Welcome to the members of the Class of 2024—I hope you enjoy your first Harley Alumni Happenings!

These last two months have been a blur! We were surprised with May Day on a cool afternoon (that was actually May 1st!), we celebrated our love of Harley with Heart of Harley Week of Giving filled with matching gift opportunities, fun games, and a raffle to win a trip to Italy, an alumni Happy Hour midweek (scroll to the end for photos), and ending the with a magnificent Lower School Pageant. Scatter in a couple of moving-up ceremonies for our Grade 4 and Grade 8 students, Honors Assembly, Commencement, and finally Alumni Reunion Weekend, I think everyone is looking forward to a little bit of a break.



Enjoy this last Harley Alumni Happenings for the school year. See you in the Fall!

—Karen

THE HARLEY SCHOOL• Dr. Kathryn Kaiser’s Office • June 1, 2024

Update on Harley Direction

Our community continues to work towards the comprehensive sustainability of the Harley School through four measurable and interdependent focus areas by 2025: Community, Academic, Environmental, Fiscal.

Academic Highlights

Congratulations to our incredible Class of 2024! Our 29 College-bound seniors achieved a remarkable 134 acceptances across a diverse range of 90 institutions. This variety reflects the vast array of talents and aspirations that define this unique group.

Amanda Edelhardt P '25, '31, our college counselor shared, “the students' hard work, dedication, and perseverance have paid off in extraordinary ways and are a testament to their abilities, confidence in their uniqueness, and the strength of their applications. It is truly impressive that Harley School's admit rate was 100% at 67 schools and over 50% at an additional 22 schools. This success reflects not only individual talents, but also the quality of education and support they have received throughout their time at Harley. Their experiences at Harley have equipped them with the knowledge, skills, and character to thrive in their chosen fields of study and to make a positive impact on the world around them.”

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of these seniors, and we look forward to following their continued success in the years to come. We all extend our gratitude and appreciation to Amanda and her work with the Grade 12 students, parents, and faculty this year.

Class of 2024 Matriculation

American University (2)

Smith College (2)

Bennington College

Bentley University

Bryn Mawr College

Cornell University

Duke University

Eastman School of Music

Endicott College

Kenyon College

Rochester Institute of Technology

SUNY at Fredonia

SUNY at New Paltz

SUNY at Purchase College

SUNY at New Paltz

SUNY at Purchase College

Scripps College

The Ohio State University

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Florida

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Miami

University of Rochester (3)

University of Vermont

Wheaton College - MA

Upper School’s Grade 12 students will be sharing their Capstone Projects in a public presentation on June 11 from 12:30 to 3:30. Senior Capstone is a year-long or half-year culminating academic experience for students with a strong interest in a particular field. Please come and celebrate their tenacity and talents. One student researched and built an exhibit for Wizarding night emphasizing optical illusions. Another choreographed their own dance performance and created a fundraiser for the Misty Copeland Dance Foundation to increase access and equity. A project on community building through sports, hosted a basketball tournament to bring people together from different backgrounds. Another student learned how to podcast, never having done so before, and they designed and created a podcast channel about current events in sports.

Performing Arts

Our music students have participated in so many competitions, public events, and school presentations. In the spring NYSSMA solo festivals, we had students perform exceptionally and some are now eligible for the All State conference; stay tuned for an August update on that honor. This weekend, the Vocal Chords are performing at Book Culture in Pittsford, the Harley jazz band will be playing at Fairport Canal Days (and the Rochester International Jazz Festival later in June), Grade 12 student Rebecca Lee will be performing her senior violin recital at Hatch Recital Hall at Eastman. Additionally, three rising Grade 8 and 9 students, Ethann Stone, Sophie Richman, and Zavier Beauchamp, were accepted by audition for a theater summer intensive at Geva Theatre.

Lower School

Grade 4 has been learning about Rochester history and the 1934 act that created Redlining in Rochester. On the first day of learning, the students were asked to interview someone at home about their experiences with racism. Fiorella Ruggerio interviewed her grandmother, Dr. Jackie DiScenza. Dr. DiScenza is a professor who also volunteers with the Levine Center to End Hate in Rochester. She has been involved in helping school groups learn and respond to racism in Rochester, and has also been part of many protests in Rochester and New York City to support antiracist movements. Her messages today will inspire the students to be activists and support minority groups. 

Social Emotional Learning

Mary-Pat Cleary and Emily Cady, two of our school counselors, authored a piece for the Rochester Beacon, discussing creating safe spaces for students. Please enjoy their thoughtful words about children. 

