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THE EXPLORER: ALUMNI EDITION
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Dear Alumni and Alumni Parents,
Something many of you might not know about me is that I enjoy motorsport racing -- enough so that I participate in various driving schools and compete in different leagues around the area. Currently, I compete in the Autobahn Indoor Karting League.
At the very first night of league racing this month, a young boy approached the group of drivers prior to the race. He appeared to be 12 years old. When the race began, it did not take him long to scream by us. After the race when he removed his helmet, I was instantly struck with a sense of “I know this kid.”
Sure enough, he is a current 7th grade student at Harrisburg Academy. All the old guys swarmed him, asking where he drives, how long has he been driving, where he goes to school, take this advice, etc. It was probably a little overwhelming for him. I introduced myself and where I recognized him from and instantly formed a bond with him.
From that point on, every time we pass each other in the hallways there is always a high-five or a fist-bump.
It is very rewarding for me to be able to bond with our students on many different levels. Believe me, racing is not an area in which you see many middle-school-age kids participating. It pains me to say, because I'm very competitive, but he continues to beat me by 100ths of a second in our league nights (which only means I immediately track him down the next day in school and put some jabs in on him).
After serving as the Varsity Girls' Soccer Coach for the last two years, this fall I will transition to the Varsity Boys' Soccer team. For these reasons, many of my connections with our Upper School students have been through sports. I’m fortunate to have formed a relationship with this student based on his unique passion. I’m thankful for the diverse interests of Academy students. More importantly, I am curious to learn what interests other students pursue out in the community. They are successful and provide a great representation of our school!
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David Levine ’12
After weighing his acceptance decision between the law schools of Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Chicago, David (pictured right) has settled on Stanford. David is interested in learning more about constitutional law and intellectual property law, and he hopes that he
can
obtain a clerkship following law school to set him in the right direction.
Jonatan Isaksson ’11
“Our son Jonatan moved to the USA in Aug. 2008 and attended Harrisburg Academy until graduating from high school with the Class of 2011. During his time at HA he developed an interest in biology. We believe his biology teacher at that time had a very positive impact and played a role in his developing biology interest. Jonatan went on to study biochemisty at North Carolina State University (NCSU), where he received a bachelor's degree in 2015 and will this spring finish a master's degree in plant science. Jonatan was recently accepted to a PhD program at University of Zurich at the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology starting in July 2017. Great teachers can have a great, positive impact.” -- Dan and Monica Isaksson
Max Bernstein ’09
Max was recently promoted to regional director of sales-northeast at Livongo, a digital health company that empowers people with chronic conditions to live a better life. In this role, he will be focusing on mid-market prospects.
Victoria Nguyen ’09
Victoria is currently in the process of completing her first year at Penn State College of Medicine (Hershey, Pennsylvania).
Tom Sisto ’05
Tom is finishing a post-doctoral program in organic chemistry at Columbia University. His wife is a consultant at ZS in New York City, New York and Boston, Massachusetts. They met at Colby during their undergraduate years, after which Tom earned his PhD in a combined program from Boston University and University of Oregon while his wife earned a master's degree at Cornell University.
Alan Miller ’94
Alan is presently on a seven-month deployment as the commanding officer of Patrol Squadron (VP) 10 at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan. He assumed the reins of a squadron flying the U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon, on April 10, 2016. Cmdr. Miller will return with his squadron in April 2017. Shortly thereafter, Alan will transfer to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida – Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Alan’s wife, Kelli, and his two children, Claire (8) and Cole (5), eagerly await his return.
Kristen Pfautz Woolley ’88
A recent expansion was made possible for Turning Point as the organization has grown its staff and facility to offer services to all victims of child sexual abuse. Kristen founded Turning Point in November of 2012. Based out of York, Pennsylvania, her center and service is promoted nation-wide.
