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<strong>532</strong><br />
<strong>Spring</strong> 2015<br />
osuna road<br />
A magazine for the Sandia Prep Community<br />
Alumna's Adventurous<br />
Spirit Takes Her Around<br />
the World<br />
the S.P.A.C.E.:<br />
Sandia Prep’s Autonomous<br />
Creative Environment<br />
Profiles<br />
Alumna: Maya Higgins '06<br />
Faculty: Ron Briley & Rick Wettin<br />
Student: Juhee Patel ’16
<strong>532</strong><br />
In this Issue<br />
11<br />
11<br />
Cover Story<br />
<strong>532</strong> refers to the school’s physical address - and the sense<br />
of place felt by all who come here. The <strong>532</strong> staff welcomes<br />
you to our school magazine, published twice yearly for<br />
alumni, parents, students, friends and the entire Sandia<br />
Prep community. We hope you enjoy the magazine.<br />
Our Mission: The joy of learning and living is at the<br />
center of all we do. Sandia Preparatory School provides<br />
remarkable opportunities for intellectual and personal<br />
growth within a challenging and balanced program.<br />
As an extension of our families, Sandia Prep’s diverse<br />
community inspires students to find their academic<br />
focus, talents and creativity.<br />
Our Vision: At Sandia Prep, we will inspire our students<br />
to discover their purposes in the world by:<br />
• Developing essential skills and intellectual potential<br />
through challenging academics;<br />
• Cultivating a socially responsible environment of<br />
innovation and creativity; and<br />
• Engaging as a vibrant community for the betterment<br />
of society.<br />
Our 5A’s: To foster growth toward human as<br />
well as academic excellence, Sandia Prep seeks<br />
to create balance among the Five A’s:<br />
Sandia Prep Alumna Maya Higgins ’06<br />
Maya Higgins ’06 has taken her passions for<br />
adventure, travel, science and the outdoors and turned<br />
them into a unique and diverse career: teaching<br />
environmental science to children on the trail during<br />
the school year, and leading National Geographic<br />
Student Expeditions to international destinations each<br />
summer. A Scripps College honors graduate, she<br />
is a former Thomas J. Watson fellow and Fulbright<br />
scholar who has learned three languages while<br />
conducting research on the effects of ecotourism on<br />
island biodiversity and cultures, in such places as the<br />
Galapagos Islands, New Zealand, Micronesia, Palau,<br />
and Madagascar. Read more about her adventures,<br />
and how her experiences at Sandia Prep inspired the<br />
career that she loves today.<br />
On the cover: As a leader on one of National Geographic's<br />
Expeditions to Vietnam, Maya Higgins ’06 takes a break<br />
from her duties to visit with local children.<br />
Academics • Arts • Athletics • Activities • Atmosphere<br />
Sandia Prep’s logo represents our balanced philosophy<br />
and program. Our Five A’s converge to form an integrated<br />
whole with the student at the center, reflecting the<br />
comprehensive, well-rounded education that Sandia Prep<br />
students receive.<br />
Find us on the Web<br />
sandiaprep.org
13<br />
15<br />
15<br />
Features<br />
5<br />
13<br />
2015 Alumni Weekend<br />
Student Profile: Juhee Patel ’16<br />
In Every Issue<br />
We’re Listening<br />
From the Head of School<br />
Alumni Notes<br />
3<br />
4<br />
6<br />
15<br />
Faculty Profiles: Ron Briley & Rick Wettin<br />
From the Archive<br />
SPS Briefs<br />
10<br />
19<br />
19<br />
the S.P.A.C.E. Sandia Prep’s Autonomous<br />
Creative Environment<br />
Student 411<br />
Faculty Wall<br />
21<br />
22<br />
23<br />
Smart Giving: Track & Soccer Stadium Nears<br />
the Finish Line<br />
Smart Board<br />
Sundevil Sports<br />
23<br />
25<br />
26<br />
Joyce Whelchel Leads as Interim Head<br />
SPS on Facebook & Twitter<br />
facebook.com/SandiaPrep<br />
@MySandiaPrep<br />
Alumni on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram<br />
facebook.com/SandiaPrepAlumni<br />
@SandiaPrep
<strong>532</strong>osuna road<br />
is published twice a year by Sandia Preparatory<br />
School, an independent co-ed school with<br />
a nationally recognized college preparatory<br />
program for students in grades 6 through 12.<br />
[ ]<br />
I remember when I was at Prep... I like the<br />
new magazine. I<br />
We’re<br />
want to hear about...I find<br />
the new sections...Can you have a place for...<br />
Where is Prep Listening<br />
Post? The photos are great. I<br />
get to stay in touch with fellow alumni. The<br />
Around the Web<br />
students are doing such amazing things<br />
at Prep You should write a story about...<br />
ADMINISTRATION<br />
Joyce Whelchel • Interim Head of School<br />
Cheryl McMillan • Assistant Head for<br />
Academics<br />
Julie Cook • Director of Development<br />
Jenny Davidson • Director of Information<br />
Technology<br />
Maria Fidalgo • Business Manager<br />
Laura Fitzpatrick • Director of Admission<br />
Celeste Walther, APR • Director of Marketing<br />
Managing Editor –<br />
Celeste Walther<br />
Designer/Editor –<br />
Melissa Jo Stroud<br />
Contributors –<br />
Justin Brough<br />
Roxanna Caird<br />
Julie Cook<br />
Melissa Besante Dineen ’97<br />
Pete MacFarlane<br />
Susan Walton ’72<br />
Joyce Whelchel<br />
Sandia Preparatory School<br />
<strong>532</strong> Osuna Rd NE • Albuquerque, NM 87113<br />
505.338.3000 phone • 505.338.3099 fax<br />
sandiaprep.org • info@sandiaprep.org<br />
This issue of <strong>532</strong> is printed<br />
on paper containing 55%<br />
recycled/30% post-consumer<br />
content.<br />
Once you have enjoyed this<br />
issue, please recycle.<br />
“I would not be where I am today had I not met my<br />
teachers at Prep. I'm so grateful to have had them<br />
as teachers in the classroom, in the wilderness, and<br />
on the courts/fields. I don't think there are words<br />
that can describe how much I appreciate them<br />
and their enthusiasm for teaching. All my teachers<br />
had a hand in my education - I can't name just<br />
one. Happy Teacher Appreciation Day to the best<br />
instructors on Earth.”<br />
– U.P. Nguyen ’15<br />
Great article! I am so proud to see how<br />
Coach Huitt has taken our program<br />
from a team of rag tag players (some<br />
who had never played baseball before)<br />
to the powerhouse that it is now. He<br />
taught us to "always compete" and the<br />
tradition continues. It wasn't just him<br />
though. Paul Huitt, Tommy Smith, Rick<br />
Wettin, and Willie Owens are all amazing<br />
Sandia Prep coaches who have molded<br />
generations of men through sports. I am<br />
proud to have played for them all.<br />
- Bobby Harms '00<br />
in response to the Albuquerque Journal<br />
article about Sandia Prep's "Diamond" of<br />
a baseball team.<br />
“Getting ready for<br />
Seussical the Musical with<br />
the littles... So exciting!” -<br />
April Camilli-Marker ’93<br />
3 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015<br />
“I consider myself very lucky to have received such a world-class<br />
foundational education at Sandia Prep, and I’m eternally grateful to the<br />
teachers and peers who made my adolescence the great experience that<br />
it was. There are too many to name, but among them are certainly Mr.<br />
Fitzpatrick, who was an inspiring and challenging teacher of English.<br />
Alice Perry, Pat Rhoads, Mary Beth Libbey, Thomas Weber, Grazina Klein,<br />
and many, many more brilliant individuals who influenced me in a very<br />
positive way. Tremendous congratulations to Rick Wettin (my sixth grade<br />
PE instructor!) and Ron Briley for their decades of great work and welldeserved<br />
retirement. All the best to the teachers and students today and for<br />
all the years to come!”<br />
– Brian Donahue ’00
From the Head of School<br />
Leadership opportunities are often well planned and thought out. Sometimes, they<br />
occur when least expected, and the need is urgent or great. Transitions often fall into the<br />
latter category. During this year of transition for Sandia Prep, many adults and students<br />
have risen to take on important leadership roles that have benefited and moved the<br />
School forward. We have remained true to our mission by providing a balanced program<br />
that inspires and challenges our students, while also providing growth opportunities<br />
for our dedicated faculty. The world is constantly changing, and the need to be skilled,<br />
informed and prepared becomes increasingly important.<br />
The members of Sandia Prep’s faculty and staff bring a wealth of interests and strengths<br />
to the School; and they graciously share these with students. I hope you will enjoy<br />
reading and celebrating two important leaders of our school, Ron Briley and Rick<br />
Wettin. Words cannot express the impact these two gentlemen have made on the many<br />
students whom they have taught and coached. Even as I write, a group of students and faculty members are returning from<br />
a kayaking trip on Lake Powell. The teachers not only teach many important safety skills and kayaking techniques; they also<br />
encourage collaborative work with camp set-up and cooking each day. Our faculty members show up each day to share their<br />
passions with our future leaders; and they enjoy every minute of doing so, both inside and outside of the classroom.<br />
Sandia Prep offers many opportunities for students to thrive. Each opportunity is unique and valuable, as demonstrated by<br />
alumna Maya Higgins ’06 and current student Juhee Patel ’16. These two young women are poised and confident in their<br />
differing leadership roles, from Juhee’s focus on New Mexico needs to Maya’s global interactions. Theirs are merely two of<br />
thousands of stories we can tell about our students and alumni being inspired to action, as they move through Sandia Prep<br />
and on to adulthood.<br />
Whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, as a mentor on a backpacking trip or competing in the state Mock Trials,<br />
Sandia Prep’s leaders are identified. As a school, we embrace leadership in varying ways, from one-on-one tutoring, to<br />
leading an athletic team as captain, to interacting with all the students as President of the SGA. We celebrate our students<br />
and alumni as they become leaders and contributing members of the global community in which we live.<br />
Warmly,<br />
Joyce Whelchel<br />
After a national search, the Sandia Preparatory School Board of Trustees proudly announced<br />
the selection of Bill Sinfield as Sandia Prep’s next Head of School. Sinfield will succeed Interim<br />
Head of School Joyce Whelchel beginning July 1, 2015.<br />
Bill Sinfield’s career has included teaching, coaching and leading in both American and<br />
Canadian schools. He is currently Headmaster of Good Hope Country Day School, the largest<br />
of 22 non-public schools on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. During his tenure, he<br />
successfully merged two schools, St. Croix Country Day School and Good Hope School. One<br />
hundred percent of Good Hope Country Day’s graduates are accepted into colleges throughout<br />
the U.S., Canada, and Europe.<br />
“I am honored and humbled by the incredible privilege of serving as Sandia Prep’s next Head<br />
of School. I was drawn to the breadth and depth of Sandia Prep’s outstanding programs— not<br />
only the academic program, which is rigorous, but also the athletic, arts and outdoor leadership programs. That’s what<br />
a real education should be,” said Sinfield. “Sandia Prep’s faculty and administrators understand that the time, energy,<br />
and enthusiasm they expend on their work of educating the whole child will make a significant and positive difference<br />
for students. At Sandia Prep, I found a place of joyful learning wholly committed to developing the thinking skills, the<br />
interpersonal skills, and the qualities of character that our children will need to succeed in this ever-changing world.”<br />
<strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 4
S A N D I A<br />
A L U M N<br />
P R E P<br />
2 15<br />
I<br />
W E E K E N D<br />
Alumni Weekend<br />
July 11<br />
Honoring Ron Briley & Rick Wettin<br />
2015 Alumni Weekend<br />
When: July 11, 2015<br />
Where: Sandia Prep's East Soccer and Softball Fields<br />
Plan now to return to campus Saturday, July 11, 2015 for our 2015 Alumni<br />
Weekend! The fun will begin at 5:00 p.m.<br />
During our 2015 Alumni Weekend, Prep community members will enjoy:<br />
Campus Tours<br />
Happy Hour<br />
Alumni Family Picnic<br />
Thomas Ebel Alumni Soccer Games – All former Sandia Prep soccer<br />
players are invited to dust off their cleats and join us. The women’s game<br />
will begin @ 6:00 p.m. and the men’s game @ 7:00 p.m. Players: RSVP<br />
by Wednesday, July 1, 2015 to receive your team tee.<br />
Children’s Soccer Clinic<br />
Outdoor movie screening of The Sandlot<br />
Class Renions<br />
We have three class reunions scheduled during<br />
our 2015 Alumni Weekend festivities<br />
July 10-July 12, 2015.<br />
Please contact your reunion representative for<br />
details:<br />
Class of 1990 – Audra (McCammon) Sedillo '90<br />
at AudraSedillo@gmail.com<br />
Class of 1995 – Colleen Callaway Eager ’95 at<br />
colleen@mygobistro.com<br />
Class of 2005 – Liz Hayman ’05 at<br />
LizHayman1@gmail.com.<br />
Questions? Please email alumni@sandiaprep.org.
