532 Magazine - Fall 2020

532
osuna road
MAGAZINE
Fall 2020

532
osuna road
MAGAZINE
is published by
Sandia Preparatory School,
an independent college
preparatory school for students
in grades 6 through 12.
Bill Sinfield
Head of School
Cheryl McMillan
Assistant Head of School
for Upper School
Susi Hochrein
Assistant Head of School
for Middle School
Scott Jeffries
Dean of Students
Dacia Card
Business Manager
Julie Cook
Director of Development
Jenny Davidson
Director of Information Technology
Laura Fitzpatrick
Assistant Head of School for
Enrollment Management
Melissa Morse
Director of College Counseling
Melissa Jo Stroud
Director of Marketing
& Communications
Managing Editor
Melissa Jo Stroud
Graphic Designer/Editor
Alexis Magaña-Jaggli
Copywriter/Editor
Patricia Gabbett Snow
Contributors
Melissa Besante Dineen ’97
Julie Cook
Susan Walton ’72
Sandia Preparatory School
532 Osuna Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113
505.338.3000 phone • 505.338.3099 fax
sandiaprep.org • info@sandiaprep.org
In February, Prep's fourth annual Girls in Engineering workshop,
run by the Society of Women Engineers, challenged middle school
girls with activities that examined chemical processes, structural
integrity, teamwork, and recovering from mistakes.

IN THIS ISSUE
Highlights
2
Prep Responds to Pandemic
17
A Path to Prep
Wildfires and roots lead California family
back to New Mexico
21
Critical-Thinking Club
Black Student Union empowers students
to tackle challenging issues
15
Creating Critical Consciousness
In Every Issue
1 From the Head of School
3 From the Archives
5 Alumni Recaps
9 Prep Community Profiles
23 Smart Giving
35
Class of 2020 Send-off
33 Sundevil Sports
f
c
t
@sandiaprep

HELLO FROM THE HEAD
When COVID-19 interrupted plans to redesign the 300
Building into a collaborative space among engineering, art,
entrepreneurial studies, and design, our faculty stepped in and
put their skill sets to work to make sure the DesignLab was ready
for students. Hammering, spray painting, building, demolishing
-- whatever it took, they did.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy,
not on fighting the old, but building on the new.”
(Socrates)
For much of 2020, Sandia Prep has been building on the new
reality imposed by COVID-19. But the virus hasn’t been our
focus. Our community has.
To ensure that our students have the best learning
opportunities, even in these peculiar times, our faculty has
worked nonstop. They learned how to stream their classes
online while simultaneously teaching the small groups of
students that we welcomed back onto campus this fall.
They created kits for everything from science labs to art projects
for students to pick up to enhance their virtual learning. They
developed (and then reworked and tweaked and redeveloped)
their distance learning programs as they gained expertise in this
new hybrid approach.
They rearranged their classroom spaces and then took on
extra sections so we could keep students socially distanced
and engaged in those spaces. They sought out professional
development opportunities and continually brainstormed ways
to make their lessons relevant and engaging for every type of
learner.
Despite their heavy load and their own concerns, they are true
professionals committed to their students. And our students
and parents have responded to these Herculean efforts with
appreciation and enthusiasm. Community is the heart of Sandia
Prep, and I am proud and humbled to be part of it.
In this issue of 532, you’ll meet many other members of this
incredible community, such as Jacob Gutierrez, whose unfailing
kindnesses on our campus have made him a special and muchloved
embodiment of Prep’s culture of kindness.
You’ll also learn about student Ramona Delyser’s path to Prep
after escaping the California wildfires of 2017. You’ll meet the
Gunderson family (including Wheezy, the state’s only arson dog),
and find out how Prep’s Black Student Union and Empower Prep
affinity groups are building unity and offering safe spaces for
students to address difficult topics.
I hope you’ll find this issue especially uplifting and affirming. It’s
the strength and resilience of the Sandia Prep community that
will get us through this rough patch.
Bill Sinfield, Head of School
1

Still Inspiring Students.
No Matter What.
Sandia Prep is known for its strong sense of community. Now, more than ever,
we are here to support our students, families, and community.
As Sandia Prep headed into spring break last March, with
no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Mexico, the school
already had precautions and plans in place to deal with a
possible pandemic. When, indeed, the pandemic erupted,
faculty prepared over the break and launched smoothly into
remote teaching as soon as students returned.
Since then, faculty have pivoted as needed. When the 2020-21
school year kicked off in August, teachers took on extra class
sections and responsibilities to enable small groups of students
to return to campus in a safe and gentle manner.
Families have been able to choose from on-campus/in-person
learning or virtual at-home learning. Faculty have been
simultaneously teaching in-person students while streaming
and/or recording their classes for students who are at home.
It’s taken a lot of planning, patience, and willingness to
experiment, and both faculty and students have responded
with unparalleled enthusiasm. The cohesiveness of the Prep
community has never been more evident.
2

From The Archives
From our beginnings, Sandia Prep has seen the need to be a part
of the larger world and to work to engage in areas new to us.
1
In our early days, students
were encouraged to spend
summers working in the
Amigos de las Americas
program. Our community
service in the late 1990s and
early 2000s led students
to host Foster Children
Christmas gatherings in our old gym
and offer a Turkey Trot at our neighbor
Albuquerque Public School (APS)
Mission Avenue Elementary School.
We also took students from Mission
Avenue Elementary to buy shoes at a
local store. Our National Honor Society
members went to APS' Los Ranchos
Elementary School to mentor young
students in reading and writing with
visits and journaling.
One of our early school gatherings
was the Christmas Hanukkah evening,
a schoolwide performance. Later
assemblies and visits brought us
African dancers and a traveling Welch
choir.
As we enrolled students who brought
culture, religion, and expressions that
were new to us, we learned about the
festival of lights and the beauty of
Bharatanatyam dance. We learned of
Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, and the
Día de los Muertos. Our middle school
celebrated Africa Day and Harvest
Festival. We moved beyond the
traditional travel programs to Europe
and North America to the exploration
of new areas, as travel to Russia,
China, and Bhutan became possible.
Our Foreign Exchange program has
been a part of us since the beginning,
enriching our awareness of the world
through friendships.
In this decade, we have begun
activities and clubs that help us learn
about and support fellow students with
our Black Student Union and LGBTQ
groups. We have been enriched by
our college counselor Danielle Yepa
Gunderson as she and her family have
hosted the Sandia Prep Pow Wow,
attracting participants and drum circles
from as far away as North Dakota and
Idaho.
Starting as a girls school, we have
continued to broaden our horizons
and seek inclusion and diversity as
opportunities arise. We started with
our founder, Barbara Young Simms'
concept, "When you teach a boy, you
educate a man; when you teach a girl,
you educate a family," and we continue
to explore our world and expand our
experiences in it.
- Susan Walton ’72
2
3
3

1 One annual community
service event was the Turkey Trot
at Mission Avenue Elementary
School. One of our Jr. Civitan
members dressed as a turkey, let
the little kids chase him, as part
of the Thanksgiving interactions
between our schools. (Early
2000s)
2 Assemblies brought the
richness of the world into the
"Old Gym." Guests from the
World College showed their
traditional dance to our students
who embraced the culture of
dance and drums. (Late 1980s)
3 In the 1970s to the present,
events and assemblies like
Earth Day created opportunities
for our community to come
to campus to share family and
cultural traditions. (Mid-1990s)
5
4 With a 1996 grant from the
US Fish and Wildlife Foundation,
Karen Lyall's biology students
hosted students from Our
Montessori School, to teach them
the biology of the pond and
wetland the Prep students had
created on the western edge of
campus. (1996)
4
5 The 7th grade's crossdisciplinary
learning of New
Mexico included its October
Harvest Festival. Celebrating
the school's garden (started as
an Anasazi Garden) and New
Mexico culture, speakers like
Pearl Sunrise came to visit and
teach. (1998)
4

