532 - Fall 2013.pdf

532 

Fall 2013 

osuna road 

A magazine for the Sandia Prep Community 

Sandia Prep Alum 

Living (and Loving) 

a Life of Adventure 

An Interview with Jordan Hanssen ’00 

of OAR Northwest 

Graduation 2013 

Faculty Profile 

Joan Goessl 

Student Profile 

Elena Saavedra Buckley ’14

532 

In this Issue 

11 

11 

Cover Story / Alumnus Profile 

532 refers to the school’s physical address - and the sense 

of place felt by all who come here. The 532 staff welcomes 

you to our school magazine, published twice yearly for 

alumni, parents, students, friends and the entire Sandia 

Prep community. We hope you enjoy the magazine. 

Our Mission: The joy of learning and living is at the 

center of all we do. Sandia Preparatory School provides 

remarkable opportunities for intellectual and personal 

growth within a challenging and balanced program. 

As an extension of our families, Sandia Prep’s diverse 

community inspires students to find their academic 

focus, talents and creativity. 

Jordan Hanssen ’00 

Sandia Prep graduate Jordan Hanssen ’00 is a rower, 

writer, adventurer and cofounder of OAR Northwest, 

a nonprofit dedicated to ocean adventure rowing 

and education. A veteran of multiple expeditions, 

including two cross-ocean rows, Hanssen talks about 

his experiences, such as the recent Africa to the 

Americas voyage and being interviewed on the Today 

show, and what is next on his agenda. 

Our Vision: At Sandia Prep, we will inspire our students 

to discover their purposes in the world by: 

• Developing essential skills and intellectual potential 

through challenging academics; 

• Cultivating a socially responsible environment of 

innovation and creativity; and 

• Engaging as a vibrant community for the betterment 

of society. 

Our 5A’s: To foster growth toward human as 

well as academic excellence, Sandia Prep seeks 

to create balance among the Five A’s: 

Academics Arts Athletics Activities Atmosphere 

Sandia Prep’s logo represents our balanced philosophy 

and program. Our Five A’s converge to form an integrated 

whole with the student at the center, reflecting the 

comprehensive, well-rounded education that Sandia Prep 

students receive. 

On the cover: On June 10, 2006, Jordan Hanssen ’00 and 

three college friends head out of New York Harbor in a 29- 

foot rowboat as the only American competitors in the first 

North Atlantic Rowing Race. OAR Northwest set a Guinness 

World Record for the first unassisted row from mainland 

USA to mainland UK. 

Find us on the Web 

sandiaprep.org

13 15 

17 

Features 

13 

Faculty Profile: Joan Goessl 

In Every Issue 

We’re Listening 

Letter from the Head of School 

3 

4 

15 

Student Profile: Elena Saavedra Buckley ’14 

Alumni News 

Alumni Notes 

5-6 

7-9 

From the Archive 

10 

17 

Graduation 2013: May 26, 2013 

Take a look back at our Seniors’ special day. 

SPS News 

Smart Giving 

19 

23 

Sundevil Sports 

25 

Sandia Prep Calendar 

26 

SPS on Facebook & Twitter 

facebook.com/SandiaPrep 

@MySandiaPrep 

Alumni on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram 

facebook.com/SandiaPrepAlumni 

@SandiaPrep

532osuna road 

is published two times a year by Sandia 

Preparatory School, an independent co-ed 

school with a nationally recognized college 

preparatory program for students in grades 

6 through 12. 

ADMINISTRATION 

B. Steven Albert • Head of School 

Cheryl McMillan • Assistant Head 

for Academics 

Joyce Whelchel • Assistant Head 

for Student Life 

Julie Cook • Director of Development 

Teresa Armstrong • Chief Financial Officer 

Laura Fitzpatrick • Director of Admission 

Lee Stork • Director of College Counseling 

Celeste Walther, APR • Director of Marketing 

Managing Editor – 

Celeste Walther 

Designer/Editor – 

Melissa Jo Stroud 

Contributors – 

B. Steven Albert 

Roxanna Caird 

Julie Cook 

Melissa Besante Dineen ’97 

Andrew Harrington 

Pete MacFarlane 

Bianca Martinez 

Susan Walton ’72 

[ ] 

I remember when I was at Prep... I like the 

new magazine. I 

We’re 

want to hear about...I find 

the new sections...Can you have a place for... 

Where is Prep Listening 

Post? The photos are great. I 

get to stay in touch with fellow alumni. The 

Around the Web 

students are doing such amazing things 

at Prep You should write a story about... 

WHAT WORDS 

OF ADVICE CAN 

YOU PASS ON TO 

SANDIA PREP’S 

CLASS OF 2020? 

You are about to make 

lifelong friends. Smile at 

everyone you meet. 

- Lydia Pizzonia ’99 

Don’t be afraid...dreams 

come true for our Devils! 

- April Camilli-Marker ’93 

Pray the Prep’s sorting hat 

doesn’t make you a lion; 

Unicorns rule! 

- Brian Mannal ’94 

Parent Tweets 

Katie Stone @katiestone 

Of all the cabinet secretaries 

appointed by our Gov, giving 

NM the most for its buck is 

@SandiaPrep grad, Monique 

Jacobson with @NMtourism. 

Michael McConnell 

@MikeMcConnellNM 

@MySandiaPrep @sandiaprep 

pre-season soccer rankings are 

out and SPS at #2 in NM. 

Lydia (Jones) Pizzonia ’99, 

as Sandia Prep’s new Alumni 

Association President. 

As one who formerly held your 

post, congratulations Lydia, it 

will be a wonderful experience! - 

Anne Reynolds Wilsher ’73 

Sandia Preparatory School 

532 Osuna Rd NE • Albuquerque, NM 87113 

505.338.3000 phone • 505.338.3099 fax 

sandiaprep.org • info@sandiaprep.org 

This issue of 532 is printed 

on paper containing 55% 

recycled/30% post-consumer 

content. 

Once you have enjoyed this 

issue, please recycle. 

instagram comments 

converse_and_smiles - “Yay! 

Already love it here! I have never 

felt so welcomed!” 

juliewaszak - “I’m so excited! 

This is going to be great!” 

halle_bell12 - “Super excited!” 

Still...after so many years - you are missed 

and loved by so many people Tom... 

- Rosanne Morton Eklund’91 

GRADS SHOWING GRATITUDE 

WAS A SUCCESS. WE RECEIVED 

MORE THAN 250 “THANK A 

TEACHER” MESSAGES. 

Great campaign and fantastic 

idea. Can’t appreciate teachers, 

especially at Prep, enough! 

- Sheila Ryan Hunter ’78 

3 532 • Fall 2013

Letter from the Head of School 

Dear Friends, 

Each issue of 532 provides us with an opportunity to profile one of our alumni, a member 

of the faculty and a current student. It’s always difficult to select these individuals, as 

there are so many members of our school community who have done remarkable things. 

In this issue, you’ll read about Jordan Hanssen ’00, who rowed across the North Atlantic 

with three friends; Joan Goessl, Chair of the English Department and a teacher who was 

instrumental in launching the work of our Curriculum Review Committee; and Elena 

Saavedra Buckley ’14, a National Merit Semifinalist who is actively involved in numerous 

SPS activities. Each represents and contributes to our school community in meaningful 

ways, and, in many senses, these three individuals reflect the diversity of interests and 

talents so characteristic of our school. 

As a scientist, I am trained to look for commonalities and patterns which are not 

immediately apparent. In my conversations with Jordan, Joan and Elena, I was struck, 

therefore, by something that they share — a passion for writing. As an author, a journalist, and a poet, these three individuals 

each reflect, in their own way, the important role of writing in a Sandia Prep education. 

Writing is stressed throughout our curriculum. This became particularly apparent last year when the members of the 

Curriculum Review Committee talked with each member of the faculty about the role of writing in their classes. While we 

expected to hear a lot about writing in history, English and languages, we were surprised by the prominent role of writing in 

courses as diverse as anatomy and photography. This year, I am teaching 8th grade physical science, and all of my students are 

working on a five-page research paper. Students are studying topics that range from recent innovations in radiation therapy 

to a comparison of the ways gravity is explained by the theories of string theory and loop quantum gravity. We do a lot of 

experiments and projects in my class, but we also write. That’s true in many of our science classes. 

We know that we do an excellent job of teaching writing at Sandia Prep, by the broad range of feedback we receive. Student 

performance on national standardized tests, such as the ACT, is impressive and reflects clear college readiness in writing. 

Our alumni give us the same information, anecdotally. Our graduates identify themselves as better writers than their college 

classmates, and they often find that they become the writing expert in their dormitories. 

