Inside this issue - Episcopal Academy

The Magazine of The Episcopal Academy Fall 2008 

Inside this issue 

A New Era for Episcopal 

On September 3, 2008, The Episcopal 

Academy officially opened its doors in 

Newtown Square. 

External Programs 

Four new programs will allow alumni, 

parents, and staff to utilize the new campus 

in a variety of ways, while a new summer 

program will provide flexibility and choice 

for the busy family.

1 8 

The Magazine of The 

Episcopal Academy 

Fall 2008 

Connections, the magazine of The 

Episcopal Academy, is published 

three times a year by the Office 

of Communications. Class notes, 

comments, and photographs should be 

directed to: 

Features 

1 A Vision Realized 

8 Episcopal Launches External 

Programs 

Office of Communications 

1785 Bishop White Drive 

Newtown Square, PA 19073 

484-424-1484 t 

484-424-1613 f 

letts@episcopalacademy.org e 

Office of Alumni 

1785 Bishop White Drive 

Newtown Square, PA 19073 

484-424-1779 t 

484-424-1790 f 

edugery@episcopalacademy.org e 

Editor 

Michael F. Letts 

Assistant Editors 

Anne Marie Heil 

Phyllis Martin 

Contributing Photographers 

Aboud Dweck 

Michael Leslie 

Phyllis Martin 

John Spofford 

Art & Production 

Karp Graphic Design 

www.episcopalacademy.org 

Departments 

10 Academics 

15 Athletics 

17 Spirituality & 

Community Service 

19 A r ts 

22 Alumni 

24 Development 

26 Class Notes 

32 Milestones 

Cover photo by Michael Leslie 

Connections

A Vision Realized 

A September of 

celebration marked the 

arrival of Episcopal 

in Newtown Square 

Fall 2008 1

Seven hundred and forty-seven days after work 

crews first began moving dirt in Newtown 

Square, wide-eyed Upper School students made 

their way to Episcopal’s new home for the very 

first time on September 3, 2008. Middle and Lower School 

students followed the next day. 

In one of the boldest and most enterprising endeavors 

ever taken on by an independent school, a month of 

celebration marked the completion of Episcopal’s move 

to Newtown Square and the beginning of a new era for 

the institution. Thousands of students, faculty members, 

alumni, friends, and neighbors helped celebrate a 

remarkable decade-long march to the new campus, while 

students and teachers alike marveled at the new freedom 

the 360,000-square-foot campus provides. 

All-school convocation 

“When some 200 alumni, parents, 

faculty, and students came together 

in 1998 for a two-year planning process 

to position Episcopal for the new 

millennium, their first thoughts were 

about our children — how can we 

better serve them?,” remarked Ham 

Clark during the Ever Episcopal Campaign 

donor celebration on September 

26th. “How can we better prepare 

them for life? How can Episcopal 

more fully live up to its motto — Esse 

Quam Videri — to be rather than to 

seem to be? 

“That conversation marked the beginning 

of this journey we have been 

on these last 10 years — from Strategic 

Plan to Land Plan to Master Plan 

to Development Plan to Architectural 

Plan to Landscape Plan to our Chapel 

consecration and building dedications. 

Our new campus represents the culmination 

of countless hours of time and 

thought and planning so generously 

given by so many of you. It represents 

the faith and courage so impressively 

demonstrated by our board, our 

alumni, and our parents to ensure this 

great school’s strength and mission for 

generations to come. We are here in 

this beautiful new space thanks to all 

of you.” 

While administrators and faculty 

members officially began working 

on the new campus on July 28th, 

last-minute details that included final 

construction work, technology 

installations, move completions, and 

countless other loose ends made the 

final weeks of summer one of the busiest 

in recent memory. But despite 

the challenges — and the occasional 

doubts — construction and occupancy 

was completed in almost exactly 

two years, just as projected. And the 

results are magnificent. 

“It is, quite simply, one of the finest 

day school campuses in the coun- 

2 Connections

Dedication of Smith Field 

The new campus Master Planning Committee: (l to r) Chris Dunleavy, Phil Dordai (RMJM 

Hillier), Christine Henisee, Ed Vick, Julie Green, Michael Levine (RMJM Hillier), Geoff Wagg, 

Gary Madeira, Patsy Porter, Chris McConnell, Jim Garrison (RMJM Hillier), Ham Clark, John 

Hunter (Venturi, Scott, Brown), Gretchen Burke, Chuck Kensky (Bala Engineering), Frank 

Leto, Julie Skolnicki (Brailsford and Dunlavey), Rush Haines, Bernie Cywinski (Bohlin Cywinski 

Jackson), Brian Tierney, Nick Garrison (RMJM Hillier), and Graham Gund (Gund Partnership). 

try,” said Chairman of the Board 

of Trustees, Gretchen Burke. “The 

possibilities for our kids are nearly 

limitless. But this is what great institutions 

do. They take positive risks and 

continue to evolve and adapt as needs 

evolve and adapt. That’s what our 

motto requires of us; to make the difficult 

decision and challenge yourself 

to reach new heights because it’s the 

right thing to do.” 

A Month of Celebration 

In order to accommodate the entire 

community and provide time for the 

students and faculty to adjust to their 

new surroundings without much distraction, 

a series of special events to 

mark the opening of the new campus 

were spread out over the busy month 

of September. 

Opening Convocation 

First was an all-school convocation 

on September 8th, which officially 

marked the beginning of the school 

year and featured a gathering of the 

entire student, faculty, and staff population 

in one location for an opening 

event for the first time in more than 

25 years. Ham Clark, along with 

Gretchen Burke and Assistant Head 

of School, Cannie Shafer, focused on 

presenting their expectations for the 

year and stressing that with the new 

campus comes renewed responsibilities. 

Clark introduced his mantra for 

the 2008-2009 school year, which 

focuses on character and community 

responsibility: We will all strive 

to live the school motto and be real, 

sincere, and authentic; we will live 

the Stripes; and we will always act 

mindfully in all that we do. 

Student Council president, Randy 

Teti ’09, and Warden of the Vestry, 

Rich Rosati ’09, also spoke on be- 

Fall 2008 3

September 27, 2006 

4 Connections

“Our new campus represents the culmination of countless hours of time 

and thought and planning so generously given by so many of you. It 

represents the faith and courage so impressively demonstrated by our 

board, our alumni, and our parents to ensure this great school’s strength 

and mission for generations to come. We are here in this beautiful new 

space thanks to all of you.”—Ham Clark 

September 8, 2008 

Fall 2008 5

The Lower School ribbon cutting 

The Crawford Campus Center ribbon cutting 

The Turner Upper School ribbon cutting 

Dedication of Sherrerd House 

half of the student body, echoing the 

themes of the new campus inspiring a 

renewed sense of responsibility, 

excitement, and engagement. As 

Rosati noted in his remarks, “New 

campus, new chances. This is our 

new opportunity.” 

Following the program, the entire 

community then exited onto the 

Campus Green for an all-community 

photograph (see pages 4 and 5) 

similar to the one taken during the 

groundbreaking ceremony two years 

ago. 

Donor Celebration and Building 

Dedications 

Opening Weekend for all 

community members took place 

several weeks after opening 

convocation on September 26th and 

27th. The weekend began with many 

of the new campuses’ athletic fields 

being dedicated during a series of 

athletic events on Friday afternoon. 

To honor all of the donors to the Ever 

Episcopal Capital Campaign — which 

will continue through December 

31st and has raised more than $93 

million to date — a special reception 

was held later in the evening. Poor 

weather couldn’t damped spirits and 

Ham Clark, Gretchen Burke, senior 

master John Wynne (41st year as a 

faculty member at Episcopal), and 

senior Hallie Snyder, all spoke briefly 

to the more than 400 in attendance 

thanking them for their support and 

highlighting how the new campus will 

impact the Episcopal experience. 

Saturday the 27th began with the 

official consecration and dedication of 

The Class of 1944 Chapel. More than 

300 community members attended as 

the Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of 

Pennsylvania, the Right Revered 

6 Connections

View the “Our 

New Home” Video 

Take a look back at what brought 

us to Newtown Square and hear 

from the architects and master 

planning committee members 

that helped build our new 

campus by watching the “Our 

New Home” video posted on the 

school’s Web site. The link can 

be found in the bottom left corner 

on the front page of the Web site, 

www.episcopalacademy.org. 

Special thanks to the Burke 

Family for making this video 

possible. 

(l to r): Brian O’Neill, faculty member Dan Dougherty, Edith Dixon, 

Ginna Buggy, former Head of School Jay Crawford, and 8th grade 

student David Burke at the ribbon cutting for the Dixon Athletic Center. 

Edward L. Lee, Jr., officially sanctified 

the space while members of the Class 

of 1944 honored their classmate 

and the Chapel’s architect, Robert 

Venturi. 

Gretchen Burke noted during the 

service: “I was lucky enough to be at 

Bob’s side at the first ‘charette’ about 

five years ago, where he sketched this 

very design on the back of a piece of 

loose leaf paper, indicating how he 

wanted the sight lines to be, the focus 

on the altar, the light from above. 

From day one he was thinking not 

just of what the building would be, 

but what it would do for our Episcopal 

community,” said Burke. “It is an 

honor and a privilege to address you 

today on the occasion of the consecration 

of the Class of 1944 Chapel 

— two years to the day from our 

groundbreaking. We were all a ‘part 

of history’ on that day, and we are a 

part of history today.” 

Following the service in Chapel, 

separate dedication programs in all of 

the new campus’ major buildings and 

outdoor classroom spaces, including 

the Lower School, Middle School, 

Upper School, Campus Center, and 

Sherrerd Alumni House, were held. 

Major donors were all recognized and 

had the opportunity to explore the 

new campus and the buildings and 

spaces they helped fund. 

Following a brief lull just after 

lunch, EAPA’s annual Harvest Day 

got underway, with more than 700 

attendees enjoying an afternoon of 

family fun in the Class of 1940 Dan 

Dougherty Field House. From hayrides 

to face painting, smiling children 

to thankful parents, it was a fitting 

conclusion to a busy month and an 

historic decade. 

Fall 2008 7

Episcopal Launches External 

Programs Four new programs will allow alumni, parents, 

and staff to utilize the new campus in a variety of ways, while a new summer 

program will provide flexibility and choice for the busy family. 

From the very outset of the master 

planning process for the new 

campus, building community was 

one of the key objectives. Providing 

numerous spaces for teachers and 

students to engage in one-on-one instruction 

and bringing both Lower Schools 

together were an obvious focus. However, 

the master planning committee also 

felt it was critically important to provide 

ample space and opportunity for alumni 

and parents to not just visit campus, but 

utilize the campus as well. 

This fall, under the direction of Aggie 

Malter (who joins Episcopal from Agnes 

Irwin, where she built the school’s 

Summer Session program), External Programs 

at The Episcopal Academy was 

introduced, featuring four new programs 

designed for all members of the Episcopal 

community — The Aquatic Club, 

The Fitness Club, The Squash Club, and 

The Tennis Club. A revamped summer 

program has also been introduced and 

will be led by Director of Summer at The 

Episcopal Academy, Alex Thompson. It 

will offer fantastic options and flexibility 

for children throughout the region. 

“These programs will allow every 

member of the community, whether 

they’re a senior citizen or a young parent, 

to enjoy this fabulous new campus 

and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said 

Malter. “We’ve hired some of the finest 

professionals in the area to oversee each 

respective program and we will not impact 

normal educational programming in 

any way. It’s an exciting time and we feel 

these programs will only help our community 

grow stronger.” 

