E presorted

H non-profit org. T Par ker Way u.s. postage paid Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School permit #37 ayer, ma Theodore R. Sizer Teachers Center address service requested 49 Antietam Street Devens, MA 01434

From the Board Chair The Parker Way spring 2014 Dear Parker community, community members to play Trivia,

When I first became a Trustee, I raising not just spirits but $4,000 to The periodical of the Francis W. Parker knew I was donating my time. But I support grants for teaching and Charter Essential School and the figured that since Parker was learning. Other initiatives include the Theodore R. Sizer Teachers Center. a public school, fundraising task force on financial sustainability Published twice yearly in the fall and the spring. wasn’t an issue—that was for (which came out of the strategic independent schools. When I planning process) and the Board’s Editorial Director: Kathleen Cushman

learned how important the work over four meetings to craft our Managing Editor: Katrina Drew Annual Fund is to the operating approach to development. Contributors to this issue: Cheryl budget, I became a donor, along with My mindset has shifted—from the Coonahan, Katrina Drew, Deb many of you. stance of “the Commonwealth will Merriam, Todd Sumner, and Parker Parker transforms students, and pay for Parker because it’s a public students, parents, and alumni. as part of the Parker community we school” toward a stance of increased Photos by Katrina Drew. have the responsibility to make these self-reliance. We all have a responsi - transformations possible. We are bility to assure its continued financial taking a multifaceted approach to sustainability. Thank you for all you Please send news and photos to achieving financial sustainability. do toward this important goal. [email protected]. For ongoing news and information, visit Parker’s In April, the Essential Community Yours truly, web site, www.parker.org. Organization (ECO) brought together Cheryl Coonahan families, students, staff, alumni, and Chair, Parker Board of Trustees

12 | the parker way spring 2014 News from the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School and the Theodore R. Sizer Teachers Center spring 2014 E H

T Par ker Way Funding and the Essential Thinking Essential Charter About Money by Todd Sumner Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Parker’s opening its doors as a member of the initial cohort of Commonwealth Charter Schools authorized under the Education Reform Act of 1993. Massachusetts now has over 60 Commonwealth Charter Schools, enrolling over 28,000 students each year. While each Commonwealth charter public school has a unique mission—expressed in its charter and a basis for ongoing accountability—all are funded in the same way. When students enroll in such a school, the funds earmarked for their education each year “follow them” to the charter school from their home districts. The state provides additional local aid to “sending districts” to offset this “lost” revenue. Because of the way district budgets are created statewide, the actual amount of revenue

following the student to a charter Planning a life, like planning a school, requires critical thinking about essential values and school may vary significantly. priorities. This issue focuses on Parker’s approach to money matters, as an institution, as a continued on page 7 community, and in the classroom. Above, Daegan Crane (’14) in his Financial Math class. Letter from the Principal

Friends of Parker, made this collaboration a great pleas - In the lobby at Parker is a bulletin ure and privilege for me. And as we board display I asked a Division 1 together shape strategies to sustain student to help me with last summer. Parker in the future, our work has Its title reads “The School We Are also generated new themes to con - Becoming” and below it are excerpts sider. from the strategic plan Parker adopt - Among the most important of ed in 2012. I have focused much of these is the question of resources—

my work this year on convening and particularly as related to faculty com - Todd Sumner facilitating groups of volunteers to pensation, facilities, and technology.

