Three alumni are deferring personal lives to work for this year’s presidential campaigns. Isabella Liu ’02 is in Florida working on the Clinton campaign. Liu, a field organizer, first got involved in January and played a key role in San Francisco during the California primary. She then had the option to organize in the Bay Area, Florida or battleground states like Virginia, and she chose Florida, which is the biggest, most influential swing state, Liu noted.
It was a tough decision to drop everything and commit to the campaign, she said, but added that she and thousands of other organizers across the U.S. are driven by their shared vision of a more equitable, humane and sustainable country and world.
Just this past Monday, Liu introduced Ann Holton, wife of vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, at a Women for Hillary house party in Fort Myers, Fla. “The campaign is scrappy and, though getting involved is not easy or glamorous,” said Liu, “every volunteer that puts in a few minutes to a few weeks will be all the difference we need in November!” Liu noted that if others wish to get involved, they can visit https://www.hillaryclinton.com/events.
Felix Wu ’15 recently decided to take a break from his studies at Emory University to take a full-time position with the Iowa Democratic Party. During an Aug. 10 rally in the Iowa state capitol of Des Moines, Felix gave a speech to the large crowd that had assembled for an appearance by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. “Felix has always been very passionate about politics and civil service, and we are glad that he continues to pursue his passion after Harker,” said May Lau, Felix’s mother.
Finally, Shannon Hong ’16, headed off to New York to work on the Clinton campaign. “This summer, I was given the opportunity to represent my personal role model in Philly, and now, I am elated to be able to help again in Brooklyn,” she said. Hong has deferred her education for a semester to follow her passion.
We’ll add details from our alumni on the campaign trail as they come in!
Felix Wu ’15 recently decided to take a break from his studies at Emory University for a full-time position with the Iowa Democratic Party. During an Aug. 10 rally in the Iowa state capitol of Des Moines, Felix gave a speech to the large crowd that had assembled for an appearance by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. “Felix has always been very passionate about politics and civil service, and we are glad that he continues to pursue his passion after Harker,” said May Lau, Felix’s mother. Read about another alum working on the Clinton campaign, ‘Isabella Liu ’02 in “Alumna Takes on Clinton Campaign Role.”
Shay Lari-Hosain ’16 is taking a gap year before starting college and, not one to let the grass grow under his feet, already has been published in The Mercury News. Lari-Hosain was very active in Harker’s Journalism program and, as assistant editor in chief and designer, was instrumental in founding Wingspan, the student longform magazine. Here’s his interview with The Daily Show’s Hasan Minhaj.
Ameek Singh ’16 was recently named one of five Bay Area-based summer interns in the Bank of America Student Leaders program. This paid opportunity develops real-world work and leadership skills through hands-on experience at a local nonprofit organization. Singh’s internship will take place at Junior Achievement, which helps students in grades K-12 with career readiness and entrepreneurship.
Singh and more than 200 other Student Leaders from across the country also were invited to attend the Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., from July 10-15. There, the students discussed how to increase diversity and inclusiveness as well as how to positively impact communities through cross-sector collaboration.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
1996
Jeremy Kerr and his wife, Jennifer, had a baby. Please see the Celebrations section for details.
1997
In January Will Jarvis was featured in an article in the Napa Valley Register about Jarvis Estate winery, which he runs with his father in the Napa Valley. To view the article: http://bit.ly/1oXw48Y. 2003 Amit Saxena got married. Please see the Celebrations section for details.
2003
Amit Saxena got married. Please see the Celebrations section for details.
2004
Neil Bhalerao is getting married. Please see the Celebrations section for details.
2005
Kristen (Hulberg) Hunsbedt got married last May. “My husband (Mark) and I got married in the Santa Cruz Mountains near our home. I also got my M.A. in counselor education in 2014 from San Jose State, and I’m working as a college and career counselor at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville,” she said.
Liat Noten started an abstract art and photography business, using digital photography to create art that she said is full of heart, energy, vibrancy and wonder. “I’m interested in abstract and conceptual photography because it allows me to play and imagine even before I’ve picked up my camera. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to create digitally,” she said. Check out her website at: http://www.artislifeitself.com/.