Details on each of the respective programs, 

as well as upcoming information 

sessions and open houses, can be found 

on page 9. If you’re interested in joining 

one of the programs, please call the office 

of External Programs at 484-424-1479. 

Information on pricing and hours of operation 

are available on the External 

Programs Web site at www.episcopalacademy.org/externalprograms. 

summer 

at The Episcopal Academy 

Summer at The Episcopal 

Academy The summer program at 

Episcopal will be bigger and better than 

ever before on the new campus. This 

personal and educational enrichment 

program will feature the arts, science, 

technology, and athletics as well as 

academic courses for credit from June 

15 to July 31, 2009. ESF will continue 

to offer its own camps on Episcopal’s 

campus, but attendees will have the 

flexibility to also take courses of interest 

a week or two weeks at a time. 

“We want to provide a large number 

of programming choices with any number 

of scheduling options,” said Alex 

Thompson, Director of Summer at The 

Episcopal Academy. “From technology 

courses, to sports offerings, to for-credit 

classes, Summer at EA can be built 

around family vacations or overnight 

camps. We will provide busy families 

with needed flexibility.” 

The Episcopal Academy 

aquatic 

club 

The Aquatic Club 

With a sixlane, 

35-meter pool with moveable 

bulkheads, The Episcopal Academy 

Aquatic Club (EAAC) is able to offer 

swimming programs for children age six 

through college, including competitive 

USA Swimming team participation and 

Learn-to-Swim programs. There are 

opportunities for private and group 

swim instruction as well. Longtime 

Episcopal faculty members Brian Kline 

and Quincy Hyson are co-directors of 

the program. For more information on 

EAAC specifically, call 484-424-1547. 

8 Connections

The External Programs team (l to r): Ellie Duffy, Administrative Assistant; Kim Farrell, Assistant 

Director of Summer at EA; Joe Russell, Director of The Squash Club; Cheryl Kalodner, 

Administrative Assistant; Adrian Cox, Director of The Fitness Club; Aggie Malter, Director of 

External Programs; Brian Kline, Co-Director of The Aquatic Club; Alex Thompson, Director of 

Summer at EA; and Quincy Hyson, Co-Director of The Aquatic Club. 

As an aside, the External Programs team volunteered to model the latest EA fashions available 

in the Kutteh School Store... A great place for some holiday shopping. Contact Genine Fedele at 

484-424-1437 with questions on merchandise. 

the 

fitness 

club 


The Fitness Club 

The Fitness 

Club offers access to the school’s 

4,000-square-foot fitness center with 

Precor Cardio and Nautilus Nitro Plus 

circuit equipment. Classes are forming 

for group instruction in yoga, pilates, 

and core training. Directed by Episcopal 

faculty member Adrian Cox, both 

individual memberships and family 

memberships are available. For more 

information, call 484-424-1479. 

the 

squash 

club 


The Squash Club With 10 glassbacked 

international singles courts, the 

Squash Club is able to offer private 

lessons and group clinics as well as 

match play and private coaching matches. 

Directed by Joe Russell, internationally 

ranked squash professional, the club 

offers individual, family, and youth 

memberships. Membership in the club 

also includes access to the pool and use of 

the fitness center. For more information, 

call 484-424-1546. Online booking is 

available. 

the 

tennis 

club 


The Tennis Club The Tennis Club 

provides access to 14 Deco Turf outdoor 

tennis courts for private lessons and group 

clinics, match play, and private coaching 

for matches. For more information, call 

484-424-1479. 

Learn more about Summer at The Episcopal Academy at the following camp fairs: 

> Greater West Chester Camp & Summer Programs Fair 

at Westtown School, January 18, 2009; 12:00 to 3 p.m. 

> Main Line Camp Fair at Conestoga High School, 

January 28, 2009; 5:00 to 8 p.m. 

> MetroKids Super Camp Fair at King of Prussia Mall, 

February 1, 2009; 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

> Great Valley Camp Fair at Great Valley Middle School, 

February 18, 2009; 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

You can also learn more at our Open House on 

March 8, 2009  from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. 

Meet the teachers and learn more about the programs. 

Location TBD. 

Fall 2008 9

Academics 

Author Robert 

Frump Visits 

With Upper 

School Students 

Robert Frump, author of The 

Maneaters of Eden and Until 

the Sea Shall Free Them, 

both of which were summer 

reading selections for all Upper School 

students, was the guest speaker in chapel 

on September 18th. Frump also 

met with several English classes to talk 

about the writing process and his life as 

an award-winning journalist with the 

Philadelphia Inquirer. 

National Merit Commended Scholars 

Robert Frump (center), author of The 

Maneaters of Eden and Until the Sea Shall 

Free Them, met with Upper School students 

and faculty members in September. 

Frump grew up on a small farm in Illinois 

and went on to graduate with a 

B.S. and B.S.J. from the University of 

Illinois and an M.S.J. from Northwestern 

University. An investigative reporter 

for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Frump 

received the George Polk Award for 

National Reporting for his stories on 

the Marine Electric disaster, a reconditioned 

World War II vessel that sank off 

the East Coast in 1983 through government 

negligence. That work eventually 

became Until the Sea Shall Free Them. 

He was also the managing editor of 

The Journal of Commerce, the country’s 

premier maritime publication. He 

received the Gerald Loeb Award for 

National Business Reporting and was 

a member of a Pulitzer Prize winning 

Philadelphia Inquirer task force. 

National Merit Semifinalists 

Seven Students Named 

National Merit Semifinalists and 

Commended Scholars 

Episcopal is proud to announce that 14 students were recently recognized by 

the National Merit Scholarship Program. All of the students are seniors. 

The following students were named as semifinalists: (l to r, above) in 

front, Erin Flynn, Zoe LaPalombara, and Christine Chen; in back, Jack 

Archer, Caroline Hanamirian, and Steven Wu. Missing from the photo is Robert 

Margolis. 

These students were named as Commended Scholars (l to r, top) in front, Edwin 

Wee, Alexandra Hahn, and Hannah LaPalombara; in back, Katharine Gadsden, Julianna 

Rodin, and Eric Cross. Missing from the photo is Alexandra Fuchs. 

10 Connections

AP Scholar Awards Go 

To 65 Students 

Awards are given in recognition 

of exceptional achievement on AP 

Exams 

Sixty-five sophomores, juniors, and seniors earned AP 

Scholar Awards this fall in recognition of their exceptional 

achievement on AP examinations last year. 

According to the College Board, only 18% of the 1.6 

million students worldwide who took AP exams last year performed 

at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar 

Award. By comparison, approximately 40% of the students at 

Episcopal who sat for AP exams last year earned an AP Scholar 

Award. 

Five students received the National AP Scholar Award by 

earning an average grade of 4 or higher on a five-point scale 

on all AP exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or 

more of these exams. These students were Alexander Lee ’08, 

Mark Nakahara ’08, Francis Nassau ’08, Anna Stein ’08, and 

Paul Vithayathil ’08. 

Twenty-four students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction 

Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on 

all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more 

of these exams. These students are Jack Archer ’08, Christopher 

Ballard ’08, Timothy Carson ’08, Christine Chen ’09, 

Eric Cross ’09, Kevin DiSilvestro ’08, J. Truett Dwyer ’08, 

Emmaline Imbriglia ’08, Robert Jones ’08, Alexander Lee ’08, 

Elizabeth Libson ’08, Jack McCallum ’08, Mark Nakahara 

’08, Francis Nassau ’08, Julianna Rodin ’09, Hannah Sayen 

’08, Blake Shafer ’08, Hallie Snyder ’09, Anna Stein ’08, Anna 

Strong ’09, Justin Torosian ’08, Paul Vithayathil ’08, Michael 

Whalen, and Julia Williams ’08. 

Fifteen students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor 

Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all 

AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more 

of these exams. These students are: Elaine Barton ’09, Kelly 

Burke ’08, Gordon Buzby ’08, Hailey Cohen ’09, Clemens 

Cox ’09, Stephen Faulkner ’09, Erin Flynn ’09, Sydney Grims 

’09, Isha Gulati ’09, Alexandra Hahn ’09, Caroline Hanamirian 

’09, Hannah LaPalombara ’09, Zoe LaPalombara ’09, 

Loren Mead ’08, and William Yarbrough ’08. 

Twenty-six students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by 

completing three or more AP exams with grades of 3 or higher. 

The AP Scholars are Victoria Baena ’09, Jon Cohen ’08, 

Elliot Faust ’08, Stavros Floratos ’08, Katharine Gadsden ’09, 

Emily Halpern ’08, Gregory Hillyard ’08, Katharine Ivory ’09, 

Kimberly Kirkpatrick ’08, Abigail Kloppenburg ’09, Christopher 

Lake ’09, Brendan Lawrence ’08, Robert Margolis ’09, 

Margaret McCarthy ’08, Alexa Narzikul ’08, James Park ’08, 

Matthew Paterno ’09, Jasmine Pope ’09, Caroline Pratt ’09, 

Emily Sax ’09, Megan Spagnola ’09, Jennifer Suspenski ’08, 

Anna Swanson ’08, James Underwood ’09, Stephanie Van 

Decker ’09, and Alexandra van Arkel ’08. 

GYLI in New Mexico. (l to r) Juniors Taylor Platt, Lily Austin, Michelle 

Chung, Allen Heggs, Chuck Panarese, and faculty advisor Jennifer 

Maier. 

GYLI Program Continues 

With Trips to New 

Mexico and Connecticut 

Students travel across the country to 

hone leadership skills 

Now in its second year under the tutelage of cocoordinators 

Angela Miklavcic (Upper School 

science) and Justin Brandon (Upper School history 

and Form Dean), a number of Episcopal 

students took part in the Global Youth Leadership Initiative 

again this past summer. 

The Global Youth Leadership Institute Program (GYLI) is 

a national program for students and teachers to meet peers 

from all over the country and learn from one another about 

leadership, the environment, religious pluralism, mindfulness, 

and diversity. The program is a three-year commitment from 

students and faculty, with the workshops taking place during 

the summer before each participant’s sophomore, junior, and 

senior years respectively. The first- year workshop is conducted 

through a sailing program, the second-year takes place at 

the Lama Foundation in New Mexico and focuses on learning 

and working without modern amenities, and the third and final 

year takes place in Costa Rica at Earth University, where 

students work with local farmers. 

This summer’s New Mexico group (all current juniors), 

chaperoned by faculty advisors Jennifer Maier (Upper School 

English) and Jennifer Slike (Director of Annual Giving), included 

Allen Heggs, Taylor Platt, Charles Panarese, Michelle 

Chung, Lily Austin, Andrew DeSimone, Steve Carroll, Stephanie 

Bernabei, Anayis Melikian, Samantha Field, and Evan 

Marks. 

The Mystic, CT group (all current sophomores), chaperoned 

by Dan Clay (Upper School theater), included Cameron 

Maple, Angira Pickens, Chris Paterno, Mike Jahnle, Monique 

McKenny, Eliza Strong, and Elizabeth Picciani. 