The entire counseling team partnered with Parent Council recently to provide a series of workshops on Social and Emotional Learning at Harley. You can find recordings for each of these divisional presentations on My.Harley.org in the Head of School Office resource board. The final presentation, “Finding Balance: Technology & Your Child's Mental Health: A Panel Discussion for Families” is an in-person panel at Harley on June 11 at 7:00 pm. Please see the recent Parent Council email for details! The presentation will include research and strategies for families to navigate home conversations regarding use of technology and social media. The panel will be moderated by the Head of School, and our esteemed panelists are:

• David Garrison (Psychiatry, UR Medicine): Harley parent of students in Grades 4 and 9
• Cheryl Kodjo (Pediatrics, UR Medicine & Student Health): Harley parent of students in Grade 7
• Mike Mendoza (Family Medicine, UR Public Health Sciences, and Nursing): Advisor to Harley throughout COVID
• Erin Good (Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, UR Chief Resident) Leads the UR Medicine/Pediatric Residents in a Social-Emotional Learning rotation at The Harley School

Sports Highlights

Our spring sports season has been filled with great teamwork and student-athlete success! Did you know all about their triumphs this season? Please see the following for a quick recap of our varsity teams and information about our 2024 fall season. Athletic Director Mike Tallie will share a full school-year report on all three seasons during the 2023-24 school year. Congratulations to our athletes and coaches!

Environmental Action

Sustainability continues to be a hallmark of learning and student activism at Harley. The NYS Envirothon is a hands-on environmental competition in which teams of high school students compete by answering questions about five environmental topics: Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Current Issues, and Wildlife. Teams also prepare a short oral presentation based on the annual Current Issue topic. Our Upper School teams (pictured below) participated at the local and then state-wide level, representing Monroe County. Special thanks to team faculty Betsy Vinton and Peter Hentschke, and Harley alumnae Brooke Mayer ‘04, P '38 who helped the teams with their oral presentations. 

The students are not the only ones with sustainability at the forefront of their thinking. The Energy Task Force—a group of parents, board trustees, administration, and teachers—has been working together this year to continue reviewing Harley’s carbon footprint. Work has included looking back over the history of Greenhouse Gas emissions targets and identifying Harley’s existing impactful resources, minimal impact resources, aspirational potential resources, and reviewing the 2010 energy audit in preparation for a new study to take place funded by the EE Ford Foundation. We have narrowed our potential energy audit firms to three and we will be meeting with each in the coming month to select a finalist.

Stay present and enjoy these moments. I am the parent of two adult children and the “days are long, years are short” saying is so true. I have watched Harley community members return from college graduations, weddings, and births of grandchildren all year. Childhood is fleeting, breathe it in, and cherish it. They are growing right before our eyes.

Yours,

Kathryn

Dr. Kathryn Kaiser

Transitional Head of School

The Harley School

Our teams after a day of competing in Monroe County’s event.

The Joslyn family is planning a memorial service at the Webster Presbyterian Church, 550 Webster Road in Webster, NY on Saturday, July 20, at 2:00 p.m. There will be a reception at the church immediately after the service. 

Click here to read Bob's obituary.

Thank you to everyone who shared their condolences with me to pass along to Bob's family. I have not been given permission to share all of the messages, but I wanted to share a sample from some folks that (I hope) don't mind:

My loving husband Richard W. Chapman (Physical Education, 1958-66 and 1967-1982) loved Bob. He had very fond memories of him and spoke of him often.

Linda Chapman

Please give Laura, Mark, and their wonderful mom, Kay, my heartfelt sympathy at the loss of their dad and husband. Bob Joslyn was the epitome of an amazing teacher, coach, and human being—always thoughtful and kind with a ready smile and encouraging word. Like Bill Dalton, Maggie Schneider, and Bud Ewell, he was a constant and reassuring presence in the halls, someone I felt I could always turn to if I needed anything. I really can't imagine Harley without him. I am deeply sorry for their family’s loss and sending them all my love. xo Susie Mees Longfield ’82

I was sorry to read about Bob's passing away. I worked with Bob for 12 years and taught both Mark and Laura—I taught Mark in 5th, 6th grade and 12th grades and gave the faculty speech at his graduation. I taught Laura in 6th grade. I had a wonderful relationship with Bob as a colleague when I was a 6th grade teacher, an US teacher, and the Middle School Division Head. His kids were wonderful people to teach and work with. Obviously, he and his wife were great parents because they nurtured two terrific kids from childhood to become two wonderful adults. 

