Class Notes

Summer 2024

"My daughter and I followed the Mariners from Baltimore to NYC to DC this May. Along the way, I was able to share time with both Florian Miedel '85 and Bryan Wong '85, as well as a few friends from college and law school. I'm still greatly enjoying working for myself, conducting workplace investigations. The work is rewarding, and my boss is very understanding about my need to travel to watch the Mariners."

Winter 2025

"After returning to the PNW in 2022 and renting a home near the UPrep campus, we have purchased a home and moved to the Seaview neighborhood in Edmonds. Great to be back near the water, hearing the ferries and trains."

Winter 2025

"This last year brought lots of changes with much time for reflection! I work as a physician at the University of Washington, but I have reduced my work to part-time, which is amazing and a little bewildering. My son gradated high school and is attending the UW in the department of engineering. Lastly, I have discovered mountaineering and am working on summiting the tallest peaks of Washington State."

Summer 2024

"I am excited to share that I was promoted to chief risk officer at Sterling Bank & Trust FSB on April 1, 2024."

Winter 2025

"2024 was my first of a six-year term as an elected Spokane County Cemetery Commissioner. I am working on modernizing the records of the Moran Cemetery, one of the oldest and most historically significant pioneer cemeteries in my area."

Summer 2024

"I recently published my first book Street Trees of Seattle: An Illustrated Walking Guide (Sasquatch Books/ Penguin Random House, 2024), which shows readers where to find the widest and oldest trees in 30 plus Seattle neighborhoods, based on publicly available city data that goes back to 1950. It’s currently a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association bestseller! To learn more or purchase your own copy, visit tahaebrahimi.com."

Winter 2025

"I am excited to announce the publication of my first book, available through Rutgers University Press or online merchants. Performing the News: Identity, Authority, and the Myth of Neutrality explores how journalists from historically marginalized groups have long felt pressure to conform when performing for audiences and are increasingly challenging restrictive, supposedly neutral forms of self-presentation. Through in-depth interviews, this book suggests ways to make journalism more inclusive and representative of diverse audiences."

Winter 2025

"I found myself colleagues with fellow Puma Miriam Stiefel '08 and Tyler Arnold, married to alumna Paula Simon '99, at Washington state's Office of the Attorney General in the Antitrust Division. Recently, we were part of a team that represented Washingtonians in a three-week trial successfully challenging the merger of Kroger and Albertsons!"

Winter 2025

"We welcomed our baby boy Henley into the family on August 5, 2024. He's doing his best to keep up with his older brother, Rennie. I am currently working as a mental health counselor for kids, teens, and young adults. My private practice is called Root to Rise Counseling, and I offer virtual as well as walk and talk therapy in Northwest Seattle. If you know of anyone needing support, please send them my way!"

Summer 2024

"My wife, Caroline, and our 11-month-old son, Chandler, just visited Seville in Spain for a much-needed vacation!"

Winter 2025

"After just over a decade in the design world, I recently took the leap and started my own studio, Saint Scout Design, where I'm focused on creating websites for small to midsize businesses and organizations. It's been an exciting journey so far, and I'm loving the new challenges that come with running my own venture. While my business and clients are rooted in the U.S., I'm now living in Madrid, Spain (though I make it back to visit friends and family in the U.S. and at UPrep as often as I can!). You can see more about what I'm up to at saintscout.design."

Winter 2025

"After 10 years in public education, I have switched to independent schools and am now head of The Tilden School, a small K-5 in West Seattle. This is truly a full-circle moment for me, as I graduated from Tilden in 2002 before becoming a lifer at UPrep. I am working to honor and expand on Tilden's legacy, building on the strong foundation left by founder Whitney Tjerandsen. I look forward to reconnecting with the UPrep community as our students graduate on to become Pumas and join other schools throughout the region!"

Winter 2025

"As the founder of Studio Nocturne Architecture here in Seattle, I'm proud to share that my team recently completed a project called Suburb House, which was published in Dwell in the first week of January 2025."

Summer 2024

"Earlier this year, I was named a Distinguished Teaching Award recipient by the UCLA Department of Theater! Awardees are selected from a highly competitive pool of nominees by the UCLA Academic Senate and the Teaching and Learning Center. The Distinguished Teaching Award signifies exceptional teaching and commitment to student success."

Summer 2024

"In April 2021, I was paddle boarding at Green Lake when a teenage boy went under water and didn’t resurface. I did not see him go under but while searching on my paddle board, I noticed bubbles rising from the murky water. I figured if those bubbles were from the boy, I was the only person who knew how to find him. I dove in and pulled the boy’s body up from the bottom of the lake. Another paddleboarder intercepted us on the surface and we were able to return to shore where lifesaving efforts began for the boy. He made a full recovery. At the end of 2023, my actions were recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission (CHFC), and I became the 184th Washington state resident to receive the Carnegie Medal, the highest civilian honor for heroism. The CHFC was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1904 to recognize outstanding acts of selfless heroism performed in the United States and Canada."

Winter 2025

"My advocacy work to protect children who are monetized through family social media accounts earned me recognition in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2025! I am so honored that the information campaign that I run through my nonprofit organization, Quit Clicking Kids, as well as the legislative progress I have inspired, has been officially recognized in this way. I also had the opportunity to be interviewed for Child Star, a documentary co-directed by Demi Lovato, to share my activism. This ultimately led Demi Lovato to be present at the bill signing of SB 764 in California, a bill modeled on the original Washington state legislation that I helped to craft."

Winter 2025

"In December 2024, I finished my fall concert season as associate principal oboe of the UW Symphony, second oboe-English horn for the UW Wind Ensemble, and second oboe for the Northwest Chorale's annual Messiah concerts. My position is secured in the UW ensembles for the year, so there will be many more exciting musical opportunities for me in the coming months!"