Spring has sprung and not even the rain could keep the Easter Bunny away from this year’s annual Alumni Easter Egg Hunt!
With more than 65 attendees, including 30 egg hunters, there was plenty of fun for all. The morning began with a delicious breakfast spread, courtesy of the Union campus culinary team. Guests enjoyed a jump house, arts and crafts stations, pictures with the Easter Bunny and of course, an epic egg hunt!
Over 300 plastic eggs stuffed with candy and prizes were carefully hidden in the Union campus lobby. A special golden egg was hidden for every egg hunter in attendance that they could later trade with the Easter Bunny for special prizes including stuffed animals, bubble wands and, the oh-so popular, glitter silly putty eggs — the children had a great time collecting eggs and prizes!
Congrats again to Jimmy Le ’94 who won the jelly bean counting contest! See you all next year!
Alexis Gauba ’17, now attending the University of California, Berkeley, is part of a team awarded $10,250 for in-depth research on blockchain protocols specifically focusing on alternative consensus. Blockchain is a method of secure storage originally developed for cryptocurrency and now under development for a variety of uses.
The Blockchain Lab at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET) at Berkeley posted the news yesterday. Gauba is one of seven members of the team that will investigate blockchain use and development. The team’s grant application was titled “Framework for Cryptoeconomic Incentives in Proof of Stake (PoS) Systems.” Three other teams also received awards, for a total of $50,000.
In its announcement the Blockchain Lab noted, “We are awarding each of these teams to help to support applied and fundamental research that will reduce barriers in the adoption of blockchain and its inclusion in an increasingly digital world with new possibilities for fairness, transparency and efficiency in both financial transactions and information sharing.”
Gauba, who is working on a combined degree in electrical engineering and computer science, is taking the initiative to organize what is expected to be the largest conference to date for women in blockchain. Blockchain at Berkeley is hosting She256: Women in Blockchain Conference on April 23.
Gauba noted, “We want to highlight and connect communities within the blockchain industry that strive for inclusion, equality and professionalism, and are partnering with all similarly committed individuals and organizations in this objective.
“We have designed a program that will explore the groundbreaking research, protocols and specific applications of blockchain, especially in projects led by women in the space. We want to foster collaborations between researchers, professionals and students to help women get access to the right resources and enter the industry with confidence, while also highlighting the achievements of prominent strong women already established in the space. No prior experience in technology, blockchain or computer science is required. We encourage everyone to come, regardless of major or experience level. Celebrate and learn with us!” she added.
Browser security is something nearly everyone is interested in, but Frank Wang ’08 and a team at MIT are doing something to improve it. The team has developed a tool called Veil that will help keep data safe by encrypting websites prior to viewing on the screen. The full story is available at news.mit.edu. Wang was kind enough to share a bit about Veil and his path since leaving Harker.
“Once I graduated from Harker,” Wang said, “I went to Stanford where I was heavily involved in residential life. Then, I went directly to MIT to do my Ph.D. in computer science focused on computer security. On the side, I am heavily involved in the entrepreneurship scene in Boston. I am part of a Rough Draft Ventures, a student-run venture initiative out of General Catalyst that funds student startups. I also started my own summer program, Cybersecurity Factory, for early-stage cybersecurity companies, with Highland Capital (read the Wired story). I am currently in the last year of my Ph.D. and figuring out what’s next.
“My passion is about building practical and secure web platforms. Veil fell into that classification, and I got really excited about it. The project started initially when James Mickens, now one of my co-advisors, visited while he still worked at Microsoft Research. We were both excited about web security and he had some ideas for improving private browsing, which led to this project. Then, he moved to Harvard, and we continued to work on this project, trying to make the web more secure.”
Wang was instrumental in the project’s development. “I was part of the whole process!” he said. “I did a lot of the work building the platform and brainstorming ideas. I also helped write the paper. I was the main spearhead behind the project as the first author.
“The most interesting part was actually building a system that ended up working. A lot of times in research, you work on a project, but the broader community is not as interested. All this press makes me more excited because it seems like people are really interested in my work.”