further seven different facets of the Parker is coming to understand this more bearable by the success of the strategic plan: the teacher corps; par - theme as a dynamic tension between basketball teams (both varsity teams ents and alumni; facilities; the Sizer its Essential School commitment to qualified for tournament play and Teachers Center; strategic partner - Common Principle #9 (which calls for the boys won the statewide sports - ships; technology; and verifying our schools to dedicate their resources to manship award) and by the rave claims of excellence. teaching and learning) and the pres - reviews for the Division 1 show, We have made steady progress in sure on Parker as a public charter “Hamlet-Thrill-Ma-Geddon.” In late each area. We understand better the school to finance its own facilities. In March Division 2 came together for factors that make Parker a good fit for order that our whole community an evening exhibition of recent work, teachers. The Essential Community might better understand these ten - which was such a success that we’re Organization (ECO) is up and run - sions, we are focusing this issue of planning another next year. Our ning, bringing together parents, the Parker Way on finances and essential question this year is “What teachers, and the larger community. financial health for institutions and Inspires Us?” and on any given day We have completed a needs assess - individuals. one can find plenty of inspiring work ment of our current facility. A group What’s essential when it comes to taking place right here! is coming together in May to describe money? Parker’s balance sheets can Looking forward to more of it this a powerful future for the Sizer Teach - seem like abstract, bookish matters spring, ers Center. We have identified some when compared with the vitality of key strategic partnerships and are our daily lives together, yet we know exploring others. We understand bet - that they provide an important

ter the community’s hopes for tech - foundation for the growth and devel - Todd Sumner nology. We have identified the areas opment of youth that we see every Principal where we want more data to support day in our school community. our claims of excellence and also The Class of 2014 has set a terrific identified some ways to collect such tone for our year; the seniors have data. cultivated the tone of decency and The impressive enthusiasm and trust so vital to our school culture, thoughtfulness of parents, staff, and and soon we’ll have the chance to students who have participated in witness their senior project exhibi - this change management work has tions. The long winter was made

2 | the parker way spring 2014 special section : Essential Thinking About Money

Planning toward dreams: Financial literacy after Parker by Deb Merriam munication, and technology) hones expenditures on entertainment, or in on this essential question: How small ones? How much will they be When Parker graduates talk about can I possibly afford to become spending on a week of groceries? money, they sound wise beyond who I am becoming? The young planners use those their years. Jacob Gesin (Parker ’11) hypothetical profiles to estimate calls compounding interest “one of An estimated 70 percent of their income at that future point. the most powerful forces known to Parker graduates have Working from that, they create humanity.” Hallie Yarmus (’12) tested what they learned budgets along with schedules for warns that credit cards should be in Financial Math against debt payments, retirement fund approached with great caution. In the economic realities contributions, tax payments, and her mid-teens, Siobhan Pierce (’06) of their world. other key costs of adult life as they made a hypothetical budget for her see it. 20-something years—then used it To arrive at answers, students In the process, they practice as a template when she actually first come up with profiles of their applying the mathematical princi - reached that age. Robby Perkins- imagined selves at age 24. Where ples of exponential growth and High (’09) says that effective moni - will they live? Where will they decay; compound interest calcula - toring of his earning and spending work? Will they have a pet? A child? tion; modeling with data; amorti - was “among the most useful A spouse? A needy house plant? zation; summation; iterative things” he learned in high school. Will they eat lunch out, or brown- processes; and functions. All these students started on bag it? Do they anticipate large continued on page 5 the path to financial literacy by taking Parker’s longstanding class in Financial Math. Its current teacher, Jon Churchill, regards that competency as a civil right, and an estimated 70 percent of Parker graduates have tested it against the economic realities of their world. Developed in 2000 by Diane Kruse, who now leads Parker’s Math, Science, and Technology (MST) domain, the semester-long course has been offered since the school’s first seniors approached “life after Parker.” At that critical juncture in their lives, its trifecta of portfolio pieces (in mathematical problem-solving, technical com - Jon Churchill coaches seniors in managing the financial challenges of life after Parker.