The Class of 2005 held its reunion on Dec. 22, 2015 at The Old Pro in Palo Alto. Classmates enjoyed catching up over a nice dinner.
2006
Amit Mukherjee, a senior associate at New Enterprise As- sociates (NEA), was included on Forbes magazine’s prestigious “30 Under 30” list of of the 2016 young movers and shakers in the venture capital category. Amit has worked at NEA since 2012, overseeing more than $500 million of invested capital. A leading source for reliable business news and financial information, Forbes is well known for its annual lists and rankings. The “30 Under 30” list prides itself on predicting the brightest and most ambitious young adults to watch in the coming year. Congratulations, Amit!
In the winter 2015 issue of Harker Quarterly, we ran a note about Steve Boyle designing and directing a show called “Matthew Briar and the Age of Resurrection.”
Steve is a graduate of Harker’s Conservatory program and has produced several shows recently. In early March he returned to the upper school to speak with performing arts students about his career and life in the arts.
Rohini Venkatraman began working as a business designer at the award-winning global design and consulting firm IDEO last year. She recently helped arrange a visit to Harker’s middle school by IDEO representatives who were interested in observing classrooms there. For more information on the IDEO visit to Harker, see page 28 for a feature story on the middle school’s new “moveable classrooms.”
Michael Hammersly, a materials and processing engineer at SpaceX, was the official announcer for the SpaceX launch! Check out the webcast at http://bit.ly/1Ph7CXS. The video was streamed live on Dec. 21. SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. With this mission, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket delivered 11 satellites to low-Earth orbit.
Arvind Ravinutala and Nirav Chitkara stopped by the alumni relations office to say hello while visiting with former teachers on the upper school campus.
2009
Anu Ramachandran was one of two Johns Hopkins University students selected to spend next year pursuing a graduate degree in the United Kingdom after winning the highly competitive Marshall Scholarship. A third-year Hopkins medical student, Anu will study public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She was among 32 U.S. students selected as Marshall Scholars out of 916 applicants this year. Funded by the British government, the prestigious scholarship allows high-achieving scholars to undertake postgraduate studies in the U.K. program of their choice, with the goal of nurturing future leaders and strengthening British-American collaborations.
2010
The Class of 2010 held its reunion on the evening of Dec. 26 at BJ’s Restaurant in Cupertino. A great time was had by all!
2011
Harker Conservatory graduate James Seifert appeared in a Stanford University play. Seifert was also active in speech and debate, sang in the All-National Honor Choir in Washington, D.C., in 2011, and earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Obama in 2011.
To read an article about him that appeared in the Palo Alto Weekly: http://bit.ly/21E3kTM.
The Class of 2011 held its five-year reunion on Dec. 26 at Tied House in Mountain View. The evening was filled with fun filled memories and delicious food.
2012
Govi Dasu started a consultancy (abhigoviconsulting.com) that helps entrepreneurs build Web and mobile applications for their early startup ideas. “It’s pretty amazing how Harker has a business department now. At Harker, I didn’t really understand the value of the Harker network, but after Stanford, I realize how powerful both schools’ networks are. Harker is actually more powerful because it so tightly knit,” said Govi, who is offering a 5 percent commission on all project referrals. So far, several of his clients have come from the Harker community!
2013
Joe Wang is studying real estate finance at New York University and also raising funding for a food curation startup on the East Coast. Joe recently moved and is now living in Brooklyn. He is in touch with Caroline Lai, who also attends NYU. Joe stopped by to visit the alumni relations office and volunteered to become an alumni mentor for seniors interested in learning more about NYU and New York.
Lorraine Wong, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, joined other women representatives from the private research university to talk to local middle school girls about engineering. They discussed examining DNA from a strawberry that clumped and separated from an extraction process, among other topics.
Maverick McNealy is a regular in Harker Quarterly for his breaking golf news. In January the Stanford golfer made a guest appearance at a mandatory upper school spring sports meeting for parents and athletes. He spoke to them about his athletic experience and the lessons he has learned from playing sports.
Molly Wolfe was a White House intern last summer and is now at the London School of Economics for her junior year at Vanderbilt University.