Fall 2008 11

Faculty and Staff news 

Director of Technology, Cathy Hall, Associate Director of Technology, Alex Pearson, and Head of Upper School, Geoff 

Wagg, have authored a feature story for Independent School magazine on new technology integration that will run in the 

Winter 2009 issue… Kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Cocco returned from her half-year sabbatical this fall. Elizabeth had 

a fantastic experience working with students and researching curriculum and effective programs at the Tohonto Odam 

Indian Reservation School at Xavier Bac, Hebrew Academy, The Fessenden School, BB&N, Meadowbrook, Penn Charter, 

Germantown Academy, Russell Byers Charter School, and the Community Partnership School… Upper School English 

teacher Sam Willis became engaged this summer to Tara O’Brien, a figure skating coach. Sam and Tara also purchased 

a home recently, not only bringing dreams of renovations, but also trying to help the housing market… Kindergarten 

teacher Joyce Gavin has published her book “Millie and Willie, Two EA Churchmice,” which was written during her halfyear 

sabbatical last year. More information on the book and how it can be ordered is on page14… Director of Diversity 

and Community Life, Courtney Portlock, continues to pursue her master’s degree in education at the University of 

Pennsylvania. The focus of her program is on independent school leadership. She will finish the program this summer… 

Upper School religion teacher Tim Gavin ran a 50-mile race this summer, which raised money for the The Back on My 

Feet Foundation. Tim is also currently studying Hebrew at Lutheran Theological Seminary and one of his poems was 

recently published in Anglican Theological Review… This year, EA technology specialist Matt Lake continued his work 

researching and reporting on modern folklore and eccentricities for the Weird 

U.S. book series. Matt edited the first two books in the series and has written 

three more. His fourth title in the series, Weird U.S. – The Oddyssey Continues, 

hit bookshelves in November… Upper School theater teacher Dan Clay was 

the faculty advisor for the second-year program of the Global Youth Leadership 

Institute. GYLI promotes leadership, the environment, religious pluralism, 

mindfulness, and diversity (see page 11)… Dan also attended the Augosto Boal 

Workshop at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Conference in 

Denver this summer with Theater Department Chair, Susan LaPalombara. The 

two learned more about political/educational playmaking to address specific 

issues within a community… Susan also attended the Equity Collaborative 

at the Germantown Day School with other members of Episcopal’s faculty in 

Pearcy Receives Ovatio 

from CAAS 

June. She worked on equity, justice, and diversity issues during a challenging 

and inspirational week… Classics teacher Lee Pearcy, who is on sabbatical 

reports: “The sabbatical is going well. I published a review of Christopher Stray, 

ed, “Classical Books: Scholarship and Publishing in Britain Since 1800” in Bryn 

Mawr Classical Review, and I have another review and an article forthcoming. I 

spoke to the American Classical League on ‘Independent Schools and the Move 

Beyond AP’ at their annual Institute in Durham, NH, in June. At the Classical 

Association of the Atlantic States (CAAS) meeting in Princeton I led a workshop 

on teaching Catullus and participated in a panel on changes in the Latin AP 

program.” Lee also received an ovatio from the CAAS at their annual meeting 

in Princeton in October. An ovatio is a Latin citation read aloud to honor the 

recipient… History Department Chair, Chuck Bryant, reports that the department had a busy summer building a series 

of new elective courses now being offered at Episcopal, including: The 2008 Presidential Election, The United States 

in the 1960s, Islamic Fundamentalism and U.S. Foreign Policy, Russian History and the Transformation of the Soviet 

Union, AP Art History, and Modern Contemporary Issues. Chuck also spent six weeks this summer writing Web-based 

materials for David Kennedy’s American Pageant AP US textbook… Upper School history teacher Andy Hess spent 

a week at Exeter Academy learning how to facilitate student discussion and learning at the school’s annual Harkness 

Table Conference this past summer… Assistant Athletic Director, Jim Farrell, raised more than $40,000 by competing 

in a triathlon this summer to help fight leukemia and lymphoma through The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. More 

can be found on Jim’s work on page 16… Drama teacher and choreographer Mandie Banks noted that it is ironic that 

she’s choreographing this year’s spring musical “Grease.” Ten years ago she was a performer in the 1998-1999 national 

touring company of “Grease.” She was cast as a member of the ensemble and understudied lead characters Sandy and 

Patty Simcox (see page 21). One of the highlights was playing Sandy in Las Vegas and in her hometown of Bethlehem, 

PA. Mandie even had a chance to perform at Philadelphia’s own Merriam Theatre. 

Classics teacher, Lee Pearcy, was honored by the 

Classical Association of the Atlantic States (CAAS) 

with an ovatio at their annual meeting in Princeton in 

October. An ovatio is a Latin citation read aloud to 

honor the recipient. Shown above are: (l to r) Prof. 

Barbara Gold (Hamilton College), Pearcy, CAAS 

Vice President David Murphy, CAAS Program Chair 

Prof. Judith Hallett (Univ. of Maryland), Prof. Larisa 

Bonfante (NYU), and Prof. Mervin Dilts (NYU). 

12 Connections

Save the dates 

Cum Laude Society Inducts Fall 

2008 Members 

Twelve students were inducted into the Cum Laude Society this past September. 

The society, founded in 1906, is an organization devoted to the 

recognition of superior scholarship while simultaneously striving to encourage 

the qualities of justice and honor. 

Honorees pictured above are: (l to r, front row) Zoe LaPalombara, Alexandra 

Hahn, Hannah LaPalombara, and Christine Chen; (l to r, middle row) Emily Sax, 

Julianna Rodin, Hallie Snyder, Erin Flynn, Sarah Mumanachit, Caroline Hanamirian, 

and Isha Gulati; (back row) Jack Archer. 

Cross Bridge Scholars Program 

Kicks Off 2008-09 Year 

The Cross Bridge Scholars Program is underway again this year, bringing 

together students from Episcopal and the Honickman Learning Center 

Comcast Technology Labs’ Teen Program in West Philadelphia. The program 

is comprised of nine students from each organization, all of who 

underwent a competitive interview process in order to participate. The program at 

Episcopal is made possible through the generosity of John Haas ’36. 

The program’s goal is to use technology and writing to create projects that will 

not only further the students’ understanding of the world, but also their respective 

communities. With Episcopal moving to Newtown Square, maintaining this relationship 

with Philadelphia is vital. The program began this year with an Outward 

Bound Insight Day this fall. The purpose of the day was to have the Cross Bridge 

Scholars learn something about themselves, their group dynamic, and leadership, 

through challenging games. 

The Cross Bridge 

Scholars Program 

got underway with a 

series of team-building 

exercises on the new 

campus this fall. 

2009 Auction/Dinner Dance 

“Celebrate New 

Beginnings” 

Saturday, February 21, 2009 

Dixon Athletic Center 

v Live Music by 

“The Quake”! 

v Dinner Stations courtesy of 

Maia, Tango and Nectar! 

v Raffle for half-year’s tuition! 

v Fabulous Live and Silent 

Auction items! 

v Michael Smerconish, Auctioneer, 

back by popular demand! 

For more information 

contact: Jen Reder 

Episcopal Academy’s own 

“Antiques Roadshow” 

e Featuring appraisals 

of your favorite treasures by 

Pook & Pook, Inc. 

e Auctioneers and Appraisers 

A night of fun whether you 

have something appraised or not. 

Friday, January 30th 

7 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. 

Crawford Center 

Campus Center 

Fall 2008 13

Lauren Bowes, Upper 

School Spanish teacher, 

in Sacromonte, Spain this 

summer while working 

on the Talbot Faculty 

International Study Fund. 

Order Your 

Copy of 

“The Adventures 

of Millie and 

Willie: Two EA 

Churchmice” 

Written by pre-kindergarten 

teacher Joyce Gavin with 

illustrations by second grade teacher Grace Na, “The Adventures 

of Millie and Willie: Two EA Churchmice” — part children’s book, 

part photographic memoir — honors the history and tradition 

of Episcopal and explores the challenges and excitement that 

accompanied the move to Newtown Square. 

Theater Department 

Chair, Susan LaPalombara 

(far left), in Paris with 

other Oxbridge Paris 

participants, in front of 

Notre Dame. 

Faculty 

Members 

Study 

Abroad 

Through 

Talbot Fund and 

Oxbridge Fellowship 

This summer modern language faculty member Lauren 

Bowes embarked on a new journey. Thanks to 

the Faculty International Study Fund established by 

George Harrison Talbot ’66 and his wife, Sheryl F. 

Talbot, M.D., Lauren was the first recipient of the fund and 

began the first phase of her Master’s degree in Spanish at the 

University of Granada in Spain. Affiliated with Spain’s Ministry 

of Education and its embassy to the United States, the 

University of Granada offers an accelerated master’s program 

for teachers of Spanish. The program is designed to provide 

relevant and specialized training in linguistics, methodology, 

pedagogy, and culture. Participants spend two consecutive 

summer sessions in Granada doing intensive coursework 

and then submit a thesis to earn the degree. The Talbot Fund 

provides support for Episcopal’s faculty to participate in globally-oriented, 

advanced study programs or academic projects 

that are directly relevant to Episcopal’s academic disciplines. 

Likewise, Theater and Dance Department Chair Susan 

LaPalombara was the recipient of this year’s Oxbridge/Kulp 

Fellowship and spent 10 days learning about the history and 

culture of Paris with 20 other teachers from the United States, 

Canada, France, and China this summer. The Oxbridge 

Teacher Seminar brings educators from a variety of teaching 

disciplines together to expand their knowledge of French history, 

art, architecture, culture, and education. Paris was the 

classroom, from Luxembourg Gardens to the Louvre museum 

to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, making this seminar a dynamic 

immersion experience. 

To order your copy, go to www.blurb.com/bookstore, 

type “EA Churchmice” in the search window in the 

upper right corner and click on the book. 

Episcopal Welcomes 

ASSIST Students From 

Germany and Lithuania 

The Upper School was happy to welcome two 

ASSIST students this fall, one from Germany and 

one from Lithuania. 

With several weeks of school under her belt, Rebekka 

Hochrath of Germany is making friends fast and says 

that all of the students have been extremely welcoming. On 

the whole, Rebekka says American students are more involved 

in their 

education and 

more engaged in 

class than what 

she is used to, and 

she is slowly getting 

used to the 

longer school day. 

She also noted 

that her teachers 

at Episcopal are 

more open and accessible 

than her 

Rebekka Hochrath from Germany (at right) 

and Gabe Vaicaitis from Lithuania. 

teachers at home. 

Rebekka played 

soccer this fall, 

and was shocked at how often Americans use their cars–at 

home, she uses her bike or walks most places. 

Gabe Vaicaitis is Episcopal’s first student from Lithuania. 

Like Rebekka, Gabe says he has found the Episcopal community 

friendly and open. He has also found EA students to 

be more motivated than his peers at home and he enjoys the 

smaller classes. At home, classes usually include 30 students 

and getting used to the daily routine at Episcopal has been 

challenging. This fall, Gabe played water polo and he is anxiously 

awaiting the start of basketball season, his favorite 

sport. Gabe is thinking of possibly returning to the U.S. for 

college. His brother is a currently a sophomore at the University 

of Richmond. 

14 Connections

Athletics 

Girls’ Tennis Earns 

Seventh Inter-Ac 

Title in Eight Years 

Team finishes with perfect 

league record 

Congratulations to the 2008 girls’ varsity 

tennis team which captured 

another Inter-Ac title, going undefeated 

in the league. Episcopal has taken 

the Inter-Ac championship in seven of the last 

eight years. They also won the end of season Inter-Ac 

tournament by winning three out of the 

five draws. The team’s overall record was 9-3 

(the team also helped the girls defeat AIS on AIS Weekend). 

