The upper school campus became an eveningland of lights, music and fun on Saturday night, as Harker held the 125th Anniversary Gala, its first gala since 2016. Held in the new athletic center and branching out to the Rothschild Performing Arts Center’s Patil Theater, more than 370 parents, alumni, faculty and staff were feted with custom videos, singing, live music, dancers, top-drawer food and drink, a hot band and great company.
Actor D.J. Blickenstaff ’09 and opera singer Gabrielle DeMers ’03 brought their special talents to their alma mater for the evening, along with a host of current student performers.
The gala, reformed and resurrected following the opening of the new athletic center (2017) and Rothschild Performing Arts Center (2018), was also the final major event in Harker’s 125th anniversary celebration. Suspended during construction, the event took place in the newest portion of the upper school campus, opening with the show in the Patil Theater at 6:30 p.m.
The Gala Show was emceed, and included a special performance, by Blickenstaff (“Dear White People,” “Colony” and “Catching a Break”). Segments highlighting aspects of Harker’s programs were enhanced by historical photos and related performances by the Harker Jazz Band, Varsity Dance Troupe, Cantilena, Dance Fusion and Downbeat.
DeMers, a professional opera singer, sang the tour de force aria “The Jewel Song” from Gounod’s “Faust.” The show’s finale brought back Blickenstaff and DeMers, and culminated in – for the first time ever – all of Harker’s vocal, dance and instrumental groups performing together, including the middle school’s Concert Choir; boys hip-hop group, Kinetic Krew; and Showstoppers, the grade 7-8 dance troupe. Head of School Brian Yager shared a few remarks and announced the launch of the school’s new 125th Gift Initiative.
Following the show, guests moved to the athletic center’s Zhang Gym, now deep in party trim, for cocktails and more entertainment, including an auction.
Master of Ceremonies Jeff Draper welcomed attendees and led them through some games. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were available in a beautifully decorated area on the gym floor, where guests could bid on auction items and try to win jewelry and wine. The evening’s food was prepared by the outstanding Harker culinary staff lead by Chef Steve Martin.
During dinner, Draper introduced a tribute to the seniors, which included some recorded memories by students and a slide show of every member of the Class of 2019. The event really got swinging after dinner as the Cosmo Alleycats brought their special brand of music to the dance floor. Other features of the evening included a special 125th anniversary photo booth with cool props where guests could take selfies or have a portrait taken.
The whole extravaganza was made possible by many kind donors, including presenting sponsors Rao and Rohini Mulpuri, and Fermi Wang and Jean Aida Kung. Gold sponsors were Atiq Raza and Nandini Saraiya of Reveti Jewels Inc., and Bobby and Ann Johnson, as well as an anonymous donor. Gold group sponsorship included DJ and Devika Patil, Vik and Roma Ghai, Amrita and Sunit Mukherjee, Priya and Shiva Shivakumar, and Suneela Muddu and Muddu Sudhakar.
Silver sponsors were Neeraj and Anisha Gupta; Nikki Lin and Brian Duff; and Yoko, leok SiTou and Tony Lau. Bronze sponsors were Ganesh and Sunitha Krishna, Robert Lee & Associates LLP, Devcon Construction Inc., and Vivek Thoppay, managing director at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
New York City’s PROJECT Trio gave a fitting send-off to this year’s Harker Concert Series season tonight, with a fun and exhilarating set at the Patil Theater that drew upon many diverse influences. Flautist (and YouTube sensation) Greg Pattillo, cellist Eric Stephenson and bassist Peter Seymour showed the results of their classical training by opening with a piece by Russian composer Mikhail Glinka, reimagined by the group as a jazz-funk romp punctuated by Pattillo’s beatboxing technique, which he employed throughout the show. They followed up with the highly familiar motif from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, which also incorporated the band’s deep appreciation for jazz, highlighted by Pattillo’s soloing. Stephenson remarked on how PROJECT Trio offered the unique opportunity to play music not normally considered for “classical” instruments, as the group dove into Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite,” each member soloing tastefully and with reverence for the great bebop saxophonist.