Alumni Recaps
Looking back at the 2019 - 2020 academic year
FALL 2019
1969 Class Reunion - Celebrating 50 Years
Janet McCanna ’69 hosted a small reunion in early September
to celebrate the 50th reunion of her Sandía School
graduation.
2009 Class Reunion - Celebrating 10 Years
In September, Sandia Prep's Class of 2009 celebrated their
10-year reunion. A special thanks to Evan Dixon ’09 and
Larissa Lozano ’09 for organizing the various reunion activities.
Alumna Guest Speaker at NHS Induction Ceremony
Dr. Tasha Serna-Gallegos ’07 was the guest speaker at Prep’s
2019 National Honor Society Induction Ceremony. She
shared, "Sandia Prep prepared me for the rigors of medical
school and helped give me the foundation that I needed to
succeed." She added, "I don’t believe I would be where I
am today without Prep's ongoing support both during my
schooling there and beyond. Prep will always mean more to
me than just the place I went to school.”
Golf Tournament
Alumni in Houston were treated to a cookie
decorating Meet & Greet hosted by professional
baker and Prep alumnus Allan Hursig '07.
Alumni helped raise $20,000+ for Prep’s financial aid program
during the School’s 11th annual golf tournament. The
tournament began with a”Quick Fix Drop-In Golf Clinic" hosted
by Joey Schalk ’04, an instructor and a PGA Apprentice with
Barton Creek Golf Academy in Austin.
Golf Tournament
Alumna Dr. Tasha Serna-Gallegos ’07
Alumni helped raise $20,000+ for Prep’s financial aid
was the guest speaker at Prep’s
2019 National program Honor during Society the School’s 11th annual golf tournament.
Induction The Ceremony. tournament began with a”Quick Fix Drop-In Golf
Clinic" hosted by Joey Schalk ’04, an instructor and a PGA
Apprentice with Barton Creek Golf Academy in Austin.
A Refresh for Prep’s OLP Larry Hanley Complex
Sandia Prep’s Young Alumni Committee spent a couple of
hours on a sunny afternoon in November working to refresh
the Larry Hanley Outdoor Leadership Prorgam Complex.
Committee members painted and added mulch to the center
A Refresh for Prep’s OLP Larry Hanley Complex
Sandia Prep’s Young Alumni Committee spent a couple of hours
on a sunny afternoon in November working to refresh the Larry
Hanley Outdoor Leadership Prorgam Complex. Committee
members painted and added mulch to the center planter,
sanded and repainted a trash can, removed an older bench, and
repainted the steps leading into the 300 building.
Houston Meet & Greet: Sundevil Cookie Decorating Class
In early November, a small group of alums sipped on sangria
while learning how to decorate cookies like a pro. A special
thanks to our event host, Allan Hursig ’07, aka The Bearded
Baker. A few weeks later Allan was featured on the Food
Network show, “Christmas Cookie Challenge.”
5

Prep Receives Banner Donation from Sparks Estate
In early January, Tina (Sparks) Duncan ’78 and Anne Sparks ’80
met with Bill Sinfield, Prep's Head of School to pass along a
generous check from their family estate. We truly appreciate the
Sparks family and their continued support of Sandia Prep.
Young Alumni Committee members
refreshed the Larry Hanley OLP Complex.
Rosé & Clay
A group of alums met at Prep's Clay Studio to learn how to
use a potter's wheel while enjoying boutique favorites from
Sheehan Winery.
#GivingTuesday
Thanks to a generous matching starter gift by Ali Hashemian
’01, Sandia Prep had a record-breaking #GivingTuesday! In less
than 24 hours, Prep community members rallied and raised
$117,425 for Prep's students, faculty, and programs. Alumni
from the past five decades made contributions to our 2019
#GivingTuesday campaign. We continue to be inspired and
thankful for their support.
WINTER 2019
Bike Transport Trailer
History teacher and Outdoor Leadership Program staff member
Scott Crago ’00 helped to add a mountain biking team to the
School's athletic program — it’s the first competitive school
team in Albuquerque. The Sandia Prep community rallied and
helped raise $3K to purchase a custom trailer to transport the
students' mountain bikes to various competitions, as well as on
OLP sponsored car camping trips.
SPRING 2020
Sundevil Stories
Sandia Prep’s Alumni Office created the “Sundevil Stories”
photo series to acknowledge and thank Sundevils from across
the world who found creative ways to make a difference in
their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series
featured an alumna who distributed 2,000+ sew-at-home fabric
mask kits; a group of recent grads who launched a website
to connect ABQ-based volunteers with front line medical
workers and hospital staff; an alumna who participated in the
“Front Porch Project” to take professional and socially distant
photographs of families during quarantine; and more. The full
series can be found at sandiaprep.org/sundevilstories.
Santa @ Sandia Prep
In December, dozens of Prep community members gathered
for the Alumni Association’s annual “Santa @ Sandia Prep”
event.
The Newest Members of Sandia Prep’s Alumni Association
In May, 86 graduates were added to Prep’s collection of 2,100+
alumni who live and work around the globe. Welcome and
congratulations, Class of 2020!
The Prep community raised $3K to
purchase a custom bike trailer for the
School's new Mountain Biking club.
6

Sundevils ALUMNI around RECAPS the world are doing their part to
help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read their
stories at sandiaprep.org/sundevilstories.
Dear Sundevil Senior
In mid-April, the Sandia Prep Alumni Association worked with
alums to create and send "Dear Sundevil Senior" messages to
Sandia Prep's Class of 2020. The messages arrived in waves,
and graduates shared that they loved the personalized mail.
We appreciate the five decades of alumni who sent notes, gift
cards, and painted/sketched postcards. Sandia Prep truly has
the BEST alumni!
distant tie-dye party to personalize fabric masks for Sandia Prep's
Class of 2020. The masks were mailed to recent grads in time for
their college departures.
Caps and Gowns
Sandia Prep formally announced that the School's Class of
2020 elected to wear caps and gowns at their graduation
ceremony. The 2020 Senior Class President Austin Tackman '20
and Senior Class Officer Samantha Jeffries '20 helped organize
the students who presented the idea of caps and gowns to
faculty and the student body. “We did a lot of research into
the meaning behind caps and gowns, the significance, what it
means to Prep,” Jeffries said. “Some of the main reasons were
equality, formality, price, and academic achievement.”
SUMMER 2020
Tie-Dyed Creations for Sandia Prep’s Class of 2020
In July, Sandia Prep’s Young Alumni Committee held a socially
Tina (Sparks) Duncan ’78 (right) and Anne Sparks ’80 (left) met with
Bill Sinfield, Prep's Head of School to pass along a generous check
from their family estate.
7

Alumni Legacy Fund
Sandia Prep alumni benefit from “The Prep Experience” long past
graduation. Alums have shared that their time on campus was invaluable
and that their Sandia Prep diploma not only led to their college admission,
but to their eventual career success.
Despite more than 50 years of students, our alumni
population continues to be small, and only recently have we
begun to experience a wave of second-and third-generation
Sundevils. Sandia Prep is able to award financial assistance to
210+ students each year, but private education is expensive,
and a Prep tuition package is not feasible for all. Last fall, a
small group of alumni worked to create and launch the Alumni
Legacy Fund to help make the Sandia Prep experience
financially attainable for legacy Sundevils with limited
financial resources. A majority of the funds will be placed in
an endowment, and we’re happy to share that five secondgeneration
Sundevils joined Sandia Prep in August 2020 as a
result of the fund.
We’re proud
to share
that within
months, alumni
contributed
$175K to the
new fund.
Alumni Legacy Fund Founding Members • Donors
Anonymous Alumnus - Class of 1992
Melissa Besante Dineen ’97
Jakob Gale '16
Ali Hashemian ’01
Julie Langheim Jackson ’99
Kris Kite ’93
Jessica Korber Montoya '88
Amy (McCoy) Pettigrew ’79
Jenny Pitchford ’01
Lydia (Jones) Pizzonia ’99
Dominic Serna ’01
Amy (Otten) Staples ’91
Vahid Staples ’91
Avery Volkman ’96
Sage Volkman ’99
To learn more or to become a charter member,
please visit sandiaprep.org/alumnilegacyfund.
Fun side note: Alumnus Ryan Hunter ’15 designed
our Alumni Legacy Fund logo.
8

