Summer/Fall 2020

TOGETHER, WE CAN MEET ANY

CHALLENGE AND OVERCOME

ANY OBSTACLE: Solebury

Responds to Covid-19. pg. 6 >

GRADUATION 2020: Solebury School

managed to give 64 seniors and their

families a crowning moment to a

disrupted senior year. pg. 18 >

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND

INCLUSION: We strive to celebrate

our differences and embrace our

diversity. pg. 22>

SUMMER / FALL 2020

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2020-2021

Liz Tallett Wavle P’11 Chair

Dan Cohen ’63 Vice Chair

Joan Reinthaler ’53 Secretary

Derek Warden ’79 Treasurer

Scott Bolenbaugh P’09

Andrea Devereux P’14

Dr. Ellen Faulkner P’06 ’11

Jeremy Fergusson ’63

Michael Foley P’15 ’16

Andrew Gespass ’73

Tom Hunt, Esq. ’74 P’16

Heiner Markhoff P’16 ’18

Mandy Mundy

Bill Penney ’67 P’06

John H. Petito P ’96 ’03

Sonya Sappington P’15

Brett Webber ’85 P’20

Ellen Westheimer ’63

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Thomas G. Wilschutz

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Chris Chandor ’60 P’86

Alan Donley ’55

Betsy B. Meredith ’54 P’81

Richard Moss ’48

Eric Shaw ’55

Jean Shaw ’53

COVER:

On a beautiful day in June, Solebury School

graduated 64 seniors.

THIS PAGE:

Head of School Tom Wilschutz virtually greets

students in the circle this past spring.

SOLEBURY SCHOOL SUMMER/FALL MAGAZINE

Editor

Holly Victor ’89 P’23

Assistant Director of Advancement

SUMMER / FALL 2020

CONTENTS

Contributing Editor

Jennifer K. Burns P’19

Assistant Head of School:

Advancement and External Affairs

Staff Writer

Jeannette Eckhardt

Marketing and Public Relations Manager

Design and Production

Proof Design

Please send change of address to:

SOLEBURY SCHOOL

6832 Phillips Mill Road

New Hope, PA 18938

Phone: 215-862-5261

Fax: 215-862-3366

Email: alumni@solebury.org

© Copyright 2020 Solebury School

CONNECT WITH SOLEBURY SCHOOL

FACEBOOK

Facebook.com/SoleburySchool1925

TWITTER

twitter.com/SoleburySchool

YOUTUBE

Solebury School Videos

FEATURES

6 Together, We Can Meet Any Challenge

and Overcome Any Obstacle:

Solebury Responds to Covid-19

10 Covid-19 Scrapbook

18 Graduation 2020

Under beautiful skies, with a police and fire escort, a procession of seniors

and families in creatively decorated cars arrived on Solebury campus.

22 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We strive to celebrate our differences and embrace our diversity. Our

goal is to understand our community members and value them for

who they are.

24 Making Our Voices Heard: Alumni Activism

INSTAGRAM

@soleburyschool

www.solebury.org

DEPARTMENTS

2 A NOTE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Checking in with Tom Wilschutz

4 A LOOK BACK

WWII and Solebury School

26 ATHLETICS NEWS

Athletic Award Recipients

30 ALMA’S UPDATE

Catch up on alumni news

A NOTE FROM TOM WILSCHUTZ

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Upheaval, Unrest, Change...and Hope

Upheaval, unrest, and change have long been traveling companions throughout human

history, and these tectonic-shaping forces seem to be fully engaged in 2020.

assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.; and only a few months

later, the political system was rocked by the assassination of

presidential candidate Robert Kennedy.

I cannot recall wondering at any moment since then if American

democracy was fundamentally threatened, or if the core DNA

that defines who we are as a people, as a nation, was threatened

with essential alteration. Until 2020. I vividly remember my

thoughts and feelings throughout 1968. I wonder, now, what my

students are thinking and feeling as 2020 lurches forward?

As I ponder the events of this year, my thoughts travel back

to another year of tumult, 1968. Throughout much of 1968,

a thoughtful American could have wondered, with much

justification, whether the grand experiment of American

democracy was on the brink of collapse. Multiple threats were

evident: violent anti-war riots were happening on many college

campuses; the Tet Offensive underscored an increasing belief

that the President and Pentagon had lied to the American

people about ‘winning’ the Vietnam war; deep racial divisions

fueled violence in multiple cities and was punctuated by the

Human history is mostly evolutionary in its nature, punctuated

by moments of life-altering revolutions. Upheaval and chaos are

the engine of radical change—both positive and negative—for

humans and the societies they create. Solebury students are now

witnesses to such upheaval and chaos. A global pandemic has

altered everything about how we work, learn, travel, vacation,

eat, gather, recreate, interact, and on and on. Layered over this

global threat, centuries of systemic racism that was built into

the very fabric of our nation at its birth is being challenged in

ways no American has ever seen. The names of professional,

college, and school sports teams are being changed. The names

of schools and colleges are being replaced. Monuments are being

removed. The Black Lives Matters (BLM) movement has focused

the nation on its past, present, and its future. Will this be the time

when we finally pivot away from systemic racism?

Every day Solebury students are confronted with a nation

more divided than at any time since 1968, observing a political

system incapable of unifying our nation, or offering its people

leadership, in the face of a pandemic and a powerful movement

for racial equality. Indeed, one of the foundational pillars of

our democracy—the peaceful transfer of power—is being

questioned and challenged.

2 The Magazine SUMMER / FALL 2020

If upheaval and unrest and change permeate the atmosphere

that envelops us in 2020, this air is also laced with hope. The

young people who populate Solebury School are the most

accepting, inclusive, open-minded students I have worked with

during my forty-five years in education. They give me hope;

they are the future. The BLM movement may just be the thin

end of the wedge that finally blows open the door and unleashes

a fierce wind that blows through our society and roots out

systemic racism from our many institutions, putting us firmly

on the path of real change for all Americans. The pandemic has

brought into high relief the fundamental divide between haves

and have-nots in our society. With this knowledge that we can

no longer ignore, or bury, will we now choose to create a society

where opportunities abound for all, and not just a few?

I have long held fast to the belief, the hope, that the root of all

progress we as a species have made, and will ever make, is

education. As I write these words we are 41 days away from the

scheduled beginning of classes for the 2020-21 school year. We

are four months and a few days hence from March 12th...the date

our universe at Solebury was turned upside down by Covid-19.

And yet, despite the upheaval, the unrest, and the change in our

daily lives, Solebury’s effort to deliver a high-quality education

and sustain our community persevered. Whatever the virus holds

for us on the opening day of class, September 10, we will continue

to offer this robust education and nurturing community.

Upheaval, unrest, and change are undoubtedly never going to

be absent from the human experience. Education cannot take a

break either.

WELCOME BACK BILL CHRISTY, MSCP

Associate Director of Counseling

We are pleased to

welcome Bill Christy

back to Solebury School

in a new role, Associate

Director of Counseling.

Bill recently completed

his Masters in Counseling

Psychology and previously

served as Solebury’s

Assistant Dean of

Students and Dean of

Residence Life.

Bill served Solebury School for 20+ years before spending a

year away. “It feels great to be back at Solebury, a big relief

to be back home with friends and family. It really is true that

you appreciate things more when you leave them, and taking

a year away made me see even more how special the Solebury

community is,” Bill shared.

Bill looks forward to supporting students in a non-disciplinarian

role and is interested to see how the students will react to him in

his new role as well. “A good number will remember me from the

Deans role, so it should be a challenge getting them to see me as

a counselor.”

Director of Counseling Julie Laing is thrilled to have Bill back

at Solebury and looks forward to being able to support the

community even more. “While Bill Christy was at Solebury

School as the Dean of Residential Life, we developed an

incredible working relationship. His education and experience

within the realm of mental health was really valuable and I often

wished he could be in my department. I think our personalities

balance each other out very well and are different enough that

we will inherently connect better with different kids. With Bill

officially on board, we double the amount of support we can offer

to our students and that makes me so excited about building this

program even further. Selfishly, I’m also just so happy to have my

friend back.”

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 3

A LOOK BACK

WWII and Solebury School

BY JESSICA HARMS, ALUMNI RELATIONS MANAGER

If you look carefully and close enough while peering in the dark of the Performing Arts

Center, you can see names etched into the beams that encircle the space. These are the

names of the ten alumni who lost their lives in World War II, one of the most violent and

influential events in modern times—and one that certainly changed Solebury. To honor

this significant loss, the new gym being built at the time (now the PAC) was named the

Alumni Memorial Gym. World War II dramatically changed Solebury’s quiet campus,

affecting practically every area of life.

that we must do our part to carry on and

transmit that heritage, and that boys so

educated are best fitted to be the leaders

of our society whether in war or peace…

it is of primary importance to see that

opportunities are kept open to obtain a

first-class education in the liberal arts.”

Jim Wilde, Associate Editor of The Scribe

1945-1956 wrote, “As members of Solebury

School, we are only in a quiet valley of

Pennsylvania, miles away from all the

troubles exploding on this earth but it is

absolutely imperative that we take an active

interest in the world’s situation. We are

going to graduate soon; we shall have to

live and fight to live. We must make it our

business to see that the world gets what it

should have.”

Aiding the war effort

An editorial in the 1942 fall issue of The

Scribe noted, “Dreams of a mighty football

team were shattered by the cold fact that

millions of local apples might rot on the

tree for lack of local pickers. Blackouts

introduce a new slant to the old story

of not having enough time to get our

homework done.”

Students, faculty, and staff all worked

together to aid the war effort, including

turning seventy fertile acres of campus

into a grain production site, tending to

Victory Gardens, and picking a total of

5,413 bushels of apples. With the 1942

football season canceled, the unused sports

field was converted into a service-training

obstacle course. An old tennis shack was

transformed into an Airplane Spotting

Observation Post, which was covered

twenty-four hours a day by students, each

taking two-hour shifts during the daytime

and the adults on campus keeping watch

during the night. War refugees were taken

on as students. One Dutch and several

English students were admitted during

this time.

