in action:
Congratulations to our
Seven Hill’s middle school students who have been named “grand
champions” by the Contra Costa Food Bank
for their
efforts in the annual food drive. Our students gathered 3480 pounds
of food, more than any other middle school that
Eighth grade student Kanishka Patel completed a year long mission she spearheaded to raise funds to assist an orphanage in Lusaka, Zambia, last summer. Kanishka had organized bake sales and a clothing drive at Seven Hills, and fundraised from friends from her church and neighborhood throughout her 7th grade year, raising $1,000. She was able to travel to Lusaka, where her mother had grown up and still has many friends, to deliver her donation in person with her family last August. She is happy to know that the donation will help the orphanage, school, and clinic supported by a nonprofit organization called Human Service Foundation. The Foundation serves children with HIV/AIDS, and used the fund to build a kitchen and help improve the school’s technology and library. |
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Here Come the Brides
Here come the
Brides at Seven Hills: faculty DeEtte Laughran, |
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The School has
acquired new online research tools
from Thomson Gale to assist students of all levels and to revitalize
the Library’s reference section. The most significant acquisition
was a collection of reference books in both print and e-book format
and a subscription to the InfoTrac collection of online databases.
The subject areas of our new reference
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The Middle School boys basketball teams have just finished their season. Eighth Grade boys went 3-2 for the season. Coach Espinosa-Brown reports the 7th Grade team played 500 ball. It was a wonderful blend of highly skilled players and players trying the sport for the first time. Due to a shortage of able-bodied boys, two girls were added to the team and helped immensely. He was personally pleased with the team chemistry and work ethic. The most important game of the year was the students vs. the parents. Sixth grade, coached by Joel King, went 1-3 for the season, with most players trying basketball for the first time. Coach King reports they all practiced and played hard, and is sure they can look forward to a very good team as 7th graders next year. |
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CHAT Groups have been invented at Seven Hills. “Chat” means to converse, have a dialogue or heart-to-heart interaction. At Seven Hills, CHAT has come to mean Co-Horts Advancing Teaching. Faculty and staff once a month in a permanent CHAT group, focused on an area of learning and/or curriculum. Through dialogue, conversation and heart-to-heart interactions among faculty and staff, we are strengthening our professional learning community and providing opportunity for cross grade and cross curriculum collegiality. Seven Hills topics for CHAT groups are: Scientific Inquiry, Differentiated Instruction, Technology Support for Teachers, Classroom Culture of Thinking, and Making Math Real. Bill Miller, Karen Malin, Head of Lower School, and Gina Morris, 5th grade teacher Leader for the Technology Group presented Seven Hills’ CHAT group program at the National Association of Independent Schools Conference in Boston this March. |
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Seven Hills Alumni Artist Profiles Bernard Yin, Seven Hills Class of 1976 Bernard Yin, who first picked up a guitar in his early years of high school, has built a successful career as a professional rock musician. He is currently under contract with Universal Music. Yin graduated from UC San Diego with a BA in communications and a minor in music, and then moved to Los Angeles, where he is still based, to pursue his love of music in earnest. (It was at UC San Diego that Bernard played music with two other Seven Hills alumni, Brendan Holland, Class of 1974 and Lewis Olvera, Class of 1975.)
Bernard found
that his communication degree and musical talent both helped him
break into the entertainment field. He honed his marketing skills
in the pioneering days of the web to promote himself and artists. He
learned and cautions that networking or “playing the politics” has
been almost as critical to success in the music business as
practicing one’s craft.
Achieving success as a self-sustaining artist was not easy. “It was a gradual process,” Yin explained in a recent phone interview. Over the years he did his share of odd jobs of all sorts, including desk jobs. He has worked on staff with marketing firms to promote a host of other talents and ventures, including movies, computer games and rock groups such as Traffic, Metallica, The Beastie Boys and The Back Street Boys. Bernard found his niche playing lead guitar for a variety of primarily rock bands. He cites one of the biggest rewards of his profession being that of travel. “Being a musician has allowed me to travel to amazing places.” The biggest challenge has been “to persist and stay inspired.” Though he currently is under contract for 2006, he admits, “The entertainment industry is a fickle business, full of surprises, and it could all end quickly. One full year of security is kind of a miraculous event, really.” Yin remembers his friends and education at Seven Hills with great enthusiasm, and requested contacts for as many classmates as the school could give him. “I had a wonderful time, and was far ahead of other students I encountered academically and creatively in later schools.” He remembers especially, “the family atmosphere… My teachers were all very special people. The field trips were very interesting and unusual. I also loved the physical environment. There were peacocks and chickens running around while you were eating lunch. How cool was that?” Bernard’s advice to young artists who are thinking of pursuing art as a career is: “Start young, if possible, stay healthy and be realistic. Make sure that you are enjoying yourself as much as possible to better weather the ups and downs.” “Be GOOD at your craft and be creative (original). Also, there’s nothing wrong with taking breaks, as well as having other interests, strengths and possible career opportunities.” |
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Ross Warner, Seven Hills Class of 1994 Ross Warner’s first musical experience was playing the piano at age three. Music is now his main professional endeavor. Through his parents’ encouragement and his grandparents’ performance examples, he has learned that being a professional musician can be a satisfying and challenging occupation.
