February 12, 2013

1) Kate T. (Seminar class of 2001) earned a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Virginia and a M.S. in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology from Columbia University. She spent a summer studying abroad in Spain as an undergraduate and completed a clinical internship at a Children’s Hospital in Cambodia after graduate school. She is currently working for Henrico County Public Schools on a team of teachers, psychologists, social workers, and therapists to evaluate preschoolers to determine appropriate services and classroom settings. Outside of work, Kate volunteers at the Neighborhood Resource Center, a nonprofit after-school program that helps kids from low-income neighborhoods with homework and offers extracurricular enrichment activities.

I still talk with old CS friends about how special being a CS student was and how much I value my time there. All of my memories are positive ones, especially the nurturing relationships with teachers. I truly felt my experience there was educating my whole being and cultivating a love of learning, creativity and nature that extended beyond the school day. Favorite teachers were Emilie Temeles, Josh Chapman, Elena Isler and Bill Hunley. I think of them on a daily basis working in schools and strive to be like them in my interaction with students…I will do anything I can to show my support of such a great place!

 

2) Anna T. (Seminar class of 2003 and Kate T.’s sister) graduated from James Madison University with a B.F.A. in Studio Art and Graphic Design and is currently working as a freelance graphic designer. She spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, studying art history, Italian, and wine culture. Anna also spent a summer in Vienna, Austria, in an intensive architecture and design studio. Her awards include the 2012 Creative Quarterly Winner, Student Graphic Design Competition, the 2011 Senior Art Achievement Award Winner and 2010 Rob Miller Scholarship Award Winner, both from the JMU School of Art and Art History.

I have so many wonderful memories from being at CS. Festivals, camping trips, Friday groups with Cherry, Creek walks with Bill, Drama classes and hosting Bolivian students at home… I could go on. Such early exposure to classes in music, drama, Spanish and art impacted me deeply and still influence me. I can’t say I would have had the confidence to major in Art at JMU if it hadn’t been for CS and 9 years of art classes with Cherry growing up. I am proud to say I went to CS and eager to tell people about it. 

3) Morgan H. (Seminar class of 2000) graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Economics. He currently works in private equity for Golden Gate Capital and previously worked in Sydney, Australia, in management consulting for Bain & Company.

4) Paige J. (Seminar class of 1999), member Phi Beta Kappa, graduated Cum Laude from Occidental College with a B.A. in Philosophy and a minor in Studio Art. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Science Communication from Drexel University and is working as a Faculty/Research Group Assistant in the Chemistry Department at California Institute of Technology. She spent a semester studying abroad in Brighton, England. Paige volunteers at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.

Community School provided the best educational experience of my life. I still think about it all the time! Art class with Cherry Chapman, having class in the attic with Emilie Temeles, hanging out after school in Michi Hines’s classroom, still remembering Spanish vocab I learned almost 20 years ago with Elena, being terrified of Linda Thornton, and the beginning of my interest in biology from doing field science with Bill Hunley.