Educational shifts

The school increased its academic

offerings around moral and political

issues magnified by the war and began

offering first aid courses. A class titled

“Man and Society” that included studies

in religion, ethics, politics, and economics

was added to the curriculum in 1941. The

founders held to their hope that a diverse

education focused on critical thinking

could lead to a better, more peaceful

world. Solebury’s Wartime Program, a

supplement to Solebury’s quarterly

Solebury School Bulletin, was issued in

March 1942, and shared “We believe that

the schools and colleges of America are

the custodians of our cultural heritage,

The Draft and

Military Service

When the United States entered the War

in December 1941, Solebury’s oldest

alumni were only thirty-two, therefore

all of Solebury’s alumni were subject to

the draft, as well as teachers and some

students. Because seniors who turned

eighteen became eligible for the draft,

Solebury formed a summer school

program and held mid-year graduations

so boys could obtain their high school

diplomas before joining the military.

Solebury Alumni

Who Died in WWII:

Lawrence deForest Anderson,

Donald K. T. Calderari,

William MacLeod Davison,

Laurence Milton Hartzell, Jr.,

Harold Knight Hughes, Jr.,

Robert Harding Lathrop,

Anthony Rich, Frederick Vollrath

Richmond, Henry Palmer Starr,

and John Lee Whitney.


LEADERSHIP

CHARTING THE PATH:

Solebury School is Pleased to Welcome Two Prior

Board Members Back to Service on Our Board of Trustees.

SCOTT BOLENBAUGH P’09 returns to Solebury’s Board of Trustees, having

previously served on the Board of Trustees from 2010-2019, including six years as

Chair of the Board. Scott, a graduate of the University of Iowa and Wharton School

of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, worked as an executive for Merck,

AstraMerck, and AstraZeneca for 20 years before retiring in 2005. His son Sam ’09

and daughter-in-law Miranda ’08 are Solebury School graduates. He and his wife

Mary reside in Devon, Pennsylvania.

LEFT: Scott Bolenbaugh P’09 at the dedication of 50 new acres to Solebury’s

campus last fall.

Joining Scott is DR. ELLEN FAULKNER P’06 ’11, who previously served on the

Board of Trustees from 2013-2019, including five years as Chair of the Advancement

Committee. Ellen is a psychoanalyst with an extensive adolescent practice and significant

academic and non-profit experience. Ellen chaired the Clinical Studies Committee

on the Board of the Philadelphia School of Psychoanalysis and served on the Board of

Planned Parenthood of Bucks County (2000-13) where she chaired both the Public Affairs

Committee and their 2012 Capital Campaign. Her sons Judd ’06 and Sam ’11 are Solebury

School graduates. Ellen and her husband Randy reside in Perkasie, Pennsylvania.

LEFT: Dr. Ellen Faulkner P’06 ’11 raising her paddle at Friday Night Fever, our annual

auction that raised $100,000 in 2019.

With the completion of their Board terms, it is with great appreciation that Solebury

School recognizes and thanks the following Board members for their service:

JAY ABBE ’59 • JON DOWNS ’71 P’03 ’08 ’09 • JOSH PERLSWEIG ’03 • NAVARROW WRIGHT ’88 P’16

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 5

T GETHER,

WE CAN MEET ANY CHALLENGE

AND OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLE:

SOLEBURY RESPONDS

TO COVID-19

BY TOM WILSCHUTZ, HEAD OF SCHOOL


On January 22, 2020, I received

an email from a parent

expressing concern about the

coronavirus she was reading

about in Wuhan, China. They

asked if I was considering

enacting travel restrictions for our

students who might be heading

home to China over the coming

spring break in mid-March?

“Thanks for reaching out,” I wrote. “The

safety of our students is always the highest

priority. As you can imagine, we’re

watching this closely and are heartened

by the proactive response to containing

the spread of this virus. Right now, there

are no restrictions or recommendations

related to travel, but we’ll watch it closely

and incorporate it into our thinking.”

I pressed the send button and moved on to

other tasks, not knowing what awaited.

The Covid-19 pandemic that unfolded

since January has affected each and every

one of us. It changed our lives in ways

we previously could not have conceived

of, and while some have paid the ultimate

price and others have been more

fortunate, not one of us will emerge from

this period unscathed.

And yet, with adversity there is growth.

There is innovation, challenges accepted

and completed, and there is hope. As

I look across Solebury campus today I

see teenagers, joyful to be together and

grateful to be back at school. I see faculty

and staff walking through the fall tableau,

reuniting with their students, learning

new faces, and connecting with each other.

It all seems very ordinary and familiar—

and very different. Ubiquitous masks

cover every smile, and one can hear the

now-familiar call to the students to create

some space, as they seem to be drawn

together with invisible magnets.

Our classrooms have become minitelevision

studios to include students who

are participating from a distance. A new

health and wellness center has sprung up

on the tennis courts to allow us to quickly

triage and isolate anyone showing signs of

infection. Outdoor classroom spaces have

been created and every indoor space has

been evaluated and re-imagined to allow

for greater distancing. We created a new

academic schedule, designed to work well

for anyone who is remote, whether they

are down the street or in China. Nothing

has been untouched, and yet all of it

remains very Solebury.

Last spring, as we transitioned campus

life to protect our community, my

colleagues and I had some crucial

decisions to make. How do we deliver a

quality education remotely, and how do

we care for the boarding students on

campus who could not get home? We all

recognized that the Solebury experience

is about much more than what happens

in the classroom. How could we sustain

our prized community in the midst of such

turbulence and without being physically

proximate to one another?

There are many (many) aspects of

Solebury that I am proud of and not the

least is the talent we have assembled and

the “can do” spirit that permeates the

leadership, faculty, and staff of Solebury

School. The faculty rallied and spent

five non-stop days in Zoom meetings,

preparing to deliver on the Solebury

mission of providing a relevant, quality

education. We offered remote learning

for our students with shortened class

periods to limit screen time and pass/fail

grading among other adjustments. The

great majority of our classes met in realtime

(synchronously) with their teacher.

And it worked. Not for everyone, and not

every time, but by and large the remote

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 7

SOLEBURY RESPONDS TO COVID-19

learning experience was a tremendous

success, as we heard on our weekly Zoom

calls with parents.

Our residential life team took on the

gargantuan task of caring for the boarding

students, ensuring that they were safe,

cared for, and—above all—fed! The

dining hall prepared brunch and dinner

every day, placing the food in individual

packages, to be delivered to the three

residence halls—every day, twice a day.

Gradually some boarding students were

able to go home, but others would arrive;

Solebury’s boarding program never

actually ceased.

To keep the community connected, we

organized weekly grade level Zoom

meetings and continued the familiar

community gatherings such as

assembly. Students’ talents and ideas

were incorporated into our virtual

programmings, such as Wednesday

evening Zoom House Parties, Solebury

Jeopardy, and our long-standing tradition

of student performances at Coffee House

and Crib Notes. There were several virtual

competitions, as well as virtual community

service activities and a virtual Prom. The

community was sustained and nurtured,

and Solebury continued to thrive.

The work this past spring laid the

groundwork for our biggest challenge

yet—how do we gather for school in the

fall in the face of a pandemic? Can we

safely bring our community together?

Representatives of every aspect of the

Solebury School experience—academics,

facilities, health and wellness, technology,

athletics, residential life, and more—were

tapped to join the Fall 2020 Task Force.

I gave the Task Force three guideposts

as they created the plan for fall 2020:

safety for everyone in the community,

“The commitment of our faculty and staff—to our

mission, their students, and the willingness to do

whatever it took to deliver education and sustain

the community—THESE WERE THE TRAITS

WOVEN INTO THE SOLEBURY FABRIC that were

part and parcel of this successful effort.”

based on credible resources and data; a of our faculty and staff—to our mission,

strong educational program, regardless their students, and the willingness to do

of whether it is in-person, remote, or a

whatever it took to deliver education and

combination of the two; and nurturing

sustain the community—these were the

individuals and groups through both

traits woven into the Solebury fabric that

in-person and online activities and

were part and parcel of this successful

opportunities to connect and grow as a effort. And that willingness has continued

community.

throughout the summer of 2020 as we

have spent uncounted hours planning for

Thanks to their remarkable and strong

the return of face to face/hybrid education.

work, this school year is a rich and robust

educational experience, inclusive of

The challenges were, and are, many.

strong academics and active community If you wish a deeper understanding

engagement. Being a small school located of Solebury’s reopening plan, go to

on 140 acres makes our return to campus www.solebury.org/fall2020. There

much more feasible than for many other you can read the results of hundreds

educational institutions; having multiple of hours of thinking and planning and

buildings with open-air walkways gives

problem-solving (and stay current on

us space and more safeguards to allow

our thinking—we continue to update

for in-person learning. Factors beyond

our plan). My biggest takeaway from

our control, such as travel restrictions

this pandemic moment: all of our efforts

beginning last March underscore what I

or health concerns, have kept some

have long valued about Solebury School:

members of our community off-campus

it’s the people. The faculty and staff who

and we are supporting them as well. On

are attracted to this place, who invest in

September 10, we welcomed 225 students

the community, who stay many years to

back to Solebury, with nearly 200 of

plow their furrows here on the corner

them on campus and the remainder

of Phillips Mill and School Lane. People

participating online.

who believe that, together, we can meet

How was this possible? Beyond our

any challenge, overcome any obstacle,

relatively small size that allowed us to

and deliver to our students a cutting edge

pivot quickly and our large campus with education offered within the confines

many outdoor spaces, we have something of an accepting, inclusive, uplifting, and

intangible in our favor. The commitment supportive community.


Thank Y u

to our incomparable faculty and staff for

their tireless work to keep our community thriving!