Alan Sparrow, Middle School, 1972-1980, Head of Middle School, 1980-84 

Bob Joslyn: the grin, the curls, the mild manner, the conviction when he was teaching, the eagerness to help. He once saw a ninth or tenth grader struggling in the water. She could barely stay afloat and was frightened of getting into water over her head. Bob walked over to her and, in his way, took her back as far as the deadman’s float. After a few months of what amounted to private lessons, she was swimming and her confidence took a great leap. No fuss, no bother. You saw something that needed doing, so you did it. Welcome to Harley and the part of it that Bob, along with others, embodied.

Michael Lasser P ’77, ’80, Upper School English 1966-1998

With most people they do not show what they are with their faces, but Bob did. If you look at the picture that accompanies his announcement you will see him, the person that at least I can see: steady, friendly, kind, encouraging, easy going, honest, understanding, patient. You could trust and rely on him for all kinds of support and reassurance. Everything he did ran smoothly, and the effort to achieve that never showed. Just look at the smile. We will not see his like again.

Alex DeSantis P ’84, Upper School English, 1971-2009

Even though I was not especially close to Bob when I taught at Harley, as I look back now, he was arguably the sweetest and gentlest human being Iʼve ever known in my 88 years on this planet. By just being who he was, he helped make Harley such a special place. Lucky Mark and Laura to get half his genes!

Allen Fitz-Gerald, Harley French teacher 1970-1979 (P David Fitz-Gerald, 1980)

I remember Bob working with the pre-school children in the Harley pool. On one occasion, when I was swimming with the children, several started hanging on me and I was going under. I caught Bob's eye, and he knew I was in distress. He jumped in the pool to remove the children from around my neck. So typical of Bob. Always there when needed. That said, what I will really remember about Bob was his wonderful smile. Always smiling. Aways cheerful, a pleasure to be around.

It was my good fortune to have worked with and to have known him. He will be missed.

Barb Kutner, Head of Lower School, 1978-1989

What an extraordinary legacy—an entire generation (and more) of young people who learned teamwork, sportsmanship, mutual respect, and striving to do one's personal best through Bob's coaching, teaching, and mentorship. And the value of the gift of the outdoor ed program to Harley can't be overstated. I know many Harley graduates who trace their love of the environment, which has often led to their collegiate studies and careers, to the various trips and outdoor overnights our students do. Our three kids are among them, and we're grateful. 

And what a dear person was Bob. We hope his legacy and your memories of him will be a comfort going forward. 

The Frye Family (Larry Frye P ’12, ’15, ’15, Head of Upper School, 2004-2018, Head of School 2018-2023)

We had an important retirement announcement at the end of the school year from Vicki Pasternack P '99, Dining Services, 1988-2024.

Vicki was a ray of sunshine for the community, always positive, kind, and a team player, who worked so hard putting together delicious, healthy meals for us all. She knew every student's name, their favorite meals, if they had dietary restrictions, and over Covid, she revamped the food program to make sure meals were served safely. When I was home on maternity leave, she sent home a bag of Harley chicken fingers because she knew they were my favorite. Vicki was so inspired by the school and its resilience during Covid, in 2022, she offered a faculty/staff gift match for the Harley Fund. She is an awesome human being and I feel honored to have worked with her for so many years!

Letter from Vicki to the community:



I am writing to let you know that I have decided to retire at the end of this school year. I have loved working here these past 35 years at Harley. When I was asked to be director many years ago we did not have the lunch program that it is today. I am very proud of my team and how many healthier changes we have made over the years. I feel very blessed to work with such a dedicated team who go above and beyond every day to put out the very best lunch! It has been a privilege to have had such an amazing and long career doing what I love!

Things I look forward to doing include, a bit of travel, spending time at the pool, and spending time with family. I have not had a summer off in 35 years, so the possibilities are endless!

Thank you for being a part of my journey through my years at Harley!

Vicki

We have news to share from Kirsten Allen Reader Brown '90, P '20, '26, MS English, 1999-2018, Dir. of Enrollment, 2018-2024. I knew that Kirsten was an outstanding English teacher in the Middle School, but when she joined the Advancement team in 2018, I learned that she is a smart, savvy, and sassy woman who is willing to take on any challenge. She adapted to her new administrative role at school pretty quickly and she has used her own experiences as a student, parent, and teacher to convince just about any family that Harley is the best place for their child. I am going to miss her passion for Harley and her willingness to stand up for what she believes is the best for the school.