This emphasis on writing is not surprising and is, in fact, to be expected at an excellent college preparatory school. A recent 

study commissioned by the ASC International Schools identified ten attributes, beyond test scores and grades, that university 

admission officers consider to extremely important. Number one on the list: strong skills in written English. Beyond college, 

strong writing skills are essential for success in virtually any career. In his book, The Global Achievement Gap, author Tony 

Wagner, a professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, identifies seven “survival skills” that potential employers say 

they look for in their new hires. Among them is “effective oral and written communication.” 

In her column, From the Archive, Susan Walton ’72 notes the long tradition of writing and writers woven throughout our 

school’s history. Hanssen is just the latest of many alumni and faculty members to be published. Our faculty members have 

stressed writing from the day our school was founded, and many alumni have told me that they owe their writing skills to their 

Sandia Prep teachers. 

One teacher who taught hundreds of students to write was Alice Perry. Ms. Perry retired 

from Sandia Prep in May 2013, after 20 years of service at our school. Another beloved 

faculty member who retired this past May was Mr. Neil McBeth. Both of these teachers 

made the decision to retire after our last issue of 532 had gone to press, and, consequently, 

it wasn’t possible to recognize their extraordinary service to Sandia Prep at that time, but 

I do so now. 

I hope that you enjoy this issue of 532. In addition to our feature stories, it is filled with information about the recent 

accomplishments of more than 60 students, faculty and staff members, and alumni. Please share your thoughts, feedback and 

news…write to us! 

Warmest regards, 

B. Steven Albert 

Head of School 

532 • Fall 2013 4

Alumni 

News 

Meet our new Alumni Association President 

Welcome, Lydia! Thank you, Susan! 

Please welcome Lydia (Jones) Pizzonia ’99, as Sandia Prep’s new Alumni Association 

President. Lydia was a co-chair for both our 2012 and 2013 Alumni Weekends. In addition 

to being a mom to three beautiful children, Kylie, Reed, and Michael, Lydia owns Marble 

Video Conferencing, a virtual meeting environment and often helps with Justin’s law 

practice, Gonzalez & Pizzonia, LLC. 

Please help us thank Susan (Przekurat) Epstein ’91 for serving as our Alumni 

Association President for the past three years. Susan has been instrumental in helping to 

create and maintain a strong Class Agent program, increase attendance at nearly every 

alumni gathering, and has helped to double alumni Annual Fund gifts. Susan and her 

husband, Ethan Epstein ’91, have three lovely children, Austin, Kaden and Riley. 

Reunion Recaps 

A few photos from our summer class reunions. A special thanks to reunion organizers: April Camilli-Marker ’93, Beth 

Goodrich ’03, Chris Martin ’03, Brandon Saylor ’03, Jason Shaw ’03 and Jackie Snow ’03. 

’93 ’03 

’93 

’03 

Event Recaps 

5 532 • Fall 2013 

Grads Showing Gratitude 

Our Grads Showing Gratitude 

program was a success; we received 

250+ personalized messages! If 

you’d like to browse through a 

sample collection of the submitted 

messages, please visit www. 

sandiaprep.org/alumni. 

Alumni Induction Breakfast 

We hosted our sixth annual 

Alumni Induction Breakfast 

on Monday, May 20, 2013. Held 

each year on Yearbook Day, the 

catered breakfast is a chance 

for Seniors to reconnect with 

their classmates and teachers 

following their month-long 

Senior Experience.

Alumni Weekend & 

Thomas Ebel Alumni Soccer Games 

We couldn’t have asked for a greater 2013 Alumni 

Weekend! We had a record turnout, the weather was 

perfect, our alumni sponsorships surpassed past years, 

and both alumni soccer teams won. 

The final scores for the fifth annual Thomas Ebel Alumni 

Soccer Games: Women’s game 6-3 Alumni, Men’s game 

4-1 Alumni. 

A special thank you to our volunteers: Steve Albert, Kim Allen, 

Melissa Bentley ’79, Billy Blackburn, Ron Briley, Rosemary Briley 

’20, Roxanna Caird, Julie Cook, Melissa Besante Dineen ’97, David 

Disko, Lauri Ebel ’84, Rosanne Eklund ’91, Susan (Przekurat) 

Epstein ’91, Greg Farah ’99, Laurie Hall, Courtney Haury, Julie 

(Langheim) Jackson ’99, Robby Keaveny ’10, Andrea (Brue) Kendall 

’98, Jessica Korber-Montoya ’88, Pete MacFarlane, April (Camilli) 

Marker ’93, Judd McRoberts ’96, Jere Newcomb, U.P. Nguyen ’14, 

Lydia (Jones) Pizzonia ’99, Brandon Saylor ’03, Tommy Smith, 

Charlotte Wall-Smith ’90, Susan Walton ’72 and Joyce Whelchel. 

We Y our Sponsors! 

• Alumni Family Picnic sponsored by Papa Murphy’s Pizza 

(Erik Willis) 

• Gift bags sponsored by Mountain View Montessori 

• Happy Hour sponsored by Select Properties (John Tekin ’03 

& Ken Tekin ’97) 

• Official beer sponsored by IL Vicino Brewery Canteen 

• Thomas Ebel Alumni Soccer Games sponsored by Kiersten 

(Whitesel) ’91 & Mike ’88 Stockham 

• Shaved Ice Treats sponsored by Anna & Avery Volkman ’96 

• Photo Booth sponsored by the Epstein (Ethan ’91 & Susan 

Epstein ’91) & Pizzonia (Lydia Jones Pizzonia ’99) Families 

• Children’s Soccer Clinic sponsored by 814 Solutions, LLC., 

(Jessica Molzen ’99 & Sam Stribling ’98) 

Gold Sponsors = Downey & Company – Chris Downey ’91, 

Mountain States Constructors – Julie (Langheim) Jackson 

’99, MarCar Auto – April Camilli-Marker ’93 and Todd ’91 & 

Cristine Sandoval ’90; Silver Sponsors = Amy ’91 & Vahid 

Staples ’91; Bronze Sponsors = Andrea (Brue) Kendall ’98, 

Off the Grid - John (Tex) Watson ’98 and Charley Michelle 

(Lowe) Willis ’97. 

Albuquerque Meet & Greet 

The popular pub quiz program ‘Geeks 

who Drink’ led several rounds of trivia 

at our fourth annual Albuquerque 

Meet & Greet. It was a great chance 

for alumni and members of our 

faculty and staff to go head-to-head 

in categories. An alumni/faculty team 

led by Stevie Olson ’05 won the trivia 

rounds for the second year in a row. 

Ben Kivitz Memorial Soccer Tournament 

The Sandia Prep’s Boys Varsity Soccer team beat during our 

annual Ben Kivitz Memorial Soccer Tournament on Friday, 

September 27, 2013. Led by Coach Tommy Smith, the memorial 

presentation honors Ben Kivitz ’05, Prep’s goalie from 2003-2005. 

Ben passed away peacefully on 12.13.08. 


Alumni 

Notes 

’90s 

We’re looking for volunteers to help 

plan the Class of 1994’s 20-year reunion. 

To learn more, please email alumni@ 

sandiaprep.org. 

Class of 1995 

alum Jeremy 

Barnes’ band 

(Neutral Milk 

Hotel) will start 

their world 

reunion tour. 

’70s 





Earlier this summer, 

Elizabeth Cohen 

’77 released, “The 

Hypothetical Girl.” 

Already a favorite of 

critics, Elizabeth’s 

work was featured as 

Oprah’s “Book of the 

Week.” “Clearly, this 

book is about the state 

of modern romance, 

but it’s also about our timeless fascination 

with identity—a weighty subject that 

Cohen handles with intelligence and a 

dash of much-needed whimsical comedy.” 

– Oprah.com review. Elizabeth lives in 

Plattsburgh, New York, with her daughter, 

Ava. 

’80s 

Katherine Cordova ’83, KUNM’s Auction 

Coordinator, was featured in Albuquerque 

the Magazine’s “Hot Singles” August 2013 

issue. Fellow Sundevil, Melisa Hart ’04, 

was also named to the list. 






Odette Ramos 

’91 and her 

daughter Teresa 

stopped by 

campus in 

August to visit 

with Odette’s 

favorite faculty 

members before 

heading to Colorado for the wedding of her 

brother, Ricardo Ramos ’93. 

Estie (Jacob) Kearney ’92 is living in 

Annapolis, MD with her husband, Tim, 

and two children, Bryn and Matty. Estie 

works with a large design-build electrical 

engineering and systems integrator in the 

DC Metro area. 

In July, Melanie Polansky East ’92, a 

teacher with Albuquerque Public Schools, 

became a nationally registered Advanced 

EMT. Melanie said, “I passed the single 

hardest test I’ve ever taken in my life 

(including the MCAT and my dad’s tests)!” 

