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Hello to all our families and friends!

SPRING 2015 PUBLISHED TWO TIMES A YEAR FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF NORTHWEST ACADEMY

New Visions in Education

As always, a day at Northwest Academy is part academic, part creative, and part quirky. One minute students are analyzing data with an electron microscope; the next they’re develop-ing conceptual photographs in the darkroom, and to top it all off, they’re pranking David Wagstaff ’s office for April Fool’s Day. Who says learning can’t be fun?

Of course, this atmosphere that lets students seriously pursue their academic and their creative sides would not be possible without the wonderful teachers who create this environment. One of the best things about Northwest Academy is that our teachers do more than just teach in the classroom. It’s not uncommon to find our teachers doing outside scientific research, performing, publishing, and exhibiting art. Our teachers are bringing their outside achieve-ments into their teaching, giving our students more opportunities to understand the world beyond the classroom.

This spring also brought some good news. Northwest Academy’s annual auction, Club Cabaret, raised the most money to date for our scholarship fund.

The end of the year is always a busy time. Students are now preparing final projects and studying for exams, having just performed Esprit, Dynamo, and Project Theatre’s produc-tion of Brighton Beach Memoirs. Our seniors have chosen colleges from a wonderful list of acceptances and are ready to begin the next phase of their lives.

I agree with Julia Cain, our registrar and college counselor, when she says this is a special class of graduates. “They handled this college process with terrific grace,” she says. “They all had a plan and a back-up plan. I was extremely impressed with the risks they took and their maturi-ty throughout the whole process.” No wonder so many of them got

into such great schools! We are very proud of the class of 2015, and we know they will take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. While we are excited about their futures, we will also miss them.

Have a wonderful summer, everyone!

Best,

Mary Vinton FolbergHead of School

NORTHWEST ACADEMY1130 SW Main StreetPortland, Oregon 97205503.223.3367

www.nwacademy.org f facebook.com/nwacademyHEAD OF SCHOOLMary Vinton Folberg

EDITORMargaret Foley

DESIGNERAnnie Abele

PHOTOGRAPHYDavid Bliss, Heidi Kirkpatrick, Nathan Lucas, Chloë Mathis, Molly Sultany, Rachael Torchia, and others

WHAT ’S INSIDE

Development 2

World Language Trips 3

Spring Performances 3

Alumni News 4

Faculty News 6

College Acceptances 7

Seniors Look Back 7

Michael Dobson Retires 8

Friday Lunch Events 8

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Fundraising

Club Cabaret 2015 On February 28, more than 300 guests donned “Denim and Diamonds” for Northwest Acad-emy’s annual Club Cabaret event. It was a fantastic evening at the Portland Art Museum! A hearty Texas “Thank You!” to the wonder-ful sponsors, auction bidders, paddle raisers, volunteers, and friends who helped Northwest Academy raise more than $190,000 for the Scholarship Fund at Club Cabaret this year. We’re looking forward to another great evening next year—mark your calendar for February 27, 2016 for Club Cabaret!

Marly Stone Scholarship and Endowment ChallengeThe Marly Stone Endowment is a scholarship fund created by Zachary Franks, husband of the late artist Marly Stone. Franks endowed this scholarship to foster the passion and talent of a student at Northwest Academy who shares Marly’s dedication to the arts. This year, Zach Franks has offered donors a remarkable opportunity to increase the impact of this fund with a $100,000 matching challenge. Every contribution to the Marly Stone Endowment Fund in 2015 will be matched by this generous gift. If you are interested in supporting gifted artists at North-west Academy and honoring the legacy of the wonderful Marly Stone, please contact Laurel Keppy at 503-223-3367 x103 for information about making a contribution.

Thank you, Annual Fund Donors!Almost everything you’ll read about in this edition of the newsletter—college acceptances, alumni stories, performances, classroom stories, and other school news—is tied together by the common thread of donor support. Our gener-ous community of parents, grandparents and other family, alumni, faculty and staff, Trustees and Advocates, and friends have touched every student at Northwest Academy with their sup-port of the Annual Fund. The exceptional level of student engagement that makes the North-west Academy experience worth writing about would not be possible without these contribu-tors. We appreciate each donor—thank you for fostering Inspired Learning at Northwest Academy!

This year, gifts to the Annual Fund are support-ing technology, classroom enhancements, and campus security. It’s never too late to give! Join our amazing community of donors by making a gift online at nwacademy.org or by contacting Development Director Laurel Keppy at 503-223-3367x103 or lkeppy@nwacademy.org.

Northwest Academy accepts vehicle donations. Support the school and receive a tax deduction.

Please contact Laurel Keppy at 503.223.3367ext.103 or lkeppy@nwacademy.org for more information.

