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forsyth turns fifty
See inside >>
John Rush, FS ‘10, and Matthew Royce,
FS ‘10, at the pancake breakfast
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focus on alumni
A p u b l i c a t i o n fo r fo rsy t h s c h ool a l u m n i s p r i n g 2012
Forsyth Turns Fifty
The end of this school year marks the end
of our 50th anniversary celebration…and boy, did
we celebrate! The year started with a birthday bash
at the annual Fall Picnic, complete with a fourtiered birthday cake.
Former Head of School Becky Glenn
with former Director of Admission
Ann Babington
Alice Barnard, Donna Militello, Bernardine
Sommer, Shelley Stone and Jane Molden
In October, Alumni from the classes of 1990-2002
gathered at Llywelyn’s Pub in the Central West End.
It was great to see Rebeca Davila, FS ’95, Marisa
Giller, Christine Mold, FS ’94, Ellen Nangle, FS ’91,
Tamalge “Newt” Newton, Ross Rochat, FS ’92,
Matthias Sommer, FS ’91, Corey Stranghoener
Reuwee, FS ’91, Louie Woodhams, FS ’91, Kate
Chiappinelli, FS ’97, Sam Schmiz, FS ’95, and
Austin Barzantny, FS ’91. Special thanks to Ellen
and Corey for chairing this event.
The Pancake Breakfast in April was the signature
event of our fiftieth celebration. Retired teachers
Helen Delaney and Theckla Mehta stopped by
the “Gallerie du Forsyth,” a mini museum of
Forsyth archives, photos and more in the Fillmore
Multipurpose Room.
In conjunction with Earth Day, we honored Alice
Barnard, Donna Militello, Jane Molden, Bernardine
Sommer and Shelley Stone, current faculty
members who have been teaching at Forsyth
for more than 20 years, by planting a tree in
front of Dunbar House. Becky Glenn, Ann
Babington and Charlie DiLeo were there
to cheer on their former colleagues.
Hashim Raza (FS ’78),
Virginia O’Brien (FS ’78) and
John Carpenter (FS ’79)
The week after the Pancake Breakfast,
Brian Swift, FS ’89, and Kevin Barton,
FS ’90, saw the photos of the event on
our Alumni Facebook page and stopped
by campus to see some of our Alumni
archives. Call or email Cory Smallwood Andrew (FS ’07) and William Bartnett
if you would like to stop by campus, too.
You are always welcome.
Mimi and Emma (FS ’11) Klahr
Elizabeth Soffer, Tessa Baum, Patti
Duffy, Mariel Van Landingham and
Nina Fischer from the Class of 2006
John Carpenter ’79,
far left
‘79
Retired teachers Mrs. Theckla Mehta and
Ms. Helen Delaney
What are They
Doing Now?
john carpenter FS ’79
education
– John Burroughs School, ’85
– Brown University, History
and Political Science, ’89
– Trinity College Dublin,
M.Phil. ’92
What are you doing now?
I’m back in St. Louis, living with my wife and
three kids in the home I grew up in in the Central
West End and working at MICDS as Head of the
Middle School.
What is your favorite
Forsyth memory?
My most favorite memories are probably my
earliest ones—sitting in the Living Room in
the original house singing songs from the
Forsyth songbook while Mrs. Dunbar played the
piano…meditation…tai chi…the playground
monkeybars!
How did your time at Forsyth
influence your subsequent
education and career choice?
In hugely profound ways. Forsyth gave me a love
of learning, a belief in myself, and a deep
appreciation for community, which I still carry
with me today. My career choice and work today as
an educator is a direct result of this foundational
experience.
Do you still keep in touch with
any of your Forsyth friends?
Just a couple at this point—my oldest friend
Robert Durbin and I still keep in touch. I also
got to see Hashim Raza at Forsyth’s recent 50th
Celebration!
continued >>
Welcome to Our Newest Alums!
