This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Words by Marla Holt
From 1893 to 2002, Harker’s boarding program was integral to its commitment to academic excellence and personal character development. From eating family-style meals and watching TV in the rec room to Bear Valley skiing trips and getting ready for school dances, the shared experiences of Harker boarders had the power to transform young lives.
“We learned from each other – through mistakes, drama, triumphs, laughter and tears,” said Wendy Tsai ’04, one of Harker’s last boarders from 2000 to 2002. Ji-won (Choi) Song ’96, who boarded in 1994-95, agreed, noting that “we built strong friendships and learned to be independent at an early age.”
Harker welcomed boarders from its earliest days as Manzanita Hall and Miss Harker’s School for Girls, when college preparatory students lived under the same roof as teachers and administrators. Handbooks from both schools referred to the boarding program as home, with students expected to “observe the ordinary courtesies of a private home” and to have the “advantage of being members of a family.” Rooms were comfortably furnished and each school was governed by a “spirit which brings about obedience to authority and an honest effort to do what is right without compulsion.”
Like Harker itself, the boarding program underwent several changes during its 109-year history. Manzanita Hall became the Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA) in 1919 and boarded cadets in grades 1-9. Miss Harker’s dropped its boarding program in the mid-1950s when it became the Harker Day School. In 1972, PAMA and the Harker Day School merged and moved to San Jose to become the Harker Academy, which offered a boys only boarding program until 1974. At that time, the boarding program became coeducational and phased out kindergarten through grade 5 boarding while continuing to offer boarding for students in grades 6-8.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Harker housed roughly 100 to 120 boarders annually, many of whom were local students with parents who traveled frequently for business. The number of international student boarders gradually increased from about 20 percent to more than 80 percent, resulting in a greater emphasis on supporting ESL learners and a need for comprehensive weekend programming.
Harker’s last boarding students were admitted in 1998-99, the same academic year that the upper school was launched on the Saratoga campus. Only four boarders remained in the program when it closed on June 6, 2002, to accommodate Harker’s expanding upper school program.
All told, the boarding program served about 1,377 school-year boarders and 2,100 summer boarders. The students’ daily needs – from meals to academics to social and recreational activities to health care and haircuts – were met by caring, dedicated and capable staff members who acted in loco parentis. Many of the staff were coaches, teachers and bus drivers by day who lived in the dorms at night.
Joe Rosenthal, who was boarding director from 1991 to 2002 (later executive director of advancement and now executive director of strategic initiatives), noted that boarders learned the skills of independence and self-reliance, as well as appreciation of the importance of kindness in themselves and others.
“I have the greatest respect for the boarding students,” Rosenthal said in a 2002 survey of former house parents and dorm directors conducted at the closing of the boarding program. “I am a much better person because of what I have seen these children do – the expressions of friendship and kindnesses they’ve shown to each other.
Only if one lived it would one be able to know how meaningful and important the boarders have been to each other.” To celebrate the history of this beloved home for many students, we looked back at daily life for Harker boarders, particularly those who lived on the Saratoga campus.
WE ARE FAMILY A genuine sense of family developed among the students and staff members in Harker’s boarding program, said William Jarvis ’97, who boarded from 1995 to 1997. “Harker felt more like a family than a school,” he said. “There was a strong sense of inclusivity despite the wide range of ages, interests and diverse nationalities that were represented in students all living together in close quarters.”
As in most families, the boarding program had high expectations for its students – illustrated by a clear system of behavioral rules and regulations, which served to foster a kind, respectful and positive environment.
“I treasured the trust that parents placed in our program and staff,” said Pam Dickinson, Harker’s weekend program director from 1989 to 2001, when she became the director of the Office of Communication. “It was an honor, privilege and duty to take care of their children as if they were our own (and they felt like they were). We nurtured, cared for, loved and disciplined the children as needed to help them grow into responsible, kind and considerate adults.”
Both the boarding program’s structure – including supervised study time and organized recreational active ties – and the independence-building freedom of living apart from their nuclear families helped boarders develop resiliency and the ability to make good choices.