In July, Brandy 

Ivener ’93 attended 

her class reunion 

and reported that 

she has worked 

as an Operations 

Manager at Cooper 

Technologies in 

Silicon-Valley since 

2009. Brandy has a 

MBA from San Jose 

State University and a BA in Mathematics 

from the University of Denver. The ’93 

grad coaches and runs marathons for the 

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 

Ricardo 

Ramos ’93 

married Rachel 

Martinez on 

August 31, 2013, 

in Denver, 

Colorado. 

In September, K.C. Roehl ’95 passed 

the New Mexico Bar Exam and is now a 

practicing attorney, joining her dad, Jerry 

Roehl, and brother, Ryan Roehl ’97, at 

the Roehl Law Firm where they specialize 

in personal injury, medical malpractice, 

and construction defect cases as well as 

financing big cases for other attorneys. 

Tom Westfall ’95 and his family recently 

opened Westfall Vineyards family winery 

with vineyards 

located in the 

blossoming 

region of East 

County San 

Diego. 

New Mexico Tourism Secretary Monique 

(Mayer) Jacobson ’96 was named as 

one of this year’s “40 Under Forty” by 

Albuquerque Business First. Monique has a 

Bachelor of Science from Wharton School 

of Business, University of Pennsylvania. 

Judd McRoberts ’96 helped lead the 

Happy Hour portion of our 2013 Alumni 

Weekend. Judd reports that he’s been 

happily married to Colleen for three years, 

works at Merrill Lynch as an Investment 

Advisor for 

Endowments, 

Businesses and 

individuals, and 

volunteers with 

Albuquerque 

Mountain 

Rescue. 

Sommer 

Betsworth ’98 

and Elijah Mohn 

welcomed daughter 

Addison Olivia on 

June 15 at 9:05 a.m. 

Miss Addision was 

eight pounds and 

20.5 inches long.

’00s 

Robert Salazar ’01 is working for 

the Pueblo of Laguna Department of 

Education. Robert taught middle school 

science classes last spring when the school 

had a staffing need, but normally works 

with systems analysis, efficiency and 

school improvement. 

Matthew VerEecke ’01 married Karelia 

(Brown) Ver Eecke August 25, 2013 in 

Telluride, Colorado . Kurt Ver Eecke 

’98 was the best man and Jordan 

Hanssen ’00 performed the ceremony. 

Prep classmates Anson Chen ’01 and 

Katie (Holland) Maurer ’01 joined 

the festivities, as well as Coach Tommy 

Smith. Matt recently finished his masters 

in Mental Health Counseling from 

the University of New Mexico, and the 

newlyweds plan to move to Bend, Oregon. 

Maggie Latta ’02 married Alex Yocom- 

Piatt on June 15, 2013 in the Dominican 

Republic. Several Prep grads were in 

attendance, including: Scooter Haynes 

’01, Grace Lerner ’02, Julia Maccini 

’02, Doug Siegel ’02, and Meghann 

Zimmerman ’02. 

We’re looking for volunteers to help plan 

the upcoming Class of 2004’s 10-year 

reunion. To learn more, please email 

alumni@sandiaprep.org. 

Sara (Richards) Cooper ’05 married 

Kevin Cooper on July 6 in Anchorage, AK. 

In May, Beth Obenauf Odegard ’05 

graduated from the University of New 

Mexico’s School of Medicine. Beth and her 

husband, David Odegard ’05, moved to 

California where Beth is working on her 

Ob-Gyn residency in Santa Clara, CA. 

Katherine Blanchard ’06 spent the 

2010-2011 school year as a Fulbright Fellow 

in Belgrade, Serbia. Katherine now lives 

in Washington, DC and works with the 

Smithsonian Institution. 

Yanni’s Mediterranean Grill co-owners 

Nicole Kapnison ’06 and her mother, 

Chris Komis, were featured in the May 31 

edition of the Albuquerque Journal for the 

remodel and relaunch of Lemonia. The 

new space, formerly known as the Opa Bar, 

was designed and decorated by Kapnison 

and Komis. 

Amy Mann ’06 – see page 19. 

Marie Milne ’06 – see page 19. 

In July, Dani 

Castioni ’07 

participated in the 

University of New 

Mexico School of 

Medicine’s White 

Coat ceremony. The 

first-year medical 

student has a 

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Biology 

from Stevens Institute of Technology. 

On December 10, 2012, JoAnna Phillips 

Eller ’07 and her husband Rhett welcomed 

Iris Elizabeth into the world, Miss Iris was 

seven pounds, nine ounces and 20 inches 

long. Five days later, Jo Anna received 

a Bachelors of Arts in English from the 

University of New Mexico. The Eller 

family had a busy summer: Jo Anna began 

childbirth education certification courses; 

Rhett, who will receive 

his master’s degree 

in Optical Science 

next spring, passed 

his PhD qualifying 

exams; three-year-old 

Ava started preschool; 

and Iris won 100.3 The 

Peak’s “BabyPalooza 

2013”. 

Jack Olson ’08 is interning in Shark 

Bay, Australia with Florida International 

University and the Shark Bay Ecological 

Research Project (SBERP). Jack is working 

with Tiger Sharks as part of a larger project 

to catalogue the many food chains in the 

pristine Shark Bay sea grass ecosystem 

on Australia’s west coast. Jack received 

a degree in Evolutionary Biology and 

Ecology from CU-Boulder in May 2012 

and has plans to attend graduate school 

in marine fisheries. His photo blog is 

chilidoghotpocket.tumblr.com. 

At Clark 

University’s 

2013 Athletics 

Awards 

ceremony, 

Mollie 

Kleyboecker ’09 received the Merit 

award, which recognizes student-athletes 

who have had a significant impact on their 

sport. Mollie, a two-time NCAA Qualifier 

who holds five individual school records 

and has three other relay records, is the 

first woman in school history to complete 

the 100-yard backstroke in less than a 

minute. 

’10s 

Several members of the Class of 2010 

met in San Diego during Spring Break. 

Pictured from left to right: Clayton 

Calvin, Maddy Walton, Stephen Kersh, 

and Leslie Wilson. 

James Fisk ’11. James has been accepted at 

Trinity College Dublin as a Non EU visiting 

student for the Michaelmas Term, (Fall 

Semester) 2013. 

In March, Alexandra Vavruska ’12 was 

crowned Miss Santa Fe. The ’12 grad was 

also named as a “Miracle Maker” for 

raising the most money for the Children’s 

Miracle Network. Alexandra attends 

Creighton University. 

Kaitlyn Glass ’13, a goalkeeper for the 

Lubbock Christian University Women’s 

Soccer team, is leading the 2013 season 

soccer coverage on NMPreps.com. 


AlumniNotes continued 

Our Alumni Give Back in a 

Variety of Ways 

Faculty 

In April, original faculty member Ina 

Miller was honored for her continued 

commitment to community service. 

Ms. Miller was a French teacher and 

college advisor. 

In Memoriam 

Former French 

teacher, Patience 

(Smith) Bloom 

wrote, “Romance 

Is My Day Job: A 

Memoir of Finding 

Love at Last”. 

Patience’s book 

will be released in 

February 2014. 

Board Members 

During our September PhoneAThon, 

two of our alumni board members 

participated in our Trustee Night to 

kick off Sandia Prep’s 2013/2014 

Annual Fund. Thank you, April 

Camilli-Marker ‘93 and Jessica Korber 

Montoya ‘88! 

The following alums are just a sampling 

of alumni who volunteer their time and 

efforts on behalf of the Sandia Prep 

Alumni Association. If you’d like to help 

or join a committee, please contact your 

Alumni Affairs Office. 

James Dykman ’12, Ian Sanchez ’12 and 

Ellie Kerbleski ’13 were three alumni 

who worked as camp counselors during 

2013 SummerPrep. Led by Andrew 

O’Cleireachain ’98, the popular summer 

program is a great opportunity for 

Albuquerque students to get a taste of the 

Sandia Prep culture. Thank you to our 

alumni SummerPrep Camp Counselors! 

We recently learned that Leta Cook Atwood who attended the original Sandía School 

(1932-1942) passed away in February 2012. 

Mary Balcomb died on April 5, 2013, just shy of her 85th birthday. Ms. Balcomb taught Art 

at the Sandia School in the 1960’s. 

Sandia School Original, Jean Laraway Summers passed away September 22, 2013. Jean 

graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1941 and married the late Jim Summers in 

1945. The couple had two daughters, Jan Lewis and Judi von Gaia. Jean is said to be the First 

Lady Announcer of the Southwest 

Alumna Tanya Noelle Thayer ’86, a skilled equestrian, passed away on August 15, 2013. 

Steffani Norman ’09 made our dedicated 

faculty and staff smile when she dropped 

off dozens of hot rolls and cinnamon 

butter for a surprise afternoon treat. 

Thank you, Steffani! 