Letter from Kirsten to the community:

It is with a mix of emotions that I write to announce that this will be my last year as enrollment director at Harley and I will not be returning to the position in September for the 2024-25 school year. I am an educator first and foremost, and I really miss teaching. I love teaching, I love children, and I love creating. I also love Harley, which makes this a particularly difficult decision. So, as I move forward in my career, I will be exploring opportunities to get back into the classroom.

The Harley School has been an integral part of my life and is an incredible school. I see the brilliant work that happens inside this school every day. As a parent here, my children are and have been engaged, challenged, cherished, known, pushed, and loved. There is no other place I would want my children to be educated. There are no other teachers, no other community, and there is no other curriculum in the area that is as strong, creative, and thoughtful as ours. I am so proud to have worked here as both a faculty member and an administrator, and I am also so proud to have co-parented with Harley for the last 19 years, and will do so for two more as Liam heads to Grade 11 next year. I am so happy to continue to be a part of our community.

I have no doubt we will continue to thrive and be an educational beacon and leading light in the Greater Rochester area. 

Warmly,

Kirsten

Izzy Goldstein '24, Margot Hilyard '22, and Lisa Barker (Food and Farm Coordinator, 2018-present)

Margot Hilyard, a 2022 graduate with a passion for seed-collecting, books, and the Harley School Microfarm, dreamt of a project connecting the Harley campus with the public trail. She also wanted to hone her woodworking skills before graduation. The Seeds and Stories little library was her brainchild, merging these interests and exploring the community potential of the school's growing spaces.

Starting in the spring of her senior year, Margot envisioned this as a collaborative effort. Knowing she wouldn't finish it alone, she wanted many to contribute. This goal was achieved! Dr. Cori Perkins' (US Math, 2021-present) advisory group, picking up where Margot left off, tackled weather-proofing and painting the following year.



The design itself was a collaborative effort, too. Margot, Jenicah Dureus ‘23, and Middle School students started it in year one. Art teacher Ms. Katie Kindelan (US Art, 2021-present) and Dr. Perkins' group continued it the next year. This fall, Izzy Goldstein '24 (from last year's advisory group) completed the installation with her dad as a Food and Farm class project. Harley also received help prepping the area from Wayside Garden Center.

This project, a beautiful thread woven through the past few years, has finally come to life thanks to Margot's vision and the contributions of many!

Click here for Channel 8's coverage.

The first Honors Assembly was in June 1976, created to celebrate the accomplishments of students. We give out over 25 awards, one to a Lower School student, four to Middle School students, and the remaining to Upper School students.

Several awards were created to honor members of the alumni community and we invite special speakers to award these.

Amy Pollack Hall awards the Donald L. Pollack '59 Award to a Middle Schooler in recognition of their volunteer work.

Nancy Danforth Schraver P '86, '94, GP '22 and former trustee, awards the Carter Danforth Thomas '94 Leadership Award.

John Wiltse awards the Melanie Truman Bullard Scholarship award. This award goes to a current Grade 9 student who excels in history and/or Latin, the subjects which Mrs. Bullard taught.

Therese Rendazzese spoke on behalf of the Kraai family for the Douglas Kraai Memorial Award, created in memory of Abby Kraai '04's father.

The passing of the Student Council Bell, Lydia Gugino '24 to Luke Healey '25.

Harley is generally a pretty relaxed place. While our neighbors down the road wear uniforms to school in some grades, our students express themselves in their clothing choices on a daily basis. Harley Commencement is a different story. Our seniors come dressed in formal wear which adds to the beautiful and moving experience. This year marked the ninety-eighth commencement for The Harley School!

Board President Ted Townsend '98, P '32,'33 addresses the seniors.

President of the Class, Anaya Qazi '24, introduces the speakers.

Izzy Goldstein '24 and Rebecca Ayoung Lee '24 accompany their classmates as they sing Vienna.

Will Fiandach '24 gives the first student address.

Elizabeth Tucker '24 addresses her class.

Dr. Rhianna Gordon, US History, 2023-present

Jackson Gilbert '24 and Izzy Goldstein '24 pass the banner to Eloisa Tunis '36.

Below are several fun pictures as the students walked off stage. To see more, go to the Harley School Facebook page. Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

The Dorsey brothers!

I couldn't resist including this one of Vicki Perovich Hartman '93 hugging her daughter Sawyer '24.

I started at Harley in August 2004 and my first Reunion was a gathering with many of these same classes back in October of that year. Now, twenty years later, I look forward to Reunion. Not only do the alums get to reconnect, but I also get to gather with old friends. I am so thankful to be a part of such a wonderful community.

A huge thank you to all who joined us this year!

We kicked-off with a Food Truck Rodeo!

