Krissy Truesdale (F’13) continues to do important work in her community. In this blog piece written by her, she talks about the importance of education and personal drive for inspiring global citizenship.
Keep up the good work Krissy!
Check out her blog post here.
Drew Fink (F’05) gets pinned by Chris and Pam Maxey during the evening celebrations hosted by longtime supporters Les and Wendy Morris
In January, the Board of Directors for The Island School gathered in West Palm Beach, Florida for one of their three annual meetings. The purpose of the gathering was to celebrate transitions and alumni energy as well as share ideas on the direction and focus of the school as we head into 2016. Alumnus Drew Fink (F’05) was pinned with the starfish as he was welcomed into the ranks of the Board during this, his first meeting. Alums have consistently shown strong leadership and passion for The Island School and its mission of Leadership Effecting Change by volunteering for the Board. Drew was welcomed by returning Island School alums on the Board:
Francesca Forrestal (F’99), Thatcher Spring (F’99), Meg Bunn (F’01), Johann Scheidt (S’02), Nick DelVecchio (F’02), Greg Henkes (S’03) and Peter Meijer (S’05)
Chris Maxey talks with Board members Ande Frost (Parent F’04, S’09, S’13) and Greg Henkes (S’03)Do you want to be part of the The Island School’s Board and play a significant role in the vision, direction and execution of the future of the school? We are reaching out to all Island School, Cape Eleuthera Institute, and Deep Creek Middle School alumni who are at least two years removed from college and would like to submit an application to the nomination committee. If you would like to be considered, and you are passionate about what we do, please write to alumni@islandschool.org with a resume and cover letter describing your interest. The basic requirements for membership are as follows:
If you are interested, we can send you the Board’s handbook for you to learn more about what the expectations for a potential two year commitment entail. The two primary expectations that are held of all Board members are attendance of all three annual meetings (Boston, MA in October, Nassau, Bahamas in January and Eleuthera itself in April) at your own expense, and that The Island School is within your top 3 philanthropic commitments. If you have any questions or simply want to know more, please do not hesitate to reach out to alumni@islandschool.org and we will respond as soon as possible.
Island School Alumna Krissy Truesdale (pictured right) from the F’13 Island School semester has been working tirelessly to bring solar power to the East Coast since before her time on campus. She is the founder and CEO of a novel charity called Solar for Our Superheroes or S4OS for short. The mission of S4OS, as can be found on their Facebook page, reads as follows: “Solar for Our Superheroes is a nonprofit organization thanking local leaders such as veterans, teachers, firefighters, and police officers with solar energy for their homes. In doing so, we are able to thank our heroes, bring together communities, and educate about renewable energy options in our MA neighborhoods”. Krissy’s inspiration for her project goes back to her childhood. She has always “been passionate about wildlife and nature. My childhood consisted of me running around in the New England forests with my best friends, making up adventures with magic and dragons, adventures in which I would always be the hero coming in to save the day”. Krissy was hooked on the concept of heroes but also of the environment. She joined her high school’s Environmental Action Committee which encouraged her to believe that she could make a positive difference. At one of the meetings with her school’s program, Krissy met a girl from Arizona who was “chatting up about solar energy in her state. I made a comment about it was too bad that solar didn’t work in New England and she was taken aback; we have sunlight, why wouldn’t it work? We did some research and turns out it would work, and very well, but since no one had seen it around to prove that it worked here, most people assumed otherwise. It was a cycle of inaction.” Krissy set out to break that “cycle of inaction” and struck upon inspiration for her charity in her grandfather who was a firefighter, plumber, electrician and firehouse cook all at the same time simply to pay the bills. Other members of her family have served in the Navy, ROTC or as teachers in schools so Krissy always had a profound appreciation for her family and how they had found ways of dedicating themselves to service on behalf of the community. To Krissy, “giving solar panels to these people seemed to be a perfect solution to thank them and save them money, while also creating the good examples of renewable energy that we need.”
Krissy credits The Island School for teaching her how to manage a team, how to take criticism and most importantly how to move on from a failure. She learned not to give up when an idea or a presentation turned out poorly and instead how to adapt. For Krissy, attending The Island School “solidified my passion and direction for a life of activism”. She still keeps her letters from her kayak group taped to her mirror in her college dorm and uses them to motivate herself. She also has the guiding hand of our own Christian Henry on the Board of Directors for S4OS where he provides feedback and support.
Recently, S4OS achieved official 501c3 status meaning it is a recognized charity. This, along with the fact that Krissy has found the first hero she will be giving solar panels to, a partnership with The Boston Solar Company and the hiring of her first five interns means that she is well on her way to success. Krissy is now looking to provide solar panels to as many heroes as she can find with the eventual goal of spreading the transition to renewable energy throughout all of New England. Best of luck to you Krissy! All of us here at The Island School are rooting for you!
