bullis magazine, spring/summer 2013

Congratulations Class of 2013

Readers Rich With Purpose

Innovations in the Arts

spring-summer 2013

BULLISmagazine

spring-summer 2013

BULLISmagazine

features2 Class of 2013 Commencement16 Lower School: A Community of Readers Rich With Purpose20 Innovations in the Arts

departmentsacademics15 Model UN Visits the Hague

news22 Gala Success: A Red Carpet Affair22 Bullis Seniors Final at National History Day

arts23 Imagination

athletics26 Outstanding Athletes

alumni 34 Alumni Golf Tournament36 Profile: Nicole Bernard Chaffin ’8338 Class Notes46 Alumnus Revamps Radio Club He Founded48 Brain Teaser

head of school

Gerald Boarman, Ed.D.Michael Reidy, Ed.D., Assistant Head of School

Andrew Delinsky, Upper School PrincipalJamie Dickie, Director of TechnologyConstance Giles, Ph.D., Dir. of Curriculum and Institutional ResearchDarlene Haught, Director of Extended Programs and Emerging TechnologiesBetsy Kelly, Lower School PrincipalKathleen Lloyd, Director of Girls Athletics Todd McCreight, Business OfficerAndres Parra, Director of Boys AthleticsMarilyn Moreno, Middle School PrincipalTim Simpson, Director of Admission and Financial AidJoanne Szadkowski, Dir. of Institutional Advancement

Sherri A. Watkins, Publications ManagerSusie Zimmermann, Director of CommunicationsSusan King, Communications Coordinator

Bullis Magazine is published two times a year by the Office of Institutional Advancement and distributed to alumni, parents, grandparents and friends. Letters and suggestions for future articles are welcome.

Located in Potomac, Maryland, Bullis School is a private, coeducational, nondenominational college preparatory day school for grades 3–12. Bullis admits students of any race, color, religion, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid programs and athletic and other school-administered programs. Visit our website at www.bullis.org

board of trustees

offIcers

Tom Sullivan, P’09, ’11, ’13, ChairAdam Greenberg, P’14, ’16, ’19, Vice ChairLesley Lavalleye, P’06, ’08, ’10, Acting Secretary Andrew Blair ’86, P’11, ’12, ’20, Treasurer

MeMbers

Marian C. Bennett, P’06Gerald Boarman, Ed.D., ex-officio, Head of SchoolPatrick Caulfield, P’14, ’20Michelle Cohen ’87, P’14, ’16, ex-officio, President, Bullis Parents AssociationDavid Fink, P’10, ’14,’19Dr. Gary Friedlander ’79, P’11, ’14,’19Holly Funger, P’09, ’10, ’13Jonathan Halle ’88, P’15, ’17Kathryn Hanley, P’03, ’05George Mavrikes, P’14, ’17Tammy McKnight, P’08, ’12Chris Nordeen, P’12, ’13Xiumin Overall, P’07, ’11Milton C. Theo, P’14, ’17Ken Thompson, P’08Berry Trimble, P’10, ’13David Trone, P’12, ’14Cyndi Bullis Vasco ’83Dell Warren, P’10, ’13Mark Weinberger, P’14, ’16, ’18Paula Widerlite, P’11, ’14

Natasha Nazareth, General Counsel

On cover: Outstanding Scholar Justin Schuble ’13 accepts his diploma from Head of School Dr. Gerald Boarman. Graduation highlights begin on page 2.

Heart and Soul

My first three years at Bullis have gone by so quickly. We have experienced great growth

and development, and our trajectory is exhilarating. From a greatly expanded student

body to the establishment of new initiatives and the prospect of new building, we have

much to celebrate and embrace.

Creativity within our community is merging with the opportunities of a 21st century

world. New classes, new buildings, new technologies and new approaches will enhance

our school. Yet what will never change about Bullis is its heart and soul.

When I first visited Bullis its sense of community impressed me most. The enthusiasm,

warmth and dedication that I sensed in every encounter was palpable. Along with

an openness and anticipation for whatever would come, there was a great feeling of

appreciation for what is shared daily. Enjoying today while eagerly looking ahead to

tomorrow remains the common feeling every day on campus.

The stories in this issue illustrate this essential heart and soul of Bullis. Lower School

initiatives are captivating students and readying them for great things to come. Student

athlete profiles highlight some of the many leaders who play with all their heart while

setting an example for their teammates. The Visual Art department challenges students

to take their skills and passions in directions beyond their expectations. Our Model

UN-ers are collaborating to solve some of our planet’s toughest challenges. Six Bullis

students, of thousands who competed, earned spots at National History Day and

two—rising seniors Brian Mitchell and Oriana Theo—were finalists.

Parents and alumni continue to support our school in innumerable and immeasurable

ways. From surpassing our Annual Fund goal to nearly doubling the Gala’s Raise the

Paddle and volunteering every day, they remind us that the heart and the soul of Bullis

extends far beyond our campus.

Amid all of this activity, our Bullis community remains strongly connected. When

we lost senior Cami Baruch tragically in February, the senior class led by example in

honoring her memory, remembering her daily and establishing the Cami Baruch Patio.

Already it has become a peaceful touchstone for a bustling campus, a place to quietly

reflect on what’s most important: the ties that bind us and the strength we give each

other.

head’s perspective

Class of 2013

2 bullIs magazine

Jake Brandon Abelman Oluwatobiloba Adejuwon Adewole Akingbolahan Michael Akinkoye Tyler Alexander Allen Peter Ondua Angeh Nicholas John Barpoulis Camille Marin Baruch Corbin Edgar Blumberg Lisette Gabrielle Booty Antonio Borckardt E. Max Bramson Huntington Andrew BrownPhilandieus Bryant III Brandon Eric Burke Kaitlin Jan Bushkoff

Morgan Jenna Cafritz Amma Calhoun Alessandra Maria Clark Daniel Alexander Copeland Joshua Bruce Czerwiec Dana Bao Daniels Brianna Davis Jonathan Chandler Dyer Nadia Maryam FallahiNicholas Lester Fields David Schreiber FiremanGeorge Vedder Fleming Joshua Lawrence Foreman Kristina Elizabeth Frye

Nicholas Charles Funger Gordon Ellsworth George Badri Glonti Mitchell C. Goldberg Zoe Rachel Goldberg Brooke Margaret Gutschick Kiernan Youngbin Hahn Dazia Brianna Hall David Eugene HarrisonAlexander G. Herbets Adam Nehemiah Holland Brandon Curtis Izzo Brittany J. Jackson Kourosh Kalachi

Class2013of

Class of 2013

2 bullIs magazine SPRING-SUMMER 2013 3

Harris Zachary Kaserman Ga Yeong Kim Winton A. Lyle Keon Bahrami Manesh Roman Connor Matijkiw Andrew James Metz Kendall Marie Mitchell Connor James Mitton Yingxuan Mo Kyle Brett Nemeroff Daniel Jacob Bloch Nielsen Maxwell Andrew Nordeen Amy Rose Oechsler Allison Audra Osterman

Tejas N. Patel Jaikrishan Singh Paton Hanna Rae Pordy Nicole Alexandra Rabovsky Lauren Anne Raffensperger Colette Elizabeth RoaJared Hal Rubens Nicolas E. Ruggieri Joseph Daniel Sageman Kia Alexia Saint-Louis Maris Del SchneemanJustin Michael Schuble Drake Anthony Scott Alexander Siegel

Jackson Alexander Stoner William J. Stroup Jordan Hannah Sullivan William Harris Tavel Anthony Isaia Thompson Jill Kathleen Trimble Alanna F. Walczak Idrienne Alesia Felicia LeShea Walker Dexter Daniel Warren Sean Joseph Watkinson Tiffani Katherine Wills CeMaia Fanicia Wise Yanbing Yang Zhengyang ZhaoYouyang Zhou

Class2013of

Class of 2013 Lifersbullis lifers, from left, Nick funger, William tavel, Zoe Goldberg, Justin schuble, Jordan sullivan, alex herbets, alessandra clark, Kyle Nemoroff, Nadia fallahi, Max Nordeen and Jared rubens

Class of 2013College Matriculations

4 bullIs magazine

Boston CollegeBowdoin CollegeBucknell University (2)Carnegie Mellon UniversityCase Western Reserve UniversityCollege of Charleston (2)Clemson UniversityColgate University (2)College of the Holy Cross (2)Columbia UniversityCornell UniversityDrexel University (3)Emory University (2)Frostburg State UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityGeorgetown University (3)Gettysburg College (2)Johns Hopkins UniversityMaryland Institute College of ArtMiddlebury College (2)New York UniversityNorth Carolina A&T State University (2)Occidental CollegeOhio UniversityPennsylvania State University, HarrisburgPennsylvania State University (2)Pitzer College

Stevens Institute of TechnologySt. John’s UniversitySyracuse UniversityTrinity College (2)Tulane University (4)University of AlabamaUniversity of California at Los AngelesUniversity of Delaware (2)University of KentuckyUniversity of Maryland (7)University of Maryland, Eastern ShoreUniversity of MassachusettsUniversity of Miami (2)University of MichiganUniversity of MississippiUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of Richmond (2)University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Vermont (2)University of WisconsinVirginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State

UniversityWagner CollegeWake Forest University (2)West Virginia University (2)

Awards for Members of the Class of 2013Award: Recipient: The Founders’ Award ......................................................... Brooke Gutschick

The Outstanding Scholar Award .............................................Justin Schuble

The William H. Price, Jr. Citizenship Award ...........................Justin Schuble

The Manuel Jose Baca, Jr. Joy of Living Award .................. Corbin Blumberg

The Douglas London Award for Excellence in English ........................................................................Joseph Sageman

The Barbara Marks Award for Excellence in Foreign Language .......................................................... David Fireman

The John H. Dillon Memorial Award for Excellence in Science ..............................................................................Hanna Pordy

The John W. Spencer Award for Excellence in Mathematics .....................................................................William Tavel

The Irene Ford Smith Memorial Award for Excellence in Social Studies .................................................. Kristina Frye

The Award for Excellence in Music ..................................... Joshua Czerwiec

The Award for Excellence in Theater .......................................Dexter Warren

The Award for Excellence in Art ................................................... Esther Kim

The Michael Ivey Achievement Award .................................. David Harrison

The Community Service Award .................................................CeMaia Wise

The Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement in Athletics .................................................Nicholas Fields Idrienne Walker

The David T. Hellekjaer Award ............................................ Daniel Copeland Dana Daniels

*For a description of the awards, visit www.bullis.org/graduation.


At top, Outstanding Scholar Justin Schuble accepts the William Price citizenship award; above, Hanna Pordy receives the science award from Science Department Chair Tina Zazaris-Davis.

Graduates honored for excellence while at Bullis include, from left, Esther Kim, receiving the art award from art teacher Maire O'Neill ’05; Nicholas Fields, receiving the athletics award from Andres Parra ’99, director of boys athletics; and Brooke Gutschick, receiving the Founders’ award from Former Head of School Lawrence Bullis ’54.

6 bullIs magazine

Bullis Memories

Amy Rose Oeschler

Favorite memory: It’s a tie between

the great times I had in art classes and

making the Bullis Varsity lacrosse team.

Favorite teachers: Ms. O’Neill for her

infectious enthusiasm and love for art and

teaching.

Corbin Blumberg

Favorite memory: It was amazing to be

part of the lacrosse team that defeated

Landon in 2012 because it was the first

time we had beat them in lacrosse. School

spirit vastly improved during each of my

four years at Bullis, so it was particularly

rewarding to experience that game.

Favorite teachers: I loved the spirited

conversations and debates Mr. Chellman

was able to spark every day in his

American Government class. Two other

teachers who had a significant impact

on me were Mr. Zimmer, who taught

me how math can be applied in the real

world and in almost every occupation, and

Mr. Kinder, who showed how interesting

English can be.

Future plans: I am attending the

University of Kentucky where I will study

equine science and management.

Advice for future seniors: Take advantage

of every single moment. It goes fast! It’s

an awesome year. Work hard and have fun.

Favorite lunch: Chicken patties

ceMaia Wise and brooke Gutschick

Phil bryant and hunty brown

from left, Jai Paton, dana daniels, Kourosh Kalachi, tejas Patel and badri Glonti assemble to begin commencement exercises.

alessandra clark, Kaitlin bushkoff and amma calhoun


Future plans: I am attending Virginia

Commonwealth University School of

Arts where I hope to study graphic or

communication design.

Advice for future seniors: Appreciate the

time you have with your classmates; the

year flies by after college applications are

submitted!

Favorite lunch: Curly fries

Dexter Warren

Favorite memory: The “Children of Eden”

cast singing the finale as a memorial

tribute to Cami Baruch. To me, that

moment showed that Bullis students care

about one another whether or not they are

close, and I found that to be particularly

meaningful.

Favorite teachers: Mr. Johnson helped me

with understanding character development

in the various productions we put on. Mr.

Strunk incorporated lessons from other

classes into choir, and Mrs. Lombardo

always had time for banter before class,

which I enjoyed.

Future plans: I am attending New York

University where I will major in musical

theater.

Advice for future seniors: Get your college

applications done early so you don’t have to

worry about it!

Favorite lunch: Turkey melt

adam holland, dr. Gerald boarman and Michael akinkoye

New graduates Kira Mo, esther Kim and amy Yang

8 bullIs magazine

Senior Lunch

Class of 2013 Counted Down to Graduation

50 Days to Graduation Day

From left, Idrienne Walker ‘13, Tyler Allen ‘13 and Joseph Sageman ‘13 look ahead to graduation over a cup of coffee.

assistant director of alumni Jennifer (hayman) okun ’99 presents newly elected class agents, brooke Gutschick and danny copeland, with their bullis alumni t-shirts.

On May 1, members of the senior

class joined together for the annual

Senior Lunch while learning about the

importance of staying connected to Bullis

after graduation.

Alumna and Middle School Assistant

Principal Kira Orr ’93 told the students

how the Bullis community had always

been there for her, even organizing a

blood drive while she was fighting TTP, a

rare blood disorder. Kira emphasized that

the Bullis community is close-knit and will

continue to be there for each other in the

future.

The Alumni Office also welcomed new

class agents Brooke Gutschick and Danny

Copeland, who will be the direct liaisons

between the Alumni Office and the class

of 2013.

On February 22, the Alumni Office hosted

a “50 Days to Graduation” event for

seniors. Set inside the Commons in North

Hall, a barista served coffee, tea and treats

to the seniors while the Alumni Office

informed them of the important role they

would play as future alumni of Bullis.

Camille “Cami” Marin BaruchForever in Our Hearts

8 bullIs magazine

Along with her family, the Bullis community mourned the loss of senior Camille

Baruch, who passed away suddenly in February. “Cami was an exemplary student

and a beautiful person, kind-hearted, generous and with a great sense of humor,”

wrote Head of School Dr. Gerald Boarman. “Her absence will leave a large gap

in our hearts and in our community and her memory will always be a part of our

School.”

Although illness caused her to miss many school days, she was a member of the

National Honor Society and earned high honors posthumously upon graduation.

“Cami had a quiet confidence about her,” recalled classmate Brooke Gutschick ’13.

“She had a remarkable zest for life, which was reflected in her love of country music

and infectious smile that lit up the room. She always had something insightful to say and was wickedly funny as well. Modest

about her accomplishments and rather thoughtful, one of Cami’s strongest traits was her kind-hearted nature.”

Cami played violin, trombone and piano, and recorded CDs for distribution to patients at local children’s hospitals. Deeply

committed to community service, she also played piano for seniors at a local nursing home and her favorite activity was the

Jensen-Schmidt summer tennis camp at Bullis. Before illness curtailed her participation in athletics, Cami was an exceptional

athlete in soccer, a catcher in softball and played on an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team that twice competed at the

national championships.

Her own health issues undoubtedly contributed to her career interest in medicine. Specifically, according to Ms. Baruch, Cami

“had decided to become a colorectal surgeon—a male-dominated profession that could benefit from a female perspective.”

Cami also loved animals and was fascinated with elephants for their sense of family, gentleness and the fact that they never

forgot those who were kind to them. “People come and go through our lives,” said Brooke, “but Cami isn’t one of those

people. Her strong will, determination and positive attitude will forever live in my heart.”

Friends and family gathered outside The Marriott Family Library before the senior awards celebration for the dedication of the

Camille Baruch Patio—constructed thanks to the generosity of the Class of 2013 and the Sullivan family. Cami’s friends Zoe

Goldberg ’13 and Jordan Sullivan ’13 read the language they

helped draft for the plaque, including the quote selected by

Cami for her senior yearbook page:

“It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more

than our abilities.”

—Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling

Memorial donations can be made to: Save the Elephant

Program at the Wildlife Conservation Network, The Crohn’s

and Colitis Foundation of America or the Ronald McDonald

House of Cleveland.

From the left, Jessica and Nathan Baruch, with younger sister Cami.

The Cami Baruch Patio. Inset, Jordan Sullivan ’13 and Zoe Goldberg ’13 unveil the plaque.

10 bullIs magazine

Legacy Family PortraitsEach graduation we capture photos of families with multiple graduate connections, including siblings, parents, aunts, uncles or cousins who had previously graduated from Bullis.

