The Bush School

from thehead of school

Dear Bush community, 

To know someone in all of their intricacies, aspirations,  contradictions, and complexities is to experience  connection. If we are lucky, we will find true connection  with an individual—or even an institution—a handful  of times in our lifetime. We highlighted this unique  phenomenon throughout the year with our school-wide  theme, connection. 

We focused on how we wanted to show up for and be  with one another in community, and we asked students  to pay attention to personal connections that form in  the hallways, in classrooms, on the stage, and in the  Commons. Along with people, we noticed the connection  to the lush landscape that surrounds us and the beautiful,  dynamic learning environments on campus. 

Centering connection means focusing on shared goals,  the common good, and our collective successes. This has  been one of my aims as well, as I conclude my time in a  community that I care about so deeply and that has given  my family and me so much. My connection to the school  was built one conversation at a time. It is what I will miss  most about The Bush School: the way the people care for  and support one another. In an Open Mic performance  this spring, I was struck less by the talent of our students  (and there was plenty on display), than by the thunderous  applause that rang out at the end of each performance,  filling the auditorium and our hearts with joy.  

Over the years, I’ve witnessed students cheering on  friends from the sidelines or the stands, STEM and  Writing Center tutors staying through and beyond their  lunches to ensure that a classmate understands a concept,  an Upper School student patiently helping out a Third Grade student who is on their fifth attempt at winning  a prize at Fall Festival, two Fifth Grade students sharing  the qualities they admired about a peer at a Moving-Up  Ceremony, and tears turn into smiles as a Twelfth Grade  student’s disappointment at not being admitted to her  first-choice school is replaced by excitement for a friend  who did. These memories are indelible. 
 
I will look back appreciatively on the defining moments  that drew me to this school, like coming together after a  loss and crying on the shoulder of a fellow teacher and then returning the gesture weeks later; faculty reshaping and recasting how they kept students engaged during COVID; teachers going to the book reading of a colleague and listening attentively to every word; forming bonds while gazing at the stars during an overnight E-week;  revealing yourself through honesty, vulnerability, and Kant; and laughing together in the fitness center, unafraid of who might hear because it’s so early that no one else  is on campus. 

Connections are strengthened by conversations about a favorite sports team, a De La Soul concert, the poetry of Mary Oliver, or royal music played by a student-faculty parent band in front of 300 people. They are built through  silliness, love, heartbreak, and recovery.  
 
The beauty of a connection is that once established, it  endures. Relationships change over time, but the people  you meet remain with you forever. The students, faculty,  staff, Trustees, and families within a school come and  go. This is inevitable and how they and the institution grow. What remains are the bonds formed, the learnings  gained, and the ways our outlook shifts to bring new  worlds into focus. I’ve experienced all of this at The Bush  School. 
To the wonderful people who enriched my life over the  past eleven years, thank you. I will take pieces of each of  you with me. It brings me comfort that I will never not  know you. 
 
Warmly, 
 
PERCY L. ABRAM
PH.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL
Click below for ...
Letter from The Board of Trustees, Karim Lessard
Editor's Note from Experience Editor, Sharon Hurt

FEATURES In Our Community

Alumni Profiles

BUILDING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THROUGH SEMESTER SCHOOL. Sabine Blumenthal ’19

Sabine Blumenthal ’19 first experienced the warmth of the Methow Valley as a student at The Bush School during a cross country ski competition against Liberty Bell High School students in Winthrop, Washington. Her team curated unforgettable connections with local students, who hosted and treated them to dinner, hospitality, and adventure.

BLAZING TRAILS FOR BLACK EXCELLENCE Aaron Mitchell ’22

Since graduating as The Bush School’s first Black male student who attended from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade, Aaron Mitchell Jr. ’22 has moved to Georgia and wears multiple hats in the Atlanta community.

INVITING FAMILIAL PERSPECTIVESPeter Golde ’86 and Ava Golde ’22

Ava ’22 and Peter Golde ’86 share more than a last name. They also share a deep love of learning, which was nurtured at The Bush School. While the father-daughter duo attended during different eras, they were both Lifers—they spent all thirteen years (Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade) at Bush and can both attest to Bush’s strong community, outstanding faculty, and unparalleled experiential education.

AROUND CAMPUS

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

    • Nicole Blom Heath ’75

1970s

List of 1 items.

  • 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

    • Paul Uhlir ’87

1980s

List of 10 items.

  • 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 impact 
    organizations 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.

    • Bryan Cohen ’88

1990s

List of 8 items.

  • 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. 

    • Jessica Barker ’99

2000s

List of 10 items.

  • 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 2004 
    gathered 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. 

    • Jesse Uman ’03

    • Eric Serrano ’11 and Vanessa Wong ’11

2010s

List of 9 items.

  • 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. 

    • Charlotte Gong ’19

2020s

List of 11 items.

  • 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. 

    • Claudia Abram ’21 and Carlos Abram ’24

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 2025 edition of Experience by clicking here for more articles, photos and content.
Please contact communications@bush.edu with any corrections, errors or updates.
The Bush School
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 735 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
© 2022  The Bush School