Island School alum Drew Ginsberg (pictured left) of the recently graduated Summer 2015 semester has been working to make a difference in extraordinary ways in his community. Through his family’s involvement with a rehabilitation hospital, he found out that there were specialty tricycles being custom built for children who couldn’t otherwise ride bikes or trykes on their own. For these kids, normally restricted to motorized equipment to be mobile, having their own way of getting around is an important symbol of freedom and independence. One catch: each tryke was unusually expensive, and there was a waiting list of over 2 dozen young people in need. Drew stepped in, undeterred by the challenge, and got his friends, family, and community organized around this effort. Drew first formalized his efforts to help young people when he was 13 and decided to use his Bar Mitzvah project as his platform to raise the money for the first tryke he ever donated.
Island School founder Chris Maxey recently attended the presentation of the very last tryke that Drew’s fundraising efforts were able to secure for the final family on his waiting list. The ceremony took place in Salem New Hampshire at the Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital. Drew is now reaching out to other families in need – and The Island School is proud to celebrate his dedication to making a real difference for his community. More information about Drew’s project can be found here including a list of his awards and recognitions relating to the project. Most recently on that list is a letter from the US House of Representatives recognizing his efforts! Congratulations Drew! We at The Island School look forward to seeing the progress you make in the future.
Margaux Burnham, an alumna from the Fall 2010 semester is currently a junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has recently completed a semester abroad with the SEA Semester program. Margaux’s program included five weeks spent on the Woods Hole campus in Cape Cod. She then spent the rest of her term sailing from Barcelona to Majorca, the Straits of Gibraltar, Madeira the Canary Islands and Cadiz, Spain. Participants in her program included herself and 13 other college students. Every student on the program takes three core classes plus two electives. One of Margaux’s classes was focused on the concept of sense of place, very similar to some of the learning conducted at The Island School.
The actual sailing aspect of SEA Semester turned out to be very similar to The Island School’s new sailing program. Margaux and the other students were expected to take turns manning watches at night as well as various duties during the day doing everything up to and including navigating and steering. The program constantly pushed Margaux outside of her mental and physical comfort zones, especially while at sea and battling the effects of seasickness while still needing to be a productive and effective member of the team. Margaux wants to give a shoutout to her Fall 2010 semester and encourages anyone in college who is interested in a non-traditional semester abroad program to consider taking a look at SEA semester
Less than one month until the alumni reunion on-island, September 25-27. Come back to the sea to visit your querencia, hug all your favorite kitchen ladies, snorkel at 4th hole and dance the night away to the Rum Runners! It’s not too late to RSVP! Email cameronpowel@islandschool.org.
Chris and Pam Maxey were out in San Diego reuniting with friends as Chris celebrated his 30 year reunion since graduation from Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUDS) training with class 134. Peter Scholle, Island School Spring 2007 alumnus, recently graduated from Harvard and was selected out of an incredibly competitive process to gain a place in BUDS training. Peter, with shaved head starts with BUD/S class 315, next week. We send him strength as he takes on this challenge!
We want to welcome back all of The Island School alumni who have returned to Cape Eleuthera and giving back this summer!
This summer, Griffin Hunt (F’11) is working as a Summer Term Alumni Mentor at The Island School. He is co–leading the Tourism and Development unit, a course which explores the history of Eleuthera and the underlying socio–economic factors that have impacted its development through two–night down–island trips and participation in relevant CEI research. Specifically, students will be exposed to political philosophy, ethnography, and tourism practices, along with two conservation–oriented field days with CEI researchers. In college, Griffin is pursuing a double major in Public Policy & Law and Philosophy. In addition to teaching the T&D unit, Griffin serves as an advisor to a group of students and an EMT and is co–head of the Boys Dorm. This is Griffin’s third summer at The Island School and he is psyched to spend the term with a remarkable faculty team and 50 passionate students.