“The social skills and self-sufficiency that I developed in the Harker boarding program have continued to be invaluable in my adult life,” Jarvis said. “The interactions and conversations I had with my peers and program staff taught me a lot about life that I would not have learned in a purely academic environment.”
JUST LIKE HOME Day-to-day life in the boarding program reflected that of private family homes. Boarders were expected to contribute to the dorm’s upkeep by tidying their rooms and cleaning the common areas. White-glove inspections – especially when Howard Nichols, Harker’s president from 1973 to 2005, was expected to visit the dormitories – were conducted by house parents, with students competing for the Cleanest Room and Best Decorated Room awards given out at the annual Boarding Banquet.
Some boarders were better at cleaning than others, recalled Katherine Lo, weekday girls’ house parent. “My most lasting memory was the day that I was finally able to see the floor of Debora Yim’s [’04] room!”
But life as a Harker boarder wasn’t all work and no play. The rec room was a popular hangout spot for playing foosball, air hockey and Ping-Pong. Watching TV was allowed only after homework was done and not past 8 p.m. on school nights. Marta Marraccini ’84, the last boarder to live at Harker from kindergarten through eighth grade, recalled a memorable viewing of the last episode of M.A.S.H. “There wasn’t one dry eye,” she said.
Other popular activities included playing basketball and capture the flag, pool parties, movie marathons, Thursday night barbecues, nighttime sports in the gym, talent shows and special events like Monte Carlo night. Over the years, Maj. Donald Nichols’ dogs – Ajax, Babo, Klute and Dutch – were unofficial school mascots and provided love and attention to the boarders during the 23 years Nichols worked at Harker.
“Dutch, a 140-pound mastiff, had the run of the dorms and campus. At night, he slept in any room he wanted where the door was not firmly latched,” recalled Dan Gelineau in the 2002 survey of boarding staff. Gelineau went on to be assistant head of school for nonacademic affairs before he retired in 2002. He passed away in 2015.
While boarding students were expected to study and read on their own as part of their academic endeavors, staff members also regularly read stories aloud. Jeff Haugaard, boarding program director from 1976 to 1981, hosted Uncle Haugaard’s story hour in the rec room. While the older kids were in study hall, he’d read stories to the younger kids – in pajamas and robes – before bed. Later that night, he’d read the same stories over the intercom to the sixth through ninth graders as they prepared for bed. “I enjoyed hearing them say ‘Goodnight, Unc,’ as they closed their doors,” Haugaard said in the 2002 survey.
Cindy Ellis, house parent, later middle school division head, who retired in 2018, recalls that reading once helped calm students after an earthquake. “I had them buddy up in the bunk beds so that all 18 girls were in just four rooms,” she said. “I sat in the hallway and read to them until they were finally able to sleep.”
House parents nursed boarders and patched up cuts and bruises. Terry Walsh, house p rent, later assistant librarian and archivist, who retired in 2014, recalls keeping a small supply of chicken noodle soup and saltines on hand for emergencies. “I offered burnt toast and weak tea to anyone I thought was faking it,” she said.
“The staff cared passionately about our whole well-being, from getting a decent haircut to having enough time to play video games and experience nature,” said Toku Chen ’92, who boarded in 1991-92. Jarvis agreed, noting that the staff created a “comfortable social environment where you could simply be a goofy kid and feel free to express yourself.”
Students boarded at Harker for five or seven days a week. Weekends were more casual and often included excursions to Santa Cruz, Pier 39, Roaring Camp and Great America, and activities like hiking, camping, bowling, shopping and skating.
Harker’s weekend program made the school unique, Song said. “The staff did an amazing job creating a fun and nurturing program – the trips to San Francisco, malls, dinners, dance parties. I don t know how they did it, and always with so much energy!”
On Sunday mornings, many students worked at the Harker Café, an imitation Hard Rock Café at which students learned the life skills of cooking and serving food. Outfitted in T-shirts and aprons, they took orders and made eggs, bacon and fried rice for their friends (and occasionally teachers).
Many boarders have fond memories of holiday celebrations, including making Halloween costumes (that were later used in skits and plays), baking Christmas cookies and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” at Terry and Pat Walsh’s home. Cutting down and decorating a Christmas tree for the dining room was particularly fun.