Patricia Hannett Hueter, Sandía School alumna and former Chair of 

the SPS Board of Trustees, passed away in Albuquerque on August 24, 

2013. An avid supporter of local nonprofits, she took on the toughest jobs 

in her volunteer career. She was an engaged friend and had a fine-tuned 

sense of humor. Her husband died in 1999 and she is survived by her 

sister Mary “Sissy” Hannett Voller, three daughters, including SPS alumna 

Jane Hueter-Moody ’70, and 5 grandchildren including Justine Bass ’97. 

Robert D. Taichert, 1973-74 Board of Trustees Chair at Sandia Prep, 

passed away in Albuquerque on September 4, 2013. A native of Santa Fe 

and graduate of Harvard Law School, he was a prominent Albuquerque 

attorney and practiced primarily in New Mexico and Arizona. He loved 

the outdoors and music, and was an active community volunteer. A 

member of a pioneering NM family, he often wore a bow tie and always 

wore a smile. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter Suzanne Taichert 

’75, and three grandchildren. 


Our 2013 Alumni Weekend planning 

committee spent several months prepping 

for the nearly 500 community members 

who attended our July 9, 2013 festivities. 

Thank you, Andrea (Brue) Kendall 

’98, Melissa Besante Dineen ’97, 

Julie (Langheim) Jackson ’99, Susan 

(Przekurat) Epstein ’91 and Lydia 

(Jones) Pizzonia ’99!

From the Archive 

SPS Writes its History, 

One Author at a Time 

There is something about this school and 

writing. 

One founding math teacher, Orel 

Phillips, Jr., co-wrote a textbook, 

and long-time teacher, Lou Liberty, 

published several books including the 

school’s history, Constant Possum: the 

History of Sandia Preparatory School 

and its sequel, Transition and Legacy: 

SPS at 50. Her latest work Pappy Shell 

And The Jenny Mule, is available as an 

ebook, also (http://louliberty.net/). 

Ron Briley, resident writer and teacher, 

presents papers at Cooperstown, 

published five academic books, essays, 

and writes locally for public radio and 

newspapers. His latest book is The 

Baseball Film in Postwar America: A 

Critical Study, 1948-1962. 

Valerie Nye ’89 co-edited True Stories of 

Censorship Battles in America’s Libraries 

with Kathy Barco in 2012. The Library 

Director at Institute of American Indian 

Arts, she previously was librarian at 

Santa Fe University of Art and Design, 

successor school to the College of 

Santa Fe. In addition to scholarly works 

published earlier, she co-wrote with 

Kathy Barco, Breakfast Santa Fe Style, a 

New Mexico Book Award (NMBA) 2007 

guidebook finalist and Breakfast New 

Mexico Style which won the NMBA for 

best travel book in 2009 (https://sites. 

google.com/site/librarycensorship/ 

about-us). 

From the start, our School has embraced 

every method to encourage kids to write. 

We’ve had a literary magazine, yearbook, 

and a student newspaper most years. 

Nowadays the locations to engage in 

writing-for-an-audience have increased. 

Blogs reach audiences of all ages. 

Elena Saavedra Buckley, ’14, featured 

on page 15 of this magazine, wrote an 

internationally recognized classical 

music blog (http://neoantennae. 

blogspot.com/). 

Until his death in 2010, Harry Willson, 

(http://www.amadorbooks.com/amwho. 

htm), former Sandia Prep teacher and 

co-founder of Amador Publishers, 

wrote a blog and a column for a weekly 

paper – in addition to writing books of 

fiction, satire, social commentary and 

philosophy. He often stopped on campus 

when he had a new book so I could buy a 

one from the trunk of his car. 

Above: Harry Willson, publisher and 

writer, visits Sandia Prep on Career Day 

in the early 1990s. 

Photography teacher Steve Ausherman 

has won awards for his book of poetry, 

Creek Bed Blue, which came out in 

2013. (https://www.facebook.com/ 

CreekBedBlue?ref=stream). English 

teacher Todd Kelgard’s book for midschoolers, 

Outside In, came out in 2001 

(http://www.amazon.com/Outside- 

Todd-Kelgard/dp/0880925671). 

Writing for an audience has always 

been a tool in our teachers’ toolkit. Lou 

Liberty had her students write journals, 

as if they were living in the period they 

were studying in history. 

Charlotte Balcomb ’74 Lane published a 

couple of Florida cookbooks in the 1990s, 

(http://www.amazon.com/Charlotte- 

Balcomb-Lane/e/B001KCKXX6) and 

her journalism gigs included restaurant 

reviews in Florida and New Mexico, 

writing Albuquerque’s last “bold-faced 

names” column. She works now in public 

relations. 

Pari Noskin Taichert ’75 has published 

one series of books set in New Mexico, 

the Sasha Solomon series, and started a 

second series, although she is not to the 

stage of publishing it yet (http://www. 

parinoskintaichert.com/). 

Swati Avasthi ’89, published two fiction 

works. I got to see her face when she 

brought a copy of her first book to Sandia 

Prep for Ron Briley to read. (Working 

at a school has many rewards.) www. 

swatiavasthi.com Her latest book 

Chasing Shadows has been getting great 

reviews, as it debuted (during Spirit 

Week at Sandia Prep) Sept.24, 2013. 

Former art teacher Ed Haddaway is 

now a well-exhibited sculptor, who has 

also started a separate webpage for his 

writings, one of which, about his beloved 

dog, made its way into my email and my 

heart (http://www.edhaddawayredux. 

com/2013/09/the-best-dog-in-theworld/). 

Melissa Besante Dineen ’97 and I would 

love to gather all of the books written by 

alumni and faculty – to fill bookshelves. 

We’d settle for having a list. Please tell 

us of your publications and your friends’ 

and classmates’ writings. Send to: 

swalton@sandiaprep.org or mdineen@ 


- Susan Walton ’72 

1942 1987 2004-2008 1984-2013

An Interview with 

Alumnus Profile 

Jordan Hanssen ’00 

Tell us about OAR Northwest and how it got started. I fell 

in love with rowing. I’ve always loved to travel. Post college, I 

was training in Seattle, with an idea of getting on the National 

Team. I saw a poster advertising a race across the ocean and 

could not get the idea out of my head. I asked my rowing 

buddies, they said yes, we moved into the same house, and 

without any prior experience besides a love of rowing, we put 

our own money down and built a nonprofit. We outfitted the 

boat and showed up 18 months later in New York. We raced. 

Two days in, one team quit. Three days in, we were stampeded 

by thousands of dolphins. Five days in, we were in a hurricane; 

and on day sixteen, our teammate in charge of food told us he 

did not pack enough. We could not turn back, so we rowed. 

We were nearly hit by huge ships. We starved and rowed. We 

lost 145 lbs. between the four of us. Seventy-two days later, we 

showed up in England. Although it took a while to forgive the 

food, we did; we are still friends. 

How many expeditions have you been on? I’ve been on 

two cross-ocean rows over the north and mid-Atlantic, 72 and 

73 days respectively. Biked 3,000 miles from Perth to Sydney. 

Twenty days circumnavigating 425 miles of Washington’s 

Olympic Peninsula by open dory (my favorite trip). Twenty 

days in an ocean rowboat circumnavigating 600 miles around 

Vancouver Island; and a ten-day 200-mile trip down the Rio 

Grande in a leaky canoe. 

You recently appeared on the Today Show discussing one 

of your expeditions. Please tell us about that expedition 

and your experience on the show. Our second major 

expedition, and our first educational expedition, was the 

Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Africa to Americas expedition. 

We included science, communication and wind and solar 

power generation, and partnered with sponsors to create 

educational curriculum made available as we rowed. Using 

satellites, we were able to communicate with students along 

the way. The Today Show was the first of 40 interviews we did 

within 25 hours after our rescue and my first one that day. 

How did the Educational and School Programs of OARNW 

get started? We wanted to keep adventuring and we needed a 

bigger reason. We realized that sharing our story often created 

teaching opportunities. Adding the education aspect creates a 

lot of personal meaning. It’s fun to share. 

What is the story behind your first book, Rowing Into 

the Son: Four Young Men Crossing the North Atlantic, 

released last year. Are there more on the way? It took 

six years to write. I got my ego battered by a fair number of 

publishers. I was most fearful of the editing process and my 

first manuscript was sent back with the orders to cut it in half. 

Scared the hell out of me, but I ended up loving it. I have more 

to write. I will start writing and see what happens. 

What other projects are you working on? Nearly all of what 

I do is connected -- the trips, the writing, education. What I’m 

working to develop next is a public speaking aspect. 

What are some of the day-to-day challenges you face in 

your work? Balance. I’m working on things I’m passionate 

about and that can be overwhelming. I have to do the things 

that keep me a whole, balanced and multidimensional person. 

Was there a particular event that, or person who, sparked 

your interest in your chosen career path? I always loved to 

read, and throughout my life, there has been a desire to write. 

