SPRING 2023

Sixty Years Gala & Auction to Celebrate Diamond Anniversary

Less than 40 tickets remain for The Colorado Springs School’s 60 Years Gala on Saturday, April 22, 2023. This year’s fundraising dinner and auction will take place on CSS’s 28-acre campus in celebration of our beloved school’s diamond anniversary. 

The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed by a three-course dinner and wine pairing, and after-party in the newly refinished Louise Honnen Tutt Field House. Ticket holders will not only enjoy delicious food, signature cocktails, special performances and dancing, but also have the opportunity to bid on exciting Silent and Live Auction items, and to raise their paddle in support of CSS students and programming. All general donations are eligible for the 50 percent Colorado Childcare Tax Credit.

Unable to attend? You can be a part of the action from home, too. Bid on a variety of Silent Auction items between Monday, April 17 and Saturday, April 22, or make a donation online at cssgala23.givesmart.com. Note: Silent Auction bidding will close at 9:30 p.m. MST on April 22.

Louise Honnen Tutt Field House Receives New Floor & Score Table Due to Generous Donors

The Colorado Springs School's Tutt Field House floor received a makeover this past winter. More than one dozen current and former families as well as friends donated to the campaign in support of CSS's gym floor renovation and scoring table upgrade. These generous donors, listed below, were recognized with a commemorative plaque at Senior Night on February 16, 2023.

A special thanks to the following families and friends of CSS:

Gold

Robert & Jennifer Hedden P'21, P'23

Silver

CSS Parents Association

Karey & Lina Klaus P’25, P’27 

The Chavez Family ’15, ’17, ’19, ’21

Stan & Michele Dobnikar P’25 

Tony Bigbee & Lee Ernhart P’19, P’19 

Aaron & Jill Smith P’27, P’30

David & Jill Richardi P’18, P’21

Pio & Melissa Hocate P’27, P’20, P’16

Old Men’s Basketball Squad

Bronze

Tom & Joann Nieman P’17, P’19

Jeff & Karen Owens P’25, P’28

Jeff Gaul & Margot Gray P’21, P’24

Lisa Reid P’21, P’23

Cheryl Harding

Alumni Reunion Weekend Scheduled for September 2023: Register Now 

Join us this September for an Alumni Reunion Weekend to remember! All are welcome, however, this fall’s Alumni Reunion Weekend will pay special tribute to Margaret's Girls from the Classes of 1965 through 1976 as well as alumni with milestone class years ending in '3' or '8'.

Festivities will begin on Saturday, September 16, with an all-girls reunion and tea open to alumnae through the Class of 1976 from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on the Trianon Terrace. Beginning at 5 p.m., all athletes and spectators are also invited to attend a lighthearted alumni volleyball match in the Louise Honnen Tutt Field House. Finally, the evening will conclude with a cocktail reception from 6-8 p.m. in the Louisa Performing Arts Center Gallery. After spending one day on their own in Colorado Springs on Sunday, September 17, alumni are likewise invited to attend CSS’s Founders’ Day and Hall of Fame Ceremony on Monday, September 18, at 8 a.m. in the Louisa Performing Arts Center Theatre.

To learn more, confirm your attendance at any or all of the above events, or submit a Founders’ Day nomination, please visit css.org/community/alumni/alumni-events.

LOOKING FOR A PROFESSIONAL MENTOR?

Calling all alumni! The CSS Mentorship Program is looking to pair several eager mentors with volunteer mentees who hold an interest in making professional connections and learning more about the following fields, in particular:

• Arts, Culture & Entertainment
• Health & Medicine
• Business, Management & Administration

Sign-up to be connected with a mentor and grow your career.

Puzzle Time with Grandma Inspires 1970 Alumna's Passion for Architecture

As a young child, Margaret Gilbert ’70 says the time she spent completing puzzles with her grandmother ultimately sparked her passion for pursuing a career in architecture. While attending The Colorado Springs School, she soon discovered that “being smart was cool” and quickly excelled in her studies. CSS left such an impact on Gilbert that she even enrolled her son, Ethan, for preschool. And, after many years at CSS, he graduated as a Lifer in 2009.



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Hands-on Learning Remains a Highlight of CSS for Class of 1995 Alumnus

Young Lee '95, who joined CSS in the 6th grade and whose three brothers are also CSS graduates, continues to draw on the foundations of his CSS education while working for the U.S. Treasury Department, where he must often assess foreign counterparts’ statements on the fly and articulate a response that balances the interests of the Department, the U.S. government at large and foreign policy considerations. “One of the most important skills that was foundational to my education was to not take anything at face value,” he said. “Our teachers did not treat us as people to be lectured to, but rather as partners in our educational experience. I had so many wonderful teachers whose lessons still stand out today.”



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1990s

Chris Vanterpool '94

The Vanterpool family – Chris, his wife and their two children, Chris’ sister, brother, sister-in-law and nieces and nephews – stopped by The Colorado Springs School campus for a personal tour during a trip to the Springs this winter.

As he explored the familiar sights and smells of the Trianon, Chris recalled Experience-Centered Seminars attended alongside his favorite CSS teacher Bruce Hamilton and described classes taken with teachers Ava Heinrichsdorff and M. Kim Will while seated beneath the massive chandelier in what is affectionately known as the Versailles Room. Chris, who graduated with an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from Columbia College, Columbia University, followed by an advanced degree from Baruch University, currently resides in Queens with his wife Maria and their two children. 

