Taft Voices

Diky Izmirlian '20 and Sammed Bawa '20

International students Diky Izmirlian and Sammed Bawa followed different paths to Taft, but became fast friends when those paths converged on the soccer field.

Karen May

Moorhead Academic Center

For more than 20 years, Karen May has worked with Taft students and faculty to effectively maximize classroom experiences, while empowering students to harness their full potential as learners. 

Liz Camp ’96

As visual development production supervisor for DreamWorks Animation, Liz Camp ’96 works on the popular How to Train Your Dragon series of films, including the recently released The Hidden World, third in the series. Camp crafts the look of the characters and the digital environments of the film, everything that gives a film its unique look.

Nick Gotten ’93

Blending the technical with the creative—that’s what Nick Gotten ’93 loves about his job as a re-recording mixer and sound engineer. Gotten takes recorded dialogue, sound effects, and music to create the final version of a soundtrack for a feature film or television program. He won an Emmy for his work on mixing the sound for the Disney juggernaut show, Sofia the First.

Torie Snyder Pearce ’04

Torie Snyder Pearce ’04 has always been inspired by Taft’s motto, Not to be served but to serve. A strong resonance with Non ut sibi helped persuade her to become a pediatric nurse, and to cofound Urgent Care for Kids, an urgent care company specializing in pediatrics in Texas.

Chanda Gunn ’99

Former Olympic hockey player Chanda Gunn ’99 helped lead Team USA to a World Championship in 2005 and an Olympic Bronze Medal in Turin in 2006 while battling epilepsy. Diagnosed at the age of 9, she has turned a substantial obstacle into a fulfilling career. A longtime spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation of America, Gunn now works for the Epilepsy Foundation New England.

Sophie Quinton ’06

In her work as a staff writer for Stateline.org, a news service affiliated with the Pew Charitable Trusts, Sophie Quinton ’06 is filling the need for deep, fact-based reporting on trends at the state and local level by uncovering stories in smaller communities throughout the U.S.

Pete Alexander ’94

Pete Alexander has something in common with the animals he researches as a biologist. Like cougars, he pursues his prey, following them up mountains and through canyons in Wyoming. Unlike the big cats, though, Alexander is studying, not stalking.

Caitlin Kennedy ’12

In the two years since graduating from Hamilton College, Caitlin Kennedy has already established herself in a career that wholeheartedly channels Taft’s ethic of Non ut sibi. Kennedy works as a contracts associate at the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a New York-based nonprofit providing employment services to men and women with criminal convictions.

Christopher Eanes ’94

After he assumed directorship of the Cincinnati Boychoir in 2009, Christopher Eanes soon discovered that the 45-year-old ensemble needed to adapt its mission. Eanes has grown the group of nearly 200 boys between kindergarten and high school age into an organization that uses music as an important teaching tool.

Katie Putnam Martinez ’00

San Francisco-based designer Katie Putnam Martinez likes rooms and places that feel layered with old and new. “I gravitate more toward contemporary aspects in terms of clean lines and simplicity,” she says, but she often includes vintage pieces in her projects. Martinez focuses primarily on West Coast residential projects, but she has also worked on offices and a store.

Jamie Cheney Flaherty '98

Like many of the most successful start-ups, 1998 alum Jamie Flaherty Cheney’s innovative search firm Prokanga was born from a place of personal experience. Cheney asked herself the question frequently pondered by working moms who are experienced professionals: Can you care for your child and also hang on to the career that you’ve invested so much in? As a result, she launched Prokanga, a search firm blending access to traditional and flexible workforces.

Craig Reistad ’80

At the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea, Craig Reistad served as Olympic security coordinator for the U.S. contingent of athletes, staff, media, and dignitaries. Reistad was there for a nearly two-year assignment with the Diplomatic Security Service.

AJ Mleczko ’93

Former Olympic gold medalist AJ Mleczko had her fifth assignment as NBC’s women’s hockey analyst at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics for her post-playing broadcasting career, which started in 2006. In May 2018, she also became the first female broadcaster to call an NHL playoff game from the booth.