SOLEBURY SCHOOL FACULTY AND STAFF, SPRING 2020

Kelli Abdoney

Ksenia Adamow

Kimberly Alligood

Peter Ammirati ’82

Stacie Anastasio

Phyllis Arnold P’12 ’14

Zack Arrington

Matt Baron

Kristina Bauman

Cathy Block P’14

Jennifer Brittingham

Jenn Burns P’19

Steve Buteux

Chris Canaan

Russ Carrick

Tom Cifelli ’02

Angelo Coclanis

Leila Crooks P’22

Kevin Crossen

Ellen Cuthrell P’18

Laura DeCerchio

Carmen DiFoggio

Juliet Dillon

Diane Downs P’03 ’08 ’09

Jeannette Eckhardt

Lauren Eckstein P’22

Scott Eckstein P’22

Rob Eichem P’18 ’24

Rachel Emde ’02

Erika Fairchild P’13

Gretchen Faras

Steve Feld P’19

Libby Fifer

Kirby Fredendall P’21

Jon Freer

Staci Freer

Heather Gaghan

Tim Gallen

Michelle Gavin

Maria Gil Gonzalez

Sherry Goulding P’18

Jessica Harms

Carol Hey P’04

Hanna Howe P’23

Don Kaplan

Joe Kienzle

Brad King

Julie Laing

Chris Langhart

Sarah Lanzetta

Jared Levy

Greg Lewis, II ’04

Jed Lindorff

Gregory Lipscomb

Jane Livezey-Hillard

Timothy Lohan

Peter Martino

Helen Matthews

Sarah May

Kim McFadden

Micki McMillan

Troy McNeal

Christine Merola

Dave Merola

Britta Milks

Annette Miller

Terri Miller P’16 ’18

Anthony Morolda

Joan Mutascio P’08

Cari Nelson P’24

Julie Palladino-Richmond

Brian Pearson

Jen Perez

Dan Perez

Meg Perry

Anthony Porter

Tim Pure

Kristy Raska

Peter Redmond P’13 ’24

Jordan Reed

Thom Richmond

Rashad Shabazz ’02

Rob Short

Sasha Skulsky

Martin Smith

Diane Sugden

Christine Thiel

Rick Tony

Holly Victor ’89 P’23

Cinnie Wappel

Pat Warner-Proctor P’19

Aaron Weaver

Jim Wertman

Skip Williamson Jr

Rebecca Wilschutz

Tom Wilschutz

FALL 2020 TASK FORCE

Tom Wilschutz

Jenn Burns P’19

Steve Buteux

Leila Crooks P’22

Scott Eckstein P’22

Rob Eichem P’18 ‘24

Steve Feld P’19

Jon Freer

Julie Laing

Helen Matthews

Annette Miller

Tim Pure

Sasha Skulsky

Rick Tony

Jim Wertman

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 9

Solebury School

COVID-19 SCRAPBOOK

Virtual Day of Service

This year’s first-ever virtual Day of Service was one for the

books! Our Solebury community came together in various

workshops to learn how to make protective masks for donation,

sew squares to be used to make blankets for the homeless,

make cards to use for fundraising, write letters of gratitude to

first responders, transcribe historical documents, and conduct

people-powered research.


Social Distancing Photography

To keep our community connected during the

spring, we asked students and faculty to share

their experience of what social distancing and

their world looked like. These images created a

visual diary of our personal experiences, from

closures to family time, what online learning

means to us, and what the world around us looks

like right now.

TOP: Diane Downs P’03 ’08 ’09 enjoys family togetherness in the

age of Covid-19.

LEFT: McCaslin Miles ’22 achieves a spooky feel in this surreal photo.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Love Saves the Day, photo by Ava Smith ’20

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 11

COVID-19 SCRAPBOOK

Remote Learning

Anatomy students were tasked to represent the digestive system using what they had

around the house.

Operation “Cookie” was a success! Cari Nelson baked cookies and delivered them to her

local advisees. She also sent cookies to the Poconos and Delaware so they could all eat

cookies together over zoom during advisory!

#ArtRecreationChallenge

Students and faculty recreated works of art by using household objects.

LEFT: Jan Mejia-Toro ’23 as Le fils de l’homme, Magritte RIGHT: Nomah Elliot ’23 as Femme à l’ombrelle tournée vers la droite, Monet


Testimonials

Especially with everything going on and how

we have been moved to remote learning, I can’t

even imagine how hard it is to try and give the

same level of engagement that students have

come to expect, through Zoom. None of you

signed up to be online teachers yet you are all

making it work and honestly crushing it.

–Ruby Burns ’23

We are so deeply grateful to the teachers,

administrators, and all support staff—their

care and commitment always goes the extra

mile! Solebury is a very special community.

-Michele Rivkin-Fish P’21

These terrible circumstances have made

gratitude more readily available as we

overcome and succumb at the same time to

our human condition. Thank you, Tom, and

to every single one of the teachers that ’see’

and ’saw’ my children and held them in the

direction upward so that they understood their

limitless reach. After all is said and done, they

and all of us will be a little stronger, a little

wiser, and perhaps much more aware of what

we hold in common as a species, and take

responsibility for it.

–Beverly and Tico Sessegolo P’19 ’21

THE SOLEBURY FUND

IMPACTS EVERY ASPECT

OF THE SOLEBURY

SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.

Each of us helped create a successful start to this

school year, and it will take each of us to keep our

community able to adapt at a moment’s notice to

changes affecting our community.

This school year, the Solebury Fund matters more than

ever as we anticipate our future needs. Being flexible is

key to our success.

Together with tuition and other revenue sources,

the Solebury Fund provides unrestricted operating

budget support and allows Solebury to continue to

offer a diverse, purposeful, and individualized learning

experience with a focus on safety and wellness.

Make your gift using the enclosed envelope or go to

solebury.org/giving. Every gift makes a difference for our

students, for our faculty, and for our community.

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 13

AWARDS 2020

2020 SENIOR AWARDS

NUMBER ONE RANKED IN THE CLASS OF 2020

Kevin Zhou ’20

Keven earned the highest cumulative GPA. He attends University

of Chicago.

FRANK AMMIRATI MATH & SCIENCE PRIZE

Kevin Zhou ’20 • Shizhen Liu ’20

This prize is given in honor of Frank Ammirati P’73 ’77 ’79 ’81 ’82 ’86

who taught math and science for more than 30 years. The recipient

of this award is a senior who excels in both of these disciplines. Kevin

attends University of Chicago and Shizhen attends Carnegie Mellon.

MIKE MULLEN AWARD

Julianna Tes ’20

This award is presented to the senior who has exemplified Mike’s

characteristics of hard work, honesty, and love of the Solebury

community and its natural surroundings. Julianna attends

American University.

DOROTHY MACBRIEN AWARD

Dominique Wander ’20

Kyle Schlegel ’20

Emily Braun ’20

Given in memory of Dottie MacBrien P’79 by her husband Hugh

P’79 and son Chris ’79, this award goes to a senior for their

contributions to making Solebury School a better community and

for demonstrating a willingness to help others. Dominique attends

Smith College, Kyle attends Methodist University, and Emily attends

Brandeis University.

WILLIAM P. ORRICK AWARD

Troy McGregor ’20

This prize honors William Pendleton Orrick, Headmaster of Solebury

School from 1948-1968, and is the gift of the Dr. Marvin Solomon

Family and John Lippman ’75. It is awarded to a senior who has made

the greatest academic improvement during their time at Solebury.

Troy attends Thomas Jefferson University.

SPECIAL AWARDS

PRESENTED ON PRIZE DAY

FOUNDERS AWARD

Tim Carroll ’21

Established by John A. Silver III ’57 and Betsy Orth Hill ’57, this award

is intended for a member of the junior class who exudes personal

maturity, integrity, intellectual curiosity, and a sense of responsibility

to the school community as well as a society in general, sympathy

for others, and courage.

HOME AND SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Ben Bunting ’20

This award is given to a senior who has completed a high number

and wide variety of community service hours. Ben attends Ohio

Wesleyan University.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AWARD

Amel Ouji ’20 • Paola Naughton ’21

Established by the Class of 2014, this award is presented to students

who have demonstrated enthusiasm for diversity through their

willingness to cross social boundaries, respect of Solebury’s diverse

population,participation in diversity activities on campus, and

encouragement of understanding within the community. Amel

attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

DIRECTOR OF STUDIES AWARD

Anna Schmidt ’20

Awarded to a student in any grade whose actions in and outside of

the classroom demonstrate intellectual curiosity, love of learning for

its own sake, and speculative habits of mind. Anna attends Temple

University.


AWARDS 2020

SPECIAL AWARDS (CONTINUED)

DEAN OF STUDENTS AWARD

Aidan Holtz ’20

The award is given to a student who participates in and gives to the

community unselfishly and who sees a need in the community and

helps without being asked. Aidan will attend Berklee College of

Music.

SMITH COLLEGE BOOK AWARD

Elizabeth Agyei ’21

Awarded to an outstanding junior who exemplifies the academic

achievement and leadership qualities that characterize the

thousands of women who have graduated from Smith College.

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY BOOK AWARD

Tyler Scotti ’21

Awarded to a junior who embodies the GW drive and spirit,

specifically with their academic excellence, leadership outside

of the classroom, diversity of thought, and ability to put knowledge

into action.

CHATHAM UNIVERSITY

RACHEL CARSON HEALTHY PLANET AWARD

Paola Naughton ’21

Awarded to a junior who is an emerging leader in sustainability and

community development, who embodies the spirit of Rachel Carson.

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY BOOK AWARD

Casey Epstein-Gross ’21

Awarded to an outstanding high school junior in the top 15% of

the class who demonstrates a commitment to civic engagement,

community service, political activism, social justice, or volunteer work.

BRYN MAWR COLLEGE

PRESIDENT’S BOOK AWARD

Peiyao Liu ’21

Awarded to a young woman in the junior class who embodies the

core characteristics of a Bryn Mawr woman: exhibits an intense

intellectual commitment, has a self-directed and purposeful vision

of her life, and has a desire to make a meaningful contribution to

the world.

THE SONGCRAFT AWARD

Nick Lynch ’21

Given to the student who shows great potential as a songwriter;

candidates had to submit a body of work of at least three songs.

This award is not given annually, only when a student merits it.

SOLBURIA FILMMAKING AWARD

Alex Doogah ’20

Awarded to the student who shows extraordinary effort in

producing creative work in motion picture technology. The student

also exhibits leadership, superb collaboration skills, spontaneity, and

follow through in terms of interactions in and out of the classroom.