“One year there was a huge beehive in the tree,” Marraccini recalled. “You never saw Jeff [Haugaard] move so fast. The kids were running and screaming. Later we found an even better tree, cut it down and went back to the dorm like warriors after the battle.”
The night before break, everyone gathered in the rec room to drink eggnog and listen to Howard Nichols read “The Night Before Christmas” while a video fir played on the TV and Gelineau played the accordion. The house parents made sure each child had a gift to open.
“In most families, there are a limited number of adults to whom a child can turn for advice and guidance,” Dickinson said. “Our boarding students had their pick of thoughtful, caring adults in their lives.”
A boarding program based only on principles, philosophy, values and budgets is not likely to be successful. Though Harker certainly had all of those things, it also understood that a boarding program had to be about family.
“Children watch, observe, learn, feel, emulate and absorb the character and values of the adults,” Chen said. “The boarding program represented a remarkable team that shared and exhibited the same values, passion and care for others. The program went far to take care of every kid – one by one. Whenever I think about the Harker boarding life and all the great people I was with, it leaves a lifelong smile in me.”
Contributing researcher: Cindy Ellis.
Marla Holt is a freelance writer based in Minnesota.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
By Vikki Bowes-Mok
The kitchen is bustling at Brown Chicken Brown Cow in Campbell, and at the heart is Chris Yamashita ’90. Yamashita is laughing with his employees as he patiently teaches a new cook how to put together a Psychedelic Goat Cheese Burger, complete with BCBC goat cheese mixed with truffles and mushrooms.
Yamashita opened the popular eatery in 2013 and his passion for people is what drives him every day. Whether it’s his employees, customers or former teachers who frequent the restaurant, Yamashita is always ready with a quick smile and genuine kindness. “If I didn’t like people, I wouldn’t be in the restaurant business,” Yamashita said. “I love good food and enjoy running a business, but my biggest passion is people.”
Yamashita grew up in Silicon Valley and attended Harker from grades 4-8 before heading to Bellarmine College Preparatory.
“Chris was the type of kid who got along with everybody. He was well liked and respected by all of his classmates, primarily because he went out of his way to treat everybody with genuine kindness,” said Pat Walsh, who was Yamashita’s math teacher in the lower school. “Chris really loved school, and his enthusiasm and positive energy were qualities that helped make my classroom a warm inviting place.”
Yamashita said he really did love school and appreciates many of the important life lessons he learned at Harker, including solid study skills, the drive to succeed and compassion for people as individuals.
His time at Harker wasn’t over after he graduated. He came back to work as a summer camp counselor during high school and while in college at Santa Clara University.
In fact, it was a warm summer afternoon near the flower beds at Harker when Yamashita realized his culinary dream. He and a friend, Mariam Morshedi ’90, were shooting the breeze and he said, “I want to open to my own restaurant.”
But then life happened and he got busy doing other things – until he saw her again. “It was years later and she asked me about opening a restaurant,” Yamashita remembered vividly. “She reminded me of my dream and it changed my course.”
Yamashita decided to see if he could transform his dream into a reality. So he started at the bottom of the food chain (literally!) and worked every possible position in local restaurants, including Kyoto Palace and Cin-Cin. While he was taking a crash course in Restaurant 101, he also launched his own catering business.
After a lot of planning and learning, Yamashita opened the bright orange doors to BCBC in 2013.
“When the space was being constructed, my then girlfriend, Jordan, and I were walking home from Campbell and she jested ‘Brown Chicken Brown Cow’ about something that had nothing to do with the restaurant,” remembered Yamashita, who has a 2-yearold son, Andy, and a baby on the way with his now wife Jordan. “We looked at each other and registered the name with the county the following Monday. I had the concept and the menu finalized, and the name was just perfect.”
Yamashita created a warm inviting place at BCBC with natural light pouring in, crayon-colored chicken and cow pictures lining the small hallway, and a bustling restaurant filled with smiling customers.
“I had a very clear idea what I wanted to serve — elevated burgers, high-quality chicken sandwiches and fresh salads — but I wanted to try new flavor combinations,” said Yamashita. “It turns out that people are more willing to try unusual combinations on a sandwich or a salad.”