Class of 1974 gathering in the stone circle: George Hayden, Bettyrae Fedje Easley, Ted Serrell, Bert Foti, Sandy McKelvey, Rob Ross, Heidi Loewen, Ginny Smythe Spofford, and Marti Mayne

Joshua Lansky '89, Bill Baker with husband Andrew Flinders '89, and Karin Deutsch Karlekar '89

Rob Ross '74, Lisa Osborne Lange '74, P '09 (Graphic Designer, 2007-present), and Jane Ordway '74

John Vaughan '69 and Laura Thomas '69

Corey Zhang '19

Michael Schubmehl '99 and Stephanie Wurtzel with daughters Kayla and Allison

Katie Carney '19 and Hillary Haas '19 looking at photos from their days at Harley.

In memoriam of our late alumni who would have been celebrating Reunion with us.

Richard Lange '09, Len Wilcox P '01, '03, GP '34, '37 (US Math, 1969-82, 1986-2020) and Emmett Wyman '09

Vee-Vee Angle Scott '74 and John Vaughan '69

Rebekah Sherman-Myntti '09, KJ Rothweiler, Adina Lange, Celeste Schepp Wyman '09

Sandy McKelvey '74, George Hayden '74, and Ted Serrell '74

Heidi Loewen '74 and Ginny Smythe Spofford '74

Salamander Days premiered Friday night in our very own Wilson Theater and again Saturday afternoon.

Salamander Days directors Rebekah Sherman-Myntti '09 and KJ Rothweiler

Post film conversation with the directors and some of the actors from the film.

Sybil Prince '00, Rebekah Sherman-Myntti '09, Alex DeSantis P '84 (English, 1971-2009), and KJ Rothweiler

Jim Davidson '64 spoke about his book Great Heart: This History of a Labrador Adventure. Here he is showing photos from his canoe trip.

We had a packed room for his book talk. He had several family members make the trip: Cousins Evie Williams and Bob Levis '68, Jim in the middle, with siblings Nell Davidson '68, and Peter Davidson '72, and son Angus Davidson

Paul Barrows '80, Mark Joslyn '80, and Gail McGuire (US Science, 1965-2000)

Kay Joslyn P '80, '83

Dr. Kathryn Kaiser, Transitional Head of School, welcoming guests to the brunch.

Congratulations to Life of Purpose Young Alumni Award winner Kristina Benjamin '15!

An excerpt from the award presentation:

Our first award goes to Kristina Benjamin '15. Kristina received two nominations. One from her former history teacher, Sandy Foster P '19, '19 (US History, 1997-2022), who said, “I taught Kristina and recognized her drive, competence, people and organizational skills. Post Harley, I’ve seen her commitment to social progress and that she is an advocate for social justice and for various political causes. It is obvious to me that she fits the criteria of this award like the final piece of a puzzle fits in its space.” Kristina was also nominated by her mom, Kay Benjamin. Kay says, “This young woman has demonstrated a wonderful desire to learn and to give back to her community. The theme of her career to date has been focused on public service and how to utilize her interests and skills to improve public policy for the betterment of those in her community.”  

Kristina was a scholar athlete both at Harley and the University of Dayton where she continued her tennis career and earned a bachelor's in human Rights Studies. As a college student she helped to implement a student initiative with a focus on self-care and mental health and later participated in a program where she spent six weeks in Jamaica visiting local elementary schools to speak with students about their human rights. After college, she was one of twelve students chosen to participate in an internship program with the Congressional Hunger Center in Washington DC. She continued her work in DC with internships with the Food Reach and Action Center and Biden for President. She headed back to Rochester to work on the state senate campaign for Samra Brouk and continued on after she was elected. She later returned to DC and joined the team at Girls Inc. where she specialized in federal advocacy regarding issues affecting young women and girls. Kristina continues her time in DC and is now working in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Transportation with Pete Buttigieg.

Larry Frye P ’12, ’15, ’15 (Head of Upper School, 2004-2018, Head of School 2018-2023) presented the award to Kristina.

Congratulations to Life of Purpose Alumni Award winner Darcy Kimmet Koreen '92!

An excerpt from our second award presentation:

Our second awardee is Darcy Kimmet Koreen ’92. Darcy was nominated by her classmate Jennifer Rubenstein. Jennifer said, “Darcy is one of my closest friends. I have known her since we were in kindergarten together at Harley, in Mr. Cinquino's class, almost 45 years ago. I wish to nominate her because she has worked tirelessly in the field of social work since she graduated from college in 1996. For the last 27 years she has worked with under-served populations, mostly teenagers and their families. What she is doing is not flashy or celebrated, but I cannot imagine a more purposeful life.” 