It wasn’t long before guitar became his primary instrument. Ross spent his high school years teaching himself the guitar, jamming with friends, and playing a lot of baseball, which helped him earn an athletic scholarship to UC Davis. During his junior year at Davis, he had the good fortune to meet a talented guitarist who was also a patient and generous teacher, Mark Oi, who gave Ross his first jazz guitar lessons. Oi encouraged Ross to teach as well as perform, in order to reinforce all that he was learning about jazz and performance. It was at Davis that Ross formed his first jazz combo and was able to make a little money playing for audiences between baseball games and road trips. He graduated from UC Davis with a BA in sociology and a minor in music in 2003. He took several temporary positions while searching for a career opportunity that suited him. Through networking with a friend he found a position at the Academy of Language and Music Art (ALMA) in Orinda, where he is presently teaching guitar, bass and piano. Ross also teaches guitar in the Seven Hills School after-school program, and is developing a steady core of private students. He does some performance events with a small jazz combo composed of a variety of musicians, and finds that teaching music helps him stay focused on practicing regularly. He would like to continue to build teaching music and performance as his profession. Being a professional musician, including writing music and collaborating with others, appeals to him also, but he is realistic in knowing that music, like baseball, can be a harsh profession. “Anytime you make your pastime your profession, you run the risk of sucking all the fun out of it. But, if you succeed, it can be extremely rewarding.” Ross stays active, working out, playing sports, and spending time with his “adopted” family of 3 children (ages 15 months, 3, and 8) whom he used to “manny” (masculine of “nanny”) who live in Marin. He encourages young musicians, “Don’t get discouraged. It is important to network, and to understand that it is hard to break in. You have to know why you are doing it. Is it for you? Is it to make money? There are lots of jobs to take as a musician to make money, but they might not give you what your really want. You have to develop a teflon skin. In order to realize your musical dreams.” |
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Carla Lo Coco, Seven Hills Class of 1992 Carla Lo Coco grew up doing arts and crafts thanks to an artistic environment provided at home and through school programs. From Seven Hills she went on to the Head Royce School in Oakland where she prepared an Advanced Placement portfolio in studio art. It was during high school that she became interested in printmaking—especially block printing.
For inspiration, Carla tends to gravitate toward manmade structures as they lend themselves to high-contrast black and white prints. A few recent pieces include barracks in the Marin Headlands and rooftops in Paris where she worked for a few years after college. “I have always liked printmaking because I can do it at my dining room table and the images can be really dramatic.” The biggest challenge to practicing art is time. “It’s hard to find time to do much outside of work as I am busy with classes four evenings a week. I would like to make art a bigger part of my life, but I’d have to scale back my work week—something that’s not always easy to do.”
“The best part about my time in the studio is the chance to do something nonverbal. After spending fifty hours a week in front of a screen, doing something tactile and a little messy helps me clear my brain.” Lo Coco appreciates the community afforded her by being a part of an ongoing class and has learned that working around other artists gives her the impetus to continue to work and try new things. She also believes that a knowledgeable instructor is paramount and that being willing to hear and accept constructive criticism is key to improving. Carla plans to attend the Seven Hills Alumni Reunion on June 10 and meet with other alumni and artists. |
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Tom Stieber, Seven Hills Class of 1986 By Gretchen Bartzen
Thomas Stieber has come up with a successful formula for solving the
traditional artist’s dilemma of how to practice one’s art and still
make a living. In 2000, Stieber capitalized on his ability and
interest in gourmet cooking, and with his partner began a small
business, Big City Chefs, which has become a successful
internet-based, national chef placement service. The company was
recently spotlighted on VH1 Cable TV’s Celebrity Fit Club and
will soon be featured on HGTV’s I Want That! For the last
several years,
www.bigcitychefs.com
has
made it possible for Stieber to support himself and still allow time