Alumni Notes<br />
’60s<br />
Paula McGinty ’69 emailed and said, “I<br />
have not been much of a correspondent<br />
over the years; however, I think of Sandia<br />
Prep often.<br />
Attached is a<br />
picture of my<br />
grandchildren<br />
Max, 11, and Evan<br />
Marie, 9, ready for<br />
cowboy/cowgirl<br />
day at school. Evan<br />
Marie is wearing<br />
a shirt and vest<br />
I made for Max<br />
several years ago.”<br />
’80s<br />
Commander Ronald Stinson ’85 recently<br />
became the Director of College Operations<br />
at Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk,<br />
Virginia. The ’85 Prep grad said, “I have<br />
a fantastic family with both daughters<br />
playing travel soccer at the highest level as<br />
goalkeepers.”<br />
In November,<br />
Strom Peterson<br />
’86 was elected to<br />
the Washington<br />
State House of<br />
Representatives in<br />
the 21st Legislative<br />
District.<br />
’90s<br />
Class of 1990 Reunion<br />
The Class of 1990’s 25-year reunion<br />
will take place during our 2015 Alumni<br />
Weekend festivities, July 10-July 12, 2015.<br />
The reunion committee is hard at work<br />
finalizing details and will send out more<br />
information in June. To learn more, please<br />
email Audra (McCammon) Sedillo ’90 at<br />
AudraSedillo@gmail.com.<br />
In December, Roseanne<br />
(Morton) Eklund<br />
’91 graduated from<br />
Scottsdale Community<br />
College with a degree in<br />
nursing. Roseanne passed<br />
the RN boards in March<br />
and is now working as a<br />
Labor & Delivery Nurse at<br />
Scottsdale Shea Hospital.<br />
Roseanne and her two<br />
boys, Jackson, 13 and<br />
Cole, 8 live in Phoenix,<br />
AZ.<br />
Jillian Gonzales ’91 has a new job at<br />
the University of New Mexico as an<br />
Organizational Development Consultant in<br />
the Human Resources Department. “It has<br />
been a fantastic change and I’m loving it!”<br />
she said.<br />
Class of 1995 Reunion<br />
The Class of 1995’s 20-year reunion will take<br />
place during our 2015 Alumni Weekend<br />
festivities, July 10-July 12, 2015.<br />
The reunion committee is hard at work<br />
finalizing details and will send out<br />
invitations in June. To learn more, please<br />
email Colleen Callaway Eager ’95 at<br />
colleen@mygobistro.com.<br />
Raul Torrez<br />
’95 is running<br />
for District<br />
Attorney of<br />
Bernalillo<br />
County. The<br />
’95 Prep<br />
grad said,<br />
“The people<br />
of Bernalillo County are ready for fresh<br />
leadership and they deserve a District<br />
Attorney who is prepared to reform, rebuild<br />
and renew our community’s commitment<br />
to the promise of justice for all.” Raul was<br />
appointed as a White House Fellow in<br />
2009 and received his A.B. in Government,<br />
cum laude, from Harvard University; his<br />
M.S. in International Political Economy,<br />
with Merit, from The London School of<br />
Economics; and his J.D. from Stanford Law<br />
School.<br />
Tom Broderick ’95 is the Managing<br />
principal at BPW&C and a member<br />
of the American Institute of Certified<br />
Public Accountants' national board of<br />
directors; he is also the former chair of the<br />
New Mexico Society of CPAs. Tom was<br />
profiled in the January 12, 2015 issue of the<br />
Albuquerque Journal.<br />
In April,<br />
Monique<br />
Mayer<br />
Jacobson<br />
’96, a<br />
Wharton<br />
School of<br />
Business<br />
graduate,<br />
was confirmed as New Mexico’s new<br />
Secretary of Children, Youth and Families<br />
Department in a 35-2 vote. Jacobson had<br />
been serving as NM's Secretary of Tourism<br />
for the past 4 years. Monique and her<br />
husband Andrew have three boys: Drew, 9;<br />
Reid, 8; and Brody, 3.<br />
Ava Jamshidi<br />
’96 is a named<br />
producer for<br />
the CW’s new<br />
show “The<br />
Messengers.”<br />
The show’s<br />
episodes<br />
were shot in<br />
Albuquerque, meaning Ava had a chance<br />
to come back to her hometown for a<br />
few days. She said, “Nine of our ten days<br />
of shooting were outdoors and it was<br />
FREEZING. Our production days were<br />
<strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 6
Alumni Notes continued<br />
at minimum 14-hour days and it was<br />
exhausting, but a lot of fun.” The show<br />
premiered on Friday, April 17, 2015.<br />
Melissa (Besante) Dineen ’97 and<br />
her husband Michael welcomed Norah<br />
Besante Dineen into the world November<br />
5, 2014 at 12:07am. Norah was seven<br />
pounds, 15<br />
ounces and<br />
22 inches<br />
long. The new<br />
addition joins<br />
big sister,<br />
Sophia, 8 and<br />
big brother,<br />
Elliott, 6.<br />
Rosina<br />
Jaramillo<br />
Stavast<br />
’99 and her<br />
husband,<br />
Vann,<br />
welcomed<br />
Camille Renee on St. Patrick’s Day, March<br />
17, 2015 at 3:03am. Their third daughter<br />
was six pounds, five ounces and joins big<br />
sisters, Lily, 5 and Violet, 2.<br />
’00s<br />
Brian<br />
Donohoe<br />
’00 received<br />
his bachelor’s<br />
and master’s<br />
degrees<br />
from the<br />
University of<br />
North Texas’s<br />
College of Music. The ’00 Prep grad was<br />
a founding member of Snarky Puppy<br />
– the group won a Grammy award for<br />
best R&B performance in 2014. Brian<br />
also has worked as a freelance musician<br />
and contributed to recordings and<br />
performances by the bands Okkervil River,<br />
Nelo, One O’Clock Lab Band, and Progger.<br />
Most recently, Brian relocated to New<br />
York City. He said, “I’ve been lucky to find<br />
myself very busy as a full-time musician<br />
7 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015<br />
in this amazing place. I continue to gig,<br />
tour, record, write, and produce music for a<br />
wide variety of applications, and I perform<br />
regularly as a saxophonist and keyboardist.”<br />
To learn more about Brian’s work, please<br />
visit: www.briandonohoemusic.com.<br />
Eva (Brodin)<br />
Hadad ’00<br />
and husband<br />
Nick,<br />
welcomed<br />
their third<br />
child, Rylan<br />
Jack, to<br />
their family,<br />
March 11, 2015. Rylan joins Owen, 4 and<br />
Alexandra, 2.<br />
Celeste (Brooks)<br />
Zimmermann ’00<br />
and husband Jay<br />
welcomed Audrey<br />
Sofia to their family<br />
on December 7,<br />
2014 in Linköping,<br />
Sweden. Audrey was<br />
a healthy 9 pounds,<br />
13 ounces, and joins twin brothers, Oliver<br />
and Luke, 3.<br />
Emily Newsom ’02 will begin a Procedural<br />
Dermatology Fellowship at Memorial<br />
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center/Weill<br />
Cornell in New York City. Emily is currently<br />
a dermatology resident at Wayne State<br />
University School of Medicine.<br />
In the fall,<br />
Tonia Naleen<br />
Herrero ’03<br />
will begin<br />
working on<br />
a Master of<br />
Professional<br />
Studies in Art<br />
Therapy and<br />
Creativity<br />
Development<br />
at the Pratt<br />
Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Tonia has a Fine<br />
Arts degree from the California College of<br />
Arts.<br />
Class of 2005 Reunion<br />
Sandia Prep’s 2005 class reunion will take<br />
place during our 2015 Alumni Weekend<br />
festivities, July 10-July 12, 2015.<br />
Friday, July 10, 2015 @ Season’s Rotisserie<br />
& Grill<br />
Dinner & Drinks from 5:30pm to 8pm<br />
Saturday, July 11, 2015 @ Sandia Prep<br />
Campus Tour + Happy Hour + Alumni<br />
Picnic + Outdoor Movie Screening<br />
The entire weekend is just $30 per<br />
person if you RSVP by June 10, 2015.<br />
Late registrations will increase to $45<br />
per person. Spouses are welcome and<br />
encouraged to attend. Please send<br />
reunion checks to: Sandia Prep Alumni<br />
Association, <strong>532</strong> Osuna Road NE,<br />
Albuquerque, NM 87113.<br />
Invitations will be sent to the addresses we<br />
have on file in June. To RSVP or to learn<br />
more, please email Liz Hayman ’05 at<br />
LizHayman1@gmail.com.<br />
In December, Nicole Kapnison ’06<br />
purchased Albuquerque’s Nob Hill Bar<br />
& Grill. She said, “We revamped the<br />
menu to reflect a more upscale American<br />
cuisine while keeping the neighborhood<br />
atmosphere.” Nicole previously helped to<br />
run her family business, Yanni's, where<br />
she remodeled and designed the Lemoni<br />
Lounge and<br />
built the<br />
organic urban<br />
garden which<br />
produced<br />
herbs and<br />
seasonal<br />
vegetables.<br />
In October<br />
2014, Ross<br />
Arias ’07 and<br />
a friend won<br />
the top prize<br />
on the new<br />
game show,<br />
“Celebrity<br />
Name Game”<br />
hosted by Craig Ferguson. Ross, a graduate<br />
of Occidental College, is currently working<br />
to develop his “Poser Socialite” clothing<br />
brand.
