Summer Journeys

Grace Qudeen ’25

Grace Qudeen ’25 traveled to Zanzibar last summer to support the conservation work being done by local marine biologists.

Logan Marku ’24

For close to one month last summer, Logan Marku ’24 spent time each day working with young learners in Hua Hin, Thailand, as part of an expansive childcare program.

Isabella Reyes-Famous ’24

Last summer, Isabella Reyes-Famous ’24 was one of two Taft students to be awarded a coveted scientific research internship at the New York Botanical Garden.

Isabella Nascimento Silva Pinto ’25

Isabella spent two weeks last summer teaching English at a no-cost day care and after-school program serving low-income families on the outskirts of San José.

Fiona Chou ’25

Fiona returned to UCLA last summer to continue her work in the American Academy of Medicine and Surgery surgical skills internship program.

Jasmine Pun ’24

Last summer Jasmine worked to preserve orangutan habitats, supported local nonprofit organizations by painting area schools, and did preservation work on a coral reef, all in Sumatra and Bali.

Molly Wynne ’24

Molly Wynne ’24 spent several weeks last summer at the Kaatsbaan Ballet Intensive, a prestigious program for young dancers, led by world renowned teachers.

Charlotte Hay ’24

Last summer Charlotte Hay ’24 traveled to Zimbabwe, where she volunteered at The Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage, one of Africa's largest and most successful wildlife rehabilitation/release centers.

Maya Lewis ’24

Last summer, Maya Lewis ’24 traveled to northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai province to help care for endangered elephants. As a sanctuary volunteer, she was involved in their direct daily care.

Julian Prentice ’24

La Turballe is a small, picturesque coastal town in France. Known for its historic harbor and sandy beaches, La Turballe is also an outpost for the Service National Universel (SNU)—the French civil corps. It is where Julian Prentice ’24 was assigned during his two-week volunteer corps service last summer.

Maggie Zeng '24

Last summer Maggie earned four college credits through her work in UCSB's Summer Research Academy studying disparities and discrimination in public health.

Faith Graziano ’24

Faith Graziano ’24 turned her passion for primates into action last summer by joining Proyecto Carayá, a primate rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation program in Argentina.

Ronald Ceesay ’23, Jack Old ’24, and Harry Revenaugh ’24

Three Taft students traveled to Botswana over the summer to strengthen bonds built by Taft teacher and alumnus Andrew Taylor '72.

Sara Takanabe ’24

Sara spent six weeks last summer learning, growing, and honing her skills as an actor in a program designed to prepare high school theater students for the college audition and interview process.

Isabel Yang ’24

Senior Isabel Yang spent the summer conducting research with world-renowned scientists in the laboratories of the New York Botanical Garden. She presented her findings to Garden leadership at the end of the summer internship.

Vincent Chen ’24

After earning his EMT certification, Vincent Chen '24 spent the summer working 12-hour shifts as a medical first responder.

Michael McAloon and Maddie Beitler

Science Teachers

Michael McAloon returned to the Peruvian Amazon with fellow Taft Science Teacher Maddie Beitler. McAloon and Beitler participated in two of the primary research projects currently being led by the Amazon Research Initiative for Educators program.

Luca Gatti '24

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, Tafties are solidifying plans for their time away from campus. They may be inspired by the work Luca Gatti did last summer to support Ukrainian children.

Kaitlin Ip ’23

Kaitlin Ip ’23 is a recognized leader on Taft’s campus. She is also a leader on the global stage, having served as a Young Ambassador and volunteer for the Changing Young Lives Foundation (CYLF) since she was in eighth grade. Over the summer, she continued her work with CYLF, teaching English to young learners in Hong Kong.

Noah Cinel ’24

Ania Joszczyk ‘23

Ania Joszczyk ‘23 traveled to Havana last summer to build bonds and spread good will through service, spending time in with local nursing home residents each morning, and local school children each afternoon.

Jack Johnson ’23

With support from Taft’s Meg Page ’74 Fellowship program, Jack Johnson '23 spent one month in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, over the summer performing physical and speech therapy with children dealing with cerebral palsy, autism, and Down syndrome. 

Fiona Zimon '24

Fiona Zimon '24 spent three weeks in locations across Fiji and Australia over the summer, engaging in service-work that ranged from conservation and eco-restoration, to harvesting vegetables and serving at a local shelter. The nature of each day’s work was driven by the needs of the community.

Khai Shulman '23

Over the summer and with support from a Meg Page ’74 Fellowship, Khai Shulman '23 traveled to Vietnam’s Hue province, where he spent three weeks in the township of Thuy Bang working with children in the Duc Son Orphanage.

Luka Bunnell '23

Alex DiCorpo '23

Two Tafties engaged in high-level scientific research internships at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). Both were mentored by NYBG Scientist. Read about their work.

Fiona Chou ’25

Over the summer Fiona Chou '25 completed a cardiothoracic surgical skills internship at UCLA School of Medicine, where networked with pre-med students, medical interns, med school professors, and practicing surgeons.

Chris Joszczyk ’25

Chris Joszczyk ’25 traveled to Poland over the summer where he taught conversational English to 12- to-14-year-olds for three hours each day. The impact was tremendous, for both Chris and his students.

Isabel Cheng '23

With assistance from a Robert Keyes Poole ’50 Fellowship, Isabel Cheng '23 spent two weeks in La Paz, Mexico, using her skills as an open water diver to help protect and preserve essential coastal resources.

Erin Butler '24

With support from a Meg Page ’74 Fellowship, Erin Butler ’24 recently spent time with current medical students at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School in the classroom, the anatomy lab, and the exam room.

Ayden Cinel '22

Ayden Cinel '22 took a deep academic dive into biomedical building blocks through a new, virtual and immersive course in modern biology, part of Columbia University’s prestigious program for high school students.