Varsity team members and coaches pictured above are: 

(l to r) in front, Sydney Grims ’09 (co-captain), Libby Eyre 

’10, Kendall Selverian ’09, Hannah Drayton ’13, Marian 

Prim ’12, and Dylan Mullen ’09; and in back, Coach Whitaker 

Powell, Hilary White ’11, Jules Rodin ’09 

(co-captain), Stephanie Pino ’12, Seanie Burke 

’10, Maddie Baxter ’12, Kate Gadsden ’09, and 

Coach Laura Maier. 

Girls Take EA/AIS 

Banner For Second 

Straight Year 

Boys Lose Heartbreaker to 

Haverford 

For the second straight year, and the third 

time in four years, Episcopal’s female athletes 

took home the EA/AIS Banner, winning three of 

four athletic contests on EA/Haverford/Agnes Irwin 

Weekend. 

The girls won in soccer, tennis, and field hockey (3-1, 4-3, 

and 1-0, respectively), with the field hockey team also clinching 

a share of the Inter-Ac Championship with the win. The 

girls’ cross country team put up a valiant effort, but fell to the 

Owls 18-37 (low score wins). 

The boys lost heartbreakers in football, soccer, and water 

polo (6-0, 1-0, and 12-7, respectively), but took home a fantastic 

win in cross country 27-30. The games were memorable 

and intense, and the boys can’t wait to settle the score next 

year when the 100th EA/Haverford football clash takes place 

on home turf in Newtown Square. 

Girls' Field Hockey 2008 Inter-Ac Champions. The 2008 girls' field hockey 

team clinched a share of the Inter-Ac title with their 1-0 win over Agnes 

Irwin on EA/Haverford/Agnes Irwin Weekend. The team finished with a 17- 

3-1 record and was ranked fourth in the Inquirer's Field Hockey Top 10 at 

season's end. 

Fall 2008 15

(l to r) Mark Farrell, 

Sr. ’83, Mark Farrell, 

Jr., and Jim Farrell ’82 

Assistant 

Athletic 

Director 

Jim 

Farrell ’82 

Raises 

Over 

$41,000 for The Leukemia and 

Lymphoma Society 

Takes part in Philadelphia Triathlon with Team in 

Training to help his nephew 

Just four days after Christmas last year, Jim Farrell’s seven-year-old nephew 

Mark Farrell, Jr. — the son of Mark Farrell, Sr. ’83, was diagnosed with 

cancer. Much of the holiday break and the weeks that followed were spent 

helping the family and supporting young Mark. 

Eager to do more, Jim began to call on his various sports connections in the area. 

College and professional sports memorabilia came flowing in the door brightening 

young Mark’s day. He had a visit from his father’s former classmate, Bruiser Flint 

’83, head basketball coach at Drexel, and Greg Isdaner ’05, the starting offensive 

tackle at West Virginia, dropped by with signed posters and hats. Episcopal connections 

with the Phillies and Sixers brought welcome additions to his hospital room 

décor and, more importantly, lifted his spirit. 

Always interested in an athletic challenge, Jim attended an informational session 

on Team in Training — a training program designed by the Leukemia and Lymphoma 

Society that helps participants also raise money — and signed up to participate 

in this year’s Philadelphia Triathlon to help his nephew. 

The fundraising aspect was a welcome challenge for such a worthy cause. Jim set 

a minimum goal of $10,000 and mobilized fundraising efforts by selling food at 

multiple CYO regional playoffs, which provided enough money to cover the cost 

for a Beef and Beer in March. Friends, family, and numerous members of the Episcopal 

community pitched in. The fundraiser cleared over $17,000 dollars — thanks 

to the help and generosity of many. Based on the success of the event, Jim increased 

his goal to $25,000. 

After a four-month period of training and fundraising, Jim completed the Philadelphia 

Triathlon and blew past his fundraising goal, raising over $41,000 for the 

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Team in Training recognized him for being the 

top fundraiser in the country for this event, and after successfully completing the 

race Jim was honored with a special achievement award at the triathlon award ceremony. 

Collectively, the Team in Training Philadelphia Triathlon participants raised 

over $875,000 dollars for the society. 

Most importantly, young Mark is doing well with his treatments and thanks to 

his father and uncle, is getting all the support he possibly can. 

Harrity Shines 

at World 

Junior Squash 

Championships 

Receives praise for 

his performance and 

leadership of U.S. team 

As a member of the United 

States Junior Men’s Squash 

team, Todd Harrity ’09, had 

a fantastic summer, pleasantly 

surprising the international squash 

community with his stellar match play 

at the 2008 World Junior Men’s Squash 

Championships in Zurich, Switzerland 

in July and August. 

Harrity had a fantastic individual 

showing, becoming the only American 

to advance to the round of 16 before 

losing to top seed Aamir Atlas Khan of 

Pakistan. More importantly, Harrity led 

the U.S. team to a 10th place finish, its 

best since 2002. Over 150 players from 

37 countries competed at the event. 

“Todd was really one of the surprise 

packages of the event,” U.S, 

coach Martin Heath told Squash Magazine. 

“He produced performances that 

gained the recognition and respect of 

all players and coaches… Not only his 

play, but his demeanor on and off the 

court was and is world class, a great 

role model for the younger players 

wanting to reach the highest level.” 

16 Connections

Spirituality & Community Service 

Meet Tracy, 

Episcopal’s 

Seeing-Eye- 

Dog-in-Training 

Tracy the Yellow Lab (a major 

hit on campus this fall) is 

a new addition to Episcopal’s 

service learning program this 

year. She belongs to The Seeing Eye, 

the oldest existing guide dog school in 

the world. Susan Swanson, the Interim 

Director of Community Outreach 

and Service Learning, is acting as Tracy’s 

foster mother for a year until she is 

old enough to be formally trained as a 

guide dog. 

Susan spent the better part of the 

summer training Tracy and the dog is 

a regular on campus where she spends 

time with all of the students getting familiar 

to busy classrooms and loud 

hallways in order to begin preparing 

her for normal human environments. 

Phillies Fever Hits Chapel as 

Bill Giles (and Phanatic) Visit 

Campus 

Episcopal’s entire community received an early holiday gift this past fall 

when co-owner and chairman of the 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia 

Phillies, Bill Giles (who is also a former parent and current 

grandparent), stopped by to speak in Chapel. 

Fresh off their National League Championship Series victory over the Dodgers at 

the time of his visit, Giles gave his prediction for the World Series (Phillies in six; he 

missed by one game), led the students in a community pep rally, and spoke with the 

students about sportsmanship and teamwork. Surprise guest, the Philly Phanatic, 

capped off a fantastic morning. 

Giles poses with Middle 

School Chaplain Bert 

Zug ’78 at left, Chaplain 

Jim Squire, Hon. at 

right, and two of his four 

grandchildren at Episcopal, 

Dana ’15 and Caroline ’13. 

Surprise guest the 

Phanatic poses with 

Ham Clark, Lower 

School Chaplain 

Heater Patton 

Graham, Chaplain Jim 

Squire, Hon. 

First baptisms held in 

The Class of 1944 Chapel. 

The first baptisms were held in The Class 

of 1944 Chapel on Sunday, September 7th. 

Chaplain Jim Squire (center) poses with (l 

to r) service assistant and faculty member 

Tim Gavin, father Doug Johnston, faculty 

member and mother Holly Johnston with 

Betty Johnston; mother Jessica Broadbent 

Houser ’97 with daughter Alana and father 

Kenneth. 

Bill Giles, Episcopal 

grandparent and 

co-owner and 

chairman of the World 

Series Champion 

Philadelphia Phillies, 

speaks to the Upper 

and Middle School 

student body on 

October 18th. 

Fall 2008 17

Community Continues 

Support of Mika, 

Tanzania 

Unfortunately, due to the post-election violence in 

Kenya last spring, EA’s summer service trip to 

Mika, Tanzania was postponed this year. However, 

some of the great minds at Episcopal were able to 

find another way to serve the small African community. 

As part of its ongoing partnership with the community of 

Mika and the Mika Foundation (www.mikafoundation.org; 

a non-profit charitable organization formed to raise funds to 

support the village of Mika and the surrounding area), the 

Community Service Department packed and sent an “Rx- 

(l to r) Preparing the RxBox for delivery to Mika, Tanzania are Becky 

Brinks, a Mika Foundation volunteer and EA parent; Susan Swanson, 

Episcopal Academy Lower and Middle School Service Learning 

director and Mika Foundation board member; Episcopal Academy 

Head of School Ham Clark; Dr. Hector Alila, Founder/President of Mika 

Foundation; Doug Parsons, Episcopal Academy faculty member, 2007 

trip leader, and Mika Foundation board member; and Mark Cox, Mika 

Foundation Board Member/Treasurer and Episcopal parent. 

Box” to the African village to help address their medical and 

health clinic needs. Mika is a small village in rural Tanzania 

that has been ravaged by AIDs. The Rx Box is a shipping 

container that was re-fitted by some Renssaler Polytechnic Institute 

engineering students as a project. This particular box 

was not being used and was donated to Episcopal. It can be 

refitted into a completely self-sufficient portable medical clinic 

with windows, a door, and solar panels for electricity. 

Episcopal volunteers filled the container with donations 

that included clothing, books, bicycles, and 21 PC computers 

and two desktop printers. Initially the container will serve 

as a hub to distribute the donations. Once the distribution is 

complete, the Foundation will seek to fit it out once again as 

a medical clinic. This will benefit the Mika community immensely 

and is one of the Mika Foundation’s long-term goals. 

At work planting more than 175 trees and shrubs on October 25th. 

School Organizes 

Campus Wetland With 

Willistown Conservation 

Trust 

On Saturday, October 25th, more than two dozen 

parents, students, and neighbors volunteered to 

take part in a wetland planting project on the new 

campus that will beautify a water retention area 

located next to one of the Lower School’s “outdoor classrooms.” 

Over 175 trees and shrubs were planted throughout 

the morning and some local fish were distributed into the retention 

area to help support the growth and interest in the 

space. The day also began with a bird watching walk through 

the area, led by faculty member Win Shafer, Hon. 

The new campus offers a unique opportunity for outdoor 

learning and educating students in sustainable living. This 

wetland planting project was one of the first steps in promoting 

not only the school’s visually beautiful spaces but in 

creating wildlife habitats for birds and other animals. 

Episcopal Parent Recovers to Ride Again 

On September 7th, parent Candace Gantt (at right) participated in her 

first endurance competition, the Delaware Diamondman Triathlon in 

Bear, DE, since suffering a serious brain injury in an accident several 

years ago. The race is a ½ Ironman competition and 70.3 miles in 

total distance. By participating and completing the race, she was 

able to raise $16,000 for Penn’s Center for Brain Injury and Repair. 

Congratulations Candace! 

18 Connections

Arts 

Art Edge Opens New 

Campus Gallery With 

Exhibits by EA Faculty, 

Henry C. Martin 

The EAPA Art Edge Committee opened its new 

gallery space in the Crawford Campus Center 

this fall with two fantastic exhibits. Sculpture, 

photography, paintings, and handcrafted items 

were on display from members of Episcopal’s Fine Arts 

Department through the month of September and painter 

Henry C. Martin exhibited original works through the 

month of October. 

Born and raised in High Point, NC, Martin moved to Philadelphia 

in 1986 to study at the Pennsylvania Academy, 

continuing his education at the University of Pennsylvania, 

from which he graduated with a B.F.A. 

Impressed by Spanish painters, he traveled to Spain after 

art school, living in Madrid, where he spent his time painting 

Spanish architecture and landscapes, and making routine 

pilgrimages to the Prado Museum. Upon returning to Philadelphia, 

Mr. Martin painted for the Mural Arts Program, 

began teaching at the local art centers, and started his own 

regional and international plein air painting workshops. 