Nick Arter ’07 and his wife, Tara<br />
welcomed Charles (Charlie) Kiran<br />
Arter on<br />
February 2,<br />
2015. The<br />
newest Arter<br />
weighed 8.6<br />
pounds and<br />
was 21 inches<br />
long.<br />
In March,<br />
Tasha Serna-<br />
Gallegos ’07<br />
was matched<br />
with her<br />
first choice<br />
residency<br />
program at<br />
the University<br />
of California,<br />
Irvine. Tasha will begin the four-year<br />
obstetrics and gynecology program<br />
in June 2015 and plans to pursue a<br />
gynecologic oncology fellowship<br />
following her residency. Tasha said, “I<br />
chose UC Irvine for many reasons, one<br />
of which is because one of my older<br />
brothers, Derek Serna-Gallegos<br />
’04, is in L.A. working as a third year<br />
general surgery resident at Cedars-<br />
Sinai Medical Center.” The ’07 Prep<br />
grad received a Bachelor of Arts with<br />
a major in Biochemistry and a minor<br />
in Spanish from Occidental College in<br />
2011, followed by medical school at the<br />
University of New Mexico School of<br />
Medicine.<br />
In April, Lauren Weber ’08<br />
successfully defended her master's<br />
portfolio for the University of New<br />
Mexico's (UNM) English – Rhetoric<br />
and Writing program. Lauren received<br />
her bachelor’s degree in English from<br />
UNM in 2013.<br />
Evan<br />
Dixon '09 is<br />
producing<br />
weekend<br />
broadcasts<br />
at the White<br />
House<br />
for NBC<br />
News. Evan<br />
graduated from Texas Tech University<br />
last summer and then moved to<br />
Washington, D.C. to work for<br />
NBC News' Desk Assistant (DA)<br />
program. The 18-month program<br />
gives young journalists a wide variety<br />
of experiences and the opportunity<br />
to learn from some of the very best<br />
in the industry. As part of the Desk<br />
Assistant program, some of the most<br />
promising DA's are selected to serve<br />
as NBC's White House producer on<br />
the weekends. The job entails helping<br />
Kristen Welker prepare for her many<br />
live hits on MSNBC throughout<br />
the day; helping to prepare stories<br />
that might air on Weekend Nightly<br />
News; and, serving as the travel pool<br />
producer if the President leaves the<br />
White House. Photo by: Samantha<br />
Schnurr<br />
’10s<br />
Michael Binkley<br />
’10 received his<br />
Bachelor’s degree<br />
in Bio-Medical<br />
Engineering from<br />
the University of<br />
Arizona on May 17,<br />
2014. He graduated<br />
summa cum laude<br />
from the U of A<br />
Honors College.<br />
Michael will be attending graduate<br />
school at the Washington University<br />
School of Medicine in St. Louis<br />
beginning June 20, 2014 as he pursues<br />
a master’s degree in Bio-Medical<br />
Engineering.<br />
Richard<br />
Abraham ’11<br />
graduated summa<br />
cum laude with<br />
a Bachelor of<br />
Science degree<br />
in Mechanical<br />
Engineering from<br />
the University<br />
of New Mexico<br />
in early May.<br />
Richard, a<br />
member of the Pi Tau Sigma and<br />
Tau Beta Pi honor societies, has<br />
been working for three years as a lab<br />
assistant in a nano-science lab with Dr.<br />
Jeffrey Brinker. In the fall, Richard will<br />
begin his graduate studies at Stanford<br />
University to work on a Master's<br />
Degree in Bioengineering.<br />
Ryley Bennett ’11 recently graduated<br />
from Texas Tech University magna<br />
cum laude with Highest Honors with<br />
a degree in Honors Arts and Letters,<br />
along with minors in Legal Studies and<br />
Spanish. The ’11 Prep grad has been<br />
busy. She studied abroad in Sevilla,<br />
Spain for a semester; was named the<br />
Attorney General for the Student<br />
Government Association this past<br />
year; and will serve as a Congressional<br />
Intern in<br />
Washington<br />
D.C. later this<br />
summer. Ryley<br />
will begin<br />
Texas Tech<br />
University<br />
School of Law<br />
this fall.<br />
In May,<br />
Spenser<br />
Owens ’11<br />
graduated<br />
magna cum<br />
laude with a<br />
Bachelor of<br />
Arts degree in<br />
Philosophy,<br />
with a<br />
concentration<br />
in Pre-Law, and Political Science from<br />
the University of New Mexico. Spenser<br />
spent the last three years working<br />
as a legal assistant for Albuquerque<br />
attorney Eric R. Hall, Esq. The ’11 Prep<br />
grad will begin law school this fall at<br />
Washington University School of Law<br />
in St. Louis, Missouri.<br />
In May,<br />
Caleah<br />
Whitten<br />
’11 received<br />
a Bachelor<br />
of Science<br />
degree in<br />
Biochemistry<br />
from the University of New Mexico.<br />
Caleah, a Phi Kappa Phi member,<br />
graduated summa cum laude after<br />
interning in the materials science lab<br />
at Sandia National Laboratories for<br />
the last two years. She’ll join Emory<br />
University's School of Law this fall.<br />
<strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 8
Alumni Notes continued<br />
Ian Sanchez ’12, a junior at Cornell<br />
College, is a member of their first varsity<br />
lacrosse team. He said, “We just won our<br />
first game 19-3 and we show no signs of<br />
slowing down!”<br />
In February, Courtney Eker ’13 was<br />
invited to meet Donald Trump through<br />
her position as Feature Editor for the<br />
College of Charleston student-run<br />
newspaper Cisternyard News. Courtney<br />
said she and a couple of her colleagues<br />
met Mr. Trump on his private plane after<br />
he landed at Charleston International<br />
Airport to attend a Patriot's Dinner at<br />
The Citadel. “We had a brief tour of the<br />
plane, led by Mr. Trump himself, and then<br />
attended the press gathering in the main<br />
cabin afterward. It was pretty wild!”<br />
Briley’s Summer<br />
Film Class Returns<br />
Tuesday nights at<br />
6:30 p.m.<br />
Sandia Prep’s McCall<br />
Family Theater<br />
June 2 - July 7, 2015<br />
Fee: $20 per<br />
participant for the entire 6-week series<br />
This year’s class will focus on the films of<br />
actor/director Paul Newman.<br />
To register: rbriley@sandiaprep.org<br />
9 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015<br />
In Memoriam<br />
Former faculty John<br />
Fitzpatrick passed<br />
away in February<br />
2015. Mr. Fitzpatrick<br />
worked with Sandia<br />
Prep students for<br />
nearly 20 years before<br />
leaving to care for<br />
his elderly mother.<br />
The faculty favorite<br />
recently lived in San Antonio, Texas<br />
and worked with students at St. Luke's<br />
Episcopal School.<br />
When we shared Mr. Fitzpatrick’s passing<br />
on the Sandia Prep Alumni Association<br />
Facebook page, we received nearly 100 kind<br />
comments from alumni, including:<br />
Catriona Cowan ’01 – What a huge loss.<br />
Fitz was truly an inspiration, who made<br />
every story an adventure, not just a lesson.<br />
RIP. Prayers for his family and friends.<br />
Kino Pearce ’90 – He was a great teacher.<br />
The profession has lost a true gem.<br />
Sarah Rosenberg Brown ’94 – Always<br />
had great memories of his class. Fitz, the<br />
positive contribution you made will live on<br />
for future generations!<br />
Angela Turner Kubié ’00 – One of my<br />
favorite Prep teachers. Taught me how to<br />
write a proper essay and how to speak Old<br />
English. Grateful to have known him.<br />
Thomas Weber – I've missed him for<br />
many years as a colleague--I always<br />
admired his independent spirit and his<br />
amazing ability to get 9th graders to read<br />
Beowulf.<br />
Leryn Doggett Messori ’99– One of the<br />
most influential teachers in my life. He<br />
taught me to love Shakespeare, Kubrick,<br />
and encouraged me in so many ways. I am<br />
so sorry to hear of his passing.<br />
Andra McClung-Kiscaden ’02 – What<br />
a great loss! Mr. Fitz changed how I<br />
understood literature and in doing so,<br />
changed how I saw myself and the world<br />
around me. I remember his passion for his<br />
students as well as his fantastic dry humor.<br />
We were all so blessed to have had such a<br />
phenomenal teacher!<br />
Chris Young ’94 – He was one of the<br />
best, and made a huge impact on me as a<br />
teenager. Such sad news.<br />
Gayle Polansky ’98 – One of the special<br />
things about Prep is most of us leave there<br />
with a special list of teachers who were<br />
more than just teachers. They are those<br />
people who forever touched our lives and<br />
expanded our minds on so many levels.<br />
Mr. Fitz was one of those teachers for me.<br />
He made me think, reason, and stretch in<br />
ways that have guided me in my life. He<br />
was an amazing man and will be greatly<br />
missed!<br />
Kathy (McNeill) Foy ’88 – So sad to hear<br />
this. My Prep memories start with Fitz. I<br />
had no clue what literature really was until<br />
his class. Was even talking about his class<br />
with my son at dinner tonight, wishing he<br />
had a teacher like him.<br />
Former Director<br />
of Admission<br />
Ester Tomelloso<br />
Overby passed<br />
away Thursday,<br />
January 15, 2015. She<br />
was surrounded by<br />
her family at M.D.<br />
Anderson Cancer<br />
Center, Houston,<br />
Texas. Ester is survived by her husband,<br />
B. Lowell Overby; her children, Milena<br />
Leigh Overby ’04, Nicolas Overby ’06,<br />
and Paula Frances “Frannie” Overby ’12.<br />
Ester was known for being genuine. Her<br />
gigantic heart and her interest in people<br />
defined her. She was an exceptional<br />
listener and her friends were friends for<br />
life. Her faith and family were the most<br />
important things in her life. She slipped<br />
into and out of English and Spanish<br />
throughout the day. She loved a good<br />
laugh and she loved animals – especially<br />
dogs. She served as Sandia Prep's Director<br />
of Admission from 1996 until 2012.