Generation to

Generation

Alexi ’12, Abi ’11, Andrew ’86 and Kerry Blair

Corbin Blumberg ’13 and Brooke Ludder ’09 Bailey ’10, Jill, Kaitlin ’13 and Michael Bushkoff


Bailey ’10, Jill, Kaitlin ’13 and Michael Bushkoff

Dominique ’05 and Brianna ’13 Davis

Gabriella ’11 and Alessandra ’13 Clark

George ’13 and Robert ’10 Fleming

Jordan ’06, Morgan ’13 and Erica ’08 Cafritz

Jason ’10, Jordan ’15 and Josh ’13 Czerwiec

Josh ’13, Katelyn ’18 and Sam ’11 Foreman

12 bullIs magazine

Brian ’10, Alex ’13 and Megan ’07 Herbets

Teddy ’09, Nick ’13 and Sam ’10 Funger

Davis ’12 and Max ’13 Nordeen Liana ’07, Allison ’13 and Jennifer ’09 Osterman


Tejas Patel ’13 and Priya Mehta ’09

Kamar ’11 and Kia ’13 Saint-Louis Jaymi, Justin ’13, Jordan ’11, JR and Jessica ’18 Schuble

Hari ’10 and Jai ’13 Paton

Christina ’08 and Colette ’13 Roa Jared ’13 and Courtney ’10 Rubens

14 bullIs magazine

Jordan ’13, Tommy ’11 and Courtenay ’09 Sullivan

Julia ’09, Sean ’13 and Cory ’05 WatkinsonDexter ’13 and David ’10 Warren

Will ’13 and Michael ’10 Stroup

dignitaries joining this year’s ceremonies included trustee dell Warren, P’10, ’13, upper school Principal andrew delinsky, trustee Marian bennett, P’06, rev. anne benefield, head of school dr. Gerald boarman, former secretary of education richard W. riley, chair of the board of trustees tom sullivan, P’9, ’11, ’13, trustee andrew blair ’86, P’11, ’12, ’20, trustee adam Greenberg, P’14, ’16, ’19, and trustee david trone, P’12, ’14.


academics

Posing at the iconic “I amsterdam’’ sign are Model UN participants, top row from left, Samantha Zimmerman ’16, Idrienne Walker ’13, Ashlyn Coleman ’15 and Tyler Allen ’13; bottom row, Keon Manesh ’13, Thomas Liu ’16 and Andrew Goldberg ’16.

The Model United Nations (MUN) is

more than an extracurricular club—it’s an

opportunity for Bullis students to travel

and experience first-hand the world of

international diplomacy. For the past two

and a half years the club has traveled to

three or four MUN conferences each year,

including one international trip.

One of the most prestigious conferences

on the Model UN circuit was hosted in

The Hague, Netherlands, last January.

Seven Bullis students traveled there to

represent the United Nations Economic

and Social Commission for Asia and

the Pacific (ESCAP). Chaperoned by

Faculty Sponsor and Social Studies Chair

Lisa Vardi and Dr. Mary Frances Bryja,

director of college counseling, the group

experienced a fantastic trip. Our Bullis

students participated in global MUN

meetings and bonded with other students

from around the world, all of them sharing

a dedication to making the world a better

place.

Environmental sustainability was this

year’s MUN conference theme, “a relevant

topic for young people to discuss, as they

will be the problem solvers of the future,”

Ms. Vardi explains. “It was inspiring

to watch the seriousness with which

the 3,000 attendees approached this

complicated topic and proposed solutions

in the form of resolutions.” Throughout

the five-day conference, Bullis students

represented their school and ESCAP “in an

effective and impressive manner. I was so

proud!” Ms. Vardi remembers.

While attending the conference at the

World Forum Convention Center in The

Hague, the students watched some of the

criminal proceedings against Radovan

Karadzic, the former president of Serbia

now accused of genocide. Despite a busy

schedule, they also found time to visit

Amsterdam, touring the Rijksmuseum

and the Anne Frank house, and toured

the city of Delft, famous for its medieval

architecture and centuries-old pottery

industry. On the blog kept throughout the

trip, Ashlyn Coleman ’15 said the MUN

trip was “life-changing.”

Model UN Visits The Hague

"Young people... will be the

problem solvers of the future."

—Lisa Vardi

16 bullIs magazine

Lower SchoolA Community of Readers Rich With Purpose

Kate Powell and her 4th grade class start every day with a morning meeting.


SPRING-SUMMER 2013 17

“The most important method

of developing reading skills

is pure reading volume.”

—Betsy Kelly,Lower School

Principal

Fifth grader Jake Goldberg climbed into

the car one winter afternoon and said,

“Today was the best day ever.” Mom

Tammy Goldberg smiled; Jake had said the

same thing the day before.

Jake and his twin brother Jonnie started at

Bullis this year. “They are so chatty about

everything they’re doing in school and

how much they love their teachers and

everyone at Bullis,” Tammy explained.

“Since coming to Bullis, their confidence

in academics has skyrocketed. They read

without prompting and ask to go to the

bookstore to buy books, not toys!”

The Lower School is bursting with

innovation: Accelerated Reading,

individualized instruction, Responsive

Classroom and much more. This activity

is setting the foundation for students to

successfully take on greater academic

challenges as they advance in school,

while providing a supportive, enriching

and fun environment for students today.

100 MIllIoN Words

The heart of the Lower School’s new

initiatives is its reading program. In

September, Principal Betsy Kelly set a goal

for each student to read one million words

during the year. Students chose their own

books and along with in-school reading

were expected to read independently

for 45 minutes every evening. For each

book, students took a short online quiz

to test comprehension and help teachers

monitor progress. “Most important is the

actual word count,” explains Lower School

Principal Betsy Kelly. “Studies prove a

direct correlation between reading skills

and long-term academic achievement, and

the most important method of developing

reading skills is pure reading volume.”

Each week, students met in small

groups to discuss their reading,

share recommendations and learn

comprehension strategies. In writer

workshops, they studied texts as readers

and practiced them as writers. “Reading

is really at the heart of the students’

daily experience,” says teacher Margaret

Andreadis. “They bound into the room

each morning chatting about their books.”

Demetri Engel ’20 enjoys Read-in Day from the cozy confines of his sleeping bag.

18 bullIs magazine

The Washington Post featured a story about the

100 million word achievement in its

KidsPost Section on June 11, 2013.(tinyurl.com/ohe9b2j)

Ms. Meghan Rose's science class built flexible knee braces as part of their Bodyworks unit.

By Read-In Day in May—when students

settle into classrooms with sleeping

bags, pillows, and an occasional tent to

simply read all day—the Lower School

had collectively read a whopping 100

million words. To kick off the event, the

Lower School celebrated this achievement

and each of the 38 “millionaire” students

who reached their individual goals. Many

millionaires exceeded the goal, including

top-reader Caesar Wain, 5th grade, who

plowed through more than five million

words, and 4th grader Sam Bromberg,

who devoured more than three million

words reading fantasies and mysteries.

Sam’s mother, Julia Beck, believes

the “secret sauce” behind the reading

program’s success is how students are

encouraged to take ownership of their

reading. “Sam poured a great deal of effort

and energy into choosing his books. We

spent time deep in conversation about

what he might read next and he took so

much pride in making those decisions.

The process built great confidence and

self-esteem in Sam. It struck a careful

balance between encouragement and

autonomy and recognized Sam for the

individual he is.”

INdIvIdualIZed INstructIoN aNd

the eMerGeNce of steM

The Lower School has implemented

individualized instruction in other

subjects as well, through a unique hybrid

of approaches that address content

knowledge, skills and critical thinking.

At the beginning of each math unit,

teachers assess students’ proficiency

and group them by ability for practice

and skill development. “The groups are

fluid, changing from unit to unit,” says

Ms. Kelly. “Students may be in a more

advanced group for one unit and in a

different group for another. The focus

is never on what group you’re in but on

the individualized work each student

is doing, and teachers can design their


“Julian is always challenged,

never bored and never stressed.”

– Livia Christensen,

P’22

instruction around the specific needs of

each student.”

Livia Christensen recalls wondering

at the start of the year how much her

son Julian, who has just completed 3rd

grade, would be challenged at Bullis,

but was impressed early on with the

individualized curriculum. “Teachers are

constantly reevaluating and adjusting

to make sure the challenge is just right

for each student,” she said. “Julian is

always challenged, never bored and never

stressed.”

Another reason students are so engaged is

a burgeoning STEM program integrating

engineering and math with science. Rather

than simply studying the human body in

5th grade, students in Meghan Rose’s class

designed knee braces. The project was

inspired by “Engineering is Elemental,” an

engineering curriculum designed at the

Boston Museum of Science.

resPoNsIve classrooM

Each Lower School class begins every

day with a morning meeting—a key

component of the division’s use of

the Responsive Classroom approach,

which facilitates social, emotional and

academic growth in a strong, safe school

community.

According to 4th grade teacher Kate

Powell, Responsive Classroom enhances

the sense of community. By following

a predictable routine that includes

classroom jobs and a contract that holds

kids accountable for their behavior,

students learn social interaction skills,

empathy and self-control, along with

problem solving and organization. “They

remind each other about behavior and

help each other out more,” she observes.

The combined effect of the Responsive

Classroom and the Lower School’s

individualized approach is evident when

students and parents describe their

experiences at Bullis.

“Everyone at Bullis is connected. This is

the essential structure of our school—

complete support,” said 5th grader

Joe Martin at the year-end recognition

ceremony. “People call to other people

across the halls, always smiling, always

enjoying time together… this is treasured

here. My best word to describe how

everyone is acquainted and connected

here is family. I have never experienced

such a vibe of collegiality. I have been

taught how crucial it is to be part of a

wider family.”

Angie Jones, whose son Brendon, just

finished 5th grade, agrees: “Ms. Kelly and

the teachers help students realize what

they can do, establishing self-worth and

learning to move forward positively.”

looKING ahead

The Lower School’s individualized focus

led to the decision to add 2nd grade to

the program next year. “Our focus is on

kids, not teachers,” said Ms. Kelly. “We

constantly evaluate where students are

and how to move each one forward based

on individual competency. This approach

provides flexibility and resources to

expand.”

New families joining the Lower School

this fall will find students eager to

resume lessons, celebrate each other and

work hard. Removing stress from the

equation—and valuing each student’s

educational trajectory—is achieving great

results.

Most importantly, the students will

progress to Middle School and beyond

with knowledge, skills and a sense of self

that will propel them ahead confidently.

As 5th grader Mark Williams wrote of his

Lower School years: “We became artists,

athletes and learners. We became friends.

We became Bullis!”

For Tammy Goldberg and her family, the

effects have been life-changing. “We are a

happier, stress-free family thanks in huge

part to Bullis. There is nothing better than

picking up your children after a long day

and having them be so happy!”

20 bullIs magazine


Students from all divisions seized the opportunity to showcase their postcard art with the entire community.

Bullis art students are discovering that

the visual arts involve more than painting,

drawing, sculpting and displaying artwork.

This year, innovative programs are

expanding student experience beyond

technique to the responsibilities and

opportunities of the art world.

While art shows have been a staple of

the Bullis program, students are learning

more about the exhibition process. Co-

captains assigned to AP studio shows

oversee each of four events, critiquing,

curating and installing art pieces as well

as advertising the show. “The students

curate the most cohesive show they

can,” says art teacher Maire O’Neill ’05,

“and make sure that student work is well

represented.”

Organizing the art shows provides

important learning opportunities. “The

students want each show to be more

professionally presented than the one

before,” says Ms. O’Neill. “They hold

critique meetings to continually improve

what they’re doing.” Last fall, student

artists designed tokens and comment

boxes to invite visitor feedback on their

art pieces. In Open Studio classes, older

Bullis students acting as show captains

worked with younger students to critique,

curate and organize younger student

exhibits.

The “Postcard Show” and “Artwalk” in

May provided opportunities for all Bullis

students to showcase their art. Inspired by

“One Day,” Richard Blanco’s Inauguration

poem, students in all divisions wrote

poems, while other students illustrated

the verses on postcards. Swapping

creative efforts allowed students to both

write and illustrate, resulting in nearly 300

postcards displayed in the Blair lobby.

For the Artwalk, student guides escorted

visitors through classroom displays. “They

stamped the hands of guests,” says Lily

Gillette, visual arts chair and Lower School

art teacher, “making it fun to go from

room to room to see all the great work the

students have done this year.”

New as well is Bullis involvement in the

National Art Honor Society (NAHS);

similar chapters for the performing arts

are the Tri-M Music Honor Society and

International Thespians. Sponsored by the

National Art Educators Association, NAHS

inducts art students who meet national

requirements. Many opportunities are

available, including “some outstanding

scholarships at top art schools,” explains

art teacher Louisa Morris.

Interested students meet to discuss new

art projects, such as community service

hours earned through painting scenery

for Lower and Middle School plays, face

painting at the Homecoming celebration

and designing prom tickets. Grade

point averages, meeting attendance and

fundraising activities also help students

satisfy NAHS requirements.

“In previous years, art students always


Maire O’Neill ’05 inducts Esther Kim ’13 as the National Arts Honor Society chapter’s first president.

pitched in to help with school events, but

we had no real system in place to do so,”

says art teacher Deb Donoghue. “NAHS

provides guidelines and incentives while

encouraging the same kind of art-related

activities.”

In the wider art community, six Bullis

students were selected to exhibit in the

“Best of Independent Schools” show

held at Landon School this spring. The

competition among local Baltimore-

Washington private schools received over

200 submissions, with 83 artworks chosen

for display—including pieces by Bullis

students Nadia Fallahi ’13, Will Gansler

’15, Esther Kim ’13, Qiaoumei Li ’14, Robyn

Mackenzie ’16 and and Jack Zhou ’14.

Art outreach and community spirit is also

encouraged in the Lower School, such as

the successful quilt project for this year’s

Gala. A grant from the Parents Association

made available plenty of materials for

Lower School students to create unique

squares for three quilts auctioned at the

Gala.

What do these initiatives bring to the arts

at Bullis? “More serious art students,”

says Ms. Donoghue. “They understand

that being an art student means showing

work, documenting pieces and giving back

to the community through their talent.”

Ms. Gillette agrees. “Our students are

becoming more invested in their artwork

at a younger age.”

Art at Bullis is more than learning to paint

or draw, says Esther Kim. “This year we

are problem solving—learning to utilize

space in a show or solve a problem in

artwork. The teachers encourage us to

find our own style and to reach out to the

community, too.”

Collaboration among art classes in all

divisions is a key aspect of the program,

“inspiring younger students to think more

seriously about their own art,” says Ms.

O’Neill. “We see more interaction among

students, and they see what goes on in

later art classes.”

The Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA)

offers summer scholarships to two Bullis

students by juried decision, providing a

two-week art intensive taught by college

art professors. “This immersion helps

students understand what art school is

really like,” says Ms. Donoghue. Dayna

Clayton ’14 and Kali Engel ’14 participated

this past summer. Darcy Argain ’14 and

Yasmin Rucker ’14 both received CIA

scholarships for this summer.

“Our teachers are really supportive,” says

Esther Kim of the Bullis program. She will

be attending college at Maryland Institute

College of Art.“I feel so ready to go to art

school now.”

To enable visitors to further appreciate

the array of Bullis talent in visual arts, an

online gallery is updated each trimester on

the Bullis website. View it at www.bullis.

org/arts/Gallery.

22 bullIs magazine

newsGala Success: A Red Carpet Affair

On Friday, March 15, “A Red Carpet

Affair” Gala raised $330,000 in support

of financial aid and professional

development programs, including a new

record for Raise the Paddle of $139,000

to fund a new outdoor video display and

scoreboard.

With great appreciation, we thank Gala Co-

Chairs Audrey Friedlander P’15 and Tammy

McKnight P’15,’18 for their enthusiastic

and dedicated leadership; Total Wine &

More and David and June Trone, P’12,

’14 for their generous sponsorship; and

the many parent volunteers who donated

countless hours of their time to the Gala.

Their efforts, combined with the energetic

participation and generous bidding of the

Gala’s attendees, produced a great event

that displayed the positive impact and

generous contributions of our community.

Finalists Brian Mitchell ’14 and Oriana Theo ’14 at the national competition.

Gala Co-chairs Tammy McKnight and Audrey Friedlander pose with the red carpet backdrop.

More than 600,000 students from all 50

states participate in National History Day

events during the school year, including all

Bullis juniors and those sophomores who

take honors US History. After the school

events, winning students compete at the

county and state levels to qualify for the

national event in College Park, Maryland

each June.

Six Bullis students made it all the way

to this summer's NHD, and two from

our delegation made it to the finals.

Congratulations to Oriana Theo ’14, who

placed 13th for her solo performance,

“When Hope Fell From The Sky: The

Berlin Airlift” and to Brian Mitchell ’14

who placed 7th for his documentary

“Baltimore Polytechnic Institute: A Model

of Desegregation Before Brown” (tinyurl.

com/p2ypadk). Brian also received the

Star Spangled 200 special prize for

incorporating unity in diversity in his entry.

Bullis Seniors Final at National History Day


artsImaginationA sampling of artwork produced by students across the divisions.

Demi Fragoyannis ’22

Leah Mayo ’18

Adeline Hollars ’20 Sloan Bernstein ’21

24 bullIs magazine

arts

Bridget Conway ’18

Monique Muse ’16

Alonso Flores-Noel ’18

Nadia Fallahi ’13


Nick Sussman ’14

Minnie Wu ’15

Justin Schuble ’13

Drew Micholas ’14

26 bullIs magazine

athleticsOutstanding Athletes

aNthoNY thoMPsoNbasketball

“Anytime we walked onto the floor,” says

Bruce Kelley, varsity basketball coach, “we

knew we had the best point guard in the

game, and that good things were going

to happen.” That point guard for the last

three years was Anthony Thompson,

who wrapped his senior year leading the

Bulldogs to a 47-7 record over the last two

years, along with two IAC banners and two

IAC tournament championships. He was

also named Montgomery County player

of the year by The Gazette, and named to

2nd team All-Met by The Washington Post.