Evelyn Barata Lee ’75

Evelyn Barata Lee transformed her Southport, CT, property into a fresh-cut flower garden that produces about 45,000 flowers a year. Since 2011, her business has grown to include a small retail cottage, wholesale accounts, weddings and events, workshops and presentations, and a local flower delivery subscription service.

Clarence Kwei ’91

Clarence Kwei is VP of product and engineering at Univision Communications Inc., where he oversees product and technical strategy across the company’s digital platforms for web, mobile, and television. If you’ve been on websites owned by the media brands Meredith, Time Inc., Condé Nast, or Univision, you’ve seen Kwei’s website development work.

Marina Martin '03

After serving as the chief technology officer for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Marina Martin moved to a digital services company that restores complex systems to service. Her true passion, though, is finding ways to make the nation's complex foster care system function safely and efficiently to minimize the time children spend in foster care.

Philip Howard '66

As an author and founder of Common Good, a nonpartisan reform coalition working to simplify government, Philip Howard is being recognized for his impressive work with Taft's highest alumni honor. He is also senior counsel at the New York City law firm Covington & Burling.

Vanessa LeFebvre Robinson ’95

Vanessa LeFebvre Robinson is leading the women’s merchandising team at Stitch Fix, one of the most successful and exciting fashion/technology companies in the world. 

Dennis Liu '02

Netflix has ordered a 10-episode series of the sci-fi family drama called Raising Dion, based on Dennis Liu's short film and comic book of the same name. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School for the Arts, Liu has spent much of the last 10 years directing commercials and music videos for a variety of artists.

Eleanor Streit '19

The science of language sparks Eleanor Streit's passions, which led her to take a leap of faith.

Tom Losee ’84

Combine running and stand-up paddleboarding and what do you get? RUN/SUP®, outdoor sports entrepreneur Tom Losee’s increasingly popular training program that fuses his two favorite recreational fitness activities. 

Adam Yonkers '89

Adam Yonkers '89 says that making a huge career change in his early-30s freed him to take on a career that feeds his soul. He went from corporate communications—marketing and public relations at a big corporate law firm—to teaching U.S. history and foreign policy to high schoolers at Palo Alto Unified in California.

Jeff Lamson

History

Jeff Lamson's quest to uncover the layers of history not found in a textbook drives his passion for both teaching and learning.

Katie Maxey Sorrentino ’85

Ever wonder how retailers seem to know what you want to buy before you do? Mining data about our likes and dislikes to help perfect the relationship with consumers is what Go Think!, the company of Katie Maxey Sorrentino ’85, is doing to help guide retailers across the nation.

Pearl Young '18

Pearl Young '18 is an artist, an academic, a leader, and a role model.  Her commitment to the community makes Taft a better place. 

Mihir Nayar '19

Mihir Nayar '19 witnessed the effects of poor nutrition on learning during his summer in India. His recent win at a pitch competition will help him do something about it.

Peter Dzubay '18

Peter Dzubay is a talented self-starter who, in reaching for the stars, has become one.

Harrison Clay ’92

Early in his career, Harrison Clay ’92 began thinking about methane as a solution to the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and a way to reduce greenhouse gases. Read about Clay’s role as BP’s vice president of strategic development, global environmental products, and his work in biogas and biomethane project development.

Simone Foxman ’07

As an investing reporter for Bloomberg, Simone Foxman’s beat specific to the finance industry allows her to “uncover stories that the public deserves to hear,” she says. Read about her role as a journalist that allows her to be part of conversations happening at the highest level in the world of finance.

John McGowan ’81

John McGowan ’81 created Mathematical Software, a start-up dedicated to researching and developing tools and algorithms that can be used to automate complex data analysis. Learn about his work.

Klara Skrivankova ’96

In her role at Anti-Slavery International, Klara Skrivankova ’96 works with businesses on tackling forced labor in supply chains. Read more about her efforts to eradicate the modern slavery that reaches, often invisibly, into many aspects of our lives.