Travel was also a value instilled in me. I guess my life today 

remains a constant search for the best expression of both of 

those. 

Did specific teachers, classes, or programs at Sandia Prep 

influence your career path? If so, how? All my history 

teachers: Mr. Briley, Mrs. Klein, Mr. Baumgartel and Mr. Ryder. 

History is my thing. I love stories, and those fostered a curiosity 

in the world around me. It made me want to make some stories 

of my own and see as much as I could. Also, in English, Mr. 

Fitzpatrick and Mrs. Libbey; Mr. Dahrling in math; Coach 

Owens; Mr. Hudock in photo; and Mr. Buxbaum in science. 

What type of Sandia Prep student were you? I did pretty 

well in English, History and Photo but I struggled with Math. 

I understood science concepts, but when the math came up it 

was rough. 

How did Sandia Prep’s program help you? The school offers 

a good balance with academics and athletics. I think Mens sana 

in corpore sano (“A healthy mind in a healthy body”) is a Sandia 

Prep value, one I especially see in hindsight. I feel like that’s an 

important part of creating productive and happy individuals. 

How did your experience at Sandia Prep influence the 

person you are today? I was much more prepared for college 

than a lot of other kids. I got the tools at Sandia Prep, but for 

me, it took a little while longer to appreciate and learn how to 

use them. I’m still learning. 

(continued on page 26) 


On June 10, 2006, four college friends, 

Dylan LeValley, Greg Spooner, Brad 

Vickers, and Jordan Hanssen ’00, stepped 

into a 29-foot rowboat as the only 

American competitors in the first North 

Atlantic Rowing Race, pulling across the 

northern ocean. 

This is lead rower and Sandia Prep 

alumnus Jordan Hanssen’s ’00 intimate 

account of team OAR Northwest’s 

journey, starting from New York Harbor, 

catching the Gulf Stream current, and 

making the final dramatic push for the 

finish line. Hurricane-level winds, giant 

eddies, passing freighters, flying fish, and 

sharks, are all elements of the voyage, 

as the race comes to a tense head on day 

17. With another 55 days to go the crew 

realizes their food supplies are running 

out and they must drastically restrict their 

eating. Read how the adventure plays out. 

“Jordan Hanssen has proven he can write 

true adventure as well as live it, by rowing 

across the ominous Atlantic Ocean. Truly 

an epic of adventure and perseverance, this 

is great inspiration for anyone who thinks 

of someday tackling the impossible.” 

- Clive Cussler 

Best-selling American adventure novelist 

Join Jordan for a special evening 

where he will share his adventures. 

December 4, 2013 @ 6:00 p.m. 

McCall Family Theater at 

Sandia Prep

Faculty Profile 

Joan Goessl 

English Chair Challenges Students 

to Read, Write and Think 

Joan Goessl is in her fourteenth year at Sandia Prep and she 

can’t imagine being anywhere else. Teaching English as well 

as Journalism & Media Design classes, serving as chair of the 

English department, and serving as the Newspaper adviser, 

Goessl knows this is where she is supposed to be. 

Goessl didn’t take the typical routine to become a teacher. 

“Unlike some of my colleagues who have the teaching gene 

embedded in their DNA, I took a circuitous route to the 

profession,” Goessl said. Before entering the education field, 

she was a journalist for The Associated Press. 

Growing up in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Goessl played basketball 

and swam in high school. She was also Student Council 

president and a writer for her school’s newspaper. She went 

on to receive her bachelor’s degree in political science and 

journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 

followed by a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from 

the College of Santa Fe. Finally, she attended the University of 

New Mexico and gained her master’s degree in education. 

As a teacher, Goessl enjoys helping young people grow and 

develop in their educational careers. Teaching students to be 

deep readers, articulate writers, sophisticated thinkers and 

global citizens with expansive world views is something she 

finds gratifying. Although she faces the challenge of keeping up 

with teenagers’ ever-changing language, Goessl loves working 

with students. “Young people have nothing but potential, and I 

love their energy, their fresh ideas, and their willingness to take 

academic risks,” she said. 

Goessl and her husband, Mark Holm, have three children who 

all graduated from Sandia Prep. Being an educator gives Goessl 

a broad perspective and also more patience. “My husband says 

he looks at childrearing through a close-up magnifier while I 

look through a huge picture window,” Goessl said. Their oldest 

child works out of Washington D.C. for the U.S. East Africa 

Geothermal Partnership. Their second oldest is in graduate 

school at UNM in Occupational Therapy. And their youngest is 

an undergraduate pursuing a degree in political science. 

In her spare time, Goessl likes to read, cook and work out at 

the gym. She also enjoys traveling, going to the movies and 

spending time with her family and friends. 

Sandia Prep is known for its sense of community and 

commitment to working with students. “We understand the 

importance of a solid academic foundation and of living with 

integrity and open-mindedness,” she said. Along with that, 

Goessl loves the atmosphere around the campus. Her favorite 

spot is the Quad because the energy is contagious. Students 

can be eating lunch, tossing a football, drawing or talking to a 

teacher in this area. “It’s just an uplifting, slice-of-school-life 

environment,” she said. 

Her dedication to student’s success has made these last 

fourteen years at Sandia Prep very memorable. The happy 

memories vary from playing trivia games over dinner with 

her advisory to the newspaper students winning a statewide 

journalism contest. “I’d be thrilled if they [students] 

remembered me as someone who challenged them, listened 

to them, and enjoyed their company,” she said. As her students 

move on to their college careers, Goessl hopes they remember 

that when they don’t have a ready solution to a problem, they 

possess the tools to figure it out. 

- Bianca Martinez 


Student Profile 

Elena Saavedra Buckley’14 

SPS Senior Shoots for the Stars 

Senior Elena Saavedra Buckley ’14 is an extremely well 

rounded student. She has excelled greatly at Sandia Prep in 

both the eyes of her peers and the teaching staff. Originally 

from Seattle, WA, Saavedra Buckley considers herself a true 

Albuquerque native after living here for thirteen years. She 

began her student career at Sandia Prep in the sixth grade. 

Since then, she has become involved in numerous ways, 

including playing on the varsity volleyball team; competing 

with the Mock Trial team; participating in the OLP as a 

Camping Associate; writing for the Sandia Prep Times; and 

volunteering as a member of the National Honor Society. 

“What’s cool about being a Sandia Prep student is one’s ability 

to be involved in a vast range of activities,” Saavedra Buckley 

said. “Being involved with things on campus feels more like 

school is a part of life, rather than just something I attend.” 

Saavedra Buckley describes herself as “organized, but a bit 

all over the place.” Classes she enjoys the most allow her to 

explore the history or philosophy of the subject. With such a 

busy schedule, Saavedra Buckley said it is important for her 

to find time to think everything through and analyze it. “That 

works against being busy, sometimes. On the other hand, I 

dislike not having something to work on,” Saavedra Buckley 

said. 

Saavedra Buckley has had teachers who have impacted her 

in tremendous ways. “[Mr. Olson ’05] has helped me with my 

writing, ways of looking at the world, and how to see things 

with a critical eye.” She gave Mr. Briley credit for always giving 

her new movies to watch, books to read and ideas to evaluate. 

“Mrs. Goessl, my newspaper teacher, is one of the sweetest 

women I have met and is absolutely gifted at helping people 

improve their writing skills.” She also enjoyed Mr. Beamish’s 

math classes, “because he pushes his students to think beyond 

the notes and the whiteboard.” 

Soon Saavedra Buckley will make her way to college, but 

the first step in that process is choosing the right school. 

“Right now, I’m mainly considering schools on the East 

Coast, both for a break in the Southwest weather and the 

great opportunities,” Saavedra Buckley said. She is looking at 

Harvard, Swarthmore, and Brown as her top three choices. 

Her ideal job after school is becoming a teacher in a subject 

she loves or an astronomer observing the stars. She hopes 

that she will also have time to write poems “with heavy doses 

of nature imagery” and to observe “the cosmic microwave 

background at huge telescopes.” She smiles and adds that 

might require her to live in some mountain range. 

Saavedra Buckley’s experience at SPS has influenced the 

person she is today through the various opportunities 

provided both on and off campus. “Prep is a perfect place to go 

for a person like me who has a fair amount of interests based 

outside of school, because I’m able to bring those on campus 

and develop them.” She advised new and current students to 

“find what you love doing at Sandia Prep and beyond.” She 

added, “If you don’t have certain interests, that’s okay, because 

this is a good place to find them. Join clubs, activities, and 

sports, and don’t be afraid to put yourself in new situations.” 