As they say at BCBC, every menu item has been carefully crafted to satisfy even the toughest of food critics. “If it’s not good enough for Chris, then it’s not good enough to be served at Brown Chicken Brown Cow,” states the restaurant’s website.
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.
Colin Goodwin teaches lower school English, and he and his wife have two kids who attend Harker. A Colorado native, Goodwin tells us that his family also includes “an annoying cat, whose name, Shizuka, means quiet but is anything but!” It doesn’t take long to figure out that Goodwin is funny, and that he – a self-described “latchkey kid” – is passionate about being a dad who is always available for his children. That passion shares space with a love of music and all things Japanese, an obsession that began when he taught English there in 1996.
What is your most treasured object and why?
My double bass. Since I was a little rug rat listening to my parents’ 45s to when I was a skate rat in high school listening to reggae, for me, it’s always been about the bass.
What is one experience you’ve had that you don’t believe anyone else has ever experienced?
Sitting in the green room of Osaka, Japan’s Blue Note jazz club, surrounded by all the pictures of famous jazz artists who had sat there before me, all the while knowing that I was there dressed as Santa Claus waiting to go on stage for my school’s Christmas party.
What are you doing when you feel most alive?
Hiking with my family in Grand Teton National Park. When I first met my wife, she had just started a job working at the lodge. We went rock climbing for our first date. To see our children enjoying the same place is a wonderful thing. Of course, my daughter is not fond of the bears.
Why do you do what you do?
When my father and I moved from Massachusetts to San Diego my freshman year of high school, I had a heavy metal haircut, clothes straight out of the movie “Breakin’” and a head full of insecurities. Teachers, skateboarding and reggae saved me. I teach to pay back all the teachers who helped me. [They were] there for me in ways that my family could not be.
What is something interesting about you that almost no one knows?
Mr. Ramsey asked me for advice on how to improve his mixed martial arts fighting.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Karen Glovka teaches Spanish at the lower school, but her classroom isn’t the only place she utilizes her language skills. She teaches Spanish-speaking children through her church, and often helps Hispanic immigrant families understand the ins and outs of public school. She also teaches in Harker’s ELI program each summer. And to aid her Harker students with oral comprehension, she wrote a series of stories featuring her 16-year-old cat, Chiquita. Read on to learn more about this caring and fun teacher.
What are two things you like to do when you have a block of free time?
Reading and watching Turner Classic Movies – always with a good cup of coffee for both.
Why do you do what you do?
I’m from inner-city San Francisco. Many of my school friends could not read, even in middle school while I was consuming novels. A teacher encouraged me to help others with their schoolwork. As they made progress, I was very excited to watch them learn. It’s why I am a teacher.
What is the biggest risk you have taken in your life?
In 1985 I went to teach with a church group in Cali, Colombia. It wasn’t a safe place, but I had seven fulfilling years there.
What gives you a reason to smile?
Kid logic and funny stories. I have a rather quirky, “Far Side” kind of humor.
Where in the world are you the happiest?
Most Thursday nights I’m at choir practice. Music makes me very happy!
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
I was diagnosed with a severe hip problem at an early age. The first doctors said I would never walk. Thanks to skilled surgeons and continued improvement in treatment, I walk, and I am very grateful.
Face Time: Karen Glovka
Karen Glovka teaches Spanish at the lower school, but her classroom isn’t the only place she utilizes her language skills. She teaches Spanish-speaking children through her church, and often helps Hispanic immigrant families understand the ins and outs of public school. She also teaches in Harker’s ELI program each summer. And to aid her Harker students with oral comprehension, she wrote a series of stories featuring her 16-year-old cat, Chiquita. Read on to learn more about this caring and fun teacher.
What are two things you like to do when you have a block of free time?
Reading and watching Turner Classic Movies – always with a good cup of coffee for both.
Why do you do what you do?
I’m from inner-city San Francisco. Many of my school friends could not read, even in middle school while I was consuming novels. A teacher encouraged me to help others with their schoolwork. As they made progress, I was very excited to watch them learn. It’s why I am a teacher.
What is the biggest risk you have taken in your life?