spring 2014 the parker way | 3 Planning toward dreams: Financial literacy after Parker

continued from page 3

Beyond the math, though, the class aims to “prepare students for what comes next.” As the course description adds, “What comes next often hinges on finances.” Articulating and identifying their dreams at the start gives students the experience of com - mitting to fulfill them, while also recognizing their accompanying expense. As the semester unfolds, they confront mounting layers of financial complexity. Students are encouraged to As students explore the costs of their possible futures, they confront financial choices that stick with their dreams, Churchill help clarify their fundamental values. says. “But they do have to make appropriate adjustments.” He of understanding the world around Social Security, the working poor, wants them to graduate from us more deeply. Personally and and differing political approaches Parker with “a full understanding of socially relevant questions about to managing the economy. As they what it will take financially to live the world establish a meaningful integrate these various strands of the life that they want.”. context for doing powerful mathe - financial literacy, students engage matical analysis.” in their own values clarification as Personal Math, Societal Choices People dig themselves in a well. Both Kruse and Churchill hold deep hole, Churchill believes, by “How much money does it take another goal they see as even more not understanding how financial to live a comfortable life?” asks important: that students become institutions and mechanisms Churchill. “What do you think the more educated citizens by under - operate. “Enormous machines out tax rate should be? Why do you standing the personal and societal there are trying to convince us to think the poverty line is defined complexities of financial literacy. spend, to make commitments with where it is? When we look at these “This class is about citizenship, our money,” he says. “Students things from the numbers rather about understanding the society need to understand how that than just as belief statements, we and economy they are moving works, because financial decisions gain striking information.” into,” says Churchill. they make at 18 have lasting effects Putting Numbers to Possibilities “What makes it so compelling,” for decades to come.” says Kruse, “is not the mathemati - His class also draws students As they investigate such personal cal design principles. The math into current national debates on and societal issues, students also concepts serve the larger purpose macroeconomic issues such as acquire proficiency in analytical

4 | the parker way spring 2014 tools such as Microsoft Excel. that,” his 22-year-old future self tant course I took at Parker.” (He Jacob Gesin, who changed his declared, and at 17 he used Excel suggests that the course expand to planned college major from nurs - to chart his path. two semesters, devoting the first to ing to finance after taking Financial topics in economics with an option Insight Changes Behavior Math, found that his Excel skills to take the AP test in that subject.) were far better than those of his The Financial Math course is When former students visit, college classmates. “I am learning designed to meet the needs of a Diane Kruse says, they make a now that Excel is used everywhere,” wide range of mathematical learn - point of seeking her out to proudly he said, “and that employers value ers. Some students may first proclaim, “I don’t have any credit this skill set when hiring.” achieve a deeper understanding of card debt because of what you Such skills help even high percentages, for example, when taught me!” school students devise realistic they try to figure out the com - A few months after one partici - plans for their future “possible pound interest on their dream pant in the class graduated, Jon selves.” One student imagined home. Other students double their Churchill recalls, he received a note himself at 22, having just graduat - math load, taking Financial Math from the student, who had earned ed from a private university in the alongside calculus so as not to miss $3,000 that summer and put $1,500 Boston area with a degree in com - out on its content. of it into an IRA. All other assess - munications. He envisioned him - Graduates as well as current ments aside, said Churchill with self landing a job as an advertising students give the course high satisfaction, “That’s when I really coordinator in New York City with a praise. “Hands down,” Jake Gesin knew that we had something starting salary of $48,000. He (’11) declares it “the most impor - good.” P planned to spend $850 monthly to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Harlem, and to use his bike or pub - “Calamity Day” A Financial Math Assessment lic transportation instead of own - ing a car. Love is in the air! You fall in love on Monday and fly off to Las Vegas on Thursday In addition to supporting his to get married by an Elvis impersonator. You put the trip, wedding ring, the party, and travel for all your family on a credit card—a total of $5,000. guinea pig, “I will be dating,” he How does this challenge your retirement, assuming that in your dreamy state you wrote, “so I need to save a little miss a credit card payment and the company raises your rates from whatever rate extra cash for the ladies.” (His first you have to 29 percent APR? question on a date, he noted half in Here are the specific issues to address: jest, should be, “What is your credit 1. If you can only afford to pay $175 a month to your credit card debt, how score?”) Picturing himself engaged long will it take you to pay off the $5,000 loan? to marry at age 27, he named 2. How much will you end up in paying in interest over the life of our loan “saving money for a house, and as you try to pay off your debt? being able to support my future 3. Take the $5,000 and the interest calculated (in part 2) and invest it at family” as his financial priorities. “I 9 percent for 35 years. want to do whatever it takes to get