As Jennifer said, Darcy has dedicated her professional life in the public social services protecting children. She began her career as a social worker for children living in foster care and group homes and is now an Adolescent Team Supervisor for the largest board-run child protection agency in North America, the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, an organization that serves tens of thousands of children in the Toronto region. She stresses that her work is always collaborative, and she has led initiatives to develop strategies to address anti-Black racism, suicide prevention, and create innovative care models for children who can’t live at home. She co-created, developed, and implemented a province-wide family information-sharing system, has written policy and developed and taught training and mentored fellow members of her team on child-centered interventions. She is a true advocate for the children she works to protect.

Jennifer Rubenstein '92, Darcy Kimmet Koreen '92, Kate Turner Jacus '92, P '30 (Marketing and Communications, 2015-16), and Gabe Racz '90

Tony Cinquino P '06, '10 (Lower School 1979-2021) speaking with former students from class of 1992.

Michael Lasser P '80, '77 (English, 1966-98) at the Class of 1974 table.

Keely Costello '64, Jim Davidson '64, and Bob Marafioti '64

Michele Joslyn and Laura Bales Barrows '79 speaking with Kay Joslyn P '80, '83

Pam Kimmet P '92, '95 (Lower School, 1970-89, Head of Lower School, 1989-2007), Leah Kimmet, Gary Kimmet P '92, '95, and Ryan Kimmet '95

Katie Carney '19 and Hillary Haas '19

The Benjamin family!

Al Soanes P '86, '87, GP '11, '13, '17, '27 (US Science, 1971-2011), Helen Soanes P '86, '87, GP '11, '13, '17, '27 (Development 1973-85), and Alex DeSantis P '84 (US English, 1971-2009)

Donna Sibley and Blair Sibley '74

Peter Davidson '72

Jim Davidson '64 and Charles Lotspeich '64

Student tour guides: Brynn McHenry '26, Sybille Michel '26, Leo Drew '27, Jordyn Farquharson '25, and Will Fiandach '24

Marilyn Fain Fenster, Lower School, 1975-80, 1989-2021

Abby Kraai '04 (Development Assistant 2009-11), Joe Maurici '04, and Martha Kelly '04 on a school tour in the Cruikshank Courtyard

We had a casual gathering with Country Sweet chicken wings and beer to celebrate Bill Dalton P '82, '85, 87, English, 1971-1998!

Many Ratz and theater alumni gathered to honor Bill Dalton P '82, '85, '87 (English, 1971-1998): Sarah Waite Scutt '80, Andrew Flinders '89, Carey Sisson '88, Jason Childers '88, Lee Hillman '89, Jeff Penney '79, Paul Barrows '80, Sam Hampton '77, Sarah Todd '79, John DeGolyer '79, Melanie Bael Childers '89, Mark Joslyn '80, and Charles Rosenberg '79

Sam Hampton '77 and John DeGolyer '77 flew in from the West Coast to be a part of Bill's celebration. They also had the chance to see Al Soanes!

Jeff Penney '79 and Kathy Sisson Dalton P '88, '89

Carey Sisson '88 and Amy Hoffman-James '89

Kathy Hermon Houghton P '97 (Admissions, 1988091, Dir. of Admissions 1991-97) and John Houghton (Director of Admissions, 1987-91, Head of Middle School, 1991-97)

Jim Townsend '61, P '98, 01, GP '32, '33 and Len Wilcox P '01 '03, GP '34, '37 (US Math, 1969-82, 1986-2020)

Thank you to Jeff Penney '79 and Paul Barrows '80 for their efforts to pull together fellow Ratz to honor Bill.

Members of the Class of 1954 gathered to celebrate their 70th Reunion at Amore Restaurant. Thank you for Mary for hosting such a special evening!

Dr. Kathryn Kaiser, Transitional Head of School, Mary Critikos '54, Helen Brown Konz '54, and Karen Saludo P '27 (Alumni and Development, 2004-present).

Class of 1974 took a ride on the Sam Patch!

Blair Sibley '74 and Rob Ross '74

Kyle Robison ’07 started at Harley in Grade 6, transitioning from Penfield’s Indian Landing School. He was excited about his move to Harley, but, initially, he faced some academic challenges catching up to Harley’s level of academics, particularly in math and English. Kyle mentioned that during his first year at Harley, his parents, both New York State teachers, were instrumental in catching him up to speed. His father would learn Kyle’s math assignments ahead of their due dates and then assist Kyle in completing them each evening while his mother would proofread his English papers and provide guidance in making edits. His academic life at Harley improved and he is so thankful that his parents, saints in his eyes, put in such extra effort to help him catch up with Harley’s curriculum.