In 1985 I went to teach with a church group in Cali, Colombia. It wasn’t a safe place, but I had seven fulfilling years there.
What gives you a reason to smile?
Kid logic and funny stories. I have a rather quirky, “Far Side” kind of humor.
Where in the world are you the happiest?
Most Thursday nights I’m at choir practice. Music makes me very happy!
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
I was diagnosed with a severe hip problem at an early age. The first doctors said I would never walk. Thanks to skilled surgeons and continued improvement in treatment, I walk, and I am very grateful.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Middle school chemistry and physics teacher Rajasree Swaminathan has found balance in her life. Firmly planted in the STEM world, first as an engineer and then as a teacher, she has an equal passion for art, sketching and painting to relax, rejuvenate and deepen her teaching. Justly proud of many things, Swaminathan revels in her volunteer work with art and pediatric cancer organizations, her Harker students, and her son, Ashvin ’13, a Harker valedictorian and Harvard graduate.
What one piece of advice you would offer anyone who asks?
Respect all, fear none and compete with only oneself. The “fear none” part is hard to do.
What gives you a reason to smile?
When I see my students walk into class asking me what we are doing today, and when I reply, they yell, “Yes!”
What are you obsessed with?
Health. Being a cancer survivor and having retinoschisis in one eye, I’m into smoothies, super foods, supplements and exercise.
What is something you would love to do so much that you would be OK with failing at it?
One of my dreams is to write illustrated science books with which I can teach young kids basic science concepts through pictures. I have started by illustrating chemistry elements as female characters. I’ve already completed the illustrations for 22 elements; 96 more to go!
What helps you persevere when you feel like giving up?
In spite of many setbacks in my life, I persevere because I never want to be in a position later on in my life when I would say, “If only I had tried again.”
Where is the one place in the world that you like to escape to?
My home, where I can quietly sit and paint.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Lauri Vaughan begins her new job as library director in January, so it’s no surprise that books come up a lot when discussing her favorite things. Though she wishes everyone in the world had free access to books of all kinds, and says if she’s not neck-deep in a book for a while, she knows her life is out of balance and needs attention, she also finds time to volunteer with Second Harvest Food Bank each week. At Harker, she runs the ReCreate Reading program and is on the Sustainability Committee. Oh, and she really loves her puppy, Aiko!
Why do you do what you do?
I love information. Not just books and certainly not just fiction. I love the power of information. I love searching for it and finding it. And, it’s more accessible than most people think.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Celebrate the successes of others, large and small. It’s an indelible form of kindness that is so easy, is never disingenuous and always makes your life richer.
What gives you a reason to smile?
I am so often delighted with the questions, comments and actions of Harker kids! Often, it’s the little things they do that make me smile: ask a great question, come up with a remarkable idea, wear a brilliant costume, etc.
What is something interesting about you that almost no one knows?
I have an identical twin sister, which for the first half of my life, everyone knew because we lived together. [Now] even my closest friends don’t really know me as a sister of a twin. We are very close.
What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
Hands down, raising my son. It’s still not over, but I think he’s a pretty wonderful person and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done physically, emotionally, intellectually. But the biggest payoff, too.
Brag about something.
If there were a world series of napping, I’d win.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Words by Jennifer Maragoni
Just 13 years ago, Kathy Peng ’05 was a student in Anita Chetty’s Human Anatomy and Physiology class. Now they are colleagues. Peng, middle school science department chair, is one of more than a dozen Harker graduates who work at the school. In the past there have been a handful of fulltime and many more part-time alumni who have returned to campus to teach, coach or freelance.
“I still remember her class vividly,” said Peng of Chetty, upper school science department chair. “I am honored to be able to continue learning from her and now be her colleague.”
Now in her fifth year of teaching at Harker, Peng initially pursued a career in neuroscience – contributing to research on epilepsy, sleep, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression – before realizing her calling was in the classroom, not a research lab. She enrolled in the Stanford Teacher Education Program and said she is “grateful to have found such a rewarding profession.” Peng knew she wanted to work with middle schoolers, and her friends and family encouraged her to apply for an opening at Harker.
