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ABOUT ARBORAlumni News Fall 2007
Thanks to Noah Eden, former Arbor student, for setting up an Arbor Alumni network on Facebook.com. And thanks to all the alumni who took the time to contact us—we love hearing from you!
Becca Jenkins
Becca, formerly Rebecca Batchelder, was a student when our school was named Montessori Children’s Development Center, or MCDC, in 1982-83. She writes to her former teacher, Betty Litsey: “I live in Nashville, TN now and work at Sitel as a Sr. Director of Global HR Information Systems. I live with my husband, 3 and a half year old son, and twin (10 month old) girls. I am so lucky to have had the beginning that I did as I feel that it prepared me for enjoying life and passing that on to my children. I have just enrolled my son in the Montessori School of Franklin where I feel he will excel just as I did in the Montessori environment. I hope that you are doing well and please know that every day you make a difference!”
Anand Varma (Arbor, 2000)
Anand is working in Washington, DC as a field assistant at National Geographic Magazine. He participated in the “Cave Crawlers” (9/07) and “Marine Microfauna” (11/07) articles.
Lauren Albrecht: Arbor Graduate 1999. "I just graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in advertising and sociology. With all the excitement of graduation behind me, I'm now getting ready to leave for Europe for a month with my best friends from Arbor and Paideia including Monica Buff, Katie Payne and Bailey Huguley. We start in Madrid and wind our way through Europe, eventually ending up in Zurich, Switzerland. We're all very excited and can't wait to spend some time together before we all head off in different directions. When I get back home, I plan on staying in Atlanta for at least a little while. I don't have a set career plan yet, but I'm looking forward to eventually working as a Junior Account Executive at an advertising agency in the Northeast, perhaps in New York City or Boston."
Sarah Bartlett: Sarah left Arbor in 1987 at five years old. “I remember doing animal yoga poses and pouring beans, learning to make rope from natural tree fibers, and the sweetest teacher, Julie. Then I moved away to Florida and had to say goodbye to all my Arbor friends. After growing up in Naples, Florida, I headed to college at the University of Florida in Gainesville. I got my degree in History and a minor in Nonprofit Leadership, and this summer I am interning at the Carter Center. After 19 years away I'm an Atlanta resident again and glad to be here! My professional interests are in fundraising and development for nonprofits. I still like doing animal yoga poses, admiring trees and nature, and even pouring beans... into pots and making them into delicious soups. My job for the past two years has been a cook at a catering company. I also worked in fundraising for a land conservation trust and as a writing coach for the University of Florida.”
Monica Buff: Arbor Graduate 1999. “I graduated from Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA in 2003 and graduated from Vanderbilt University May, 2007. During college I was a member of the women's soccer team. This summer I plan playing for the Atlanta Silverbacks W-League soccer team, and traveling to Europe with fellow Arbor graduates Lauren Albrecht, Katie Payne, and Bailey Huguley. In the fall I plan on attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health to work on my master's degree.”
Davis Carey: Arbor Graduate 1999. Davis attended St. Pius X for high school. Now at Georgia Southern, he is interning with a commercial construction company this summer, and then graduating in another year.
Luci Cook: Arbor Graduate 2003. Luci graduated valedictorian of Decatur High School, 2007. “I’m giving a speech which I think will be slightly Lord of the Rings-related. This summer, I'm going to be going to England, and next year, I will be attending Guilford College, in Greensboro, NC.”
Ryan Denzer-King. Finished 6th grade at Arbor 1996. “I attended St. Thomas More Catholic Middle School, St. Pius X Catholic High School, and Vanderbilt University. I will be starting an M.A. program in Native American language and linguistics at the University of Montana this fall. Currently I am finishing up a year of teaching high school at The Cottage School in Roswell with my wife Amanda. The Cottage School is a middle school and high school for students with learning disabilities as well as mood and behavior disorders. I teach computer technology, math, and personal finance.”