Alex attends University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

Other awards given on

Prize Day Include…

THE HALEY FOUNDATION AWARD

FOR PERFORMANCE

Dominique Wander ’20

THE HALEY FOUNDATION AWARD

FOR THEATER TECH

Sarah Mannherz ’20

FRED ASTAIRE AWARD

Rebecca Morgovsky ’20

DANCE LEADERSHIP AWARD

Grayson Baker ’20 • Cate Cole ’20

Nicole Cosner ’20 • Erik Hallberg ’20

Troy McGregor ’20

SENIORS OF SLAM

Fletcher Davis ’20 • Emily Braun ’20

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 15

COLLEGE NEWS

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS 2020

BY TIM GALLEN, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING

WE HAD JUST WRAPPED UP OUR WINTER TRIMESTER.

Exams were over, and we had sent updated transcripts to the colleges

where our seniors were eagerly awaiting decisions before making last-minute

visits to narrow down their choices to where they would ultimately enroll.

Then, we got word that a stay-at-home order had been enacted.

As was the case at schools across the country, many of our seniors

were struggling with the dizzying array of changes that Covid-19

required. While our college counseling office was communicating

with colleges about our seniors, virtual learning, and grading

on a pass/fail basis for the spring, we were at the same time

getting bombarded with dozens of emails from colleges that

were canceling tours and admitted student events. They replaced

these events with webinars, virtual tours, and online open houses.

College fairs and conferences all went virtual. Colleges pushed

back enrollment deadlines so that students could focus on the

moment and have more time to think about what their college

choice would be. They did everything they could to give students

the best experience that circumstances allowed. But it just wasn’t

the same.

Our students were admitted into strong colleges that fit their

wants and needs for the next four years, yet there were questions

about what the fall would look like as circumstances seemed

to change every week. Some students planned to do a “gap

year,” and Covid-19 threw a monkey wrench into those plans as

opportunities shrunk and they had to find other plans for their

time before starting college. Still, given the unknown for the fall,

a few others opted to take some time off before starting at college

in the hopes that things could get back to “normal”—whatever

that will be—and they could have the kind of college experience

that they were expecting at this time last year.

While the pandemic struck towards the end of the college search

process for the class of 2020, it coincided with the time when

the process was accelerating for the class of 2021. In addition

to in-person visits being suspended, both from students to

colleges and from colleges to Solebury, standardized tests were

canceled or had limited seating, which led to over two-thirds of

the colleges in the US to go test-optional. They assured students

that test-optional truly meant test-optional—that if students did

not test, they would not be at a disadvantage. Solebury worked

with ACT to offer their test on campus for the first time. The

college counseling office has communicated the changes and try

to alleviate the concerns that the class of 2021 had in relation to

Covid-19.

Our college admissions office has shared many resources with

the class of 2020 and the class of 2021 to help them navigate

through these uncertain times, and we are confident that our

current seniors will be as successful in finding the right fit for

college as prior classes have. The colleges and Solebury are

adjusting to the needs of the seniors to provide the best possible

experience that circumstances will allow. We are committed

to our students’ care and support, and we are hopeful that the

health concerns brought about from Covid-19 will pass soon as

measures are put in place, and our class of 2021 can start with

enthusiasm on the campus of their choice next fall.


COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES 2020

Members of Solebury School’s Class of 2020 were accepted to more than

150 selective colleges and universities in the United States and beyond.

Adelphi University

Albright College

American University

Arcadia University

Baldwin Wallace University

Bard College

Becker College

Beloit College

Bennington College

Bentley University

Berklee College of Music

Boston University

Bowie State University

Brandeis University

Bryant University

California Lutheran University

Campbell University

Carnegie Mellon University

Champlain College

Clark Atlanta University

Coastal Carolina University

College of Charleston

Columbia College (Chicago)

Coppin State University

Cornell University

Cornish College of the Arts

CUNY Hunter College

Curry College

Delaware State University

Delaware Valley University

Denison University

Dickinson College

Drew University

Drexel University

Emerson College

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fordham University

Franklin & Marshall College

Franklin Pierce University

George Mason University

Gordon College

Goucher College

Grambling State University

Grinnell College

Hamilton College

Hampshire College

Hampton University

High Point University

Hofstra University

Holy Family University

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Ithaca College

James Madison University

Juniata College

Kalamazoo College

Knox College

Lafayette College

Lawrence University

Le Moyne College

Lehigh University

LIM College

Lincoln University

Livingstone College

Long Island University (Post)

Lynn University

MacMurray College

Manhattan School of Music

Marist College

Maryland Institute College of Art

Marymount Manhattan College

Mercer County Community College

Merrimack College

Methodist University

Miles College

Millikin University

Molloy College

Monmouth University

Montclair State University

Moore College of Art and Design

Moravian College

Morgan State University

Muhlenberg College

New Jersey City University

New York Institute of Technology

New York University

Norfolk State University

North Carolina A&T

State University

Northeastern University

Nova Southeastern University

Oberlin College

Ohio Wesleyan University

Pace University (Westchester)

Pennsylvania State University

(Abington)


(Main Campus)


(World Campus)

Point Park University

Pratt Institute

Purdue University

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Quinnipiac University

Reed College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rider University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Roger Williams University

Royal Academy of Music

Rutgers University

(New Brunswick)

Saint Joseph’s University

Saint Louis University, Madrid

Sarah Lawrence College

Savannah College of Art

and Design

Savannah State University

School of the Art Institute

of Chicago

School of Visual Arts

Seton Hall University

Shaw University

Skidmore College

Smith College

Spelman College

Stephens College

Stevens Institute of Technology

Stony Brook University

SUNY at Purchase College

Syracuse University

Temple University

The American University of Paris

The College of New Jersey

The Culinary Institute of America

The George Washington University

The New School

The University of Tampa

The University of the Arts

Thomas Jefferson University

Towson University

Unity College

Universite Libre de Bruxelles

University of Arizona

University of California (Berkeley)

University of California (Davis)

University of California (Irvine)

University of California

(Los Angeles)

University of California (San Diego)

University of California

(Santa Barbara)

University of Chicago

University of Cincinnati

(Main Campus)

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Denver

University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Maine

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

University of Massachusetts (Boston)

University of Michigan (Flint)

University of Minnesota

(Twin Cities)

University of New Hampshire

(Main Campus)

University of New Haven

University of North Carolina

at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at

Pembroke

University of North Carolina School

of the Arts

University of Pittsburgh (Bradford)

University of Pittsburgh (Greensburg)

University of Pittsburgh

(Main Campus)

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

University of Scranton

University of South Florida

(Main Campus)

University of the District of Columbia

University of the Sciences

University of Vermont

University of Virginia (Main Campus)

Ursinus College

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia State University

Virginia Union University

Viterbo University

Voorhees College

Washington College

West Chester University

of Pennsylvania

West Virginia State University

William Paterson University

of New Jersey

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 17

Graduation 2020

Under beautiful skies, with a police and fire escort, a procession

of seniors and families in creatively decorated cars arrived on

Solebury campus. Once parked, the occupants spilled out of their

cars, physically distant all the while, and set up their chairs and

blankets to revel in Graduation 2020—COVID style, waving and

laughing and crying tears of joy.


After months of discussion, ideas, and false starts due to obstacles that

reared, Solebury School was going to graduate our Seniors, in person,

on campus, differently than we had ever done the previous 92 years. The

ceremony was magical, joyous, happy, thoughtful, sentimental...and then...

it was over. We had done it. Solebury School had managed to give 64

seniors and their families a crowning moment to a senior year horribly

disrupted by a pandemic. They have a lasting memory, one unique to them,

one for only them, one they can revisit over and over.

SAFWA OZAIR ’20

now attending University of Minnesota

Senior speakers Shizhen Liu ’20, Amel Ouji ’20, Safwa Ozair ’20, and

Dominique Wander ’20 spoke memorably about their experiences at

Solebury School. “I don’t think there exists a community like this in any

school, in any place,” said Safwa, now attending University of Minnesota.

“Especially during a time when so much has been taken away from us,

you have given so much to me. Solebury went though incredible lengths

to keep tradition, love, and care for its students and seniors alive, and for

that I am forever grateful.”

MATT BARON was chosen by the senior class to be their faculty

speaker. He recalled his past 10 years at Solebury sharing stories of faculty

and students who have been inspirational to him, meaningfully impacting

his life. “Solebury School is a place where the heart and happiness comes

first because once your heart is settled and you’re happy, you’re open to

learning and everything is easier. Witnessing that here changed me.”

“Solebury has proven to me that,

despite all that is going on in the

world, and the physical distance

between all of us, we are still a

community. Solebury continues to

teach us how to love one another,

how to choose what to do with our

time, how to support the things that

warrant support, in addition to all

of the other valuable lessons that are

too numerous to list.”

DOMINIQUE WANDER ’20

now attending Smith College

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 19

“Thank you Solebury for your

unconditional love and support that

gave me the confidence to keep moving

forward…. We’ve all made lifelong

connections here. As we go down our

different paths we’ll always come back

to this Solebury community. I’m so

proud of all of you.”

AMEL OUJI ’20

now attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute


JUPITER SHI ’20 AWARDED FIRST ANNUAL

SUSAN HIRSCHFELD ECKSTEIN

MEMORIAL PRIZE

“I would like to thank every

teacher and staff member for

their tireless devotion to our

education and for showing us the

value of community.... When we

bring our interests, talents, and

hard work together, we can bring

hope, excitement, and a sense of

belonging to others. I am certain

we will bring positivity into other

people’s lives beyond Phillips Mill

Road in many parts of the world.”

SHIZHEN LIU ’20

now attending Carnegie Mellon

This spring marked the first award of the

Susan Hirschfeld Eckstein Memorial Prize, an

endowed award that recognizes dedication

and achievement in the visual arts by a

Solebury School Senior or recent graduate

(no more than four years post-graduation).

This award was created in 2019 by Susan’s

partner, Marty Rosen, to honor her lifetime

of kindness and caring for others. It also

recognizes Susan’s artistic talent that

captured the wonders of life by inspiring

us with its beauty, putting big smiles on our faces and hearts, and allowing us to see

a more hopeful world. A committee composed of Solebury’s Visual Arts Chair, the

Head of School, the Assistant Head of School - Advancement, the Director of College

Guidance, and a representative of Susan’s family chose this year’s winner from a very

talented field of potential recipients.