to pursue his deep love for music through classical piano. Though he maintains his home in San Diego, Stieber recently moved his primary residence and business headquarters to Emeryville. He divides his time between business and his passion for music. “My profession is rewarding because it allows me to shape my own destiny and develop a vision for where we want to take it as an enterprise. The biggest reward of my musical practice is sharing it with other people. It is a unique way to connect with others.” It isn’t easy finding as much time as he would like to practice the dozen or so challenging classical pieces he is trying to perfect into a concert routine, but as he says, “Music is a central part of my life. It is the place where I can express myself completely differently from the everyday routine.” He hopes to create a concert level DVD with his current repertoire. Stieber’s educational career includes several degrees and a wide variety of experiences. After earning his BA from the University of California Berkeley, he completed a law degree at the University of San Francisco. He was admitted to the California Bar while earning an MBA from San Diego State University, where he earned a prestigious Ewing-Marion-Kauffman Foundation scholarship in entrepreneurship. That experience, combined with two years as corporate counsel for an Internet company in San Diego, made it possible to make his business ideas a reality. Thomas Stieber began his music education at age 5, following his older brother Volker’s example of learning to play the piano. Tom’s first piano lessons were in second grade with Martha Henninger Rubin, then the music teacher at Seven Hills. Tom and the Stieber family still keep in touch with Rubin through their friendship and mutual love of the art. Stieber, like many Seven Hills alumni, gives back to the community through both his profession and personal life. (See Alumni Community Service article in this issue). We at Seven Hills are hoping he will perform for us at the Alumni Reunion, “Focus on Artists,” at the school on Saturday, June 10. Invitations with more information will be sent and posted on the School website in April. |
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Alumni News
Class of 1974 Michael Tucker emailed Seven Hills friend Bernard Yin that he is doing great outside Austin, Texas in a little town called Round Rock, where he lives with his wife and 3 boys, ages 14, 13 and 11, and “a bunch of pets that usually come with kids like fish, cats, dogs, and lizards.” After 10 years with the military studying medicine and training medical students and surgeons, he is working for TOPAZ technologies, a software company that sells to the medical research market. He may soon visit Hawaii on business and connect with Brendan Holland from the Class of 1974. Class of 1976 See Class roster and notes this issue. Class of 1981 Kerry Van Voorhis-Malzahn is married with two children and is a teacher. Class of 1983 Jeremy Huie attended Acalanes High School, UC Berkeley for his undergraduate degree, and then Hastings Law School. He now lives in Lafayette and practices law in San Francisco with the firm of Bassi, Martini, Edlin and Blum, LLP. He is married and has two daughters in preschool. Class of 1986-see Class roster and notes in this issue. Class of 1987 Briman Bartneck Wallior is in a mother/daughter owned and operated design firm by the name of “Design Concepts”. They have 9 designers and a showroom in Alamo. She has one child, two years old, and lives in Concord. Erin Coulston is working for Genentech. She recently bought a home and moved to Pleasant Hill. She is engaged to be married this coming May. Shandy Zimmerman he is a business manager for the Fountainhead Montessori Schools. Class of 1988
Elisabeth
Hruska-Fletcher
married Frank Fletcher in April of 2005, at her
grandparents’ home in Columbus, Nebraska. She is an editor for
exhibition catalogs at the Museum of Modern Art. Eleanor Ord married Eric Webb at Pebble Beach in August, 2005. They honeymooned in Tuscany. She graduated from Harvard Law School in May, 2005 , and passed the California State Bar this summer. She is an associate in the litigation department of the firm of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, LLP in Los Angeles. Eleanor and Eric live in L.A. with their 4 dogs. Russell Mahakian co-wrote an article on class clowns in the March edition of Diablo magazine. Daron Rahlves is the most accomplished American male speed skier in history. He has won 12 World Cup races, and most of the classic races. At Kitzbuehel, Austria, which now hosts the most prestigious alpine race, a gondola car carries his name, which is how they honor their skiing legends. Daron was on the cover of the Feb. 6, 2006 Sports Illustrated and was mentioned in an article. Class of 1990 Jamie Ashimine is a nurse practioner in San Francisco. She is engaged to an doctor who has an internal medicine practice. They have bought a home in Piedmont. Noah Larson lives in Moraga. He is the manager of Rack N Road (previously Sports Rack), a vehicle outfitter store in Walnut Creek.