Emily Dove: After she left Arbor, Emily went to Arcado Elementary, Trickum Middle School, and graduated from Parkview High School in 2003: "After spending four wonderful years in Milledgeville, I just graduated from GCSU with a degree in early childhood education. I was in Alpha Delta Pi where I was Executive Vice President and reached my ultimate goal of President. Now I’m hopefully off to grad school at GA Southern." This summer, Emily plans to spend time with family and friends, and will be traveling to California, the Grand Canyon, San Diego, and Las Vegas.
Brooks Fuentes: "I've been in Oregon for almost seven years now! I love it out here: Portland is a beautiful city to live in. My father lives here too, and has gotten remarried to one of my friend's mothers. We set them up together, actually! How parent trap, right?
Since I took a year off after graduating from high school, I will be graduating from Portland State University next spring. I'm a double-major in Spanish and social science. Right now I'm really focused on my Spanish major, and am hoping to take some classes in Mexico City after I graduate. Hopefully I can unite my love of the Spanish language with social science research, or continue learning about Spanish linguistics and literature so that may be able to teach it at the high school or college level.”
Kelli Gavant: Kelli left Arbor in 1994 and completed 6th grade. She attended Darlington School in Rome, Ga., for high school and graduated from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, with a bachelor's degree in American Studies. “I completed my master's degree in journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., last summer. Now, I am working as an editor at Thompson Publishing Group in Washington, D.C.”
Jesse Hauch: Arbor Graduate 1999. Jesse graduated from Parkview High School in 2003, then attended UGA, graduating in May, 2007 with a B.S. in Psychology. “I focused on Social Psychology. If I did anything with this degree it would be Public Relations. What I really want to do is become a pastry chef. In the fall, I will be traveling to Florence, Italy to go to culinary school. I will be attending Apicius: The Culinary Institute of Florence, for one semester and then will be coming back to attend Johnson and Wales. My degree will be in Baking and Pastry. My future plan is to own a pastry shop and be the head chef.”
Zac Herrick: Arbor Graduate 2003. Zac moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, right after f middle school at Arbor. This fall, he will be attending Virginia Tech to study pre-law.
Kallio Hunnicut-Ferguson: Arbor graduate 1999. Graduated from Grady High School, and graduated from UGA in 2007: "I am taking a year off before starting graduate school, and will be working in two Psychology research labs at Emory involving anxiety, trauma and mood disorders. I am applying for PhD programs for clinical psychology for entry in fall '08. That is mainly it, and trying to enjoy my last year before grad school, which is probably going to last about 5-6 years"
MaryKathryn Huddleston: MaryKathryn left Arbor after 2nd grade in1994 and attended Woodward Academy. “I was in Ann's class at Emory I and then Gloria's class at main campus. I left Woodward in January of 1997 when my family moved to Jacksonville, Florida. I ‘graduated’ from elementary school with highest honors in 1998, went to The Bolles School for 8-12, graduated 8th in my class of 190 students, and went to the University of Alabama on a Presidential Scholarship. I've been on the Dean's List every semester, and am graduating in December with a major in Spanish and a minor in Biology. If all goes well, I'll be attending medical school in the fall of 2008. Right now, I'm studying abroad in Madrid, Spain for the second summer working on a major in Spanish. I'm so glad we have an alumni network. My Arbor memories are some of my fondest from childhood!”
Ashley Jarvis: "For 2 years I went to university of the pacific in CA but then transferred to South Carolina when I got a job at the SC Medical School. This summer, I start as a residential counselor giving therapy to children with psychological disorders and emotional issues at River Oaks in Sacramento. I'm working there for a year and then going to graduate school to get my PhD in clinical psychology.”
Danielle Kristin Jarvis: Danielle left Arbor after 5th grade, in 1995. “I went to the Lovett School for middle school, then The Paideia School for high school, then the University of Washington in Seattle in 2001, graduating in 3.5 years. I then moved to San Francisco and was a manager at Abercrombie and Fitch, where I had worked all throughout college, and now just completed my first year at Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, hoping to acquire my JD in 2009.”
