Tag Archives: alumni

Alumni, Uncategorized

2013 October Road Trip Wrap-Up

top: Brandon Gell (F'10), Taylor Hoffman, Cam Powel, Emily Peters (F'11), Sharon Jarboe; bottom: Faith Isham (S'14), Emily Robinson (F'12), Rachel Shapiro, Kate Isham
top: Brandon Gell (F’10), Taylor Hoffman, Cam Powel, Emily Peters (F’11), Sharon Jarboe; bottom: Faith Isham (S’14), Emily Robinson (F’12), Rachel Shapiro, Kate Isham

What a whirlwind week it has been! On Tuesday morning, we left Burlington, VT and headed to Middlebury, VT. We met with prospective students at Middlebury Union High School in the morning where some of our recent alumni (Emily Robinson, F’12; Katie Holmes, F’12) had recruited a bunch of prospective Island School students. That evening, the Robinson family hosted an admissions reception at their beautiful, cozy home just outside of Middlebury in Weybridge, VT. We were happy to meet incoming Island School student and her family, Faith Isham, as well as catch up with some alumni!

photo 3 (9)On Wednesday morning it was back in the car and hitting the road! The team split up when we reached Hanover, NH. Cam and Taylor set up a table for interested students at Hanover High School, thanks to Elizabeth Keene in guidance, while Sharon drove to Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, NH. At Hanover, we were thankful for our alumni Sam Hastings (F’12) and Abby Smith (Su’13) for sharing their experiences at The Island School with their interested peers. Many friends of current student, Elsa Davis (F’13) also stopped by our table to find out more about The Island School.While in Hanover, we had the opportunity to check in all of our IS alumni at Dartmouth over lunch.

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\Mackenzie Carlson (Su’11), Ben Martin-Katz (S’10), Caroline Vanacore (S’11), Gigi Anderson (S’11)

Meanwhile, at KUA, Sharon had a great visit all organized by recent Teacher Conference alumni Eric Russman and Erin Mellow. She also got to meet Tristan Wakeman who will be coming down to IS in Spring 2014, and caught up with Spring 2006 alumna and KUA teacher, Brit Hastings. From Hanover, we had a good 3-hour drive up to Portland, ME where we would stay for the remainder of our trip.

On Thursday morning, we had an appointment at Freeport High School where we met with a number of interested students. A special thanks to Dana Clark in guidance who supports our program and is welcoming us back on 11/12 for her Semester Abroad/Gap/Summer opportunities fair! The rest of the day was filled with visiting IS alumni at colleges in Maine. We had lunch with our Bowdoin alumni in Brunswick and dinner with our Bates alumni in Lewiston.

2013-10-25 14.02.21By the time Friday morning came around, Continue reading →

Alumni, Events

2013 New England Road Trip Kicks Off!

The Island School admissions and alumni teams are on the road again! Sharon Jarboe, Cam Powel, and Taylor Hoffman are hitting the pavement this week, traveling throughout New England visiting sending schools, holding admissions receptions, and visiting Island School alumni enrolled in colleges throughout the area.

The week on the road began in Wellesley with an incredible admissions reception hosted by the Baker family (Shawn, Beth, Erin S’10, Julia S’13). It was one of our best attended receptions in history with over 70 people (including 25 prospective students!) gathered in the Bakers’ beautiful home to hear about The Island School or catch up with some familiar faces. A huge thank you to Shawn and Beth and the rest of their family for hosting such an amazing event!

Still buzzing with energy from Sunday night, we headed north for lunch at Phillps Exeter Academy where we caught up with some of our more recent alumni and some interested students. We were so thankful for Dr. Sydnee Goddard (parent F’08) who is a great faculty member resource not only for Exeter students interested in applying to The Island School, but also for the students who return to Exeter after their IS experience! She was nice enough to host our pizza party in her classroom on Monday afternoon.

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Sydnee Goddard, Brian Byun (F’12), Hope Logan (F’12), Nora Cullen (F’12), Kelly McCarthy (F’12), Caroline del Real (Su’13), Haley Stokas (Su’13), Josie Russ, Taylor Hoffman, Julie Lord (Su’13)

We then continued onward to arrive in Burlington, VT in time to get dinner with all of our alumni at University of Vermont.