‘12
Forsyth School gained 46 new alumni on Friday, June 1, 2012. The Class of 2012 participated in all of
the traditional Forsyth activities for sixth graders including walking the high beam and signing the book
with a special note for their younger siblings or Little Friends, stage scenes from several of Shakespeare’s
comedies including Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Midsummer Night’s
Dream, the 4-day camping trip to Southern Illinois, the graduation procession with Little Friends through
a shower of Fruit Loops, breakfast with Mr. Vachow and the graduation ceremony where each student
made a brief speech. Here’s where they are headed next year:
Lian Anderson, Wydown Middle School
Michaela Bach, John Burroughs School
William Bartnett, John Burroughs School
Wynne Beyersdorfer, John Burroughs School
Joey Bock, John Burroughs School
Anson Brown, John Burroughs School
Michael Browning, John Burroughs School
Christine Burris, Wydown Middle School
Andrew Button, Rockwood School District
Loren Case, John Burroughs School
Will Coen, MICDS
Izzy Critchfield-Jain, MICDS
David Dávila, John Burroughs School
Izzy Essman, MICDS
Tyler Foote, MICDS
Julia Gomes, Ladue Middle School
Peter Ha, Boston Area
Dahlia Haddad, John Burroughs School
Ehan Kamat, MICDS
Jason Kemp, John Burroughs School
Caroline Knapp, MICDS
Alexa Kouvelis, John Burroughs School
Eden Kresko, Whitfield School
Max Krupnick, John Burroughs School
Ben Langton, John Burroughs School
Tommy Larsen, MICDS
Caroline Liekweg, MICDS
James Long, John Burroughs School
Amelia Love, MICDS
Lauren Malloy, MICDS
Lauren Mason, MICDS
Minerva Pappu, John Burroughs School
Seth Paradise, Kirkwood School District
Caroline Peluso, MICDS
Olivia Reeve, Villa Duchesne
Maddy Richter, MICDS
Lindsey Royce, MICDS
Ian Sajjapong, John Burroughs School
Ella Schmidt, John Burroughs School
Hasani Skinner, John Burroughs School
Harrison Thomas, MICDS
Elena Thomas-Dietz, Crossroads School
Sealy Thompson, John Burroughs School
Amy Tishler, Wydown Middle School
Matthew Williams, John Burroughs School
Abby Wolf, Crossroads School
Congratulations to the Class of 2006
We saluted the Forsyth Classes of 2012, our graduating
sixth graders, and the Class of 2006, now graduating
seniors at our annual year-end assembly in May. Three pairs
of siblings were challenged to walk the high beam: Wynne
and Spencer Beyersdorfer, FS ’06; Jason and Adam Kemp,
FS ’06; and Izzy and Sophie Critchfield-Jain, FS ’06. The
Class of 2006 had impressive college news to share,
including Harvard (early decision), Princeton, Dartmouth,
Georgetown, to name just a few of the distinguished
universities these Forsyth graduates will attend. Nearly
What are They Doing Now?
mary stranghoener
FS ’95
continued
I am in the Dolphin Show called Blue Horizons.
I get to perform all of the roles in the show,
including the main role of Marina. She is a young
girl who dreams of swimming with dolphins and
the show is about her dream coming true. Much
like my actual life!
What is your favorite
Forsyth memory?
The science programs at Forsyth were amazing and
so hands-on, which is always how I liked to learn. I remember starting to love science at Forsyth and
really getting into biology around 5th and 6th
grade.
education
– John Burroughs, 2001
– Williams College 2005, Biology
– Study abroad in Australia at James Cook
University, Marine Biology
What are you doing now?
Senior Trainer at SeaWorld San Diego
My favorite memories, however, occurred when I
did not feel well at school and got to go lay in the
bathroom of the principal’s office!
Back in my day, the bed consisted of a piece of
wood on top of the bathtub with a pillow on it! I
remember getting to lay in there and talk to all my
favorite teachers and all of the people passing by! I loved the attention; I guess I was very much an
extrovert even in grade school!
‘06
20% of Forsyth’s class of 2006 received National Merit
recognition. In addition to National Merit scholars, the
Class of 2006 includes scholar athletes, a Presidential
award winner, a Morehead-Cain Scholar to the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill and more! How did your time at Forsyth
influence your subsequent
education and career choice?