In addition to being the department chair, she currently teaches eighth grade biology and mentors students in the science research program. She says being a Harker graduate gives her a unique connection with students and families. “They know that I bring to my job an additional layer of understanding of what it means to be educated at Harker,” she explained.
Peng had a deep love of learning as a student and brings a refreshing approach to teaching, Chetty said. Working together is “a chance to come full circle,” she added. “What a compliment it is to our school that alumni would choose to build their careers in service to Harker,” Chetty continued. “Our faculty are known for caring deeply about their students and striving to give so much of themselves to our students. Our alumni well understand what good teaching and learning looks like because they saw it in their teachers. They already bring with them firsthand experience of being the recipient of dedication to one’s craft and a lifelong love of learning.”
Although Harker has grown since Peng was a student, she says the “culture of excellence” has remained consistent – and that is largely what drew her back. “Harker has such an amazing student body and faculty and staff,” Peng said. “I am surrounded by excellence, and that is inspiring.”
Other alumni-turned-employees echo that sentiment. “There are so many amazing things about working at Harker,” said upper school economics teacher Sam Lepler ’96, who joined the faculty in 2010. “The students are top of the list. They are funny, diligent, intelligent and just all-around fun people to be around. … My colleagues are brilliant, kind, professional and hard-working. I am honored to be part of a highly talented faculty team. “Of course, the lunches are amazing too,” Lepler added with a grin.
Lepler currently teaches AP Economics and Advanced Topics in Economics: Game Theory, and oversees Oeconomia, the extracurricular arm of Harker economics. In addition to being a Harker alumnus and teacher, he is also a Harker parent (Maya, kindergarten). “I am thrilled to complete the circuit and share my alum status with my own family,” he said.
The journey back
Different paths have led alumni back to Harker, but all agree there is something special about working at their alma mater. They fondly remember attending Harker as students and are grateful for the opportunity to return as employees.
“I love the sense of community that Harker embraces, and many of my favorite memories come from this wonderful place. … There is such a feeling of nostalgia,” beamed Grace Wallace ’95, who teaches first grade and is the department chair for grades 1 and 2.
She attended Harker from kindergarten through eighth grade. (Harker did not have an upper school at that time.) Wallace’s path back to Harker was fairly direct. While in high school, she was a summer camp counselor, and during college, she served as a summer aide and worked on the BEST staff. In August 2005, just a few months after graduating from college, she joined the Harker faculty, where she since has taught kindergarten through third grade. “I have not worked anywhere else,” she said. “I love this place!”
While it was the California sunshine that lured human resources manager Marissa Lucketti ’90 back to the area after college, it was her fond memories of Harker and the school’s stellar reputation that prompted her to apply for a job.
“If you were a San Jose native, you knew that Harker Academy (as I knew it) was synonymous with excellence,” said Lucketti, who joined the staff in 2000. “Who wouldn’t want to work somewhere that had (and still has) a reputation for excellence?”
Although Lucketti only attended Harker for first through third grade, she said she has always felt very connected to Harker and is grateful to work at the place that provided such wonderful childhood memories. Her brother, Matt Ortiz ’88, also works at Harker, as a shipping and receiving associate.
Keri Clifford ’13, who joined the faculty this year as a second grade teacher, can’t remember a time when Harker wasn’t a part of her life. Her parents met while working at Harker, and her grandmother (the sister of Diana Nichols) was head of the finance office and now serves on the board of trustees.
Since high school, Clifford has worked at Harker’s summer program, and during college she was the assistant coach for the girls water polo team. She is also the first official “lifer” on the faculty, having attended Harker from junior kindergarten through grade 12.
“Harker has always been a part of my family,” she said, adding that she is grateful to work alongside “amazing, passionate teachers who are always trying to innovate and improve their teaching. I am also constantly inspired by our Harker students, who arrive every day ready to learn.”
Lepler’s path back to Harker was more circuitous. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in economics and minored in Japanese and Spanish. He taught in English in rural Japan for two years before returning to the Bay Area to earn his teaching credential.
A chance meeting with former Harker economics teacher Pete Itokazu at a professional development conference led him back to Harker, he explained. “I was teaching at Santa Clara High School and really establishing myself there,” he said. “[Pete and I] bonded for a week and he convinced me to just come for an interview at Harker.” The rest is history.