As his core academics improved, Kyle’s passion turned to the arts, a trait inherited from his parents. His mother had majored in art history, and his father was an art teacher at Penfield Central School. This creative environment at home naturally drew Kyle to the artistic opportunities at Harley. Kyle participated in AP Art with Kelly Fallon (Art, 1967-2008), ceramics with Tim Rogers (Art/Glass, 2003-2013) and took full advantage of the Lehman Glass Studio. He also participated in Harley’s Yearbook Club, where he designed several yearbook covers for the school.

Athletics was also a big part of Kyle’s life. He spent 14 years playing soccer, including time on the Penfield Rangers’ travel team, training at various training camps including the Doug Miller Soccer Camp, and playing indoor soccer during the offseason with the Pittsford Hawks Soccer Club. At Harley, he joined the HAC soccer team, which provided him with not just athletic development in his favorite sport, but also a social outlet, allowing him to connect with students from Allendale Columbia. Additionally, Kyle was introduced to tennis by Dave Strebel P '91, '95 (Physical Education, 1982-2005), a sport he continued to play as an undergrad at Cazenovia College.

Kyle shared that one of his greatest areas of growth at Harley was in English. With his parent’s support, and the help of the strong English teachers at Harley, Kyle became a proficient writer, a skill he is still quite proud of. He credits Upper School teachers like Alex DeSantis P '84 (US English, 1971-2009) and Bob Kane (US English and Hospice, 2003-2013), as well as Barbara Willard (MS English, 1990-2006) in middle school. These educators introduced him to classic literature, such as "1984," “Fahrenheit 451,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Ragtime,” "The Giver," and a multitude of works by Shakespeare and Dickens. They also taught him to be a meticulous researcher and factfinder. They instilled in him the importance of verifying information from multiple sources, a practice Kyle diligently follows. Laughing, Kyle recounted the instructions he recalls his English class at Harley receiving: “Find a minimum of three separate sources that all support your thesis. Wikipedia cannot be one of them.”

Kyle's love for history was nurtured by Doug Gilbert ’87, P '21, '24, '27 (MS History, 1999-present). Kyle fondly remembers the "The Mummy Project," where he was able to take his artistic skills and combine them with his research skills. He created an elaborate ceramic mummy display for Egyptian history. His fascination with history extended to his lifelong curiosity about European history, the Age of Sail and consequent high seas piracy, as well as Viking lore. Thanks to the research skills he honed at Harley, he has been able to dive deeper into the history.

As a student at Cazenovia College, Kyle studied Visual Communications. He says that during his freshman year, he realized how better equipped he was than many of his fellow students when it came time to conduct research and write papers due to his studies at Harley. As an undergraduate student, he had the chance to study a semester abroad in Canterbury, England, where he immersed himself in European history. He was also a member of the Cazenovia Tutor and Peer Mentorship program. Following Cazenovia, he went on to earn his master’s in integrated marketing communication at Emerson College in Boston.

Professionally, Kyle's has had a varied career developing his marketing, public relations, social media, analytic, and creative skills working with national and global companies like Walt Disney World, Jack Daniel’s, Bridgestone, Tommy Hilfiger, Hulu, Dunkin’, PepsiCo, Constellation Brands, Vanderbilt University, and Natural Balance Pet Foods, and local companies that include Sibley Square, Lattimore Physical Therapy, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, The Angry Goat Pub, and Living Roots Wine & Co. He has nearly a decade of experience working with startups, gaining extensive knowledge on how to grow and expand companies. One of his proudest achievements is creating an internship program based on his own personal experiences doing internships early in his career, offering hands-on learning skills to students while building the organization’s workforce. Currently, he works as a Senior Digital Content Strategist at the University of Rochester’s Warner School, a position he has held since April. 



Kyle enjoys working in mission-driven organizations. He admires companies like Patagonia, Burton Snowboards, Nike, TOMS, and Outerknown because they prioritize socially and environmentally responsible practices within their mission-driven brands. He is also drawn to the dynamic and engaging nature of the restaurant and hotel industries because, from a marketing standpoint, the target audiences are usually engaged and excited about their experiences. His “dream job” is to one day own his own café and with his experiences, enthusiasm, and creative ideas, he can definitely make it happen!

Lola DeAscentiis ’22 was recently featured in a New York Times article about a class she was taking at Harvard on Taylor Swift. I had the chance to sit with Lola and learn more about her journey.