Anthony heads to Holy Cross College

next year, leaving behind other impressive

statistics as well, including 15.4 points

per game, 106 assists and 62 three-point

shots made during his senior year. “Very

few students make a team win the way

Anthony does,” declares Kelley.

Anthony came to Bullis in 9th grade, and

has played basketball—always at point

guard—since he was four years old. “I

love the passion and the competition of

the game,” he explains, “and it’s great to

see all the hard work pay off.”

He looks forward to playing at Holy Cross,

and might consider playing professionally

here or overseas, but “college is more

for life after basketball,” he says. He

particularly enjoyed his economics classes

here at Bullis, and hopes to work in

business once basketball is behind him.

NIcK barPoulIs

swimming

“I actually love playing hockey,” says Nick

Barpoulis, “but I’m a better swimmer!”

He joined the swim team as a freshman,

but did not get serious about it until the

end of sophomore year when his coaches

saw him begin to truly understand and

appreciate the sport.

“We were shocked at his transition,”

remembers Coach Bryan Jones, “from a

goofy, non-serious swimmer to realizing

that his commitment to get better would

not only help increase visibility for the

program and showcase Bullis but also

aid in his development as a leader.” Nick

became team co-captain as a junior, and

went on to set a school record for 500

freestyle and share records for 200 free

relay and 200 medley relay.

Swimming offers a unique combination

of individual challenge and team spirit

which appeals to Nick, who recognizes

that in swimming “you can be whatever

you make yourself to be. You will get

better if you put in the effort.” Nick, who

will attend Bucknell University this fall,

was recognized for his work ethic and

leadership when he won this season’s

Coach’s Award.


brIttaNY JacKsoN

basketball

Incredible intensity and passion for the

game gives varsity basketball co-captain

Brittany Jackson the qualities that her

coaches want to see in their players: hard

work, respect and composure. “Brittany

has a loving spirit and a positive word for

her teammates all the time,” observes

Head Coach Rod Hairston, “but her

competitive nature and desire to succeed

takes over once she steps between the

lines. She becomes a warrior with the

determination of a champion.”

Brittany developed skill and leadership

over seven years on Bullis basketball

teams. Like her undefeated 8th grade

season, winning this year’s Independent

School League was momentous. “That

victory was the whole goal,” says Brittany.

“We were working up to it for years.”

Younger players will now fill spots vacated

by graduating seniors, and Brittany

anticipates returning to see “what we’ve

created.”

Off the court, Brittany sang alto with the

Chamber Singers for two years. “I love the

challenge of working with a group. Just like

basketball, the effort requires chemistry to

successfully blend together to accomplish

our ultimate goal.”

With a scholarship to play at George

Mason University, Brittany will also pursue

her other passion—English literature.

College basketball is a big commitment,

so she may not find time for many

activities, but she is certainly among the

many multi-dimensional students that

Bullis helps prepare to meet the world.

28 bullIs magazine

athleticsJosh foreMaNbaseball

Josh Foreman prefers to play baseball

rather than watch it, forgoing major league

fandom for his own games. “I like the

culture of baseball and the combination

of mental and physical it requires,” he

explains. After four years starting on the

Bullis varsity team, he plans to play for

Emory University next year.

As shortstop, Josh is the point guard

of the field, facilitating the defense and

“getting the most balls,” Josh wryly adds.

He started in more than 100 games

during his time at Bullis.

Aside from being a “team-first guy who

leads by example on and off the field,”

braNdoN burKe

Ice hockey and lacrosse

Most Bullis students participate in a

variety of activities, but few are MVPs in

two sports—standout athlete Brandon

Burke ’13 has achieved that.

Brandon played varsity lacrosse and

hockey since his freshman year. The

youngest of three boys, he followed his

brothers onto the field and rink, becoming

a leader in his own right in both sports.

For Brandon, this winter’s hockey season

was the best one in which he has taken

Outstanding Athletes

Coach Brian Lumpkin named Josh the

team’s Most Valuable Player. “He’s the

most reliable defensive player I’ve ever

coached,” says Lumpkin, pointing to

Josh’s career fielding percentage of 93%.

A two-time all-IAC player who also excelled

on offense, Josh finished this season

with 14 RBIs, 12 singles, 3 triples and 7

stolen bases. “Thanks to Josh, the last two

seasons have been the best for baseball in

school history,” said Lumpkin.

Aside from playing, Josh was an avid

writer for The Bulldog, and hopes to

continue in sports media, maybe trying

radio when he gets to Emory.


ceMaIa WIsesoftball

This summer will be the first in several

years that CeMaia Wise will not be playing

softball. “I’ve played since I was seven,

including summer travel leagues,” she

recalls.

CeMaia started as catcher for all four of

her years on the Bullis varsity team. She

earned all-ISL during her junior and senior

seasons, with 18 put-outs and 20 assists.

“Coaches from every school always

commented on her impressive skills,”

says Coach Heather Patterson. “She puts

fear in her competitors with her strong

arm and quick release, picking players off

repeatedly from first and third.”

Patterson also gave CeMaia the coach’s

Leadership Award for the season, crediting

her unmatched positive support for her

teammates. “She definitely has left her

legacy and will be missed tremendously

for her performance on the field and off.”

Before leaving to attend St. Johns

University in the fall, CeMaia will help

coach softball for Bullis Summer

Programs, where her ever-present smile

will accompany her winning combination

of skills and positive energy: “I try to

encourage everyone—a smile can make

any day better!”

part. Although Bullis ultimately lost

the IAC championship game, the team

fought valiantly: “I’m really proud of how

we stuck together as a team and hope

that for the younger players this will be a

learning experience for next year.” Brandon

received the team’s Most Valuable Player

award.

As goalie for the lacrosse team, Brandon

was awarded All-IAC and All-Gazette, and

the team’s Most Valuable Player. Coach

Robert Pollicino says Brandon “was the

consummate leader who pushed himself

and his teammates to improve every day.”

Brandon will play lacrosse next year at

Colgate University. “At the end of the day,”

he says, “I just want everyone to know that

I left it all out on the field or on the ice.”

NadIa fallahI

lacrosse and field hockey

“Nadia Fallahi handles the pressure-

packed job of varsity lacrosse goalie

wonderfully,” compliments Coach

Kathleen Lloyd. Nadia is a team player

who holds a positive attitude and keeps

the team in mind. “After every goal our

team would score, she would run from

her goal to midfield to congratulate the

players,” Coach Lloyd recalls.

Nadia had a game-changing moment

when she overheard opponents doubting

Nadia Fallahi continues next page

30 bullIs magazine

athletics

KaseY couNtee

tennis

After two years away from competitive

tennis, it took rising senior Kasey

Countee just one year to return to peak

performance, wrapping up his season

with an 11-1 record, the IAC individual

championship and All-Met recognition. He

seems well on his way to fulfilling Coach

Steve Miguel’s prediction: “If he keeps at

it diligently, tennis may be Kasey’s ticket to

a college education.”

Surprisingly, despite his domination

as a singles player, Kasey prefers team

sports, having played lacrosse, soccer

and basketball, and running cross country

since enrolling in Bullis as a 6th grader.

Within a team, acknowledges Kasey,

rallying together as a group is a powerful

motivator. When alone on the court, he

confides, “I sometimes struggle to rely

solely on myself for internal motivation.”

Adding to the challenge this year, Kasey

became team co-captain, calling for

increased focus from a player known

for his talent, energy and enthusiasm—

and for not taking things too seriously.

“Instead of getting caught up in myself,”

Kasey has learned, “I have to lead by

example and make sure others stay on top

of their games as well.”

her ability to defend penalty shots. “That

fired me up to ramp up my game!” Soon

everyone regarded her as a solid goalie.

The Bullis girls will move to the upper

division next year after being undefeated

in the ISL this year. “We went out on a

high,” Nadia says, “and I feel confident

that I contributed to that success.”

For two years Nadia has played forward

on the varsity field hockey team as well.

“I don’t know what I would have done

without sports,” she reflected on the eve

of Graduation. “Playing two varsity sports

helped me mature and learn to balance.”

She hopes to inspire younger players

to help others whether or not they hold

leadership positions.

Next year Nadia plans to study public

relations at University of Southern

California and perhaps continue athletics

on intramural teams.


Basketball Teams Clinch Victories

The Bulldogs won the ISL tournament with a big win over Georgetown Visitation. Players include, front row from left, Nicole Kittay ’16, Brianna Davis ’13, Brooke Gutschick ’13, Raven James ’16 and Dazia Hall ’13. Back row, Kyla Lewis ’15, Ashley DeLeonibus ’14, Lynee Belton ’14, Kirby Porter ’14, Lawrencia Moten ’16 and Brittany Jackson ’13.

The varsity boys team defeated St. Albans to win a second consecutive IAC title. Front row from left, Jamaal Greenwood ‘14, Jonathan Dyer ’13, Anthony Thompson ’13, Aaron Briggs ’14, Lamonte Armstrong ’14, Kyven Jones ’14 and Justin Herron ’14. Back row from left, Winton Lyle ’13, Joe Sageman ’13, Andre Walker ’14, AJ Metz ’13, Russell Sangster ’14, Brian Kelley ’14 and Chris Aust ’14.

32 bullIs magazine

Engraved bricks are once again available! Purchase a personalized brick in honor or memory of a student, team, teacher, individual or family.

Name: ____________________________________ Relationship to Bullis: _________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________

Preferred location: Front of The Marriott Family Library _____ or Kline Alumni Stadium _____

Brick orders are payable in full. Please complete this form and return with a check for $250 made payable to Bullis School.

Mail to: Bullis School Advancement Office, 10601 Falls Road, Potomac, MD 20854

Questions? Please email [email protected]

All contributions are tax deductible to a 501(c)(3) organization in accordance with IRS regulations.

Building Support for BullisOne at a Time

Proceeds from brick purchases help to support the Annual Fund at Bullis. Thank you for supporting Bullis and showing your school spirit!

Please print text as you wish it to be engraved on the brick.Limit: 15 letters per line – 3 lines maximum per brick.

One letter or character per blockPlease use a separate form for each brick ordered.


“Generosity nurtures this School.”Schools and growth go hand in hand—and this year, Bullis has seen record growth in

every area, much of it due to the remarkable generosity and support of this wonderful

community. Early in the school year we asked parents and the entire giving community to

“Step Up” for Bullis. You did so with such enthusiasm that together we stepped right past

our Annual Fund goal of $950,000—to reach one million dollars! That’s a milestone for

any giving campaign, and we are grateful to all of you.

Your high regard for Bullis and all that it represents for its students and community

made new growth possible in programs and in campus improvements such as the brick

patios outside The Marriott Family Library, including the lovely waterfall and sunny patio

dedicated to Cami Baruch. This summer an impressive video scoreboard will be installed

at the Stadium thanks to the record-setting donations on Gala night for Raise the Paddle.

Every year with your help, we see more facets of the great potential in Bullis. The secret to

our community’s strong culture of giving is not simply an appreciation of the importance

of philanthropy—it’s the realization that generosity nurtures this school, and by extension,

helps to ensure the future of every student who walks across this campus.

Bullis benefits from donations of time and talents as well as resources. We are so grateful

for the many parent volunteers, experienced and new, who stepped forward this year to

help with everything from the snack bar to the Gala and the successful Bullis Gives Back

5K race.

We thank each of you for “stepping up” in countless ways to encourage Bullis’s evolution.

Our future looks bright—and as we move ahead to next year, we know that the School

remains a priority for all of us.

Enjoy a wonderful summer, and I look forward to seeing you in September!

Sincerely,

Joanne Szadkowski

Director of Institutional Advancement and Alumni

advancement perspectives

alumniJerry May Alumni Golf

Tournament

34 bullIs magazine

Top photo, from left, Tom Mavrikes, James Bannister, Ryan Tendall and George Mavrikes P ’14, ‘17. Middle photo, Dean Sclavounos ’63, Glenn Hunter, Bruce Kelley and Andy Marusak ’66. Above, front row, Hunter Gosnell ’06, Josh Basile ’03, Craig Aronoff ’04 and Woody King ’09. Back row, Scott Crow ’11, Alex Friedlander ’11, Keith Cohen ’06, Brian Will ’08, Andres Parra ’99, Adam Janowitz ’00, Drew Prescott ’00 and Neil King ’07.

For the last three years, Bullis Head of

School Dr. Gerald L. Boarman and his

golf partners have dominated the annual

golf tournament. This year, though, a new

team (in top photo at right) comprised of

George Mavrikes P’14, ’17, Tom Mavrikes,

Ryan Tendall and James Bannister,

squeaked by Dr. Boarman’s team to take

the title.

The event attracted more than 70 golfers,

including nearly half who were alumni.

The tournament retained the fun, friendly

competition and happy reunions that

each Jerry May Alumni Golf Tournament

features year after year.

Alumni Turn Out for Annual Hockey Game


We had a great turnout at the Arc Ice Rink for the November 22 hockey game. Back row from left, Craig Aronoff ’04, Mike Band ’08, Ross Koenig ’02, Paul Davis ’04, Ben Donoghue ’02, Josh Weiner, Brandon Burke ’13, Cory Watkinson ’05, Andrew Prescott ’00, friend, Kyle Newton ’05, Assistant Coach Doug Raeder, Neil King ’07, Michael Fayad ’07, Steven Burke ’08 and Keith Cohen ’06. Front row, Jordan Burke ’05, Zach Weiner ’09, Mark Shesser, Justin Hoch ’14, Alex Jackson ’07 and Ryan Davenport ’07.

34 bullIs magazine

A large crowd returned to campus for June 8’s boys lacrosse game. Back row from left, Mitch Goldberg ’13, Chris Mejia ’06, Ross Koenig ’02, Jordan Burke ’05, Andy Will ’09, Josh Ein ’06, Steven Burke ’08, Robert Fleming ’10, Paul Davis ’04 and Svet Tintchev ’06. Front row, Brooke Slowinski ’07, John Kelly ’11, Danny Dickstein ’10, Nick Avedisian ’09, Sebastian Astrada ’98 and Kylor Bellistri ’12 . At right, Cary Smith ’02 and Katherine Basile ’02 played in the girls game on May 4.

Alumni Lacrosse Games

Alumna was one of the first women to graduate from Bullis.

Nicole Bernard Chaffin ’83

36 bullIs magazine

Nicole Bernard has always been

comfortable being a pioneer. As a member

of the first class of girls to enter the

School in 1981 when she was in 11th grade,

Nicole was a trailblazer then and has

continued to be throughout her career,

including in her current role as senior vice

president for audience strategy at The Fox

Group. The position was a new one at the

organization, where Bernard has worked

since 2005. While many organizations

have departments that focus on diversity,

Fox selected Bernard to take on a broader

challenge “to ensure that each of our

entertainment products, across every unit,

incorporates and engages as diverse an

audience as our country is made of,” she

explains.

Bernard’s department provides

strategy and resources and establishes

partnerships throughout the country

to support all divisions of Fox, and the

position allows her to play to her strengths

as well as her passions to follow her own

path, travel and explore and appreciate

different cultures. “People amaze me and I

have always loved to see, feel and touch all

the things that make a culture so unique,”

she says.

“Having a blank slate to create something

unique fosters the visionary in me,” she

recalls. “I was the only girl on the boys

tennis team at Bullis, and the mere fact

that I sought out Bullis knowing I would

be a first in more ways than one was really

the catalyst for my being confident enough

to move myself in a direction I might

innately know is right for me, even if it

means being the first or only one there.”

Bernard credits Bullis with establishing

this spirit to see things as they could be

and not just how they are.

Bernard still thinks of her days at Bullis

as some of the happiest in her life. She

enthusiastically recalls the School’s

dynamic environment and how it provided

exactly the challenges she sought even

as a teenager. “When my friend Candice

Mitchell ’83 mentioned Bullis and its

academic rigor, prior military foundation

and great tennis team—and the chance

to make history as one of the first women

to integrate the school—I knew it was for

me.” She still remembers feeling both

“terrified and amused” by General Price

when she arrived first on campus, and

loving the focus on college preparation

and an expectation for excellence. “I even

liked that you had to be ‘invited back’ every

semester. The idea sparked the competitor

in me and made me feel like I was joining

an elite club that I would earn the right to

be a part of.”

She talks often about Bullis with her

nieces and nephew, current Bullis students

Gabby McIntosh ’14, Brynn McIntosh ’16

and Alec McIntosh ’18. Today’s dress code

options are a far cry from the blazer and

saddle shoes of Bernard’s era—“those

alumni profile


saddle shoes were just wrong in so many

ways!” she laughs. Among the many life

skills she developed at Bullis, Bernard is

particularly grateful for the strong work

ethic, determination, appreciation for

healthy competition and the value of

being part of a community as important

foundations for her career success. She

also applauds the expanded opportunities

in the arts at today’s Bullis, along with

the dedication to academic success and

engagement in sports that remain still at

the high levels she remembers.

As her own twin daughters—Hayden

and Leah, now six years old—grow older,

she hopes to find a similar educational

program for them in Los Angeles that

will provide an elite education that

balances fun, friendships and academics.

“Prioritizing and balance are great life

lessons that we learned at Bullis.” Bernard

regularly advises her nieces and nephews

to take advantage of the “dynamic

teachers and to raise questions about

what they are taught and what they wish

to see more.” She encourages them to

recognize and “always remember the

school’s historical belief that discipline,

balance and effort can catapult you to

greatness.” She encourages them to

leverage and try every single opportunity

that the school and the campus offer.