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Gwen Child (F’09), Emily Peters (F’11), Cam Powel, TJ Thran (S’11), Alex Perkins (S’09), Taylor Hoffman, Sharon Jarboe, Kyle Titsworth (S’12), Rachel Shapiro

Our next stop is Middlebury, VT Continue reading →

Alumni, Events

San Francisco Admissions Reception Recap

Last night, Island School alumni as well as prospective students and families in the San Francisco area gathered at the home of Laura & Terry Hunt, parents of Griffin Hunt (F’11 and CEI intern Su’13) for an Island School admissions reception. The group had a great time showing videos Griffin created during his internship this past summer. The most recent student to return from The Island School, Hector showed some of his videos and photos from IS, including pictures of the IS spiral garden he dug into his front yard upon returning home.

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Kelsey Moody (S’06), Aly Boyce (F’10), James Boyce (F’12), Hector Altamarino (Su’13)

To find out where we will be next, visit our website. For any questions about admissions or admissions receptions, email admissions@islandschool.org.

Alumni, Alumni Spotlight

IS Alumnus Releases Debut Album

willoverman2Fall 2010 alumnus, Will Overman, recently released his debut album, “Son”, available on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/son/id725616876?ign-mpt=uo%3D4) and cdbaby. Will has an impressive resume both within the music world, having opened for the popular band MGMT, as well as outside the music world. Last year, Will backpacked the entire Appalachian Trail and shared with us his story. Will played a ton of music while he was a student at The Island School in Fall 2010 and is excited to now share his music with the rest of the world. Congratulations, Will!

Alumni

Fall 2013 Alumni Advisory Board Meeting on Eleuthera

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Ted Griffith (S’02), Drew Fink (F’05), Cam Powel (F’04, Dir. Alumni Relations), Nick Del Vecchio (F’02), Kate Parizeau (F’03), Mike Cortina (F’02), Horatio Smith (F’02), Dominique Keefe (S’07)

This past weekend 7 members of the Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) came down to The Island School for their annual on-island board meeting. These alumni are part of a volunteer board that helps The Island School alumni department strengthen the alumni network and also serve as the link between IS, CEI and DCMS and the greater Island School alumni community. During their long weekend on Eleuthera, the AAB participated in morning exercise, spoke with the directors of IS, CEI and DCMS, and discussed the future of the board as The Island School approaches its 15th birthday. However, the most valuable experience for the board was participating in facilitating a community meeting with the current Fall 2013 students. Alumni and current students alike shared an important “snapshot” from their semester and then broke out in to small groups to discuss some bigger picture questions about their Island School experiences.

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The final night of the AAB meeting was spent aboard the Maxey’s catamaran, Kokomo. The board’s next meeting will be in the states in April. To find out more about what the AAB does or how you can get involved in The Island School’s alumni community, email alumni@islandschool.org.

Alumni

CONCHtribution 2013 Has Begun!

Today marks the start of the 2013 CONCHtribution campaign, the annual alumni giving campaign that runs from September 23-November 30 and raises money for the Cape Eleuthera Foundation Annual Fund. This year the theme is Celebrating 15 Years of The Island School. We are so thankful for the support of our alumni over the past 15 years and look forward to another successful year.

For more information on the campaign and how to give, visit our website.

Alumni, News

Island School’s New Eco-Friendly Uniform: A Human Ecology Project

Ryan Schendel and Jake Varsano (F'12) put the Recover Brand t-shirts to the test by wearing them during morning exercise.
Ryan Schendel and Jake Varsano (F’12) put Recover Brand t-shirts to the test by wearing them during morning exercise.

When we unveiled our updated Island School logo last fall, we also got to work on updating the Island School uniform to match. In fact, it was two Island School alumni who really got the ball rolling. During their Fall 2012 semester, Ryan Schendel and Jake Varsano decided to take on this daunting task as their Human Ecology final project. Determined to not only live, but also wear, The Island School’s mission to live well in a place, they began to contact vendors and test products. By the end of the Fall 2012 semester, they finally found their match in Recover Brands, a small eco-clothing start-up based out of Asheville, North Carolina that shares our same devotion to conserving the environment. We are excited to announce our partnership with Recover Brands, and introduce their products, made from 100% recycled apparel. We also continue to be proud of our students’ efforts to be leaders effecting change, especially once they leave The Island School.

