From the Unsolicited Testimonials Department: Ted Clisby '49 wrote after visiting Miquon in June, "I was very impressed with the tempo of the school. I saw that the staff was not there just to teach, but a dedication to the lives of the students. This was because of the wonderful leadership of the Principal, Julia Finney and her example to have every child develop in their own way. It was a great pleasure to talk with her and know that Miquon is a part of her, as it is with me. It was such an important part of my life that I have to keep returning to Miquon to share my life and soul."
Lowell Walker 96x was only at Miquon for two years but writes from California, "Whenever anyone asks me how I ended up in Environmental Ed. I tell them about Miquon and the creek, crayfish, chickens, silkworms, birdwatching, and the firetable ... it changed my life and I hope that it hasn't changed too much since I was there." And finally, Ian Kaplow '81, still living in Berlin, says, "Miquon was certainly one of the most, if not THE most happy time in my life, and surely no single institution influenced my life (for the better) than did Miquon. I will remain deeply, deeply grateful to all the wonderful staff for my entire life. I wish so much I could send my own son there. Miquon is for me a place of paradise on earth, where children can learn and flourish as the Creator, perhaps, wanted them to. May Miquon never change!!"
Fred Grinnell '56 is a Professor of Cell Biology at University of Texas Medical Center, and recently published his new book "Everyday Practice of Science: Where Intuition and Passion meet Objectivity and Logic." Loretta Downs Robinson '86 works in the Math Department at Arctic Light Elementary School in Alaska. Husband Tim has just returned from Iraq and the family sons Alex and Andrew are 12 and 8 will shortly relocate to Fort Carson, CO. Andy Byler '86 and his wife Christine welcomed their fifth child, James, in December 2008.
Emily Hoskins 88 lives in Michigan with her husband and two boys aged 3 and 1. She works part-time as a therapist, and wishes there was a school like Miquon near her home.
We were happy to see Jon-Charles "Chuck" Cordery 89 at the Spring Fair, hoping for a 20th reunion with his 1989 classmates. Alas none were there, but we have news of many of them. David Bernstein 89 works in Philadelphia as a Financial Advisor and has his hands full raising two young sons with his wife, Andrea. Paul Wren 89 and his wife Kelly live in Norristown and are expecting their first child in December. Leah Bustard Evans 89 is raising two daughters and lives in Mt. Airy. She works as a Physician's Assistant in Ear, Nose and Throat at Temple Hospital. Jack Pope 89 was married to Jennifer Toner in May. Kenley Ohlbaum 89 lives in Phoenixville and "cooks for a living." He has a 3 year-old son, Zion. Jon Byler 89 teaches and manages the sculpture and ceramics shops at Auburn University in Alabama. His own sculpture earned him selection in the Young Sculptors 2009 competition at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Andrew Gallery '90 has been living in Los Angeles for the past eight years directing music videos, commercials and now documentaries. He started a production company called Mad World Films, and makes a lot of PSAs too. He is particularly proud of a recent one about drinking and driving (www.graduationdaythefilm.com) because "it's won a bunch of awards ... but more importantly because it seems to really be making a difference." Sonia Rosen '90 and her husband Samer welcomed daughter Kalila into the world in August. Sonia continues work on her PhD at University of Pennsylvania; her dissertation examines how young people develop identities as activists through out-of-school youth organizing practices. Chris McDonnell '91 is busy with several animation and design projects, including working on the Nick Jr. show "Yo Gabba Gabba." Alice Pope '91 lives in the north-east of Scotland and works for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. p.5 She will be married to Marcus Walters in October. Also in October, as Olivia Kuhn-Lloyd '92 is marrying Andrew Khalili in the Santa Monica mountains before moving for a few months to Buenos Aires. Check out Olivia's blog at www.Cause.Capitalism.com. Peter Slutsky '93 works for Ning and lives in Washington DC.
Rachel Fitzgerald '94 is working as a therapist at an outpatient addiction center in Manhattan, and still living in Brooklyn. She was one of many Miquon friends who attended the June wedding of Shoshana Kuriloff '94 to Will Sicks. Also helping Shoshana to celebrate were Aaron Kuriloff 86, Gabe Kuriloff '90 and his wife Valerie Klein 88, Nick Klein 91, Diane Klein
61, Lena Glaser 94, Daniel Schwartzman 94, Daniel Fuller 93x, and Noga Newberg 92 . Parents of alumni included the Kuriloffs, Kleins, Fitzgeralds, Glasers, Segals, Bernsteins, Popes, Mandels, and Grafs.
David Sokoloff '95 graduated from Penn this spring with a Masters in Secondary Education and is now teaching history at Northeast High School. Also beginning a teaching career is Lauren Fischer '95 who recently obtained her M.Ed. from Teachers College at Columbia University. Elizabeth McDonnell '95 received an M.A. in Arts Administration from Drexel University and is currently a Program Associate in the Environmental History and Policy Program at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. This was Elizabeth's third year walking the Susan G. Komen "3-Day" for Breast Cancer Research with her mother, Kindergarten teacher Toni McDonnell. Peter Levandoski '96 has moved to Boston to begin studies at the Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University. His classmate Cliff Kuhn-Lloyd '96 is reported by sister Olivia to be doing very well as an emerging rock star in NYC. Check him out at http://www.myspace.com/reupband.
Eric Feinschil '98 graduated from Widener University in 2009 with a degree in Business Studies. Ben Levandoski '99 graduated from Georgetown University and is working as paralegal at Department of Justice in Washington DC. Aleida Garcia '99 graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in psychology and next year will begin a Masters in School Psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is currently working at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. She reflects, "Of course I remember Miquon, it was a life changing experience!" Adrienne McDonnell '99 is buckling down for her first Minnesota winter after transferring to MacAlester College to complete her undergraduate degree in Geography. Zoe Bridges '99 graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University in 2009 with a degree in Industrial Design, and secured a job with Liquidnet. She recently had a photo project proposal accepted for an international design conference that will put cameras into the hands of Rwandan orphans as part of their healing and rehabilitation experience following the genocide of 1994. The project was based on Zoe's memory of the "One Day, One Child, One Picture" project in which she took part at Miquon in 1999-2000.
Skye Smith '00 is finishing up paramedic school at Jefferson University. Ben Landau-Beispiel '00 is currently spending a semester studying abroad at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica. In the spring, he will return for his final semester at Harvard. Joey Mondesire '01 is also taking a semester away from his Accountancy degree at Morehouse College to study at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. Rebecca Foxman '01 is a student at the Cornell Hotel School in Ithaca, New York, where she transferred after graduating with an Associates degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America. Adrian Bridges '01 is looking for more opportunities to play and write (he kept an extensive blog during a semester in Florence, Italy - see www.adriantune.blogspot.com) while he continues his academic studies in the jazz department at NYU.
Anna Tarshish '02 is living in a vegan co-op at Vassar College and taking a lot of history and art courses. Emily Soffa and Maureen Dellisanti, both 03x, are enjoying freshman life at Skidmore College and West Chester University, respectively. Nick Marini '04 is a senior at Germantown Friends School, a tri-varsity athlete, and is auditioning with acting agencies. He is president of the Student Advisory Council of which David Shuldiner '04 is Treasurer. Nick says, "It's just like Monkeyland - I was head of the fort, David sold snacks for walnuts!"
We are sorry to report the death in August 2009 of Mary Anna Ross Cowper, aged 88. Mrs. Cowper was an active member of the Miquon community and president of the Board during the 1960s.
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