ALUMNI PROFILE
U.P. Nguyen
Graduated from Prep
2015
Studied
BS in Computer Science
Lion or Unicorn?
Unicorn
yen-Phuong "U.P." Nguyen is flourishing in her career and
personal goals, expanding on outdoor and leadership skills she
Ulearned during her time at Sandia Prep.
When she started at Sandia Prep in 7th grade, Uyen-Phuong
“U.P.” Nguyen was a self-described “shy, self-conscious, new kid”
and “unathletic egg” who’d never done anything outside her
comfort zone.
settling on Computer Science as a major. “I dove headfirst into
everything I found interesting: classes in Machine Learning, User
Interfaces and Experience, Urban Agriculture, and Buddhism
were among the 30-plus that I took,” she explains.
By the time she graduated in 2015, Nguyen was the Student
Body President and two-time class president who began every
all-school assembly in front of hundreds of people with a corny
joke, someone who’d played soccer for the first time and fell in
love with backpacking.
Fast forward a few years, and Nguyen is a first-generation
graduate of Brown University with a job as a software engineer at
Bose Corporation in Boston, working on projects across a wide
range of disciplines, such as security and health.
She spent some time exploring her options at Brown before
Inspired by her experiences in Prep’s Outdoor Leadership
Program (OLP), Nguyen became the manager of the university’s
outdoor program.
“I was in charge of training over 30 sophomores and juniors
to lead a five-day backpacking trip through White Mountains
National Forest in New Hampshire,” she says. “It's a program
that serves over 200 students. I basically became the Mr.
(Larry) Hanley of Brown, because not only did we have to train
new leaders, we had to iron out logistics such as food, gear,
and transportation. It felt like I had come full circle - I'd never
backpacked (or hiked, really) until my freshman year OLP
9

ALUMNI PROFILE
backpacking trip, and I had no idea what I was doing at the time.
Now, I'm using the outdoors and backpacking as a medium to
help develop people who are more confident in themselves and
their leadership ability.”
In addition to Wilderness First Responder and CPR certifications,
Nguyen became a Certified Personal Trainer in November 2019.
532 Magazine caught up with Nguyen recently to learn more
about what she's been doing.
Tell us about some of the activities in which you participated
in college.
"Brown Outdoor Leadership Training; Teaching Assistant for intro
and upper-level Computer Science classes; Brown Outing Club;
Women in Computer Science; Brown Taekwondo Team."
What are you doing outside of work?
(Before the COVID-19 pandemic) "I've helping others achieve
their health and wellness goals as a personal trainer. In my spare
time, I can be found cooking or reading."
How did your time at Sandia Prep help or influence you?
Think about favorite classes, teachers, activities and how they
shaped the person you've become.
"I've done quite a bit of reflection on the person that I've
become. Without a doubt, I would not be the person I am today
without Sandia Prep. I started at Prep as a shy, self-conscious
7th grader, the new kid. I'd never really done anything outside
my comfort zone, but I knew I had a great thirst for knowledge
and to play sports for the first time. One of my favorite humans,
Sarah Wilson, was a geology teacher, OLP faculty member, and
the middle school girl's soccer coach. She was so welcoming, and
didn't mind that I was an unathletic egg. I tried soccer because of
her, and I went backpacking for the first time because of her.
Fast forward a decade, and I've been on over two dozen
backpacking trips, trained over 80 students to lead their own
backpacking trips, and have run two marathons and 10 halfmarathons.
This former shy, new kid also does not hold back from
striking up conversations with strangers in subways or on planes.
Sarah Wilson taught me to go after life full-force, to not let
anything hold me back. She taught me to believe in myself, to
make leaps of faith and trust that I'll land on my feet, no matter
where that may be.
Sandia Prep definitely prepared me for the academic rigors of
Brown University. But, as I go through life, I'm realizing that life is
more about the people and the experiences than it is the material
things, the credentials I may or may not earn. I'm thankful to
Sandia Prep for many things, but mostly I'm thankful to Prep for
introducing me to so many wonderful mentors and experiences I
wouldn't have had in my life otherwise."
- Patricia Gabbett Snow
“
Without a
doubt, I would
not be the
person I am
today without
Sandia Prep.
I started at
Prep as a shy,
self-conscious
7th grader...
but I knew I
had a great
thirst for
knowledge.
“
10

FACULTY PROFILE
The Gundersons enjoy camping,
backpacking, and skiing together.
Danielle Yepa Gunderson,
Prep's Associate Director
of College Counseling and
Director of Native American
Studies helps Native and
Indigenous students to feel
supported and a part of the
Prep community.
Growing up as an urban Native American
in Albuquerque, Danielle Yepa Gunderson’s
connection to her heritage consisted of
occasional visits to Jemez Pueblo to visit
relatives and to watch traditional dances.
Danielle Yepa Gunderson
Education
BA in Psychology • MA in Counseling
(Working on) PhD in Native American Leadership in Education
Lion or Unicorn? Unicorn
Her parents -- citizens of the Chickasaw
Nation and Jemez and Laguna Pueblos --
allowed Gunderson and her two siblings to decide for themselves
how involved they wanted to be in the pueblo life. Her father had
been raised with Native traditions, but her mother had not.
assemblies throughout the year, including Indigenous Peoples
Day, National Native American Heritage Month, Earth Day, and
an annual pow wow, which draws participants from around the
region for ceremonial dances, grand entries, contests, and more.
It wasn’t until she was attending Fort Lewis College in Colorado
with many other Native American students that Gunderson
decided she wanted to immerse herself in her Indigenous
heritage.
Gunderson graduated from Del Norte High School in
Albuquerque, where she met her future husband, Ron. She
earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Fort Lewis, and a
master’s degree in counseling from the University of New Mexico.
Now, that ancestry is a source of pride that she shares with her
own daughters and the Sandia Prep community. “High school
was not an easy path to navigate, being urban and not raised
on traditional homelands. Complicated,” Gunderson explains.
“I believe this is where I empathize with our Native SPS students
who are coming from different backgrounds and experiences.”
After working at several other schools, Gunderson landed a job at
Prep in 2012 as an Assistant Director of Admission and Assistant
Director of College Counseling. “As a first-generation scholar,
I have a passion for guiding students and parents through the
ins and outs of the college application process,” Gunderson
explains.
The Native American Sandia Prep Alliance (NASPA) was founded
in 2011, a year before Gunderson starting working at Prep.
“NASPA students support one another, collaborate, and the
time together allows the students to be who they are with one
another,” she explains. NASPA organizes presentations for school
Gunderson’s father, Kemp Yepa, became an important part of
the Prep community as well, both as a proud grandpa and as
someone eager to share his traditions during appearances at
assemblies throughout the years. In October 2019, Yepa honored
11