From the Archive<br />
Times of Transition<br />
Life has a beginning and an ending. So do<br />
essays, horseshoes, and our engagement in<br />
school life.<br />
For Sandia Prep families, there is the<br />
day the student starts and the day the<br />
student leaves. Faculty and staff have the<br />
same. Some weave together comings and<br />
goings as students, parents, grandparents,<br />
trustees, faculty and staff, and through<br />
other types of involvement. What happens<br />
in between is the magic. Here are a few<br />
such stories.<br />
NM Gameday with Tommy Smith<br />
& Boys Varsity Soccer<br />
Tommy Smith, Faculty and Coach,<br />
1998-present<br />
“When I arrived at Sandia Prep to teach<br />
and coach, it was exciting and challenging.<br />
I was excited for the opportunity and I<br />
relished the challenge of turning the boys'<br />
soccer program into a powerhouse. I love<br />
the fact that our school is a community and<br />
very close knit.”<br />
Sheila Ryan Hunter, ’78, Alumna,<br />
Parent, Former Trustee<br />
“I arrived at Sandia Prep in 1972, following<br />
my sister Leigh who graduated in 1971.<br />
Many of my teachers remembered her and<br />
my perception was they expected me to be<br />
like my super smart sister! I nearly flunked<br />
out of Sandia Prep trying to be different<br />
from Leigh! I was myself and thrived on my<br />
own Prep experience - very different from<br />
Leigh's and successful in my own way! I<br />
graduated in 1978, went to college in Los<br />
Angeles and later, the real world in Los<br />
Angeles, Dallas and Charlotte, NC, only<br />
to transition back to Albuquerque 12 years<br />
ago so my daughter Maddie ’10 and son<br />
Ryan ’15 could attend Sandia Prep. They<br />
are the last of the third generation of my<br />
family to attend Sandia Prep. Sandia Prep<br />
is ingrained in our family heritage and has<br />
been supportive of all our transitions!<br />
Alex Munoz, ’09<br />
“It was a great<br />
experience to go to<br />
Prep from 2002-<br />
2009. The student<br />
center and 200<br />
building had just<br />
opened up when I<br />
was in 6th grade<br />
and by senior year<br />
there was the<br />
new Field House.<br />
Prep does have<br />
a great balance<br />
of the 5As and I<br />
was lucky enough to take advantage of<br />
Prep’s offerings from athletics, Junior<br />
Civitan, SGA, and Camping Associates.<br />
One of my favorite attributes about the<br />
Prep community was how easy it was to get<br />
involved in many different things and have<br />
a variety of extracurricular experiences.<br />
The transition into college after Prep was<br />
very easy because I learned the importance<br />
of getting involved with organizations.<br />
Now that I am an Admission Counselor for<br />
SMU and recruiting students, I value the<br />
Prep experience even more, since I have<br />
seen a wide variety of high schools and how<br />
they function. A Prep experience is unique<br />
and something I fondly remember. A well<br />
balanced Prep student is exactly what<br />
universities look for in future students; a<br />
student who is academically prepared and<br />
is well-rounded outside the classroom.”<br />
Alex Munoz '09<br />
Jan Randall, Teacher, College<br />
Counselor, Admission Director, 1969-<br />
2002, parent of SPS Alumni<br />
“The Sandia Prep of today bears no<br />
resemblance to the Sandia School of the<br />
60s. The campus was not shabby chic, but<br />
shabby…what would you expect for $1 per<br />
year rent! I would not even say that it was<br />
comfortable; we either were too cold or<br />
too hot. Our furniture was of the second<br />
hand nature: wobbly with splinters. Most<br />
of our students’ desks were purchased<br />
from APS surplus; the teachers’<br />
desks were donated by supporters<br />
of the school. Teachers and spouses<br />
could be found prior to the opening<br />
days of school painting classrooms.<br />
With inadequate space, we shared<br />
the use of classrooms. Teaching tools/<br />
aids were practically non-existent<br />
and those that were used belonged<br />
to the individual teachers and not<br />
the school. But, a school is not the<br />
physical plant; it is the chemistry<br />
between the teachers and the students<br />
and between the teachers and fellow<br />
teachers. Sandia School had energy and<br />
soul! As faculty, we owned the mission<br />
of working together to build a fine school<br />
and to responsibly shape the whole<br />
beings of the girls entrusted to us by their<br />
parents. It was important to empower<br />
these young girls to think outside the<br />
box and to reach far beyond traditional<br />
boundaries of the day. I vividly remember<br />
the power of Paul Saunders’ humanities<br />
class. Paula Degenhardt’s chemistry<br />
class was feared, but taken. Ina Miller’s<br />
French class intimidated all but the most<br />
brave, but students enrolled. As a young<br />
teacher, I grew through my association<br />
with my peers and believe that my earliest<br />
experience with incredible commitment<br />
in the face of adversity shaped who I<br />
am today. I treasure those wonderfully<br />
rewarding days.”<br />
- Susan Walton ’72<br />
Maddie Hunter ’10,<br />
Ellen Ann Lembke Ryan,<br />
original Sandía School Alumna,<br />
Sheila Ryan Hunter ’78,<br />
Ryan Hunter ’15<br />
Jan Randall, Teacher, College<br />
Counselor, Admission Director<br />
and parent of SPS Alumni -<br />
photo 1990s<br />
<strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 10
Alumnus Profile<br />
Maya Higgins ’06<br />
11 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015
Alumna's Adventurous Spirit Takes Her<br />
Around the World<br />
Alumna Maya Higgins has experienced a decade’s worth<br />
of adventure since graduating from Sandia Prep in 2006. A<br />
self-styled globetrotter, Higgins makes her living educating<br />
students about the world’s biological and cultural ecology from<br />
her own experienced perspective. During the school year, she<br />
works with a nonprofit known as NatureBridge, where she is<br />
responsible for developing and teaching an environmental<br />
science curriculum that allows students to experience science<br />
first-hand on the trail. In the summers, she helps lead National<br />
Geographic Student Expeditions to international locales such<br />
as Vietnam and Belize, where students take part in service<br />
learning and conservation education.<br />
Higgins’ transformation into the confident cosmopolitan leader<br />
that she is today did not happen overnight, however. She vividly<br />
recalls a class hiking trip through El Malpais during 7th grade<br />
(her first year at Sandia Prep) as one of many experiences that<br />
solidified her love for the outdoors. In particular, a night hike<br />
with her classmates and Middle School science teacher Mr.<br />
Hanley impressed upon her: “I was terrified and also felt so<br />
alive. That experience was really transformative for me and it<br />
sparked my interest in camping and being outdoors.”<br />
While at Sandia Prep, Higgins took every science class she<br />
could in preparation for a career in the field. She attributes her<br />
interest in the subject to Prep’s amazing science department,<br />
fondly recalling time spent working with fruit flies alongside<br />
Mr. Polansky, scouting for wildlife off the Rio Grande with Mr.<br />
Buxbaum, and tinkering with projects as part of Mr. Suding’s<br />
classes: “All of those classes and moments increased my<br />
interest in a science career. I have always been someone who<br />
was interested in a lot of things and wanted to mesh several<br />
careers into one.”<br />
That desire is part of the reason that, following her graduation<br />
from Scripps College in 2010 with an honors degree in<br />
Organismal Biology and Ecology, Higgins left the States<br />
for a one-year sabbatical as a Thomas J. Watson fellow. The<br />
competitive fellowship, which awarded her a grant to study<br />
the effects of ecotourism on island biodiversity and cultures,<br />
gave her an unprecedented opportunity to travel the world in<br />
pursuit of her emerging passion.<br />
Higgins traveled to dozens of locales, including the Galapagos<br />
Islands, New Zealand, Micronesia, Palau, and Madagascar. She<br />
organized her own home stays, immersed herself in foreign<br />
culture, and went scuba diving alongside whale sharks. “[The<br />
journey] completely changed my own perception of the ocean,<br />
of the world, and most importantly, of my own capabilities. I<br />
learned to embrace failure, to be fearless of making mistakes,<br />
and to put myself out there.”<br />
Higgins had to learn a number of languages in order to<br />
communicate across cultural barriers over the course of that<br />
year. She picked up Malagasy, Yapese, and Spanish during her<br />
time abroad. Higgins said the task of learning these languages<br />
was made much less daunting by her exposure to French<br />
during her time at Prep. “[French teacher] Mr. McJimsey really<br />
motivated me to learn as much about the language as possible<br />
and also made me feel comfortable making mistakes and<br />
speaking, even when I knew that it wasn’t going to be perfect.<br />
That fearlessness is so essential when learning a new language.”<br />
Following the Watson fellowship, Higgins became a Fulbright<br />
scholar and spent another year overseas teaching in Thailand.<br />
While in Southeast Asia, she developed a passion for cooking,<br />
sharing, and — of course — eating food with others. “In<br />
Thailand, instead of asking ‘How are you?,’ the first question<br />
you often ask someone is ‘Have you eaten yet?’ I’ve definitely<br />
taken this motto to heart.”<br />
After two and a half years spent mostly living abroad, Higgins<br />
returned to the United States and ultimately began work at<br />
NatureBridge, where she has been an educator since January<br />
of 2014. Her job combines her passion for teaching with her<br />
love for adventure, and her days are anything but predictable:<br />
“My days vary so much depending on many uncontrollable<br />
factors like weather, wildlife, and group abilities. Often,<br />
lessons don’t go according to plan because the wind will pick<br />
up unexpectedly and blow all of my cards away, or a whale will<br />
appear offshore while the group is having a serious discussion…<br />
When these interruptions happen, I have to just laugh about<br />
them and go with the flow.”<br />
Higgins’ parents still live in the Albuquerque house where<br />
she grew up. During her visits home, Higgins makes a point<br />
to reconnect with Mr. Polansky. She considers Mr. Polansky<br />
and his wife “second parents” due to their encouragement<br />
and support throughout high school and college. Higgins, a<br />
Lion, spent five years playing on Prep's girls soccer team and is<br />
still friends with a couple of her teammates. “I think that my<br />
experience at Prep — taking so many challenging classes while<br />
playing soccer — taught me how to manage my time, push<br />
myself, and work with others to succeed.”<br />
So what’s next for Maya? Besides a planned return to Thailand<br />
to lead a National Geographic Student Expedition this summer,<br />
Higgins is planning a dogsledding trip to Canada with her<br />
father. It's a far cry from the tropics and the west coast, but a<br />
challenge she’s both nervous about and excited for: “I had a<br />
good friend tell me once, ‘If you aren’t nervous or scared about<br />
what’s coming next, you aren’t challenging yourself enough.’<br />
I’ve kind of taken that quote to heart throughout my life. I like<br />