Lola started at Harley part of the way through her senior year. Despite the late start she says, "Everyone was very welcoming and nice!” She made a real connection with Pat Malone P '20 (US English, 2009-present) and David O’Brien P '19 (US English 2011-present) and took a newfound interest in history, literature, and poetry. For her senior internship, she worked with Lisa Barker (Food and Farm Coordinator, 2018-present) in the Harley Microfarm and learned more about beekeeping.

Lola worked closely with Harley college counselor, Emily Cady (US Counselor, 2022-24), whom she’d known for years, and after discussing college options, joked with Ms. Cady about applying to Harvard “just to see if she could get in.” Lola just finished her sophomore year at Harvard and is pursuing a double major in History & Literature (American Studies track) and Government (Law and Justice track), with a secondary concentration in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. She currently writes for the Crimson News and Arts (a Harvard newspaper) and is a member of the Young Feminist Party. She hopes to eventually attend law school for public-interest law.

She returned to Rochester for the summer and is interning with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Representative Joe Morrelle.



Click here to read the New York Times Article.

Proud dad alert! David O'Brien P '19 (US English, 2011-present) shared that after earning a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Toronto, his daughter, Fiona O'Brien '19, will be entering the PhD in history program at Fordham University, where she was awarded the Loyola Fellowship in the Humanities, the most prestigious in the university's Distinguished Fellowships Program. Fiona plans to study how medical practices disseminated among communities of women outside traditional institutions of knowledge in the early modern period. She hopes that her research into the combined usage of ritual and remedy to aid childbirth and pregnancy will contribute to an alternative understanding of religious and social change.  

"Trausterose: Growing Up in Postwar Munich", a book edited by David Johnstone '88 recently received the 2024 IndieReader Discovery Award in the Memoir category. David received accolades from Glass Spider Publishing Company, "Congrats on doing an excellent job and helping the book to be better!"

Kemouy Bhalai '01, Chenoa Maye '02, Dave McQueen '02, and Allie D'Amanda Sacks '03, P '35

Maria Oliver P '16, Kemouy Bhalai '01, Jim Benjamin P '09, '15, '15, Chenoa Maye '02, and Allie D'Amanda Sacks '03, P '35

May Day: Lee Sherwood Allen McDermott '64, MS Math, 1973-present

May Day: Laura Joslyn '83, Lower School, 2001-present

May Day: Kirsten Allen Reader Brown '90, P '20, '26 (MS English, 1999-2018, Dir. of Enrollment, 2018-2024) and James Aldrich-Moodie (English, 1998-2003, Math, 2003 to present)

May Day: Lindsay Worner '02, P '38 (Physical Education, 2010-2021, MS Math, 2023-present) (she's in the back with the green shirt, hat and sunglasses!)

May Day: Henry Smith '14 (Assistant to Head of Upper School, 2022-present)

May Day: Doug Gilbert '87, P '21, '24, '27 (MS History, 1999-present)

Nancy Neideck Christ '85 and husband Geoff on a tour of Harley.

Baby news for Jonathan Benjamin '09 and his wife, Debbie! (with Jordan '15 and Kristina '15)

John's Tex Mex Happy Hour: Bryan Wang '14 and Dez Morrow '17

John's Tex Mex Happy Hour: Beaumont Vance '87 and Alan Shechter '83

John's Tex Mex Happy Hour: Anna Cerullo P '15, Joseph Maurici '04, and Jess Bonds '06

John's Tex Mex Happy Hour: Scott Frame '73, P '05, '08, Kathy Kearns Frame '73, P '05, '08, and Kirsten Allen Reader Brown '90, P '20, '26

John's Tex Mex Happy Hour: Maggie Lloydhauser '11, Ben Tolhurst '12, and Ulrik Soderstrom '11

Benjudah Fein '99 stopped by for a visit.

Former Harley English teacher, Sejal Shah (2013-15) had a book launch for her new book, How to Make Your Mother Cry. Her launch in New York brought some alumni friends: Liam Brennan-Burke '17, Sejal Shah, Rachel Adler '17, Grace Mendola '17, Raj Singaravelu (MS History, 2004-present, and Sejal's husband)

Richard Blumenthal P '97 (Headmaster 1991-99) stopped by school this summer. This was his first visit back since he left in 1999.

I was able to get together with some of my old Development Office buddies: Me, Deb Weiss Walker '83 (Director of Development, 2012-17), Sarah Chambers (Special Events Coordinator, 2015-21), and Anne Townsend P '98, 01, GP '32, '33 (Development and Archives, 1991-2016).