Kristin Treat (Su’10) is going to be a senior majoring in Marine Biology at Florida Institute of Technology. She is a shark conservation and research intern this summer at CEI. She is so excited to learn and get field experience during my time here. Kristin loves traveling, scuba diving, and trying new things. Maggie Winchester (Su’11) is a shark intern from Vermont. She studied abroad in Morocco, and in the spring Maggie will be graduating from the University of New England. She is really excited to be back in Eleuthera and be working with sharks again. Christian Daniell (F’10) is back as an intern with the Shark Research and Conservation program at CEI. He mostly lives in the UK, and I is currently going into his fourth year at Connecticut College. This is Christian’s third time on the island, his first being in 2010 as a student, then in 2012 as an intern. Christian is looking forward to getting out there and tagging some fish and help out in any way he can. Chase Goldston (Su’13) is interning with the Flats team this summer. He is going into his sophomore year at Colby College. Chase is from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. He is a big Cleveland sports fan and loves dogs and being outdoors. Emilie Geissinger (S’08) is a summer intern with the Flats Ecology Team. She graduated from Bates College in 2014. This past year she taught high school Biology at the Noble and Greenough School. She is very excited to be back in Eleuthera and participating in the awesome research going on here! Emilie plays water polo with a team in Boston and participates in sprint triathlons for fun. Anna Jenkins (S’12) is in her third year at UC Berkeley and grew up in San Francisco. Anna is back at IS working with the Reef Ecology and Conservation research team and am very passionate about conservation regarding marine life and energy. Anna’s hobbies include soccer, dance, and generally being outdoors. James Boyce (F’12) is back on Eleuthera and working as an intern in the Boathouse. He spent the first part of the summer on the 5 Gyres sailing expedition from Bermuda to the east coast of the US and is psyched to be back and helping out. Dana Biddle (S’13) is very excited to be back this summer. During her semester, she worked with Jocelyn on the lionfish and lobster research project. She is back working for Jocelyn on the Sustainable Fisheries team. Dana will be a sophomore at the University of Miami next year and is studying Marine Science. Dana Colihan (S’12) is a Reef Ecology and Conservation Research Intern this summer. She was born and raised in New York City although Dana is currently attending Oberlin College in Ohio. She is an Environmental Studies major and a rising junior. Dana like bagels, fixing/riding bikes, and works at a Living Machine at Oberlin. She is super excited to be be back and to be doing work on sustainable fisheries this summer!
Aly Boyce (F’10) is working with the Sea Turtle team for the summer. She is originally from Abaco- just one island north of Eleuthera! Currently, she is a rising senior at UC Berkeley double majoring in Political Science and Environmental Science. She is looking forward to getting to spend time with old friends and getting to meet many more! She also hopes to be able to explore Eleuthera and freedive as much as possible. Brandon Gell (F’10) is currently a rising senior at Middlebury College in Vermont. This summer he is working at CSD working on creating a the framework for a sustainable design competition to be held at The Island School. Brandon is psyched to be back here and is looking forward to catching up with old friends and making many new ones.
Ryan Schendel (F’12) is working as a general systems intern at CSD. He is studying Sustainable Environmental Design at UC Berkeley. His project this summer is to connect the water cisterns underneath CSD with the pipe system throughout Island School Campus and CEI. Tamara Pletzer (S’12) is the aquaponics intern this summer. She is a second year at University of Edinburgh and is studying economics and math but originally hails from Colorado. Tamara loves scuba diving, swimming, among other activities and is looking forward to learning more about the aquaponics system as well as how to create the beds, grow tilapia and try growing different plants in the system! Whit Powel (S’09) is back for her third summer teaching, advising, and shaping the young minds of Summer Term students. This summer, she will be teaching the Sustainable Systems unit, advising, co-heading the Girls Dorm, and fulfilling the role of Dean of Students. Her hometown is Shaker Heights, Ohio and she graduated this spring from Denison University. Catharine Pirie (F’10) will be returning for her second summer working as a Tourism and Development teacher, advisor, and co-head of Girls Dorm for the Summer Term students. She is from Hamilton, Massachusetts and is currently a senior at Hobart and William Smith colleges. Catharine is so excited for yet another amazing and exciting summer here! Tori Suslovitch (F’11) is a rising Senior at the University of Tampa where she studies Biology with minors in Chemistry and Education. This is her first time back on Eleuthera since her semester and she is excited to help teach Marine Ecology for the Summer Term. Meaghan Kachadoorian (F’10) is from Connecticut and goes to school in North Carolina. She is really happy to be back and teaching Summer Term for the Tourism & Development and Sustainable Systems units. Katie Gougelet (S’08) is from Hanover, New Hampshire and a recent alumna of Dartmouth College. This is her first summer back to Eleuthera since Spring ’08 and she is excited to be here helping to teach and and get involved with all aspects of the students’ summer experience. Max Maloberti (S’10) is a Biology major and Junior at Dickinson College, PA. He is back teaching the Marine Ecology unit. Ever since his semester, he has been wanting to come back so he is really excited for this summer. Liam Macartney (F’13) is back and excited to be working with the Educational Programs team. George Giannos (F’10) is back for his 5th time since his semester working in CSD and helping oversee all of the interns at CEI and CSD this summer. Meagan Gary (F’07) is a Masters student at Florida Atlantic University and this summer/fall she will be comparing the home range and habitat use of different sized immature green turtles at CEI. After graduating from Colorado College where she majored in Biology, Meagan returned to CEI and was the sea turtle research assistant. Mike Cortina (F’02) has been working at CSD for 1.5 years as a Sustainability Teacher. Stanley Burnside (F’07) is a lead educator with CEI’s Educational Programs.
Come back to the sea and join us for The Island School alumni reunion September 25-27, 2015 on Cape Eleuthera. Visit our website for more information or email cameronpowel@islandschool.org for questions or to RSVP.