to push myself and grow and try new things constantly.”<br />
- Justin Brough
Student Profile<br />
Juhee Patel ’16<br />
Junior Leads by Giving Back<br />
Juhee Patel ’16 could probably beat you up. She has been<br />
practicing Tae Kwon Do for the past thirteen years, and says that<br />
the martial art has taught her about discipline, self-control, and<br />
respect for others. These virtues have instilled within her a high<br />
level of maturity, and have empowered her to want to tackle<br />
societal problems outside the dojang, driving her towards a degree<br />
in medicine and a career in helping people. So yes, Juhee Patel<br />
could probably beat you up, but she’d be far more interested in<br />
fixing you afterwards.<br />
A junior who has attended Sandia Prep since 6th grade, Patel,<br />
a Unicorn, cites the beginning years of her education at Sandia<br />
Prep as some of her most transformative. Before she came to Prep,<br />
Patel says, she was less organized and used to larger institutions<br />
where students become lost in the crowd.<br />
Now in 11th grade and looking into colleges, Patel recognizes the<br />
immense effect that her Sandia Prep family has had on her life<br />
path, which she currently charts in the direction of medicine.<br />
Her immediate plan post-Sandia Prep is to apply to the University<br />
of New Mexico and obtain her bachelor's degree, followed by<br />
her Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the UNM School of<br />
Medicine, which would allow her to stay in New Mexico.<br />
“I really want to stay in New Mexico. I know that’s a little bit weird<br />
coming from a junior […] but I love New Mexico.”<br />
Patel, who grew up in Gallup (two hours west of Albuquerque),<br />
sees the problems that New Mexicans face, and is eager to<br />
help. She is highly involved with community service, including<br />
Sandia Prep’s Helping Hands, National Honor Society, and<br />
Student Government Association, and was recently appointed to<br />
Albuquerque Mayor Berry’s Youth Advisory Council.<br />
“Before high school I thought, ‘I need to get out of here—when<br />
I go to college, I’m going to go far away.’ But then as I got older, I<br />
became familiar with all the challenges in New Mexico… There are<br />
so many problems that can easily be helped, and this is my state,<br />
and I want to give back to it.”<br />
For Patel, the inspiration to go into medicine comes from<br />
several factors: her cousin’s diagnosis with a brain tumor at the<br />
young age of two; her grandparents’ shortage of specialized care<br />
professionals nearby to their rural homes; and a lifelong desire to<br />
help others.<br />
As part of the University of New Mexico's Research Experience<br />
for High School Students (REHSS) Patel assisted in research at<br />
UNM's Department of Internal Medicine. Patel also volunteers at<br />
the University of New Mexico Hospital. She states she has a clear<br />
preference for the kind of work that places her in direct contact<br />
with people in need of assistance.<br />
“I love patient interaction, I love talking to people; I’m more<br />
of a ‘people-person’ than the kind of person who’s behind the<br />
computer all day.”<br />
Patel’s passion shows when she talks about the time she spends<br />
volunteering at Casa Angelica, a home for the mentally and<br />
physically disabled in the South Valley. There, Patel cares for a<br />
young woman who rarely gets the chance to interact with other<br />
people her age.<br />
Patel’s openhanded attitude toward others is inspired by her<br />
interactions with the faculty and staff at Sandia Prep. She recalls<br />
an experience during her freshman year when she felt lost,<br />
stressed, and out of place during her P.E. class. The instructor, Mr.<br />
Wettin, pulled her aside and took the time to reassure her and<br />
show his concern.<br />
“And I think that is so important because—well, yes, it’s<br />
important to learn in class—but it’s also important for teachers to<br />
let the students know, ‘Hey I’m here for you. I care about you. I’m<br />
not here to just give you the C and leave; I’m here to really get to<br />
know you.’”<br />
The closeness of the faculty and students at Sandia Prep is one<br />
of the reasons Patel is confident and is able to explore so many<br />
things. Like those of her fellow students, her experiences — both<br />
in and outside of school — would simply not be possible without<br />
the care and commitment of Sandia Prep’s teachers. Ultimately,<br />
Sandia Prep is a learning institution. But for Patel and all the<br />
other students who will move on from SPS to do great things, it is<br />
so much more.<br />
“Because what do you think of when you hear ‘school?’ You think,<br />
learning and notes, and you want to cry… But here it’s not like<br />
that […] I think it’s a great environment, a perfect environment for<br />
me.”<br />
- Justin Brough<br />
13 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015
Faculty Profiles<br />
Rick Wettin &Ron Briley<br />
15 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015
Ron Briley: Legendary Teacher<br />
The number of years Ron Briley served as Sandia Prep’s<br />
Assistant Head: 26<br />
The total length of Ron Briley’s tenure at Sandia Prep:<br />
37 years<br />
The number of students Ron Briley has inspired and lives he<br />
has touched: Thousands.<br />
The impact Ron Briley has made? Immeasurable.<br />
Ron Briley grew up in Childress, a tiny town in the Texas<br />
Panhandle, where he remembers picking cotton. As a boy, he was<br />
not a great student. His family was poor, and there were no books<br />
in the house. “I was not inspired by high school. But I was selfeducated;<br />
I read a lot,” he says.<br />
All that changed when Briley enrolled at West Texas State<br />
University, the first of his family to attend college. There, he<br />
discovered a passion for history. “There was a professor there<br />
named Pete Petersen, who had come from the University of Iowa;<br />
he’s retired now. He was a major figure in my life; he took me<br />
under his wing.”<br />
Briley went on to earn a B.A. and M.A. in History at West Texas<br />
State, before coming to the University of New Mexico for his Ph.D.<br />
While accepted at several graduate schools including Iowa, his<br />
mentor’s alma mater, Briley chose UNM because he was offered a<br />
full assistantship.<br />
By 1978, Briley had finished his coursework for a Doctorate in<br />
History and completed his comprehensive exams; he needed to<br />
finish his dissertation. He took a job teaching at Sandia Prep,<br />
planning to teach for just one year, long enough to finish writing<br />
his dissertation on agrarian protest politics in the 1920s.<br />
A funny thing happened. Briley fell in love with teaching high<br />
school at Sandia Prep. “You can be as academic as you would be<br />
at a university – but you get to know your students in a way you<br />
cannot as a university professor,” he explains. “Teaching at Sandia<br />
Prep is a lot like teaching at a small liberal arts college,” Briley<br />
adds. When asked what has kept him here, he does not hesitate.<br />
“The students!” he declares.<br />
Briley’s favorite thing about being a teacher is “trying to make<br />
the world a better place. You have an opportunity to influence<br />
the future.” His faith and hope in the future drive his passion for<br />
teaching. “Teaching is never boring; it is different each day. When<br />
you work with kids, you never know what they will say, do or<br />
think,” notes Briley. “Like my colleagues, at Prep I have been able<br />
to teach my passions.” Along with teaching at SPS, Briley also has<br />
enjoyed teaching at UNM Valencia for 20 years.<br />
Briley teaches American History, a required course for SPS<br />
juniors, along with two very popular senior electives. The first<br />
is Introduction to World Cinema; the other is Contemporary<br />
American History Through Film. The latter has become legendary.<br />
So much so, in fact, that for the last few years, demand has driven<br />
Briley to offer a Tuesday evening class during SummerPrep for<br />
alumni and parents. This summer’s class will focus on the films<br />
of actor/director Paul Newman. (There may be a few slots left; if<br />
interested, email Briley at rbriley@sandiaprep.org.)<br />
Continued on page 17; see “Briley.”<br />
Rick Wettin: Respected Teacher,<br />
Coach and Mentor<br />
When Rick Wettin came to Sandia Prep to teach and coach,<br />
Sandia Prep was just starting its seventeenth year on Osuna Road;<br />
and the School had been co-ed for only nine years. He got the<br />
job offer while traveling with his children from California up to<br />
Calgary and back. “It was a big moment,” he recalls.<br />
After earning his first bachelor’s degree in History and Political<br />
Science and a teaching certificate from the University of New<br />
Mexico and an Army career that included teaching, Wettin<br />
had returned to UNM to earn a second bachelor’s in Physical<br />
Education and Health. “I realized that I enjoyed teaching but<br />
did not enjoy being confined inside all day. I wanted to be able to<br />
teach outside the classroom,” he says.<br />
Wettin was hired to teach P.E. and serve as co-head coach for<br />
Varsity Soccer, but says he quickly realized that fellow coach Juan<br />
Ramos was the expert and happily deferred to him. Over the<br />
years, he has coached Junior Varsity (JV) boys soccer and served as<br />
the Girls Varsity Basketball coach, a role he filled for 28 years. For<br />
the last few years, he has coached the 6th Grade Boys Basketball<br />
team.<br />
Throughout his tenure, Wettin’s duties have run the gamut, from<br />
serving as faculty sponsor for Student Government (SGA) and<br />
being in charge of all the lockers on campus to advising at every<br />
level from 8th through 12th grade and planning back-to-school<br />
camps for every grade. He was a key member of the leadership<br />
team for most of his tenure, serving as 11th and 12th Grade Dean<br />
(Coordinator, as it was called then) for fifteen years and directing<br />
graduation from 1985 until 2011.<br />
As for what has kept Wettin at Sandia Prep for 33 years, he<br />
answers emphatically, “No place could replace this!” He says he<br />
has had opportunities to move on, but made a conscious decision<br />
to remain here to coach and teach. “It has been an adventure,” he<br />
says.<br />
Wettin explains his two favorite things about teaching and<br />
coaching. “First, it’s the kids; they are good material to work with,”<br />
he says with a smile. “The other thing is interacting with a really<br />
good group of faculty and administrators every day.”<br />
One of the most significant challenges Wettin faces each day is<br />
helping students learn the difference between right and wrong,<br />
and how to make good decisions – while still remembering that<br />
they are just twelve to eighteen years old, and helping their<br />
parents remember the same thing. He says that perspective is key.<br />
“When I was young, I was not a great student, and I caused a lot<br />
of trouble; but I grew out of it well. We all learn by ‘bumping our<br />
heads’ and ‘skinning our knees,’” he adds.<br />
Unlike many adults whose career path was sparked by a particular<br />
person or teacher, Wettin says that his path was actually inspired<br />
by a subject area. “I loved history. I took summer classes,<br />
voluntarily, at Sandia High, because I enjoyed it so much. But<br />
then as a History major at UNM, I asked myself, what am I<br />
Continued on page 18; see “Wettin.”
