from thehead of school
Dear Bush Community,
As the 2025–2026 school year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on my first year as Head of School. Like many people beginning a new role, I arrived both excited and uncertain, wondering whether the school and I had made the right decision to begin this next chapter together in The Bush School’s second century. I also quickly realized that this would be no ordinary year. Alongside the everyday work of leading a dynamic K–12 school, we were launching a new Strategic Planning process, beginning an accreditation cycle, and breaking ground on a major campus construction project, all at the same time.
Somewhere along the way, we jokingly began referring to this as the “everything everywhere all at once” year. But underneath the humor was something real: This year would require courage, optimism, resilience, and trust from all of us. Thus, “courage” became our theme for the year.
Over and over again this year, I have been inspired by the courage demonstrated by students, faculty, and staff across our community. From the Sally Ryan Stage at Benaroya Theater to the courts of Schuchart Gym to classrooms across the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools to experiential programs and regional competitions throughout the state, I have watched members of this community take risks, make themselves vulnerable, and work together toward goals that may once have seemed out of reach. In doing so, they have brought joy, creativity, energy, and hope to our school during a time when the broader world often feels uncertain and divided.
I have witnessed quieter acts of courage as well: welcoming a new student, speaking honestly even when it is difficult, encouraging kindness and compassion, sharing an uncertain idea in class, or persevering through difficult work. I have watched students, faculty, and staff identify challenges in the world around them and choose to take meaningful action in response. These moments remind me of Mary Anne Radmacher’s words: “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”
This same spirit of courage has shaped the school itself this year. In breaking ground on our new Center Campus, Middle School, and Commons building, the Bush community has demonstrated both a commitment to the future and a belief in what is possible for generations of learners to come. Watching students, faculty, and staff embrace the realities of learning alongside a major construction project with resilience, flexibility, and humor has only strengthened my belief in this community’s spirit. The spaces taking shape now will support and inspire K–12 students for decades to come, and in fall 2027 we look forward to welcoming the community into the new Center Campus—a space that will truly serve as the “heart of Bush.”
That same optimism and forward-looking spirit has also guided the development of the school’s new Strategic Plan. Through listening sessions, conversations, and collaborative work across the community, we have begun shaping a vision for Bush’s future that both honors the school’s enduring strengths and challenges us to imagine what more is possible. I look forward to sharing more about the new Strategic Plan this coming fall.
This year has also required the courage to trust: trust in one another, in our mission, and in our shared commitment to helping young people grow into thoughtful, compassionate, courageous human beings. Building trust takes time, and I remain deeply grateful for the openness, partnership, and care this community has extended to me throughout my first year at Bush.
In return, I have worked to lead with transparency, communication, presence, and clarity around the decisions we make and the direction we are heading as a school, while also listening with openness and care to the many thoughtful questions and perspectives shared by members of this community. While I do not expect full agreement in every moment, I hope people feel a shared sense of trust that decisions are being made thoughtfully, with the best interests of students and the broader school community at heart.
As I reflect on this first year, I feel profoundly grateful—for the trust this community has extended; for the many people who have offered support and partnership along the way; and for the opportunity to learn alongside such remarkable students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni. This year has affirmed for me that The Bush School is not only a place of deep learning and accomplishment, but also a community defined by courage, heart, and purpose.
When I arrived last fall, I carried the same questions and uncertainties that often accompany any new beginning. One year later, what I know with certainty is that this is a community willing to approach challenges with optimism, care, and resilience. I feel deeply hopeful about the future we are building together and grateful to be part of this next chapter in Bush’s story. In many ways, this year reminded me that courage is not something extraordinary reserved for a few heroic moments, but something this community chooses to practice every day.
Warmly,
Sarah Smith
Head of School
Alumni Profiles
THE COURAGE TO EXPRESS Matthew Nienow ’01
What began as a love for creative writing at The Bush School grew into an insatiable passion for storytelling, which fostered Matthew Nienow ’01’s writing career.
“I credit the caring and passionate teachers at Bush who sparked a sense of curiosity about a variety of subjects, including multiple poetry classes,” Matthew shared. “Looking back, I can name a ton of classes that sparked passion and creativity, even outside of any fields I pursued later: U.S. history (reading Howard Zinn), field biology (labs in the arboretum versus in-class labs), photography, songwriting classes with Michael Gettel, Spanish classes from middle through high school (including an Eighth Grade trip to Mexico), most of the experiential weeks, activities, AMPS, AMP Weeks, and more. Teachers cared about their academic and experiential offerings; their passion was contagious.”