Returning from the intermission, the audience was soon treated to PROJECT Trio’s retelling of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf,” with the setting moved to present-day Brooklyn and the music following the band’s approach to reinterpreting cherished works. Narration was provided by the band, as members interjected amusingly throughout the piece, one of the favorites of the night. They closed their set with “The Bodega,” a rousing salsa number no doubt inspired by the many convenience stores for which their home of New York City is famous.
Last month, the middle school hosted some special guests during the Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy’s annual visit to Harker! The guests – 18 students and three chaperones – spent a week experiencing Harker and learning more about the daily lives of students by observing classes and conducting group activities, such as crafts and cooking, with their Harker buddies.
The SWFLA visitors also took the opportunity to see more of California during their trip, visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.
The big news at Harker in January was that seven students were named Regeneron Science Talent Search Top 300 winners and three were chosen as finalists. Numerous articles highlighted this international story.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
In a departure from its regular programming, this year Harker held its two big fall events on the same weekend and compounded the fun by adding a Grand Reunion gathering for alumni. Homecoming at Saratoga felt all new with the reconfigured campus, which suited the event well.
Festivities started early with the opening of Harker’s Athletic Hall of Fame in the new athletic center’s Krishnamurthi Sports Gallery. Guests were treated to hors d’oeuvres and soft drinks prior to the event, then watched as the drape was pulled, officially opening the Hall of Fame. Harker inducted three student athletes and one super fan (see page 48 for the full story).
Even as the Hall of Fame inductees were accepting their awards, fans were streaming past the windows on their way to Davis Field for the traditional pregame activities of the Eaglets fly-by, lower school cheer squad performance and the tug of war to settle third and fourth places in the spirit competition. A brief moment of silence was held for the passing of Diana Nic ols, former head of school, before the coin toss.
Harker dominated the game against the Lobos of Elsie Allen High School, winning 56-0. Halftime activities included performances by the varsity cheer squad and Varsity Dance Troupe, as well as the tug-off in which the seniors clipped the juniors to take first place in the contest.
Also at halftime, Teja Patil ’02 was given Harker’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award for her work as a doctor with the Palo Alto Veterans Administration and her work overseas. The following day, Saturday, was a mixture of delight in seeing old friends and sadness in saying goodbye to Diana Nichols at her memorial. The memorial, attended by about 200, was held in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center, Nichols’ last big project before her death. (See page 33 for more.)
Following the memorial, about 50 alumni from many graduation classes gathered at the upper school to reminisce, nosh, enjoy an adult beverage and reconnect. Brian Yager, head of school, conducted tours of the new buildings and alumni were wowed and a little jealous, according to reports! The event ended early enough for alumni to enjoy an evening on the town.
Sunday was the big day for the whole community, as families poured onto the Blackford campus for one of the last few picnics on that site before the middle school moves to the Union campus in 2022. The 68th Harker Family & Alumni Picnic picked up where the 2016 picnic ended; the 2017 picnic was canceled due to the fires in Napa.
This year’s theme was “Back to the Future,” in keeping with the school’s celebration of its 125th anniversary. As always, the blacktop was jammed with booths offering games of skill, chance and fun. Attendees tried laser tag, a self-propelled ride called The Wizzer, and a trial of skill called The Hoverboard in the multipurpose room, along with various sports-related games. Highlights, as always, included the stage performances by various student groups, along with appearances by various administrators getting into the spirit of the day. Food trucks supplied delicious snacks on the perimeter while food booths in the center of the grounds filled bellies with classic picnic fare. It was a glorious weekend with lots to do for everyone!
Visit news.harker.org for more. To see the skit on our cover, visit https://harker. wistia.com/medias/b9l34c6tam .