Artwork by Marly Stone

Donate your old carto Northwest Academy!

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Spring Events

Donate your old carto Northwest Academy!

Clockwise from top: Logan Hopkins accompanies the middle school vocals in Dynamo. In Esprit, the advanced high school dancers perform to “Too Darn Hot.” Ethan Underhill stars as Eugene Morris Jerome in Project Theatre’s produc- tion of Brighton Beach Memoirs. Junior Georgia Bonds/Abele with her host sister and brother during a spring break language trip to Valencia, Spain. Pictured here with their host families and chaperones are the students in Valencia, Spain. Alek Tonjes strikes a pose in Dynamo.

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Alumni News

Alex Fall was part of Northwest Academy’s first middle school class. He received a Bachelors of Education in family and human services

from the University of Oregon. After college, he worked for Trillium Family Services as a residential counselor in a locked and secure psychiatric residen-tial treatment center

for children. Later, he briefly moved to San Francisco before taking a 4,000-mile road trip exploring the Southwest. He eventually landed in San Diego, California, and he currently works with San Diego Youth Services as a residen-tial counselor for teenagers on parole and is involved in the juvenile justice system.

Galatea Swart (’14) just finished her first year at University of Kent in Canterbury, England, where she is working on a three-year degree program. During a recent school break, she spent two weeks backpacking through Ireland. She is enjoying her studies and learning about the differences between the American and Brit-ish educational systems.

Sarah Dobbins (’03) has her Master of Public Health degree (2009 University of Pittsburgh)

and has been working in homeless healthcare and research while living in San Francisco. She’s beginning (more!) school at the University

of California San Francisco to become a Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She’s also exploring the art of graphic medicine, using comics in science and medicine. 

Jacob Storms (’09) has had a busy year. He has starred in three original musicals, performed a solo cabaret show to sold-out audiences at The Metropolitan Room, and was hired to col-laborate with Chinese multimedia installation artist Wang Jianwei for his North American solo debut at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. He was also offered a starring role in a read-ing of a new play at Joseph Papp’s lengendary Public Theatre and is writing a one-man play in which he will play Tennesse Williams.

Kapila Chandramouli (’14) just completed his freshman year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti-tute in Troy, NY, where he is studying Mechani-cal Engineering. In addition to his coursework, he’s also involved in RPI’s Formula SAE racecar team as well as the Rensselaer Polytechnic, a student-run campus newspaper. For the For-mula SAE team, he helps design and fabricate the racecar which is entered into intercollegiate competitions annually. For the Polytechnic, he takes photographs at campus events and writes articles.

Walton Brush (’08) is a professional cyclist based in California. Since his days at Northwest Academy, he has tried to balance his creative side with his love of bicycles. After spend-ing a year at California College of the Arts, he decided to dedicate himself to cycling. He has been the California CX State Champion and placed third in the Elite Road National Champi-onship. Because he spends so much of his time training and racing away from home, he works as a freelance graphic designer, which allows him to take his work on the road and arrange his schedule so he can work in the mornings and ride in the afternoons. He enjoys making a living and getting to see the world while enjoy-ing his two passions in life. He recently spent a few weeks working, training, and racing all over southern California and New Mexico.

Suzannah Hamlin Stanley’s (’04) big news is that her sewing book, DIY Wardrobe Make-overs, is now available in bookstores and online. She works as a land use planner at an architecture and engineering firm in Portland and writes a DIY/sewing/lifestyle blog, create-enjoy.com, in her spare time. She lives with her husband in Beaverton. She also serves on the Alumni Council for Northwest Academy.

Austen Weymueller (’09) recently graduated from Reed College, where she studied art. At the end of May, she moved to Wisconsin to par-ticipate in an artist residency on a farm.

Kapila receiving the Rensselaer Medal from Dr. Shirley Jackson, the President of

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Walton leading the pack

Suzannah’s book, hot off the press!

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Layla Grice (’13) is currently a sophomore at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. She just declared a History major, with a

concentration in twentieth-century American history, and a minor in Sociology. She spent the past semester writing a research paper on Watergate,

participating in a production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and volunteering with a non-profit that is working to start Walla Walla’s first charter school. She plans to study abroad next year in Rabat, Morocco. This summer, she will be returning to Portland to intern for the Dougy Center.

Carlin Kent (’07) has worked as a behavioral therapist for the State of Oregon, graduated from Portland State University with a major

in Psychology, been president of a non-profit organization, completed eight years of Muay Thai Kickboxing training, and trained two service dogs. She recently purchased a

house in the Beaverton area, where she lives with her two dogs and wonderful roommate. She’s working as a behavioral therapist specializing in early intervention for children on the autism spectrum. She aspires to becoming an occupational therapist in the hopes of continuing to work with children on the spectrum in a more inclusive way. 