This year’s winner is Junpeng (Jupiter) Shi ’20. Jupiter credits coming to Solebury

School with helping to unleash his passion for art, ultimately honing in on ceramics.

His work has been described as elaborate, technically strong, and intricately designed.

After several art-related internships, Jupiter’s dedication to his craft has been

recognized with many public accolades, including awards at the Phillips Mill Student

Art Show, the 23rd Annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition, SiO2 Clay Award, and

Dennis Maza Memorial Scholarship. Here at Solebury, Jupiter received the Karline

Holmquist Academic Award in Visual Art last year (pictured above receiving this award

from Tom Wilschutz). Upon learning of this honor, Jupiter shared, “This recognition

definitely means a lot to me. It is like the last piece of a puzzle in my college

experience. It honored my hard work in the past and enhances my determination in

pursuing art in the future.” Jupiter attends the Rhode Island School of Design.

“I am delighted that Jupiter was selected as the inaugural winner of the Visual Arts

Memorial Prize in Susan’s honor,” shared Marty Rosen. “Jupiter’s artistic talent, even

at his relatively young age, is already first-class... I intentionally decided that Solebury

School would be the ideal home for Susan’s Memorial Prize to live forever because

of your wonderful work nurturing young people and helping to prepare them to

contribute to making the world a better place to live.”

There will be an award ceremony to present a stipend and unveil the plaque that will

be installed on campus as soon as schedules and environmental conditions allow.

Curious to see Jupiter’s work for yourself? Be sure to check out his website

https://jshi1054.wixsite.com/artweb. Congratulations Jupiter!

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 21

DIVERSITY, EQUITY,

AND INCLUSION

BY SARAH LANZETTA AND DR. JEN PEREZ

For 95 years, Solebury School has been a place for education—a community of learners who look

to challenge and be challenged so they can grow in knowledge, skills, and experiences that allow them to

make a positive impact on the world. Every individual who is a part of Solebury School—whether a student,

teacher, faculty or staff member, parent, alumni, board member—is given the opportunity to learn, teach,

and share in making the community stronger. Each person brings their own experiences, perspectives,

identities, and talents to our school community. We strive to celebrate our differences and embrace our

diversity. Our goal is to understand our community members and value them for who they are.


However, there remain inequities in our community and

imperfections in our relationships. The members of our

community struggle with the turmoil of the world around us, at

times bringing the conflicts and challenges into the community.

How do we help them? Where do we start? Do we go back to the

history of the 1940s to learn what we need to do to make 2020

and the years to come more just, more inclusive, kinder? Do

we start as if today is the first day and move the needle of social

justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to forget our past? These

are some of the questions we wrestle with as we work to make a

better, more whole community.

As with most educational organizations, Solebury School looks

towards its mission to guide in creating growth and effective

change in our school community. Over the course of the last two

years, the Solebury School community has taken concrete steps

towards fulfilling the ideals of our mission statement as it relates

to diversity.

Solebury School’s mission is to create

an environment of educational

excellence that prepares students for

success in college and beyond. In the

Solebury community, we strongly value

intellectual challenge and academic

achievement, creative and independent

thinking, mutual respect between

students and teachers, deep respect for

each individual, and diversity.

We are looking beyond what makes us diverse and incorporating

the ideals of inclusivity and equity for all aspects of our community.

Exploring in hopes of strengthening our community is not

something new for Solebury School, and has been a part of what

makes our school great for decades. However, there is renewed

energy and commitment from all parts of the Solebury School

community to build stronger connections to one another around

what makes each of us unique.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, while

relatively new as a formal group, has worked hard to make

concrete, practical, and immediate steps to achieving our goal of a

more equitable and inclusive community. Our committee includes

teachers, deans, and administrators who have varying roles in,

and therefore perspectives of, the Solebury School community.

We have brought in and continue to look for presenters for our

students, faculty, and staff who will challenge us to be better about

seeing where we are falling short of the ideals we strive to attain.

Our committee holds faculty and staff trainings around diversity,

equity, and inclusion in our classrooms and programming for

our school community. We share resources with the teaching

community about anti-racism and anti-bias practices to be used in

our classrooms and programs and are working with department

heads and program directors to continue to create courses, clubs,

and experiences both on and off-campus that give our students

opportunities that help to reflect their light, ideas, and values.

As co-directors of the DEI Committee, our work is wide, varied,

and never-ending. Some of our work is about defining change,

being present, and standing firm in a world where change

is happening every day, and pushing policies that need to be

current for tomorrow’s world. One of the ways we are moving

the discussions forward around uncomfortable current events,

especially where race is a focus, is our bi-weekly “Candid

Conversations,” an open forum for feelings and thoughts to be

presented, supported, and discussed in a safe space. Listening

is at the forefront and speaking in the “I” is intentional. These

conversations are open to all in the Solebury School community

and will continue on the first Sunday of every month throughout

the school year. This summer, many of our faculty members have

taken steps in recognizing the need for social change by hosting

meaningful books clubs, Netflix film watch parties, creating

student supported policies around intolerant language or slurs,

and by developing school systems for underrepresented students

to have a supportive net in place in our community.

While much has been accomplished, there is much to do. The DEI

Committee will continue working hard to ensure that Solebury

School is continuing to take actionable steps towards reaching what

we set forth as our mission and that diversity is not just an add on at

the end of the statement.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE about Diversity, Equity, and

Inclusion at Solebury School, or have a resource to share? Contact

DEI co-directors Sarah Lanzetta at slanzetta@solebury.org and

Dr. Jen Perez at jperez@solebury.org.

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 23

Making Our Voices Heard:

ALUMNI ACTIVISM

BY CAROL WRIGHT ’16

Solebury is a melting pot of people,

ideas, and perspectives. As a student, you’re

challenged intellectually in a way that

smashes your preconceived notions of what

an education is “supposed to be” and you’re

encouraged to open yourself up in ways

that force you to grow. This is why it is not

uncommon for Solebury students to find

their voices during their academic journey.

In fact, it’s more normal to see someone change throughout their time than

stay the same.

Solebury’s environment has lent itself to

shaping the next generation of thought

leaders, activists, and changemakers.

Through clubs, organizations, and sports

each student has the opportunity to find

their passions and build their leadership

skills. Leah Hunt ’16 believes that the clubs

and activities she was involved in during

her time as a Solebury student prepared

her for the work she’s doing now.

“The Environmental Club really helped me

find people at Solebury who had similar

interests and let me grow into a leadership

position,” said Leah. “Solebury in general

was great because it was kind of like a mini

college where you could bounce around to

different groups and clubs and learn a little

bit of everything.”

Leah was co-president of the environmental

club and participated in Politi-Chat, History

Club, and fondly remembers AP GOV as a

class that set a basis for her understanding

of government and US history. The activist

work she became involved in as a student at

Rutgers University, and still works on as a

recent graduate, stems from the foundation

set at Solebury.

At Rutgers, Leah completed a degree in

planning and public policy, and her activist

work directly tied into that. With the

organization Students for Environmental

Awareness, Leah was involved in a climate

strike in New Brunswick that went from

Rutgers’s main campus to Congressman

Pallone’s office, who is on the Energy and

Commerce committee. As an intern at

Rutgers’ faculty union, she works to bring

in students who can stand in solidarity

with faculty and staff who have issues with

contracts and other aspects of their jobs.

As a member of the Rutgers One coalition,

she has protested against Rutgers’s

Cancer Institute and RJWBarnabas Health

expanding in New Brunswick because

it would lead to the demolition of a local

school called Lincoln Annex.

“I got involved in that activism and it

ended up being an exact nexus between

my urban planning and public policy

degree and then also the activism that I

was working on in my job with the faculty

union,” said Leah. “I ended up writing my

thesis on that issue and it was just really

awesome to see Rutgers students getting

involved with the community.”

Getting involved in activism at any stage

in life can be daunting and Leah admits

that it took her some time to figure out her

place when it came to activism at Rutgers,

but when looking at Leah’s degree, the

activities she pursued at Rutgers, and the

work she did at Solebury, there are clear

connecting threads.

For current students at Solebury, there

are various ways for them to support

causes they’re passionate about and

engage in activist work within the Solebury

community. One way is by working with

the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion group

which is co-directed by teachers Jen

Perez and Sarah Lanzetta. The group

has been hosting bi-weekly “Candid

Conversations” on topics like the Black

Lives Matter movement, how Covid-19 is

affecting families of color, and LGBTQ+

identities. Students had the opportunity to

work directly with DEI during last year’s

Diversity Day and will get the chance

again this year by planning and leading

workshops on topics of their choosing. This

tactic of allowing students to lead and bring

their ideas to the forefront is not a new one

for Solebury and it helps create a setting

that allows a budding activist to spread

their wings.

Alliyah Allen ’14 has used her artistic side

as a way to participate in activist work and

while finding that intersection between

art and activism took time, using her voice


to lead others is a skill she refined in high

school. “I think the cool thing about my

time at Solebury, and it’s something that

I carry with me, was learning how to lean

into uncomfortable conversations and

to call people out on things that you find

hurtful.”

She was able to facilitate necessary

conversations as the president of Black

Friday (now known as the Black Student

Union), a member of Diversity Club,

Judiciary Committee, and Girl Forward.

Being a boarding student also opened

Alliyah’s eyes, as she was living with others

who were not from the same environment.

“You don’t notice it happening because you

think you’re just a high school student

living and trying to get your diploma and

everything, but you’re learning a lot of

skills by being in that type of environment,”

said Alliyah. “You’re learning how to

communicate with other people, how to

listen to other people, how not to judge

other people. Some things that some

other girls would do would be completely

different from how I would do it. Some

foods they would eat, never seen it before.

You have to just be open and being in that

environment forced me to be open in a

really great way.” This openness stuck

with her as she graduated from Solebury,

received her degree in Religion and

Africana Studies from Haverford College,

and joined the workforce.