Briley (continued)<br />
Ron and Son Shane<br />
One of Briley’s proudest<br />
accomplishments is starting Sandia<br />
Prep’s Model United Nations<br />
program. “The students had fun, and<br />
almost immediately started bringing<br />
home trophies. In our second year,<br />
SPS was representing Togo, an<br />
African nation, and our delegates<br />
won First Prize, coming out ahead of all<br />
the other schools,” he says proudly.<br />
Briley has served in leadership positions for most of his Sandia<br />
Prep career. As Assistant Head from 1986 to 2012, he oversaw<br />
the Advisory program and was responsible for student life and<br />
discipline. In 2004, he led the School as Acting Headmaster during<br />
Dick Heath’s sabbatical.<br />
All of Briley’s four children have attended Sandia Prep. Daughter<br />
Pam ’86 graduated from Fort Lewis College and lives in Telluride,<br />
Colorado. Son Shane ’11 will begin law school at UNM this fall.<br />
Daughter Meghan ’14 is studying Music Education and will<br />
be a sophomore at UNM next year. Daughter Rosemary ’20 is<br />
currently a 7th grader at SPS. “At Sandia Prep, we give our students<br />
confidence,” Briley notes. “Meghan found it here in music. Shane<br />
found it in academics. Now Rosemary is beginning to find hers.”<br />
Teaching has influenced the way Briley has raised his own<br />
children. “With my kids, I emphasize that education is important<br />
— in the experiential sense, the ‘big picture’ sense — and that it<br />
never stops,” he says. “As a teacher, the least important thing I do is<br />
assign a grade,” he adds.<br />
Besides family and teaching, Briley has several passions. The first<br />
is scholarship: academics, scholarly writing and book reviews.<br />
“People think it’s funny, but I really enjoy scholarship,” Briley says.<br />
“The second is a tie — between film and baseball. It’s a toss-up<br />
which one I enjoy more!” he admits. The last is politics. Briley<br />
has written numerous editorials for venues from Time magazine’s<br />
website to the History News Network.<br />
As for what Briley hopes his students will hold onto as they move<br />
on, he says, “I would hope I have encouraged them to pursue their<br />
intellectual passions and a sense of social justice. I hope I have<br />
encouraged them to make a difference in the world.”<br />
Briley does not hesitate when asked what he believes distinguishes<br />
Sandia Prep. “It has always been the same. What sets our School<br />
apart are the relationships between students and trusted adults —<br />
in the classroom, the Outdoor Leadership Program, on the athletic<br />
fields, in the art programs, and as advisors.”<br />
Briley will walk away with countless Sandia Prep memories. “One<br />
memory represents an interesting personal transition. I was asked<br />
to serve on the Search Committee for Elton Knudsen’s successor in<br />
1986 and we hired Dick Heath. Dick asked me to serve as Assistant<br />
Headmaster. I wound up working with him for 24 years, and later<br />
for two years with Steve Albert. I have been able to see our School<br />
evolve,” he recalls.<br />
17 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015<br />
Another vivid memory is of Sandia Prep winning the School’s firstever<br />
State Championship, in boys soccer in 1985. “We were beating<br />
Hope. I can remember it as plainly as if it had happened yesterday,”<br />
he explains. “Andy Weiner scored the goal that put us ahead and<br />
then… pure joy! My daughter, Pam, was on one of Prep’s teams that<br />
year.”<br />
The thing Briley will miss most? Teaching in the classroom. “I love<br />
it. It’s a lot of fun.” After much consideration, he decided it was<br />
time to retire. “The physical demands have grown challenging for<br />
me; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” he explains. One<br />
thing he plans to do in retirement is write a memoir.<br />
Briley stays in touch with many former students. His office has<br />
long been one of the most popular campus stops for visiting<br />
alumni. “I don’t ‘do’ Facebook, but they know where to find me,” he<br />
says. Some alumni contact him regularly. “Others drop off the radar<br />
for a while, and then email and ask, ‘Can we grab coffee and catch<br />
up?’” he explains.<br />
When asked to reflect on his years at Sandia Prep and of what he<br />
is most proud, Briley cites “the relationships formed with young<br />
people, and the passionate discussions of politics, films and ideas”<br />
and says the word that comes to him is “hope.” He concludes, “I<br />
like to ask my students, ‘What have you done today to make<br />
the world a better place?’ I try to teach them to change the<br />
world, one person and one deed at a time.”<br />
- Celeste Walther<br />
Ron Briley has a vita over 120 pages long. Although we cannot name<br />
all of his numerous honors, or his 100+ articles, 100+ reviews, 50+<br />
presentations, and five books, we can give you some of the highlights.<br />
• Fulbright Programs: The Netherlands (1985), Yugoslavia (1998),<br />
Japan (1999)<br />
• Golden Apple Teaching Award: New Mexico (1996)<br />
• Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award, AHA and<br />
Society of History Education (1996)<br />
• Grand Prize Essay Contest, Republic of Korea (1996)<br />
• OAH Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau Pre-collegiate Teaching<br />
Award (1997)<br />
• 2003 Excellence in Teaching Awards, American Councils,<br />
Azerbijan<br />
• Beveridge Teaching Prize, American Historical Association<br />
(2007)<br />
• Guthrie Fellow, Woody Guthrie Archives, New York City (2006)<br />
• Paul Gagnon Prize, National Council for History Education<br />
(2011)<br />
• Class at Bat, Gender on Deck, Race in the Hole: A Line-up of<br />
Essays on Twentieth Century American Culture and America's<br />
Game (McFarland, 2003)<br />
• James T. Farrell's Dreaming Baseball: A Novel, Co-editor (Kent<br />
Ohio: Kent State University Press, 2007)<br />
• All Stars and Movie Stars, Co-editor (University of Kentucky<br />
Press. 2008)<br />
• The Politics of Baseball: Essays on the Pastime and Power at<br />
Home and Abroad (McFarland, 2010)<br />
• The Baseball Film in Postwar America: A Critical Study, 1948-<br />
1962 (McFarland, 2011)
Wettin (continued)<br />
going to do with a History degree? And so the option of teaching<br />
presented itself,” he remembers. Wettin did his student teaching<br />
with 8th graders at Monroe Middle School and later at Cibola High<br />
School.<br />
an American father and<br />
an Australian mother.<br />
Though the young family<br />
had planned to remain<br />
in Australia, Wettin’s<br />
father, as the eldest son,<br />
was summoned home<br />
to deal with family<br />
matters. So father,<br />
mother and 10-monthold<br />
Rick left on a troop ship and<br />
headed back to the States. Wettin lived outside<br />
Chicago until 1952, when his Aussie mother’s disaffection with<br />
Midwestern winters caused his father to take a job with Sandia<br />
National Laboratories and move the family to Albuquerque.<br />
Wettin attended Sandia High School, where he swam for three<br />
years before graduating in 1964. He later swam for UNM, attending<br />
on an athletic scholarship. After earning the first of two degrees<br />
at UNM, Wettin was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam<br />
and later North Carolina. He then re-enlisted and served in<br />
Colorado, Oklahoma and Germany.<br />
Ron, Rick, Dick Heath, Former Faculty Thomas Webber, Willie Owens<br />
Of his many, many memories, Wettin says one that stands out is<br />
the day when Sandia Prep won its very first State Championship,<br />
in soccer, in 1985. “It was a ‘whole school’ celebration,” he says. “A<br />
group of crazy parents even strung big signs across Osuna Road<br />
that said, ‘You’re passing Sandia Prep, home of the State Soccer<br />
Champions!’” Besides that, Wettin says that he has hundreds more<br />
individual memories of students, experiences, colleagues and<br />
parents, and his interactions with so many people.<br />
Beyond teaching and family, Wettin’s passion is travel. “I<br />
have enjoyed the chance to travel as much as I have. I have<br />
been fortunate to travel<br />
throughout Europe with<br />
Ron Briley and Paul Ryder<br />
and three times to Africa<br />
with Arne Vanderburg,” he<br />
says. Certain experiences<br />
have left their mark. “When<br />
I think about Zimbabwe, I<br />
can visualize walking down<br />
the path, with twelve-foot<br />
high grass, and I can smell<br />
the elephants,” he explains.<br />
“Travel teaches you about<br />
yourself. You have a greater<br />
understanding of the world.”<br />
Wettin began his travels<br />
at a very early age. He was<br />
born in Sydney, Australia to<br />
Both of Wettin’s children are graduates of Sandia Prep. Son Scott<br />
'91 resides in Arizona. Daughter Wendi '88 lives in Brookvale,<br />
Australia, just across the harbor from Sydney; and Wettin’s brother<br />
lives in far southwestern Australia. He has traveled extensively<br />
throughout Australia. “I’ve probably seen more of the country than<br />
my family members who live there,” he notes.<br />
When he thinks about Sandia Prep, and what distinguishes our<br />
School, Wettin does not hesitate. “I know it sounds corny, but<br />
Sandia Prep has always been a family. Students and adults<br />
have always felt comfortable with each other here. The other<br />
thing that set us apart is this: Sandia Prep provides a great<br />
education, but we care about kids.”<br />
Wettin pauses to think, when asked<br />
about his time at Sandia Prep and of<br />
what he is most proud. “Perhaps that<br />
I didn’t do too much damage?” he<br />
asks, with a laugh. After a moment,<br />
he is ready to answer. “I would say<br />
that I am most proud that I have been<br />
afforded the privilege of working with<br />
good people – students, faculty and<br />
staff.”<br />
When asked what he will miss most,<br />
Wettin becomes silent. After a very<br />
long pause, he looks up and says,<br />
“Everything.”<br />
- Celeste Walther<br />
<strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 18
SPs News<br />
the S.P.A.C.E.<br />
Sandia Prep’s Autonomous<br />
Creative Environment<br />
Opening: August 2015<br />
What is a “maker space”?<br />
• A place for engaging learners in creative, higher-order problem solving through hands-on design, construction and iteration; one<br />
that facilitates experimental play that engages students<br />
• A resource that creates the opportunity to put theory into application, where failure is a welcomed component and there is no<br />
penalty for failure<br />
• A community workspace for budding artists, craftspeople, makers, hobbyists and hardware developers<br />
• A movement to empower students as creators and tinkerers<br />
Why are we building one?<br />
• Because creativity, design and engineering have never been more important<br />
• To allow our students to develop the types of skill sets that have real, applicable value in our rapidly advancing world<br />
• Because we know that students should be asking questions; finding problems, instead of merely solving those identified by<br />
others; and thinking about systems instead of compartmentalized ideas<br />
• To continue to offer Sandia Prep programs that engage students in a culture of creativity, constructivism, and project-based<br />
learning<br />
What will Sandia Prep’s “maker space” be?<br />
• The S.P.A.C.E.: Sandia Prep’s Autonomous Creative Environment will be a community-oriented workshop where science,<br />
engineering, technical and visual art enthusiasts meet regularly to share, explore and collaborate using textiles, electronic<br />
hardware, manufacturing tools, and programming techniques.<br />
Continued on next page.<br />
SPS Briefs<br />
Sandia Prep's Dance Team had a<br />
memorable year. They traveled to Walt<br />
Disney World to compete in the National<br />
Dance Team Championships, where they<br />
placed 6th in the nation with their Jazz<br />
routine and 12th in Pom. At the St. Pius<br />
and Four Corners Competitions, they took<br />
1st place in both Pom and Jazz and had the<br />
overall high scores. The team took 3rd place<br />
in the State competition.<br />
As always, the Sandia Prep<br />
Theater Department showcased<br />
the amazing talents of our<br />
students in plays and musicals,<br />
including Marvin’s Room, Legally<br />
Blonde Jr., Seussical and A Child<br />
Shall Lead.<br />
An exhibit featuring original works<br />
by senior students in Sandia Prep's<br />
Visual Arts Program was displayed<br />
in the Anderman Concourse of the<br />
McCall Performing Arts Center.<br />
Works included acrylics, silk<br />
paintings, drawings, photography,<br />
ceramics and sculpture.<br />
19 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015<br />
The Greendevils, Sandia Prep's<br />
sustainability organization, collected<br />
approximately 13,000 pounds in<br />
donations during their 3rd Annual<br />
E-Waste Recycling Drive, nearly<br />
tripling the second-place school's<br />
total -- and winning the competition<br />
for the third consecutive year!
