Welcome, Grandparents!

It’s been an incredible season for five Rowmark alums competing at the international level.

Four of those alums—Breezy Johnson ’13, Katie Hensien ’18, Mary Bocock ’22, and Elisabeth Bocock ’23—are members of the US Ski Team, and one, Madi Hoffman ’18, is a member of the Australian National Team.

“It’s exciting to have this many alums performing at such a high level at one time, and it’s been wonderful to watch our athletes excel this season,” said Rowmark Ski Academy Program Director Todd Brickson.

It’s exciting to have this many alums performing at such a high level at one time, and it’s been wonderful to watch our athletes excel this season.—Todd Brickson, Rowmark Ski Academy program director

The fun kicked off early at the World Cup in Solden, Austria, where, on October 26, Katie Hensien took fourth place in the opening giant slalom event, then won her second run. Less than two months later, at the first NorAm Cup races of the season at Panorama Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Madi Hoffman won first place in giant slalom and second and third in slalom, and Mary Bocock placed third in giant slalom.

The Rowmark community saw gold in February when Breezy Johnson made history by winning the World Championships downhill in Saalbach, Austria. Breezy is only the third American woman to win gold in downhill at worlds. Just three days later, Breezy and teammate Mikaela Shiffrin took gold in the team combined event by 0.4 seconds. Katie Hensien also competed in the team combined event, skiing to 10th place out of 26 teams with partner Jackie Wiles.

Later that month, Elizabeth Bocock raced at the World Junior Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, where she took the bronze in the team parallel event and the giant slalom race. And in March, sister Mary Bocock put a bow on the season by winning both a NorAm downhill and NorAm super-G at Sugarloaf, Maine. What a year!

Congratulations to all on a banner season—it’s been an honor to cheer you on and watch you represent Rowmark on the international stage.

Alumni

Rowland Hall is pleased to announce that Per Lundstam has been named the new director of Rowmark Ski Academy.

Per brings over two decades of high-performance sports experience to the role, as well as a strong background in coaching and athlete development, including for high-level athletes as young as eight years old. This diverse background makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead Rowmark Ski Academy in its next chapter.

Per’s impressive coaching background includes serving as men’s assistant World Cup downhill/super-G coach, men’s assistant World Cup slalom/giant slalom coach, and head conditioning coach for US Ski & Snowboard. He also served as men’s assistant World Cup coach and head conditioning coach for the Swedish Ski Federation. Per earned Level 500 coaching certification, the highest level of coaching credential, from US Ski & Snowboard.

We are thrilled to have Per guiding Rowmark into the future. He is a highly respected, exceptionally knowledgeable, and innovative leader in the alpine ski-racing community.—Todd Brickson, outgoing Rowmark Ski Academy director

Per’s career features significant leadership roles within top-tier sports. He’s currently the alpine sport science director for US Ski & Snowboard, where he drives innovative sports science programming. Prior to that role, Per was director of high performance for Red Bull North America, where he managed performance strategies for a wide array of elite athletes.

Throughout his career, Per has demonstrated a strong ability to build meaningful relationships and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders. Again and again, Per’s references spoke about his deep knowledge, his expertise in skiing and coaching, and his commitment to supporting each skier’s athletic and personal progression. He is known as a collaborative leader who listens deeply and leads with kindness.

“As I pass the torch, we are thrilled to have Per guiding Rowmark into the future,” said Todd Brickson, current Rowmark Ski Academy director. “He is a highly respected, exceptionally knowledgeable, and innovative leader in the alpine ski-racing community, and we look forward to the vision and direction he will bring to the program.”

Welcome, Per! We look forward to Rowmark Ski Academy’s bright future under your direction.

Rowmark

Every time senior Claire Hersh enters Susanna Mellor’s classroom, the first-grade teacher thinks of the sitcom Cheers.

“The kids always call out, ‘Claaaaaaire,’” she laughs, in a way that reminds her of how the character Norm was greeted when he entered a scene on the television program. “They’re always excited to see her and to show her things.”

And this year, Susanna’s first graders have had a lot of chances to greet and interact with Claire, who joins their class several times each week as part of her independent project on elementary education.

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“Since I was little, I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher,” said Claire, and she’s taken every opportunity she can to prepare for this career: she’s an expert babysitter, has worked as a summer camp counselor, and has a part-time job at an after-school program.