spring 2014 the parker way | 5 special section : Essential Thinking About Money

Funding and the Essential charter school

continued from page 1 state does help out by contributing Devens almost 20 years ago in Parker is a regional charter school, $893 per charter school student rented space at 27 Jackson Road. In so over 70 cities and towns in cen - annually. But a significant funding 2000, the school moved to 49 Anti - tral Massachusetts may send stu - advantage goes to traditional dis - etam Street and rented another dents here and in any given year tricts in the form of facilities aid — existing facility, the “brick rectan - over 40 of them do so. Since their big chunks of cash dropped into gle” that had been the Fort Devens per-pupil revenue (PPR) varies, so the system every 20 years or so elementary school. In 2005, Park - does the amount that follows a stu - when a building project takes er’s trustees charged a task force to dent to Parker. This year, it ranges place. When spread over the life - define the school’s building needs from $9,573 to $16,883, giving us a time of the facility, that adds up. and assess the feasibility of various per-student average of $••••••. Largely because of facilities ways to achieve the goal of a per - On the surface, it appears that subsidies, charter schools receive manent home for the school. In Massachusetts traditional district 22 percent less funding than tradi - 2007, Parker purchased the proper - public schools and charter public tional districts. Our advocacy ty at 49 Antietam Street and added schools receive more or less the organization—the Massachusetts the “new wing,” increasing its facil - same funding each year. However, Charter Public School Association ity size to 68,000 square feet. The traditional district schools receive (MCPSA)—continues to press for purchase and capital improve - state subsidies of 50 to 80 percent changes in charter school facilities ments were funded through a com - of the total costs of their buildings, aid, but no substantive change is bination of dedicated fund-raising while charter public schools must on the horizon. (a capital campaign that raised finance their own facilities. The Parker opened its doors at $943,000) and long-term borrowing

FY14 Budgeted Expense Allocation

Expense Information Salary, benefits, and • Building-related includes rent, utilities, n professional development maintenance and repairs Building-related expenses • Other mandatory expenses include n depreciation, insurance, legal accounting n Other mandatory expenses • Program includes all administrative and overhead costs such as inspections, office supplies, professional development n Program costs

Parker’s current expense budget reflects the priorities of Common Principle #9, with the lion’s share devoted to salaries and benefits for staff. Parker’s student-teacher ratio is approximately 8:1.

6 | the parker way spring 2014 special section : Essential Thinking About Money

Common Principle #9: Resources dedicated to teaching and learning Ultimate administrative and budget targets should include student loads that promote personalization, substantial time for collective planning by teachers, competitive salaries for staff, and an ultimate per pupil cost not to exceed that at traditional districts by more than 10 percent. To accomplish this, administrative plans may have to include the phased reduction or elimination of some services now provided students in many traditional schools.