“Experience something that takes you out

of your comfort zone, she urges, “because

you never know how that experience will

serve you later in life.”

Bernard still remembers a particular

personal lesson, when “the fantastically

eccentric Mr. Klinger” had his students

recite the prelude to the Canterbury Tales

in front of the class. This taught Bernard

that “there is no mountain too high!” And

yes, she can still recite it.

Left page, Nicole Bernard's 1983 yearbook photos. Above from left, twin daughters Leah and Hayden share a hug; at right Nicole and her husband Lee vacation in Cabo San Lucas with their daughters.

“Experience something that takes you out of

your comfort zone, because you never

know how that experience will serve

you later in life.”

—Nicole Bernard Chaffin

38 bullIs magazine

1974Carl Taylor reports that he just finished

coaching his 32nd year of youth lacrosse for

the West Hartford Youth Lacrosse League

and he is in his 12th year as a Superior

Court Judge. For the past two years he

has served as the presiding judge in the

Manchester, Connecticut courthouse.

1978Thomas Howe has worked for six years at

Google as an enterprise vertical account

manager in manufacturing. He and his

wife Carrie recently relocated from Chicago

to Key West, Florida.

1985Rick Glasby and his wife Athena had a

daughter, Zoe, on April 13, 2012, who joins

Rick’s first daughter, Leah, 23. Rick and

Athena both work at Bechtel Corporation

and reside in Frederick, Maryland.

1989Lisa Schatz resides in Baltimore and is

the owner and operator of Cupcake, a

contemporary women’s boutique in Fells

Point. Cupcake is in its 7th year of business

and recently launched its e-commerce

website: www.cupcake-shop.com.

1991 Congratulations to Seth Eaton who

won the 2012 SCCA Regional Solo 2

Championship in his Porsche Boxster S.

The battle for the championship was very

close, with Seth carrying a three-point lead

into the 12th final race in December. (See

photo on page 41.)

1993Christy (Pratt) Lucia lives in McLean,

Virginia with her husband Seth and

their four children, daughters Caroline,

Catherine and Elsie and son Nicholas.

Christy also lives two doors down from

former Bullis teacher and coach Bill

Wieand, and says she enjoys seeing him

often. Christy recently attended her 20

year reunion and says it was great to see

everyone who attended! (See photo on

page 42.)

Kira Orr was recently acknowledged an

ACC Women’s Basketball Legend at Duke

University, where she was also the first

Blue Devil to be drafted professionally.

Kira is currently assistant principal of the

Middle School at Bullis.

1997Akilah (Owens) Harris and her husband

Kelvin had daughter Elle Riley, on January

21, who joins big brother Ethan, 1. Akilah

works as a sales manager for Centex

Homes and she and her family live in

Arlington, Virginia.

1998Best wishes to Anna (Buffone) Hurst and

her husband Mike, who recently welcomed

identical twin boys, Harrison Samuel

Hurst and James Thomas Hurst, born

on December 5. Anna works as a senior

recruiter for Salesforce.com and Mike

is the CEO of a start-up company called

Exactuals. The Hurst family lives in Los

Altos, California.

After living in San Francisco and working

at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area since

February 2009, Adam Littlefield has

accepted a job with NBC Sports to help

launch their new English Premier League

soccer coverage. Adam says this is his

dream job, working for one of the most

prestigious networks in sports television

with the added bonus of solely focusing

on the sport about which he is most

passionate. Adam relocated to New York

City in June and began his new position

on July 1.

From left, Zoe Glasby, daughter of Rick Glasby ’85 and his wife Athena; Akilah (Owens) Harris ’97 with her husband Kelvin and children Ethan and Elle; James Thomas Hurst and Harrison Samuel Hurst, sons of Anna (Buffone) Hurst ’98 and her husband Mike Hurst.

alumni class notes


1999Congratulations to Celeste Melanson

and Joe Sweeney who were engaged on

November 24. The couple resides in West

Chester, Pennsylvania, where Celeste

teaches science and coaches the varsity

girls’ soccer team at Episcopal Academy,

and Joe works for his family’s business,

Medical Equipment Contractors.

Scott Levenson reports that since fall

2008 he has been executive director at

Private Prep, a tutoring service offering

individually customized lessons for a

range of K-12 subjects and standardized

test preparation (www.privateprep.com).

Last summer, Scott co-founded a start-up

called Present Value, a gift registry service

that enables people to make lasting

contributions toward a more secure

financial future for engaged couples and

expectant parents (www.presentvalue.

com). Scott and his wife Tamara are

the proud parents of son Blake, 3, and

daughter Sasha, 1. The Levenson family

lives in New York City.

Jennifer (Hayman) Okun and her

husband Jared are thrilled to welcome

their first child, daughter Olivia Sloane

Okun, born on December 9. Jennifer is the

assistant director of alumni and events at

Bullis and Jared works in commercial real

estate at Rock Creek Property Group.

Elliott Datlow recently traveled to Panama

City, Panama to coach ATP tennis pro

Jesse Witten at the ATP Visit Panama Cup,

a pro tennis tournament. While there,

Elliott also led a tennis clinic for 30 of the

top junior players in Panama. (See photo

on page 41.)

Rachel (Garff) Kirkham and her husband

Jay are proud to announce the arrival of

their son, Gabriel Dennis Kirkham, born

on February 6. Rachel and Jay, along with

their daughters Chloe, 4, and Lucy, 2,

and baby Gabriel, live in Cherry Hill, New

Jersey.

2000Best wishes to Jessica (Rafferty) Marx and

her husband Jeff, who welcomed their first

child, son Nathan Kurt Marx, on October

29. The Marx family resides in Dallas,

Texas.

share Your NewsNewly married? Relocating? Expanding your family?

Celebrating a career transition?

Exotic travel in the works?

Please send in your Class Notes for the next Bullis Magazine to keep your classmates and other Bullis friends up to date. High-resolution photos (JPEG format) are always welcome.

Be sure to "like" us on Facebook—search Bullis School Alumni Association—and follow us on Twitter: @BullisAlumni.

Email your updates to Jennifer Hayman Okun ’99, assistant director of alumni and events, at [email protected].

From left, Celeste Melanson ’99 and her fiancé Joe Sweeney enjoying some quality time together; Scott Levenson ’99 with his wife Tamara, daughter Sasha and son Blake; Jennifer (Hayman) Okun ’99 and her husband Jared with their daughter Olivia Sloane Okun.

40 bullIs magazine

2002Liz Dufresne created and produces

a health TV show on Montgomery

Municipal Cable TV channel 16 called

“Living Healthy,” co-hosted by Sport and

Spine Rehab’s CEO Dr. Jay Greenstein

and CCO Dr. Barton Bishop. Each episode

focuses on a different health topic and

features a guest who specializes in that

area. Liz is also the senior marketing

account representative for Sport and Spine

Rehab. For more information, please visit

www.ssrehab.com.

Ibrahim Diane and Josh Posnick ’03

have teamed up to create “Live from the

Republic,” an annual concert tour held in

Africa that features hip-hop, R&B and pop

musicians. A portion of the proceeds from

tour merchandise is donated to social

causes that benefit children in the African

community. For more information, please

visit www.livefromtherepublic.com.

2003Josh Basile graduated Magna Cum Laude

from UDC’s David A. Clarke School of Law

in May 2013. Josh is taking the bar exam

this summer and is looking forward to

beginning his job as an associate at Jack

H. Olender & Associates.

Lindsay (Gerber) Harris and her husband

Josh welcomed son Mason on October

23, 2012. Lindsay works at Host Hotels

& Resorts and lives with her family in

Gaithersburg.

2004Thomas Rachlin graduated from the

University of Colorado in 2008 with

a degree in Mechanical Engineering

and currently works as a technical

development engineer in research and

development at Covidien. Tom was

featured in the November issue of GQ

Magazine as a finalist in their entrepreneur

contest, “A Gentleman’s Call,” which was

in pursuit of an “idea that matters.” Tom’s

idea was The Clean Water Reserve Project,

and out of 3,000 entries nationwide, Tom

was selected as one of five finalists. Tom

currently lives in Boulder, Colorado. To

view Tom’s video, visit www.youtube.com/

watch?v=1D8ClK1pLq

2005 Jordan Burke was named to the all-decade

lacrosse team at Brown University.

2006Fletcher Schoen joined the United States

Army in May 2012 and is stationed at

alumni class notes

From left, Gabriel Dennis Kirkham, son of Rachel (Garff) Kirkham ’99 and her husband Jay Kirkham; Nathan Kurt Marx, son of Jessica (Rafferty) Marx ’00 and her husband Jeff Marx; Josh Basile ‘03, on right, poses with his classmate John Millar at their law school graduation in May.

Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Fletcher

graduated from Army Sniper School in

February 2013 and went through Special

Forces Selection and Assessment. He has

been selected to begin training to become

a Green Beret.

2008Patrick Schoen graduated from Occidental

College last year with a major in diplomacy

and world affairs. This past year he worked

as a research assistant for AIDS Project

Los Angeles’ community-based research

program. This fall, Patrick will relocate to

London to start an MSc in reproductive

and sexual health research at The London

School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

2009Zachary Weiner graduated from

Muhlenberg College in May with a

degree in accounting and international

business. He will soon begin a new job at

CohnReznick, an accounting firm.

2012Madeline Dahut just completed her

freshman year at Georgetown University

where she is majoring in nursing. This

summer, Madeline is working with a

researcher on a lab project at Georgetown

as well as writing a paper for publication

in an oncology journal.

alumni class notes

IN MeMorIaMWe extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those in our close Bullis circle who have recently passed away:

Camille Marin Baruch ’13

Anthony Carozza ’46

William Clyde Earl ’46

Ashley Ennis ’68

Scott Friedel ’87

Gregory Panawek ’40

Robert C. Wood ’63


From left, Mori Diane (father of Ibrahim Diane ’02), singer/songwriter/rap artist Ryan Leslie, friend Yasmine Rahmaan, Ibrahim Diane ’02 and Josh Posnick ’03; Patrick Schoen ’08; Davis ’12 and Chris Nordeen represent Bullis at Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Davis Nordeen, along with his father,

Bullis Trustee Chris Nordeen, and his

cousin, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in

December. Though the climb took six

days and the route crossed through five

climate zones, Davis reports that the “top

was gorgeous” and they had a great time.

Davis just completed his freshman year

at the University of Michigan and this

summer, he is interning for a nonprofit

organization in Hong Kong.

Past Faculty/StaffFormer Bullis history teacher and cross

country/track coach Nicholas Kent

has been named high school principal

of Concordia International School in

Shanghai, China, to begin in the 2013-14

school year. Nicholas says that his love for

China and school leadership was founded

at Bullis from 2000-2002. Concordia

International School Shanghai is a pre-

K-12 school serving expat families.

Elliott Datlow ’99 with members of a tennis clinic in Panama.

Seth Eaton ’91 in the Porsche Boxster S with which he won the 2012 SCCA Regional Solo 2 Championship.

alumni class notesalumni class notes

42 bullIs magazine

Young Alumni Day

The fourth annual Young Alumni Lunch took place on January 10, bringing a good crowd of alumni

back to Bullis. The students stopped by to enjoy lunch while reuniting with classmates, teachers and

administrators, and sharing great stories of their time after Bullis. It was wonderful to see everyone!

Back row from left, teachers Michael Chellman and Tim Hanson, KaQuan Little ’10, Aurian Darvishi ’12,

Leigh Ulica ’12, Jay Barrera ’11, Alex Anderson ’11, Nick Mars ’12 and college counselor Lynn Kittel. Front

row, teacher Heda O’Brien, Sam Thomas ’12, Steven Xue ’12, Morgan Williams ’12, Cami Uechi ’12, Tish

Barton ’12, Dr. Mary Frances Bryja and Dr. Jerry Boarman.

Christy (Pratt) Lucia '93 and her husband Seth enjoy time with their four children Caroline, Catherine, Elsie and Nicholas.


Alumni Return for Annual Turkey Bowl

From left, Jeff Ruben ‘06, Alex Lavalleye ‘06, Tim Conrad ‘06, Sammy Moskowitz ‘06, Claire Olszewski ‘06, Kelly Anderson ‘06, Elyssa Emsellem ‘06, Samantha Havas ‘06, Lauren (Ellie) Prince ‘06 and Ben Judge ‘05 gather at the Prince residence over Thanksgiving.

Informal Reunion for Members of the Class of 2006

Alumni enjoy a game of flag football at Kline Alumni Stadium over Thanksgiving weekend. Above, from left, Will Beck ’07, Travis Lay ’04, Brooke Slowinski ’07, Mike Bombard ’10, Tommy Sullivan ’11, Kevin Clayton ’10, Alex Mattera ’10, Alex Friedlander ’11 and Folabi Masha ’11. At right, Meredith King ’10, Crystal Wilson ’10, Emily Siegel ’10 and Kerry McGovern ’10.

44 bullIs magazine

class reunionsClass of 1993 Celebrates 20 Years!

Class of 2002 Marks 10 Years!

Members of the class of 1993 gathered at RiRa Irish Pub in Bethesda to celebrate their 20 year reunion

in June. Classmates remarked about how wonderful it was to see everyone and that a great time was

had by all!

From left, Kim Forsht, Mike Corrigan, Bradley Raymond, Sally (Kogod) Biederman, Dan Zubari, Christy

(Pratt) Lucia, Lauren Shrensky, Kyle Blackstone, Alison (Colen) Wade, Liz (Myers) Barnhart, Dana

(Gildenhorn) Wancjer and Todd Levine.

The class of 2002 feted their 10 year

reunion at Napoleon Bistro & Lounge

in November. A special thank you

to Courtney Abrams and Candace

(Foulger) Morriss for their help

with planning the evening. At right,

Candace (Foulger) Morriss and Ross

Koenig.


The class of 2007 celebrated their five year reunion over Thanksgiving weekend at Tommy Joe’s in Bethesda. A big thank you to

Kimberly Segal for all of her hard work in planning such a successful night! Of the night Kimberly said, “it was like a family reunion…

Everyone was so excited to all get together and reunite.”

Above from left, Alex Dresner, Molly Goodman, Megan Herbets, Ali Nemeroff, Andrew Zutz, Shaun Crow, Sarah O’Neill, Brandon

Allen and Jaime Bernstein-Ansaldi.

Below, back row from left, Alex Jackson, Spencer Kelly, Brooke Slowinski, Will Beck and Ben Carroll. Middle row, Andrew Zutz, Doug

Silverstein, Alissa Lichtenstein, Neil King, Joey Goldberg, Molly Goodman and Andrew Gordon. Front row, Shaun Crow, Kimberly

Segal, Sarah O’Neill, Megan Herbets and Ali Nemeroff.

Five Year Celebration for Class of 2007

46 bullIs magazine

class reunionsRichard Hayman ’63 created Bullis’ first

HAM Radio Club over 50 years ago to

combine two of his interests, engineering

and communication. While the Radio Club

eventually dissolved with the move of

Bullis from Silver Spring to Potomac and

the introduction of newer technologies,

Richard stayed active in the HAM Radio

world. This past fall, Richard and a group

of 10 Upper School students started

Bullis’ new RC² club (robotics, computers

and communication). The aim is for “kids

to have fun and be practical with things

they are learning in the classroom,” says

Richard.

While Richard’s expertise with HAM Radio

influenced RC²’s initial projects, the club

also includes building robots and other

computer-focused technologies. Junior

Scott Bettigole ’14 says, “It’s very hands

on. We’re working with real things and can

see the product of our work.”

Richard hopes that the use of radio will

be an extension of what is being learned

in the classroom —for example, foreign

language classes being able to speak to

students in other countries. “HAM Radio

is the original social media. You’re talking

to strangers and making relationships

around the world, but without the use of

the internet.”

Energized after attending the Golden Years

Reunion last fall, Richard reconnected

Alumnus Revamps Radio Club He Foundedwith Bullis to revive the Radio Club. “HAM

Radio is a hobby that’s over 100 years old,

and it’s today’s youth who are going to

keep it thriving,” he says. “The only way to

do that is to expose them to radio and its

capabilities.”

Richard’s interest in HAM began when his

grandfather gave him a short wave radio at

the age of 10. “In fact, my parents bribed

me and said if I got good grades at Bullis,

I could get a newer radio.” It worked, and

in 1960, Bullis’ first radio club was formed.

Over 50 years later, radio is once again

part of Bullis.

For more about the RC² club, watch the

video at www.bullis.org/radio.

At left, Richard Hayman in the 1963 yearbook, developing photos. At right, Scott Bettigole ’14, Adam Cohen ’14, Brian Mitchell ’14 and Richard Hayman ’63 erecting their first radio antenna outside of North Hall.


Mystery Alumni Photos

Can you identify the people in one of these photos? Please email your answers to Jennifer (Hayman) Okun ’99 at [email protected] by August 15. The first person to answer correctly will win a prize from the Alumni Office!

alumni notes

48 bullIs magazine

1 2

3 4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 13

14 15

16 17

18

19

EclipseCrossword.com

Across

1. Name of the stuffed bulldog Dr. Jung brought with him when he read to Lower School students in the 1990s

3. Lyricist of the Bullis alma mater7. The area in North Hall reserved just

for seniors9. What is the first word of the Bullis

motto on the front entrance to the School?