Lepler calls it an honor and a privilege to give back to the school that gave him so much, explaining that he enrolled at Harker in middle school, after experiencing significant bullying at his previous school. “Harker’s welcoming environment full of kind students and caring teachers literally turned my life around,” he said. “I will be grateful to Harker for the rest of my life.”
Middle school history teacher Karan Lodha ’04 says the supportive Harker community was a huge factor in his decision to pursue teaching and join the Harker faculty. He is excited to help his students learn and grow, much like his teachers did for him. After graduating from college in 2008, Lodha held a variety of jobs in the technology industry, but he was looking for a way to contribute more to society. He had often thought about teaching and, while exploring this possibility, he reached out to several of his former Harker teachers, who arranged for him to shadow several teachers on campus. One thing led to another and Lodha landed a long-term sub position at the middle school during the 2016-17 school year. Last year, he was hired as a full-time teacher at the middle school, where he has taught both math and history.
“I’ve been fortunate to teach multiple subjects at the middle school. However, what I’ve learned through that experience is that much of what we do as teachers of this age group is model how to be kind, thoughtful and productive human beings – that is, demonstrate how to develop the skills and personality traits that will help our students become forces for good no matter what they go on to do,” he said. “The curriculum and the content can be rich and rewarding, but the true joy of the teaching profession comes from watching these young adults mature and become unique individuals as the year goes on.”
Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, said it is that mindset that makes Harker alumni such effective teachers. “I have been a particular advocate of hiring alumni and working with the alumni office to better notify our alumni of teaching positions,” Gargano said, explaining that while all employees must have strong qualifications, alumni have “inherent benefits.”
“They come in with a strong work ethic, are well-rounded, and understand Harker’s high standards for teaching and engagement,” she said. “Moreover, they understand the school culture and the importance we place on teachers working closely with students to be their best selves, not only academically but also social-emotionally and with regards to character.”
Green lights ahead
A key part of Harker’s mission is to instill a love of learning in its students. So, it’s no wonder that alumni employees seize opportunities to continue to learn and grow – a mindset strongly supported by the administration. “If you can dream it, and the students want it, it can happen,” said Lepler, explaining that Harker readily gives its faculty the “green light” to explore their passions. “[This] makes pushing yourself professionally and intellectually incredibly rewarding.”
Wallace agrees, adding that as an alumna, “The best part is that I know the resources available to me and I want to provide the same quality of education to my students that I received when I attended.”
Since joining the faculty, Lodha said he has taken valuable professional development courses and workshops. However, he adds, “the greatest resource for me has been my colleagues at Harker. I couldn’t even begin to list the tens of individuals who have welcomed me into their classrooms, provided me with lesson plans, offered a suggestion on a particular technique, or just been kind and supportive when I needed it most,” he said. “For many, teaching can be a lonely profession, with hours and hours spent with your face buried in stacks of paper. However, at Harker, I truly feel like I’m part of a teaching community, which makes the experience incredibly fulfilling.”
Unique challenges
One of the unique challenges alumni face when returning to their alma mater is getting used to working alongside their former teachers and addressing them by their first names.
“Do I call them by their first name or do I address them in the manner in which the students do?” wondered Wallace when she first began teaching at Harker.
Recent graduate Molly Wancewicz ’17, a sophomore at Rice University in Houston and Harker’s youngest alumni employee, said adjusting to this new dynamic was a bit challenging.
“It was an awkward transition from a position of student to that of an employee,” said Wancewicz, who was hired on as an assistant coach for Harker’s speech and debate team just after graduation. “Even simple things, like calling former teachers by their first names, felt odd.”
But Wancewicz didn’t let a little awkwardness deter her from pursuing a job at Harker. When her schedule allows, she flies to tournaments where she meets up with the team and provides on-site coaching. She also does research remotely, and when she returns home to San Jose in the summer, she does administrative work on campus and helps coach the middle school debate team.
Wancewicz now coaches students who were once her classmates, an “interesting dynamic” that she said allows her to be more effective as a coach.