FACULTY PROFILE
Prep by giving a blessing in Towa to the school during an allschool
assembly. Towa is the traditional tribal language of Jemez
Pueblo. He passed away five months later.
Gunderson and her husband are taking the same path as her
parents in allowing their daughters - Claire ’23, a sophomore,
and Hailey ‘25 an eighth grader - to decide for themselves how
much they wish to be involved with tribal dances. “Looking
back, I understand why my parents made the decision they did,
and I value and appreciate more than ever who I am as a Native
American,” Gunderson says.
Gunderson hopes to further support Prep’s Native students.
“Sandia Prep is undoubtedly a community that welcomes and
encourages initiatives to serve our students, and I am excited to
share with the SPS community,” she says.
Gunderson has spent 18 years helping to organize the Rocky
Mountain Association for College Admission Counseling New
Mexico College Fair in Albuquerque. She also volunteers
with College Horizons Summer Program, which helps Native
and Indigenous students across the country with the college
application process to Ivy League and highly selective
institutions.
In 2018, Gunderson helped kick off the National Association
for College Admission Counseling national conference with a
land acknowledgement, a formal statement that recognizes
and respects Indigenous peoples as traditional stewards of the
land. Education and community service are paramount to the
Gunderson family.
“My daughters are taught it is not about them, and to seek how
to best serve others. As a parent and educator, I have done
my utmost best to lead by example, be genuine, and practice
humility.”
Claire’s activities include Prep’s Outdoor Leadership Program
(OLP), dance, chorus, and Prep Performers, an extra-curricular
ensemble group that performs at various school events.
She hopes to attend Stanford University to study electrical
engineering. Hailey is a competitive gymnast who enjoys dance,
musical and theater productions, guitar, and sewing. She hopes
to attend Yale University to earn a degree in English and perhaps
become an editor.
NASPA members present at a 2019 all-school assembly.
Among her many activities, Gunderson serves as a leader for
the National Association for College Admission Counseling
(NACAC) Native Indigenous Peoples Special Interest Group.
Last April, Gunderson and several other staff members helped
collect donations for the Navajo Nation during the COVID-19
crisis. Even the family dog is dedicated to community service.
Ron, an arson investigator with Albuquerque Fire Rescue, is the
trainer for Louise, known as “Wheezy,” the state’s only arson
dog. The friendly black lab is trained to detect even small traces
of accelerants. She responded to 21 investigations in her first
year on the job. “The SPS community absolutely loves Wheezy,”
Gunderson says. “The students immediately are drawn to her
when she comes to visit.”
Prep is working diligently on inclusion and diversity, but there is
always room for improvement, Gunderson says. She would like
to see the school implement cultural competency workshops and
utilize faculty who are experts in their fields.
“SPS supports their students wholeheartedly and is open to ideas
and suggestions,” Gunderson says. “Students are valued for the
rich backgrounds they come from and surround themselves in a
school community that embraces differences by acknowledging
and celebrating those backgrounds.”
- Patricia Gabbett Snow
12

STUDENT PROFILE
Jacob Gutierrez
Class of
2024
Years at Sandia Prep
4
Interests
Kindness, bow ties, knitting, and music
Lion or Unicorn?
Unicorn
J
acob Gutierrez '24, might be one of the most recognizable students
on the Prep campus. Between his trademark bow ties and the scarves
he weaves and often gives away -- not to mention his friendly smile and
knack for engaging everyone he comes across in amiable, articulate
conversation -- Jacob made an impact soon after arriving in sixth grade.
“Jacob is a very caring person, more interested in the needs of
his friends and classmates than in himself,” says History teacher
Thomas Gentry-Funk. “As a member of the Middle School GSA
(Gay Straight Alliance), Jacob welcomed members to the group,
made them feel cared for and heard. He was and is one of the
most gentle souls I have ever met, and his willingness to listen to
sixth graders tell their stories was remarkable.”
An Albuquerque native, Jacob landed at Prep after participating
in SummerPrep theater productions and getting to know teacher
and director Louis Giannini. He says he was drawn to Prep’s small,
close-knit nature.
“The people care,” he explains. “Prep is a community. At other
schools I’ve been to, it was everyone for themselves. Not at Prep.
It’s a second family for me.”
Jacob began what he calls “his adventure with wool” in third
grade. His teacher at the time taught him to knit and allowed
him to create and give away scarves to those in need. “I like to
craft other things in my spare time, but I like scarves for their
fashion and ease of construction,” he adds. By fifth grade, Jacob
adopted bow ties as his signature wardrobe accessory. “I wear
them every day. I believe that bow ties are the perfect mix of
casual and professional.”
By the end of sixth grade, Jacob was recognized for the Positive
Presence Award by the Student Relations Group (SRG) and the
Aaron Kwak Memorial Award, an award named for a former
Sandia Prep middle school student. The award honors a student
who shows courage and humor in his or her interpersonal
relationships.
13

STUDENT PROFILE
Spanish teacher Bambi Otero nominated Jacob for the Kwak
honor. “Jacob gave me a piece of paper in 2017 that I made into
a magnet, I liked it so much. It says: ‘What I love most about my
classroom is who I share it with!’ This act of kindness sums it up
with Jacob,” Ms. Otero explains. “He is keen to notice what is
meaningful to others, and he actively supports others in what they
themselves value. He is an encouraging soul in this daring and
accepting way that is a rare form of kindness.”
“
I think
kindness is
vital to this
world.
“
Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It has been a wild ride!"
How would you describe yourself as a student?
"I find learning to be a great joy in life. I like to be submerged in
knowledge whenever I can."
What are some of the day-to-day challenges you face with
your busy schedule?
"With so much to do, I must sleep well. Things to see. Work to do.
There’s no room for a foggy brain. Being at Prep is demanding,
but it’s absolutely worth it!"
Have any specific teachers, classes, or programs at Prep
influenced you?
"I have yet to meet an adult at Prep who is anything less than
brilliant! Just to list a few: Everyone in the drama department, all
of the historians, the musicians, the mathematicians, the scientists,
the language teachers, the librarians, even the people in the office
make my day when I see them."
Altruism is central to Jacob’s being, along with using words such
as “fantastic,” “supreme,” and “lovely.” “Kindness should not
be because you want to be popular or well known,” he says.
“Kindness should come from the heart because that's who you
want to be. Sometimes being kind is not easy, but it is always
worth it!”
By eighth grade, Jacob devoted much of his time to being the
vice president of Prep’s GSA. For the 2020-21 school year, he
takes on the roll of president. He also ran for Student Body
President. His favorite quote encapsulates his philosophy: “If you
want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Science teacher Joelle Shaw says one of Jacob’s gifts is that “he
remembers small details about people and checks in, making
others feel special. In addition to Jacob's lovely personality, he is
incredibly insightful and intelligent, but he never gloats about this
or acts superior.”
532 staff asked Jacob, now a freshman, to tell us more about
himself and his experiences.
If you could offer advice to beginning students at Prep, what
would you say?
"Think Big! Sandia Prep is the place to start when changing the
world! Never ever give up and dream big dreams!"
Jacob recently traveled to Australia with
his grandmother, Theresa A. Kestly,
who presented at the International
Childhood Trauma Conference.
Do you have a favorite Prep memory (so far)?
"I’ve done a lot in three years, but there are a few things that
come to mind, like my vocal performance of 'Defying Gravity'
by Steven Schwartz or when I gave a recitation of 'The Raven' by
Edgar Allan Poe. The LGBT+ Pride events and my role as Peter
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
"I will not settle for small potatoes. I want to sing melodies in the
Sydney Opera House!"
- Patricia Gabbett Snow
14

Empower Prep with Global Ties
guests in October 2019.
Empower Prep took part in a Global Studies event where they spoke with
women state representatives from the Middle East and Africa.
Empower Prep hosted a lunchtime
teach-in on homophobia last year.
Empower Prep Creates
Critical Consciousness
Sandia Prep students who wanted to have a place to talk about
racism, sexism, and homophobia launched Empower Prep during
the 2018-19 academic year.
15