“Jake and I saw an opportunity to apply the sustainability factor of The Island School campus to the clothing we wear – this was a chance to take responsibility of the origins of our uniforms and campus clothes and recognize the impact our clothes had on the environment. I think the project was and will continue to be successful because now Island School students can be proud of the clothes they wear every day because they know the story, know their environmental footprint, and see a continuation of the campus sustainability from the moment they put their shirt on.

As for me, I know after I got my Recover IS shirt, it reminded me of our sustainable campus. Every time I put it on at home, I remember how it’s different from my other shirts, and it reminds me of Island School’s sustainability. I think it’s important in the future for IS students to learn about Recover and their clothing, just like when we got a campus tour of our sustainable systems. This way, their IS clothing can have an impact, just like it does for me.” –Ryan Schendel F’12

“I am proud to say this new clothing brings The Island School another step closer to its mission of sustainability. I hope our project inspires future students to aim their projects towards something they feel passionate about and are confident will help improve our campus, allowing it to be the best model of sustainability possible. I would also like to note the efforts that were put in on campus by all who helped once Ryan and I went home. To quote Maxey, ‘It is not about the guy with the idea, it is about the guy who recognizes the idea and helps run with it.’ Well, something like that. It is time that we started wearing our mission!” –Jake Varsano F’12

If your wardrobe needs updating, or your old Island School t-shirt needs replacing, visit the new online store: http://www.recoverbrands.com/store/category/the-island-school.

Alumni, Events

First Annual Nantucket & Cape Cod Run-Swims

nonameThis past weekend marked The Island School’s first annual summer run-swim tour. First stop: Nantucket! 22 brave run-swim participants gathered around the flag pole at the Parizeau’s home on Saturday morning to stretch and sing the Bahamian national anthem before hitting the course. Three laps around the course and almost an hour later, the run-swim was complete, with everyone placing a triumphant slap on the flagpole.

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UMass Field Station

The Parizeau family (Kate F’03, Doug S’06, Molly S’10, Sam S’14) then hosted everyone for lunch at their home before taking a tour of the UMass Field Station just down the road. UMass’s Dr. Sarah Oktay walked us through the facility and spoke about the important work she and her colleagues are doing to preserve the health of Nantucket, its inhabitants, and its surrounding environment.

After a much-needed rest in the afternoon, Island School folks gathered together again, this time at the home of the Simmons (Reilly F’12). They hosted a delicious barbecue which afforded the opportunity for alumni, parents, and prospective families to socialize.

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Alumni at Nantucket BBQ
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Cape Cod run-swimmers

 

 

 

 

 

 

G5595504The next morning, The Island School headed to the Taft’s home (S’09, S’13) in Pocasset on Cape Cod to tackle another run-swim. In true Island School fashion, Spring 2009 students took on the leadership role of taking the group on a course in and out of the water, complete with lots of arm workouts using rocks on the shore. Alumni and Island School families hung out through the afternoon playing lawn games and enjoying the delicious food provided by the Taft family.

Patrick DiLoreto (F'04), Lizzie Horvitz (S'04)
Patrick DiLoreto (F’04), Lizzie Horvitz (S’04)

To round out the weekend, Chris and Pam took a quick trip to Martha’s Vineyard on Monday morning and got to see a few familiar faces before heading back down the coast to their house in Lawrenceville.

We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to all of the families and alumni who opened up their homes to host these fun events and make the weekend possible: The Parizeaus (Kim, Ernie, Kate F’03, Doug S’06, Molly S’10, Sam S’14), the Simmons (Julie, Brian Reilly F’12), the Vanacores (Tricia, Mark, Caroline S’11, Cole S’13, Avery S’14, Reed) and the Tafts (Terry, Dave, Will, Krissy S’09, Sarah S’13, Haley).

A group of Fall 2012 alumni at the Simmons' home in Nantucket.
A group of Fall 2012 alumni in Nantucket.

We will be hitting the road again next summer so mark your calendars! In an effort to increase attendance and participation, we are going to consolidate the event to one location, so save the date for July 12 in Nantucket!