of $2.6 million (a mortgage on the “ultimate per pupil costs” do not Parker’s Strategic Plan includes property). Annual carrying costs exceed traditional schools by 10 initiatives in all the areas—teacher for the facility (mortgage payments percent. In fact, they are actually corps, facilities, funding—that bear plus insurance and utilities) are lower than those of traditional most directly on the fiscal bottom $485,000 annually, or $1,228 per schools, year in and year out, since line. As we continue the work of student. (Compare that to the we get no building subsidies. implementing our Strategic Plan in annual $893 per student state con - How does Parker balance its a thoughtful, consultative, inten - tribution above.) budget each year with up to 22 per - tional manner, it’s important that Parker is fortunate to have a cent less than traditional schools? all constituencies of the school roof over our heads, and grateful First, we are not offering competi - understand the financial chal - for the work of those who made it tive salaries for staff; and second, lenges of Essential school-keeping possible! Even Essential Schools we are not funding the replace - in the charter school sector. P need a facility—and what else? ment costs of our facilities as we go. When Ted Sizer framed the ninth Common Principle of the Facilities Cost Comparison Coalition of Essential Schools in the mid-1980s (see sidebar above), 1500 he set clear financial priorities: low $1424 student loads that allow teachers to 1200 know each student well, and sub - 900 Facilities Costs $893 Per-pupil budgeted facilities stantial time for teachers to plan 600 cost includes rent, utilities, maintenance and repair only. together. If that meant cutting the No adjustment has been made 300 for major renovation costs or frills, so be it; CES called for limit - future purchase needs. 0 ing the total increase in per-pupil State per-pupil Parker FY14 budgeted per- facility aid pupil facilities aid costs costs to no more than 10 percent. Parker’s current budget reflects these priorities, with the lion’s The state gives some facilities aid to Parker, but not as much as share devoted to salaries and bene - traditional districts get. It does not cover the cost of fits. (See chart, page 6.) Despite Parker’s facilities; the balance comes from the operating budget. Sizer’s forecast, however, Parker’s

spring 2014 the parker way | 7 Direct from Students: Financial Literacy

Parker seniors think ahead to their financial futures

Nine Division 3 students from Jon Churchill’s Financial Math class joined Principal Todd Sumner to reflect on what they had learned about the uses of money.

I see a lot of people who after college are in really bad situations financial - ly. Being in really big financial tur - moil can totally ruin someone’s life. It’s really scary to me. I wanted to do the most I could to not be in a situa - tion like that. – Jesse LeVines

When you apply to all these schools, it is easy to forget that you actually Caption have to pay this all later. The debt lesson we did definitely opened my eyes and made going to college a how much money you are saving. kids when you are older, you need to reality. – Khyra Evans – Alexandra Gesin account for that with extra savings, so you are okay down the road. – Kayden It makes you think: I could go to this When you look at a car and how Nasworthy college with a little financial aid, or much it costs, it’s hard to make it real, that college with a lot more financial but when you see on a spreadsheet At 15 I had my first salaried job, so I aid. The amount of money can make how long it will take to pay it off… it started a Roth IRA that I can access it hard to choose. – Daegan Crane is kind of depressing. It’s good to look when I am 65. I put in $1,000 (in my at this though. Not many people dad’s name because I wasn’t 18) and, I’ve been seeing that there’s good do. – Heather Paterson not touching it, that will be $35,000 debt versus bad debt. While college is when I am 65. It’s really something to a lot of money and you have to pay a On one of our first spreadsheets we think about. You can turn a little bit lot back, it helps you get the better did fixed costs and discretionary of money into a lot, by just letting it jobs so to be in debt there might help costs. It really gets you to think about sit. – Chris Giard P in the long run. College is like an what is a priority in your life, and investment. – Rebekah Blood where you want to be in terms of your career. It helps you figure out Bad debt is something that will not what makes sense for you to be benefit you later on—like fancy spending money on. – Cecilia Hoff coffee. If you just made it at home instead of going out and paying $3, it You also have to think more long really adds up and you start to see term. If you are planning on having

8 | the parker way spring 2014 The Annual Fund Donors

the annual fund donors The Parker School expresses its profound thanks for the generosity of those listed below, whose contributions have made Parker’s sixth Annual Fund a success.