10. How is lunch served in the dining hall?

11. Name of the Bullis yearbook13. Who first graduated from Bullis in

1983?15. The item that 3rd graders give to

seniors at the beginning of the year to plant on campus

16. How many football IAC championships has Bullis won?

17. Name of the Bullis student newspaper

18. Who first introduced the bulldog as Bullis’ mascot?

19. Name of the terrace between North Hall and the Dining Hall

Down

1. The name of the annual holiday concert

2. First location of Bullis School4. Name of the games that take place

during Homecoming week5. Name of the all-boys area sports

league of which Bullis is part6. Prior to The Marriott Family Library,

the library was located in this building on campus

8. Name of the “pageant competition” for men that took place each year during the 90s

12. In 1995 this document was put in place by the School and signed by each member of the student body and faculty

14. How many alumni currently work at Bullis?

For puzzle solution see www.bullis.org/alumni/crossword

Bullis Alumni Brain Teaser

48 bullIs magazine

THANKS A MILLION!So many of you stepped up for Bullis in a big way this year—

WE SURPASSED OUR ANNUAL FUND GOAL OF $950,000,

totaling more than $1 MILLION!

Because of YOU, this year was another

outstanding success. The generosity and support

that Bullis receives each year enriches the

education experience of every Bullis student.

THANK YOU!

Caroline Martin ’19Watercolor

NON-PROFIT

U.S. Postage

P A I D

Rockville, MD

Permit No. 2158

BU

LLIS

Bullis School 10601 Falls RoadPotomac, MD 20854301-299-8500www.bullis.org

Address Service Requested

spring-summer 2013

BULLISmagazine

features2 Class of 2013 Commencement16 Lower School: A Community of Readers Rich With Purpose20 Innovations in the Arts

departmentsacademics15 Model UN Visits the Hague

news22 Gala Success: A Red Carpet Affair22 Bullis Seniors Final at National History Day

arts23 Imagination

athletics26 Outstanding Athletes

alumni 34 Alumni Golf Tournament36 Profile: Nicole Bernard Chaffin ’8338 Class Notes46 Alumnus Revamps Radio Club He Founded48 Brain Teaser

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Gerald Boarman, Ed.D.Michael Reidy, Ed.D., Assistant Head of School

Andrew Delinsky, Upper School PrincipalJamie Dickie, Director of TechnologyConstance Giles, Ph.D., Dir. of Curriculum and Institutional ResearchDarlene Haught, Director of Extended Programs and Emerging TechnologiesBetsy Kelly, Lower School PrincipalKathleen Lloyd, Director of Girls Athletics Todd McCreight, Business OfficerAndres Parra, Director of Boys AthleticsMarilyn Moreno, Middle School PrincipalTim Simpson, Director of Admission and Financial AidJoanne Szadkowski, Dir. of Institutional Advancement

Sherri A. Watkins, Publications ManagerSusie Zimmermann, Director of CommunicationsSusan King, Communications Coordinator

Bullis Magazine is published two times a year by the Office of Institutional Advancement and distributed to alumni, parents, grandparents and friends. Letters and suggestions for future articles are welcome.

Located in Potomac, Maryland, Bullis School is a private, coeducational, nondenominational college preparatory day school for grades 3–12. Bullis admits students of any race, color, religion, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid programs and athletic and other school-administered programs. Visit our website at www.bullis.org

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

OFFICERS

Tom Sullivan, P’09, ’11, ’13, ChairAdam Greenberg, P’14, ’16, ’19, Vice ChairLesley Lavalleye, P’06, ’08, ’10, Acting Secretary Andrew Blair ’86, P’11, ’12, ’20, Treasurer

MEMBERS

Marian C. Bennett, P’06Gerald Boarman, Ed.D., ex-officio, Head of SchoolPatrick Caulfield, P’14, ’20Michelle Cohen ’87, P’14, ’16, ex-officio, President, Bullis Parents AssociationDavid Fink, P’10, ’14,’19Dr. Gary Friedlander ’79, P’11, ’14,’19Holly Funger, P’09, ’10, ’13Jonathan Halle ’88, P’15, ’17Kathryn Hanley, P’03, ’05George Mavrikes, P’14, ’17Tammy McKnight, P’08, ’12Chris Nordeen, P’12, ’13Xiumin Overall, P’07, ’11Milton C. Theo, P’14, ’17Ken Thompson, P’08Berry Trimble, P’10, ’13David Trone, P’12, ’14Cyndi Bullis Vasco ’83Dell Warren, P’10, ’13Mark Weinberger, P’14, ’16, ’18Paula Widerlite, P’11, ’14

Natasha Nazareth, General Counsel

On cover: Outstanding Scholar Justin Schuble ’13 accepts his diploma from Head of School Dr. Gerald Boarman. Graduation highlights begin on page 2.

Heart and Soul

My first three years at Bullis have gone by so quickly. We have experienced great growth

and development, and our trajectory is exhilarating. From a greatly expanded student

body to the establishment of new initiatives and the prospect of new building, we have

much to celebrate and embrace.

Creativity within our community is merging with the opportunities of a 21st century

world. New classes, new buildings, new technologies and new approaches will enhance

our school. Yet what will never change about Bullis is its heart and soul.

When I first visited Bullis its sense of community impressed me most. The enthusiasm,

warmth and dedication that I sensed in every encounter was palpable. Along with

an openness and anticipation for whatever would come, there was a great feeling of

appreciation for what is shared daily. Enjoying today while eagerly looking ahead to

tomorrow remains the common feeling every day on campus.

The stories in this issue illustrate this essential heart and soul of Bullis. Lower School

initiatives are captivating students and readying them for great things to come. Student

athlete profiles highlight some of the many leaders who play with all their heart while

setting an example for their teammates. The Visual Art department challenges students

to take their skills and passions in directions beyond their expectations. Our Model

UN-ers are collaborating to solve some of our planet’s toughest challenges. Six Bullis

students, of thousands who competed, earned spots at National History Day and

two—rising seniors Brian Mitchell and Oriana Theo—were finalists.

Parents and alumni continue to support our school in innumerable and immeasurable

ways. From surpassing our Annual Fund goal to nearly doubling the Gala’s Raise the

Paddle and volunteering every day, they remind us that the heart and the soul of Bullis

extends far beyond our campus.

Amid all of this activity, our Bullis community remains strongly connected. When

we lost senior Cami Baruch tragically in February, the senior class led by example in

honoring her memory, remembering her daily and establishing the Cami Baruch Patio.

Already it has become a peaceful touchstone for a bustling campus, a place to quietly

reflect on what’s most important: the ties that bind us and the strength we give each

other.

head’s perspective

2 BULLIS magazine

ClassClass of

Jake Brandon AbelmanOluwatobiloba Adejuwon AdewoleAkingbolahan Michael AkinkoyeTyler Alexander AllenPeter Ondua AngehNicholas John BarpoulisCamille Marin BaruchCorbin Edgar BlumbergLisette Gabrielle BootyAntonio BorckardtE. Max BramsonHuntington Andrew BrownPhilandieus Bryant IIIBrandon Eric BurkeKaitlin Jan Bushkoff

Morgan Jenna Cafritz Amma Calhoun Alessandra Maria Clark Daniel Alexander Copeland Joshua Bruce Czerwiec Dana Bao Daniels Brianna Davis Jonathan Chandler Dyer Nadia Maryam FallahiNicholas Lester Fields David Schreiber FiremanGeorge Vedder Fleming Joshua Lawrence Foreman Kristina Elizabeth Frye

Nicholas Charles FungerGordon Ellsworth GeorgeBadri GlontiMitchell C. GoldbergZoe Rachel GoldbergBrooke Margaret GutschickKiernan Youngbin HahnDazia Brianna HallDavid Eugene HarrisonAlexander G. HerbetsAdam Nehemiah HollandBrandon Curtis IzzoBrittany J. JacksonKourosh Kalachi

ClassClass2013ofof

Classof

Class2013of2013

2 BULLIS magazine SPRING-SUMMER 2013 3

of 2013

Harris Zachary KasermanGa Yeong KimWinton A. LyleKeon Bahrami ManeshRoman Connor MatijkiwAndrew James MetzKendall Marie MitchellConnor James MittonYingxuan MoKyle Brett NemeroffDaniel Jacob Bloch NielsenMaxwell Andrew NordeenAmy Rose OechslerAllison Audra Osterman

Tejas N. PatelJaikrishan Singh PatonHanna Rae PordyNicole Alexandra RabovskyLauren Anne RaffenspergerColette Elizabeth RoaJared Hal RubensNicolas E. RuggieriJoseph Daniel SagemanKia Alexia Saint-LouisMaris Del SchneemanJustin Michael SchubleDrake Anthony ScottAlexander Siegel

Jackson Alexander Stoner William J. Stroup Jordan Hannah Sullivan William Harris Tavel Anthony Isaia Thompson Jill Kathleen Trimble Alanna F. Walczak Idrienne Alesia Felicia LeShea Walker Dexter Daniel Warren Sean Joseph Watkinson Tiffani Katherine Wills CeMaia Fanicia Wise Yanbing Yang Zhengyang ZhaoYouyang Zhou

ClassClass2013ofof

Classof

Class2013of2013

Class of 2013 LifersBullis Lifers, from left, Nick Funger, William Tavel, Zoe Goldberg, Justin Schuble, Jordan Sullivan, Alex Herbets, Alessandra Clark, Kyle Nemoroff, Nadia Fallahi, Max Nordeen and Jared Rubens

Class of 2013College Matriculations

4 BULLIS magazine

Boston CollegeBowdoin CollegeBucknell University (2)Carnegie Mellon UniversityCase Western Reserve UniversityCollege of Charleston (2)Clemson UniversityColgate University (2)College of the Holy Cross (2)Columbia UniversityCornell UniversityDrexel University (3)Emory University (2)Frostburg State UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityGeorgetown University (3)Gettysburg College (2)Johns Hopkins UniversityMaryland Institute College of ArtMiddlebury College (2)New York UniversityNorth Carolina A&T State University (2)Occidental CollegeOhio UniversityPennsylvania State University, HarrisburgPennsylvania State University (2)Pitzer College

Stevens Institute of TechnologySt. John’s UniversitySyracuse UniversityTrinity College (2)Tulane University (4)University of AlabamaUniversity of California at Los AngelesUniversity of Delaware (2)University of KentuckyUniversity of Maryland (7)University of Maryland, Eastern ShoreUniversity of MassachusettsUniversity of Miami (2)University of MichiganUniversity of MississippiUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of Richmond (2)University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Vermont (2)University of WisconsinVirginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State

UniversityWagner CollegeWake Forest University (2)West Virginia University (2)

Awards for Members of the Class of 2013Award: Recipient: The Founders’ Award ......................................................... Brooke Gutschick

The Outstanding Scholar Award .............................................Justin Schuble

The William H. Price, Jr. Citizenship Award ...........................Justin Schuble

The Manuel Jose Baca, Jr. Joy of Living Award .................. Corbin Blumberg

The Douglas London Award for Excellence in English ........................................................................Joseph Sageman

The Barbara Marks Award for Excellencein Foreign Language .......................................................... David Fireman

The John H. Dillon Memorial Award for Excellence in Science ..............................................................................Hanna Pordy

The John W. Spencer Award for Excellence in Mathematics .....................................................................William Tavel

The Irene Ford Smith Memorial Award for Excellence in Social Studies .................................................. Kristina Frye

The Award for Excellence in Music ..................................... Joshua Czerwiec

The Award for Excellence in Theater .......................................Dexter Warren

The Award for Excellence in Art ................................................... Esther Kim

The Michael Ivey Achievement Award .................................. David Harrison

The Community Service Award .................................................CeMaia Wise

The Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement in Athletics .................................................Nicholas Fields Idrienne Walker

The David T. Hellekjaer Award ............................................ Daniel Copeland Dana Daniels

*For a description of the awards, visit www.bullis.org/graduation.


At top, Outstanding Scholar Justin Schuble accepts the William Price citizenship award; above, Hanna Pordy receives the science award from Science Department Chair Tina Zazaris-Davis.

Graduates honored for excellence while at Bullis include, from left, Esther Kim, receiving the art award from art teacher Maire O'Neill ’05; Nicholas Fields, receiving the athletics award from Andres Parra ’99, director of boys athletics; and Brooke Gutschick, receiving the Founders’ award from Former Head of School Lawrence Bullis ’54.

6 BULLIS magazine

Bullis Memories

Amy Rose Oeschler

Favorite memory: It’s a tie between

the great times I had in art classes and

making the Bullis Varsity lacrosse team.

Favorite teachers: Ms. O’Neill for her

infectious enthusiasm and love for art and

teaching.

Corbin Blumberg

Favorite memory: It was amazing to be

part of the lacrosse team that defeated

Landon in 2012 because it was the first

time we had beat them in lacrosse. School

spirit vastly improved during each of my

four years at Bullis, so it was particularly

rewarding to experience that game.

Favorite teachers: I loved the spirited

conversations and debates Mr. Chellman

was able to spark every day in his

American Government class. Two other

teachers who had a significant impact

on me were Mr. Zimmer, who taught

me how math can be applied in the real

world and in almost every occupation, and

Mr. Kinder, who showed how interesting

English can be.

Future plans: I am attending the

University of Kentucky where I will study

equine science and management.

Advice for future seniors: Take advantage

of every single moment. It goes fast! It’s

an awesome year. Work hard and have fun.

Favorite lunch: Chicken patties

CeMaia Wise and Brooke Gutschick

Phil Bryant and Hunty Brown

From left, Jai Paton, Dana Daniels, Kourosh Kalachi, Tejas Patel and Badri Glonti assemble to begin Commencement exercises.

Alessandra Clark, Kaitlin Bushkoff and Amma Calhoun


Future plans: I am attending Virginia

Commonwealth University School of

Arts where I hope to study graphic or

communication design.

Advice for future seniors: Appreciate the

time you have with your classmates; the

year flies by after college applications are

submitted!

Favorite lunch: Curly fries

Dexter Warren

Favorite memory: The “Children of Eden”

cast singing the finale as a memorial

tribute to Cami Baruch. To me, that

moment showed that Bullis students care

about one another whether or not they are

close, and I found that to be particularly

meaningful.

Favorite teachers: Mr. Johnson helped me

with understanding character development

in the various productions we put on. Mr.

Strunk incorporated lessons from other

classes into choir, and Mrs. Lombardo

always had time for banter before class,

which I enjoyed.

Future plans: I am attending New York

University where I will major in musical

theater.

Advice for future seniors: Get your college

applications done early so you don’t have to

worry about it!

Favorite lunch: Turkey melt

Adam Holland, Dr. Gerald Boarman and Michael Akinkoye

New graduates Kira Mo, Esther Kim and Amy Yang

8 BULLIS magazine

Senior Lunch

Class of 2013 Counted Down to Graduation

50 Days to Graduation Day

From left, Idrienne Walker ‘13, Tyler Allen ‘13 and Joseph Sageman ‘13 look ahead to graduation over a cup of coffee.

Assistant Director of Alumni Jennifer (Hayman) Okun ’99 presents newly elected class agents, Brooke Gutschick and Danny Copeland, with their Bullis alumni t-shirts.

On May 1, members of the senior

class joined together for the annual

Senior Lunch while learning about the

importance of staying connected to Bullis

after graduation.

Alumna and Middle School Assistant

Principal Kira Orr ’93 told the students

how the Bullis community had always

been there for her, even organizing a

blood drive while she was fighting TTP, a

rare blood disorder. Kira emphasized that

the Bullis community is close-knit and will

continue to be there for each other in the

future.

The Alumni Office also welcomed new

class agents Brooke Gutschick and Danny

Copeland, who will be the direct liaisons

between the Alumni Office and the class

of 2013.

On February 22, the Alumni Office hosted

a “50 Days to Graduation” event for

seniors. Set inside the Commons in North

Hall, a barista served coffee, tea and treats

to the seniors while the Alumni Office

informed them of the important role they

would play as future alumni of Bullis.

Camille “Cami” Marin BaruchForever in Our Hearts

8 BULLIS magazine

Along with her family, the Bullis community mourned the loss of senior Camille

Baruch, who passed away suddenly in February. “Cami was an exemplary student

and a beautiful person, kind-hearted, generous and with a great sense of humor,”

wrote Head of School Dr. Gerald Boarman. “Her absence will leave a large gap

in our hearts and in our community and her memory will always be a part of our

School.”

Although illness caused her to miss many school days, she was a member of the

National Honor Society and earned high honors posthumously upon graduation.

“Cami had a quiet confidence about her,” recalled classmate Brooke Gutschick ’13.

“She had a remarkable zest for life, which was reflected in her love of country music

and infectious smile that lit up the room. She always had something insightful to say and was wickedly funny as well. Modest

about her accomplishments and rather thoughtful, one of Cami’s strongest traits was her kind-hearted nature.”

Cami played violin, trombone and piano, and recorded CDs for distribution to patients at local children’s hospitals. Deeply

committed to community service, she also played piano for seniors at a local nursing home and her favorite activity was the

Jensen-Schmidt summer tennis camp at Bullis. Before illness curtailed her participation in athletics, Cami was an exceptional

athlete in soccer, a catcher in softball and played on an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team that twice competed at the

national championships.

Her own health issues undoubtedly contributed to her career interest in medicine. Specifically, according to Ms. Baruch, Cami

“had decided to become a colorectal surgeon—a male-dominated profession that could benefit from a female perspective.”

Cami also loved animals and was fascinated with elephants for their sense of family, gentleness and the fact that they never

forgot those who were kind to them. “People come and go through our lives,” said Brooke, “but Cami isn’t one of those

people. Her strong will, determination and positive attitude will forever live in my heart.”