A number of alumni from the Class of 2013 had a great time playing an informal pickup game during one of Harker’s varsity soccer team’s practices over the holiday break. Joining in the fun were several other alums from the classes of 2012, 2014 and 2015.
2015
Corey Gonzales took a gap year to travel around South America by motorcycle. While home for the holidays, Corey returned to Harker to present to an upper school Spanish 4 class. Corey plans to attend Harvard in the fall.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
1985
In the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly, we ran a feature story about Judge John Owens’ appointment to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, the nation’s largest appeals court.
On Dec. 2, he visited Harker’s lower school where he talked with the third graders about his life as a judge. And in early March, he spoke to the upper school student body during a morning assembly titled “Honors and Ethics,” sponsored by the Honor Council.
Class agent Loren Due and class committee member Kalei Kelly recently dropped by the alumni relations office for an informal lunch and to reminisce over yearbooks.
Jon Mays is keeping busy as editor of the San Mateo Daily Journal, where he has worked for many years. The Daily Journal is the leading local news coverage on the Peninsula. To view the paper: www.smdailyjournal.com.
Pat Walsh, longtime Harker math teacher and former boarding school supervisor, recently caught up with Humberto Armenta, who came to Harker’s boarding school from Monterrey, Mexico, as a fifth grader in 1981-82. Over a leisurely dinner, Humberto filled Pat in on his work over the past two decades as owner of a successful construction company called REC- SA (Regiomontana de Construcción y Servicios) in Mexico. “Having dinner with him, his daughter Anna (16) and son Humberto (10) the Friday before the Super Bowl was a blast! My wife, Terry, was there. She was the dorm house- parent at the time, so she knew Humberto well, too. My son Kevin [’01] was also at dinner. Humberto was in town to take some clients and his children to the Super Bowl. He has three other children, but they did not make the trip,” recalled Pat, adding that he and Humberto plan to stay in touch.
1988
Joe Tremba is married to Amanda Hubber and living in Valley Village, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. They are having fun playing with their new, very small puppy named Porkchop.
1993
Found at last! The missing Class of 1993 time capsule was located while excavating to move the oak trees on Rosenthal Field. Facility manager Mike Bassoni and his crew found the long-lost 1993 time capsule. “It’s quite large, currently stored in the alumni closet, and the Class of 1993 is considering either a capsule-opening party, or a big 25 year reunion/capsule-opening bash!” said Karri Baker ’84, director of alumni relations.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
1940
Katrine “Trinkie” Watson attended Miss Harker’s School from 1939-40, and participated in its summer boarding program. Trinkie is now a successful real estate agent serving the luxury Lake Tahoe market. A San Francisco native, Trinkie spent her first seven years in Woodside and then lived in San Francisco until her move to Lake Tahoe in 1966. She fondly recalled making jam in a class at Miss Harker’s and giving it to her mother when she came to visit.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
Lauren Gutstein ’06 Teaching English and Drama at a Quaker School in Delaware
For the past two years, Lauren Gutstein ’06 has worked as an upper school English and drama teacher at the Wilmington Friends School in Delaware, a private Quaker school serving preschool through high school students.
“Getting up in front of class can be, in my opinion, quite theatrical, which fits my personality. I also love that teaching requires me to be constantly learning,” said Gutstein of her work at the school, which was founded in 1748 by members of the Wilmington Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers).
The school was originally intended for Quakers as well as for underprivileged children, regardless of religion. As Delaware started offering public education, the school moved toward its current college-preparatory program. Today only about 7 percent of the students are Quaker.
Gutstein, who teaches grades 10 to 12, called it “fascinating” to experience high school from “the other side.” Now, she said, she empathizes with her students as they agonize over a paper, audition or college application, remembering how she felt in those moments.
A highlight for Gutstein is directing the upper school’s annual musical. This past fall she worked with her students on the musical “Kiss Me Kate.”
Prior to teaching at the school, Gutstein lived and worked in Kazakhstan, a central Asian country and former Soviet republic, for several years. In addition to teaching English and literature at the Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Astana, Gutstein started a drama program. “We actually put on five trilingual (English, Kazakh and Russian) plays. I was working at a fairly new school and they were doing a lot of experimenting with curriculum and school organization, so one skill I really learned there is flexibility,” she recalled.