Art Edge has scheduled a number of fine exhibits through 

the year (schedule at right) and all are welcome to visit the 

gallery between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

The Stripes Look Good in Verizon Hall 

Eighth grade organist Karen Christiansen is shown practicing 

in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for her performance in the 

“International Year of the Organ” festival, an organ spectacular in 

October that included simultaneous concerts all over the world. An 

accomplished organist and composer, Karen was the youngest of 

seven performers. She performed “Carillon” by Herbert Murrill, a 

transcription of “Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber, and “Carillon 

de Westminster” by Louis Vierne. 

Henry C. Martin, who exhibited in Episcopal’s new gallery 

in October, at work. 

EAPA Art Edge 2008-2009 Schedule 

December 1 – 19 

January 5 – 29 

January 30 – 

February 27 

February 11 

March 2 – 18 

March 4 

March 31 – 

April 22 

April 23 – May 28 

Book Illustrator Megan Halsey 

Painters Logan Blanco and 

Matt Pinney 

Upper School Art Show 

upper School Art Show 

opening Reception 

Inter-Ac Art Show 

Inter-Ac Show Opening Reception 

nancy Bea Miller’s “Genre of 

Inclusion” Figure Paintings 

EA Art Festival Show 

Middle School honors art students taking advantage of a beautiful fall 

day on the campus green. 

Fall 2008 19

Theater Department 

Calendar Winter/Spring 

2008-2009 

Mark your calendars and come 

out, celebrate, and support 

Episcopal’s theater season in the 

fabulous new Ridgway Black Box 

and Main Stage theaters. 

> Upper School III Form Play 

This is a Test by Stephen Gregg 

December 17th at 7:00 p.m. 

Ridgway Black Box Theater 

Poster art by Bryant 

Myers ’09 

Isaac Loftus ’09 as 

Galileo 

> Upper School Dance 

Dance Concert, Khayatt Music 

Performances, & Art Opening 

February 11th at 7:00 p.m. 

Main Stage Theater & Lobby 

> Upper School Musical 

Grease by Jim Jacobs & Warren 

Casey 

March 13th at 8:00 p.m. 

March 14th at 2:00 p.m. & 

8:00 p.m. 

Main Stage Theater 

> Upper School Theater 

One Act Festival 

April 30th at 7:30 p.m. 

May 1st at 8:00 p.m., 

May 2nd at 3 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. 

Ridgway Black Box Theater 

> Middle School Spring Play 

To See the Stars by Cynthia 

Mercati 

May 15th at 7:30 p.m. 

Main Stage Theater 

Domino Club Stages “Galileo” 

First production in Ridgway Black Box theater 

takes program to new heights 

Described by Theater Department Chair, Susan LaPalombara, as “one of 

the finest high school productions I have ever seen,” The Domino Club 

staged Bertolt Brecht’s “Galileo” this fall in the new Ridgway Black Box 

Theater. Under the guidance of director Dan Clay, the cast spent countless 

hours in rehearsal while the technical crew prepared an intimate setting where 

the production could be presented “in-the-round.” The flexibility of the Ridgway 

Theater made this intimate production possible. 

Considered by many to be one of Brecht’s masterpieces,“Galileo” explores the 

question of a scientist’s social and ethical responsibility, as the brilliant Galileo 

(Isaac Loftus ’09) must choose between his life and his life’s work when he is confronted 

with the demands of the Roman Inquisition. Through his characterization 

of the famous physicist, Brecht examines the issues of scientific morality and the difficult 

relationship between the intellectual and authority. 

The cast included Isaac Loftus ’09, Jeff Familetti ’10, Hannah LaPalombara ’09, 

Dylan Kepp ’10, Angira Pickens ’11, Sarah Mezzanote ’11, Mac Lee ’10, Paul Riley 

’11, Felicity Johnson ’10, John Steele ’10, Sean Purcell ’11, Olivia Glass ’10, 

Andrew Espe ’09, Eric Cross ’09, Kate Ruggiero ’11, Ben Chung ’11, and Gregory 

Smith ’17. 

20 Connections

The Harlequin Club Presents 

“Peter Pan” 

The Middle School Harlequin Club christened the Main Stage 

Theater of the Crawford Campus Center this fall with its production 

of the much-loved musical, “Peter Pan.” 

The charming musical about a boy who refuses to grow 

up and his adventures in Neverland was a crowd pleaser for the whole 

family and showcased not only the talent of the students, but the 

possibilities of the 

new theater as 

well. The cast included: 

Caroline 

Hunter ’14 as Peter 

Pan, Calloway 

Cox ’15 as Wendy, 

Jake Aronchick ’13 

as John, and Josh 

Owsiany ’15 as 

Michael. 

“Grease” is the word for 

Mandie Banks again! 

Choreographing Grease (this year’s Upper 

School musical) will be a trip down memory 

lane for Theater Department member Mandie 

Banks. Ten years ago she was a performer 

in the 1998-1999 national touring company of 

“Grease.” She was cast as a member of the 

ensemble and understudied lead characters 

Sandy and Patty Simcox. One of the highlights 

was playing Sandy in Las Vegas and in her 

hometown of Bethlehem, PA. Mandie also had 

the chance to perform in Philadelphia’s own 

Merriam Theatre. 

Poster art by Meg 

LeBoeuf ’12 

(l to r) Caroline Hunter as Peter Pan, Calloway Cox as Wendy, Jake 

Aronchick as John, and Josh Owsiany as Michael. 

arts 

Spotlight on the 

Thaddeus Squire ’90 

Thaddeus Squire, a member 

of the Class of 1990, currently 

serves as the Artistic Executive 

Director of Peregrine 

Arts, a non-profit 

organization, 

which promotes 

collaborations 

and partnerships 

between artists 

and organizations. 

Thaddeus 

was instrumental 

in launching 

the company in 

2005-06 with the purpose of creating 

an entrepreneurial model to support 

interdisciplinary arts. He felt that the 

Philadelphia area did not need more 

cultural product but a way of enabling 

existing artists to deliver more value to 

the community. Through presenting/ 

producing and consulting/researching, 

Peregrine Arts offers creative solutions 

to economically resource all disciplines 

of the arts. One of their most recent 

projects, Hidden City, is a four-week 

festival where the public will be invited 

to rediscover places in Philadelphia’s 

cultural heritage, including Girard College, 

The Wanamaker Building, The 

Frankford Arsenal, and The Wagner 

Free Institute of Science, which includes 

works from artists such as 

David Lang and Sam Durant. 

Future projects include a feature 

length animated short and a music 

theater piece. Peregrine Arts also 

works in collaboration with the Greater 

Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing 

Corporation, the Historical Society 

of Pennsylvania, and the Choral Arts 

Society. For further information on 

Thaddeus and Peregrine Arts, go to 

www.peregrinearts.org. 

Fall 2008 21

Alumni 

New England Regional Held at 

Fenway Park 

This year’s New England Regional was a baseball lover’s delight with a reception 

for several dozen alumni at Fenway Park. It was a terrific turnout 

with alumni from every decade present. Those in attendance took a tour 

of Fenway and tales were told and history was shared about the nation’s 

oldest active ballpark. After the tour, the group had dinner and cocktails in the 

Partner’s Suite. Ham Clark conducted a question and answer session about Episcopal’s 

new campus and a good time was had by all! 

Save the Date 

for Alumni/Reunion 

Weekend 2009 

Mark your calendars now! Alumni 

Weekend will be held on Friday, May 

1st and Saturday, May 2nd 2009. 

You belong here! Come to Episcopal’s 

new campus in Newtown Square and 

familiarize yourself with your alma mater’s 

new home. 

The weekend will be packed with all sorts 

of activities your whole family will enjoy. 

All alumni are invited to take part in the 

weekend’s festivities! 

In addition to the weekend’s program, 

the following classes will hold individual 

Class Reunions: 

Class of 1994 – 15th Reunion 












Top: John Bryant ’48 and John C. Riely ’63 enjoy refreshments in the 

Partner’s Suite at Fenway Park. 

Bottom: Young alumni from Boston colleges (l to r: Jan Suspenski ’08, 

Emma Imbriglia ’08, Will Thompson ’05, and Francie Shafer ’05) met 

up at Fenway Park. 

Classmates Mike Rothenberg ’88 and 

Jennifer (Haines) Butler ’88 brought their 

daughters out for some Fenway fun. 

22 Connections

Little Did They Know… That when some 20 EA alums 

got together in Clearwater, FL in March to watch the Phillies in 

Spring Training (see below) that they were watching the future 

World Series Champions in action. It was a great trip for all. 

We Need Your Nominations… 

We are now accepting nominations for The Episcopal 

Academy 2009 Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of 

Fame. Award descriptions and nomination protocol can 

be found in the Alumni Section of the school’s 

Web site. 

Stay In Touch 

Moved? New email address? Marriage? 

New job? New baby? We 

want to hear about it! Please keep 

us posted and help us keep your 

contact information current. Send any and all information 

to Nancy Taylor in the Alumni Office 

at taylor@episcopalacademy.org or call 484- 

424-1784. You can always write to us at The 

Episcopal Academy Alumni Office, 1785 Bishop 

White Drive, Newtown Square, PA 19073. 

Please check the Alumni Section of Episcopal’s 

Web site for a calendar of Alumni Events 

throughout the year! Just visit www.episcopalacademy.org 

and click on “Alumni.” 

Jeffrey Coale ’88 Honored During 9/11 Memorial 

Chapel 

Tree planted on Campus 

Green in Coale’s memory 

Episcopal’s Class of 1988 celebrated 

the life of classmate Jeffrey 

Coale during the 9/11 Memorial 

Chapel on September 11th. Jeff 

was the only Episcopal alumnus to lose 

their life during the attacks on September 

11, 2001. Jeff was pursuing his dream 

to become a world-class chef and was 

working in the Windows on the World 

restaurant atop the World Trade Center 

on the morning of the attack. 

In attendance at the Chapel service 

were Jeff’s parents, Joan and Bill Coale, 

other members of the Coale family, 

and members of EA’s Class of ’88. Jeff’s 

longtime friend, Sean Casey ’88 gave a 

moving tribute to Jeff during the service. 

A transcript of his talk can be found on the school Web site 

by going to School Life/Chapel Program/Chapel Talks. 

Sean’s speech tied this year’s chapel theme “Esse Quam 

Videri” with the way Jeff lived his life: authentically. After the 

service, Drew McLuckie ’88 led a procession to a young tree 

on the Campus Green. The tree was generously donated by 

The Class of 1988 in Jeff’s memory. 

Members of the Class of 1988 pose with members of the Coale Family 

following the dedication of a tree planted in memory of Jeff Coale. 

Fall 2008 23

Development 

Corrections to 2007-2008 Annual Report of Gifts 

Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Woodville 

Should have been listed under: 

Devon Classes of 2017 and 2021 

The Michelle Deasey ’17 Memorial Scholarship Fund 

Mr. John A. Edison 

Should have been listed under: 

Class of 1951 50th Reunion Fund 

IRA Charitable Rollover 

Extended 

Recent $700 billion bailout plan includes 

an important provision of interest for 

many Episcopal donors 

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 

2008, the main feature of which is a $700 billion 

bailout package, also extends the IRA 

Charitable Rollover that expired on December 

31st of last year. The new law provides that in 2008 and 

2009, an owner of a traditional or Roth IRA may instruct 

the trustee to distribute up to $100,000 directly to a public 

charity without the distribution being included in taxable 

income. That distribution will count toward the IRA owner’s 

mandatory withdrawal amount. 