"Empower is
a space where
we don't have
to be alone."
- Diego Tenorio '20
Tell us about an impactful memory with the group.
"Empower has been one of my biggest sources of joy on campus.
My favorite memories of Empower have always been when
someone during a presentation asks a particularly complicated
question and multiple Empower Prep members are ready to
answer it. I also love the moments before presentations where we
were just getting out nerves and reaffirming that we have each
others' backs."
Dr. Amanda Parker
Prep Teacher and Empower Prep Sponsor
Recent alum Diego Tenorio ’20, one of Empower Prep's founders,
says the group provides peer education and emotional support
for students of color and LGBTQ+ students. “Through educating
ourselves and each other, we can better understand what
marginalized groups are going through on campus and better
provide the support they need,” he explains. “Empower focuses
on deepening the understanding of complex issues and how
these systems are affecting students.”
Dr. Amanda Parker, Prep teacher and Empower Prep sponsor, and
Tenorio answered 532’s questions about Empower Prep.
Diego Tenorio ’20
Recent Grad and Empower Prep Co-Founder
Why did you get involved with Empower Prep?
"I started Empower Prep with a few other students and Dr. Parker
because there wasn't really a space like it on campus. We were
a very small group when we got started, but we were always
focused on improving the school and helping each other in
various ways. Since then, I couldn't imagine my Prep experience
without it."
Why do you think this affinity group is important to the Prep
community?
"We focus on peer education and spend a lot of time learning
about the subjects beforehand. We also have a large emphasis on
emotional support and building the Empower community. It can
be hard being a student of color at Prep because you're not often
represented in the curriculum or even amongst the teachers."
How did Empower Prep come to be?
"Empower was started by students who wanted to have a place
to talk about racism, sexism, and homophobia. It is a space that
welcomes students from all backgrounds who are committed
to learning about these problems, supporting each other, and
educating peers. Critical consciousness is everyone’s responsibility
at our school."
Describe some of the group’s projects/efforts.
"Empower Prep has developed student-led seminars that educate
faculty and fellow students about oppression in society and at
the school. With sponsor support, students create presentations
that take place at lunch, during ninth-grade health days, and
grade level meetings. They have learned how to effectively
communicate the issues and to field questions."
Why is Empower Prep important to the Prep community?
"Students have been able to have an impact on the school
culture that is undeniable. It is also collaborative with other affinity
groups. Empower Prep not only provides space for students of
color and LGBTQ+ students, it invites white students who want to
become allies in the struggle for social justice. We have plans to
expand our collaboration with BSU this year to confront some of
the urgent issues that our community is facing."
Is there anything you’d like the Prep community to know?
Future plans for the group?
"The group is a dynamic space. These conversations are difficult
to have, and these students have struggled to make this space
what it is at Prep. They are excited to see other affinity groups
develop and begin to become more vocal too."
16

17
Ramona explores the landscapes
of New Mexico at Tent Rocks
National Monument.

Path to
prep
The morning of October 8, 2017, eighth-grader Ramona Delyser and her
parents looked out the window of their home in Petaluma, CA. It wasn’t light
yet, but the sky glowed an eerie orange. Firestorms were sweeping through
their North Bay community. The series of blazes would eventually kill 43
people, force 90,000 to evacuate their homes, and destroy 8,000 structures.
School was canceled for a couple of weeks. Petaluma became a safe haven
for surrounding communities.
After 17 years in California, the family had just begun thinking of moving back
to Albuquerque, where Ramona’s mom, Nicky Ovitt, had grown up and where
Ramona’s grandmother still lives.
The wildfires ignited those plans.
18

As the fires burned, the family sat down with a realtor, who said
she’d help – “if there’s anything left to sell,” she added.
“It was a very unknown time,” Nicky explains.
They listed the house in mid-October. They were swamped with
offers and letters of pleading to sell to families who had been
displaced or who had been looking for a home for a long time,
because the market was so tight.
The family made their move in February of 2018. Starting a new
school more than halfway through the school year in eighth
grade was less than ideal. “I was really nervous on my first day,”
Ramona recalls, “but everyone was really, really nice.”
“The school we were choosing was always very important to us,”
Nicky adds. “Ramona has an exceptional brain, and we really
wanted to nurture that.”
Nicky Ovitt grew up around art. Her late father, Wesley Ovitt,
was an artist. Her mother, Helen Lucero, was one of the first
Hispanic women art curators in the nation. While working on her
doctorate in art education and art history from the University of
New Mexico, Lucero worked at the Museum of International Folk
Art in Santa Fe. In 1999, Lucero became the founding Director of
Visual Arts at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, from which
she retired in 2006. Lucero was co-author of the book Chimayo
Weaving: The Transformation of a Tradition. She worked on more
than 50 exhibitions and spent her career helping to promote
and educate the public about Hispanic arts and culture. In 2017,
Lucero was recognized with a Governor’s Award for Excellence in
the Arts.
Ramona has blossomed at Prep. She’s involved in track and field,
volleyball, mechatronics and engineering, the Refugee Alliance,
and Empower Prep. “Prep has been a really good opportunity to
challenge myself,” Ramona explains.
Ramona says she hopes to go into environmental engineering or
policy. Like her mother, Ramona also is a talented artist who loves
to draw, paint, and work with clay.
When the COVID pandemic struck in March 2020, it was strangely
familiar to the Delyser/Ovitt family. Just as time stopped during
the wildfires, suddenly, from one day to the next, nothing was
quite the same.
Ovitt and Roland Delyser met and married in Albuquerque.
Roland is from Los Angeles, and Nicky had lived in San Francisco.
In 1993 they met at UNM and in 1999 decided to move back to
California for better job opportunities.
Ovitt, a designer and illustrator, found success creating concepts
and styles for brands like Levi Strauss & Co. and Speedo. Roland
had been a Union Journeyman, independent contractor, and
project manager/estimator for a home building contractor.
And Ramona '22, now a Sandia Prep junior, was thriving in a
charter school that offered a competitive arts-and-project-based
curriculum.
But as the years passed, they missed being close to Lucero, the
only surviving grandparent. And their little agricultural town had
turned “very boutique,” Ovitt says. “The sweet hometown feel
was being replaced by lots of Teslas and attitude.”
If they were going to move, it was a good time to leave before
Ramona started high school.
In early November, the family traveled to Albuquerque to visit
schools, take admission testing, and look at housing. Friends had
told them that Prep was probably the best fit for Ramona, and
after her visit day and attending a senior night volleyball game,
Ramona enthusiastically agreed. “I had a great shadow day. Prep
felt the most comfortable,” she says.
“The level of
difficulty of classes
I’ve chosen has
gotten greater. It’s
nice that Prep gives
you the option of
doubling up on
science and math.”
- Ramona
19