“The respect and admiration I had for my teachers at Harker was another factor in choosing teaching as a profession. Harker definitely nurtured my many interests, both academic and extracurricular. Harker also taught me how to balance a million responsibilities at once, which is teach- ing in a nutshell,” said Gutstein.
When asked to give advice for other alumni interested in teaching, Gutstein suggested teaching in wildly different environments. “Between Quaker education, Kazakhstani education, and student teaching in The School District of Philadelphia, I’ve seen dramatically different educational models and experienced joys and frustrations with each. Also, I learned what minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit feels like, so East Coast winters seem pretty tame!” she said.
Grace Hudkins ’08 Working Abroad in South Korea
Grace Hudkins ’08 had never been to Korea before moving there to teach theater to elementary school children attending Chad- wick International (CI). Located in the newly created city of Songdo in Incheon, South Korea, CI is an independent, coed, non-sectarian, preK-12 international school.
Hudkins recalled taking “a huge leap of faith” going to CI. Not only was she unfamiliar with Korea, she was entering into an intern position, so figured she would only stay a year or two. “I had never even eaten Korean food! But when my boss offered me the chance to start a drama program for the elementary school, I couldn’t say no!” recalled Hudkins.
“My first year I was an intern in a grade 3 classroom, then for the last two years, I have taught elementary school drama. Next year I am moving into a role as the coordinator of our theater spaces, as well as teaching some middle and upper school drama and theater tech,” said Hudkins, who currently works with students in preschool and kindergarten.
Incheon is known as an exciting area and transportation hub bordering the country’s capital of Seoul. Life in Korea is pretty great, said Hudkins, thanks to “a wonderful built-in community at the school, with expats from all over the world.” During her free time, Hudkins enjoys exploring Seoul, which is about an hour away, and is jam-packed with museums, shopping, culture and restaurants.
Teaching comes naturally to Hudkins, who has always enjoyed being around children. “I started babysitting when I was just 11, and was a camp counselor from the time I was 16. I became licensed for early childhood education, and my background in theater prepared me to build the elementary school program out here at CI,” she explained.
Hudkins credits Harker’s performing arts programs with spurring her interest in her current work. “It was through the arts that I found community, family and a sense of belonging. Harker’s conservatory program gave me a really well-rounded understanding of the arts, which launched me into my college student theater group as a director and stage manager in my first year.”
When Hudkins thinks about life after CI, she is not certain if it will always be as a traditional classroom teacher. “I can see doing educational outreach for a theater company, stage managing for a youth drama program or something completely different. For the foreseeable future, I am really passionate about international education and I love teaching drama, so I hope to keep doing that even after I leave CI,” she said.
Hassaan Ebrahim ’11 Working with Low-Income Families in East San Jose
Hassaan Ebrahim ’11 recently received his undergraduate degree in neuroscience from the University of Southern California but put plans to apply to medical school on hold. Instead he signed up for a two-year stint with Teach For America (TFA), a nonprofit organization promoting educational equity.
After competing an intense training program this past summer, he was placed at Summit Rainier High School in East San Jose as a grade 9 math teacher, becoming one of the thousands of college graduates now serving as TFA teachers nationwide, and one of 340 in the Bay Area. These select individuals, known as “corps members,” commit to teaching for at least two years in a public or charter K-12 school in one of 52 low-income communities the organization serves.
“Education is more important than simply allowing someone to earn a steady income. Education opens doors of opportunity, allows one to discover new passions and to live an authentic life,” said Ebrahim. “The fact that such inequity exists in our country is shocking. I am drawn to working towards bringing quality education to those who need it most.”
According to TFA statistics, there is an educational crisis in San Jose, with nearly 40,000 students not proficient in grade-level skills and 2,300 middle and high school students dropping out every year. To combat the problem, back in 2009, a group of committed parents from East San Jose approached Summit Public Schools – a nonprofit organization created to provide high quality public school options to diverse communities – about bringing a Summit charter school to their community.
In 2011, two Summit schools in San Jose were born, Summit Rainier and Summit Tahoma. Summit Rainier is now a thriving high school in East San Jose and ranks among the top 20 public high schools in Santa Clara County.