To qualify for IRA rollover treatment, the donor must 

direct the IRA manager to transfer funds directly to The 

Episcopal Academy. The donor must be at least 70.5 years 

in age and the recipient of the gift must be a tax-exempt organization 

to which deductible contributions can be made. 

Donor-advised funds and supporting organizations are not 

eligible. 

In addition, the gift must be outright; rollovers to a planned 

gift, such as a gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust, 

do not qualify. Similarly, outright distributions to a charity 

from employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as Simple 

IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s, do not qualify; funds must be 

transferred to an IRA before the gift is made. Also note that 

IRA rollovers do not earn an offsetting charitable deduction, 

which makes them attractive to those who do not itemize deductions. 

Donors for whom the IRA rollover likely will appeal 

include: 

• Donors who want to use IRA assets to make an outright 

gift or fulfill an outstanding pledge. 

• Donors who have well-funded IRAs and find that their IRA 

required minimum distribution is more than they require. 

• Donors who have already named Episcopal as beneficiary 

of their IRA. 

Please feel free to contact Director of Planned Giving, 

Carolyn Jaeger, at 484-424-1780 or jaeger@episcopalacademy.org 

with any questions you might have. 

This communication is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We encourage 

you to consult your own legal or tax advisor to see how you may be 

affected by the new law. 

Support Episcopal 

through the Educational 

Improvement Tax Credit 

A 

gift to Episcopal can provide your company with 

a substantial tax credit through the Pennsylvania 

Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program 

(EITC). By making a contribution to Episcopal’s 

scholarship fund, a company can receive PA state tax credits 

equal to 75% of its contribution up to a maximum of 

$300,000 per taxable year. This can be increased to 90% 

of the contribution if a company agrees to provide the same 

amount for two consecutive tax years. Your support of 

Episcopal through the EITC Program will help make the 

Episcopal experience available to the most capable students 

regardless of their financial circumstances. 

Who’s Eligible? 

Businesses authorized to do 

business in Pennsylvania who 

are subject to one or more of 

the following taxes are eligible: 

Corporate Net Income 

Tax; Capital Stock Franchise 

Tax, Bank and Trust 

Company Shares Tax; Title 

Insurance Companies 

Shares Tax; Insurance Premiums 

Tax; Mutual Thrift 

Institution Tax; or Personal 

Income Tax of S 

corporation shareholders 

or Partnership partners. 

How do I 

participate? 

Simply apply to the 

Department of Commerce 

and Economic 

Development (DCED) 

for the Educational Improvement 

Tax Credit 

Program (EITC). Application 

forms are 

available on the Web — visit 

www.newpa.com, click on “Funding & Program Finder” and 

search for “Educational Improvement Tax Credit.” For additional 

information, please contact Bruce Konopka, Associate 

Director of Development, at 484-424-1771 or bkonopka@ 

episcopalacademy.org. 

24 Connections

The Annual Fund’s Tradition of 

Growing Continues 

The 2007-2008 Annual Fund surpassed its goal and set a new record at 

$2,077,313 raised. Success was achieved thanks to the hard work of Annual 

Fund Co-Chairs, Pat McKay, and Joe Bongiovanni ’91 and Young 

Alumni Annual Fund Chair, Rob Melchionni ’98. Additionally, alumni 

and parent class agents worked tirelessly to reach out to the EA community on behalf 

of the Development Office. Thank you all! 

Success, however, would not have been possible without the generosity of alumni, 

parents, and friends. Support of the Annual Fund allows Episcopal to, among other 

things, improve programming and 

opportunities in the classroom, on the 

athletic fields, in the chapel, and on the 

stage. 

The 2008-2009 

Annual Fund has 

begun 

We look forward to your continued 

support as we try to reach our goal 

of $2,080,000 in 2008-2009. If you 

would like to help with this year’s 

effort as a volunteer, or if you would 

like to make a gift, please contact 

Jen Slike, Director of Annual 

Giving, at 484-424-1783 or slike@ 

episcopalacademy.org. To make a 

gift online, visit the school’s Web 

site, www.episcopalacademy.org, 

and click on “Supporting EA.” 

Highlights from the 2007-2008 Annual 

Fund include: 

• The Class of 2008 setting a new 

Senior Gift Fund participation 

record at 75%. 

• The inaugural Young Alumni 

Advocate level highlighting 10 new 

donors (classes 1997-2007). 

• Eight alumni classes recording 

over 65% 

participation: ’36, ’38, ’39, ’40, 

’46, ’50, ’53, and ’54. 

• Our parent community contributing 

over $995,000. 

• The 15th Reunion participation 

record being shattered by the Class 

of 1993 (40%). 

Esse Quam Videri 

Does your company match 

gifts? 

Many gifts to Episcopal are doubled or 

even tripled because corporations and 

foundations match gifts to educational 

facilities made by their employees, 

retirees, and directors. 

If your company participates in a 

matching gift program, please obtain the 

matching gift form from your employer 

and mail it with your gift or pledge 

payment to the Development Office. 

Episcopal will certify receipt of the gift 

and return the form to the company. 

Episcopal credits the individual donor for 

the total gift. If your spouse works for a 

company with a matching gift program, 

your gift may also be eligible for a match 

from his/her company. 

Utilizing your company’s matching gift 

program is a great way to stretch your 

Episcopal contribution and support the 

school. 

Create a Lasting 

Legacy through 

an Endowed Fund 

Establishing a fund in the 

Episcopal endowment provides 

the opportunity to recognize 

your family’s contributions to 

the school or to honor an important 

mentor. Consider creating a lasting legacy 

by establishing an endowed fund. 

Endowed funds are a crucial component 

of Episcopal’s overall development 

program. The principal of these gifts is 

invested and the income is directed to 

a specific need. Episcopal’s current list 

of endowed funds range from supporting 

faculty enrichment and international 

study to providing scholarships for deserving 

students. Donors to each 

of these funds wanted their gifts to help 

attract and retain the most qualified faculty, 

ensure that an Episcopal education 

is within reach for deserving students, 

and enhance the school’s 

curriculum. 

If you would like to learn more 

about creating an endowed fund, please 

contact Bruce Konopka, Associate Director 

of Development, at 484-424-1771 

or bkonopka@episcopalacademy.org. 

The opportunities for your gift are varied, 

but the extent of your influence is 

limitless. 

Fall 2008 25

Class Notes Edited by the Alumni Office 

Class of ’48 – 60th Reunion. Twenty classmates made it out for dinner 

at Merion Golf Club. 

Members of the Class of 1968 at their 40th Reunion. 

Honorary Alumni 

Dan Dougherty was inducted into the 

Athletic Hall of Fame this fall. 

Roberta “Bunny” Borkowski received 

the Alumni Community Service Award 

this fall. 

30 Class Agent Needed 

Although he, in his words: “Is an alumnus 

ancient enough to have started in 

what was then E Form in 1920 when the 

Academy was still at Juniper and Locust 

Streets in downtown Philadelphia,” 

Dick Singer and his wife Margaret sent 

a touching letter to the Alumni Office expressing 

his excitement about Episcopal’s 

new campus. 


Please send us your news and notes! 



33 Class Agent: Bart Linvill 






36 Class Agent: John Haas 


37 Class Agent: Kingsley Weston 


38 Class Agent: J. Craig Huff 


39 Class Agent: Heyward Wharton 


70th Reunion / May 1 - 2, 2009 

40 Class Agents: Jack Hopkins, Harry 

Toland, and R.T. Toland 


41 Class Agents: J. Tyler Griffin, Roger 

Miller, and Karl Rugart 


42 Class Agents: Bill Nagle and Woody 

Woodring 


43 Class Agents: Jim Carson, Joe Gordon, 

Bill Lander, and Davis Pearson 


44 Class Agents: Al Hume and Doug 

Raymond 

65th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2009 

Thomas Brown is still riding his motorcycle 

when weather permits. He’s enjoying 

retirement in beautiful New Hampshire. 

Thomas is the Board Secretary to the 

local Senior Citizens Council and was 

Lebanon’s Man of the Year. He’s helping 

the grandkids get through college too. 

45 Class Agent: George Robinette 


46 Class Agent: Winkie Bennett 


47 Class Agent: Brooks Keffer 


48 Class Agents: John Hentz and Dick 

Schneider 

Dick Schneider writes: “The Class of 

1948’s 60th Reunion, on the weekend 

of May 2-4, 2008, was a marvelous success. 

The highlight was our Reunion 

Dinner, held Friday evening at the Merion 

Golf Club West Course, that was 

attended by 20 classmates, two widows 

of classmates, and fourteen spouses and 

significant others. The weather was perfect, 

wine and spirits flowed generously 

and lobsters, escorted personally by 

Howard Wright from the dock in Southport, 

Maine, were especially succulent 

and tasty. At the close of dinner, we remembered 

the 22 members of our class 

who had passed since our 50th Reunion, 

and all who wished to offer reminiscences 

had an opportunity. Not surprisingly, everyone 

had something to contribute.” 

49 Class Agents: Jim Blatchford and 

Stan Miller 

60th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2009 

John Wilbraham sends his regards from 

England. He recalls his fond memories of 

his days at Episcopal and hopes to visit 

EA when he heads back across the pond 

to meet up with his son in Washington, 

DC. 

Wayne Hurtubise reports: “Enjoying retirement, 

yearly trips to Italy, and winters 

26 Connections

Malcolm Lee ’77 and David Howard ’77 at the 

Temple of Heaven in Beijing. 

Jerry Cummin ’80. 

Andrew Hauser ’85 married Robert Aiello 

on Sept. 7, 2008. Suzanne Cole ’85 was in 

attendance. 

in Clearwater Beach, Florida (watching 

the Phillies’ Spring Training). I play tennis 

and golf during the summer months and 

enjoy watching the grandchildren mature 

mentally and physically. Now I live at The 

Quadrangle Retirement Community with 

my wonderful wife of 53 years, Angie.” 

R. Blair Murphy reports from Connecticut: 

“I am an elected official of The 

Greenwich Representative Town Meeting 

(which is the ‘congress’ of the town, 

which includes Cos Cob). I am also on 

the Land Use Committee. We are currently 

in the midst of the review of a draft 

of the town’s ‘Ten-Year Plan of Conservation 

and Development.’” 

50 Class Agent: John Rettew 

Mike Shouvlin was the 2008 recipient 

of the Distinguished Alumni Award. John 

Rettew was the 2008 recipient of the 

Distinguished Service Award. 

Bil Aulenbach has written a new book, 

“What’s Love Got To Do With It? ‘Everything,’ 

Says Jesus,” which may be ordered 

at www.buybooksontheweb.com. 



52 Class Agent: Craig TenBroeck 


53 Class Agent: Peter Duncan 

Richard Behr recently returned from the 

Baltic States and Russia. He visited the 

Hermitage in St. Petersburg where Richard 

and his wife Joan met in 1975! They 

just had their ninth grandchild. 

54 Class Agents: Birch Clothier, Walt 

Moleski, and Bill Sykes 

55th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2009 

Ward Miller and his wife Judy live in 

Boothbay Harbor, ME. Their son, Spencer, 

was married April 4, 2008. Their son, 

Darrell, was married on September 13, 

2008. Ward is in his third year as Head 

Trustee at The First United Methodist 

church in Boothbay Harbor. Ward is very 

involved in the Boothbay Railway Museum 

and the Model Railroaders Group. 

Curtis Young welcomed his fifth grandchild, 

James Houston Young IV, recently. 