Friends and family gathered outside The Marriott Family Library before the senior awards celebration for the dedication of the

Camille Baruch Patio—constructed thanks to the generosity of the Class of 2013 and the Sullivan family. Cami’s friends Zoe

Goldberg ’13 and Jordan Sullivan ’13 read the language they

helped draft for the plaque, including the quote selected by

Cami for her senior yearbook page:

“It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more

than our abilities.”

—Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling

Memorial donations can be made to: Save the Elephant

Program at the Wildlife Conservation Network, The Crohn’s

and Colitis Foundation of America or the Ronald McDonald

House of Cleveland.

From the left, Jessica and Nathan Baruch, with younger sister Cami.

The Cami Baruch Patio. Inset, Jordan Sullivan ’13 and Zoe Goldberg ’13 unveil the plaque.

10 BULLIS magazine

Legacy Family PortraitsEach graduation we capture photos of families with multiple graduate connections, including siblings, parents, aunts, uncles or cousins who had previously graduated from Bullis.

Generation to

Generation

Alexi ’12, Abi ’11, Andrew ’86 and Kerry Blair

Corbin Blumberg ’13 and Brooke Ludder ’09 Bailey ’10, Jill, Kaitlin ’13 and Michael Bushkoff


Bailey ’10, Jill, Kaitlin ’13 and Michael Bushkoff

Dominique ’05 and Brianna ’13 Davis

Gabriella ’11 and Alessandra ’13 Clark

George ’13 and Robert ’10 Fleming

Jordan ’06, Morgan ’13 and Erica ’08 Cafritz

Jason ’10, Jordan ’15 and Josh ’13 Czerwiec

Josh ’13, Katelyn ’18 and Sam ’11 Foreman

12 BULLIS magazine

Brian ’10, Alex ’13 and Megan ’07 Herbets

Teddy ’09, Nick ’13 and Sam ’10 Funger

Davis ’12 and Max ’13 Nordeen Liana ’07, Allison ’13 and Jennifer ’09 Osterman


Tejas Patel ’13 and Priya Mehta ’09

Kamar ’11 and Kia ’13 Saint-Louis Jaymi, Justin ’13, Jordan ’11, JR and Jessica ’18 Schuble

Hari ’10 and Jai ’13 Paton

Christina ’08 and Colette ’13 Roa Jared ’13 and Courtney ’10 Rubens

14 BULLIS magazine

Jordan ’13, Tommy ’11 and Courtenay ’09 Sullivan

Julia ’09, Sean ’13 and Cory ’05 WatkinsonDexter ’13 and David ’10 Warren

Will ’13 and Michael ’10 Stroup

Dignitaries joining this year’s ceremonies included Trustee Dell Warren, P’10, ’13, Upper School Principal Andrew Delinsky, Trustee Marian Bennett, P’06, Rev. Anne Benefield, Head of School Dr. Gerald Boarman, Former Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, Chair of the Board of Trustees Tom Sullivan, P’9, ’11, ’13, Trustee Andrew Blair ’86, P’11, ’12, ’20, Trustee Adam Greenberg, P’14, ’16, ’19, and Trustee David Trone, P’12, ’14.


academics

Posing at the iconic “I amsterdam’’ sign are Model UN participants, top row from left, Samantha Zimmerman ’16, Idrienne Walker ’13, Ashlyn Coleman ’15 and Tyler Allen ’13; bottom row, Keon Manesh ’13, Thomas Liu ’16 and Andrew Goldberg ’16.

The Model United Nations (MUN) is

more than an extracurricular club—it’s an

opportunity for Bullis students to travel

and experience first-hand the world of

international diplomacy. For the past two

and a half years the club has traveled to

three or four MUN conferences each year,

including one international trip.

One of the most prestigious conferences

on the Model UN circuit was hosted in

The Hague, Netherlands, last January.

Seven Bullis students traveled there to

represent the United Nations Economic

and Social Commission for Asia and

the Pacific (ESCAP). Chaperoned by

Faculty Sponsor and Social Studies Chair

Lisa Vardi and Dr. Mary Frances Bryja,

director of college counseling, the group

experienced a fantastic trip. Our Bullis

students participated in global MUN

meetings and bonded with other students

from around the world, all of them sharing

a dedication to making the world a better

place.

Environmental sustainability was this

year’s MUN conference theme, “a relevant

topic for young people to discuss, as they

will be the problem solvers of the future,”

Ms. Vardi explains. “It was inspiring

to watch the seriousness with which

the 3,000 attendees approached this

complicated topic and proposed solutions

in the form of resolutions.” Throughout

the five-day conference, Bullis students

represented their school and ESCAP “in an

effective and impressive manner. I was so

proud!” Ms. Vardi remembers.

While attending the conference at the

World Forum Convention Center in The

Hague, the students watched some of the

criminal proceedings against Radovan

Karadzic, the former president of Serbia

now accused of genocide. Despite a busy

schedule, they also found time to visit

Amsterdam, touring the Rijksmuseum

and the Anne Frank house, and toured

the city of Delft, famous for its medieval

architecture and centuries-old pottery

industry. On the blog kept throughout the

trip, Ashlyn Coleman ’15 said the MUN

trip was “life-changing.”

Model UN Visits The Hague

"Young people... will be the

problem solvers of the future."

—Lisa Vardi



“The most important method

of developing reading skills

is pure reading volume.”

—Betsy Kelly,Lower School

Principal

Fifth grader Jake Goldberg climbed into

the car one winter afternoon and said,

“Today was the best day ever.” Mom

Tammy Goldberg smiled; Jake had said the

same thing the day before.

Jake and his twin brother Jonnie started at

Bullis this year. “They are so chatty about

everything they’re doing in school and

how much they love their teachers and

everyone at Bullis,” Tammy explained.

“Since coming to Bullis, their confidence

in academics has skyrocketed. They read

without prompting and ask to go to the

bookstore to buy books, not toys!”

The Lower School is bursting with

innovation: Accelerated Reading,

individualized instruction, Responsive

Classroom and much more. This activity

is setting the foundation for students to

successfully take on greater academic

challenges as they advance in school,

while providing a supportive, enriching

and fun environment for students today.

100 MILLION WORDS

The heart of the Lower School’s new

initiatives is its reading program. In

September, Principal Betsy Kelly set a goal

for each student to read one million words

during the year. Students chose their own

books and along with in-school reading

were expected to read independently

for 45 minutes every evening. For each

book, students took a short online quiz

to test comprehension and help teachers

monitor progress. “Most important is the

actual word count,” explains Lower School

Principal Betsy Kelly. “Studies prove a

direct correlation between reading skills

and long-term academic achievement, and

the most important method of developing

reading skills is pure reading volume.”

Each week, students met in small

groups to discuss their reading,

share recommendations and learn

comprehension strategies. In writer

workshops, they studied texts as readers

and practiced them as writers. “Reading

is really at the heart of the students’

daily experience,” says teacher Margaret

Andreadis. “They bound into the room

each morning chatting about their books.”

Demetri Engel ’20 enjoys Read-in Day from the cozy confines of his sleeping bag.

18 BULLIS magazine

The Washington Post featured a story about the

100 million word achievement in its

KidsPost Section on June 11, 2013.(tinyurl.com/ohe9b2j)

Ms. Meghan Rose's science class built flexible knee braces as part of their Bodyworks unit.

By Read-In Day in May—when students

settle into classrooms with sleeping

bags, pillows, and an occasional tent to

simply read all day—the Lower School

had collectively read a whopping 100

million words. To kick off the event, the

Lower School celebrated this achievement

and each of the 38 “millionaire” students

who reached their individual goals. Many

millionaires exceeded the goal, including

top-reader Caesar Wain, 5th grade, who

plowed through more than five million

words, and 4th grader Sam Bromberg,

who devoured more than three million

words reading fantasies and mysteries.

Sam’s mother, Julia Beck, believes

the “secret sauce” behind the reading

program’s success is how students are

encouraged to take ownership of their

reading. “Sam poured a great deal of effort

and energy into choosing his books. We

spent time deep in conversation about

what he might read next and he took so

much pride in making those decisions.

The process built great confidence and

self-esteem in Sam. It struck a careful

balance between encouragement and

autonomy and recognized Sam for the

individual he is.”

INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION AND

THE EMERGENCE OF STEM

The Lower School has implemented

individualized instruction in other

subjects as well, through a unique hybrid

of approaches that address content

knowledge, skills and critical thinking.

At the beginning of each math unit,

teachers assess students’ proficiency

and group them by ability for practice

and skill development. “The groups are

fluid, changing from unit to unit,” says

Ms. Kelly. “Students may be in a more

advanced group for one unit and in a

different group for another. The focus

is never on what group you’re in but on

the individualized work each student

is doing, and teachers can design their


“Julian is always challenged,

never bored and never stressed.”

– Livia Christensen,

P’22

instruction around the specific needs of

each student.”

Livia Christensen recalls wondering

at the start of the year how much her

son Julian, who has just completed 3rd

grade, would be challenged at Bullis,

but was impressed early on with the

individualized curriculum. “Teachers are

constantly reevaluating and adjusting

to make sure the challenge is just right

for each student,” she said. “Julian is

always challenged, never bored and never

stressed.”

Another reason students are so engaged is

a burgeoning STEM program integrating

engineering and math with science. Rather

than simply studying the human body in

5th grade, students in Meghan Rose’s class

designed knee braces. The project was

inspired by “Engineering is Elemental,” an

engineering curriculum designed at the

Boston Museum of Science.

RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM

Each Lower School class begins every

day with a morning meeting—a key

component of the division’s use of

the Responsive Classroom approach,

which facilitates social, emotional and

academic growth in a strong, safe school

community.

According to 4th grade teacher Kate

Powell, Responsive Classroom enhances

the sense of community. By following

a predictable routine that includes

classroom jobs and a contract that holds

kids accountable for their behavior,

students learn social interaction skills,

empathy and self-control, along with

problem solving and organization. “They

remind each other about behavior and

help each other out more,” she observes.

The combined effect of the Responsive

Classroom and the Lower School’s

individualized approach is evident when

students and parents describe their

experiences at Bullis.

“Everyone at Bullis is connected. This is

the essential structure of our school—

complete support,” said 5th grader

Joe Martin at the year-end recognition

ceremony. “People call to other people

across the halls, always smiling, always

enjoying time together… this is treasured

here. My best word to describe how

everyone is acquainted and connected

here is family. I have never experienced

such a vibe of collegiality. I have been

taught how crucial it is to be part of a

wider family.”

Angie Jones, whose son Brendon, just

finished 5th grade, agrees: “Ms. Kelly and

the teachers help students realize what

they can do, establishing self-worth and

learning to move forward positively.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The Lower School’s individualized focus

led to the decision to add 2nd grade to

the program next year. “Our focus is on

kids, not teachers,” said Ms. Kelly. “We

constantly evaluate where students are

and how to move each one forward based

on individual competency. This approach

provides flexibility and resources to

expand.”

New families joining the Lower School

this fall will find students eager to

resume lessons, celebrate each other and

work hard. Removing stress from the

equation—and valuing each student’s

educational trajectory—is achieving great

results.

Most importantly, the students will

progress to Middle School and beyond

with knowledge, skills and a sense of self

that will propel them ahead confidently.

As 5th grader Mark Williams wrote of his

Lower School years: “We became artists,

athletes and learners. We became friends.

We became Bullis!”

For Tammy Goldberg and her family, the

effects have been life-changing. “We are a

happier, stress-free family thanks in huge

part to Bullis. There is nothing better than

picking up your children after a long day

and having them be so happy!”

20 BULLIS magazine


Students from all divisions seized the opportunity to showcase their postcard art with the entire community.

Bullis art students are discovering that

the visual arts involve more than painting,

drawing, sculpting and displaying artwork.

This year, innovative programs are

expanding student experience beyond

technique to the responsibilities and

opportunities of the art world.

While art shows have been a staple of

the Bullis program, students are learning

more about the exhibition process. Co-

captains assigned to AP studio shows

oversee each of four events, critiquing,

curating and installing art pieces as well

as advertising the show. “The students

curate the most cohesive show they

can,” says art teacher Maire O’Neill ’05,

“and make sure that student work is well

represented.”

Organizing the art shows provides

important learning opportunities. “The

students want each show to be more

professionally presented than the one

before,” says Ms. O’Neill. “They hold

critique meetings to continually improve

what they’re doing.” Last fall, student

artists designed tokens and comment

boxes to invite visitor feedback on their

art pieces. In Open Studio classes, older

Bullis students acting as show captains

worked with younger students to critique,

curate and organize younger student

exhibits.

The “Postcard Show” and “Artwalk” in

May provided opportunities for all Bullis

students to showcase their art. Inspired by

“One Day,” Richard Blanco’s Inauguration

poem, students in all divisions wrote

poems, while other students illustrated

the verses on postcards. Swapping

creative efforts allowed students to both

write and illustrate, resulting in nearly 300

postcards displayed in the Blair lobby.

For the Artwalk, student guides escorted

visitors through classroom displays. “They

stamped the hands of guests,” says Lily

Gillette, visual arts chair and Lower School

art teacher, “making it fun to go from

room to room to see all the great work the

students have done this year.”

New as well is Bullis involvement in the

National Art Honor Society (NAHS);

similar chapters for the performing arts

are the Tri-M Music Honor Society and

International Thespians. Sponsored by the

National Art Educators Association, NAHS

inducts art students who meet national

requirements. Many opportunities are

available, including “some outstanding

scholarships at top art schools,” explains

art teacher Louisa Morris.

Interested students meet to discuss new

art projects, such as community service

hours earned through painting scenery

for Lower and Middle School plays, face

painting at the Homecoming celebration

and designing prom tickets. Grade

point averages, meeting attendance and

fundraising activities also help students

satisfy NAHS requirements.

“In previous years, art students always


Maire O’Neill ’05 inducts Esther Kim ’13 as the National Arts Honor Society chapter’s first president.

pitched in to help with school events, but

we had no real system in place to do so,”

says art teacher Deb Donoghue. “NAHS

provides guidelines and incentives while

encouraging the same kind of art-related

activities.”

In the wider art community, six Bullis

students were selected to exhibit in the

“Best of Independent Schools” show

held at Landon School this spring. The

competition among local Baltimore-

Washington private schools received over

200 submissions, with 83 artworks chosen

for display—including pieces by Bullis

students Nadia Fallahi ’13, Will Gansler

’15, Esther Kim ’13, Qiaoumei Li ’14, Robyn

Mackenzie ’16 and and Jack Zhou ’14.

Art outreach and community spirit is also

encouraged in the Lower School, such as

the successful quilt project for this year’s

Gala. A grant from the Parents Association

made available plenty of materials for

Lower School students to create unique

squares for three quilts auctioned at the

Gala.

What do these initiatives bring to the arts

at Bullis? “More serious art students,”

says Ms. Donoghue. “They understand

that being an art student means showing

work, documenting pieces and giving back

to the community through their talent.”

Ms. Gillette agrees. “Our students are

becoming more invested in their artwork

at a younger age.”

Art at Bullis is more than learning to paint

or draw, says Esther Kim. “This year we

are problem solving—learning to utilize

space in a show or solve a problem in

artwork. The teachers encourage us to

find our own style and to reach out to the

community, too.”

Collaboration among art classes in all

divisions is a key aspect of the program,

“inspiring younger students to think more

seriously about their own art,” says Ms.

O’Neill. “We see more interaction among

students, and they see what goes on in

later art classes.”

The Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA)

offers summer scholarships to two Bullis

students by juried decision, providing a

two-week art intensive taught by college

art professors. “This immersion helps

students understand what art school is

really like,” says Ms. Donoghue. Dayna

Clayton ’14 and Kali Engel ’14 participated

this past summer. Darcy Argain ’14 and

Yasmin Rucker ’14 both received CIA

scholarships for this summer.

“Our teachers are really supportive,” says

Esther Kim of the Bullis program. She will

be attending college at Maryland Institute

College of Art.“I feel so ready to go to art

school now.”

To enable visitors to further appreciate

the array of Bullis talent in visual arts, an

online gallery is updated each trimester on

the Bullis website. View it at www.bullis.

org/arts/Gallery.

22 BULLIS magazine

newsGala Success: A Red Carpet Affair

On Friday, March 15, “A Red Carpet

Affair” Gala raised $330,000 in support

of financial aid and professional

development programs, including a new

record for Raise the Paddle of $139,000

to fund a new outdoor video display and

scoreboard.

With great appreciation, we thank Gala Co-

Chairs Audrey Friedlander P’15 and Tammy

McKnight P’15,’18 for their enthusiastic

and dedicated leadership; Total Wine &

More and David and June Trone, P’12,

’14 for their generous sponsorship; and

the many parent volunteers who donated

countless hours of their time to the Gala.

Their efforts, combined with the energetic

participation and generous bidding of the

Gala’s attendees, produced a great event

that displayed the positive impact and

generous contributions of our community.

Finalists Brian Mitchell ’14 and Oriana Theo ’14 at the national competition.

Gala Co-chairs Tammy McKnight and Audrey Friedlander pose with the red carpet backdrop.

More than 600,000 students from all 50

states participate in National History Day

events during the school year, including all

Bullis juniors and those sophomores who

take honors US History. After the school

events, winning students compete at the

county and state levels to qualify for the

national event in College Park, Maryland

each June.

Six Bullis students made it all the way

to this summer's NHD, and two from

our delegation made it to the finals.

Congratulations to Oriana Theo ’14, who

placed 13th for her solo performance,

“When Hope Fell From The Sky: The

Berlin Airlift” and to Brian Mitchell ’14

who placed 7th for his documentary

“Baltimore Polytechnic Institute: A Model

of Desegregation Before Brown” (tinyurl.

com/p2ypadk). Brian also received the

Star Spangled 200 special prize for

incorporating unity in diversity in his entry.