Harker has received a regional gold Award of Excellence for our 125th Anniversary microsite from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in the Individual Sub-Websites category. The field of competitors included colleges, universities and independent schools in Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands and Utah.
“Your excellent work stood out among the best,” stated the notification letter from CASE. “One of our objectives is to share best practices among our colleagues, and your efforts will be recognized as an example for others to emulate. Thank you for producing the kind of work that brings respect and best practices to our profession.”
The website, published in July 2018 to launch the Harker’s 125th anniversary celebration year, was two years in the making and features historical “then and now” photos, video clips, “125 fun facts about Harker” and a timeline of milestones. The site was created by Harker’s Office of Communication. The Harker 125th Anniversary commemorative website is here: https://www.harker.org/about/history
“This site was a labor of love for the department over a two-year period,” said Pam Dickinson, director of the Office of Communication. “We outlined what we felt would be interesting for our community and the public and then packaged the components in ways that were informative yet engaging. The goal was not only to educate, but to entertain, and now we have a comprehensive [website] capturing of our history that will be relevant for years to come.
“Nick Gassmann, our web designer, and Cathy Snider, our communication manager, were especially pivotal in the process, working with our photographer, Mark Kocina, and our multimedia specialist, Eric Marten, to find and curate our archival images. But our entire team had a hand in the site and we met almost weekly for two years to keep it on track and make it the best it could be. Sue Smith, head librarian, Terry Walsh, retired archivist, and Thomas Fowler, former web developer, also contributed. Kudos to this whole team for this well-deserved recognition,” Dickinson finished.
Silver medalists in our category were the University of California, Davis, and Fuller Theological Seminary; bronze winner was California State University, Fresno.
As a gold award winner, the entry will now be considered for a grand gold award, “given to the truly groundbreaking work in the category.” Those awards will be announced in February at the Awards of Excellence reception in Anaheim.
Stanford University recognized Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, as a dedicated educator and mentor. Millie Lin ’18, now attending Stanford, nominated Gargano as someone who has had a profound influence on her as a student.
“Ms. Gargano combines her immaculate organization and productivity with an immensely warm, devoted heart,” said Lin in the award certificate. “During my time at Harker, she [was] invaluable in shaping a more connected, productive school community, tirelessly supporting her students’ endeavors inside and outside of school, and fostering the personal growth of her well-fed, card-playing advisory. As my beloved high school advisor, Ms. Gargano models my vision of a fine educator and what it means to be of service to the community.”
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Words by Vikki Bowes-Mok
As a college student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Estelle Charlu Willie ’05 had a front-row seat when President Obama’s Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. It was a pivotal moment for her, and altered how she wanted to make an impact in the world.
“Growing up, I wanted to be a doctor, because I wanted a meaningful and fulfilling career,” Willie remembered. “But one of my professors in college suggested a course in public health, where I delved into health policy, including the many nuances of the health reform debate that resulted in the Affordable Care Act. It made me shift gears, because I realized that I could make an impact through a different route.”
Willie had made an impact at Harker too, through excellent academics, student council and the performing arts program, where she earned a Conservatory Certificate in musical theater. “Estelle was a beloved performer and you could literally see her excitement and love for being on stage,” said Laura Lang-Ree, director of K-12 performing arts. “She had the best work ethic, and you always wanted her big heart, commitment and talent in any production.”
Willie started early on stage as a flower girl in the musical “Annie” when she was in junior kindergarten. She caught the eye of teacher Jeanne Davey, who directed the kindergarten musicals, when she had to improvise on stage when another actress forgot her cue. In kindergarten, Willie went on to play a leading role as Anastasia, one of Cinderella’s evil stepsisters. “It was a role that was out of character for her, since she was one of the kindest and most thoughtful kids I ever worked with,” remembers former lower school teacher Pat Walsh, whose son Kevin played Prince Charming in the same play. “She has a heart as big as her brain, and I could see that emerging when she was just a youngster.”