Doug Ellis ’54

After a long career in the textile industry, Doug Ellis ’54 decided it was an ideal time to return to his passion of flying. Ellis is a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight, which offers free transportation to patients in need of medical treatment.

Tyler Kneisel '99

Dockwa, cofounded by Tyler Kneisel ’99, makes reserving boat slips a snap. Since its launch in 2015, tens of thousands of boaters now find, reserve, and pay for moorings in real time, using the award-winning Dockwa platform on their computers or the free mobile app.

Peter Van Der Mije ’98

After working for notable chefs in New York City, Peter Van Der Mije ’98 opened Osteria Leana, a chic, casual Italian restaurant in Oyster Bay on Long Island. He’s established a place that is small, local, and accessible for diners craving a city experience along the North Shore coastline, with easy access to excellent fresh produce and seafood.

Leslie Herrlinger Lanahan ’73

Leslie Herrlinger Lanahan ’73 has made it her and her family’s mission to bring awareness about alcohol poisoning and hazing in order to save lives.

Khalid Tellis
English

One day, Khalid Tellis may write a book he'll call Joy and Humor in the Classroom. For now, that's exactly what he brings to Taft.

Liila “Lee” Hass ’77

A trained naturopath, yoga instructor, and counselor, Hass works as a high-needs support counselor at Risdon, and her role is to focus on inmates with mental health issues and other disabilities.

Luisa Bonachea ’00

Luisa Bonachea ’00 combines her legal training with her love of wine in a fulfilling career. Read about her work as an intellectual property attorney based in Napa Valley and serving the wine industry.

Max Sandvoss '98

Read about the goat farm and creamery owned by Max Sandvoss ’98 in upstate New York and his transition from actor to experienced farmer and cheesemaker. He and his brother, Trystan, are committed to the entire natural process with grass-fed animals and organic pastures. First Light sells its cheeses at farmers’ markets and to stores and restaurants across six states.

Joanna Kleszczewski '18
Artist and ISP Scholar

Joanna Kleszczewski '18 tells stories through her art; each piece speaks volumes.

Gabriela Gonzalez Carpio '17
Capturing Ambiguity Through Art

Gabby is an artist in every sense of the word. She used the Independent Study Program to expand her skills and repertoire.

Nick Firestone ’84

Nick Firestone ’84 has loved racing since age 3. At 51, he’s a professional race car driver who has raced among the most acclaimed drivers in the world and has been racing since the late 1980s. Firestone’s niche is go-karts, and he regularly races in the U.S. and internationally.

Peter Horne '18
Head Mon

Peter came to Taft to hone his leadership skills, and found even greater opportunity than he imagined.

Sarah Surber
Dance

Sarah Surber teaches students to express thoughts and emotions though movement.

Ben Laufer '18
EcoMon

Ben Laufer has spent the last year working to change the world. He's done so with a global audience.

Ashley Wilberding Balavoine '90
Perfumer

As a perfumer, Ashley creates scents that are in products most of us use every day.

Leigh Sharpless '17
ISP Scholar 

Leigh Sharpless '17 is studying cutting-edge cancer therapies, with an eye on the future.

Gabe McMackin ’94

Gabe McMackin ’94, chef and owner of The Finch, a restaurant in Brooklyn, wasn’t planning to “shoot for the stars,” when he opened. The Finch and McMackin’s were recently awarded a Michelin star.

Lindsay Leal

Mathematics, Mid Class Dean

Lindsay Leal's time as a boarding school student help shaped her approach to being a boarding school teacher.

Billy Himmelrich ’82

Since 1999, owner Billy Himmelrich ’82 has been running Old School Bakery in Delray Beach, Florida, and providing bread to top restaurants, hotels, and country clubs in Southeast Florida, along with donating unsold bread to the Palm Beach County Food Bank and helping raise money for hunger relief through events.

Christopher Brown '64
English

Chris Brown '64 had "spectacularly good" English teachers at Taft. Naturally he became one.