He is the son of Jay Young ’79. Says, 

Curtis: “Hopefully, he will be a 4th generation 

Episcopal Academy student.” 

55 Class Agent: David McMullin 


56 Class Agent: Bill Rapp 

Roger Colley has published his first three 

essays into a short book. The subject title 

is “Why Man Still Kills Man and Five Steps 

for Stopping It!” Hard- and soft-cover editions 

can be found at www.xlibris.com. 

57 Class Agents: John Clendenning, 

Carl Deutsch, and Howard Morgan 


58 Class Agents: Bob Bishop and 

Hunter McMullin 


59 Class Agent: Bill Talbot 

50th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2008 

David Riggs and his wife, Sue, are enjoying 

life in California. David is writing 

and teaching at Stanford University. They 

have four grandchildren that light up their 

lives and David is looking forward to his 

class’ 50th Reunion in May. He writes: “As 

the Mamas and the Papas said during the 

Summer of Love, ‘It doesn’t matter what 

you wear, just as long as you’ll be there.’ 

See you at our 50th!” 

60 Class Agent: Geb Burden 


61 Class Agent: Cappy Markle 

Bill Kraft has written a book entitled 

“Trade Your Way to Wealth; Earn Big 

Profits with No-Risk, Low-Risk, and 

Measured-Risk Strategies.” It describes 

success in a second career and how to 

create a stock and options trading plan 

with emphasis on risk control. 

62 Class Agent: Ed Vick 


63 Class Agents: Drew Jackson and 

Charlie Ogelsby 


If you are interested in becoming 

a class agent, please contact 

Jen Slike at 484-424-1783 in the 

Development Office for more 

information. 

Fall 2008 27

Kellen Heckscher ’97 married Dave Vengels on June 28, 2008. In 

attendance were Maurice Heckscher II ’60, Daniel O’Donnell ’97, Jack 

Heckscher ’65, Kristen (Kraus) Anch ’97, R. Tucker Heckscher ’02, 

Kellen ’97, Tripper Heckscher ’99, JoAnne Bagnell, Ryan (Gelbach) 

Longstreth ’97. Not in photo William Bagnell. 

Al Caesar ’87 and his family. Wife Stephanie, 

daughters Emma and Carly and sons AJ and 

Dan. 

Donald Lee Rieck III, 

son of Holly Sando 

Rieck '91. 

64 Class Agent: Tom Zug 

45th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2009 

65 Class Agent: Loyd Pakradooni 


66 Class Agent: Steve Dittmann 

John Platt has been conferred an honorary 

lifetime membership to Tribes Hill, a 

nonprofit organization in New York’s lower 

Hudson Valley region that seeks to unite 

and encourage a diverse group of musicians 

and their patrons to find community, 

both personally and musically. John is the 

host of “Sunday Breakfast” on WFUV-FM 

in New York. 

67 Class Agent: Alan McIlvain 


68 Class Agent: Robert Mayock 




40th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2009 

70 Class Agents: John Dautrich and 

Ron Rothrock 


71 Class Agent: Chris D’Angelo 




73 Class Agents: Rex Gary, Jerry 

Holleran, and Bill Luff 


74 Class Agent: Jeff Morrison 

35th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2009 

Peter Thayer reports: “After 19 years as 

head of Middle School at Lancaster Country 

Day School in Lancaster, PA, I have 

accepted the offer to become Head of 

School at St. Anne’s Episcopal School in 

Middletown, DE. St. Anne’s is starting its 

7th year as a Pre-K through 8 school. St. 

Anne’s is closely linked to, but separate 

from, St. Andrew’s School. It’s located on 

the 175 acres of St. Andrew’s land and 

St. Anne’s initial endowment was underwritten 

by St. Andrew’s. This is an exciting 

new adventure for me and my family!” 

75 Class Agent: David Crockett 


76 Class Agent: Roly Morris 


77 Class Agents: Gordon Cooney, 

Peter Hare, and David Howard 

Malcolm Lee and David Howard recently 

met up at the Temple of Heaven 

in Beijing. Malcolm is the General Manager 

for Law and Corporate Affairs for 

Microsoft in Beijing. David was in Beijing 

on a business trip, and they were able to 

spend a couple of days together. Malcolm 

and his wife Nancy are the parents 

of three girls. David writes: “We had a terrific 

time catching up, and it was great to 

see the life of an expatriate in Beijing.” 

78 Class Agents: Jim Borum and 

Larry Mascioli 


79 Class Agent: Ned Lee 


30th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2009 

80 Class Agent: Joe Giles 

Jerry Cummin reports: “I am still in the 

Air Force, working at a headquarters job in 

Germany overseeing operations throughout 

Europe. I recently returned from Iraq 

where I was imbedded with an Army Brigade 

for Counter-Improvised Explosive 

Device (IED) operations. I am married with 

six children ages five through 17.” 

81 Class Agents: Ted Coxe and Ben 

Thompson 


82 Class Agents: Rich Crockett, Jim 

Farrell, and Brooke McMullin 


83 Class Agents: Jamie Hole and Todd 

Walter 


84 Class Agents: Bill Keffer and Karl 

Mayro 

25th Reunion / May 1 – 2, 2009 

Amanda Lamb returned for EA’s Career 

Day last spring to speak to the students 

about her life as a professional television 

journalist and her experience as 

an author. Amanda’s first book is entitled, 

“Smotherhood” and is about life as 

a mother today. Her second book is entitled, 

“Deadly Dose” and chronicles the 

true story of a murder in Raleigh, NC. It 

28 Connections

Sloan Margaret Balsley, daughter of Heather 

(Keeney) Balsley ’94 and George Geoffrey 

Kasselakis, son of Abi (Walker) Kasselakis ’94. 

Madison Quinne Macciocca daughter of 

Matthew & Susie (Beers) Macciocca ’97. 

Henry and Lilly, children of Emily and Brian 

Person ’97, sporting their EA bibs. 

follows a veteran homicide investigator’s 

quest for the truth about a scientist who 

kills her husband with arsenic. True crime 

junkies won’t want to miss this one! For 

more information go to: www.deadlydosebook.com. 

Dolph Tokarczyk left Royal Bank of 

Scotland to join Mizuho Securities. He’s 

looking forward to his class’ 25th reunion. 

Dolph was also inducted into the Episcopal 

Athletic Hall of Fame this fall. 

85 Class Agent: Won Shin 

Andrew Hauser married his partner 

Robert Aiello on September 7, 2008. In 

attendance was Suzanne Cole ’85. Andrew 

and Robert make their home in San 

Diego. Andrew continues to work in marketing 

and information technology for 

Anthony’s Seafood Group, a local restaurant 

company. 

86 Class Agents: J.D. Cassidy and 

Bruce Walsh 


87 Class Agents: Jim Blenko, Peter 

Dugery, Ed Jones, and Mindy Phelps 

Michael Lisak and his family recently 

moved from Baltimore to Chicago where 

he has joined the law firm Sidley Austin. 

Al Caesar and his family still live in 

Basking Ridge, NJ. Al is with Bernstein 

Value Equities in Manhattan where he 

focuses on investments in oil and gas 

companies. 

88 Class Agents: Mary Beth Bongiovanni, 

Paul Chambers, and Bill Marvin 

Paul Chambers was inducted into the 

Episcopal Academy Athletic Hall of Fame 

this fall. 

89 Class Agent: Charlie Moleski and 

Jon Noel 

20th Reunion / May 1 -2, 2009 

Paul Secunda moved to Milwaukee this 

past July to become an associate professor 

of law at Marquette University Law 

School. Paul teaches and writes in the areas 

of labor, employment, and education 

law. 

Lars Beck has served as CEO of Young 

Scholars Charter School since 2005. Lars’ 

experience includes management and 

marketing of both not-for-profit and forprofit 

companies. Lars is also the founder 

of the Boulder, CO chapter of StandUp 

For Kids, a national non-profit outreach 

program for homeless kids. 

Matt Cascarino and his wife Jen have 

started their own gourmet cookie company. 

The yummy start-up is called “Cookies 

a la Main.” Cookies can be ordered on the 

Web at www.cookiesalamain.com. 

90 Class Agents: Kristin McIlehenney 

and Lori Hood Sanders 


91 Class Agents: Joe Bongiovanni, 

Sean McDermott, Holly Rieck, and Jenn 

Tierney 

Eric Moore and Jerome Allen continue 

their connection as basketball teammates. 

They both suit up for StompOff Records 

in the Delaware County Pro/Am Basketball 

League. 

Anne and Joe Bongiovanni welcomed 

their third child, Harrison Cole, on June 

20th. 

Matt Pesot and his wife Chris operate 

Home Source Daily Expo in King 

of Prussia, PA. Home Source Daily 

Expo has pre-screened exhibitors that 

visitors may tag their interests with and 

choose to receive follow-up advice from 

professionals. For more information visit: 

www.homesourcedailyexpo.com. 

92 Class Agent: Dorie Clayman and 

Charley French 

Ashley Lunkenheimer, an attorney with 

the U.S. Government, is a member of 

the 2008 Multiple Sclerosis Leadership 

Class. This program encourages local 

leaders to join the movement to create a 

world free of MS and helps with fundraising 

and awareness. 

93 Class Agents: Dave Grau and 

Elissa Helt 

94 Class Agents: Tema (Fallahnejad) 

Burkey, Anna (Morgan) Cassidy, and Tara 

Stitchberry 

15th Reunion / May 1 -2, 2009 

Fall 2008 29

Erin (Manion) Howe ’95 with brothers 

Brian ’98 and Alex. 

David Turner ’03, wife Lindsey, and son, 

Chase. 

Lindy Mills ’98 married Mike Pocceschi 

July 12, 2008. In attendance were Whitney 

Mills ’00, CJ Walsh ’98, Liz Lawson ’98, 

Lexi Krotec Peskin ’98, Sam Whitaker, and 

Veronica Nicholas ’00. 

Scarlett Campitelli reports: “I am working 

for Philly.com as an online advertising 

sales representative within the Center City 

and Philadelphia County territory.” 

Rachel Sharrar married Michael Zamsky 

on September 27th in New York City. Michael 

and Rachel were classmates at Yale 

but did not meet until after college. They 

were set up by a mutual friend. She reports: 

“After Wharton (MBA) and a stint in 

DC at Capital One, I have happily returned 

to New York City and to my pre-business 

school employer – Kaplan Test Prep.” 

95 Class Agents: Katie (Kurz) McComb, 

Doug MacBean, and Laura Rooklin 

Erin Manion married Dave Howe on June 

9, 2001. They have a daughter Bridget 

who was born on May 14, 2005 and 

a son James who was born on August 

22, 2006. Erin is a middle school math 

teacher at Agora Cyber Charter School in 

Downingtown, PA. 

Sonje (Volla) Moore was inducted into 

the Episcopal Academy Athletic Hall of 

Fame this fall. 

96 Class Agents: Jamie Barrett, 

Maria Solomon, and Jenny (Williams) 

Weymouth 

Stephanie Deviney has received the 

Ralston Center Award for Gerontology 

Nursing Excellence from Villanova’s 

College of Nursing. She completed her 

Master of Science with a deep commitment 

to and understanding of geriatrics. 

97 Class Agents: Julie (Manser) Ganz, 

Kellen Heckscher, Dan O’Donnell, and 

Addison West 

Sam Brown and his wife Jennifer moved 

to a local organic farm in Bethlehem, NH. 

Sam left boarding school teaching and 

began as the Farm Manager on Meadowstone 

Farm this past July. Sam has 

enrolled at Plymouth State to begin a 

M.Ed. this fall. 