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Joe Crownover ’85
“I am proud to have had the chance to attend Alumni Weekend and share with my wife and kids a glimpse of the school that set the direction for my life. It was such a treat to get to visit with Randy St. John after so much time. The stage performance was tremendous – and a far cry from the shoestring budget and limited cast of the performances in which I participated in my day – Tami Schwartz was always a star, though! When I was encouraged to get on stage, Karen Morrow and Billie Frederick saw potential in this shy country boy to speak with a loud voice – this has served me ever since. Even my dad, who is not a fan at all of live theater or musicals, was actually very impressed. Big kudos to Michael Gamon and the team. Thank you again for your warm welcome back.” -- Joe
Lynn Davis ’60
“My good news is a little inconsequential compared to some of the great stuff I’ve read, but it makes me happy: I’ve just sold the last home I am ever likely to own and am moving to a beautiful two-bedroom apartment very close to the townhouse I sold. I love the area, but home maintenance was starting to wear on me, so this way I’ll have time to do the things I really enjoy, like writing, theatre, visiting friends and relatives across the country, and even coming to see you at the Academy! The Lehigh Valley is a wonderful place to live, so rich in the arts, of which I am a strong supporter, and west Allentown is a perfect place for many parks, museums, theatres, and concert halls.” -- Lynn
Alexandra Tempsick -- 4th grade teacher from 1981-1991
“I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as a 4th grade teacher at Harrisburg Academy. I would love to hear from any of my former students!” -- Alexandra (email Michael LaRue to put you in touch with Ms. Tempsick)
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HAppenings Around Harrisburg Academy
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Randy St. John: Alumnus of the Year and Retirement Announcement
F
or nearly five decades, Harrisburg Academy students, families, and faculty have been honored to learn from Randy St. John. After 46 years of commitment to our school through full-time and part-time teaching, Randy will be retiring. At Commencement on Friday, June 9, we will make Randy an honorary member of our alumni community and present him with our Alumnus of the Year Award. Randy will deliver the Commencement address to our graduating seniors. Please mark your calendars to hear Randy’s speech at Commencement on June 9. For more information, click here.
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Harrisburg Academy Hires Stacy Klann as Director of Development and Alumni Relations
WORMLEYSBURG, PA – Harrisburg Academy is pleased to welcome Stacy Klann as its new director of development and alumni relations. After participating in an extensive interview process that included senior administration, faculty, trustees, Search Committee members, current parents, and alumni, Klann was the successful candidate. She began her new role on April 18, 2017. Read more...
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Gerard Martin’s fight song
One of our current music teachers, Adrienne Davis, recently found an old music book inside an old filing cabinet that belonged to retired music teacher, Randy Gutwein. She dusted it off and immediately brought it to the attention of our other music teachers, Michael Gamon and Beth Darowish. Between the three of them, they were able to breathe new life into the sheet of music. More importantly, they arranged a special unveiling of the music for its author and composer, former faculty member Gerard Martin, at a special all-school presentation. We couldn’t be more proud to honor the past with the voices of today’s Academy students.
Enjoy the video!
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Nominations for Alumni Awards 2017
Each year during our Alumni Weekend, we present four special alumni awards at our Alumni Achievement Awards and Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. We encourage you to submit nominations using this form. Please review the criteria for each award, submit your nominations, and make plans to join us in October to honor the recipients.
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Jay Friedlander ’86 – Green and Socially Responsible Business Consultant
Due
to storms in Maine last October, Jay Friedlander was unable to attend Alumni Weekend and accept his Academic Achievement Award. With better weather on the horizon, we are pleased to welcome Jay back to school on Wednesday, May 10 from 10:30–11:30 a.m., when Jay will accept his award. Additionally, Jay will spend the day leading classroom discussions with students around corporate environmental initiatives. We invite anyone available and interested to join us on May 10 to honor Jay. RSVPs are requested but not required to Michael LaRue.
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International Night: Full of Food, Dance, and Culture
The Center for Global & Local Citizenship is proud to host Harrisburg Academy's 6th Annual International Night on Friday, May 12! The International Café is open from 5–6 p.m. in Louis Lehrman Gymnasium, followed by performances in McCormick Auditorium from 6–7:15 p.m.
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Commencement
Join us on Friday June 9, 2017 at 3 p.m. at Parmer Hall on the campus of Messiah College to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2017. Click for more details.
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Save the Date for Alumni Weekend 2017
Mark your calendars now for Oct. 13 and 14, 2017! More details to follow, but rest assured, this is a weekend you don't want to miss.
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Support the Academy Fund
We
support the Academy Fund because we are grateful to our Academy for providing an abundance of opportunity that shaped our lives and helped to develop our character. It gives us a great amount of pride to see the same drive and passion that we received years ago, alive, making a great impact on all the students here at our school today. Our alumni network is our most valuable asset. Join us in supporting the Academy, just as the faculty and staff supported us in pursuing our dreams and goals.
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Support Student Scholarship at Harrisburg Academy Instead of Paying Pennsylvania Corporate Taxes: How Your Employer Can Help Harrisburg Academy
Help transform the future for Harrisburg Academy students by participating in corporate giving through the Commonwealth’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) or Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. Both programs provide Academy students with financial aid; OSTC funds specifically benefit students from underperforming school districts in the greater Harrisburg area.
By participating, your business can directly impact education by designating business tax credits to Harrisburg Academy. Eligible businesses can receive a tax credit equal to 75 percent of your contribution, and for a company that commits to the program for two consecutive years, the credit is 90 percent of your contribution.
Through corporate support, scholarships have been awarded to students who otherwise may not have been able to afford an Academy education. The Academy strives to provide equal access to all academically talented students. Thank you to the 2016-17 EITC and OSTC donors for sharing the gift of an outstanding liberal arts education with the greater Harrisburg community!
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The Greater Harrisburg Area's First IB World School
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