Maeve Millen '17
ISP Scholar

Maeve is passionate about social issues, with wealth inequality at the top of the list.

Belle McDougald '17 and Emily Weaver '17
ISP Scholars

Kaedi Dalley '18
Singer, Actor, Leader

Kaedi Dalley's talent, passion, and leadership inspire respect and awe, while galvanizing our community.

Amy Lynd Luers ’84

When Latin American villagers needed help getting access to clean water, she answered the call. She co-founded an NGO called Agua Para La Vida to help build potable water systems in the region.

Zygi Jievaltas '17
GSS and GLI Scholar

Zygi Jievaltas says that Taft has spurred his intellectual development and helped crystallize his ambitions.

Benjamin Roberts '18
ISP Scholar

Benjamin Roberts '18 looked to the plagues of the past to predict health crises in the future.

Emma Bellet '18 
Student Leader

Emma Bellet believes that Taft is a place to grow and thrive; a place where you will exceed even your own expectations.

Todd Gipstein '70
Keeper of the Light

Todd Gipstein returned to his childhood home to bring new life to a historic landmark.

Pilar Santos
Spanish Teacher, International Student Advisor

Pilar Santos knows what it is like to be young and far from home.

Andrew Farrier '17
Hockey Captain, Student Leader

Andrew Farrier came to Taft from a much larger school near his home in Canada. What he found is that the strength of a community does not lie in its numbers.

Michael Klein '10
Civil Engineer

Michael Klein manages projects aimed at producing energy for local communities using natural, renewable resources.

Dr. Joyce Poole '74

For more than 40 years, Dr. Joyce Poole ’74, the 2017 Horace Dutton Taft Alumni Medal honoree, has been a passionate voice—a protector and defender—of elephants, dedicating her life to their conservation and welfare.

Shasha Alvares '17
GLI Scholar

Day student Shasha Alvares says that coming to Taft every day feels like going home.

Jennifer Kenerson
Mathematics Department Head

Jack Elrad '17
Filmmaker

Jack Elrad has established himself as a talented videographer and producer, documenting life at Taft, and working with Hollywood's best.

Carly Borken

Director of Environmental Stewardship

Carly Borken is an environmentalist, a woman of vision, a change agent.

Ozzie Parente
Chemistry 
Boys' Head Soccer Coach
Upper Mid Class Dean

Ozzie Parente's strength as a coach and a teacher? He loves what he does.

Idara Foster '11
Penn Fellow in English

Idara Foster '11 left an indelible mark on the Taft community as a student. Her impact is no less meaningful now that she is member of the faculty.

AJ Barre '17
Global Steward

AJ Barre brings his passions for service and soccer together to raising funds and awareness for global causes.

Jane Kinney '06 
Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineer

When Jane Kinney ’06 was five she knew she wanted to be involved in aerospace. Today, her aspirations have become a reality.

Andrew Eisen '04
Screenwriter

Yee-Fun Yin

Photography Teacher

Yee-Fun Yin wants his students to make pictures, not take pictures; to create art that is deliberate and personal.

Emerson Wickwire '91

Sleep expert Emerson Wickwire '91 studies the effects of what is known as “blue light” emitted from electronic devices on the body’s natural circadian rhythms, and discusses the importance of getting enough sleep.

Eliza Denious '17
Head Mon

Eliza Denious is a head mon, a team captain, and a student who quickly recognized the ties that bind all Tafties together.

Ciara Connolly '17 
Musician

Ciara Connolly finds inspiration wherever the music takes her.

Andy Taylor ’72

Andy is changing the lives of students in Botswana.

Taft Filmmakers

What started with a poetic spark quickly caught Fire, and swept five Taft students into the white hot lights of the TriBeCa Film Festival.

Jalen Little '19
Service Leader

Jalen Little '19 is dedicated to service, both locally and globally.

Nick Halmos '97

Nick Halmos '97 has created a way to efficiently grow food in urban environments by combining hydroponic systems with automation and live data. He safely and sustainably grows fresh food in a range of climates and everywhere from rooftops to parking lots.