Tara Nemeth works with her mother in their business Pet Lane which is in Pleasant Hill. They sell pet products primarily at home parties. Class of 1991 Lindsay Firth is a member of The Athenian School Alumni Council. Rhiannan Surrenda is living in Aptos. Class of 1992 Peter Agnost is a Pleasant Hill policeman. Carla LoCoco received a Masters of Arts in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University last year. (See profile this issue.) Sara Tobin Daon and her family live in Colorado Springs, Co. Sarah and her husband welcomed a second son born in October, 2005. Sarah went to Santa Catalina after graduating from Seven Hills. Class of 1993 Sara Fisher O’Bryant lives in San Jose. She and her husband welcomed their 1st child, Sydney Bella in July 2005. Todd Tiffany-Brown has a band—YVR Punk. They have toured in Europe 3 times and once in the U.S. Matt Yergovich passed the California State Bar exam last summer. Class of 1994 Bo Espinosa- Bo has accepted a job in Washington, D.C. working for a nonprofit women’s health organization. She loves it there. Chris Johnstone is living in Manhattan and working on an interest rate trading desk. Lydia Terry is teaching preschool in Ketchum, Idaho. She is working on a masters in education. Class of 1995 Sal Espinosa-Setcho is in the masters teacher credential program at Claremont College. She is teaching 4th grade at a bilingual charter school. She met with every student’s family in their home in the first month of school. Class of 1996 see Class roster and notes in this issue. Class of 1997 Nick Rudd graduated from Columbia in May 2005. He is working for Bank of America in New York City. Class of 1998 Gabe Golfus is attending UC San Diego. David Mancherje will graduate from the University of Southern California with a double major in economics and international relations. Dan Mintz did an internship with Bank of America Securities in New York City. He is a senior at UC San Diego Warren College. Benji Schrager is attending UC San Diego. Catherine Silva is a senior at UC Berkeley and is training for a triathalon and thinking about graduate school. Class of 1999 Laura Aiken is a sophomore at Chapman College, majoring in film. She recently spent a semester in Japan, outside of Osaka, and is minoring in Japanese. Last summer she worked as an intern at Sony in Southern California. David Holzapfel is attending the University of Oregon. Matthew Holzapfel is attending the University of Colorado, Boulder, majoring in psychology and sociology. Erin Kennedy is at Southern Methodist University in Texas, majoring in marketing. Sean Lyngaas is a junior at Duke University where he is a double major in international studies and public policy and a minor in Chinese. After moving to Japan in 1999, he spent two years there before he moved to Hong Kong and graduated from the Hong Kong International School in 2003. At HKIS he was the captain of the basketball team and he is a rabid fan of Duke basketball, where he has become a Cameron Crazy. Sean has traveled all over the world and spent the summer of 2005 at Beijing Normal University, studying advanced Chinese. In the fall of 2005, Sean attended the University of Glasgow, studying European and British politics. Becky Shapiro writes: “Things at Northwestern are great. I have been selected as the Peer Advising Coordinator for the School of Communication; I am head of my school's second largest social event called First Friday; I am a part of the undergraduate Leadership Program, and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. For now, I am searching for summer internships for my last summer as a college student!” Brandon Weiss was inducted into Colgate University’s Chapter of Phi Eta Sigma, for students who earned a GPA of at least 3.5 in their first year of study. Class of 2000 Julian Golder is attending junior college in San Diego. Daniel Kennedy is a junior at UT at Austin, majoring in petroleum engineering. Last summer he interned with Chevron in the Gulf of Mexico based out of Lafayette, LA. He had a great time and enjoyed the food. This summer he’ll be in Bakersfield, CA with Chevron again. It will be his first long visit back in northern California since his parents moved, and he would love to see his old classmates. His parents are still in Angola. He joined them on a safari this past Christmas, and went dune biking in Namibia. He also attended an MLB All-Star game last summer with his dad and really enjoyed myself. Kiki Lipsett is attending Oberlin College. Ryan Lucas went to Gambia, West Africa for a month last summer with a missionary team.. (See related article this issue). He worked a variety of jobs including cleaning streets and playing soccer with children, and visiting children in hospitals. He visited Kunta Kinte’s village. Larry Schmidt is a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara with a double major in economics with math emphasis, and sociology. He is playing guitar and volleyball regularly. Sara Simon is a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara in the Honors Program. Drew Weir will be a sophomore at CSU Maritime and is a Marine transportation major. Last year he had a great time playing rugby on the school team which traveled to Wales in March. (Unfortunately he suffered a serious shoulder injury, but is hoping to fully recover.) He recently returned from a 60 day cruise aboard the training ship Golden Bear, which took him to Hawaii, Fiji, New Caledonia and Australia. Class of 2001 Niko Bakulich is a student at Columbia where he was able to design his own curriculum and course work. Sydney Blancarte is attending the University of Colorado. She is on the volleyball team. Kyle Julian is a freshman at the University of Rhode Island. Kevin Jorde graduated from Athenian last June. He spent the summer adventure skiing in Chile and Argentina, as well as traveling to Turkey to visit his friend Berk Korustan (who attended Seven Hills for 5th grade). He is attending Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland, and plans to study international relations/business. Michelle Mancherje is a freshman at Georgetown, where she is studying pre-med. Eva Shapiro plans to major in molecular biology at Princeton.
Maddie Weiss
is
attending UCLA. Class of 2002 Hailey Ashburn is a varsity cheerleader at Las Lomas High School. Sebi Cohn, Api Patankar, Ben Simon, and Elias Zwang were all commended students at College Preparatory School this fall. Michael Boileau is in the Bentley band. Matt Dodge is a senior at Monte Vista High School where he qualified for the National AP Scholar with Distinction Award.
