Class Notes

"Thirty-five years after helping put together UPrep's first girls' varsity soccer team, I traded my cleats for a pickleball paddle. Pickleball was just a weird game we used to play in the courtyards at Temple Beth Am. It has finally made its way to Ojai, CA, where I live (and play) with my husband, Alan, and our dog, Luna."

Amy recently moved to Hong Kong with her family to continue her work as a school counselor at Hong Kong Academy following nine years at Seattle Country Day School. Amy's husband, Todd, teaches third grade and her two children are in 8th and 10th grade. Working in a small school with a close knit community, Amy is reminded of her time at UPrep. She is grateful for the learning and guidance that her teachers provided and the lifelong friendships that were formed in the classroom and on the pickleball court. As an educator and a mom, she is hoping to provide a similar opportunity for her own children.

John was recently appointed VP/Commercial Relationship Manager at Washington Trust Bank. He has been in the banking industry for nearly 20 years. He continues to be active in the Seattle area, currently serving as treasurer of the Seattle Chapter of the Finlandia Foundation and as a council member at the Finnish Lutheran Church.

"I opened a custom gluten-free baking company earlier this spring - butter + sugar (www.buttersugar.net). Inspired to learn to bake AND to learn to bake gluten-free by my son's celiac diagnosis nine years ago, I've finally taken my love of all things sweet to market. I currently deliver my baked goods to more than 10 coffee shops in Fairfield County, CT, and enjoy baking custom cakes for my family and friends. Plans for the future include packaging and selling to gourmet groceries, and maybe, maybe, someday a retail shop. Wish I could ship to Seattle!"

"I'm going on 15+ years in the NYC residential real estate market, and continue to close deals all over Manhattan and Brooklyn. I recently moved firms to join the Serhant Team at Nest Seekers International, one of the top producing teams in the nation (and of Million Dollar Listing New York and Tell It Like Serhant), so you may catch me on one of those Bravo shows from time to time. A good deal of my business comes from investors looking to diversify their real estate portfolio and pick up rental properties - in fact, last year I closed a deal with one of my former UPrep classmates! On a personal note, I am recently remarried and just welcomed the birth of my second child, a daughter named Emma Lucia Favia. I am in Seattle twice a year, usually once in the summer and once around Thanksgiving or New Year's."

Austen lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two daughters, Lucy (7) and Selah (5). She teaches ESL to refugee women in nearby Clarkston - the most diverse square mile in America. If you're ever stranded in the ATL airport, get in touch!

Melissa was recently appointed by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Special Projects and Community Events. She has been integral in bridging the public and private sectors, and has worked at the international level with organizations such as the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. 

(www.andrewjarvispoet.com)

Andrew has been writing relentlessly since graduating. His last three poetry titles, "The Strait," "Landslide," and "Blood Moon," have earned a total of 12 literary honors. He recently received silver medals in poetry from the Nautilus Book Awards and the Colorado and Florida publisher's awards. Andrew earned his M.A. in Writing from Johns Hopkins University and encourages everyone to pursue advanced degrees to fulfill lifelong dreams. He recently purchased a solar-powered home in Orlando, Florida, and spends his free time reading and writing in the sun.

Elisheba has been an integral partner in the recent founding of the Wa Na Wari black arts space in Seattle's Central District. The building, a classic Seattle Craftsman home, has a rich history and now provides a space for artists. The name "Wa Na Wari" means "Our Home" in the Kalabari language of Southern Nigeria. "Art is the convener," says Elisheba. If you would like to learn more about this organization, check out www.wanawari.org.

Teresa traveled to Seoul to visit friends and central Vietnam to trek through the world's largest cave in 2019. She had the pleasure of hosting her former UPrep English teacher and mentor-turned-friend Stephen Thomas for dinner when he visited the States. She also published blogs on the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides website as well as essays in Entropy, Queen Mob's Teahouse, and Berfrois. A collaboration with musician Gregory Giles on horror-film depictions of climate change appeared in the anthology Berfrois: The Book, which was blurbed by environmental activist Lucy Lawless, aka Xena: Warrior Princess. 

Bryce lives in Montana where he is a rancher, conservationist, and author. He is also the Field Director of People and Carnivores whose mission is to restore natural carnivore populations to the Northern Rockies. His passions lie with sustainable ranching and coexisting with our natural habitat. 

In early Spring 2019, Bryce published a book entitled Down from the Mountain. In it, he chronicles the persistent battle between ranchers and the local, natural carnivores while following the life of a local Grizzly Bear sow. 

Sam was sworn into office as Commissioner at the Port of Seattle in January 2020.

"Kia ora from New Zealand! For the last two years, I've been sailing around the Pacific on my 55 ft. catamaran Zephyr after leaving my job managing Apple Watch engineering. First up, I sailed to Alaska to go get myself into some trouble with ice and bears; mission accomplished! During the winter, I sailed down to Mexico, where I spent most of my time in the famous Sea of Cortez and Banderas Bay. Last summer, I rustled together a crew of six adventurers, including Johnny Valencia '08, to sail across the Pacific via French Polynesia and Tonga. Now I'm in New Zealand, soaking up the friendly culture and giving Zephyr some much needed TLC after having sailed her more than 20k miles since 2015. Check out the voyage on Instagram: @voyageofthezephyr."

Grace graduated with a business degree from the University of San Diego in May 2020. Her San Diego-based company BootyCamp USA focuses on personal training and group fitness classes. While finishing her degree, Grace also worked for Rebecca Alexander, an author and motivational speaker.

Karina had her work written up in St. Olaf's news last year. She and two other students studied snow with the intent of gaining a new perspective and elevating our understanding of climate change.