Forsyth is an amazing school that manages
to embrace the different personalities and
backgrounds of each student while making you
feel like you are part of one big family. You get to
learn from incredible teachers, get exposure to very
talented students, while maintaining your own
character and building individuality. There were
great athletic and theater programs, which taught
me how to balance activities and school early
on. I had so much energy when I was younger
and Forsyth managed to harness it and keep me
on the right track! Some of my report cards are
hilarious to read now because each teacher had
to figure out how to wrangle me in! Forsyth has a
way of teaching each of the students how to teach
themselves which gives them the confidence to
dream big. I am so thankful for that!
Do you still keep in touch with
any of your Forsyth friends? Yes, I am still very close to Carlisle Brigham and
Chrissie Murphy. My sister also went to Forsyth so
we have many Forsyth alums in our lives. I wish I
could visit more, it is hard from California!
Send us your update for Class Notes! Email
Cory Smallwood at csmallwood@forsythonline.com.
class notes
Debbie Lum, FS ’80, directed, wrote and produced
an exciting documentary entitled “Seeking Asian
Female”, (seekingasianfemale.com), which
premiered at the SXSW
Film Festival in Austin,
Texas this spring. Debbie
was also awarded the
“Outstanding Director
for Documentary
Feature” from the LA
Asian Pacific Film
Photo by Susan Munroe
Festival in May.
Sam Hefler, FS ’06, was named the Ladue-
Frontenac Patch Male Athlete of the Year. He was
also recognized as a scholar-athlete at the National
Football Foundation’s annual awards program on
May 6, 2012.
Donald Soffer, FS ’08, a sophomore at John
Burroughs School, planned, filmed and edited a
documentary entitled “Bottled Rationality” that
was nominated
for best picture
and best story
by the THIMUN
(The Model
United Nations
in the Hague)
Qatar Northwestern University Film Festival. Don
traveled to Qatar to attend the film festival at the
end of March. The documentary asked the question
“Why do we drink something out of a bottle that we
can get out of a faucet?”
Josie Jones, FS ’02, graduated from Hamilton
College this spring where she made the Dean’s list.
She also played 4 years of lacrosse and was just
selected for the NESCAC Sportsmanship award.
Jody Jones, FS ’09, is finishing her freshman year
at MICDS where she played volleyball and lacrosse.
This year, she ranked 10th in the country and
8th in the state for The National French Contest/
Le Grand Concours–an annual competition
sponsored by the American Association of Teachers
of French.
John Nangle, FS ’93, was married in May, 2011, to
Clare Gibson. He lives in Silver Springs, Maryland,
and works for the Department of Transportation.
Tim Nangle, FS ’89, lives in Evanston IL, and
is married to Jean Ro. They have two children
(Matthew age 4 and Sophia age 1). Tim works for
ConAgra Food.
David Nangle, FS ’98, just finished his second year
of law school at the University of Wisconsin and is
working in New York City for the summer.
Congratulations to Ellen Nangle, FS ’91, who
married Zach Borowiak in St. Louis on St. Patrick’s
Day of this year. Childhood friends and classmates
Corey Stranghoener Reuwee, FS ’91, and Maggie
McElwain Johnson, FS ’91, served as the co-Matrons
of Honor.
Rebecca Levy, FS ’01, Forsyth School Development
intern last summer, is now working as Development
Associate for Springboard in St. Louis, a non-profit
organization that provides in-school, arts-ineducation programs.
Elizabeth Darrell, FS ’07, was accepted into the
Cultural Leadership Program. A year-long
educational program for high school students,
Cultural Leadership teaches students about the
history of racism and discrimination through
the African-American and Jewish perspectives. Elizabeth will receive training on how to bring about
positive social change, making our society more
inclusive and socially just. This program only has
28 students from 20 different high schools and 15
different houses of worship all over the St. Louis area.
Anthony DeFilippo, FS ’96, is currently a research
Janny Jones, FS ’99, left her para-legal position
the University of Wisconsin with a degree in
Economics. He was a 2012 NCAA Outdoor
Championships Preliminary Round qualifier
(pole vault) this year and is the current Wisconsin
record-holder in
pole vault.
in Boston and is finishing a 3-month stay at the
Bwindi Community Hospital in remote Uganda
where her clients are primarily Batwa–a tribal
group of forest dwelling pygmies. In the fall,
she will start on her Master’s in Public Health at
Washington University in St. Louis.
alex hutkin FS ’00
education
– John Burroughs School,
2006
–George Washington
University, BA,
International Affairs,
Concentrations in Africa
and Conflict & Security,
class of 2010
– Naval War College, MA Candidate, National
Security and Strategic Studies
What are you doing now?