Chelsea Kari, and Christina Veatch were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program through College Preparatory School. Brittany Coy is a member of Northgate girls’ varsity tennis team. She and her tennis partner were named to the All DFAL Doubles 1st team. Lindsay Hammergren is a member of the Carondolet golf team. She is also on the lacrosse team. Michael Lyngaas attended Seven Hills from 1993 through 1999 before he moved to Japan, then Hong Kong and he now lives in Singapore where he will graduate from Singapore American School in May. Mike will attend Duke University starting in August 2006 and is already a big fan of Duke basketball. Mike was the goalkeeper for the SAS varsity soccer team and forward for the varsity basketball team, both of which won their South Asian high school championship tournaments. He is deeply involved in Habitat for Humanity, going on house building projects in both China and Indonesia. Mike is well traveled, with the most exotic place he has gone to being the small Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan where they studied the environment and it fascinating culture. Justin Melson achieved Honors GPA of 3.0-3.49 first semester at DeLaSalle High School. Taylor Nelson was a member of the Los Lomas varsity football team that won at the NCS championships 3A East Bay. Taylor helped coach basketball at Seven Hills. Seven Hills Athletic Director Scott Espinosa-Brown noted that Taylor “was a kind and positive factor in helping to teaching the boys the finer parts of the game.”
Ben Simon is a senior at College Preparatory. He was elected to the Cum Laude Society as a junior and plays on the varsity golf team. Seiyonne Suriyakumar recently achieved his black belt in karate. Also, see article on Community Service this issue.
Liz Waddell is on the Northgate varsity volleyball team. She is noted in game write-ups for the saves she makes. Liz is also a member of Assisteens-a volunteer service organization. Class of 2003 David Bridges is on the Bentley golf team. Chris Chapman was a member of the Athenian varsity soccer team. He is on the varsity basketball team and the Contra Costa Times noted that he is a player to watch. Ben Jansen is a member of the De LaSalle wrestling team. Chris Jorde attends Athenian and spent last summer doing a community project in Hungary with students from the Round Square Program from around the world. He also sharpened his excellent sailing and rock climbing skills. Chris is a sailing instructor for UC Berkeley. Geoffrey Kennedy is a junior at Monte Vista and is on the football team. Nathaniel Payne is on the Bentley boys’ varsity basketball team. Max Prehn is on the Northgate High tennis team. Samantha Prehn is on the Northgate High tennis team. She and her tennis partner were named to the All DFAL doubles 2nd team. Jimmy Zhang is at Bentley and likes it. Class of 2004 Rachel Hammel is on the Northgate varsity soccer team. Leah Hammergren is on the Carondolet golf team. She is also on the lacrosse team. She was named Star of the week for the March 15 edition of the Contra Costa Times for her scoring. Hennessy Miller is a member of the Northgate varsity soccer team. Rachel Ousley is a member of the Acalanes varsity lacrosse team. Maria Pestana is the President of the Think Pink Club at Acalanes High School. She recently coordinated a fundraiser to support the fight against breast cancer. She designed the flyer that promoted the event. She is a member of the Acalanes varsity lacrosse team. Jane Rhodes is on the Acalanes varsity soccer team. Emily Sawanobori is an honor student at Watchung Hills Regional High School. She is a member of the school choir and played varsity volleyball. She was named as one of the top liberos in New Jersey and named to the All-Central Jersey team. She will play club volleyball with Atlantic Valley on the National U16 Girls team. Alex Silva has a great freshman year at Oaks in southern California. He was able to be an honor student while participating in JV waterpolo and varsity lacrosse teams. Alec Solow is on the Athenian tennis team. Class of 2005 Daniella Berman, Jaqui Bone, and Alexi Sharabianlou were chosen to appear in Bentley School’s production of “My Fair Lady”. Sam Shapiro is a student at Lake Forest Academy. He is on the school cross country team. In his spare time he plays electric bass guitar and continues to pursue his interests in politics, history and architecture. Adam Tanaka achieved Honors GPA of 3.5-4.0 at DeLaSalle High School first semester. Hope Trenga is on the varsity basketball team. The Contra Costa Times wrote that she was a freshman to watch. Isabelle Wing was chosen for the People to People Student Ambassador Program as one of 40 student delegates from the Bay Area. She will be traveling to France, Italy, and Malta this summer. Erika Zelis is on the Carondolet volleyball team. She plans to join the Belasco Theatre Company. Class of 2007 Kimi Sawanobori is a High Honor Roll student at Warren Middle School in New Jersey, and plays travel soccer for Watchung Hills. Class of 2010 Hana Sawanobori is also playing travel soccer for Watchung Hills. Mother Ginger writes, “We all miss our Seven Hills family!” Alumni Faculty/Staff Lea Bartneck is a partner in the mother/daughter owned design firm, Design Concepts in Alamo. Joel Dolowich has expanded his life coaching pursuit to include his life-long love of golf. He is working as a teaching golf professional with a National Junior Golf Program called The First Tee. He will be expanding his practice to work with adults using a zen golf