Alliyah is currently the Program

Coordinator for New Arts Justice at

Express Newark, an Assistant Curator

of Monument Lab, and a co-founder of

LAND Collective, a visual art collective in

Newark, NJ. When she graduated from

Haverford and went back home to Newark,

Alliyah was looking to get into art and

activism full-time. Luckily, New Arts was

hiring, and she had the opportunity to

work on projects right away.

One of her first was an exhibition in Military

Park that focused on sculptor Gutzon

Borglum’s piece, Wars of America. Borglum

is best known for creating Mount Rushmore,

but he is also a known affiliate of the Ku

Klux Klan and the designer of a Confederate

Monument on Stone Mountain in Georgia.

When Military Parks’ organizers were

planning to refurbish the sculpture, New

Arts and Monuments Lab wanted to start a

larger conversation on Borglum’s past.

“This monument lives at the center of

our city and New Arts collaborated with

Monument Labs in order to host the

exhibition A Call to Peace which brought

that monument into question,” said Alliyah.

The exhibition allowed artists Manuel

Acevedo, Chakaia Booker, Sonya Clark,

and Jamel Shabazz to create prototype

monuments in response to the question:

What is a timely monument for Newark?

With this first project, along with other

projects she has worked on with New Arts

and LAND Collective, Alliyah has found

her place within the arts and activism

space. She is using her skills of leaning

into uncomfortable conversations and

interacting with those from different

walks of life to bring about change in her

community.

Alliyah is not the only alumna who can

trace her activism path back to Solebury.

Lana Whitehead ’96 was part of a

volunteer group at Solebury and what she

learned through that work led her to create

Sharpened Mindz Certified Coaching.

“What I realized is that it didn’t matter what

color you are. I could get kids of all races to

go into these underserved communities and

do the work,” said Lana. Helping those in

underprivileged communities is the ethos of

Sharpened Mindz. Lana’s nonprofit works

to empower young people, put money back

into underserved communities, and work

with the local community to do so. “It’s all

motivated through the lens at Solebury

School because it exposed me to people who

were underserved and folks who were not.”

In high school she was a student-athlete,

boarder, and leader on campus who

polished her skills of uniting others and

using her voice for good. The school’s

welcoming and supportive environment

gave Lana room to grow and allowed her

to create lifelong friendships. This support

motivated her to stay connected with the

Solebury community after graduating

by helping recruit students, co-hosting

the Reunion Weekend Beer & Burger

Bash, and raising money for Solebury

School’s Page and Otto Marx Jr. Endowed

Fund. At Solebury she was taught to see

things from other people’s perspectives

and was encouraged to be her own person.

Sharpened Mindz slogan, “Be who you

want to be” is directly tied into this, and the

way Lana has navigated her life and work

post-Solebury is tied into those teachings

as well.

There is no set path for becoming an

activist, which can be a challenging road

for anyone. But fortunately for alumni

who have sat in Solebury’s classrooms and

engaged in passionate discussions or have

led clubs to new places, obstacles on the

road to activism are more easily navigated.

CAROL WRIGHT is a 2016 graduate of Solebury School and a 2020 graduate of American University.

She graduated with a BA in journalism and a minor in business and entertainment. She was recently

accepted into Harvard Business School’s 2+2 program and has 2-4 years to gain work experience

before getting her MBA. Carol is the founder and Editor in Chief of Nyota Magazine, an online

publication that focuses on featuring emerging stars in music, fashion, and culture. She hopes to use

the skills she has gained inside and outside of the classroom to further grow her business.

SUMMER / FALL 2020

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ATHLETICS NEWS

ATHLETIC AWARD RECIPIENTS

On Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19, we honored our student-athletes

and coaches at Solebury School’s 12th annual Athletic Banquet, held virtually.

FRANK AMMIRATI MOST VALUABLE

SENIOR ATHLETE AWARDS

Nicole Cosner ’20

Nicole Cosner ’20 has earned

14 letters in three sports

over six years. She arrived on

campus as a 7th grader and

has been a vital member of

the soccer, basketball, and

softball teams ever since. She will be one of the

last six-year varsity letter winners in Solebury

School history. Having earned a letter each

season she played on the girls soccer team, she

won MVP honors in three of those seasons first

as a freshman then back to back her junior and

senior year. She is a four-year varsity letter winner

in both basketball and softball. In softball, she

won the coaches award as an 8th grader and MVP

last spring. Nicole has brought energy, passion,

and commitment to every team she played on at

Solebury and showed tremendous growth over

her six years as a teammate, and leader.

Troy McGregor ’20

While Troy McGregor ’20

has run cross country and

participated in track and

field during his high school

career, his passion lies on the

basketball court. A four-year

letter winner in basketball, Troy earned the Coaches

Award as a freshman and back to back MVP his

junior and senior seasons. This past winter, Troy led

the Spartans in scoring with 25 points per game and

was among the scoring leaders in the Philadelphia

area. He was a first team all league selection and

named player of the year in the Penn-Jersey League.

Troy eclipsed the 1,000 point milestone this past

season, a remarkable achievement.

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S AWARD

Arlene Ricks ’20

This award is given to a student for outstanding

participation and service to Solebury School

Athletics. It is an award that is given at the

discretion of the Athletic Director and has only

been awarded to four athletes in the past 15 years.

Arlene has earned 12

varsity letters in five

different sports over her

four years at Solebury. A

three-year letter winner in

field hockey, she earned

the most improved award

her freshman season and was two time MVP

her junior and senior seasons. She’s a four-year

letter winner in basketball, earning two coaches

awards. For two winters she spent time between

basketball and throwing for the winter track team

where she earned two varsity letters. Arlene

lettered in softball and earned MVP honors

her freshman year. She tried track and ended

up excelling at throwing, frequently sweeping

all three events shot put, discus, and javelin.

Arlene earned both a varsity letter and MVP her

sophomore and junior years while qualifying for

states both seasons.

FALL AWARDS

Girls Soccer

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (2)

Nicole Cosner ’20 • Madeline O’Brian ’21

COACHES’ AWARD

Maria Sun ’21

MOST IMPROVED AWARD

Victoria Garcia ’21

Cross Country


McCaslin Miles ’22 • Charlotte Davis-Hup ’21

COACHES’ AWARD (3)

Ethan Stein ’20 • Leel Dias ’23 • Imojin Fury ’22

MOST IMPROVED AWARD

Erik Hallberg ’20

Field Hockey


Arlene Ricks ’20 • Julianna Tes ’20

COACHES’ AWARD

Gabby Hofing ’20

MOST IMPROVED AWARD

Zy’Ira Redhead ’23

Boys Soccer

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Henry Sharp ’20

COACHES’ AWARD

Daniel Cosner ’22

MOST IMPROVED AWARD

Nils Nyberg ’21

WINTER AWARDS

Girls Basketball


Paola Naughton ’21


Vicky Zhang ’20 • Kelly Hochenberger ’21

MOST IMPROVED

Imabong Enodien ’23

Wrestling


Nathaniel Evans ’21

COACHES’ AWARD

Massawa El ’20

Boys Basketball


Troy McGregor ’20


Charles Franklin ’21 • Thierry Lokrou ’22

MOST IMPROVED AWARD

Javon Brewster ’22

Winter Track & Field


Tyler Scotti ’21


Andrew Chen ’21 • Amelia Kroth ’23

MOST IMPROVED AWARD (2)

Brigid Hughes ’21 • Jackie Huang ’22


AUCTION 2020

SOLEBURY SCHOOL’S 2020 AUCTION

Solebury School’s annual auction is a beloved fixture on our school’s calendar each May.

In addition to bringing the Solebury community together for a very special evening, the

auction is our largest fundraising event of the year. Proceeds from the auction support a

wide range of educational programming, student activities, and facility improvements.

Like many events last spring, our 2020 auction, Mardi Gras

in May, needed to be completely reimagined. Our dedicated

auction committee spent months planning an in-person event

to be held on Saturday, May 2 at the Inn at Lambertville Station.

The invitations had been sent, the New Orleans-inspired

menu had been selected, and decisions about decor and

entertainment were being finalized. And suddenly a gathering

of 200 people was out of the question. Should we postpone or

cancel this beloved event, or should we pivot and re-imagine

Mardi Gras in May? After a great deal of research and a leap

of faith in the Solebury community, the decision was made to

proceed with an online, virtual event, and the response was

overwhelming! Thanks to the dedication and generosity of all

those who supported virtual Mardi Gras in May—sponsors,

item donors, bidders, and donors to the special appeal—we

raised over $114,000 for Solebury School!

Head of School Tom Wilschutz shared details of The Head’s

Bourbon Basket, which included a pour of the holy grail of

bourbons—Old Rip Van Winkle “Pappy Van Winkle’s Family

Reserve” 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 27

AUCTION 2020

Because Mardi Gras in May was held completely online over

the course of a week, it broadened the reach of the auction to

members of our community who normally may not have been

able to attend this event. Over 150 bidders from as far away

as California registered to participate. The week culminated

on May 2 with an entertaining livestream broadcast featuring

our Head of School Tom Wilschutz and other members of the

Solebury community who told us all about our live auction

items, such as an amazing Broadway weekend in New York

City, a custom table from Nakashima Woodworkers, and other

exclusive items and experiences.

A highlight of Mardi Gras in May was the special appeal,

which usually takes place during the live auction, when all

those gathered in the room are asked to support a special

project or initiative. This year’s special appeal was redirected

to address challenges faced by Solebury School as a result of

the pandemic. Despite the fact that we were not able to gather

together in the same room and our special appeal happened

virtually, the strength of our community was on full display

through its generosity—the 2020 special appeal raised over

$53,000! Additional proceeds from Mardi Gras in May

supported initiatives such as:

• Professional development for our faculty to teach

in a remote environment in Fall 2020;

• Additional technology enhancements to optimize

the remote learning experience for our students;

• A long-awaited renovation of the kitchen in the

Holmquist dormitory; and

• Funding that allows the Home and School

Association to make grants to faculty and student

projects and initiatives each year.

We are deeply grateful to the many people who helped make

Mardi Gras in May possible—our auction chairperson Tia

Cavallaro P’21 and our extremely dedicated committee, who

essentially planned two separate events, as well as faculty,

staff, and many other members of our community who turned

a challenging situation into a powerful reminder of how great

things can be accomplished when we all come together. Plans

are currently underway for Solebury’s May 2021 auction, and

we look forward to sharing more details about this event in

the coming months.