Legislative Aide for a Member of Congress from
Missouri who serves on the House Armed Services
Committee. I advise my boss on transportation
and immigration issues, as well as handling her
social media accounts.
What is your favorite
Forsyth memory?
Climbing the alpine tower with Mr. Shelton. All our camping trips, really!
fellow at the Combustion Research Facility at
Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore,
CA, and will finish his Ph.D. in Mechanical
Engineering at the University
of California, Berkeley in
December. After graduating,
he will conduct postdoctoral
research in the field of
renewable energy.
Hanna Alexander, FS ’09, completed her freshman
year at MICDS where she played varsity volleyball.
Margot Miller, FS ’00, is teaching Grade 5 at the
Wheeler School in Providence, RI.
Dena Soffer, FS ’01, is a Grade 5 Science teacher at
Brooklyn East Collegiate and a Teach for America
Corps member.
Robbie Molden, FS ’96, is an Associate Marine
Mammal Trainer at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
in Vellejo, CA.
Austin Engelage, FS ’06, Rio Schimmelpfenig, FS ’06,
Jack Hannum and Morgan Hutchinson, FS ’04, are
working at Summer Discovery camp at Forsyth
School this summer.
alumni donations
Special thank you to our Alumni for their financial
support since July 1, 2011.
Sam Buchholz FS ‘09
Carswell Family
Ellebrecht Family
Emily Fowler-Cornfeld FS ‘05
Kelsey Ginger FS ‘11
Valerie J. Goldston FS ‘72
David S. Greensfelder FS ‘77
Julie Greenspoon and Family
Guyol Family
Lexi Hales FS ‘05
Claire Lampen FS ‘02
Sarah Lampen FS ‘99
Rebecca Levy FS ‘01
Jaspur Min FS ‘01
Caroline Min FS ‘04
Margaret Min FS ‘08
Dan Molden FS ‘87
Jeff Molden FS ‘91
Robbie Molden FS ‘96
Shea P. Murphy FS ‘10
Fade Oluokun FS ‘05
Foye Oluokun FS ‘07
Matthew C. Royce FS ‘10
John Rush FS ‘10
Dena Soffer FS ‘01
Sarah Soffer FS ‘02
Elizabeth Soffer FS ‘06
Donald Soffer FS ‘08
P. Blake Simmons FS ‘94
Sydney A. Singer FS ‘11
Michael Valentine FS ‘63
Sarah Van Cleve FS ‘02
Chris Vachow FS ‘10
Mariel Van Landingham
FS ‘06
Catherine Von Holt FS ‘08
Faculty Focus >>
Mickey DeFilippo, FS ’01, graduated from
How did your time at Forsyth
influence your subsequent
education and career choice?
I think that Forsyth, through the tight-knit
community, instills in its students a strong sense
of morality. Forsyth doesn’t just teach you what
is right and wrong, you live it every day while at
Forsyth. I think that morality and desire to work
on behalf of a community, whether it is your
classroom or a Congressional district, is a key part
of the Forsyth experience, and a large part of what
shaped me.
Jeffrey Clay (Forsyth teacher since 2002) will
become the assistant Executive Director of the
Harambee Youth Training Corps, an organization
that he has been involved with for many years
that works with inner city children.
Sharon Stearns
(Forsyth teacher since
2006) and her family
are moving to Canada
where her husband
Jesse Thomas has
secured a tenured
teaching position at the
University of Alberta. Do you still keep in touch with
any of your Forsyth friends?
Absolutely! Not just through high school and
college either. I’m so lucky that my friend since
3rd grade, Josh Fu, lives in the Washington, D.C.
area, and we’ve still maintained the bond that was
formed while at Forsyth.
Señor Max Vento (Forsyth teacher since 2006), who
is an award-winning graphic artist, is moving to
France to pursue a career in graphic illustration.