Three Harker alumni were named to this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 lists, which feature 600 young stars in 20 different industries. Siddarth Satish ’06, founder of Gauss Surgical in Cupertino, was selected in the health care category. Forbes noted, “Using the iPad’s built-in camera and computer vision algorithms, Siddarth Satish has developed an FDA-cleared app to monitor blood loss in the OR. It’s been used for thousands of patients to make childbirth safer. The company has raised $24.6 million.”
Chadwick Manning ’07, co-founder of ElectrIQ Power Inc. in Palo Alto, made the list in the energy category. ElectrIQ (pronounced “electric”) is an energy storage, monitoring and management company. It innovates integrated hardware and intelligent software solutions to help homeowners and small businesses access more affordable and sustainable electricity, Manning explained.
Following his appointment to the Forbes list, Manning noted “success is a road always under construction. You fail many more times than you succeed. The ones who make it typically aren’t the most intelligent, but they are the ones that have true grit, they admit when they’re wrong and change course, and they surround themselves with passionate, trusting people with complementary skill sets.” When he’s away from the office, Manning gets outdoors and travels as much as possible. “Hiking, skateboarding, biking, tennis and golfing are my favorites,” he said.
Meghana Dhar ’06 is director of retail partnerships for B8ta, located in San Francisco, and is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in the retail and e-commerce category. Her Forbes profile notes, “The eBay alum is responsible for opening 700 stores for B8ta by 2018. The company launches brick and mortar stores for trendy tech products and provides them with customer engagement and interaction data.”
Late last month, the College Board revealed that seven Harker students and one 2017 alumna received perfect scores on Advanced Placement exams they took in May 2017, earning every possible point as well as the maximum score of five. Seniors Akhil Arun and Adriano Hernandez and 2017 graduate Divya Rajasekharan earned three of just 60 perfect scores on the AP Macroeconomics exam, while senior Vignesh Panchanatham earned one of only 26 perfect scores in AP Microeconomics.
On the AP Computer Science A exam, senior Swapnil Garg, junior Ryan Adolf and sophomores Eileen Li and Kyle Li earned four of 112 perfect scores. Harker was one of just 17 schools that had four or more students earn perfect scores on AP exams last year. According to the College Board, nearly 5 million AP exams were taken by almost 3 million students in 2017. Only 511 students earned every possible point.
Kevin Moss ’14, who will graduate from Trinity University this spring, was awarded the Walter Adams Prize for Excellence in Economics. The prize honors Walter Adams, the Vernon F. Taylor Distinguished Professor of Economics at Trinity University in 1989 and 1992-98. It recognizes “a graduating economics major at Trinity who has achieved great distinction in scholarship and involvement in the life of the university community,” according to a congratulatory letter to Moss. As the winner of the award, Moss will receive a cash prize, an individual plaque and his name on a commemorative plaque that is displayed in the economics department. He will receive the prize at the spring honors convocation. Way to go, Kevin!
Jessica Dickinson Goodman ’07 was sworn in this week as a City of San Jose human services commissioner for District 2. Dickinson Goodman, who has made a career of helping others, noted the appointment will give her the opportunity to elevate the voices of people in her neighborhood, to make San Jose more accessible for people with disabilities, transit friendlier to women and children, and ensure first responders represent the communities they serve. Coincidentally, Harker Magazine profiled Dickinson Goodman in its Winter 2017 issue. Read all about her many efforts here! https://staging.news.harker.org/alumna-profile-jessica-dickinson-goodman-07-be-your-own-superhero/ You can read about other alumni, as well as some of the great programs at Harker, in the magazine. Find it online at issuu.com.
In late December, the Class of 2007 packed the house to celebrate its 10-year reunion at classmate Jason Martin’s restaurant, Lefty’s A Taste of Boston, in Campbell. Bradley Stoll, Dan Molin and Harker chef Steve Martin joined the fun, while class dean Diana Moss sent her well wishes via video. Pizza and spirits were aplenty and all enjoyed catching up while ’07’s very own DJ Anton Sepetov provided the musical ambience for the evening’s festivities. Huge thanks to Jason and Steve for the use of your fabulous spot; Audrey Kwong for the beautiful signage; and Cassie (Johnson) Kerkhoff, Chanelle Kasik and Lucille Hu for their planning and organization, and for being such lovely hosts!