Kellen Heckscher married Dave Vengels 

on June 28, 2008. Both are teachers 

in the Philadelphia school system. 

98 Class Agents: Jamie Allen, Rob Melchionni, 

Andrew Torre, and CJ Walsh 

Lindy Mills married Mike Pocceschi 

on July 12th at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian 

Church, followed by a reception at Rivercrest 

Golf Club. Lindy and Mike live 

in Phoenixville. Lindy is in her fifth year 

teaching at KD Markley Elementary in 

Great Valley. Mike works for Siemens 

Medical Solutions in Malvern as a business 

process engineer. 

Brian Manion recently qualified to serve 

with the U.S. Army Special Forces. 

Rob Melchionni received the Alumni 

Spirit Award this past spring. 

99 Class Agents: Andrew Addis, 

Catherine Hunt, Chris Morris, Courtney 

(Bancroft) Morris 

Lauren Michelle Lomax married Bradley 

Scott Gordon on July 19th. 

Thad Roberts recently joined the financial 

services firm Alliance Bernstein 

in New York as a regional consultant on 

their sales desk. 

Sarah Smith was the 2008 recipient of 

Episcopal’s Young Alumni Award. 

Tyler Wren completed his sixth ride in 

the 24th annual Commerce Bank Philadelphia 

International Championship race 

on June 8th. 

00 Class Agents: Chip Bromley, Kimmy 

Gardner, Mike Hoffman, Jack Meyers, 

and Ben Rogers 

Ben Rogers, assistant vice president and 

business relationship manager of HSBC 

National Bank USA, has been recognized 

by Cambridge Who’s Who for showing 

dedication, leadership, and excellence in 

all aspects of financial services. 

01 Class Agents: Evan Coughenour, 

Drew Crockett, Sarah (Baker) Perkins, 

and Pete Tedesco 

Elizabeth Pillion was featured in Sports 

Illustrated. Elizabeth is described as “a 

naturally gifted athlete, was a two-sport 

Tiger during her collegiate days [at Princeton], 

playing both lacrosse and soccer 

(the former being her true passion). On 

the lacrosse field, she recorded an impressive 

104 goals and 150 points. In 

both her junior and senior seasons, Pillion 

was named first-team All-America. 

Now she is a member of the U.S. touring 

30 Connections

EA alumni at Radnor Hunt. Amy Vegari ’98, Jennifer (Sharpless) 

Pimlett ’00, Lexit (Krotec) Peskin ’98, Whitney Mills ’00, CJ Walsh 

’98, Sarah (Baker) Perkins ’01, Andrew Torre ’98, Patrick Barton ’97, 

Susan (Schaffer) Reiser ’97, Michael Walsh ’00, Dean Vetsikas ’98, 

Justin Wilson ’97, Stephen Klein ’00, Ryan (Gelbach) Longstreth ’97, 

Christopher Leo ’00, Andrew Resnick ’00, and John Duffy ’00. 

Young Alumni BBQ: (l to r) Packy McCormick ’05, Nick Morris ’05, 

Chelsea Calio ’05, Anne Marie Person ’05, Kelly Robinson ’05, Franny 

Nassau ’08, Matt Carpinello ’08, Amit Singh ’08, and Head of School, 

Ham Clark. 

team, which won the Prague cup this past 

June, and a volunteer assistant coach at 

Princeton.” 

02 Class Agents: Kevin Dugan and Tim 

Mahoney 

03 Class Agents: Matt Deasey and 

Matt Szporka 

Jason Eskin one of the directors of 10th 

Street Entertainment’s new media department, 

works directly with the artists 

at the company (Motley Crue, Buckcherry, 

Jet, Papa Roach, Drowning Pool, the 

Exies, Sixx AM, Debbie Harry, and Trapt) 

to develop their video content, as well as 

develop their presence online. 

04 Class Agents: Nick Brown, Mike 

Ciccotti, and Brian O’Neill 

Barbara Petro graduated form Catholic 

University in May. She is currently working 

as a Gallery Assistant at the Alex Gallery 

on DuPont Circle, Washington, DC. Barbara 

lives in Alexandria, VA. 

Susie Talbot has chosen to participate 

in the AIDS personal public service announcement 

project in collaboration with 

the CDC and Verizon Wireless. Susie cowrote 

and produced a PPSA that is now 

available on Vcast and online (FIOS On 

Demand channels). Susie was nominated 

by friends, staff and faculty at Emory, and 

was subsequently chosen as a member 

of the 100 Senior Honorary (the top 100 

most accomplished and involved students 

in the 2008 graduating class). 

Ashley Heist has been recognized as 

one of the most positive contributors to 

Dartmouth College’s Lacrosse program. 

Ashley received her team’s Josie Harper 

Award, given to the player who has 

shown “love for the game, genuine respect 

and care for her teammates, and 

pride in Dartmouth Lacrosse.” 

05 Class Agents: Nick Morris and Kit 

Zipf 

Brian FitzPatrick is looking to end his 

college football career at Cornell on a high 

note. He stays in touch with his former 

EA teammate Greg Isdaner often and has 

emerged as a leader for Cornell’s football 

program. 

06 Class Agents: Armena Ballard, 

Justin Moore, Joe Salameh, Michelle 

Thomas 

Trevor McGuinness was featured in 

Sports Illustrated magazine. A freshman 

this year at Penn, Trevor is the youngest 

player ever to win a U.S. National Open 

doubles championships, teaming with 

Whitten Morris for the 2008 title. Trevor 

won a record 15 singles and doubles titles 

as a junior player and played No. 1 for 

the U.S. world junior team. 

Medha Khandelwal spent her summer 

working for Club de Madrid, Spain. 

The Club of Madrid is an independent organization 

dedicated to strengthening 

democracy around the world by drawing 

on the unique experience and resources 

of its members — 70 democratic former 

heads of state and government. As an intern, 

Medha drafted letters, conducted 

research, prepared presentations, and 

sought out potential new donors. 

07 Class Agent: Annie Spofford 



Anna Stein reported for basic training on 

June 30, 2008. She has begun her academic 

and military career at the U.S. 

Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. 

William Yarbrough is a student at The 

University of Richmond, where he plans 

on majoring in the field of English. He has 

written his first novel Deliver Us. The book 

has been released by www.xlibris.com. 

Fall 2008 31

Milestones 

Marriages/Unions 

Michael Zamsky to Rachel Sharrar ’94 

9/27/2008 

Robert Pahlavan to Daria Natan ’95 

5/10/2008 

Dave Vengels to Kellen Heckscher ’97 

6/28/2008 

Nora Peterman to Erik Solivan ’97 

5/31/2008 

Robert McCullough to Kelly Decker ’99 

6/21/2008 

Bradley Gordon to Lauren Lomax ’99 

7/19/2008 

Joseph Shin to Young Rhee ’99 

4/11/2008 

Haraldur Gudmundsson to 

Cecilia Collins ’00 

6/14/2008 

David Apeto Oyugi to Jocelyn Zug ’03 

5/31/2008 

Births/Adoptions 

Michele & Jim Young ’79 

James Houston Young, IV 5/29/2008 

Michele & Rob Allman ’81 

Sydney Allman 12/13/2006 

Pam & Clayton French ’82 

Kerstin French 7/22/2008 

Danica & Joe Campanale ’84 

Vincent Campanale 4/20/2000 

Caitlin Campanale 2/22/2002 

Lucia Campanale 10/26/2004 

Gregory & Laura (Black) Keenan ’84 

Abigail Keenan 10/13/2005 

Stephanie & Al Caesar ’87 

Carly Stephanie Caesar 1/31/2008 

Christine & Jack Zinman ’87 

Noah Heatley Zinman 5/13/2008 

Susan & Andrew McLuckie ’88 

Patrick Howard McLuckie 5/11/2008 

William Holloran & Janine Sisak ’89 

Elizabeth Cate Holloran 2/1/2006 

Sydney & Will Walker ’89 

Brooks Walker 1/12/2004 

Anne & Joe Bongiovanni ’91 

Harrison Cole Bongiovanni 6/20/2008 

Andy & Hillary (Seegul) Chassin ’92 

Avery Madeleine 7/17/2008 

Allison & Chris Henderson ’92 

Graham Rhoads Henderson 4/15/2005 

Sydney Ann Henderson 6/26/2007 

Amy & William Kline ’92 

Andrew Lewis Kline 3/4/2008 

Kristen & Geoff Walker ’92 

Will Walker 8/31/2004 

Lucy Walker 3/5/2006 

Allison & Chris Marvin ’93 

Alexander Golladay Marvin 8/11/2008 

John & Anne (Cunningham) 

Briggs ’94 

Jack Briggs 10/13/2003 

Chris Briggs 2/8/2006 

Douglas & Christine (Meyer) 

Crandall ’94 

Matthew Timothy Crandall 5/11/2007 

Ester & Terrence Demorest ’95 

Jocelyn Demorest 4/23/2008 

Dave & Erin (Howe) Manion ’95 

Bridget Manion 5/14/2005 

James Manion 8/22/2006 

Aimee & Scott Reynolds ’96 

Connor Patrick Reynolds 6/6/2008 

Matthew & Susie (Beers) 

Macciocca ’97 

Madison Quinne Macciocca 4/28/2008 

Kristen & James Decker ’98 

Emily Suzanne Decker 11/29/07 

Deaths 

John F. Wager ’29 

5/26/2008 

David S. P. Conner ’33 

3/19/2008 

Robert C. Fernley ’40 

5/8/2008 

Charles H. Urban, Jr. ’44 

4/18/2008 

John L. Cornog, Jr. ’46 

9/4/2008 

Laurence Turnbull Joline ’47 

4/8/2008 

William E. Barhite ’54 

5/22/2008 

David A. Surbeck ’60 

7/23/2008 

Richard Samuel Durham Hon. 

9/18/2008 

32 Connections

Goal 

$ 2,080,000 

The Episcopal 

Academy 

2008-2009 

Annual Fund 

The Episcopal Academy’s 2008- 

2009 Annual Fund is underway. 

Each and every contribution 

demonstrates a commitment to 

Episcopal’s tradition of excellence. 

Gifts to the Annual Fund are used 

to support day-to-day operations 

and directly impact the lives of our 

students, faculty, and staff. 

Please use the enclosed envelope 

to make your gift or pledge today. 

Support at all levels is needed and 

appreciated! 

Contact Jen Slike, Director of 

Annual Giving, at 484-424-1783 

or slike@episcopalacademy.org, or 

visit www.episcopalacademy.org/ 

supportingea for more information. 

Thank you in advance for your 

support! 

$ 431,893 

Raised as of 11/11/08 

$ 298,788 

Other 

$ 72,196 

Alumni 

$ 29,649 

Parents 

$ 20,710 

Parents of Alumni 

$ 10,550 

Grandparents 

Esse Quam Videri 

To Be Rather Than To Seem to be

Missed an issue of 

Connections? 

Past issues of Connections 

are available for viewing on 

the Academy’s Web site at 

www.episcopalacademy.org. 

Choose “Welcome” from 

the menu bar at the top of 

the Home Page, choose 

“Publications” from the 

navigation list on the left 

margin of the Welcome Page, 

then choose “Connections” 

from the list on the 

Publications Page. 

For up-to-date information, visit: 

www.episcopalacademy.org 

The Episcopal Academy 

Newtown Square, PA 19073-0379 

Address Service Requested 

Non-profit org. 

U.S. Postage Paid 

Permit No. 118 

Bensalem, PA

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