“Debate can be stressful and emotionally taxing, so debate coaching often involves encouragement and being understanding of the unique anxieties that emerge at debate tournaments,” she explained. “Being close in age to students and having experienced many of the same things allows me to do this more successfully.”
Lodha says that while it took some time to get used to thinking of his former teachers as colleagues, it is “incredibly fulfilling” to work alongside them. He currently works with his former advisor, middle school division head Evan Barth, and former basketball coach, Jeremiah Brewer, among others.
“Working with these dedicated individuals to help make our students’ lives better – I couldn’t ask for a better experience!” he said.
Clifford agrees. “They are so welcoming and they continue to mentor me and share their years of wisdom,” she said. “Plus, the kids love learning that we shared some of the same teachers – like Cindy Proctor, who was actually my first grade teacher!”
The more things change …
While many of Harker’s attributes and traditions have remained constant over the years, some things about the school have changed dramatically – most notably, its size.
“It’s much bigger now in terms of student body and also the number of campuses,” marveled Peng, who was a member of the fourth class to graduate from the upper school.
Both Wallace and Lucketti also noted that the uniforms have changed. “The girls uniform are a lot cuter now,” Lucketti quipped. When Lucketti, Lepler and Wallace attended Harker in the 1980s and 90s, it was a K-8 school with only one campus. Since then, the upper school was added, the boarding program was closed, three additional campuses were acquired and numerous buildings and amenities have sprung up – including Davis Field, the Singh Aquatic Center and, most recently, the Rothschild Performing Arts Center and the new athletic center.
“Nichols Hall sits on the field that I used to play Ultimate Frisbee on,” Lepler reminisced. “The school is a whole lot bigger and more comprehensive, so in many ways it’s completely different. … But the caring, kind and intellectually stimulating culture has not changed a bit.”
Jennifer Maragoni is a freelance writer and editor based in Folsom
There are currently nine teachers, four full-time staff and one division head who attended Harker. The teachers: Keri Clifford ‘13, Mark Gelineau ‘90, Sam Lepler ‘96, Eric Leonard ‘94, Karan Lodha ‘04, Kristin Morgensen ‘93, Kathy Peng ‘05, Elise Robichaud ‘84 and Grace Wallace ‘95. T e staff: Danielle Holquin ‘95, Marissa Lucketti ‘90, Matt Ortiz ‘88 and Troy Townzen ‘08. And the division head: Kristin Giammona ‘81.
Last week, the boys soccer team picked up two big wins to go to 4-1 on the season. The Eagles defeated Del Mar 4-2 early in the week, followed by a 4-3 win over Lynbrook. The boys soccer team won’t take the field again until the new year.
Girls Soccer
The girls soccer team defeated Yerba Buena 7-1 last week, before playing Lincoln to a 1-1 tie. The 2-2-2 Eagles will be in action again when 2019 rolls around.
Girls Basketball
The girls basketball team rolled to two wins last week to bring its season record to 9-2. In a 43-23 win over Harbor High, Prameela Kottapalli, grade 12, led the Eagles with 8 points. Later in the week, the girls defeated San Lorenzo Valley 39-28 with Akhila Ramgiri, grade 12, leading the way with 9 points and 11 rebounds. The Eagles play again on Saturday as they travel to Immaculate Conception Academy.
Boys Basketball
The boys basketball team defeated Redwood Christian 53-39 last week to improve its record to 4-3. Jarrett Anderson, grade 12, led the Eagles with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Eagles play again over the break as they travel to Del Mar on Dec. 22.
Wrestling
Harker wrestling begins its season in early January at the Los Gatos Tournament.
Lower school service efforts were in full swing this month as the annual grade 4 toy drive delivered 550 toys to St. Justin Community Ministry in Santa Clara, which every year offers underprivileged families the opportunity to “shop” for toys to give to their children. Although the collection effort is led by grade 4 students, all lower school families were encouraged to participate. The 10-day toy drive coincided with hot chocolate sales on Dec. 7 and Dec. 13, organized by the grades 4 and 5 student council, which raised more than $1,000 for schools affected by the devastating November Camp Fire.
Students at Harker Preschool brought in pajamas that will be added to the grade 3 pajama drive at the lower school. It was great to see Harker’s youngest students smiling as they made their donations!