The Class of 2012 celebrated its five-year reunion on Dec. 30, also at Lefty’s A Taste of Boston. More than 50 people gathered, including beloved class dean Doc Harley, as well as Bradley Stoll, Joe Rosenthal and Harker’s new head of school, Brian Yager. All had a great time mingling and reconnecting! Big thanks to class agents David Fang and Will Chang for all of their efforts in organizing this first of reunions for the class. Great job guys!
This article originally appeared in the winter 2017 issue of Harker Magazine.
After Charlottesville, Va., erupted in violence during a white supremacist rally in August, Jessica Dickinson Goodman ’07 donned her Captain America shirt, made a sign that read “You Lost in 1865, You Lost in 1945, You Will Lose in 2017” and attended a solidarity event at San Jose City Hall.
“It’s heartbreaking, because there are people whose bodies and minds are damaged by racist violence in Charlottesville today,” Dickinson Goodman told Univision when she was interviewed for a story. “Being American means always trying to do better – acknowledging the abuses without celebrating abusers, understanding the worst parts of our history and doing everything we can to avoid repeating them. Always trying to do better.”
Dickinson Goodman has a thing for superheroes, in fiction and in real life. Her own superpower is passion, which she puts to work every day.
“She is irrepressible, well-reasoned, and always addressing inequality and injustice!” raved Susan Nace, a music teacher at Harker. “She is willing to put in the work necessary to foment positive change.”
Dickinson Goodman took classes with Nace and was a member of Cantilena, Harker’s classical women’s choir, which sang songs in different languages.
“She let me put other languages in my mouth and I learned how much I enjoyed this,” remembered Dickinson Goodman, who speaks Arabic and Spanish, and claims that her ethnicity is “geek.”
While at Harker, Dickinson Goodman was also captain of the wrestling team, secretary/treasurer of the Gay Straight Alliance and a participant in National Junior Classical League. She met her husband, Matthew Holmes ’07, at Harker and the two have been together since.
After Harker, Dickinson Goodman moved to Pennsylvania to attend Carnegie Mellon University, while Holmes trekked to Virginia to study at William & Mary.
While at Carnegie Mellon, Dickinson Goodman studied abroad in Doha, Qatar, participated in the Taekwondo and Shito-Ryu Karate Do Club, and earned a minor in vocal performance. She was invited to participate in the college’s prestigious Fifth Year Scholar program, which allows distinguished students to continue their studies for an additional year tuition-free. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in ethics, history and public policy.
Armed with an education and a passion for learning, Dickinson Goodman launched her career by working in the nonprofit sector and politics, in Washington, D.C., Washington state, and back home in California for Attorney General Kamala Harris.
“Though Jessica is extremely brilliant and hard-working, it is her genuine selflessness and desire to help others grow that sets her apart,” said Brady Dempsey, who worked with Dickinson Goodman at Washington, D.C.-based Polaris, which fights human trafficking.
Her ability to approach life with an open heart and a strong mind has led her to present workshops around the globe, from “How to Get Involved Politically” in the Bay Area to “Technology 101” in the Middle East.
“She relates to everyone and that ability is not limited to language, geographical, political, and socio-economic or other boundaries,” said Nace. “She is always able to find common ground!”
Last summer Dickinson Goodman and her mom/role model, Katy, went to Sierra Leone to teach web design and internet research to youth and women.
Her Instagram feed is teeming with striking images and philosophical musings about her trip, including, “Sierra Leone is one of the most religiously welcoming countries I’ve ever been to – we bought bowls yesterday at a storefront sandwiched between ‘Christ In Me Enterprise’ and ‘Allah is Great Enterprise.’”
Dickinson Goodman has helped with a U.S. State Department program called TechWomen that brings women from the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia to Silicon Valley for month-long internships. She’s traveled on a delegation with them to Jordan and this year she is the impact coach for a cohort of Palestinian women.