Her drive for education stems from Saavedra Buckley’s rich 

family history. Her grandfather, Louis Saavedra, came from a 

small mining town in New Mexico. Rather than following in 

the footsteps of his family who were miners, he went on to get 

a college education, the first in his family to do so. Saavedra 

went on to found Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute, 

now known as Central New Mexico Community College. He 

also served as mayor of Albuquerque from 1989-1993. “He 

came from these humble roots, and without him, I would 

not have had any of the opportunities I have today,” Saavedra 

Buckley said. “His cravings for education and knowledge really 

inspired me.” 

Saavedra Buckley’s hard work and dedication is evident 

through all her achievements at Sandia Prep. She was recently 

named a National Merit semifinalist. She also received 

Sandia Prep’s prestigious Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms 

Award last year. She is currently exploring the philosophy of 

expressionism under Ms. McColl as an independent study. 

She has “cycled” through a lot of passions, but she said that 

a common thread throughout them is finding connections 

between art, science, books, information and the world. While 

Saavedra Buckley will soon bid goodbye to Sandia Prep, her 

intellect and diverse interests will guide her as she moves on to 

college and what promises to be a very bright career. 

- Andrew Harrington 


Class 

of 

2013 

Where are they now? 

The graduates of the Class of 2013 were admitted to more than 120 universities and have enrolled to study at 48 

of these institutions. 

Arizona State University 

Boston University 

Bowdoin College 

Butler University 

Chapman University 

Coe College 

College of Charleston 

Colorado State University 

Creighton University 

Eastern New Mexico University, Portales 

Emory University 

Eureka College 

Fort Lewis College 

Goucher College 

Hampshire College 

Harvard College 

Harvey Mudd College 

Humboldt State University 

Ithaca College 

Kalamazoo College 

Lawrence University 

Loyola University New Orleans 

Lubbock Christian University 

Maryland Institute College of Art 

Mercy College 

New Mexico Highlands University 

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 

New Mexico State University 

New York University 

Point Loma Nazarene University 

Portland State University 

Purdue University 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 

Saint Louis University 

San Diego State University 

Seattle University 

Texas Tech University 

Truman State University 

United States Naval Academy 

University of Colorado at Boulder 

University of Colorado at Denver 

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

University of Kansas 

University of Michigan 

University of Oregon 

University of New Mexico 

University of Washington 

West Virginia University 

17 532 Osuna Rd.

As we move on from high school, I challenge 

each senior to change someone’s world. Inspire 

people to follow their dreams, make them think 

in a new way, help them discover their passion, 

and let them know that you believe in them. 

- Kristin Lynn ’13 

The faculty and staff have lived up to the promise in the 

School’s name: They have PREPARED us – their students- 

(sometimes to the point of pain) for our futures..... If you 

don’t move forward, life stagnates and the world never 

changes. You don’t grow. Sandia Prep prevented our 

stagnation. But more than that, they made us want more. 

- Trevor Beauchaine Samora ’13 


SPs News 

Healthy Planet Healthy Students Program 

In observance of Earth Day 2013, Sandia Prep held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to introduce 

our latest sustainability initiative, the Healthy Planet Healthy Students program. 

Eight stationary bikes, donated by two Sandia Prep families and serviced/customized 

by Routes Rentals & Tours, will be placed in various buildings on campus and will allow 

users to get some exercise while generating clean renewable energy. Thank you to donors 

Heather and Josh ’98 Arnold, the owners of Routes Rentals & Tours, Andrew Stone, father 

of Eli ’17, Isabel ’01 and Lillie ’06, and David Rubin, father of Ben Rubin ’19. 

The Greendevils (led by SPS Science teacher and Sustainability Coordinator Chuck Buxbaum) are student volunteers who work 

throughout the year to inform fellow students and the local community about environmental issues; teach others how they can make a 

difference for the earth; and support and expand Sandia Prep’s environmental initiatives, such as recycling and composting. 

Students Work on Documentary 

As a continuation to a documentary entitled, “Bystanders: Ending Bullying,” Chris Schueler of 

Safe Teen NM led both Middle School and Upper School assemblies at Sandia Prep. Arranged 

by SPS Health and Wellness Coordinator, Karen Lyall, a group of students from each grade 

level met with Schueler several times in advance to develop the content for these assemblies. 

Attendees were provided with information to equip themselves to confront and minimize 

bullying within their daily lives. 

Welcome New Faculty and Staff 

We welcomed new faculty and staff at the start of the semester: 

• Kelly Bull, Science Instructor 

• Shanna Croney, Math Instructor 

• Leslie Jackson, Math Instructor 

• Kristi Johnson, Admission Office Coordinator 

• Adam Kraft, Science Instructor 

• Amy Mann ’06, Art Instructor 

• Cheryl McMillan, Assistant Head for Academics 

• Marie Milne ’06, Math Instructor 

• Jimmie Roybal, French Instructor 

• Bill Slakey, English Instructor 

SPS Briefs 


The Sandia Prep volleyball team 

received the American Volleyball 

Coaches Association Team 

Academic Award for the third 

consecutive year. This award 

recognizes teams that have not 

only dedicated themselves to 

the sport of volleyball, but have 

also excelled in the classroom. 

Congratulations, Sundevils! 

The 2013-2014 school year began with 3-day Back To School 

Retreats for each grade level, giving students the chance to make 

new friends and transition into the new school year. Accompanied 

by faculty and advisors, students traveled to Cottonwood Gulch, 

Angel Fire and Camp Shaver. Others volunteered their help in the 

local community at several nonprofit organizations.

Beyond Boundaries: 

SPS Around the World 

AFRICA 

A group of nine Sandia Prep 

students, six parents, SPS teachers 

and one alumnus (15 total) 

spent 12 days in Zimbabwe and 

Botswana in June 2013. 

Their stay was based at the Africa 

Centre for Holistic Management 

(ACHM), 15 miles outside of 

Victoria Falls, the site of groundbreaking work in land restoration 

and community development. Trip sponsor and History teacher 

Arne Vanderburg was involved there for nine years before working 

at Sandia Prep. This is a very rural area inhabited by a variety of 

wildlife, including antelope, elephant, lion, leopard, giraffe, zebra, 

warthogs, and buffalo. There are also a number of rural villages in 

the area, as well as several primary and secondary schools. 

Day trips included a day in Chobe National Park in Botswana, 

visiting the incredible Victoria Falls on the Zambezi, shopping local 

markets, rafting class 4 and 5 rapids on the Zambezi River, and 

spending time in a pre-school and secondary school. Before leaving 

on the trip, students raised more than $2,500 for girls scholarships 

at Sizinda Secondary School (tuition and fees for one full school 

year are approximately $200 per student at a rural high school 

near the group’s base.) Group members spent a day at the school 

going to classes with students, playing soccer, performing songs, 

and being entertained by traditional dancing and drumming. It’s a 

connection that group members say they hope to continue. 

Other days were spent on bush walks, looking wildlife and visiting 

informally with local people. It was a rare opportunity to spend 

time in a rural 

African setting, 

interacting 

with the 

environment 

and local 

communities. 

ASIA 

Sandia Prep students 

traveled to Thailand 

and Bhutan with 

Tom Gentry-Funk, 

Sandia Prep’s History 

Chair. The group 

traveled to Bangkok, 

Paro, Punakha, 

Chamkar, and 

places far off the 

beaten path. Their 

travels took them through rutted roads, across the foothills of the 

Himalayas and allowed them to meet remarkable teachers and 

students in communities and schools. 

While the trip had many highlights and wonderful moments, 

according to the group, the time spent in Bhutan was magical. They 

entered a place quite remarkable for its focus on happiness and 

wellbeing of all people. In one school, prominently displayed on the 

building were the targets for meeting the goals of Gross National 

Happiness for the 

school. Such a focus 

on what makes one 

happy in school and 

in life was very much 

at the forefront of 

their minds as group 

members traveled 

across the country. 

Students Jordan 

Vick, Matt Stanasolovich, Jasper Johnson, Sebi Ward, Layla Getz, 

Cole Firkins, and Miles Firkins ’12 (on her second visit to Bhutan) 

encountered meditation and monasteries, traditional culture and 

dance, hikes into the heart of a cloud forest, visits to remote and 

distant fortresses and communities, and, overall, came back with a 

new sense of what makes a full and happy life. 

The group’s blog is available through the Sandia Prep web site and 

at: gentryfunkblog.wordpress.com. Check out their travels and see 

what they encountered. 

The Outdoor Leadership 

Program (OLP) recently 

traveled deep into the 

beautiful Cruces Basin 

Wilderness Area. The goal 

of OLP is for students to 

mentor and train in specific 

backcountry skills. Trips like 

this represent the best opportunity for students to practice and 

train the skills taught in each activity. 

Staff and students joined at their morning 

assembly to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 

historic March on Washington. Students were given 

a brief history of the events that took place in 1963, 

listened to hymns, and recited speeches about the 

dreams they have. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have 

a Dream” speech was read as well. 