What are some of the goals of the S.P.A.C.E.?<br />
• To act as an incubator, a space where students can go to learn the skills to create things and<br />
have access to the tools necessary to create them<br />
• To provide innovative tools, so that students can develop ideas and try implementing them<br />
• To balance social interaction with individual exploration, while keeping students close<br />
enough together to inspire each other with ideas<br />
• To partner with other programs and groups on campus, such as science, art and broadcasting<br />
• To interact with other maker spaces in our area, such as Manzano Day School’s MakerSpace<br />
Who will use it?<br />
• Sandia Prep students in grades 6 through 12<br />
• Sandia Prep faculty and staff<br />
• Sandia Prep families<br />
• Local professionals, tradespeople<br />
• SummerPrep students<br />
• SPS student teams participating in competitions such as FIRST® LEGO® League<br />
What kinds of things will be done in the S.P.A.C.E.?<br />
Our new MakerBot Replicator Mini<br />
• Students may take things apart, build things, or experiment.<br />
• Students may choose to create things with recycled and repurposed items.<br />
• Students may utilize equipment, such as sewing machines, woodworking tools, CAD software, 3D printing, or laser-cutting<br />
equipment.<br />
• We will hold “pop-ups” – impromptu lessons and demonstrations that focus on particular concepts and skills.<br />
How will the S.P.A.C.E. benefit students?<br />
• Students will learn to share available resources, mentor one another and solve problems.<br />
• The S.P.A.C.E. will move students from merely studying about the principles of math and science to actually applying them,<br />
inventing, and trying solutions.<br />
• Students will learn to work in a multi-age environment, as co-creators from both the Middle and Upper Schools collaborate with<br />
one another.<br />
• By allowing students (“makers”) to spend time, collaborate, learn, and be inspired to build innovative creations.<br />
Where will the S.P.A.C.E. be located?<br />
• It will be located in the 300 building, a highly visible space in the center of campus, adjacent to the Quad.<br />
What is needed, and how can I help?<br />
Donate a needed item: See the Wish List at www.sandiaprep.org/giving/SPACE and consider donating an item shown there; or<br />
contact Julie Cook at jwcook@sandiaprep.org or 505.338.3022 to make a donation.<br />
Lend a hand: To volunteer with building the S.P.A.C.E. over this summer, or to donate some time to work with students in the<br />
S.P.A.C.E. this fall, contact Cassandra Osterloh at costerloh@sandiaprep.org or Daniel DeLeón at ddeleon@sandiaprep.org.<br />
Sandia Prep students, families, faculty<br />
and staff donated more than 2,400 pounds<br />
of food to the Storehouse to help feed local<br />
families in need. SPS 6th Grade students,<br />
who won the grade level competition, voted<br />
to forego their prize and instead donate the<br />
additional proceeds to the Storehouse.<br />
Sandia Prep's girls and boys basketball teams<br />
raised a total of $4,837 at the annual Pink Out<br />
basketball games. Of the proceeds, $4,637 will be<br />
donated to the American Cancer Society to aid in<br />
the fight to end cancer. The remaining $200 will<br />
go to Pink Pack, a family fundraiser started<br />
by UNM Lobo Hugh Greenwood to benefit<br />
the UNM Cancer Center.<br />
Sandia Prep's Mock Trial team competed<br />
against 27 other teams to capture sixth place<br />
in the New Mexico High School Regional<br />
Mock Trial Competition. The team then<br />
headed to State Competition, where it was<br />
awarded second runner-up. Keely Lovato<br />
’16 was named an outstanding attorney.<br />
The Native American Sandia<br />
Prep Alliance (NASPA) was<br />
proud to sponsor its 2nd Annual<br />
Native American Day at Sandia<br />
Prep. The festivities included<br />
a tribal drum group, singers,<br />
dancers, vendors and a storyteller<br />
from the Zuni Pueblo.<br />
<strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 20
SummerPrep 2015: The Future Begins Here<br />
SummerPrep 2015 offers more than 90 academic, arts and sports camps for students<br />
entering grades K-12, with new camps such as Rocketry, Comparative Anatomy: Get the<br />
Inside Scoop on the Animal Kingdom, Exploring the World of Gods, Myths and Monsters,<br />
and Young Actor's Workshop. Returning favorites include: Weird and Wacky Science;<br />
Hogwarts School; Kids Cook; Chemistry; Costume Design; and Come Play and Learn.<br />
Sports camps for soccer, tennis, kickball, and yoga round out the offerings, along with<br />
sports clinics in basketball, soccer, baseball and volleyball.<br />
SummerPrep 2015 takes place June 1 through July 10. Register online at summerprep.org.<br />
The Future Begins Here!<br />
Student 411<br />
Delaney Heileman ’16 has been<br />
selected as a member of U.S.<br />
Representative Michelle Lujan-<br />
Grisham’s Youth Advisory Council.<br />
The council was formed by Rep.<br />
Lujan-Grisham to gain insight on<br />
important issues from the youth in her<br />
congressional district.<br />
Gabriella Albert ’15 has been selected to<br />
participate in the 47th annual Dr. Bessie F.<br />
Lawrence International Summer Science<br />
Institute at the Weizmann Institute of<br />
Science in Israel. She will be one of 19<br />
students representing the U.S. among a<br />
group of 80 participants from around the<br />
world.<br />
Sandia Prep senior Rachel Bryant ’15 was<br />
awarded a scholarship by the Dr. Martin<br />
Luther King Jr. Multicultural Council,<br />
based on an essay she composed. She<br />
spoke about Dr. King and the effect his<br />
legacy has had upon her life at the “57th<br />
Anniversary of the Dream” event hosted<br />
by the Council. In addition, she spoke<br />
briefly at the awards ceremony.<br />
Stuart Wygant '15 was awarded a National Army<br />
ROTC Scholarship, a full four-year scholarship<br />
that can be used at any university where he<br />
is admitted. The application process was<br />
competitive and included interviews with ROTC<br />
leaders at universities in multiple states. Excellent<br />
academic performance, extracurricular activities<br />
(Civil Air Patrol 2nd Lieutenant, Eagle Scout,<br />
School Sports and OLP) and splendid character<br />
contributed to the award.<br />
Sandia Prep students,<br />
Angelica Adams ’20<br />
and Walker Durell ’15<br />
were prize winners in the<br />
2015 Vocal Artistry Art<br />
Song Festival. Nearly 100<br />
singers took part in this<br />
year's event.<br />
Sandia Prep senior Blaque Armijo ’15<br />
recently participated in the Perry Outreach<br />
Program at the University of New Mexico<br />
Health Sciences Center. The program<br />
strives to inspire young women to be<br />
leaders in the fields of Orthopaedic Surgery<br />
and Engineering and is a hands-on,<br />
mentor-based program that invites only<br />
40 female students from 23 high schools<br />
around the state to attend.<br />
Sandia Prep senior Natalie Benson ’15<br />
has been chosen as New Mexico's<br />
Distinguished Young Woman and<br />
awarded a $108,000 scholarship to<br />
Chapman University. She will represent<br />
New Mexico in the Distinguished Young<br />
Women national finals.<br />
21 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015<br />
Niall Rawn ’15 has been honored<br />
by Photographer’s Forum for his<br />
photograph, “Lenticular,” which<br />
has been selected as a finalist in the<br />
magazine’s annual High School and<br />
College photography contest. The entry<br />
was selected from among 17,000 photos<br />
submitted by student photographers around the world and will be<br />
published alongside the other finalists in the hardcover book Best of<br />
College & High School Photography 2015.
Explore China - <strong>Spring</strong> 2016<br />
Walk along the Great Wall in Beijing, tour the famous Bund waterfront in Shanghai,<br />
marvel at the stately Terracotta Warriors in Xian, and take in the Li River's majestic<br />
scenery in Guilin.<br />
Plans are underway for an SPS-sponsored trip to China over spring break 2016. The<br />
two-week trip, open to Upper and Middle School students and parents, will include<br />
visits to Chinese cities and rural areas as well.<br />
If you’d like more information, please contact Ying Ding (yding@sandiaprep.org),<br />
Rob Minear (rminear@sandiaprep.org), or Joan Goessl (jgoessl@sandiaprep.org).<br />
The Faculty Wall<br />
Sandia Prep bids farewell and thanks to three of our distinguished<br />
faculty members who are retiring this year.<br />
• Dave Schindel, College Counselor and faculty member, has<br />
been at Sandia Prep for nine years.<br />
• Ron Briley, History teacher and former Assistant Head of<br />
School, retires after 37 years.<br />
• Rick Wettin, Physical Education teacher and soccer and<br />
basketball coach, will retire after 33 years at Sandia Prep.<br />
All will be greatly missed!<br />
Sandia Prep science teacher and Outdoor<br />
Leadership Program member Helen Haskell<br />
has been selected to take part in the 2015<br />
EARTH workshop with the Monterey Bay<br />
Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in<br />
Oregon. The workshop brings together<br />
educators and scientists to learn about new<br />
research and how to incorporate it into the<br />
classroom. EARTH uses near-real-time data to<br />
design and test Internet outreach.<br />
Sandia Prep guitar teacher Dr. Lynn<br />
McGrath has had a busy year. She directed<br />
the Guitar Foundation of America Regional<br />
Symposium in Las Vegas with over 200<br />
registrants, adjudicated for the CU-Boulder<br />
International Guitar Festival, presented<br />
masterclasses at Cerritos College and the<br />
Vanguard University Guitar Festival, and<br />
adjudicated for the Clark County School<br />
District Guitar Festival.<br />
Math teacher and Helping Hands<br />
(community service) advisor Susi<br />
Hochrein will be taking on a new role<br />
in the 2015-2016 school year. She will be<br />
Sandia Prep's next Dean of the 7th and<br />
8th Grades. Susi has been at SPS since<br />
2010 and will continue to teach two<br />
sections of Beginning Algebra.<br />
The Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña<br />
(State Arts Agency of Puerto Rico) honored<br />
Sandia Prep Band Director, Dr. José Mariano<br />
Morales-Matos, for his achievements as<br />
a composer, arranger and educator and<br />
his contributions to music and culture in<br />
Puerto Rico. The Government of Puerto Rico<br />
dedicated the 48th Fiesta de la Música de<br />
Puerto Rico to Dr. Morales. Morales’ CD was<br />
released in January and is available through<br />
Amazon and iTunes.<br />
Encircle Publications has published a<br />
second chapbook of poetry by Sandia<br />
Prep faculty member Steve Ausherman.<br />
Marking the Bend, Ausherman's new<br />
chapbook, is concerned with the grounding,<br />
transformational experiences that are found<br />
in connecting deeply to place. The book is<br />
available at encirclepub.com.<br />
Sandia Prep photography teacher Michael<br />
Hudock was featured on the NM PBS<br />
series, ¡COLORES!, a weekly art series<br />
highlighting local and national stories<br />
about film, visual and performing arts,<br />
theatre, photography, literature, painting,<br />
sculpture, poetry and dance.<br />
<strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 22
smartgiving<br />
Track & Soccer Stadium Nears the Finish Line<br />
Photo: Donors, members of the Board of Trustees, and track and soccer athletes ceremoniously shoveled dirt to officially break ground on the stadium renovation.<br />
On a cold and sunny day in February, Sandia Prep’s entire student body, faculty, trustees and donors gathered on the west soccer<br />
field in the interior of the School’s aging track. They came together to take part in the much anticipated groundbreaking ceremony<br />
signifying the beginning of a four-month renovation of the track and soccer facility.<br />
In December 2015 the Board of Trustees voted in favor of moving forward with the $1.093 million project to address deep cracks in<br />
the track’s surface, poor drainage, and soil settlement issues.<br />
The Durán Family Track & Soccer Stadium<br />
Financial support from the Sandia Prep community has been<br />
strong and heartfelt, inspiring gifts from alumni, current parents,<br />
parents of alumni, grandparents, businesses and friends of<br />
Sandia Prep.<br />
Named for Bronson and Margaret Durán and their children, the<br />
family’s leadership gift for the new track and soccer stadium<br />
reflects the many years of participation and commitment by their<br />
children, Tatianna ’07, Bronson ’10, and Sevilla ’20, all of whom<br />
have been very involved in Sundevil athletics.<br />
The stadium will officially open at the start of school in August<br />
2015.<br />
"<br />
We have always been taught to invest in<br />
what we believe in, and we truly believe in<br />
Sandia Prep and its commitment in putting<br />
students at the center. We have no doubt that<br />
academics and athletics go hand-in-hand<br />
to help young people achieve their utmost<br />
potential. Sandia Prep's unique no-cut athletic<br />
tradition gives all students the chance to<br />
experience and contribute to a sports team.<br />
The track and soccer field renovation is a<br />
small way for us to give back to a school that<br />
has given so much, to so many.<br />
- Bronson & Margaret Durán<br />
smartboard<br />
23 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015<br />
New Ford Mustang<br />
Coupe V6 Raffle<br />
$10 per ticket<br />
Drawing will be held<br />
July 11, 2015<br />
Purchase tickets at<br />
www.sandiaprep.org<br />
School Groups Give<br />
(As of 4.30.15)<br />
Congratulations to the parents of the Boys JV<br />
& Varsity Basketball teams for achieving 100%<br />
participation in Sandia Prep’s iGive Annual<br />
Fund! Other programs with greater than 70% parent participation include: Varsity<br />
Boys & Girls Swimming, Cross Country, Camping Associates/OLP, Varsity Boys & Girls<br />
Soccer, Varsity Girls Basketball, Middle School/Boys/Girls Tennis, and Jazz Band.