McKenzie Kerman (’06) studied animation at California Institute of the Arts. During his junior year, he got an internship at Titmouse, Inc., an animation studio, where he also went to work after graduating. He has worked on a variety of shows, including Metalocalypse, Black Dynamite, Superjail!, and Motorcity. He recently moved to Vancouver, B.C., to head up Titmouse’s newly formed Canadian branch, where he is working on Turbo FAST, Netflix’s first original animated series. In his spare time, he works on indie video games and befriending his neighbor’s cats.

Brendan Robinson (’07) has continued to play the role of Lucas Gottesman on ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars, now in its sixth season. In April, he appeared as the guest star lead on an episode of Bones, a series on Fox. In June, he will begin filming the starring role in a feature-length romantic comedy. 

Jake Riswold (’12) moved to New York City last year and started working at a production studio called Moxie Pictures. He’s also in school at Eugene Lang College of

Liberal Arts, where he is studying contemporary music and visual studies. During his free time, he works on developing different musical software in Max/MSP for his laptop.

Alumni News

Eric Landon (’05) is currently finishing up a master’s degree in teaching English as a second language at The New School in New York City.  He has been teaching English for the past four years in South Korea at a private after-school English academy. He has been taking his courses through distance learning at The New School and will be complete the program in the Spring of 2016.

Ellie Johnson (’08) is a professional clown and is on the cusp of beginning a summer-long journey to learn more about movement and clowning in different cultures. She is on her

way to Montreal before heading to Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and beyond. She plans on returning to New York at the end of the summer with a few new tricks up her sleeve.

Brendan ( far left) in a scene from Bones

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Faculty News

High school science teacher Molly Sultany was awarded two individual grants to sup-port science research in environmental chemistry. A grant from The Diack Ecology Education Program allowed the high school science program to purchase Vernier digital probes to test stream water, enhancing the quantitative rigor of this project. Funding from The Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators’ Program enabled the purchase of field and lab supplies as well as three texts for our science library.

For the past three years, Molly has par-ticipated in Project Nano, a STEM-based professional development program. She de-signed and implemented a nanoscale science unit using the phenom, a desktop scanning electron microscope. Her Level 2 Chemistry students participate in a scientific research project that integrates nanotechnology and environmental chemistry. Students inves-tigate the role of microscopic algae called diatoms that represent key bio-indicators of local water quality. They learn how human activity associated with agriculture and ur-banization impacts the biological integrity of local bodies of water. Through fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and consultation with diatom researchers via Skype, students learn how to conduct research in environmental chemistry. Molly looks forward to continu-ing this nanotechnology research experience in chemistry next year. 

Northwest Academy photography teacher Heidi Kirkpatrick has been chosen to represent Oregon for The Lenscratch States Project. For this project, one photographer from each state will guest curate the work of photographers from his or her home state. Lenscratch is a daily online journal that explores contemporary photography.

Paul Martone, Humanities teacher and founder of Late Night Library, a non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining book culture, recently organized a book-themed variety show, All Fines Forgiven, to benefit Late Night Library. More than 250 people attended the event at the Alberta Rose Theatre, where they were treated to performances and readings by Chelsea Cain, Benjamin Percy, Arthur Bradford, Ayron Jones and The Way, Arisa White, and Mic Capes and Rasheed Jamal.

English teacher Doug Cornett’s short story, “The Impersonator,” appears in the latest issue of Fiction Southeast.

Northwest Academy dance instructor Erin Shannon recently appeared in TriptheDark Dance Company’s I Carried A Watermelon: A Dirty Dancing Story. Her summer lineup includes two shows, Thoroughly Modern Millie with Broadway Rose Theatre Company and Anything Goes with Lakewood Theatre Company. 

Last, but definitely not least, Northwest Academy added new members (and possible graduates of the Class of 2033!) to its extended family. In February, science teachers Emily and Andy Davis welcomed their first child, Eleanor. In March, English teacher Julie Ellington had her second daughter, Zora. In May, Middle School Coordinator Rachael Torchia gave birth to a boy, Nico, and French teacher Tiffanie Herrmann had a son, Raphael. Congratulations!

Erin Shannon

Molly’s student, Ryan Richter, ’17

Eleanor

Zora with big sister Daphne

Nico

Raphael

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Graduation ReflectionsSince we first walked through the doors of Northwest Academy in 2008, we’ve seen our class size go from 14, to the mid-twenties, and back to a close-knit class of 14. In our senior class, we are the only two students to have gone from sixth grade all the way through 12th. Our time at Northwest Acad-emy has been memorable to say the least. We’ve seen the school evolve academically and socially, gain new buildings, and make a name for itself in the Portland area.