Lindsay Johnson: Lindsay left Arbor in 1995, attended The Paideia School and then Salem College in North Carolina. “I'm just completing my first year in a joint masters/PhD program in musicology at UCLA. I'm still getting used to living in Los Angeles, and I am often amused by the strange and wacky occurrences I see on a daily basis. I am looking forward to being a TA next year. This summer I received a summer research mentorship (a very good thing! this means I can eat this summer!) My program should take about five years total, depending on how long it takes me to write my dissertation. I am not sure yet what I want to do after I graduate, but that's at least four years from now, so I'm not stressing about it.”
Nick Lynton: Nick left Arbor in 1994. “I graduated from Woodward Academy in 2000, and then from Tulane University in 2004 with degrees in English and American Studies. In 2006, I began law school at Vanderbilt University Law School, so I just finished up my first year, and I'll be starting my second in the fall. Oh, and the most important news-- my niece, Sara Jane Shulman, currently attends Arbor Montessori.”
Mary Bliss Mather: Mary Bliss left Arbor in 1989 after completing 4th grade. She attended The Paideia School and graduated from Winthrop University with a BA in Theatre Performance. “Currently, I am getting my MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) at the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program. I will graduate in 2008. My adventures also included being the Executive Director of Keyhole Theatre Company for a couple of years, creating and running the Drama Department at Josephinum Academy, working with the Geddes Agency (arguably the best talent agency in Chicago), consulting with the development and marketing departments of some Chicago theatre companies and designing costumes for extra income. It was a very busy life, but full of excitement! Now I am in Seattle and have just ended my second year of graduate school for Acting. Believe it or not, an MFA in Acting has been likened to going to medical school because of the incredibly demanding schedule and workload. It has been the biggest professional challenge I have ever faced and I have learned more than I thought I possibly could! I'm very lucky because the PATP at UW is considered to be among the top 4 MFA programs for acting in the country, mainly because they focus on the uniqueness of the individual artist and don't seek to simply create a ‘product’. It's been such a blessing to dive into my own artistic nature and swim around in it for the past two years!”
Paul Noonan: Arbor graduate 2002. Paul attended Druid Hills High School and has just completed his freshman year at Vassar College. “I'm toying with the idea of becoming a Media Studies major; it's a multidisciplinary study of all forms of media. During the summers I'm a camp counselor at Eagle's Nest. “I have a love for making art that I claim was instilled in me by Patty O'Keefe Hutton, and through that and practice I have become a more accomplished digital artist - I even submitted an entirely digital AP art portfolio at the end of my senior year of high school. In high school I became very involved in theater, serving as my high school's technical theater director for 2 years and Drama Club president for 1 year. This love of performance has followed me to college and I am currently involved with The Limit, one of Vassar's sketch comedy (both live and video) groups. Arbor gave me grounding for everything I love today. Art classes, class plays, and probably my favorite part: learning how to meet people and make friends fast; these were all gifts from Arbor to me. Gifts that I will always remember and be thankful for.”
Dinsha Mistree: “I went to Arbor for 4th and 5th grade from 1992-1994. I then went to Briarlake (which is down the street), then to the Galloway School for 8th-12th grades. After that, I went to MIT to study political science. I picked up a Bachelor's and a Master's, and I'm now writing a book with my advisor on globalization and governance as a researcher at MIT. My brother, Behram Mistree, also went to Arbor and also ended up studying at MIT. He's going to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in two weeks and will be starting his Masters in the fall, also at MIT.”
Katie Payne: Arbor graduate 1999. “I went to The Paideia School after Arbor, and just recently graduated from Sewanee with a degree in English and a minor in Women's Studies. I played softball all four years and was active in the campus women's center. I was also a member of Kappa Omega sorority and Phi Beta Kappa. I've received a postgraduate fellowship to intern with the Sewanee Review next year. But first I'll be traveling through Europe with friends from Atlanta, including Arbor graduates Bailey Huguley, Lauren Albrecht, and Monica Buff.
Alex Remington attended Arbor Montessori at the Emory I and Lavista campuses from
1986 to 1996, through grade 6. He attended The Paideia School and Yale University, graduating in2006. “I double majored in political science and Russian.
The summer between my junior and senior years of college, I interned at the National Security Archive at George Washington University in Washington, DC. I now live in Washington, DC, and work as an administrative assistant at the Washington Post--I've been here almost a year, and I love it here. I would be happy to talk to any Arbor grads who are interested in living/working in Washington, DC; I have room on my floor and an inflatable mattress, and would be happy to host!”