approach. Vi Edwards was honored at the East Bay Association for Education of Young Children meeting in February that celebrated 80 years since its founding. She was honored for her many years as an early childhood educator, and for her leadership for this cause at the local and state levels. Vi was also selected to be a member of the task force that created Contra Costa County’s “Preschool Makes a Difference” plan. Judy Harrod has taught Spanish at The Athenian School, for the last several years. She has taught a Spanish IV Communications and Cultures course, and also a Spanish V literature seminar. Judy participates in a student trip abroad yearly. Val Hellman and her family moved to Boise, Idaho. Carmen Gamboa and her husband Mario moved to Florida where he was transferred. She recently visited Seven Hills. Barrett Lindsey-Steiner has received the League of Women Voters Educational Excellence Award, and in 2004 the Contra Costa County Arts Achievement Award. He was featured in the S.F. Chronicle East Bay Life section on Nov.4, 2005 for his many artistic endeavors. Josh Rosen is teaching at a public school in the Bronx. |
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Seven Hills Alumni Community Service We often hear of Seven Hills alumni continuing to serve their communities wherever their careers take them. We have contacted a few alumni to report on their recent efforts to make a difference in the world, which are included here. Please let us know about your experiences serving the community. Your stories inspire us all. Thomas Stieber, Class of 1986 and his business partner in Big City Chefs participate regularly in fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. When Tom relocated to Emeryville recently, he discovered Hands On Bay Area, (www.handsonbayarea.org) an organization which helps pair people with volunteer opportunities throughout the entire Bay Area. You can work with them to volunteer an hour a week, a month, for a specific event tailored to your interests, and in a location that works for you, as well. So, he works for them 3-4 afternoons a month on a variety of projects, some even centered on his love for music, such as helping stage concerts at Grace Cathedral. Jessica Brown, Class of 1994, last year coordinated Restaurants Against Hunger, a fund-raising campaign. She led a San Francisco volunteer group to recruit restaurants from the city to donate 20% of their sales to support Action Against Hunger’s international field programs to battle hunger and malnutrition around the world. This year Jessica is participating in the AIDS Lifecycle, a week-long bicycle ride from SF to LA. Jessica must raise $2,500 for the cause. If you would like to more about this cause and consider a donation, please visit her fundraising web page at http://www.aidslifecycle.org/2336 . Mission to Gambia By Ryan Lucas, Class of 2000
I went to Gambia, West Africa for one month this last summer with
my cousin and a friend working in accordance with, but independently
from, a missionary team based out of Chicago called The Royal
Servants. The three of us stayed at
Gambia known as the "Smiling Coast of Africa" is one of the five poorest countries in Africa. Coming from California, a state with the fifth largest economy in the world, it was a huge shock for me. What shocked me was not the poverty of the country, but the fact that they were content despite their poverty. Every one I talked to considered themselves rich, not because they had the most material possessions, but because they had the true necessities of life, which they said were their family, close friends, and the mere fact that they were alive. Most people were extremely friendly to us; strangers would invite us into their stores, make tea and talk to us for hours. In the afternoons, when the schools got out we would go to a basketball court or a dirt soccer field and play soccer with masses of kids. We also had the opportunity to go to the children's hospital's intensive care unit several times to perform skits and sing songs with the children. It was humbling, looking into the faces of children dying with malaria, trying to make them smile at least one last time and actually having a child taken off life support and left to die right in front of me. The last week in Africa was spent exploring the country and trying to get the full African experience. We went to Kunta Kinte's village, ate monkey, killed a spitting cobra with a machete, and played with crocodiles. The impact of this trip on my life and the realization of the depth of change that occurred in me did not hit until I came back home. Despite the fun times I had chasing monkeys or playing soccer on the beach with Africa's best players, the trip truly was a challenge. Living for a month in a house that hardly ever had electricity, nights spent tossing and turning trying to sleep in 90 degree heat, mosquitoes feasting on my flesh, missing my family and the comforts of home intensely, constantly trying to love people that did not always love me back, being content with what little I had, and serving others constantly, definitely took its toll on me. I found C.S. Lewis' quote to be so true when I was in Africa: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." In my pains, God shouted and I was finally awakened, my ears could hear and my eyes were opened to a world filled with sin, contradiction, injustice, but to a world that is also filled with love, and a world so loved by God despite all of its problems. God shouted to me His love for his creation, His love for me, and His love for