A very special thanks to this year’s

sponsors, who maintained their

support, even when Mardi Gras in May

pivoted to an online format!

JACKSON SQUARE SPONSORS

Daniel C. Arnold & Linda Chaille-Arnold

(Laura ’20 and Nicolas ’20)

Borden Perlman

Laurie & Andrew Braun (Emily ’20 and Noah ’24)

CAFE DU MONDE SPONSORS

Marc & Lynn Baranski (Marc ’21)

Encompass Wealth & Legacy Planning, Inc.

Yuan Feng (Phillip P’22)

Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP

Tetra Tech, Inc

The First National Bank of Newtown

SIGNATURE COCKTAIL SPONSOR

Colleen & Mark Schlegel (Kyle ’20)

DECOR SPONSORS

Andrea Devereux (Michaela ’14)

McCaffrey’s Market

Zhibin & Zhen Wu (Edward ’21)

ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

AND ADVERTISERS

Bassetts Ice Cream

Bergey’s Electric, Inc.

Delray Plus True Value

Tracy and Steve Feld (Evie ’19)

Garner Bros. Heating & AC, Inc.

Ken Coleman’s Piano Service

Metcalfe

PROXUS

Ziggy & Michele Rivkin-Fish (Sophie ’21)

Sasowsky Earth Science Consultants, Ltd.

The Wine Diva (Dina Given-Wysocky P’23)

Tinsman Bros., Inc.


There was great participation in the livestream broadcast of

Mardi Gras in May from the Solebury Community!

PICTURED (COUNTER CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): Members of the faculty and

staff cheered for the Ultimate Eagles Experience, including 12 club-level tickets to any

regular season Eagles game.

CNBC anchor Brian Sullivan P’22 offered a private tour of CNBC studios and the New

York Stock Exchange during this year’s live auction.

Director of Admission Scott Eckstein P’22 explained why the special appeal was more

important than ever this year.

Solebury School alumna Mira Nakashima ’59 described the one-of-kind Persian Walnut

end table that she and her brother Kevin Nakashima ’73 donated to Mardi Gras in May.

Solebury’s theater and theater tech directors, Micki McMillan and Peter Martino, had

viewers in stitches as they described the whirlwind Broadway weekend in New York

that was donated by Scott and Mary Bolenbaugh P’09.

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 29

ALUMNI NEWS AND CLASS NOTES

ALMA’S UPDATE

CLASS OF 1956

ANDREW ALPERN delivered an engaging,

informative presentation on the history of

New York City’s posh portals to an audience

at our pre-quarantine event last fall. During

quarantine this summer he was interviewed

by ABC Television about the Dakota;

Andrew’s interview will be included as part

of a two-hour documentary on John Lennon

that will be aired in mid-fall (just in time

for the publication of his newest book,

Posh Portals).

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE

MAIL:

Solebury School

Attn: The Alumni Office


New Hope, PA 18938

E-MAIL:

alumni@solebury.org

Class Notes are edited for length and clarity,

and they will be published online.

JOYCE BULIFANT and her youngest son,

John Asher, have been making lighthearted

videos titled Stuck With Mom during

quarantine. You can find these hilarious

videos on Joyce’s YouTube Channel.

CLASS OF 1973

DAVID “MOJO” RYNERSON and his wife

teach English at the American International

School of Johannesburg.

CLASS OF 1978

ELIZABETH “LISA” PERINE recently moved

from Portland, Oregon to Indianapolis,

Indiana to be closer to her family. She was

diagnosed with blood cancer five years

ago. She is doing well and would love to

hear from classmates. For her contact

information, email alumni@solebury.org.

CLASS OF 1985

BRETT WEBBER ’85 P’20 founded the Phillips

Mill Foundation for the Arts, which aims

to save, restore, and reactivate the artist

community built in the early 1900s as part

of the artist colony “Gothic English Village”

at Phillips Mill in New Hope. For more

information, visit phillipsmillfoundation.org.

CLASS OF 1996

LANA WHITEHEAD is the CEO and

Founder of Sharpened Mindz Professional

Coaching Services, a motivational speaker,

and author. Lana recently wrote and

published a children’s book, Little Ley

Ley’s Tall Tales which can conveniently

be purchased on Amazon. She has been

spending some of her time in quarantine

volunteering in partnership with the Zakee

Bowser Enrichment Foundation. Through

her work, they were able to provide the

Middlesex County community with over

1700 “Uplift the Community” baskets filled

with essentials and other goodies to help

spread joy. Lana’s favorite phrase is “We

Rise by Lifting Others.”

CLASS OF 1965

ED BUFFMAN

had three wood

sculptures accepted

to the New Hope

Arts Annual Works

in Wood Showcase

this summer.

The show can be

viewed virtually, at

newhopearts.org

CLASS OF 1999

SEAN SCOLNICK, AKA LANGHORNE SLIM,

resides in Nashville and continues to make

music. He recently designed tee-shirts to

raise funds for Sound Mind, an organization

that brings together a coalition of artists

affected by mental health issues with a

network of leading mental health service

organizations to build open dialogue on


ALMA’S UPDATE

mental health while increasing awareness

of and pathways to critical resources and

care. Sean made a new record, Strawberry

Mansion, set to be released later this year.

CLASS OF 2002

RILEY MURPHY was recently promoted to

Technical Director II at NMS Labs, where

he has worked for the past nine years. As

Technical Director of the Metals, Special

Chemistry, and QC departments, he is

responsible for the technical oversight of

analytical techniques, spectrophotometric

tests, and the formulation of quality control

solutions.

CLASS OF 2007

JON TETELMAN was featured recently in

Princeton Magazine in their article, “Tenor

on Track.” Jon continues to perform

opera worldwide. You can see his schedule

and performance videos on his website,

jonathantetelman.com.

CLASS OF 2009

SEBASTIAN DOWNS married Pauline Worusski

in a socially distant backyard ceremony with

their immediate family and over 120 virtual

participants (from nine time zones!).

CLASS OF 2011

SAM MESSINA converted her brick-andmortar

vintage shop into an online shopping

experience, complete with virtual auctions

on pieces from the 50s through the 90s.

Check out her vintage store, Bear Bone

Vintage on Instagram @bearbonevintage

CLASS OF 2013

While running can be a solitary sport, RILEY

BRADY enjoys the camaraderie of ultra races.

To keep up with their training schedule

Riley ran a 50k with crew support from their

parents this spring. Their most recent attempt

was to FKT (fastest known time) the Batona

Trail in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. Riley ran

almost the entire 107-mile length during their

most recent attempt. You can see what Riley’s

up to on Instagram @rileyoliverruns.

CLASS OF 2014

ALLIYAH ALLEN co-founded the LAND

Collective as a way to find her creative voice

and to connect with her hometown of Newark,

NJ. You can read about her work in the New

York Times article, Newark Artists: Thriving

Amid Crisis and Catharsis published on July

13, 2020.

CLOVER STIEVE launched a Patreon account

for her band, CLOVER. Patreon is a

platform that allows artists to connect with

their fans. On CLOVER’s Patreon you will

find unreleased music/videos, handmade

art, behind the scenes content, songwriting

lessons, and more. Connect with Clover at

www.patreon.com/clovermusic.

CLASS OF 2016

CAROL WRIGHT graduated from American

University this year, where she received her

BA in Journalism and minored in Business

and Entertainment. She was recently

accepted into Harvard Business School’s 2+2

Program; she will have two-to-four years to

gain work experience before starting school

at HBS and receiving her MBA. Carol is the

editor-in-chief of Nyota Magazine.

CLASS OF 2017

VAL KUPPEK is a senior at Dickinson College

majoring in Biology. Last year she spent a

semester abroad in Iquitos, Peru through a

partnership program with The School for

Field Studies. Her classes are field-based

learning and research in the Amazon and

surrounding communities.

CLASS OF 2018

ALICE DUFF recently discovered her love of

special effects makeup and has changed her

major to Fine Arts. She has worked with

several small film productions and projects.

She hopes to eventually join the union and

work on Netflix shows. You can check out her

work on Instagram @sfxmakeupandcosmetic.

TEVA SKOVRONEK and sister ADDIE ’16

launched a new business venture selling

handcrafted goods on Etsy. Find their store

at Larks Nest Handwork. All items are

handmade with recycled materials.

CLASS OF 2019

RISHABH KANCHERLA announced the

upcoming release of his short film about

his 2020 road trip, which consisted of a

2,000 mile trek over the course of a week,

traveling through six states in the American

Southeast. Through wind and rain, Rishabh

and his team scaled mountains, explored

massive waterfalls, and came across beautiful

hidden vistas. The trailer and full-length

documentary can be found on Instagram @

rkancherlaphography.

CLASS OF 2020

KIARA FOX founded Virtual Pride on social

media, in which thousands of people

participated. The event was so well-received

that it drew media attention; the BBC

interviewed her for a segment on Pride. Follow

her activism on Instagram @fx.kiara.fx.

OBITUARIES

Henry “Josh” Brooks ’64

Henry Stanford “Josh” Brooks, age 73, of

Frederick, MD, passed away on January

30, 2020. He attended Bard College and

graduated from the University of Iowa

Writers’ Workshop. His life experiences

were rich and varied, including a longstanding

career in radio. In 1969, he attended

Woodstock and cofounded Spiritus Cheese,

the radio program which became the genesis

SUMMER / FALL 2020

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG 31

ALMA’S UPDATE

of the Washington D.C. progressive radio

station WHFS, 102.3 FM. In 1983, Josh

helped promote the first In The Street Festival

and fell in love with Frederick. He moved to

Frederick soon after and worked at various

local radio stations. Josh volunteered weekly

reading to the students at Lincoln Elementary

and was a supporter of the ARC of Frederick.

He enjoyed playing golf, tennis, and

racquetball and was a dedicated and founding

member of the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek.