THE COURAGE TO ADVOCATE Jennie Pasquarella ’96
“I display my courage in the kinds of cases I’m willing to take, the arguments I’m willing to make, and that I fight for things that people often turn away from because it seems too hard or impossible,” said human rights attorney Jennie Pasquarella ’96.
As a student who attended The Bush School from Fifth to Twelfth Grade, Jennie became deeply involved in several service projects, where her desire for advocacy took root. After completing her senior project with an international humanitarian organization called CARE in Peru, she decided to dive deeper into human rights work.
THE COURAGE TO CREATEHannah Roze ’11
After attending The Bush School from Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade and graduating as a Lifer in 2011, Hannah (Thornton) Roze went into the business of making dreams come true for thousands of couples. Now, she’s an accomplished businesswoman, a mother, and the owner of Plannerd, the ultimate online wedding-planning platform.
What sparked this passion to help others achieve their perfect day?
THE COURAGE TO CONNECTRumi Robinson ’18
With a combined total of over 700,000 followers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, Rumi Robinson ’18 has earned the internet nickname “Media and Pop Culture Baddie” and has become one of the most popular Gen-Z content creators. What began as a fun hobby of creating skits and sharing advice on YouTube grew into a passionate career that would take him further than he ever imagined. Since graduating from The Bush School, he has produced thousands of insightful pop-culture and media-focused videos, most of which average over 100,000 views each.
“I do video essay content primarily on YouTube, where I talk about everything from social issues to more interpersonal struggles that Gen Z is going through,” Rumi said. “What I really try to do with my content is to look at everything from a nuanced perspective and analyze things deeper than the surface level. Because that’s something that my education at Bush really instilled in me—looking at things from multiple perspectives, different viewpoints, and employing critical thinking.”
InMemoriam
We honor and celebrate the lives of The Bush School community members whom we have lost. Read about these beloved members and leave your own remembrances on the Bush Centennial webpage at bushcentennial.com. Please accept our deepest apologies if someone is inadvertently missing from this list, and contact alumni@bush.edu if you would like to share a memory or a treasured story of your friend or classmate.
ClassNotes
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Nicole Blom Heath ’75
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1970s
List of 1 items.
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Nicole Blom Heath ’75
“My husband, Larry, and I have solved the empty-nest gap by continuing to host a wonderful young squash player from Cartagena, Colombia, during his breaks from Taft, the Connecticut boarding school where he’s finishing up his sophomore year. Santi has been an important part of our family for four years now. His drive, squash ability, and academic success are going to take him to an excellent U.S. college, and it’s fun to be along for the ride.Our daughter, Sydney, will soon be in the job market when she finishes her MSW at Columbia this May. Our son, Charles, has a semester left at CU Boulder while simultaneously studying for the LSAT.
Larry and I continue to live a month or so in the Netherlands—and contemplate spending as much time there as we can over the next four years.” - Nicole Blom Heath ’75
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Paul Uhlir ’87
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1980s
List of 10 items.
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Johnny Symons ’83
Johnny Symons ’83 premiered his film, Assembly, in the feature documentary competition at South by Southwest. Assembly, a project Johnny has been working on for the past seven years, follows artist Rashaad Newsome as he transforms a former military facility into a space for Black queer creativity, healing, and activism. -
Jane (Aron) Szabo ’84
Jane (Aron) Szabo ’84’s solo art exhibit, called “Somewhere Else,” opened at the Forsberg Gallery at Lower Columbia College and was on view from February 18 through March 13. -
Meeghan Holaway ’84
Meeghan Holaway ’84 starred in multiple theater productions in 2024–2025, including “Spy for Spy” and “Here Comes the Night,” the latter of which won the award for Excellence in Writing at the 2024 SheLA Arts Summer Theatre Festival. -
Maya Lis Tussing ’87
Maya Lis Tussing ’87 is partner and cofounder at Fairlight Advisors, a company that helps nonprofits and social impactorganizations fulfill their missions through holistic financial consulting. In 2023 she was named one of the Silicon Valley Podcast’s “Top 25 Women of Influence.” Maya returned to Washington from the Bay Area in 2023. -
Paul Uhlir ’87
Paul Uhlir ’87 served on the Board of Trustees Development Committee at The Bush School during the 2024–2025 academic year alongside fellow alum Loren Alhadeff ’97. Paul also rocked the drums on stage during the annual Bush fundraiser Celebrate Bush: Party at Paisley Park alongside current students Benjamin Hester ’25, Kaia McCready ’25, Charlotte Park ’25, Edson V.-S. ’26, Upper School music teacher Landon Ashby, and other Bush parents and staff. -