Doris and Charles Ablard * The Acton Family * Bill Allen and Joy Cooke * Robert Amici * Thomas Anzer * Bette Barbadoro * Julie and Noel Bartsch * Dennis and Beth Basiner * The Basma Family * Caroline Beasley and Matt Beaudoin * Joseph P. and Debra A. Belanger * Bruce and Lisa Bender * Benevity Community Impact Fund * Shari Bennett * Debbie Bermudez * BNY Mellon Community Partnership * John Bohannon and Deborah Merriam * The Bosworth Family * William and Ellen Brandt * Bright Horizons Foundation for Children * Margaret Britton * Barbara Brodeur * The Brown Family * Jeff Burnett * The Burns Family * W.J. Cadogan * Corey Callahan * Jim Campbell * Sarah Campbell * Paul and Deborah A. Cicchetti * The Concannon Family * William and Susan Coney * Cheryl and Tim Coonahan * Corning Incorporated Foundation * David and Eileen Curran * Kara Dalton * Jennifer Dee * Valeri Delcore * The DeMarines Family * Martha and Armen Demerjian * Joanne Derr * Jim Desmond * Carolyn Dittes * John E. and Karyn N. Doherty * Wyatt Dowd * Russell and Katrina Drew * Guilford Dube and Marcia Melanson * Nicky Dudensing * Peter Dufault and Janet Glenn * The Dugan Family * The Greg Dumas Family * Eric Edwards and Leslie Doolittle * Paul S. and Lisa A. Eisenberg * The Eliyesil Family * Ellie’s Pet Barn * Jane and Arnie Epstein * The Erb Family * Charles J. Faraci and Cheryl Hardy-Faraci * Susan Farr * Leanne Fernau * Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund * Imogene O. Fish * The Flannagan Family * Lisa Francine and Jordana Shaw * The Fredericksen Family * The Gaposchkin Family * Michael D. and Cindylee Gee * Emma Geller * Julie and Aaron Gesin * Judy Gibson * The Giordano Family * The Girardin Family * Joseph W. Glannon * Ann Grace * Maryellen Grady * Beth I. Graham * Sue Graves * Christopher D. and Dorothy Littell Greco * Bern Haan and Cindy Stack * Lawrence E. and Linda M. Harrington * David W. and Sheila S. Hayward * Hans J. and Marianne M. Heer * Robin and Kelly Henshaw * Mark and Jeanne Hickox * Richard High and Anne Perkins * Jo A. Hills * Clayton Hobart * Alan Hoff and Jennifer Ablard * Houghton Mifflin Matching Gift Program * Katherine Imhoff * Debbi and Bruce Jacques * The Joseph Family * JP Morgan Chase & Company * Ernest Kahane * Elis Kanner * Patrick and Sheila Kelly * Cathy Kennedy * Thi H. and Tam T. Khuu * Matthew J. and Heidi A. Korhonen * Laura M. Kretschmar * Diane Kruse * Dennis and Sue LeBlanc * Keith R. and Lori A. LeBlanc * Allen LeVines * David A. Light * Cathy and Tim Lindamood * Rebecca Lindamood * Sascha Lodge * Michael Lukaszevicz and Valorie Parent * Nancy Lundy * Peter MacDonald * George L. and Sandra C. MacDonald * Hannah MacDonald * Lenny and Susan Manupelli * The Marin Family * Sue Massucco * Peter and Beth McKeon * Edward J. and Katherine F. McNierney * Carol Mearn * Deborah Meier * Susan L. Metcalf * Linda Miller and Stu Ervin * Amanda Miller * Thomas Moser and Ellen Schemerhorn * Robert L. and Marcy A. Mula * Brian and Julie Muldoon * Shannon Murphy * The Murray Family * The Narbonne Family * James H. and Laurie A. Nehring * Janine Nichipor * Lynn Nixon * Novartis * Peter and Judie Ochsner * Ochsner Charitable Foundation * Janet and Kevin O’Hara * John and Karalyn O’Hara * Options Consignment Boutique, Inc. * Gregory Orpen * Debbie and Marc Osofsky * David and Catherine Paterson * Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison Charitable Gift Fund * Cathy and Walter Pearlman * Roger Peduzzi and Sara Martin * The Pember Family * The Penna Family * Thomas Perkins * Julia Perlman * Greg and Michelle Pflaum * Philips Electronics * Siobhan Pierce * Raytheon Matching Gifts for Education Program * Jane Reed * Kyle Reeves * Theresa and Matthew Richards * The Roach and Hilbert Family * Cynthia Robinson * Rollstone Charitable Foundation, Inc. * Tim Roy and Lisa Gussak * Natalie Rudolph * Michael Rush * William C. and Pauline A. Sager * George and Pam Sanderson * The Schottler Family * Stuart Schulman and Susan Randazzo Schulman * Donald Scullane * Barbara Seeber-Wagner * Susan Seghir * Andrew Sellars * The Shankle Family * David and Linda Shea * The Kazanjian-Silvia Family * Nancy F. Sizer * Hal and Susan Sizer * Theodore Sizer II * William A. and Christine D. Skirkey * Wendy Smith and Tyler and Jared Karuzis * Matt and Laura Smith * The Spencer Family * Meg and Duke Stafford * Aaron M. Stockwell * Jessica Stokes * Martin and Julie Streb * Todd Sumner and Mark Melchior * Virginia Tang * Jonathan Tang * Carl Tappan * Target Take Charge of Education * The Plymouth Rock Foundation * Katherine L. Thomas * Mary Timmons * Kristen Toohill * John M. Toomey * Martin and Paula Turnbull * Patricia Tuzzolo * Barbara and Chase Underwood * Peter Urban * The Christine L. Vanasse Trust * Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund * Dan C. and Lan P. Vuong * Ann and Bill Wachur * Mark and Jean-Marie Wall * Juliana Walsh’s Family * Mit and Marcy Wanzer * Laura Warner * Susan Whalen * Angela Wilde * Emily Wilson * Scott F. and Suzanne B. Wilson * Catherine and Gregory Yates * Jim and Cindy Yennaco * Wenkai Zhu * and a number of anonymous donors *