Ebrahim, who plans to begin medical school after fulfilling his teaching commitment, recommends TFA to any alumni interesting in going into teaching. Corps members do not have to be certified teachers but must attend a training program. Once placed at a school, TFA teachers are considered full-fledged faculty members there.
“I wanted to do something different, not touring the world, but something still purposeful, before going on to medical school,” shared Ebrahim, who, after spending his TFA time working with children, is now considering becoming a pediatrician.
“My time at Harker taught me about the value of making a meaningful impact. I have such gratitude to the teachers I had. And Spanish at Harker really paid off as I now use it to speak with the families of some of my students!” he added.
Leyna Cotran ’94 Sharing Passion for Computer Science with University Students
Leyna Cotran ’94 knows a thing or two about racking up frequent flier miles. Prior to recently becoming a full-time computer science instructor at Santa Clara University, she worked there as a part-time adjunct faculty lecturer while completing a Ph.D. in software engineering at the University of California, Irvine. That meant a lot of back and forth travel between Southern California and the Bay Area.
“It was just go, go, go!” recalled Cotran, who along the way also became pregnant with her first child, a daughter now 2 years old.
Prior to working at Santa Clara University, Cotran was the project lead for Navy re-entry systems at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., one of four major business divisions of Lockheed Martin, an American global aerospace, defense, security and advanced technologies company with worldwide interests.
Although she spent many years working in the private sector, Cotran, who earned her master’s degree in software engineering from Santa Clara University, says she feels at home teaching at her alma mater. One of the first courses she created and taught at the college continues to be part of the school’s master’s curriculum for software engineering.
One of the things Cotran enjoys most about teaching at Santa Clara University is the opportunity to transmit knowledge to a new generation. “The students I teach today are going to be leaders during my child’s future,” said Cotran, who finds she has a fresh perspective on teaching now that she has become a parent.
“Much of my own character was shaped at Harker. Now that I am teaching, it feels like things have come full circle,” she said.
In early March, Judge John Owens ’85 came to campus to speak to upper school students at a morning assembly on “Honors and Ethics,” sponsored by the Honor Council.
Owens said that his time at Harker remains “the most significant professional and personal influence on me.” He went on to say that Harker provided him with the study skills necessary to succeed in school, and more important, the ethics and values to succeed in life.
Owens started out as a Harker student in 1979, graduated from grade 8 in 1985, and worked as a summer camp counselor/coach at the school from 1985 until 1991. Today, he remains active with the school in his capacity as a member of Harker’s distinguished board of fellows.
He was previously featured in Harker News when he was appointed to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, the nation’s largest appeals court.
Prior to his talk at the upper school, Owens had returned to Harker’s lower school to talk with third graders about his life as a judge.
The 2016 Harker Golf Classic united Harker alumni, parents, alumni parents and their friends at the renowned Stanford Golf Course to raise funds for Harker’s General Endowment. For the second year in a row, the event was presented by the Harker Alumni Association.
The April 11 event brought 96 golfers out on a pleasant spring day. Jeremy Pomer ’91 was the event chair, while former Harker faculty member Howard Saltzman and current lower school math teacher Pat Walsh served as honorary marshals for the day. The marshals had a great time handing out prize ribbons and libations to golfers.
“Everyone had a wonderful time, made all the more meaningful with the knowledge that it was good fun for a good cause!” enthused Karri Baker ’84, director of alumni relations.
A variety of special awards and prizes, as well as numerous generous sponsors, helped make the day special. Capping off the event was a 19th hole reception with live music on the clubhouse patio for golfers, as well as non-golfers, wishing to join in on the fun.
A highlight of the day was the announcement of the winning foursomes. The winning men’s foursome comprised Harker parent Mike Armstrong, Trask Leonard, Josh Breeding and Rodney Plett ’81. The winning women’s foursome comprised Thu Ka, Connie Kim, Kavita Patel and Kavita Tankha, all Harker parents.
The Stanford Golf Course, designed in 1930 by renowned golf course architects William Bell and George C. Thomas, is located in the foothills above the Stanford University campus. In 2009, it was rated the nation’s third-best college course by golf coaches.