the least of my brothers and sisters. The Smiling Coast of Africa is a place I will never forget, and hopefully one day soon I will be able to return there. Sri Lankan Relief Project Seiyonne Suriyakumar, Class of 2002 and his sister Shiyulli, who will be in this year’s graduating Class of 2006, traveled to their native country, Sri Lanka, this summer with their parents to continue year their long efforts spearheading assistance to victims of the tsunami and the civil war there. In their week long trip they visited several orphanages to see first hand which institutions most needed help, and to choose several of the most needy to deliver funds and clothing and school supplies to them. The Suriyakumars had helped set up a foundation, One Sri Lanka last year, which has been raising funds and organizing physical aid shipments, ever since the tsunami hit. “We saw everything from the most rudimentary one room orphanage with 12-13 girls and two caregivers, to fully efficient and well-staffed organizations serving over 50 children, complete with medical care and modern facilities, that did not need help beyond their current level of assistance, whether it was government or private funded,” noted Seiyonne. “The most remarkable orphanage was run by a Hindu monk and several priests who were teaching the children a full curriculum of math, science, history and language, with all of the classes were based entirely on English, so that when they graduated they could qualify for good paying jobs. They had two tiers of classes: in Sinhalese, Tamil and English in each subject to accomplish this.” “The most important thing we learned was the difference between children who were victims of the worst of the tsunami’s effects, and those who were refugees from the ongoing civil war, or who had lived in the interior, not as close to the major devastation. You would see one child acting like most children, playing happily, next to another who was deadly silent, who wouldn’t look at you or talk to you. If you talked to them, they sometimes began to scream and couldn’t stop. It was horrifying to watch. The major concern right now for those children is to just give them what immediate relief they can, so they can over time let go of their anger and apathy.” Seiyonne and Shiyulli hope to return again this summer to Sri Lanka and visit the orphanages and continue to help |
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Class of 1976 Lisa Babb Sterns John Cappa Donald Chase James Connet Lauren Fahrer Alan Gray Lester Craig William Marchant Wendy Oviatt Jennifer Reilly Ron Riegler David Roberts Susan Sandler Steve Scott Cam Smith Jeff Tatum Bernard Yin See profile this issue. Lauren Fahrer lives in Chicago. She will miss reunion by 2 weeks, when she comes to visit California on June 19. Susan Sandler runs Justice Matters, a policy research institute that promotes racial justice in education. She lives in San Francisco with her husband Steve.
Cam Smith
lives
in Minnesota. Lisa Babb Sterns Lisa emailed this update: “We all knew I swam and did so until '85 and retired. I then moved to FL and swam professionally in a theme park for about two years. I met and married my ex-husband who was in the military and we were transferred to AZ. I have lived in AZ for 16 1/2 years now and am loving life in the sun! I was married for 15 years and have five beautiful, wonderful kids! I am working doing hair/nails in a Resort/Spa in Phoenix, AZ. Life is great and I think of my '76 class mates often through- out the years. I would love to hear from anyone and hear how things are going. My email address is: lisaks@cox.net Jeff Tatum is the Director of network, infrastructure and security for Peet’s Coffee & Tea. He is also on the executive board.
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Class of 1986 Rajiv Anand Nathan Bailiff Pat Ball Hoyt Christopher Todd Coulston Phillip DePetra Deceased. Stephanie Dennis Davis David Diamont Steve Druskin Seth Edelman Folger Emerson Heather Felt Tomlinson Ryan Garlow Carrie Goldman Raphael Grunschlag Mark Hamanaka R.C. Hildebrand Chad Hollander Rachel Howard Fanny Larson Wilson Brian Levine Holly Lyons Lisa Michels Murali Moorthy Any Nicholas Gemini Nolan Isabelle Ord Spear Ellie Pickford Nicholas Sanyal Tom Stieber See profile this issue. Erich Thompson George Vukasin, Jr. Marilyn Wait Jane Woolsey Folger Emerson will be at the Reunion. He and his wife Joelle live in Folsom where he is the Residential Lending Sales Manager for Sacramento Credit Union. Folger and Joelle eloped to Reno after trying to get her family from NY and his family out here on the same page. Joelle, who moved from Manhattan to join Folger in California, was the first of 4 sisters to get married. "I am very grateful she was willing to move and thank her frequently," Folger notes. He is the happiest he's been in years. He is in the process of converting Judaism, and remembers going to several of his classmates Bar and Bat Mitzvah's and being introduced to the religion while at Seven Hills. Fanny Larson Wilson lives in Moraga with her husband Erek and 2 children Nolan, 4 and Anna, 18 months. She works from home as a CPA, running her own business, Wilson Financial Consulting. Fanny will make the Seven Hills Reunion on June 10. Holly Lyon was a featured guest at the opening of the Walnut Creek Skate Park. She parlayed her love of skating into a professional career. She has competed in the X Games for 3 years and works as a stunt double. Holly was Haylie Duff’s double in the skater movie Dishdogz. Isabelle Ord is still with the law firm of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, LLP in Orange County where she practices business litigation. When not working, she loves to spend time with her husband Doug Spear and their son, Sean (who just turned 2 in January). The highlight of the year so far was a trip to London with Sean and her mom in January. She is planning to come to Reunion on June 10. |