spring 2014 the parker way | 9 Class Notes

2001 Watertown, she became interested in 2008 special-needs students and in 2012 Marcie Muehlke is happy to report Alexandra Nichipor spent last year in returned to Lesley to earn her masters that she and her husband Brian Yellen China, teaching English at Hebei Univer - degree, with dual licensure in moderate had their first baby, Eleanor (“Nelle”) sity. She is currently in graduate school and severe special education. From her Muehlke Yellen on February 27, 2014. at Harvard University, pursuing a mas - “irreplaceable” experiences in that The baby and family are “tired but ters degree in theology at the Harvard field, Georgia says, she has learned doing great .” Divinity School. “just as much from my students as they 2004 have learned from me, if not more.” She Rachel Eisenberg graduated from attributes “many of the skills I use in George Washington University in May, David (Ben) Nyer received a M.S. in everyday life to my experiences and 2012 with a degree in geography. That molecular biology at Arizona State Uni - learning at Parker. ” summer, along with Parker classmate versity and now works at Heliae Devel - Kristin McDonough ’08, she volun - opment, a biotech startup company teered at a primary school in Ecuador. based in Gilbert, AZ. “Fast-paced and 2007 Leanne Fernau is still living and work - Shortly thereafter, she decided to move exciting,” the firm explores the use of ing in Clinton, MA. This year she took to the Eastern European country of algae to produce high-value compounds on a new adventure by joining the Georgia to teach English through a gov - that are used as food additives, agricul - vestry of her Episcopal Church and is ernment program there. Rachel’s enjoy - tural products, and medicinal or thera - “learning a lot about what it takes to ment of both teaching and traveling peutic treatments. On the side, Nyer keep a church running.” In February she grew, and on a visit home to be the works on woodworking, furniture mak - visited her brother Fletcher Fernau maid of honor at the wedding of her ing, game design and bicycling. He’s on ’05 in New York City, where seeing “The sister Emily Eisenberg ’02 , she earned the board of the Tempe Bicycle Action Lion King” on Broadway brought back her certification in teaching English as a Group, advocating for cycling infrastruc - “all my childhood joy” in the show. “It second language (TESOL). She recently ture and support in the city of Tempe was amazing! Such crazy costumes began a year-long position teaching and sponsoring “all sorts of serious and accompanied by awesome vocal talent.” English in Jeju, South Korea and hopes silly bike-related events.” Though to continue traveling and teaching Eng - “burning the candle from both ends a lish all over the world. bit,” he is “happy to be working and volunteering for things I love.”