Matthew Carr ’88
Matthew Carr ’88 joined the faculty at the University of Washington Bothell’s School of Business as a part-time lecturer this January. In February he led a discussion on Section 230 and shared about his own career journey to students at the University of Arizona’s College of Information Science. -
Bryan Cohen ’88
Bryan Cohen ’88 and his band, the Jaws of Brooklyn, performed at SXSW in March and then released an album called Crush On You on April 18, the celebration of which included a show at Baba Yaga in Pioneer Square. Bryan shared, “The band’s sound is inspired by ’60s garage rock, girl group harmonies, and retro soul. You can catch us this summer at festivals across the PNW. In August we hit the road for a short California tour and then return home for shows to close out the year.” Bryan recalled that he got his start playing guitar “not super well” in Bush’s jazz band and in rock bands with fellow alums Matt Carr ’88, Kristofer Carlson ’88, Charlie Heffelfinger ’88, Mike Clark ’88, Ryan Poll ’88, Jeff Reitan ’88, and Tom Swafford ’91. “Playing in the Jaws of Brooklyn is really fun. We are a seven- piece band with lots of energy, retro vibes, and even some choreography. It’s awesome to see the audience dancing and digging what we do. Come out and see us if you get a chance!” -
Amy Stafford ’88
Amy Stafford ’88 published the seventh edition of her Unnatural History collection of grayscale coloring books for adults. -
Francesca (Tussing) Penchant ’88
Francesca (Tussing) Penchant ’88 published a translation of an 1893 book titled The Animal by French author Rachilde. She shared that, “Bush’s Upper School English teachers Emily Warn, Harry Fink, and Fred Goode strengthened my love of books. I have fond memories of studying with them.” -
Karmin Lessard ’89
Karmin Lessard ’89 joined The Bush School Board of Trustees in 2021. He was 2024– 2025 president of the Board of Trustees and served on the Governance and Executive committees as well as on the Capital Task Force. Karim was co-chair for the Head of School Search Committee in 2024 alongside Bush parent Julie Okerstrom and served as the Board secretary during the 2023– 2024 academic year. Karim spoke during the Celebrate Bush: Party at Paisley Park fundraiser in support of financial aid and to thank outgoing Head of School Percy L. Abram for the impact he made during his eleven-year tenure at Bush.
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Bryan Cohen ’88
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1990s
List of 8 items.
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Jessica Barker ’99
“In August 2024 I found a job that I love as a clubhouse generalist at Bridgeways Clubhouse in Marysville, Washington. Clubhouse is a psychosocial rehabilitation model for people with mental illness that focuses on a work-ordered day as a clubhouse member. In my near-eighteen-year career in the behavioral health field, I have never seen people find such meaning and make such significant progress as I have with clubhouse members, and I have never been so fulfilled by my work.” - Jessica Barker ’99 -
Loren Alhadeff ’97
Loren Alhadeff ’97 joined The Bush School Board of Trustees in 2023. He has served on the Development Committee since 2023 and also serves on the Capital Task Force and the Strategic Planning Task Force while co-chairing the Development Committee with fellow alum Paul Uhlir ’87. -
Maneesh Batra ’90
Maneesh Batra ’90 is a member of The Bush School Board of Trustees, having joined the Board and the Community, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in 2021. -
John Murray ’90
John Murray ’90 moderated a conversation with author Brody Mullins about his book The Wolves of K Street in February. John is CEO at Monument Advocacy. -
Elizabeth Hackett ’92
Elizabeth Hackett ’92 wrote two films that launched in February 2025: La Dolce Villa premiered on Netflix on Thursday, February 13, while Sisterhood Inc. premiered on the Hallmark Channel on Saturday, February 22. -
Emily Alhadeff ’94
Emily Alhadeff ’94 joined The Bush School Board of Trustees in 2018. Since then, she has chaired the Development Committee from 2019–2021, was co-chair of the Centennial Task Force, served on the Branding Committee and the Campaign Leadership Committee for the Upper School South building, and was a 2024–2025 Trustee, serving on both the Governance and Finance committees. -
Steve Banks ’94
Steve Banks ’94 joined The Bush School Board of Trustees in 2018. He has served on the Centennial Task Force, the Tuition and Financial Aid Task Force, the Building Community and Engagement Committee, the Leadership Committee, and currently serves on the Governance Committee. -
Jennie Pasquarella ’96
Jennie Pasquarella ’96 joined the Seattle Clemency Project as legal director in February 2024. Previously, Jennie was the director of immigrants’ rights and a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California, where she worked for nearly sixteen years. Jennie and her family left Los Angeles and relocated to Seattle in 2021.