Bullis Seniors Final at National History Day


artsImaginationA sampling of artwork produced by students across the divisions.

Demi Fragoyannis ’22

Leah Mayo ’18

Adeline Hollars ’20 Sloan Bernstein ’21

24 BULLIS magazine

arts

Bridget Conway ’18

Monique Muse ’16

Alonso Flores-Noel ’18

Nadia Fallahi ’13


Nick Sussman ’14

Minnie Wu ’15

Justin Schuble ’13

Drew Micholas ’14

26 BULLIS magazine

athleticsOutstanding Athletes

ANTHONY THOMPSONBasketball

“Anytime we walked onto the floor,” says

Bruce Kelley, varsity basketball coach, “we

knew we had the best point guard in the

game, and that good things were going

to happen.” That point guard for the last

three years was Anthony Thompson,

who wrapped his senior year leading the

Bulldogs to a 47-7 record over the last two

years, along with two IAC banners and two

IAC tournament championships. He was

also named Montgomery County player

of the year by The Gazette, and named to

2nd team All-Met by The Washington Post.

Anthony heads to Holy Cross College

next year, leaving behind other impressive

statistics as well, including 15.4 points

per game, 106 assists and 62 three-point

shots made during his senior year. “Very

few students make a team win the way

Anthony does,” declares Kelley.

Anthony came to Bullis in 9th grade, and

has played basketball—always at point

guard—since he was four years old. “I

love the passion and the competition of

the game,” he explains, “and it’s great to

see all the hard work pay off.”

He looks forward to playing at Holy Cross,

and might consider playing professionally

here or overseas, but “college is more

for life after basketball,” he says. He

particularly enjoyed his economics classes

here at Bullis, and hopes to work in

business once basketball is behind him.

NICK BARPOULIS

Swimming

“I actually love playing hockey,” says Nick

Barpoulis, “but I’m a better swimmer!”

He joined the swim team as a freshman,

but did not get serious about it until the

end of sophomore year when his coaches

saw him begin to truly understand and

appreciate the sport.

“We were shocked at his transition,”

remembers Coach Bryan Jones, “from a

goofy, non-serious swimmer to realizing

that his commitment to get better would

not only help increase visibility for the

program and showcase Bullis but also

aid in his development as a leader.” Nick

became team co-captain as a junior, and

went on to set a school record for 500

freestyle and share records for 200 free

relay and 200 medley relay.

Swimming offers a unique combination

of individual challenge and team spirit

which appeals to Nick, who recognizes

that in swimming “you can be whatever

you make yourself to be. You will get

better if you put in the effort.” Nick, who

will attend Bucknell University this fall,

was recognized for his work ethic and

leadership when he won this season’s

Coach’s Award.


BRITTANY JACKSON

Basketball

Incredible intensity and passion for the

game gives varsity basketball co-captain

Brittany Jackson the qualities that her

coaches want to see in their players: hard

work, respect and composure. “Brittany

has a loving spirit and a positive word for

her teammates all the time,” observes

Head Coach Rod Hairston, “but her

competitive nature and desire to succeed

takes over once she steps between the

lines. She becomes a warrior with the

determination of a champion.”

Brittany developed skill and leadership

over seven years on Bullis basketball

teams. Like her undefeated 8th grade

season, winning this year’s Independent

School League was momentous. “That

victory was the whole goal,” says Brittany.

“We were working up to it for years.”

Younger players will now fill spots vacated

by graduating seniors, and Brittany

anticipates returning to see “what we’ve

created.”

Off the court, Brittany sang alto with the

Chamber Singers for two years. “I love the

challenge of working with a group. Just like

basketball, the effort requires chemistry to

successfully blend together to accomplish

our ultimate goal.”

With a scholarship to play at George

Mason University, Brittany will also pursue

her other passion—English literature.

College basketball is a big commitment,

so she may not find time for many

activities, but she is certainly among the

many multi-dimensional students that

Bullis helps prepare to meet the world.

28 BULLIS magazine

athleticsJOSH FOREMANBaseball

Josh Foreman prefers to play baseball

rather than watch it, forgoing major league

fandom for his own games. “I like the

culture of baseball and the combination

of mental and physical it requires,” he

explains. After four years starting on the

Bullis varsity team, he plans to play for

Emory University next year.

As shortstop, Josh is the point guard

of the field, facilitating the defense and

“getting the most balls,” Josh wryly adds.

He started in more than 100 games

during his time at Bullis.

Aside from being a “team-first guy who

leads by example on and off the field,”

BRANDON BURKE

Ice Hockey and Lacrosse

Most Bullis students participate in a

variety of activities, but few are MVPs in

two sports—standout athlete Brandon

Burke ’13 has achieved that.

Brandon played varsity lacrosse and

hockey since his freshman year. The

youngest of three boys, he followed his

brothers onto the field and rink, becoming

a leader in his own right in both sports.

For Brandon, this winter’s hockey season

was the best one in which he has taken

Outstanding Athletes

Coach Brian Lumpkin named Josh the

team’s Most Valuable Player. “He’s the

most reliable defensive player I’ve ever

coached,” says Lumpkin, pointing to

Josh’s career fielding percentage of 93%.

A two-time all-IAC player who also excelled

on offense, Josh finished this season

with 14 RBIs, 12 singles, 3 triples and 7

stolen bases. “Thanks to Josh, the last two

seasons have been the best for baseball in

school history,” said Lumpkin.

Aside from playing, Josh was an avid

writer for The Bulldog, and hopes to

continue in sports media, maybe trying

radio when he gets to Emory.


CEMAIA WISESoftball

This summer will be the first in several

years that CeMaia Wise will not be playing

softball. “I’ve played since I was seven,

including summer travel leagues,” she

recalls.

CeMaia started as catcher for all four of

her years on the Bullis varsity team. She

earned all-ISL during her junior and senior

seasons, with 18 put-outs and 20 assists.

“Coaches from every school always

commented on her impressive skills,”

says Coach Heather Patterson. “She puts

fear in her competitors with her strong

arm and quick release, picking players off

repeatedly from first and third.”

Patterson also gave CeMaia the coach’s

Leadership Award for the season, crediting

her unmatched positive support for her

teammates. “She definitely has left her

legacy and will be missed tremendously

for her performance on the field and off.”

Before leaving to attend St. Johns

University in the fall, CeMaia will help

coach softball for Bullis Summer

Programs, where her ever-present smile

will accompany her winning combination

of skills and positive energy: “I try to

encourage everyone—a smile can make

any day better!”

part. Although Bullis ultimately lost

the IAC championship game, the team

fought valiantly: “I’m really proud of how

we stuck together as a team and hope

that for the younger players this will be a

learning experience for next year.” Brandon

received the team’s Most Valuable Player

award.

As goalie for the lacrosse team, Brandon

was awarded All-IAC and All-Gazette, and

the team’s Most Valuable Player. Coach

Robert Pollicino says Brandon “was the

consummate leader who pushed himself

and his teammates to improve every day.”

Brandon will play lacrosse next year at

Colgate University. “At the end of the day,”

he says, “I just want everyone to know that

I left it all out on the field or on the ice.”

NADIA FALLAHI

Lacrosse and Field Hockey

“Nadia Fallahi handles the pressure-

packed job of varsity lacrosse goalie

wonderfully,” compliments Coach

Kathleen Lloyd. Nadia is a team player

who holds a positive attitude and keeps

the team in mind. “After every goal our

team would score, she would run from

her goal to midfield to congratulate the

players,” Coach Lloyd recalls.

Nadia had a game-changing moment

when she overheard opponents doubting

Nadia Fallahi continues next page

30 BULLIS magazine

athletics

KASEY COUNTEE

Tennis

After two years away from competitive

tennis, it took rising senior Kasey

Countee just one year to return to peak

performance, wrapping up his season

with an 11-1 record, the IAC individual

championship and All-Met recognition. He

seems well on his way to fulfilling Coach

Steve Miguel’s prediction: “If he keeps at

it diligently, tennis may be Kasey’s ticket to

a college education.”

Surprisingly, despite his domination

as a singles player, Kasey prefers team

sports, having played lacrosse, soccer

and basketball, and running cross country

since enrolling in Bullis as a 6th grader.

Within a team, acknowledges Kasey,

rallying together as a group is a powerful

motivator. When alone on the court, he

confides, “I sometimes struggle to rely

solely on myself for internal motivation.”

Adding to the challenge this year, Kasey

became team co-captain, calling for

increased focus from a player known

for his talent, energy and enthusiasm—

and for not taking things too seriously.

“Instead of getting caught up in myself,”

Kasey has learned, “I have to lead by

example and make sure others stay on top

of their games as well.”

her ability to defend penalty shots. “That

fired me up to ramp up my game!” Soon

everyone regarded her as a solid goalie.

The Bullis girls will move to the upper

division next year after being undefeated

in the ISL this year. “We went out on a

high,” Nadia says, “and I feel confident

that I contributed to that success.”

For two years Nadia has played forward

on the varsity field hockey team as well.

“I don’t know what I would have done

without sports,” she reflected on the eve

of Graduation. “Playing two varsity sports

helped me mature and learn to balance.”

She hopes to inspire younger players

to help others whether or not they hold

leadership positions.

Next year Nadia plans to study public

relations at University of Southern

California and perhaps continue athletics

on intramural teams.


Basketball Teams Clinch Victories

The Bulldogs won the ISL tournament with a big win over Georgetown Visitation. Players include, front row from left, Nicole Kittay ’16, Brianna Davis ’13, Brooke Gutschick ’13, Raven James ’16 and Dazia Hall ’13. Back row, Kyla Lewis ’15, Ashley DeLeonibus ’14, Lynee Belton ’14, Kirby Porter ’14, Lawrencia Moten ’16 and Brittany Jackson ’13.

The varsity boys team defeated St. Albans to win a second consecutive IAC title. Front row from left, Jamaal Greenwood ‘14, Jonathan Dyer ’13, Anthony Thompson ’13, Aaron Briggs ’14, Lamonte Armstrong ’14, Kyven Jones ’14 and Justin Herron ’14. Back row from left, Winton Lyle ’13, Joe Sageman ’13, Andre Walker ’14, AJ Metz ’13, Russell Sangster ’14, Brian Kelley ’14 and Chris Aust ’14.

32 BULLIS magazine

Engraved bricks are once again available! Purchase a personalized brick in honor or memory of a student, team, teacher, individual or family.

Name: ____________________________________ Relationship to Bullis: _________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________

Preferred location: Front of The Marriott Family Library _____ or Kline Alumni Stadium _____

Brick orders are payable in full. Please complete this form and return with a check for $250 made payable to Bullis School.

Mail to: Bullis School Advancement Office, 10601 Falls Road, Potomac, MD 20854

Questions? Please email [email protected]

All contributions are tax deductible to a 501(c)(3) organization in accordance with IRS regulations.

Building Support for BullisOne at a Time

Proceeds from brick purchases help to support the Annual Fund at Bullis. Thank you for supporting Bullis and showing your school spirit!

Please print text as you wish it to be engraved on the brick.Limit: 15 letters per line – 3 lines maximum per brick.

One letter or character per blockPlease use a separate form for each brick ordered.


“Generosity nurtures this School.”Schools and growth go hand in hand—and this year, Bullis has seen record growth in

every area, much of it due to the remarkable generosity and support of this wonderful

community. Early in the school year we asked parents and the entire giving community to

“Step Up” for Bullis. You did so with such enthusiasm that together we stepped right past

our Annual Fund goal of $950,000—to reach one million dollars! That’s a milestone for

any giving campaign, and we are grateful to all of you.

Your high regard for Bullis and all that it represents for its students and community

made new growth possible in programs and in campus improvements such as the brick

patios outside The Marriott Family Library, including the lovely waterfall and sunny patio

dedicated to Cami Baruch. This summer an impressive video scoreboard will be installed

at the Stadium thanks to the record-setting donations on Gala night for Raise the Paddle.

Every year with your help, we see more facets of the great potential in Bullis. The secret to

our community’s strong culture of giving is not simply an appreciation of the importance

of philanthropy—it’s the realization that generosity nurtures this school, and by extension,

helps to ensure the future of every student who walks across this campus.

Bullis benefits from donations of time and talents as well as resources. We are so grateful

for the many parent volunteers, experienced and new, who stepped forward this year to

help with everything from the snack bar to the Gala and the successful Bullis Gives Back

5K race.

We thank each of you for “stepping up” in countless ways to encourage Bullis’s evolution.

Our future looks bright—and as we move ahead to next year, we know that the School

remains a priority for all of us.

Enjoy a wonderful summer, and I look forward to seeing you in September!

Sincerely,

Joanne Szadkowski

Director of Institutional Advancement and Alumni

advancement perspectives

alumniJerry May Alumni Golf

Tournament

34 BULLIS magazine

Top photo, from left, Tom Mavrikes, James Bannister, Ryan Tendall and George Mavrikes P ’14, ‘17. Middle photo, Dean Sclavounos ’63, Glenn Hunter, Bruce Kelley and Andy Marusak ’66. Above, front row, Hunter Gosnell ’06, Josh Basile ’03, Craig Aronoff ’04 and Woody King ’09. Back row, Scott Crow ’11, Alex Friedlander ’11, Keith Cohen ’06, Brian Will ’08, Andres Parra ’99, Adam Janowitz ’00, Drew Prescott ’00 and Neil King ’07.

For the last three years, Bullis Head of

School Dr. Gerald L. Boarman and his

golf partners have dominated the annual

golf tournament. This year, though, a new

team (in top photo at right) comprised of

George Mavrikes P’14, ’17, Tom Mavrikes,

Ryan Tendall and James Bannister,

squeaked by Dr. Boarman’s team to take

the title.

The event attracted more than 70 golfers,

including nearly half who were alumni.

The tournament retained the fun, friendly

competition and happy reunions that

each Jerry May Alumni Golf Tournament

features year after year.

Alumna was one of the first women to graduate from Bullis.

Nicole Bernard Chaffin ’83

36 BULLIS magazine

Nicole Bernard has always been

comfortable being a pioneer. As a member

of the first class of girls to enter the

School in 1981 when she was in 11th grade,

Nicole was a trailblazer then and has

continued to be throughout her career,

including in her current role as senior vice

president for audience strategy at The Fox

Group. The position was a new one at the

organization, where Bernard has worked

since 2005. While many organizations

have departments that focus on diversity,

Fox selected Bernard to take on a broader

challenge “to ensure that each of our

entertainment products, across every unit,

incorporates and engages as diverse an

audience as our country is made of,” she

explains.

Bernard’s department provides

strategy and resources and establishes

partnerships throughout the country

to support all divisions of Fox, and the

position allows her to play to her strengths

as well as her passions to follow her own

path, travel and explore and appreciate

different cultures. “People amaze me and I

have always loved to see, feel and touch all

the things that make a culture so unique,”

she says.

“Having a blank slate to create something

unique fosters the visionary in me,” she

recalls. “I was the only girl on the boys

tennis team at Bullis, and the mere fact

that I sought out Bullis knowing I would

be a first in more ways than one was really

the catalyst for my being confident enough

to move myself in a direction I might

innately know is right for me, even if it

means being the first or only one there.”

Bernard credits Bullis with establishing

this spirit to see things as they could be

and not just how they are.

Bernard still thinks of her days at Bullis

as some of the happiest in her life. She

enthusiastically recalls the School’s

dynamic environment and how it provided

exactly the challenges she sought even

as a teenager. “When my friend Candice

Mitchell ’83 mentioned Bullis and its

academic rigor, prior military foundation

and great tennis team—and the chance

to make history as one of the first women

to integrate the school—I knew it was for

me.” She still remembers feeling both

“terrified and amused” by General Price

when she arrived first on campus, and

loving the focus on college preparation

and an expectation for excellence. “I even

liked that you had to be ‘invited back’ every

semester. The idea sparked the competitor

in me and made me feel like I was joining

an elite club that I would earn the right to

be a part of.”

She talks often about Bullis with her

nieces and nephew, current Bullis students

Gabby McIntosh ’14, Brynn McIntosh ’16

and Alec McIntosh ’18. Today’s dress code

options are a far cry from the blazer and

saddle shoes of Bernard’s era—“those

alumni profile


saddle shoes were just wrong in so many

ways!” she laughs. Among the many life

skills she developed at Bullis, Bernard is

particularly grateful for the strong work

ethic, determination, appreciation for

healthy competition and the value of

being part of a community as important

foundations for her career success. She

also applauds the expanded opportunities

in the arts at today’s Bullis, along with

the dedication to academic success and

engagement in sports that remain still at

the high levels she remembers.

As her own twin daughters—Hayden

and Leah, now six years old—grow older,

she hopes to find a similar educational

program for them in Los Angeles that

will provide an elite education that

balances fun, friendships and academics.

“Prioritizing and balance are great life

lessons that we learned at Bullis.” Bernard

regularly advises her nieces and nephews

to take advantage of the “dynamic

teachers and to raise questions about

what they are taught and what they wish

to see more.” She encourages them to

recognize and “always remember the

school’s historical belief that discipline,

balance and effort can catapult you to

greatness.” She encourages them to

leverage and try every single opportunity

that the school and the campus offer.

“Experience something that takes you out

of your comfort zone, she urges, “because

you never know how that experience will

serve you later in life.”