2005 Rebecca Lindamood works with “Rivers and Revolutions,” an inter- disciplinary, experiential learning pro - gram based at Concord Carlisle High School. She is earning a masters degree in teaching from Lesley University, with a specialty in teaching students in grades 5 –12 with moderate disabilities.

Georgia Lanier, who lives in Waltham, MA, attended Lesley College after Park - er and received a degree in early child - hood education. As an aide for four Rachel Eisenberg (’08) on her travels to teach English. years in an independent school in

10 | the parker way spring 2014 Class Notes

2009 and rewarding, and hopes to be chosen for a course sponsored by the Archway Robby Perkins-High is currently volun - Investment Fund, in which students teering for WorldTeach, a year-long manage a portfolio of $850,000 and teaching abroad program based in Cam - work in a real business setting. Last bridge, MA. and organizes volunteers, summer Jake helped with a key product in conjunction with the host countries launch at the startup company Coravin, governments, to work and teach English and in the coming summer he will for a year. Since its inception, return as an intern in finance and WorldTeach has placed thousands of accounting as that firm expands into volunteer educators in communities new markets abroad. He would love to throughout Asia, Latin America, Africa, stick around if the opportunity arises, Eastern Europe and the Pacific. Robby is but also dreams of moving on into living in La Fortuna, Costa Rica and investment banking, wealth manage - teaching English and Science in English ment, or even private equity investing. in the Zeta Trece Bilingual School, which has about 400 kids grades 1-6. Chung Vuong has been studying com - There are 15 other volunteers from the puter science at Northeastern Universi - states in CR for the year. He arrived in ty, where he augments traditional class - Graham Stanley (’12) in Thailand. early January and will be headed home es with co-op periods where he works this December around Christmas time. in the industry. In a six-month stint last beach on Krabi and the island Kho Phi year, he moved to San Diego to work Phi) “amazing” and he warmly endorses 2010 full time at Intuit as a software engineer Thailand’s reputation as “the land of From the time he began at Syracuse on products like TurboTax. This summer, smiles.” With two months to go, he was University through his recent gradua - he will start another half year as a soft - looking forward to an internship in the tion there, Max Greenberg has worked ware engineer—this time at Twitter— office of the Governor of Chiang Mai. at Sidearm Sports in Syracuse, NY. He before returning to classes. started in technical support on its streaming media team, then headed an 2012 “awesome” team of 25 working with Sa-wat-dii-khrap from Graham Stanley , around 125 clients of the company. After who is spending the spring semester in receiving his B.S. in information man - Thailand at Chiang Mai University. In agement and technology, in January addition to his studies he’s exploring Max started work toward his masters in the land and its culture and has visited the same field. Whenever he finds time, the country’s highest point, Doi Inthanon, graduates and families! he helps coordinate the efforts of cam - and the prominent temple Doi Suthep. pus representatives for a Boston start- He also volunteers weekly at a Thai Please send news and photos of up company called CO Everywhere. orphanage. On several weekends he what Parker alums are doing. Email (Check it out in the app store!) hiked for hours to stay in the villages of [email protected] or call Katrina Drew hill tribes, where he rode elephants and at 978-772-3293 ext. 164. 2011 helped build bamboo rafts for river As a junior at Bryant University in excursions. Food offered another cul - Smithfield, RI, Jake Gesin is working ture shock, with street venders selling it toward a B.S. in business administra - on many of the main streets. Graham tion, majoring in both finance and eco - found even his more “touristy” excur - nomics. He finds the work challenging sions (such as a week at the Tonsai

spring 2014 the parker way | 11