Track and field is one of the activities Ramona,
right, has tried in her time at Prep. Her teammate,
Sidney Harenberg '22, is at left.
Ramona at her grandmother
Helen Lucero's art show at
University of New Mexico
Hospital’s Jonathan Abrams
MD Art Gallery, summer 2016
Ramona painted a portrait of Australian
actress and singer Maia Mitchell for
Ms. Mary Nakigan's art class.
An encouraging
sign hangs in
Ramona's former
neighborhood
in Petaluma,
CA, during the
wildfires of 2017.
Nicky, Roland, and Ramona at DeLoach
Vineyards in Santa Rosa, CA
Overnight, Nicky’s bandanas that she sells online and to shops
around the country were in high demand, even featured in a Vogue
magazine article about scarves as facial coverings during the
pandemic.
Delyser/Ovitt clan has happily returned to familial roots, and the
rich art and culture of New Mexico. Prep recently commissioned
an illustrated campus map from Ovitt, which you can view at
sandiaprep.org/campus.
As the pandemic dragged into the summer, the family managed
to find the silver linings in a challenging time. Lucero joined them
for coffee almost every afternoon. Ovitt continued to buy groceries
for her mom to limit Lucero’s exposure to COVID, and the family
started a social justice movie night.
“I am so grateful to be here during COVID,” Ovitt explains.
“My mom, who is a social butterfly, would have become very
depressed. And I would have been terribly worried.”
While some of their friends in California have only recently moved
back into homes repaired or rebuilt after the wildfires -- and
the 2020 fire season continues to rage and break records -- the
Ovitt now serves as vice president of the Hispanic Women’s
Council. She is helping a friend to create a website for the nonprofit
Dakota Tree Project, which will plant and maintain trees in
high-heat, low-income areas of Albuquerque. Since Ramona’s
summer job working with horses at a Girl Scout camp in the Jemez
was canceled because of COVID, she began interning with the
project.
Just as burn areas regenerate with new growth over time, this
family has thrived in formidable circumstances.
- Patricia Gabbett Snow
20

BSU Builds Unity,
Deepens Understanding
It started as a place where students who identified as Black or African American
could feel supported and comfortable coming together and talking about their
experiences. Now, Sandia Prep’s Black Student Union has evolved into a
space where students can take action and reach out to the Prep community to
begin to manifest change and a greater awareness on campus.
“The BSU is important to the Prep campus because it gives
those students like me a place to express themselves and tell
their story to others who feel the same way,” says student
Destiny Archibald, ’21, who co-founded the group during
the 2019-20 academic year with Maryah Burrell ’21. “We also
want to spread the idea of Black culture into the community.
I personally, want to learn more about my roots and where I
came from, and this group I feel accomplishes that.”
As racial issues and social unrest continue to top the news,
Prep’s BSU is giving students an outlet for their emotions,
Archibald adds. “With the recent events happening in the
United States, we as a group have found comfort in having
others we can talk to about these tragic times.”
BSU sponsor and teacher Mary Nakigan says the Prep group
hopes to get involved with other Black student affinity
groups around Albuquerque to build unity and coalition
while finding ways to stand up for the Black community
at Prep. “When we strengthen our relationships with one
another, when we learn from the work that has been taking
place for years, and when we stand in solidarity, we can lift
all of our students up,” Nakigan explains.
Archibald, Burrell, Nakigan, and BSU member
Tati Dalton '23 answered 532's questions as a group.
Why did you get involved with BSU?
"Being at Prep since 6th grade, I had a hard time fitting in,
and oftentimes felt ostracized from those around me. I felt
alone, and there was never someone I felt safe enough to
17 21
2019 - 2020 Black Student Union members

talk to. I also noticed that there wasn’t a group that supported the
individuals that looked like me, and I wanted to change that. In the
middle of junior year, I came together with Maryah Burrell, and we
decided it was time Prep had a group that would support African
American students on campus." - Destiny Archibald
What would you like people to know about the group?
"What has happened to Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and even
going back to Tamir Rice in 2014, is not okay, and change needs to
happen."
Tell us about an impactful memory for the group.
"In February, the group had several events planned for Black
History Month. Guest speaker Matthew Barkley came to campus
and told his story of how it was for him growing up as an African
American. We had also planned on several Step Teams from UNM’s
fraternities and sororities coming to campus and performing.
Unfortunately, this did not happen with quarantines and the closure
of school. We truly do hope this year we are able to continue
with events on campus as well as outside, because this group is
something special."
disproportionately affects communities of color. African Americans
make up 6.5% of the American population but 40.2% of the prison
populace. While a white male has a 1 in 17 chance of ending up
behind bars, for Black males it is 1 in 3. (Ava DuVernay, 13th). The
reality is that racism permeates every facet of American culture, not
just the privatized prison industry or the institution of policing - and
these systems of oppression affect our students of color every day.
The BSU wants to foster change in the Prep community by talking
with students and teachers about racism, and creating real dialogue
about ways that Prep can educate our students with integrity and
cultivate anti-racist individuals who are prepared for the world
we live in. We are incredibly fortunate to have student leaders in
Empower Prep who have been working on deepening a critical
consciousness amongst the student body for three years now. The
BSU wants to acknowledge the work that Empower Prep has done,
for this group has paved the way for the Black Student Union. We
look forward to working with Empower and other groups at Prep
who are working towards positive changes on our campus."
Describe some of the group’s projects and efforts.
"During Black History Month last February, the BSU had a weekly
presence at all-school assemblies and read quotes and poems that
embraced Black experiences and Black history. We also brought
in speaker Matthew Barkley to discuss his experiences as a young
Black man and why affinity groups are so important. The Prep BSU
hopes to make Black History Month assemblies an annual tradition
at our school. When we transitioned to online learning last March,
the BSU continued its weekly meetings via Zoom, and students
expressed interest in finding ways to give back to the local Black
community in the midst of a pandemic that disproportionately
affects communities of color across the nation. We decided to
support Powdrell's Barbeque by getting takeout and sharing a
virtual meal together. We are looking forward to continuing our
efforts this year. The BSU would like to reach out to middle school
students to make connections, provide support, and offer guidance
for younger students. The BSU also wants to do some fundraising,
so that we can continue to support our community while fostering
connections and solidarity within the group."
Why is BSU important to the Prep community? Have George
Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter movement affected
the group's efforts?
"The student-led BSU has a very important role to play in the Prep
community. While it is easy to avoid talking about racism, it is vital
for everyone in our community to acknowledge racism, to support
Black students, and to recognize how they are affected by racism.
What happened to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor,
and countless other individuals affects students and reinforces the
need for change in our society and on our campus. Incarceration
Head of School Bill Sinfield acknowledges
that the school still has work to do to ensure
students of color do not have the same
experience that the BSU founders initially had.
“A recent graduate of Sandia Prep and a
member of BSU once told me that when she
came to school, she had to be a different
person,” he says. “Her comments broke my
heart and opened my mind. That's why we
fully endorse this program, and we hope that
we can learn from these students and become
better human beings."
Prep’s efforts include paying for numerous
students and faculty to attend an upcoming
National Association of Independent Schools
(NAIS) People of Color Conference. In
addition, a faculty reading group is studying
books on race and social injustice and creating
ways to incorporate equity and justice into the
curriculum and everyday life at Prep.
22

SMART GIVING
Donors Provide
Life-Changing Experiences
for Students
Generous donations have made an independent education possible for
more than 210 Sandia Prep students during the 2019 - 2020 school year.
23

SMART GIVING
1
2
3 4
1. Sandia Prep Golf Tournament - September 27, 2019
Sandia Golf Club welcomed 130 players for a fun afternoon on the
course to raise $20,000 for Sandia Prep’s financial aid program.
We thank the generosity of our sponsors and participants for
supporting all aspects of this popular community building event.
2. Grandparents’ Day
Sandia Prep faculty, staff and students welcomed grandparents
and grandfriends to campus on October 2 for the School’s annual
Grandparents’ Day celebration. They participated in many activities
including science experiments, book discussions, art projects,
concerts, and even a French cooking lesson. Mark Your Calendar:
Our next Grandparents’ Day celebration will be held on
Thursday, April 1, 2021.
3. And the winner is…
Sandia Prep held its second annual Tuition Raffle in late fall 2019
raising $39,200 for Science, Math, Engineering and Technology
programs. The lucky winners were Grade 9 parents William and
Amy Thompson. We thank the 229 community members who
supported the raffle!
4. Alumni Legacy Fund
A new fund was created by alumni specifically for second-and
third-generation Sundevils who need extra financial assistance to
attend Sandia Prep. Read more about this heartwarming initiative
on page 8.
24