Unicorns 

Spirit 

Week 

and Lions of all ages celebrated 

Spirit Week at Sandia Prep. The fun 

included Fantasy Career Day, Rock Star 

Day, Holiday Day, Color Day and, of 

course, Lion & Unicorn Day. 

The week culminated with Homecoming 

games and a barbecue on Saturday. 

Girls varsity soccer, boys varsity soccer 

and varsity volleyball all won their 

Homecoming 2013 tournaments. 

Way to go, Sundevils! 

Student 411 

Sandia Prep freshman Linnea Cheek ’17 

auditioned for four different intensive 

summer ballet programs and was accepted 

to all four. She chose to attend the Joffrey 

Ballet School Summer Intensive in New 

York in July, which exposed students to a 

rigorous and exciting ballet program. The 

School invited master teachers to join the 

renowned faculty who gave instruction in 

a professional setting while challenging each student to reach the 

peak of their potential. 

Sandia Prep seniors, Elena Saavedra 

Buckley ’14 and William Groff ’14 

(pictured below)have been recognized 

as a National Merit Semifinalists by the 

National Merit Scholarship Corporation. 

They will compete for an estimated 

8,000 National Merit scholarships worth 

approximately $35 million that will be 

offered next spring. 

It’s a family affair for two sets of 

sisters on the Varsity Volleyball 

Team. This is the first time two 

sets of sisters have played varsity 

volleyball. Sophie Kelly ’14, 

Catherine Kelly ’18, Cailee 

Nelson ’14 and Camryn Nelson 

’18 take the court as Sundevil 

sisters. 

William Groff ’14 (also a National Merit 

Semifinalist, see above) of Troop 381 was 

awarded the highest Boy Scouting rank 

of Eagle Scout, during an Eagle Scout 

Court of Honor on August 3. For his Eagle 

project, Will worked at the Bernalillo 

County Open Space Visitor Center, where 

he landscaped, mulched and added to the 

irrigation system. 

SPS junior William Cheek ’15 competed 

last spring to attend the Fallingwater 

Architecture Camp. William was accepted 

to the program where students will engage 

in a series of hands-on exercises focusing 

on space, light, structure, and materials 

with special emphasis on creative problem 

solving, and Wright’s ideas about nature 

and organic architecture. 

Alexandra Osterloh ’20 was recently 

featured in ABQ Sports magazine as one 

of the State’s talented young runners. 

Alexandra competed in one of the U.S. 

Track & Field National Competitions, 

placed fourth in the race walk at the Youth 

Nationals and eighth in the race walk in 

the Junior Olympics, earning her All- 

American status. 

Senior Matt Stanasolovich ’14 wrote and 

directed the feature film “When I Get Out 

of Here,” which was shown at the Guild 

Cinema in September. The film stars fellow 

student Bryan Morreale ’14 and features 

original music by Elena Saavedra Buckley 

’14 and Samuel Albert ’14. View the trailer 

at youtube/3xF7oM1BTPU. 


Natalie Benson ’15 was recognized for 

her dedication to her pageant platform, 

“Chemo Courage.” She was named a “Teen 

in Action” by the National Miss Teen 

America Pageant; she was recognized 

by the NM Cancer Center for her work at 

the Annual Health Fair; and was awarded 

a $1000 scholarship by the Jerome 

Westheimer Foundation, when she passed 

on her Miss NM crown.

The Faculty Wall 

History teacher Ron Briley remains busy. 

Over the summer, he wrote multiple 

reviews of books and films; he presented 

about Marvin Miller at the Cooperstown 

Symposium on Baseball & American Culture 

in New York, as well as several presentations 

in Albuquerque; he served on the advisory 

board for the publication of American Sports: 

A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas; he wrote several articles for 

the Encyclopedia of Politics of the American West; and he taught a 

summer film class at Sandia Prep on the films of Alfred Hitchcock. 

Science teacher, Joelle Shaw ’03 was 

one of 75 teachers chosen to participate 

in Columbia University’s prestigious 

Klingenstein Institute 2013 summer 

program. Dedicated to affirming 

beginning teachers and encouraging 

their continued growth, the Klingenstein 

Summer Institute gathers 75 teachers 

from around the world for an exploration 

of teaching styles, educational philosophies, educational issues and 

personal development at Columbia University in New York City. 

Willie Owens, Sandia Prep’s varsity 

basketball coach and Dean of Students 

for 9th & 10th Grades, was recognized by 

the New Mexico High School Coaches 

Association for “building a successful 

High School basketball program”. 

He was elected treasurer for the 

Albuquerque Metro Basketball Coaches 

Association. 

SPS Spanish teacher Rob Minear’s tennis 

team won the New Mexico USTA (United 

States Tennis Association) championship 

this summer. They went on to win 

the Southwest Regionals in the USTA 

Southwest Sectional Tournament, beating 

teams from Phoenix, Tucson, and El Paso. 

The team will next compete in the USTA 

National Championships against 16 other 

regional champions in October in Tucson. 

College Counselor, Dave Schindel, 

attended the Contemporary 

Economic Issues conference in 

Boston this summer. The workshop 

focused on topics ranging from the 

Economic Recovery and the fall 

of the USSR and the emergence 

of a market economy in Russia to 

international debt and currency 

equity. 

Sandia Prep guitar teacher Lynn McGrath 

is helping the Guitar Foundation of America 

put together first Albuquerque-based 

Regional Symposium Sunday, December 8. 

The event will be hosted by Sandia Prep and 

seeks to build a sense of community through 

workshops, offer educational services through 

adjudicated performance opportunities, and 

provide community outreach through free 

concerts open to the public. More information can be found at: 

http://www.guitarfoundation.org/event/newmexico_regional. 

Science teacher Helen Haskell was selected 

for a U.S. State Department Bureau of 

Education and Cultural Affairs Fellowship 

“Teachers for Global Classrooms.” After 

fulfilling the requirements this fall, Helen 

will be eligible to go abroad for two to three 

weeks to further study the skills and tools 

necessary to facilitate global teaching and 

learning in the classroom and to become a 

global teaching ambassador. 

In an interview concerning her 

philanthropic work with Target, actress 

Sophia Bush gave credit to SPS English 

teacher Peter Goss and how his class 

affected her whole career. “[Mr. Goss] was 

so vibrant and honest and inspiring. He 

taught me, and so many other kids, how 

to really analyze a story - to appreciate 

structure and creativity,” Bush said. Mr. 

Goss taught Bush at the Westridge School 

for Girls in Pasadena, CA. 

Ester Tomelloso joined Sandia Prep in 

1996 as Associate Director of Admission. In 

1998, Ester stepped up to become Sandia 

Prep’s Director of Admission, expertly 

representing SPS in the community and 

serving as the face of Sandia Prep for more 

than a hundred new families each year. 

Ester went on medical leave in November 

2011 and is still undergoing treatment. She 

sends fond greetings to the SPS community and thanks all those 

who have shown their support during this time. 

SPS French teacher Celine Perrard- 

Allen and husband Dana welcomed 

a baby girl, Adele Magali Allen, on 

August 20. She weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. 

Congratulations! 


smartgiving 

Meet Jack ’18 

When Jack first arrived at Sandia Prep, he was 

hesitant to take Mandarin, but he was intrigued 

with the idea of learning a language using 

an iPad. Tracing characters and practicing 

intonation proved to be a perfect fit for the 

12-year-old Sundevil. As Jack explored the East 

Asian language through social interactions 

and teacher guidance, he knew he wanted to 

continue with a second year of Mandarin. 

Throughout the year, Jack took advantage of 

the Sandia Prep experience. In science, he 

learned how to use a microscope. During 

activity periods, he played tennis, basketball and 

baseball. 

Someday, Jack may work in global finance or 

maybe he’ll pursue his dream of playing major 

league baseball. 

kayaks 

microscopes 

financial aid 

uniforms 

iPads 

costumes 

and more 

Whether it’s a microscope for middle school science or a kayak for the Outdoor Leadership 

Program, every gift supports the total experience at Sandia Prep. 

An Annual Fund envelope is included in this issue of 532. 

Please consider making a contribution today. 

Every gift matters. Make it matter to you. Making a monetary gift to Sandia Prep’s Annual 

Fund is one of the most valuable ways you can express your support. The amount of your 

gift is highly personal and depends on your family’s individual circumstances. Gifts to the 

Annual Fund range from $25 to more that $25,000. 

smartboard 

We surpassed our goal - THANK YOU! 

Sandia Prep’s Annual Fund is made up of hundreds of gifts from loyal alumni, parents, faculty, staff, alumni parents, grandparents and 

friends. 

Thanks to our donors, Sandia Prep added $659,400 in operating support through the 2012-2013 Annual Fund. Your gifts started new 

programs and helped strengthen existing ones. Your support made financial aid available to qualified students and promoted the work 

of Sandia Prep’s dedicated faculty and staff. 