He recognizes how different life would be had he not received a scholarship to attend CSS throughout all four years of high school. Much of Chris’ career has been devoted both to educating and serving others within the nonprofit and public sectors. Most recently, he served as director of grant administration for the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), a nonprofit organization founded by Bette Midler in 1995 to clean and restore green spaces across the five boroughs. In addition, he previously served as director of Capital and Million Trees NYC programs for NYRP. Today, Chris is proud to be the family coordinator for his household.

Aaron Davitt '02

Aaron paid a visit to CSS on Thursday, February 23, 2023, to present to the Upper School Green Team club along with Environmental Science and AP Computer Science students. A principal analyst for remote sensing at WattTime.org, Aaron presented on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and discussed the important role he plays in analyzing satellite footage to estimate GHG emissions and approximate the health of crops.

Aaron, formerly a high school teacher, earned a PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from City University of New York in 2021 and can now regularly be found educating individuals on his findings at conferences, universities, and professional meetings. To learn more about Aaron’s field of work, visit climatetrace.org.

Pictured here, Aaron caught up with longtime Upper School Science and Math Teacher Greg Johnson while on campus. The two reminisced about their time rafting together on the Arkansas River as part of ECS.

Ivy Marple ’17

Ivy, a CSS Lifer, stopped by campus this winter to see some of her favorite teachers, including Athletic Director and Coach Vicki Vaughan (the two can be seen below). Ivy, who took a gap year before attending college, is in the midst of wrapping up her senior year at Lewis & Clark in Portland.

Payton Malone ’19

This February, Payton – a graduating pre-dental, psychology and art history student with Emory University –was one of just 100 undergraduate students from her graduating class to be inducted into the University’s 100 Senior Honorary, which annually recognizes the success of outstanding students and identifies emerging alumni leaders across Oxford College, Emory University, Goizueta Business School, and the School of Nursing. Payton is seen below with Oxford College of Emory University’s College Chaplain Lyn Pace.

Audrey Barber '22 & Sasha Malone '22

During recent college visits to the states of Louisiana and Florida, CSS College & Career Counselor Erik Playe stopped by the University of Florida and Tulane to see young alumnae Audrey and Sasha, respectively, from the CSS Class of 2022.

Basketball

Members of the 2009 Varsity Boys’ Basketball State Championship team attended CSS’s winter sports Senior Tribute Night on February 16, 2023, in support of their former teammates now turned CSS coaches Delovell Earls and Ian Cullity. Pictured from left to right are Santino Martinez ’09, Ian Cullity ’11, Delovell Earls ’10, Andrew Smith ’10 and Chris Dailey ’10.

Basketball Cont.

This winter, several lady Kodiaks, including Whitney Richardi ’21, Sarina Mansour ’20, and Alair Ferguson ’21, returned to the basketball court to assist with CSS practices. Whitney is a sophomore Pre-Business Student at Texas Christian University, Sarina is a junior at Colorado State University studying neuroscience, and Alair is a sophomore studying Economics, French, and Statistics at Grinnell College.

While home for the winter break, former girls’ basketball teammates (left to right, top to bottom) Whitney R., Ali Graham ’18 (a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Denver’s MA in Emergent Digital Practices program), Alair F., Sarina M., Mia Chavez ’22 (a freshman in Colorado State University’s College of Engineering Honors Program), and Kate Griffin ’20 (a junior at Denison University), likewise reunited for a game night at Coach Vaughan’s.

In Memoriam

Kimball Bayles

A former CSS Mountain Biking Coach and devoted ExEd parent volunteer, Kimball passed away this January after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Sabrina, and their daughter Marina who attended CSS from PreKindergarten through 8th-grade. A celebration of Kim’s life, hosted by Richard Skorman & the Community Cultural Collective, was held on January 29 at the Colorado Springs City Auditorium. The Colorado Springs School community most remembers Kim for his influence on the creation of CSS’s mountain biking program along with his enthusiasm for assisting with school trips and pitching in wherever needed.

Nancy Brooks Ekberg Tynan P’09, P’09, P’07

Nancy passed away on January 3, 2023. She is survived by her husband Dan, formerly a member of the CSS Board of Trustees, their sons Will ’07, Tim ’09 and Peter ’09, her stepchildren Jennifer and Matt, and her grandson Hugo.

Kathleen Collins P’86

Kathleen, a Board of Trustees member with The Colorado Springs School from 1986 until 1994, passed away on January 9, 2023, at the age of 80. She is survived by her son Joel ’86 and two grandchildren.

Leila Lucia Kurbán Hiltbrunner P’02, P’00

A Children’s School Spanish Teacher at CSS for 16 years, Leila passed away peacefully on December 7, 2022, at the age of 81. She is survived by her husband Alfred P’02, P’00, her daughter Heidi Schnakenberg ’00, her son Andres ’02, her granddaughter Kloie Belle Schnakenberg, and her three sisters and brother.

First Recipients of Margaret White Campbell Award to Present at Class of 2023 Commencement on May 25: All Alumni Are Invited to Attend

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