SMART GIVING
Funding the Student Experience
2019 - 2020 Annual Fund
“Prep gave me a place where I could grow, develop
lifelong friendships, and dream of a future I never would
have imagined on my own,” says Austin Tackman ’20.
All day, every day, through every season of the year, and
in every single corner of Sandia Prep’s campus, annual
gifts make a difference. That’s because annual gifts make
it possible for Sandia Prep to take care of the immediate
needs of students, faculty, and facilities.
“My cross country and track coaches have helped me
develop into a better athlete and have strengthened my
enthusiasm for running,” reflects Nahom Zerai ‘22.
ANNUAL FUND
IMPACT on Austin
Digital Media &
Communication
Athletics
Student Leadership
Whether it’s stepping in to help an outstanding student
with financial need, providing technology to faculty and
students for virtual classes, or funding start-up costs for a
new program, annual support helps make it happen.
“Prep supports me as a person. We have an amazing
atmosphere and teachers who are always willing to help,”
says Lauren Staples ‘24.
ANNUAL FUND
IMPACT on Nahom
Performing Arts
Athletics
WHAT’S YOUR
IMPACT?
Engineering
'19 - '20 Annual Fund Impact
577 donors
Raised $716,042
Restricted Donations: 78%
Unrestricted Donations: 22%
ANNUAL FUND
IMPACT on Lauren
Small school feel,
big opportunities.
Language Immersion
Enthusiastic Teachers
25

SMART GIVING
The tennis court expansion and remodel includes
two new courts, resurfacing, new spectator
walkway and seating, and bathroom facilities.
Campus Improvements
New Tennis Facility Celebrated
Last year, on a crisp October day, students and members of the
Sandia Prep community gathered to celebrate the long-awaited
renovation and expansion of its tennis facility. The four original
courts, built in 2000 and made possible by the Woltil family, were
resurfaced, and two new courts were added along with bathroom
facilities and spectator seating.
Briley Commons with a Modern Twist
In January 2019, students enrolled in our Entrepreneurial Studies
(ES) class were presented with a challenge: To redesign the existing
Briley Commons that would be a comfortable yet contemporary
environment for studying and gathering.
Students envisioned a space with comfortable laptop seating at a
long counter space equipped with computer outlets; club chairs
with built-in power and arranged in a circular fashion; larger tables
for students to sit together as they work, and a coffee kiosk.
The School took the students’ vision to the Slomo and Cindy
Silvian Foundation. In turn, the Foundation responded with a grant
of $26,000 to execute their plan.
“The Slomo and Cindy Silvian Foundation is proud to support
an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to integrate theory and
practical experience to demonstrate their learned skills,” says
Daniel Komansky, Executive Director of the Foundation. “The
Silvians were not only known in their community for their business
leadership but also for their friendship. The Briley Commons
project touches upon both of these attributes through the
students’ application of concrete business skills to create a space
for friends to connect and learn.”
The coffee shop will be run by Prep students. They will earn an
elective credit, and their time will be treated as a business class
while they learn the ins and outs of running a business.
26

SMART GIVING
The Prep Experience
Virtual Auction Supports Student Experience
COVID-19 could not keep the Prep community from bidding
for good! On May 2, 2020 Sandia Prep hosted its first-ever
virtual auction in lieu of its large hotel-based gala, Noche de
Celebración. From a garage opener system to fine wine and
spirits baskets and restaurant gift cards to a pallet of sod, there
was something for everyone. More than 130 participants
helped raise nearly $15,000 for Prep’s student experience,
including athletics, Outdoor Leadership Program, student clubs,
theater and dance productions, modern languages field trips,
and so on.
Mark Your Calendar: Noche de Celebración, our biennial
community auction and dinner, has been moved to
Saturday, April 24, 2021 at Hotel Albuquerque. For ticket
and table reservations, event sponsorships or general event
information, visit sandiaprep.org/noche.
Small Business Directory
Sandia Prep is a community, first and foremost. To help Prep's
small business owners get the word out about their products
and services, we compiled a list of small businesses on the
School's website at sandiaprep.org/businessdirectory.
This initiative is open to all community members.
Experts shared their advice with the Prep community during
a COVID-19-focused "Ask the Experts" webinar.
Upcoming Events
Tentative dates
Grandparents' Day
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Sandia Prep
Noche de Celebración
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Hotel Albuquerque
Ask the Experts Webinar
Sandia Prep's "Ask the Experts: Strategic Planning During
COVID-19" webinar was a success! Participants said they
appreciated the timely information and personal access to several
of Albuquerque's most influential business leaders. The webinar
was an extension of Sandia Prep’s Board of Trustees and was
sponsored by Ali Hashemian ’01 of Kinetic Financial. A special
thanks to our panel moderator, Doug Clark, Sandia Prep’s Board
Chair, and to our panel experts:
• Linda Cooper, Consumer Delivery Director for the
Bank of Albuquerque
• Ali Hashemian ’01, President at Kinetic Financial
• Dale Maxwell, President & CEO of Presbyterian
Healthcare Services
• Dominic Serna ’01 of Dominic J. Serna’s Luxury Real Estate
• Ed Street of REDW LLC
• Patrick Westerfield of Westerfield Law Offices
27

SMART GIVING
"The Family Relief Fund
hasn’t just provided tuition
Family Relief Fund
With the arrival of COVID-19, 50+ of our families
suffered sudden furloughs, job losses and the
closure of their businesses. The timing of these
circumstances coincided with final tuition payments
for the 2019-2020 academic year and the decision
to re-enroll their children for 2020-2021.
As Sandia Prep’s highest priority is to keep our
school community intact, the School established the
Family Relief Fund to provide temporary assistance
to families who demonstrated financial hardship due
the impact of COVID-19.
From current parents to alumni to grandparents,
the community response was immediate and
heartfelt. In just 12 weeks, more than $126,000 was
contributed to the Family Relief Fund.
assistance; it has enabled my
child to remain in a community
that supports his full potential
as both a student and a
person. I will never forget how
the Prep community was there
for us in our time of need."
- Parent of Prep 6th-Grader
2019 Sandia Prep Golf Tournament Sponsors
Noche de Celebración Sponsors
G IA
Maintenance Service Systems
Kim Crismore
Peak Motion Physical Therapy
Phil & Laurie Baca
Todd ’91 & Cristie Sappington ’90 Sandoval
Billy's Long Bar
Dean Holtrop & Faith Begay Holtrop
Todd ’91 & Cristie Sappington ’90 Sandoval
Crystal Carrasco
ERA Sellers & Buyers Real Estate
28

John and Mary Lee Sparks
Sparks Family Honors Sandia Prep with Gift
E
arlier this year, Sandia Prep received a
tremendous gift from the estate of John and
Mary Lee Sparks. Their contribution will support
the School’s general endowment. The couple’s
four girls, Mary Aleta "Molly" Sparks '71, Barbara
Sparks Federico ’75, Christina Sparks Duncan ’78,
and Anne R. Sparks ’80, attended Sandía School/
Sandia Prep.
John and Mary Lee were active with St. John’s
Cathedral Church and in numerous other
community and philanthropic activities.
Mary Lee (née Lumpkin) was a member of the
Lumpkin Family Foundation, which has been a
consistent contributor to Sandia Prep’s library in
memory of Molly Sparks. The Foundation’s and
Sparks Family's support of the School spans more
than 40 years. Mary Lee was also active on the
board of Accion. John felt a strong desire to help
others and served as a volunteer of St. Martin’s
Hospitality Center, the Rehab Center, and he
helped found the Rio Grande Nature Center.
29

f
c
t
Show Your Spirit!
Get your Sundevil Spirit Wear today at sandiaprep.org
and share your selfies with #sandiaprep.
Thank you to all of our students who shared their spirit photos with us!
30