Miranda Roth: Miranda left Arbor in 1994 and completed 6th grade. Miranda attended The Paideia School ('00) and Carleton College ('04), studying Physiology and Biophysics. “I am a graduate student in physiology and biophysics at the University of Washington in Seattle. My research focuses on the mechanism of action of antiepileptic drugs. In my spare time, I captain Seattle Riot, the elite women's Ultimate Frisbee team here; coach UW Element, the college women's Ultimate team, and coach Seattle Moho, an elite club Ultimate Frisbee team for high schoolers. I also volunteer for the Epilepsy Foundation Northwest. I am hoping to have my PhD by some point in 2010, though I’m not sure yet what I will do once I have it –perhaps teach more, research more or work for the Epilepsy Foundation. I hope to captain Riot to national and world championships in 2007 and 2008. Though I travel often for Ultimate Frisbee, I plan on staying in Seattle at least until I finish my PhD if not for much longer. My research poster presentation was given first place at my department's retreat in 2006, Riot won back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005, I won the Callahan Award for most valuable college Ultimate Frisbee player in 2004. I was a member of the US national Ultimate Frisbee team which won the world title at the World Games in 2005. I traveled for 5 days on the Big Island of Hawaii in February and it was one of the most amazing things I've ever done –saw live volcanoes, sea turtles, countless fish and the most beautiful beaches I can imagine.”
Lauryn Saxe: “I left Arbor after completing the sixth grade in 1998. I am about to go into my senior year at UGA. I am writing my major based on Public Health. I am focusing on health policy and health disparities. This summer I am doing a study abroad in Vietnam looking at health care and then returning to Atlanta and interning at the CDC in a lab.”
Zack Stokes: Arbor Graduate 1999. Zack attended The Paideia School, and is now in the business school at UGA. Zack spent the past semester in New Zealand. He graduates in December, and then plans to either get a job or be a teacher’s assistant on more study-abroad trips.
Greg Swanson: Arbor Graduate 1999. Greg is majoring in linguistics and business with a minor in Spanish at UGA. He plays Ultimate Frisbee and travels a lot, and wants to continue traveling after he graduates. He's not sure what his post-graduation plans are.
Elizabeth Teel. Elizabeth left Arbor after 6th grade in 1996. She graduated from The Paideia School in 2002 and graduated from Duke University in May of 2006. “My BS is in Biology with a concentration in Marine Biology, but I also have a minor in Visual Arts and a minor in Mandarin Chinese. I'm currently back in Atlanta working as a laboratory technician for two years at the Centers for Disease Control. After the CDC I'm hoping to attend graduate school.”
Oliver Teel. Oliver left Arbor after 6th grade in 1990. He graduated from The Paideia School in 1996 and graduated with a BA in Business from Georgia State University. He's currently in Atlanta working at Georgia State University as a budget analyst and earning an MBA from Georgia State University School of Business. He's engaged to be married to Dr. Pei Pei Nie; they are waiting until she's out of her residency to have the wedding.
Brynne Ward: Arbor Graduate 1999. Brynne attended The Paideia School and American University in Washington, DC. She graduated 2007 with a major in Foreign Language communications Media (FLCM) “which is basically a double in Spanish and Public Communications, and a minor in Applied Physics. Strange combination, I know, but what I would ideally like to be doing is public relations work or communications for the automotive/technology industries. I am still in DC area, and I just accepted a position with Breakthrough Technologies (a non-profit for the education and advocacy of fuel cells and alternative fuel technologies) here in downtown DC but am still looking for something in the automotive industry."
Charles Zimmer. Charles left Arbor Montessori School in1996 after completing 6th grade. He graduated from The Paideia School in 2002 and graduated from Emory University in May 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Sociology minor. “I’ve been working in concert and event production for the past 8 years. I worked as the Production Manager at the Tabernacle in downtown Atlanta for a year and a half, and am currently traveling the world on tour with The Police, which should keep me busy for the next year.”