Willie went on to do it all – from dance and show choir to dramas and musicals. She treasured her time onstage and understands that the breadth of her experience has taken her far. While she sang and danced her way through high school, she was also a focused and hard-working student.
“She was a tremendous writer who was passionate about everything she set out to do,” said history teacher Cyrus Merrill. “I am not surprised to hear that she has found herself in a public policy-related career trying to make a greater impact on society or social justice issues.”
One of the ways she is shaping our world is through her work at Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading global public relations firms. Willie is a leader in the social impact practice, where she works with purpose-driven brands and organizations to raise global awareness of urgent social issues and mobilize support among policymakers, the media and the public.
One of Willie’s clients is Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, who is working tirelessly to promote civic engagement through grassroots efforts that support trustworthy journalism, voter protection, women in technology, and veterans and military families. Newmark recently help launch The Markup, a news site that will use a data-driven approach to investigate technology and its effect on society, with a $20 million gift.
This type of impact is what drives Willie every day. “My path wasn’t linear, but all the choices I’ve made have helped shape where I am today,” she said from her office in New York City. “A broad education makes a huge difference, but I would also urge Harker students to take advantage of extracurriculars. They help you develop intrinsic leadership skills that will take you far and cultivate friendships that will last a
lifetime.”
Vikki Bowes-Mok is also the executive director of the community nonprofit Compass Collective.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Words By Vikki Bowes-Mok
When you think about a stereotypical Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Andy Fang ’10 fits the profile – brilliant, hard-working and willing to take risks. Fang is certainly all that but also so much more. “One of my most cherished times in high school was being part of the school musical,” he remembered with a big smile. “It was something totally outside of my comfort zone – shout out to ‘Music Man’ and ‘Les Misérables’!”
While the school musical was a favorite memory, Fang also excelled in academics and student council, where he served as student body president.
One of his favorite classes was an advanced computer science course in neural networks, before it was a well-known concept, and one that he appreciates being exposed to a few years before it became mainstream.
“Andy was the kind of student that any teacher loves to have. I tended to push Andy to always give me his best efforts, even in the simplest of assignments,” remembered Eric Nelson, upper school computer science department chair, who had Fang three years in a row. “He was bright and applied himself, but still needed a mentor to help him reach his full potential.”
And reach that potential he has. Fang is a co-founder of the ever-popular company DoorDash, which he started with Stanford University classmates Evan Moore, Stanley Tang and Tony Xu. Fang and Tang were named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in the category Consumer Technology in 2016.
The four started the company as Palo Alto Delivery when they were still students at Stanford. After talking to local restaurant owners about their biggest challenges, they realized that delivery was an issue they could help solve. In the early days, the company delivered Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fang helped deliver the first couple of hundred orders on the platform.
Palo Alto Delivery became DoorDash and the startup was backed by Y Combinator, all before Fang graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 2014. Growing up, Fang actually didn’t want to attend Stanford, since it was so close to home, but his passion for computer science and understanding that Silicon Valley was the hub of innovation and entrepreneurship led him to become a Cardinal.
His decision was clearly the right one, since he studied hard, learned well and met his future business partners there. DoorDash has raised $971.8 million in funding, but that’s just the beginning.
“There’s still a lot for us to accomplish at DoorDash. Our vision from day one was always to build a last-mile logistics platform to service any local commerce use case,” said Fang from his San Francisco office. “We’ve primarily been doing that with restaurant food so far, but we’re expanding to other use cases such as grocery, with our recently announced Walmart partnership. I’m excited to see how we’ll continue to grow and mature our logistics network.”
As Fang looks toward a bright future, he remembers his days at Harker with a genuine fondness.
“And the funny thing is, Andy is still deeply involved in The Conservatory as his business has become an integral part of our community – tech week and auditions couldn’t happen without DoorDash!” laughed Laura Lang-Ree, director of K-12 performing arts. “I love to think he’s still a part of the family that way!”
Vikki Bowes-Mok is also the executive director of the community nonprofit Compass Collective.