Khai Shulman '23

Khai Shulman '23 traveled to the Galapagos Island to more fully understand and positively impact the interconnectedness of humans and the environment.

Macy Cherneff '22

Macy Cherneff took her passion for global and environmental issues to one of the world's conservation hotspots: the Galápagos Islands.

Lily Spencer '22

Lily Spencer '22 traveled to Morocco over the summer, where she engaged in an independent research project focused on education in a remote mountain village.

Julissa Mota '22

Julissa Mota '22 is a passionate learner. Over the summer she became a passionate teacher, guiding young students in Central America.

Angel Chukwuma '22

As a virtual teaching intern, Angel Chukwuma '22 shares her passion for learning with students in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Katie Bootsma '20

Maile Kuyper '20

Seniors Katie Bootsma and Maile Kuyper spent time working with the Quebec-Labrador Foundation over the summer, an organization dedicated to environmental stewardship.

Eugene Acevedo '20

Eugene Acevedo '20 is passionate about science. A summer internship at the New York Botanical Garden helped him explore his place in a broad and ever-changing field.

Keren Egu '21

Keren Egu '21 walked in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkein and Samuel Johnson last summer, studying at their alma mater, the University of Oxford.

Rachel Peverly '20

Senior Rachel Peverly discovered a new and profound passion for botany during her summer internship at the New York Botanical Garden.

Abigail Hano '20

Abigail Hano '20 traveled to Peru over the summer to work in a medical clinic and in the local schools. The experience deepened her commitment to pursuing a career in medicine.

Bojana Drca '20

Bojana Drca ’20 is passionate about the environment. She is especially passionate about climate change. Over the summer, she studied it at the edge of the Arctic. 

Alex Robertson '20

Alex Roberton spent a month in Rwanda over the summer, working with children and learning how an impoverished country built a progressive healthcare system.

Ben Le '21

For the past two summers, Ben Le has worked with children in Ho Chi Minh City's Ba Muoi Shelter, helping them gain confidence through public speaking and drama.

Mihir Nayar '19

When Mihir Nayar '19 returned to the US after spending six weeks in India during the summer of 2017, he knew there was still so much to be done. He went back to India in 2018 to continue his work with the children of Ahmedabad.

Sean Dunbar '20

It was a pairing that was meant to be: Taft’s longstanding connection with The Island School in Eleuthera, Bahamas, and Upper Mid Sean Dunbar’s longstanding connection to the island, itself.

Michelle Lian '20

Michelle Lian ’20 spent two weeks in rural China teaching young women English and mathematics through Educating Girls of Rural China (EGRC), an organization working to empower women in rural regions of Western China to escape the cycle of poverty through education.

Kira Siebrecht '19 

Kira Siebrecht '19 traveled to Argentina this summer to get involved in human rights issues at the grassroots level. She arrived on the eve of an important moment in the country's history.

Jon Bender

Spanish Teacher

For more than 1,000 years, pilgrims have journeyed along the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile network of ancient pilgrim routes leading to Santiago de Compostela. This summer, Spanish Teacher Jon Bender was among them. 

Collegium Musicum continued their summer tradition of spreading joy through music across the globe, this time through concerts in London and Paris. 

Logan Clew-Bachrach '20

Logan Clew-Bachrach '20 spent 16 days exploring Cuba from behind a camera. It is a vantage point, she says, that allows her to see things more deeply.

Jonathan Ip '20

For the second consecutive summer, Jonathan Ip ’20 traveled from his home in Hong Kong to Mainland China to work with children who have been "left behind."

Kaitlyn Macdonald '19

Kaitlyn Macdonald '19 learned how to suture lacerations, start IV lines, and intubate patients over the summer. She also learned that a career in medicine is the right path for her.

Francesca Nyakora '19

For Francesca Nyakora ’19, international relations is a way of life, with family in Kenya and relatives working for the United Nations across the globe. It also led her to Yale this summer to study international affairs and global security as a Yale Young Global Scholar.

Collin Amelsberg '19 spent a month in Belize this summer, building relationships, while delivering health education and medical care.

Stone Fenton '20

Stone Fenton stumbled upon a series of articles about agricultural advances. What he read changed the course of his summer, and may change farming worldwide.

Aditya Balsekar '18

Founder, Meaningful Summers

Aditya Balsekar combined his passion for service with his talent as a leader to change his community for the better.

Carly Borken

Director of Environmental Stewardship; Global Studies & Service; Science

Carly Borken brings a world of experiences into the Taft classroom.

Osi Bialunska '19

Osi recently traveled to Nepal an experience that brought new clarity and understanding to the value of a Taft education.

Natalie Waldram '18

Environmental Leader

Natalie Waldram ’18 is deeply connected to the environment. She spent time last summer in the Amazon rainforest, and at an environmental leadership academy.

Caleb Hannon '18

Caleb's efforts to immerse himself in other cultures have taken him around the world, and have  him on track to earn a Global Studies and Service diploma from Taft in June.

Ally Anderson '18

Ally Anderson '18 worked with scientists from the New York Botanical Garden to develop an algorithm for an electronic plant identification program.

Taylor Jacobs '18

Taylor blends the places in her heart with her passion for touching children’s lives.

Sydney Trevenen '17
Research Scientist

Listen to Sydney Trevenen talk about her summer internship with the Yale University Discovery to Cure program.

Shemar Christian '17

Eliza Price '17

Shemar and Eliza spent the summer of 2016 working side-by-side with world-renowned scientists, graduate students, and college interns in the laboratories of The New York Botanical Garden.

Lauren Fadiman '17
Service Leader

Lauren Fadiman brought her dedication to service to a remote Alaskan village.