We both agree that middle school at North-west Academy is the best experience. The middle school teaches honestly without sugarcoating information like most middle schools. In sixth grade, we were reading Franz Kafka; in seventh, J.D. Salinger; and in eighth, Albert Camus. At other schools, these authors often aren’t touched until the college level. We learned about ancient civi-lizations and earth sciences in a safe setting, allowing us to take risks within the class-room. Each class, be it math or the humani-ties, had an artistic emphasis where we had to create artistic responses in conjunction with what we were learning. What really sets Northwest Academy’s middle school apart are the learning lab classes where you learn note-taking skills, organizational skills, typ-ing skills, and other necessary skills to thrive in a challenging educational setting.

At the end of eighth grade, staying at Northwest Academy was a natural choice for both of us. While the skills you learn in middle school can easily be imple-mented into any school, at Northwest Academy those who have continued onto the high school from middle school thrive academically and socially. For both of us, the English/Humanities courses were our favorites. In high school, especially, it is clear to see how much your teachers care about you and how lucky you are to have personal relationships with them. If you ever have problems with friends, school, or family or need help making a tough decision, the teachers are there to lend a helping hand and offer their insight.

Another support system comes in the form of the administration. From col-lege counseling to academic planning to helping with finding internships or sug-gestions for a new album to listen to, the staff is always showing their interest in the students. Because we’ve been here since middle school, we’ve seen our relation-ships with past instructors change as they have become lifelong mentors and friends.

What really has set Northwest Academy apart for us is the community that sup-ports the school. Within Portland, small businesses, local companies, and public figures have shown their support for Northwest Academy. They come to our theater productions, visit our art gallery, and attend our gatherings each year. Those who donate yearly have allowed North-west Academy to blossom into a diverse community that gives everyone an equal opportunity at receiving an independent, liberal-arts education.

As the two original Northwest Academy students of the class of 2015, we’d like to thank the teachers, faculty, staff, Portland community, and donors for supporting our school and seeing us through to our next step.

– Molly Meier and Alex Hill

College AcceptancesWondering where our seniors will be next year? We congratulate them on being accepted to the following colleges and universities:

Bard CollegeBelmont UniversityBeloit CollegeBoise State UniversityBrandeis UniversityChapman UniversityClaremont McKenna CollegeColgate UniversityColumbia College ChicagoConnecticut CollegeCornell CollegeDePaul UniversityDickinson CollegeFairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Western Washington UniversityGoucher CollegeGrinnell CollegeKenyon CollegeKnox CollegeLafayette CollegeLawrence UniversityLinfield CollegeMacalester CollegeOccidental CollegeOregon State UniversityPortland State UniversityReed CollegeSarah Lawrence CollegeSkidmore CollegeSouthern Oregon UniversityThe University of Montana, MissoulaUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa CruzUniversity of Colorado at BoulderUniversity of DenverUniversity of IdahoUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of OregonUniversity of Puget SoundUniversity of RedlandsUniversity of San FranciscoUniversity of WashingtonVassar CollegeWellesley CollegeWestern Washington UniversityWhitman College

Seniors: Looking Forward and Back

Alex Hill ’15 and Molly Meier ’15

1130 SW Main StreetPortland, Oregon 97205

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDPortland, ORPermit No. 11

Friday Lunch EventsMost Fridays, Northwest Academy high school students use the extended lunch period to participate in Friday Lunch Events. At each Lunch Event, guest speakers from the school community and community at large engage with the students through presentations, performances, and group interactions. These events help the school and the community learn more about each other and expose the high school students to a wide range of ideas and social issues, career options, and creative projects. Speakers this year have included Carrie Outhier Banks, Executive Director of Domestic Violence Safe Dialogue; Jackson Hunt, a painter and 2006 graduate of Northwest Academy; Gary Hirsch, a cofounder of On Your Feet, a consulting firm that uses improvisation as a business training tool; Bob Kochs, Director of the Augen Gallery; the Northwest Academy Garage Band; and Anneke Bloomfield, a Holocaust survivor. 

Bob Kochs, Director of the Augen Gallery

Michael Dobson RetiresThis June, we say goodbye to one of our most trusted, long-time employees, Michael Dobson. Michael has been our CFO, Business Manager, and Facilities Coordinator since 2004.

Since he joined us, our auditors have complimented our fiscal processes and “squeaky-clean” books. Michael successfully negotiated our leases and juggled maintenance and repairs. He has given wise counsel to me and other members of Northwest Academy’s staff. From moving furniture to changing light bulbs, Michael has always contributed more than his part.

Michael, we will all miss you, and we thank you for all you have done to help build this school and its programs.

– Mary and everyone at Northwest Academy