Project Inspires Gifts of Gratitude<br />
"<br />
The Jury Family is committed to the pursuit of excellence for our children and future generations of Sandia Prep<br />
students. Through sports, we learn the fundamentals of most life lessons. We learn perseverance, sacrifice,<br />
leadership, delayed gratification, teamwork and humility. We experience triumph and defeat. We learn how to win<br />
and lose with grace and humility. We learn to never give up and finish the race. The Jurys are honored to be a small<br />
part of the track renovation project and the impact it will have on all that experience it.<br />
- Vic & Mary Jury<br />
Many thanks to all of the families and<br />
businesses who have contributed to the<br />
Track & Soccer Stadium Renovation<br />
(as of 5.5.2015)<br />
Leadership Gifts<br />
Bronson & Margaret Durán (Tatianna '07,<br />
Bronson '10, Sevilla '20)<br />
Vic & Mary Jury (Victor ’15 & Meredith ’18)<br />
_________________________<br />
Anonymous<br />
Chuck & Chris Abadie<br />
Pat & Kim Allen<br />
Billy & Shawne Blackburn<br />
Dr. & Mrs. Robert L. Brooks<br />
Lionel & Karil Candelaria<br />
Jerome Cap & Marilyn Bange<br />
John & Carol Cochran<br />
Lisa Curtis<br />
Rev. & Mrs. Paul Debenport<br />
Victor & Emma Del Frate<br />
Dion's<br />
Chuck & Liz Fleddermann<br />
Don & Cori Friedman<br />
Frontier Restaurant/Golden Pride<br />
Goodrich Corp Partners in Giving Plan<br />
David & Ginger Grosjean<br />
Dick & Nancy Heath<br />
Scott Henry<br />
Carol Hinton<br />
Phil & Theresa Houser /<br />
Document Solutions, Inc<br />
Paul & Noel Huitt<br />
Patrick & Shannon Hurley<br />
Intel Foundation<br />
Jay Kory '06 & Kristen Johnson '06<br />
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Johnson<br />
Phillip & Janelle Miller Johnson<br />
Eugene & Ellen Kersh<br />
Mike & Ellen Kivitz<br />
Larry & Loretta Levy<br />
Lexus of Albuquerque<br />
Randall & Phyllis Lynn<br />
Robin McCoy<br />
Mini Cooper Raffle<br />
Robert & Susan C. Meredith<br />
Joe & Margaret Michael<br />
Nancy Miller<br />
Robert Milne & Ann DeHart<br />
Pediatric Associates/<br />
Gretchen Seelinger, MD<br />
New Mexico Racewalkers Inc.<br />
Cassandra & Brian Osterloh<br />
Tony & Jo Paap<br />
Mark Riley<br />
La Vern Roberts<br />
Ellen Ann Ryan, Original<br />
Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union<br />
Brandon C. Saylor '03<br />
Scalo<br />
SPS Parents Association<br />
Southwest Capital Bank<br />
Chet & Diana Stewart<br />
Ed & Jennifer Street<br />
Steve Suiter<br />
Len & Liz Trainor<br />
Drs. Victor & Justina Vigil<br />
Joyce Whelchel & Tom Baumgartel<br />
Bruce & Lorna Wiggins<br />
Al & Vicky Zaleski<br />
2015 Sandia Prep Golf Tournament<br />
Friday, September 18<br />
Sandia Golf Club<br />
1:00 pm Shotgun Start<br />
Save the Date<br />
Noche de Oro<br />
50th Anniversary Kick-Off & Fundraising Gala<br />
Saturday, April 23, 2016<br />
Hotel Albuquerque<br />
Register today @ www.sandiaprep.org.<br />
Sponsorships available.<br />
Contact Julie Cook at jwcook@sandiaprep.org or 505.338.3022 <strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 24
SUNDEVIL<br />
SPORTS<br />
2014 Winter Season Recap<br />
The winter season was highlighted with the return of the Girls<br />
Varsity basketball team as well as the Varsity Dance team’s<br />
return to the Pit. The girls basketball team, led by first team allstate<br />
Kalei Yepa ’15, tied the school record for victories with 19.<br />
Receiving a 6th seed for the state tournament, the girls defeated<br />
Silver City before falling to Shiprock in the quarterfinals. Kalei<br />
set a total 9 school records. She and Madie Trainor ’17 were<br />
selected to the All-District team as well. Kalei was selected<br />
to the North All-Star team in a game to be played later this<br />
summer.<br />
The Boys Varsity basketball team struggled throughout most<br />
of the season and came up short in the district tournament.<br />
Dustin Gaddis ’16 and Will Lucero ’16 made the All-District<br />
team.<br />
Several records were set by the swim teams including the girls<br />
200 yard relay. Louisa McNaughton, ’16, Yana Apostalon, ’15,<br />
Amanda Custer, ’15 and Morgan Crotta, ’17, swam a 1:44.56<br />
time that eclipsed the record set in 2003. Crotta also set the<br />
50 free record of 25.45 seconds and Amanda Custer broke<br />
her own record in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 58.98.<br />
Kevin Benavidez, ’16, set records in the 200 yard individual<br />
medley with a time of 1:53.95 and a record 59.41 in the 100 yard<br />
breaststroke. The girls team finished 1st among the A-4A<br />
schools while the boys finished 2nd in that category. Seniors<br />
Monty Bruckman ’15 and Yana Apostalon ’15 have been<br />
nominated for Academic All American.<br />
The Dance Team performed exceedingly well before a large<br />
crowd at the Pit and finished 3rd for the 4th time in 5 years.<br />
The Bowling team finished in 3rd place at State for the 4th<br />
consecutive year. The team was led by Brittany Holden-<br />
Rhodes, ’17 who had the high game and the high series in the<br />
1A-4A Class. Brittany, for the second year in a row, made the<br />
All-State team and this year Alexandria Ragsdale, ’16 and<br />
Yanru Wang, ’17 were selected to the All-State team as well.<br />
Middle School Boys Baseball competed in the Albuquerque<br />
Private and Parochial League (APAIL) with 6 teams. The 8th<br />
grade Blue team won the consolation bracket of the post<br />
season tournament<br />
In all, 230 students participated in winter sports on 22 teams<br />
this year.<br />
- Pete MacFarlane, Athletic Director<br />
See what we’re about.<br />
Visit us at:<br />
sandiaprep.org/athletics
"<br />
This year has been one of reflection,<br />
growth, and excitement for me. I have been<br />
honored to work with such a marvelous<br />
faculty and staff while learning, in depth,<br />
about each area that contributes toward<br />
making this school so alive. Transitions<br />
provide opportunities for people to<br />
rise into leadership positions at many<br />
different levels. This faculty and staff<br />
has stepped up as a solidified group and<br />
I am forever grateful. Together, we are a<br />
dynamic organism that works to provide an<br />
exceptionally joyful and meaningful learning<br />
environment for our remarkable students.<br />
Joyce Whelchel<br />
Interim Head of School, 2014-2015<br />
Longtime SPS Educator Joyce Whelchel Leads as Interim Head<br />
Having taught and served in multiple leadership positions since joining the faculty in 1997, Joyce Whelchel has led Sandia Prep<br />
since June of last year as the Interim Head of School. While a time of transition, this year also has been one of accomplishment<br />
and progress under Whelchel’s leadership. The School has moved forward on multiple fronts, enhancing curriculum, adding a<br />
Maker Space, and undertaking and completing a major renovation of the Track and Soccer Stadium. At the center of the School,<br />
students have enjoyed a successful year in academic, athletics, the arts, the Outdoor Leadership Program and other activities.<br />
Whelchel will turn over the reins to Bill Sinfield, Sandia Prep’s next Head of School, on July 1.<br />
2014-2015 Highlights:<br />
• Campus improvements: The $1.09 million renovation of our Track and Soccer Stadium<br />
• Planning: Development by the Leadership Team of a dynamic, comprehensive working plan for Sandia Prep to continue to<br />
provide the ideal educational and experiential environment<br />
• Curriculum: The addition of unique courses in multiple academic departments, such as Mathematics and Theater, and the<br />
addition of new electives in 8th grade and new options in the 8th grade art and media rotation<br />
• Native American Studies Center: Faculty collaboration to develop learning initiatives, across grades and departments,<br />
that enhance our students’ multicultural knowledge<br />
• Center for Learning Excellence: Newly added opportunity for all students, every day, to utilize the Center for Learning<br />
Excellence for study<br />
• the S.P.A.C.E.: The addition of a brand new Maker Space, complete with 3D printers; ours will be called the S.P.A.C.E.,<br />
Sandia Prep’s Autonomous Creative Environment; it will open in August<br />
• Continued success of our students in academics and with our athletic teams, Outdoor Leadership Program, club<br />
competitions, and the arts<br />
<strong>532</strong> • <strong>Spring</strong> 2015 26
Sandia Preparatory School<br />
<strong>532</strong> Osuna Rd NE<br />
Albuquerque, NM 87113<br />
sandiaprep.org<br />
Non-Profit<br />
Organization<br />
US POSTAGE<br />
PAID<br />
Albuquerque, NM<br />
PERMIT NO 215<br />
7th Annual<br />
Sandia Prep<br />
GOLF<br />
tournament<br />
Alumni Weekend<br />
2 15<br />
S A N D I A<br />
A L U M N<br />
I<br />
P R E P<br />
W E E K E N D<br />
July 11, 2015<br />
See page 5 for details.<br />
Save the Date<br />
Friday, September 18, 2015<br />
Sandia Golf Club<br />
@ Sandia Resort & Casino<br />
sandiaprep.org • 338.3000