Lynn McColl,
20 years at Prep
Karen Lyall,
30 years at Prep
Debi Kierst,
17 years at Prep
Prep Powerhouses
We recently said thank you and good-bye to treasured faculty members
Karen Lyall, Lynn McColl, and Debi Kierst. These three amazing women
retired from our school after a combined 67(!) years of service.
To honor these faculty favorites, the Sandia Prep Alumni Association is asking Prep community members
to share messages of gratitude and/or favorite memories. You can share your messages by emailing
alumni@sandiaprep.org. Below is a sweet send-off from Prep alumna and teacher Lucy Kozikowski '91.
Ode to Karen
Karen, oh Karen, it seems you’ve always been there
Even when I was a student, with your thick, long brown hair
Your loving touch throughout our school can been seen
Outside the labs, in our garden, and in our hearts, is what I mean
A Coordinator, I think, counselor and science teacher, too?
That’s so many mornings of traffic to travel through
Your impact on our students stretches years, is it really thirty?
At this rate, I’m not sure any of us are going to outlast Ernie
But I realized I do have some questions to ask
Don’t be modest, just think, it’s not a hard task.
Tell us,
How many seeds did you plant in that garden up there?
How many shovels of dirt did you turn over per square?
How many times did you call Pearl Sunrise for us?
Over how many Harvest Festivals did you fuss?
How many lab notebooks did you grade?
How many parents did you call?
How many tough conversations did you have after all?
How many pats did you give and smiles did you share?
How many times did you promise you’d always be there?
How many salads did you serve? How many tomatoes did you send?
How many weekends and summer hours did you spend?
How many mud bricks in that horno you built up there?
How many logs did you light in the early morning air?
How many cups of flour in that recipe for bread?
How many sleepless nights with students in your head?
I think when I add up all of these things in a row,
We can’t live without you, you really can’t go.
But then there is Ruby and Kayla, the apples of your eye
And your own garden and doggies, so without you we’ll try
To fill your huge shoes, and without too many tears
We’ll miss you sorely for your great work all these years
You built Sandia Prep by watering this tree
But you are the root, the trunk, the branches, and its leaves
Did we ever say thank you for the progress you made?
For the sweat and tears and laughter you bade?
Well thank you, and thank you, and thank you, again
Our school won’t be the same without you, my friend.
31

Faculty
Fine-Tune
Approach
to Distance
Learning
“
What a lot of people
do not see is just
how hard it is to
move classroom
instruction to hybrid
or distance formats.
The average time it
takes to move one
hour of classroom
instruction online
“
is 18 hours.
- Boye-Lynn
Sandia Prep faculty members built
on their initial spring success with
distance learning by fortifying their
skills with a series of professional
development seminars.
Facilitated by Sandia Prep parent
and instructional system designer
Susan Boye-Lynn, (Cal Boye-Lynn
'21) teachers learned everything
from sequencing material to creating
effective assessments.
Special emphasis was paid to
creating and maintaining the
community for which Prep is known,
Boye-Lynn explains.
“Instructors are learning how to set
up courses to have multiple points of
contact each week, so that students
are getting the feedback they need,”
she says.
Over the course of several seminars,
the faculty worked together “to find
learning solutions that will allow
them to keep the independence and
quality of the Sandia Prep education
at the highest possible levels,” she
adds.
College instructors usually have an
entire semester to prepare a single
course, and Prep faculty managed to
get all of their classes online in less
than two weeks during the transition
in March, says Boye-Lynn, owner
of Pepper and Pear Instructional
Design, LLC.
Managing those classes behind
the scenes also takes significantly
more time than classroom courses,
so “Prep is taking steps to make
sure that whatever organization
and support the teachers need is
available to them,” she adds.
Feedback from students and
parents to Prep’s launch of virtual
at-home learning, necessitated
by the COVID-19 pandemic, was
overwhelmingly positive.
Prep science teacher Amy James
said she appreciates the support
faculty members are receiving
through the seminars so they can
fine-tune their approach.
“It took me about an hour of prep
time for 10 minutes of Zoom class,”
James explained. “The lack of inperson
labs is pretty frustrating to
a science teacher. Trying to re-work
materials that I have loved using in
person so they can be used online
takes a lot of time.”
Through Boye-Lynn’s training,
James says she’s picked up “some
great ideas on how to schedule the
week in online class as well as good
ideas on how to establish rapport
when you aren’t meeting the kids in
person.”
The professional development
means that Prep teachers are ready
for whatever method of instruction
they’ll need to deliver.
Boye-Lynn has built online training
for Presbyterian Healthcare Services.
Her expertise is in connecting
content, media, and audience for the
purpose of learning.
32

Athletes Prevail in
Shortened Season
Despite losing most of the spring season to COVID-19, Sandia Prep’s Athletics
Department posted a successful year. Among the highlights was capturing first
place among 3A schools in the coveted Subway Director’s Cup for the second
consecutive year. The award is given to top New Mexico Activities Association
member schools based on excellence in activities, athletics, and sportsmanship.
33

SUNDEVIL SPORTS
Sandia Prep’s 2019-20 year
included a 3A championship in
Girls Soccer, as well as Runnerup
finishes in Boys Basketball
and Coed Bowling. Prep also
earned third-place finishes in
Boys Soccer and Girls Volleyball.
In addition, The Albuquerque
Journal named Sandia Prep
Senior Samantha Jeffries '20
its metro female Athlete of the
Year, the first ever chosen from a
smaller school for the award.
She led the 3A division in goalsagainst
average and helped
lead the Sundevils to a state
championship last November.
As noted in the Journal story,
"Sandia Prep didn't lose a
single state tournament game
during the last four years with
Jeffries in the net."Sam landed
a Green and Silver Presidential
Scholarship to attend and play
soccer at Eastern New Mexico
University.
Here’s the recap:
• A-AAA Girls Soccer State
Champions
• Boys Basketball 3A Runner-up
• Boys Soccer A-AAA 3rd place
• Coed Bowling A-AAA State
Runner-up
• Volleyball 3A 3rd place
• 2019-2020 Director's Cup
winners for the second year
in a row
Samantha Jeffries '20 named Athlete of the Year
Photo credit: Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal
24 34

CLASS OF 2020
Seniors celebrate Color Day in September 2019
Photo credit: Kirschtin Kinberger '21
In A Class of Its Own
Sandia Prep's Class of 2020 experienced a senior send-off like no other.
Sure, things looked a bit different, but that didn't stop us from celebrating
our seniors' time and accomplishments.
86 100% 2
33
Number
of Seniors
Graduation
Rate
Number of
Odyssey Scholars
Number of
Distinguished Scholars
35

CLASS OF 2020
August 19, 2019
A "Senior Sunrise" kicked off
their last year at Prep.
April 24, 2020
Zooming on the Quad: The Class
of 2020 tuned into the Senior Hill
as they virtually counted down
their final bell as Sundevils.
May 9, 2020
Personalized yard signs were
delivered to all 86 graduates to
celebrate their accomplishments.
May 11, 2020
With in-person classes and
projects cut short in March, seniors
took their Capstone Projects
online. They were asked to create
something meaningful, something
to be proud of, and something
which allows for individual
creativity. Maria Merritt '20 sewed
150 masks for farmworkers and
their families while Angelica
Adams '20' focused on the study
of the Bel Canto style of opera.
May 23, 2020
The "Drive-Thru Graduation
Celebration" was full of cheers,
honks, and Sundevil spirit!
June 2020
Graduates proudly displayed
the next step on their
educational journey.
36

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