Bernard still remembers a particular

personal lesson, when “the fantastically

eccentric Mr. Klinger” had his students

recite the prelude to the Canterbury Tales

in front of the class. This taught Bernard

that “there is no mountain too high!” And

yes, she can still recite it.

Left page, Nicole Bernard's 1983 yearbook photos. Above from left, twin daughters Leah and Hayden share a hug; at right Nicole and her husband Lee vacation in Cabo San Lucas with their daughters.

“Experience something that takes you out of

your comfort zone, because you never

know how that experience will serve

you later in life.”

—Nicole Bernard Chaffin

38 BULLIS magazine

1974Carl Taylor reports that he just finished

coaching his 32nd year of youth lacrosse for

the West Hartford Youth Lacrosse League

and he is in his 12th year as a Superior

Court Judge. For the past two years he

has served as the presiding judge in the

Manchester, Connecticut courthouse.

1978Thomas Howe has worked for six years at

Google as an enterprise vertical account

manager in manufacturing. He and his

wife Carrie recently relocated from Chicago

to Key West, Florida.

1985Rick Glasby and his wife Athena had a

daughter, Zoe, on April 13, 2012, who joins

Rick’s first daughter, Leah, 23. Rick and

Athena both work at Bechtel Corporation

and reside in Frederick, Maryland.

1989Lisa Schatz resides in Baltimore and is

the owner and operator of Cupcake, a

contemporary women’s boutique in Fells

Point. Cupcake is in its 7th year of business

and recently launched its e-commerce

website: www.cupcake-shop.com.

1991 Congratulations to Seth Eaton who

won the 2012 SCCA Regional Solo 2

Championship in his Porsche Boxster S.

The battle for the championship was very

close, with Seth carrying a three-point lead

into the 12th final race in December. (See

photo on page 41.)

1993Christy (Pratt) Lucia lives in McLean,

Virginia with her husband Seth and

their four children, daughters Caroline,

Catherine and Elsie and son Nicholas.

Christy also lives two doors down from

former Bullis teacher and coach Bill

Wieand, and says she enjoys seeing him

often. Christy recently attended her 20

year reunion and says it was great to see

everyone who attended! (See photo on

page 42.)

Kira Orr was recently acknowledged an

ACC Women’s Basketball Legend at Duke

University, where she was also the first

Blue Devil to be drafted professionally.

Kira is currently assistant principal of the

Middle School at Bullis.

1997Akilah (Owens) Harris and her husband

Kelvin had daughter Elle Riley, on January

21, who joins big brother Ethan, 1. Akilah

works as a sales manager for Centex

Homes and she and her family live in

Arlington, Virginia.

1998Best wishes to Anna (Buffone) Hurst and

her husband Mike, who recently welcomed

identical twin boys, Harrison Samuel

Hurst and James Thomas Hurst, born

on December 5. Anna works as a senior

recruiter for Salesforce.com and Mike

is the CEO of a start-up company called

Exactuals. The Hurst family lives in Los

Altos, California.

After living in San Francisco and working

at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area since

February 2009, Adam Littlefield has

accepted a job with NBC Sports to help

launch their new English Premier League

soccer coverage. Adam says this is his

dream job, working for one of the most

prestigious networks in sports television

with the added bonus of solely focusing

on the sport about which he is most

passionate. Adam relocated to New York

City in June and began his new position

on July 1.

From left, Zoe Glasby, daughter of Rick Glasby ’85 and his wife Athena; Akilah (Owens) Harris ’97 with her husband Kelvin and children Ethan and Elle; James Thomas Hurst and Harrison Samuel Hurst, sons of Anna (Buffone) Hurst ’98 and her husband Mike Hurst.

alumni class notes


1999Congratulations to Celeste Melanson

and Joe Sweeney who were engaged on

November 24. The couple resides in West

Chester, Pennsylvania, where Celeste

teaches science and coaches the varsity

girls’ soccer team at Episcopal Academy,

and Joe works for his family’s business,

Medical Equipment Contractors.

Scott Levenson reports that since fall

2008 he has been executive director at

Private Prep, a tutoring service offering

individually customized lessons for a

range of K-12 subjects and standardized

test preparation (www.privateprep.com).

Last summer, Scott co-founded a start-up

called Present Value, a gift registry service

that enables people to make lasting

contributions toward a more secure

financial future for engaged couples and

expectant parents (www.presentvalue.

com). Scott and his wife Tamara are

the proud parents of son Blake, 3, and

daughter Sasha, 1. The Levenson family

lives in New York City.

Jennifer (Hayman) Okun and her

husband Jared are thrilled to welcome

their first child, daughter Olivia Sloane

Okun, born on December 9. Jennifer is the

assistant director of alumni and events at

Bullis and Jared works in commercial real

estate at Rock Creek Property Group.

Elliott Datlow recently traveled to Panama

City, Panama to coach ATP tennis pro

Jesse Witten at the ATP Visit Panama Cup,

a pro tennis tournament. While there,

Elliott also led a tennis clinic for 30 of the

top junior players in Panama. (See photo

on page 41.)

Rachel (Garff) Kirkham and her husband

Jay are proud to announce the arrival of

their son, Gabriel Dennis Kirkham, born

on February 6. Rachel and Jay, along with

their daughters Chloe, 4, and Lucy, 2,

and baby Gabriel, live in Cherry Hill, New

Jersey.

2000Best wishes to Jessica (Rafferty) Marx and

her husband Jeff, who welcomed their first

child, son Nathan Kurt Marx, on October

29. The Marx family resides in Dallas,

Texas.

Share Your NewsNewly married? Relocating? Expanding your family?

Celebrating a career transition?

Exotic travel in the works?

Please send in your Class Notes for the next Bullis Magazine to keep your classmates and other Bullis friends up to date. High-resolution photos (JPEG format) are always welcome.

Be sure to "like" us on Facebook—search Bullis School Alumni Association—and follow us on Twitter: @BullisAlumni.

Email your updates to Jennifer Hayman Okun ’99, assistant director of alumni and events, at [email protected].

From left, Celeste Melanson ’99 and her fiancé Joe Sweeney enjoying some quality time together; Scott Levenson ’99 with his wife Tamara, daughter Sasha and son Blake; Jennifer (Hayman) Okun ’99 and her husband Jared with their daughter Olivia Sloane Okun.

40 BULLIS magazine

2002Liz Dufresne created and produces

a health TV show on Montgomery

Municipal Cable TV channel 16 called

“Living Healthy,” co-hosted by Sport and

Spine Rehab’s CEO Dr. Jay Greenstein

and CCO Dr. Barton Bishop. Each episode

focuses on a different health topic and

features a guest who specializes in that

area. Liz is also the senior marketing

account representative for Sport and Spine

Rehab. For more information, please visit

www.ssrehab.com.

Ibrahim Diane and Josh Posnick ’03

have teamed up to create “Live from the

Republic,” an annual concert tour held in

Africa that features hip-hop, R&B and pop

musicians. A portion of the proceeds from

tour merchandise is donated to social

causes that benefit children in the African

community. For more information, please

visit www.livefromtherepublic.com.

2003Josh Basile graduated Magna Cum Laude

from UDC’s David A. Clarke School of Law

in May 2013. Josh is taking the bar exam

this summer and is looking forward to

beginning his job as an associate at Jack

H. Olender & Associates.

Lindsay (Gerber) Harris and her husband

Josh welcomed son Mason on October

23, 2012. Lindsay works at Host Hotels

& Resorts and lives with her family in

Gaithersburg.

2004Thomas Rachlin graduated from the

University of Colorado in 2008 with

a degree in Mechanical Engineering

and currently works as a technical

development engineer in research and

development at Covidien. Tom was

featured in the November issue of GQ

Magazine as a finalist in their entrepreneur

contest, “A Gentleman’s Call,” which was

in pursuit of an “idea that matters.” Tom’s

idea was The Clean Water Reserve Project,

and out of 3,000 entries nationwide, Tom

was selected as one of five finalists. Tom

currently lives in Boulder, Colorado. To

view Tom’s video, visit www.youtube.com/

watch?v=1D8ClK1pLq

2005Jordan Burke was named to the all-decade

lacrosse team at Brown University.

2006Fletcher Schoen joined the United States

Army in May 2012 and is stationed at

alumni class notes

From left, Gabriel Dennis Kirkham, son of Rachel (Garff) Kirkham ’99 and her husband Jay Kirkham; Nathan Kurt Marx, son of Jessica (Rafferty) Marx ’00 and her husband Jeff Marx; Josh Basile ‘03, on right, poses with his classmate John Millar at their law school graduation in May.

Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Fletcher

graduated from Army Sniper School in

February 2013 and went through Special

Forces Selection and Assessment. He has

been selected to begin training to become

a Green Beret.

2008Patrick Schoen graduated from Occidental

College last year with a major in diplomacy

and world affairs. This past year he worked

as a research assistant for AIDS Project

Los Angeles’ community-based research

program. This fall, Patrick will relocate to

London to start an MSc in reproductive

and sexual health research at The London

School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

2009Zachary Weiner graduated from

Muhlenberg College in May with a

degree in accounting and international

business. He will soon begin a new job at

CohnReznick, an accounting firm.

2012Madeline Dahut just completed her

freshman year at Georgetown University

where she is majoring in nursing. This

summer, Madeline is working with a

researcher on a lab project at Georgetown

as well as writing a paper for publication

in an oncology journal.

alumni class notes

IN MEMORIAMWe extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those in our close Bullis circle who have recently passed away:

Camille Marin Baruch ’13

Anthony Carozza ’46

William Clyde Earl ’46

Ashley Ennis ’68

Scott Friedel ’87

Gregory Panawek ’40

Robert C. Wood ’63


From left, Mori Diane (father of Ibrahim Diane ’02), singer/songwriter/rap artist Ryan Leslie, friend Yasmine Rahmaan, Ibrahim Diane ’02 and Josh Posnick ’03; Patrick Schoen ’08; Davis ’12 and Chris Nordeen represent Bullis at Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Davis Nordeen, along with his father,

Bullis Trustee Chris Nordeen, and his

cousin, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in

December. Though the climb took six

days and the route crossed through five

climate zones, Davis reports that the “top

was gorgeous” and they had a great time.

Davis just completed his freshman year

at the University of Michigan and this

summer, he is interning for a nonprofit

organization in Hong Kong.

Past Faculty/StaffFormer Bullis history teacher and cross

country/track coach Nicholas Kent

has been named high school principal

of Concordia International School in

Shanghai, China, to begin in the 2013-14

school year. Nicholas says that his love for

China and school leadership was founded

at Bullis from 2000-2002. Concordia

International School Shanghai is a pre-

K-12 school serving expat families.

Elliott Datlow ’99 with members of a tennis clinic in Panama.

Seth Eaton ’91 in the Porsche Boxster S with which he won the 2012 SCCA Regional Solo 2 Championship.

alumni class notesalumni class notes

42 BULLIS magazine

Young Alumni Day

The fourth annual Young Alumni Lunch took place on January 10, bringing a good crowd of alumni

back to Bullis. The students stopped by to enjoy lunch while reuniting with classmates, teachers and

administrators, and sharing great stories of their time after Bullis. It was wonderful to see everyone!

Back row from left, teachers Michael Chellman and Tim Hanson, KaQuan Little ’10, Aurian Darvishi ’12,

Leigh Ulica ’12, Jay Barrera ’11, Alex Anderson ’11, Nick Mars ’12 and college counselor Lynn Kittel. Front

row, teacher Heda O’Brien, Sam Thomas ’12, Steven Xue ’12, Morgan Williams ’12, Cami Uechi ’12, Tish

Barton ’12, Dr. Mary Frances Bryja and Dr. Jerry Boarman.

Christy (Pratt) Lucia '93 and her husband Seth enjoy time with their four children Caroline, Catherine, Elsie and Nicholas.

44 BULLIS magazine

class reunionsClass of 1993 Celebrates 20 Years!

Class of 2002 Marks 10 Years!

Members of the class of 1993 gathered at RiRa Irish Pub in Bethesda to celebrate their 20 year reunion

in June. Classmates remarked about how wonderful it was to see everyone and that a great time was

had by all!

From left, Kim Forsht, Mike Corrigan, Bradley Raymond, Sally (Kogod) Biederman, Dan Zubari, Christy

(Pratt) Lucia, Lauren Shrensky, Kyle Blackstone, Alison (Colen) Wade, Liz (Myers) Barnhart, Dana

(Gildenhorn) Wancjer and Todd Levine.

The class of 2002 feted their 10 year

reunion at Napoleon Bistro & Lounge

in November. A special thank you

to Courtney Abrams and Candace

(Foulger) Morriss for their help

with planning the evening. At right,

Candace (Foulger) Morriss and Ross

Koenig.


The class of 2007 celebrated their five year reunion over Thanksgiving weekend at Tommy Joe’s in Bethesda. A big thank you to

Kimberly Segal for all of her hard work in planning such a successful night! Of the night Kimberly said, “it was like a family reunion…

Everyone was so excited to all get together and reunite.”

Above from left, Alex Dresner, Molly Goodman, Megan Herbets, Ali Nemeroff, Andrew Zutz, Shaun Crow, Sarah O’Neill, Brandon

Allen and Jaime Bernstein-Ansaldi.

Below, back row from left, Alex Jackson, Spencer Kelly, Brooke Slowinski, Will Beck and Ben Carroll. Middle row, Andrew Zutz, Doug

Silverstein, Alissa Lichtenstein, Neil King, Joey Goldberg, Molly Goodman and Andrew Gordon. Front row, Shaun Crow, Kimberly

Segal, Sarah O’Neill, Megan Herbets and Ali Nemeroff.

Five Year Celebration for Class of 2007

46 BULLIS magazine

class reunionsRichard Hayman ’63 created Bullis’ first

HAM Radio Club over 50 years ago to

combine two of his interests, engineering

and communication. While the Radio Club

eventually dissolved with the move of

Bullis from Silver Spring to Potomac and

the introduction of newer technologies,

Richard stayed active in the HAM Radio

world. This past fall, Richard and a group

of 10 Upper School students started

Bullis’ new RC² club (robotics, computers

and communication). The aim is for “kids

to have fun and be practical with things

they are learning in the classroom,” says

Richard.

While Richard’s expertise with HAM Radio

influenced RC²’s initial projects, the club

also includes building robots and other

computer-focused technologies. Junior

Scott Bettigole ’14 says, “It’s very hands

on. We’re working with real things and can

see the product of our work.”

Richard hopes that the use of radio will

be an extension of what is being learned

in the classroom —for example, foreign

language classes being able to speak to

students in other countries. “HAM Radio

is the original social media. You’re talking

to strangers and making relationships

around the world, but without the use of

the internet.”

Energized after attending the Golden Years

Reunion last fall, Richard reconnected

Alumnus Revamps Radio Club He Foundedwith Bullis to revive the Radio Club. “HAM

Radio is a hobby that’s over 100 years old,

and it’s today’s youth who are going to

keep it thriving,” he says. “The only way to

do that is to expose them to radio and its

capabilities.”

Richard’s interest in HAM began when his

grandfather gave him a short wave radio at

the age of 10. “In fact, my parents bribed

me and said if I got good grades at Bullis,

I could get a newer radio.” It worked, and

in 1960, Bullis’ first radio club was formed.

Over 50 years later, radio is once again

part of Bullis.

For more about the RC² club, watch the

video at www.bullis.org/radio.

At left, Richard Hayman in the 1963 yearbook, developing photos. At right, Scott Bettigole ’14, Adam Cohen ’14, Brian Mitchell ’14 and Richard Hayman ’63 erecting their first radio antenna outside of North Hall.


Mystery Alumni Photos

Can you identify the people in one of these photos? Please email your answers to Jennifer (Hayman) Okun ’99 at [email protected] by August 15. The first person to answer correctly will win a prize from the Alumni Office!

alumni notes

48 BULLIS magazine

1 2

3 4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 13

14 15

16 17

18

19

EclipseCrossword.com

Across

1. Name of the stuffed bulldog Dr. Jung brought with him when he read to Lower School students in the 1990s

3. Lyricist of the Bullis alma mater7. The area in North Hall reserved just

for seniors9. What is the first word of the Bullis

motto on the front entrance to the School?

10. How is lunch served in the dining hall?

11. Name of the Bullis yearbook13. Who first graduated from Bullis in

1983?15. The item that 3rd graders give to

seniors at the beginning of the year to plant on campus

16. How many football IAC championships has Bullis won?

17. Name of the Bullis student newspaper

18. Who first introduced the bulldog as Bullis’ mascot?

19. Name of the terrace between North Hall and the Dining Hall

Down

1. The name of the annual holiday concert

2. First location of Bullis School4. Name of the games that take place

during Homecoming week5. Name of the all-boys area sports

league of which Bullis is part6. Prior to The Marriott Family Library,

the library was located in this building on campus

8. Name of the “pageant competition” for men that took place each year during the 90s

12. In 1995 this document was put in place by the School and signed by each member of the student body and faculty

14. How many alumni currently work at Bullis?

For puzzle solution see www.bullis.org/alumni/crossword

Bullis Alumni Brain Teaser

48 BULLIS magazine

THANKS A MILLION!So many of you stepped up for Bullis in a big way this year—

WE SURPASSED OUR ANNUAL FUND GOAL OF $950,000,

totaling more than $1 MILLION!

Because of YOU, this year was another

outstanding success. The generosity and support

that Bullis receives each year enriches the

education experience of every Bullis student.

THANK YOU!

Caroline Martin ’19Watercolor

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LLIS

Bullis School 10601 Falls RoadPotomac, MD 20854301-299-8500www.bullis.org

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bullis magazine, spring/summer 2013

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