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Jessica Barker ’99
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2000s
List of 10 items.
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Jane Rutstein Shay ’00, Mandela Gardner ’04, Hilary Moore ’10, Tallis Moore ’10, and Max Melendez ’16
Alums Chris Chickadel ’93, Jane Rutstein Shay ’00, Mandela Gardner ’04, Hilary Moore ’10, Tallis Moore ’10, and Max Melendez ’16 each mentored and hosted Eleventh Grade Bush students as interns during the ten-day Cascade Program last January. -
Zane Behnke ’00
Zane Behnke ’00 was a panelist for BushTalks: Social Impact Investing on Tuesday, February 4. Zane’s co-panelists included his spouse, Alison Behnke, and Wes Burns—both Bush parents—as well as Janell Turner, Phila Engaged Giving’s managing director. -
Matt Nienow ’01
Matt Nienow ’01 has received high praise for his newly published book, If Nothing. The book—a collection of poetry that grapples with addiction, grief, depression, shame, parenthood, and relationships— was published by Alice James Books and is available in both print and digital formats. -
Jesse Uman ’02
Jesse Uman ’02 was elected Board Chair of the Seattle Sports Commission Foundation for a two-year term, through 2025 and 2026. As the charitable affiliate of the Seattle Sports Commission, the SSC Foundation empowers play by supporting and building capacity in programs dedicated to equitable access to youth sports in Washington State. Jesse also serves on the Board of the Sports Commission which recruits and facilitates premier sporting events to Seattle including the MLB All-Star Game, NHL Winter Classic, NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. -
Jesse Proudman ’03
Jesse Proudman ’03 is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Venice.ai, a company “on a mission to make AI more accessible, more powerful, and completely private.” -
Phil Babcock, Greg Duncan, Mandela Gardner, Christine Hawkins, Jay Wyatt ’04s
Phil Babcock, Greg Duncan, Mandela Gardner, Christine Hawkins, Jay Wyatt and other members of the Class of 2004gathered last January for their “twenty- and-a-half-year reunion.” -
Samuel Adatto ’05
Samuel Adatto ’05 began a new role as family office controller at Whitten Properties LLC last February. -
Dacy Knight ’07
Dacy Knight ’07 is founder of nobuko, a multidisciplinary creative agency that specializes in brand storytelling. She has written for Clique, InStyle, Byrdie, Sunday Edit, and Bustle, among others. Dacy is engaged to Don Kneisel. -
Kayla (Eland) Dawson ’08
Kayla (Eland) Dawson ’08 completed her tenth year coaching at Bush last fall, serving as the varsity cross-country co-head coach. -
Isaac Blankensmith ’09
Isaac Blankensmith ’09 is co-founder and head of design at Early Works, which launched an app called Berry Fertility this past February.
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Jesse Uman ’03
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Eric Serrano ’11 and Vanessa Wong ’11
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2010s
List of 9 items.
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Eric Serrano ’11 and Vanessa Wong ’11
Eric Serrano ’11 and Vanessa Wong ’11 married last March in Oahu, Hawaii. They met as students at Bush. -
Maeve O’Leary Sloan ’12 and Liam Tevlin ’12
Maeve O’Leary Sloan ’12 and Liam Tevlin ’12 are married. Maeve’s mother, Mary O’Leary, shared, “Maeve and Liam Tevlin met on the first day of school at Bush in August/September 2008—and got married sixteen years later on September 21, 2024!” -
Ryan Davis ’13
Ryan Davis ’13 joined the Blazers coaching staff as a Middle School boys basketball coach last winter and took on the role of boys junior varsity soccer assistant coach in the spring. -
Olivia Rhodes ’14
Olivia Rhodes ’14 is a teaching fellow for an undergraduate course about carbon containment at the Yale School of the Environment. Olivia earned her master’s of environmental management, specializing in climate change science and solutions at Yale in May. -
Amelia Wells ’14
Amelia Wells ’14 finished her sixth year as The Bush School’s girls varsity soccer assistant coach this November. In her role, she coached the team to the Elite Eight at the highly competitive 1A soccer level. -
Erik Philipson ’16
Erik Philipson ’16 began medical school at WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in fall 2024. -
Graham Davidson ’17
Graham Davidson ’17 is now program coordinator at the Trust for Public Land. -
Charlotte Gong ’19
Charlotte Gong ’19 participated on a panel called “Shaping the Future Through Youth Participation,” hosted by the Association Migration Solidarité et Échanges pour le Développement in Strasbourg, France. Charlotte shared about her experiences related to human rights advocacy, youth participation in democratic life, and socio-professional inclusion. -
Flora Medina ’19
Flora Medina ’19 interviewed the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)’s International Designer of the Year Award winner Daniel Roseberry for SCAD Manor, the Savannah College of Art and Design’s student-run online fashion publication. Flora is editor-in-chief at SCAD Manor.