Josh was married to Trish Brooks (nee

Noonan) for 33 years. He is survived by his

two children, Jori Blouin, Zachary Brooks

and partner Dulcie Bomberger and son Kai;

his sister, Antoinette Brooks-Floyd, step-sister

Margorie Brink; numerous brothers and

sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by sister Cora Brooks.

Dr. Raymond Fogelson ’51

Dr. Raymond David Fogelson, age 86 of

Chicago, Illinois, passed away peacefully on

January 20, 2020 following a short illness.

Raymond loved living part-time in the

mountains of Blairsville. He was a Professor

of Anthropology at the University of Chicago

where his field of research and study

included Native Americans in Cherokee,

NC and in Oklahoma. He is preceded in

death in 1998 by his beloved sister, Florence

Blumberg, of Blairsville, Georgia. Survivors

include his loving wife and best friend,

Karen Luckritz of Chicago, nephew Fred

Blumberg of Lakewood New Jersey, niece

Judy Blumberg of Lakeville Ohio, cousins

Bette Feinstein of New Jersey and Andrew

Schwarz of Lake Forest, California, two

step-children, Lisa Luckritz of Schaumburg,

Illinois, Brian Luckritz of Maryville, Indiana,

and two step-grandchildren, Charlotte

Peterson and Aaron Peterson.

Dr. Fogelson remembered Solebury School

in his estate planning. We are honored and

grateful for this enduring gift.

Mary L. Garvin ’69

Mary L. Garvin, age 68, passed away at

home with her husband by her side on

February 29, 2020. Mary worked for many

years in early childhood development at

Christ Lutheran Church Children’s Center.

She was a member of Faith Lutheran

Church where she was involved in their

women circles, outreach program, and

volunteered with the food pantry and

produce markets. Mary loved to read and

her cats. Preceded in death by her parents,

Hobert Hulse and Marion Louden; and

sister, Linda Monesi. Survived by her

husband of 37 years, David Garvin; son,

Kevin (Valerie) Hulse; grandson, Seth

Hulse; sister, Lois (Doug) Patton; and many

nieces, nephews, and friends.

Johanna Seaver Hood H’42

Johanna Seaver Hood died peacefully

on July 23 at St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall

River, MA, at age 95 after a brief illness.

Her quiet confidence, joy in life and nature,

and courage to love will never be forgotten.

She was born in New Bedford, MA on

February 12, 1925, the youngest of five

children. Johanna graduated from Vassar

College in 1947 and earned a M.Ed. from

Elmira College in 1977. In the pre-war years

she ran the Wanderer Bookshop with her

sisters and worked as a nurse’s aide at St.

Luke’s Hospital. During WWII she worked

the night shift at Morse Twist Drill in New

Bedford and later at the MIT Wind Tunnel

in Cambridge before attending college, after

which she taught a kindergarten-to-first

grade transition class at the Buckingham

School. In 1949 she married Frederic Hood

of Brookline and Marion, MA. In 1950, they

moved to Corning, NY where they lived for

the next 37 years and raised 5 children.

From 1969 to 1986, Johanna worked for

Head Start, initially as a teacher, and then

as program administrator.

As an offshoot of her work with Head Start,

part of a life-long interest in children and

their education, she was instrumental in

convincing Corning, Inc. to fund a resource

center for preschool children and their

families. In 2001, it became an independent

non-profit organization, taking the name

“Nonnie Hood Parent Resource Center.”

In 1987, she and Fred moved to Dartmouth

where she became an active member of the

Garden Club of Buzzards Bay, served as a

trustee for Friends Academy, volunteered at

Our Sisters’ School, and started a landscape

design business, Cedar Point Landscaping.

She will always be missed by her husband of

almost 71 years, Fred; her children and their

spouses, Tucker and Cathleen Hood, Rick

and Leigh Hood, John Hood and Deebie

Symmes, Holly and Ian Hughes, and Edwin

and Molly Hood; 9 grandchildren and an

extended family of nieces and nephews

and their children. She also leaves many

friends and numerous others whose lives

she touched.

Michael Klouda ’85

Affectionately known as Solebury School’s

first computer wiz kid, Michael’s passions

included computer graphics and web

design. He was active in his church. Michael

was just 53 years old when he passed, after

a long battle with cancer. He is survived

by his loving and devoted wife Julie, three

wonderful children (Laura, Joelle, and

Michael Scott Jr), and adoring sister.

Paul Rosenfeld ’67

Paul Rosenfeld, former Gramercy Pictures’

veteran head of distribution, died January

10, 2020 at his home in Portland, Ore. He

was 71.

Rosenfeld was one of the most well-known

film buyers in the exhibition industry. He

began his career working as a young film

booker at Walter Reade Theater in New

York. 20th Century Fox film executive

Bruce Snyder, who met him when Rosenfeld

was 21, said, “Despite his seemingly gruff

personality, Paul was one of the kindest,

most sensitive people I have ever met,”

Snyder said.

Rosenfeld left the East Coast when Mann

Theaters’ hired him as head film buyer. He

worked four years at Mann and developed a

father-son relationship with producer Ted

Mann (“Brubaker”). Soon after, Rosenfeld


ALMA’S UPDATE

became a producer’s rep on director

Lawrence Kasdan’s 1983 American comedydrama

“The Big Chill” before returning to

Mann in 1986 as head film buyer. He left

for Gramercy Pictures in 1992 to assume

the role of head of distribution. In 2003,

Rosenfeld accepted the head film buyer

position at Wallace Theaters and relocated

to Portland until he retired.

Rosenfeld was born the eldest of four

children to Hope and Dr. Leonard Rosenfeld

on September 26, 1948. He had a passion for

books, movies, family, and friends. “Chances

are if you were lucky enough to meet Paul

Rosenfeld, you loved Paul Rosenfeld and the

loss of such a great and gifted personality is

profound,” AMC Theaters veteran film buyer

Bob Lenihan said.

Rosenfeld is survived by his daughter,

Jennifer; his siblings Jaclin Elliott and Beth

Morris; his mother, Hope, and his ex-wife,

Marcella.

Owen Schabio ’17

The son of William N. Schabio, Jr. and

Brandy DeNote (née Tomasini), Owen

grew up in North Tonawanda, New York

and moved to Doylestown, Pennsylvania

less than five years ago. He will forever

be remembered for his sharp wit,

imagination, sensitivity, and unparalleled

sense of humor.

Owen is survived by numerous family

members and loved ones, including his

brother Steven Swendsen, step-siblings

Samuel and Lily Rapaport, stepmother

Elisa Rapaport, all of Doylestown, PA;

stepfather Michael DeNote III of Niagara

Falls, NY; and girlfriend Colleen Jeffries of

Buckingham, PA.

A 2017 graduate of Solebury School,

Owen attended Seton Hall University in

South Orange, New Jersey, on a meritbased

scholarship before embarking on an

aspiring career as a chef at Hart’s Café and

Candlewyk. He loved hockey, volleyball,

chess, attending concerts, and spending

time at the family’s beach house in Island

Heights, New Jersey. Always inquisitive,

Owen read extensively and tried his hand

at innumerable interests, from acting to

investing in the stock market to playing

obscure musical instruments such as the

theremin. He generously spent his time

with his siblings, bringing his unique mix

of enthusiasm, patience, and competitive

spirit. In North Tonawanda, he volunteered

with the Boys and Girls Club, coaching

a championship youth hockey team and

helped raise funds for several years

through the American Cancer Society’s

Relay for Life. In high school, he interned

with the Anne Frank Center for Mutual

Respect and continued to serve as a

member of the Youth Council and annual

gala host committee. The last week of his

life was spent hiking the Hawaiian Islands

with his girlfriend, expressing awe at

the surreal beauty of the world and the

power of the earth to reshape itself. As a

classmate remembers him, Owen’s “energy

and presence was unmatched and always

brought a smile” wherever he went. He was

a most beloved character who gave more

than he ever took.

Wallace Taylor ’42

Donald Wallace Taylor, avid scholar,

collector, and fan of the classical arts that

absorbed his years in retirement died on May

21, 2020, at his home in Brooklyn Heights,

New York. He was 97 years old. After

many years as a legal copywriter, editor,

and proofreader at Hartford Insurance in

Hartford, Connecticut, and several years as

legal editor at the law firm Paul Hastings,

LLC in Manhattan, Wallace set down his

volumes and encyclopedias on American

and European domestic and decorative arts,

architecture, painting, and sculpture of the

seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries to

make frequent pilgrimages near and wide

to museums and antiques shows from New

York City to Bucks County, to cathedrals,

piazza, and palaces from Fiorenza, and

Venezia to Mykonos, to see and touch a world

he’d yet only dreamed about.

Wallace spent a childhood in Montclair,

New Jersey before setting off for his

education at Solebury School, founded

by his uncle, educator Robert Shaw, his

mother’s older brother. Upon graduation

(Class Valedictorian!, to Wallace’s chagrin),

Wallace and his mother made their way to

Greenwich Village, and finally to Brooklyn

Heights in New York City. Before entering

the world of legal publishing, Wallace

spent several enchanted years working in

some of Manhattan’s better bookshops,

including the original Charles Scribner’s

on Fifth Avenue and the Doubleday

Bookshop, becoming something of a scholar

of children’s literature and illustration,

citing N.C. Wyeth, Kay Neilsen, Maxfield

Parrish, and, of course, Anna Whelan

Betts, renowned illustrator and Solebury’s

art tutor for many years, as a few of his

favorites.

Wallace is survived by his dearly beloved

cousins, Jean Tappan Shaw ’53 of Whidbey

Island, WA, and Eric Wallace Shaw ’55 of

New York City, Eric’s wife, Carolyn (with

whom Wallace was besotted), many nieces,

nephews, and grand nieces and nephews,

his spouse and provider, Robert Ward, and

dearest friends and companions, Geraldine

Sheridan and Little Lu, Robbie Fuoco and

Peter, Larry Schulte, and Jeremy Walsh.

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Bellmawr, NJ

Permit No. 280


New Hope, PA 18938-9682

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SAVE THE DATE

Admissions Virtual Open Houses...................... October 18

November 15

December 6

Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play,............. October 24

virtual fall drama production

Giving Day...........................................................February 19

For all events, please visit solebury.org.

Summer/Fall 2020

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