She is also the outreach and marketing coordinator for Child Advocates of Silicon Valley where she recruits volunteer mentors for more than 1,000 foster youth in Silicon Valley.
Although she doesn’t earn a living in politics anymore, she’s still passionate about being involved in the political process and is constantly advocating for people to work on a campaign.
“There’s nothing better than helping someone get elected,” said Dickinson Goodman, who has canvassed multiple neighborhoods for more than one candidate. “When you get involved, you are not just a volunteer but a change agent, and there’s incredible energy from serving your community.”
She has a passion for life – one that’s filled with action, hope and belief that we can all be change agents.
Contributor Vikki Bowes-Mok is also the executive director of the community nonprofit Compass Collective.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2017 issue of Harker Magazine.
Alumnus accepted his need for structure, discipline and went from rebellious teen to passionate police officer
Today, William Courchesne ’07 is a police officer with the Charleston Police Department, a cum laude graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, and a married man. But if you knew Courchesne when he was a student at Harker (2003-07), that might surprise you.
“He was a wild child,” said Tony Silk, mathematics department chair and Courchesne’s freshman Algebra II teacher. “I remember Will very well as he was a unique student who brought so much to the classroom.”
Courchesne’s rebellious side was complemented by a sly sense of humor, which came out in a variety of ways, including addressing Silk by his first name. “I would be walking across campus and hear Will yelling ‘Tony!’,” remembered Silk with a smile. “I would remind him to address me as Mr. Silk, but I also understood that this is who he was.”
Silk, a former military man, found Courchesne’s antics amusing rather than frustrating and, as long as it didn’t disrupt the classroom, he was willing to allow him his freedom. It was this understanding and acceptance that connected Courchesne to Silk. “I kept coming back to him for advice,” recalls Courchesne. “He is a lot of the reason I went into the military.”
At Harker, Courchesne was on the yearbook staff, ran track and field, and participated in the Junior State of America. These activities helped Courchesne stay busy and focused. He remembers that he “wasn’t the greatest kid,” but he had an epiphany his junior year. He accepted that his academic record may not get him into a top-tier school, and realized that military school, in particular The Citadel, was a good option for him since he needed structure and discipline.
When he strode in to Silk’s office to ask for a recommendation, he was greeted with shock. Silk said he never would have connected Courchesne with the military. But then Courchesne explained that if there are strict rules and firm boundaries, he would commit to those rules.
“The summer before Will’s senior year, I visited a friend at The Citadel and realized that this would be a great fit for Will,” remembered Silk. “After he started college, we talked on the phone and he asked if he should refer to me as Commander Silk and I told him, ‘At this point, you can actually call me Tony.’”
The two stayed in touch and Courchesne even invited Silk to attend his graduation from The Citadel. Silk couldn’t make it, but Courchesne’s identical twin, Steven ’07, and his parents were there cheering him on. After graduation, Courchesne returned to California to pursue a career in business, which he had studied in school.
The economic downturn made job offers sparse, but a friend from The Citadel told Courchesne that the Charleston Police Department was always looking for strong candidates. Courchesne certainly qualified with his Citadel credentials plus his work in the California National Guard as a military police platoon leader, which is where he met his wife, Kristyne.
The two decided to start fresh in the South and have found a wonderful community. They got married in June 2017 just after Kristyne finished her undergraduate degree. It’s been a busy time for the newlyweds, but Courchesne is committed to his career in the police force. “Police work is an underrated profession,” he said. “My goal every day is to go work, keep the public safe and never have to use my gun.”
He recently went on a call to help a woman who was threatening to commit suicide. When the police arrived on the scene, she was clearly distraught and had multiple weapons. Courchesne and his partner calmly communicated with her and ultimately saved her life. This is the police work that rarely gets reported but is what being a police officer is all about for him.
“I want to help people and my career allows me do that every day,” said Courchesne.
Contributor Vikki Bowes-Mok is also the executive director of the community nonprofit Compass Collective.