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Charlotte Gong ’19
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2020s
List of 11 items.
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Griffin Campion ’20
Griffin Campion ’20 is a program assistant intern at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. -
Claudia Abram ’21 and Carlos Abram ’24
Claudia Abram ’21 and Carlos Abram ’24 emceed the Celebrate Bush: Party in Paisley Park fundraiser gala on Saturday, March 8. -
Isabelle Ferguson ’21
Isabelle Ferguson ’21 is now a student intern in the U.S. Department of State. Isabelle was previously a legislative intern to Congressman Adam Smith. -
Nikolas Ioannou ’21
Nikolas Ioannou ’21 and his business partner launched Hypercard in 2021. They were named to the Forbes “30 Under 30 in Finance” list in 2023. -
Riley Nyhan ’21
Riley Nyhan ’21 reached the SCIAC men’s soccer semifinals with his team at Occidental College, where he was also selected to the academic all-district men’s soccer team. -
Pablo Zilly ’21
Pablo Zilly ’21 joined the Blazer coaching staff as boys junior varsity soccer head coach this past spring. -
Sosna Biniam ’22
Sosna Biniam ’22 accepted a position as a summer analyst at JP Morgan Chase & Co. in the asset management products program in New York City. -
Abbie Goodfried ’22
Abbie Goodfried ’22 made the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) cross-country all regional team at Colorado College, which finished sixth at the NCAAs. -
Gwyneth Hunter ’23
Gwyneth Hunter ’23 was accepted to the 2024 INNOVATE Cyber Challenge at Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, where she worked with a team to identify cybersecurity-related issues and develop creative solutions. -
Carlos Abram ’24
Carlos Abram ’24 reached the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) men’s soccer semifinals with his team at Occidental College last fall. -
Tess Halpern ’24
Tess Halpern ’24 is features editor at The Williams Record, the independent student newspaper at Williams College.
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Claudia Abram ’21 and Carlos Abram ’24
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CELEBRATE BUSH SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTA COMMUNITY UNITED FOR FINANCIAL AID
This year’s Celebrate Bush: Party at Paisley Park event brought together nineteen generous sponsors in support of financial aid at The Bush School, helping to ensure that a Bush education remains accessible to all. Leading the way was United Airlines, our top-tier Diamonds & Pearls sponsor.
United believes in being an active member of the communities it serves. United Airlines is known for its philanthropic support in a number of fields, one of which is education. It focuses on inspiring Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade students to explore careers in aviation and supporting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning programs.
Many of our sponsors have direct connections with the Bush community. Among them are Barney Harford and Beth Birnbaum, parents at Bush since 2017. Barney has been a member of the United Airlines board of directors since 2016, giving him the opportunity to direct this sponsorship.
“We’re delighted to be able to support Bush’s goal of making a Bush education accessible to students of all backgrounds, regardless of financial circumstances,” Barney said.
The impact of sponsorships like these is profound. The Bush School extends heartfelt thanks to all of the community members who came together to support the event and students. If you are interested in being our next top-tier sponsor, or sponsoring at another level, contact the Annual Giving Manager Laurel Messenger at laurel.messenger@bush.edu or at (206) 838-8821.
Experience the full 2026 edition of Experience by clicking here for more articles, photos and content.
Please contact communications@bush.edu with any corrections, errors or updates.
Please contact communications@bush.edu with any corrections, errors or updates.
The Bush School is an independent day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 775 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities
3400 East Harrison Street, Seattle WA 98112 (206) 322-7978
The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment, recruitment, admissions, or administration of any of its programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. In addition, The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment on the basis of age or marital status