NOCHE de celebracion 2014 

Save the date! 

Noche de Celebración 2014 

When: April 26, 2014 

Where: Sandia Resort & Casino 

Ticket price: $150 each 

Table of ten: $1,500 

Attire: Semi-formal 

Our 2014 Noche de Celebración will be a 

night of silent and live auctions, a wine 

and beer growler grab, live entertainment, 

and a tribute to our coaches, past and 

present. 

Proceeds from the event will support 

the replacement of Sandia Prep’s eight 

lane running track and benefit the 75% 

of Prep’s student body who participate 

in one or several of Sandia Prep’s sports 

programs. 

How YOU Can Help 

Our planning committee is hard at 

work preparing for our April 2014 

festivities. Please contact our employee 

representatives to lend your support: 

Become a Sponsor 

Julie Cook 

jwcook@sandiaprep.org | 505.338.3022 

Donate an Auction Item: 

· Air miles 

· Time shares 

· Experiences (local, regional, national) 

· Event tickets (football, concert, etc.) 

· Services, Jewelry, Art 

Roxanna Caird 

rcaird@sandiaprep.org | 505.338.3029 

Buy a Table or Tickets 

Courtney Haury 

chaury@sandiaprep.org | 505.338.3058 

“Noche 2014 is slated to be the most interactive and exciting yet! As 

a graduate and former Prep athlete, I know what our programs mean 

both as physical and emotional guidance to our students. That is why 

this year we are celebrating these leaders and supporting our Sundevil 

Athletics! Stay tuned for updates and don’t forget to BRING IT!” 

April Camilli-Marker ’93 

Noche de Celebración Chair 

505-345-1133 | april@cambroco.com 

2013-14 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Carol Cochran, Chair 

Lorna Wiggins, Vice Chair 

Beth Mason, Secretary 

Jim Firkins, Treasurer 

Len Trainor 

Patrick Allen 

Lovie Bey 

Billy Blackburn 

Mimi Burns 

John Donham 

Susan Przekurat Epstein ’91 

Pete Henderson 

Greg Hicks 

Elizabeth Kirschner 

Jerry Lovato 

April Camilli Marker ’93 

Jessica Korber Montoya ’88 

Lydia Jones Pizzonia ’99 

Anne Sapon 

Gretchen Seelinger, MD 

Ruth Silva-Hernandez 

Liz Trainor 

M. Todd White 

Annual Report 

Sandia Prep’s 2012/2013 Annual Report 

is online. Visit www.sandiaprep.org/ 

giving. 


SUNDEVIL 

SPORTS 

Spring Season Caps Off Big Year for Sports Participation 

The Spring 2013 athletic season started under less than 

favorable conditions, but ended on a highly positive note. Two 

hundred sixty students participated in spring sports, while 

a total of 483 students participated during the entire year 

(nearly 74%). We had 58 teams for the year, with 90 students 

participating in 3 or more sports. Each of those students was 

recognized with an “Ironman” award. Middle school students 

participated in boys and girls track and girls softball. 

The girls varsity tennis team finished in second place at 

the state tournament. Dixie Cooper ’13 and Liz Stebbins 

’13, finished third in the doubles competition. Baseball and 

Dance finished third at State. Boys and girls track, boys tennis, 

lacrosse and softball all qualified for post-season play. 

Klara Castillo ’13 and Isaac Alderete ’13 won individual district 

championships in golf and both finished in the top 8 at State. 

AJ Beach ’13 led a group of individual state champions at the 

State meet. AJ won the 800 and 1600 meter runs and teamed 

with Eddie Strach ’13, Kyle Fitzgerald ’14 and Amando Vigil ’15 

to win the 1600 Meter Medley Relay. AJ and Eddie were repeat 

champs in the Medley Relay. At the district meet, the boys 

4x100 meter relay team (Strach, Fitzgerald, Vigil and Trevar 

Caldwell ’13) captured the title. Hannah Grober ’13 won the 

1600 and 3200 meter runs. 

On the girls side, Rachel Fleddermann ’14 repeated her 

accomplishments from 2012 in the distance events with 

victories in the 1600 and 3200 meter runs. Mackenzie 

Blackburn ’15 won the 300 meter hurdles. 

Michael Atkin ’13 capped his excellent career with a state 

Singles title in A-AAA tennis. 

We also had 4 All-Stars, Tyler Dorner ’13 and Johnny Doran 

’13 in boys basketball, Dixie Cooper ’13 in volleyball and Matt 

Johnson ’13 in baseball. 

– Pete MacFarlane, Athletic Director 

SAO - Sundevil Athletics Association 

Who we are: 

Parent volunteers supporting Sundevil Athletics 

What we do: 

· Identify & train team parents for every Sandia Prep team 

· Concessions (staff, stock, sell) 

· Apparel & letter jackets 

Learn more at sandiaprep.org/Athletics. GO SUNDEVILS!

What’s coming up? Sandia Prep Calendar 

SPS Important Dates 

First Choice Admission Test, Saturday, November 2, 2013 

Fall Break, Friday, November 8, 2013 

Thanksgiving Break, Wedneday - Friday, November 27-29, 2013 

Evening with Jordan Hanssen, Wednesday, December 4, 2013 

Last Day for Middle School, Friday, December 13, 2013 

Santa Claus is coming to SPS!, Monday, December 9, 2013 

Alumni Volleyball Games, Sunday, December 15, 2013 

Winter Break, Friday, December 20, 2013-Friday, January 3, 2014 

Alumni Basketball Games, Saturday, December 21, 2013 

Classes Resume, Monday, January 6, 2014 

Recent Grad Lunch, Tuesday, January 7, 2014 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, Monday, January 20, 2014 

Advisory Conference, Wednesday, January 29, 2014 

Presidents Day Holiday, Monday, February 17, 2014 

Spring Break, Monday, March 17 - Friday, March 28, 2014 

Classes Resume, Monday, March 31, 2014 

April Break, Friday, April 18, 2014 

Noche de Celebración, Saturday, April 26, 2014 

Interview with Jordan Hanssen (continued from page 11) 

What is a favorite Sandia Prep memory? Going on a climbing 

trip to the Cochise Stronghold with Mr. Dahrling. And learning 

how to develop film, swim team, and film history class. 

When you have visited Sandia Prep, what or whom were 

you most excited or surprised to see? I’m always excited to 

see the teachers. I remember what they taught me and it has 

become a part of who I am. 

Do you stay in contact with any of your former SPS 

classmates? I stay in good contact with a few folks, Matt 

VerEecke ’01 most of all. I just officiated his wedding. 

Where are you from originally? Besides Albuquerque, 

where have you lived? I was born in Mobile, Alabama, and 

have lived in Ireland, England, Las Cruces, and Washington 

state. After four years in Albuquerque at Sandia Prep, I moved 

back to the northwest 13 years ago. 

Where did you attend college and what did you study? 

I graduated with a BA in History from the University of Puget 

Sound in Tacoma, Washington. I studied abroad at the 

University Of Melbourne in Australia. 

What are your passions? 

Travel, writing, rowing. 

What hobbies do you 

enjoy doing when you’re 

not working? Working 

on my 99-year-old house 

(sometimes). Yoga, climbing, 

and working out on a gym I 

built in my backyard. I also 

love good eating. Seattle is 

amazing for food. 

How did Sandia Prep help prepare you for college and for 

life? Sandia Prep has outstanding academics. While I received 

an excellent college education, my favorite class remains film 

history with Mr. Briley. Having the opportunity for that level 

of class in high school put me ahead of the game. It gave me a 

broad and diverse view of history and critical thinking skills. I 

carry those with me to this day. 

For more information on OAR Northwest and Jordan Hanssen 

visit oarnorthwest.org. 

Send us your news! 

We are always looking for the latest news. If 

you have something you’d like to share, send 

your news and photos to info@sandiaprep.org. 


Sandia Preparatory School 

532 Osuna Rd NE 

Albuquerque, NM 87113 

sandiaprep.org 

Non-Profit 

Organization 

US POSTAGE 

PAID 

Albuquerque, NM 

PERMIT NO 215 

The future begins here. 

for Sandia Prep 

Saturday, April 26, 2014 | Sandia Resort & Casino 

Reserve your tickets or table today. 

sandiaprep.org/giving | 505.338.3058 

Win a 2014 MINICooper 

Raffle tickets available December 2013 

Registration opens 

February 2014. 

Pictured vehicle is a 2013 model and is used 

for advertising purposes only. Winner will take 

home a 2014 hard top MINI Cooper vehicle. 

Winner is responsible to pay all applicable 

federal and state taxes,title and licensing fees. 

Special thanks to 

Todd White/Edward Jones 

and Sandia MINICooper

532 - Fall 2013.pdf

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