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Class of 1996 Abigail Allison Allison Arns Casey Ashimine Krissa Bowling Nathaniel Chadbourne Leslie Chong Japhet Coe Caitlin Costello Bradley Dunham John Engers Michael Engers Rachel Fahrer Megan Farmer Elizabeth Glowienka Cheryl Lynn Horton Rebeka Lampe Andre Lay Jake Leraul Samuel Lindsey Llana Lipsett Chris LoCodo Tosh Lupoi Alexis Martin Theresa Matthews Carrie McCloskey Bradley Olson Abbi Parnell Erin Raziano Rachel Reuveni Darby Ross Lisa SantosIan Sundwall-Byers Devon Tarasevic Will Terry Claudia Tulipano Simone Van Veerssen Amber Villanueva Eric Wight Adam Yergovich Shaun Young Sarah Zisman Casey Ashimine graduated from CS Fresno with a degree in communications. She has an internship with a video game company in San Francisco. Nathaniel Chadbourne graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 04 with a degree in communications and business.He lives in Redondo Beach CA and has been working for over a year with MTM Technologies, a nationwide network integration provider. Chris LoCodo is at the University of Montana, majoring in engineering. Ian Sundwall-Byers is living in New York City in Chinatown. He graduated from Maybeck High School in 2000. He spent his freshman year at Eugene Lang College, part of The New School University, followed by a 2 year mission to Panama. Ian transferred to NYC upon his return, where he will graduate with a degree in religious studies and Jewish history and civilization in the spring of 2006. Devon Tarasevic who during high school years rode and showed Arabian horses and bred her own horse Skharlett. She attended Wake Forest University. Will Terry is in Washington D.C. working for Bulletin News which briefs the White House on current affairs. Shaun Young graduated from Tufts/Oxford cum laude in 2004. He received a fellowship at the California State Judicial Branch in Sacramento after graduation, reading and interpreting bills and writing position papers on how they might impact the California justice system. Now he is in New York City working for a consulting/business research firm and loving it. One day he might research the impact of a reverse stock split on a company, and another day might be discovering what communications devices are likely to be used by commuters in the next 3-5 years so that a mass transit system can build the right infrastructure. |
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John Chapman, a former
parent and long-time trustee and past president of the East Bay
Community Foundation, and his wife Susan Chapman who is a current
trustee of Seven Hills, also attended. John, who has worked closely
with many donors and nonprofit organizations, shared thoughts on the
importance of philanthropy and planned giving to institutions and to
our community. John defined planned gifts as gifts usually made from
one’s capital assets either during one’s lifetime, or promised to be
given after one’s death. 
participated
in the drive. Student Council officers attended a recognition event
to receive the award on Monday, March 27th. The Seven Hills middle
school students have been honored the last 4 out of 5 years.
materials
range over the sciences, world cultures, humanities, multi-cultural
studies and more. Some of the new titles include: Endangered
Species, Bowling, Beatniks, & Bell-Bottoms (pop culture of the 20th
century), Grzimkek’s Student Animal Life, and Gale Encyclopedia of
Multicultural America. The InfoTrac databases allow our students to
search over twenty different databases, as well as the e-books, for
a combined document total that comprises hundreds of millions of
pages. These e-books and the Infotrac databases can be accessed at
any time of the day by anyone in our school community, from wherever
they may be, with a simple password. So far these tools have been
used extensively by the 8th grade for their research
paper. From November through February 10, 2006, students and faculty
conducted over 44,000 searches using these databases and e-books!
(Picture of kids in Library available)
Ross started
playing the guitar at age 12, but didn’t take formal guitar lessons
until his 8th grade year at Seven Hills when he started
lessons with instrumental music teacher Norma Bristol, who is still
teaching music here fourteen years later.
Now, after
earning a master’s in professional writing at Carnegie Mellon
University, she lives in Oakland and works as communications
consultant for Genentech. She keeps up her art through weekly
classes in printmaking at Arts Benicia, where she has participated
in two shows in the last year. She is also taking a writing class in
short fiction at UC Berkeley Extension. 
Sarah Shapiro
Yaya Jarju's house, who was the
director of Gambia's Youth for Christ Ministries. We enjoyed the
freedom to explore the country and time to make friends with many
people. The main goals of this trip was to share our love and
passion for Jesus Christ, to tell of His unconditional love for
them, and to make meaningful relationships with the people of that
country. We tried to apply these goals in everything we did, whether
it was cleaning up the streets of Gambia, to leading a youth group
of Gambians in the African Bush.