But one of Claire’s goals—to intern in a real classroom—felt out of reach. After all, elementary schools are often on break during the summer, the time when most high school internships take place. So you can imagine Claire’s delight when English teacher Dr. Laura Johnson, who also manages the internship program, proposed that Claire instead take on an independent project, an option the Upper School offers to interested juniors and seniors in good academic standing.

Upper School Assistant Principal Stacia McFadden, who approves and oversees independent projects, said the division has offered an informal version of this kind of experience for years, often used to resolve class scheduling conflicts. But as the Upper School has worked to create even more authentic learning opportunities for students who want to follow their interests and build real-world skills, the team has started featuring independent projects more prominently as an option for deep learning, fitting naturally alongside opportunities like internships and Advanced Research classes.

“We want to make sure students don’t just leave here with book knowledge, but also with experiential knowledge—and perhaps find their passion while in high school,” said Stacia. “Allowing students to follow their passions leads to more engaged learning, which helps them succeed.”

And the division has found that students who take on independent projects tend to feel empowered by the experience. Each student-led project, which earns credit toward graduation requirements, includes a proposal, regular check-ins with an advisor, and possibly a presentation at an end-of-year showcase, all of which require full engagement with their subject. Fueled by their own interests or passions, students build confidence as they exercise their agency and find purpose in their chosen work.

It's a very unique opportunity, and I'm very grateful for it. It's something I would not be able to achieve, really, if I went anywhere else for school.—Claire Hersh, class of 2025

The benefits that come from these opportunities are as varied as the projects themselves. For Claire, who’s dreamed of teaching since she was four years old, an independent project has allowed her to try on her dream career, solidifying her confidence in that path.

“I’m actually teaching,” said Claire, who’s led both small- and full-group lessons that have helped her get a feel for the job—a rare opportunity for a high school student, and one that most student teachers only have in their last year of college. And it goes beyond benefiting her today: Claire will continue to tap into the knowledge she’s building as she begins her undergraduate work this fall.

“Claire’s going to be able to connect these experiences with her studies,” said Susanna, who views Claire’s independent project journey as a perfect example of the natural learning cycle that builds meaningful, lasting knowledge. “She can use these concrete experiences to hook theoretical ideas back to. I would have loved to engage in something like this prior to studying educational theory, approaches, and history.”

“It’s a very unique opportunity, and I’m very grateful for it,” added Claire. “It’s something I would not be able to achieve, really, if I went anywhere else for school.”

Junior Catherine Seagrave has a similar perspective, knowing her independent project experience could have only happened at Rowland Hall. Like Claire, Catherine found her passion early in life: a love of all things French, nourished by Fancy Nancy, fashion, and her father’s fondness for romance languages. She planned to take a year of French IV as a junior, but at the start of the year, she spotted a second-semester conflict: the Ornithology class she was interested in was the same period as French. Around the same time, French teacher Effy Bentley, whom students call Madame, approached Catherine about an exciting opportunity: the chance to work as a server in Effy’s friend’s bakery, located in a coastal city in northern France, for the upcoming summer—a dream come true for the young Francophile.

I’m grateful I have access to so many teachers who are invested in their students.—Catherine Seagrave, class of 2026

The duo saw a chance to turn the scheduling conflict into a transformative learning experience that would prepare Catherine to live and work in France for eight weeks this summer. After starting in French IV in the fall, Catherine switched to an independent project for the second semester. Building on her first-semester studies, she created a plan that would further the skills she’ll need for her time in France, like a solid knowledge of travel, home, and time vocabulary, opportunities for oral practice, and even creating a French resume. It’s been a purposeful way to deeply engage with her language studies and build her confidence, and Catherine is thankful to be at a school where her passion was recognized and supported in such an unexpected way.

“It’s been so meaningful. It makes me feel very valued as a community member,” she said. “I’m grateful I have access to so many teachers who are invested in their students. I feel personally recognized by my teachers, specifically Madame.”

She’s also grateful that the experience has helped her better understand herself as a learner.

“I like to work independently, so being able to plan my own coursework and learn things on my own, and sometimes work with Madame, is something that I really enjoy doing,” said Catherine.

This ability to take a new kind of ownership of learning has been a game-changer for many of the students conducting independent projects. Senior Ashlyn Lieberman, for one, has enjoyed the chance to determine how and when she wants to take on her studies in wilderness first aid, a subject she felt would be a wise use of her time as someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. With a busy senior-year workload, including four AP classes, it’s been refreshing for Ashlyn to have a project where she’s fully in charge of setting tasks and managing deadlines.

“It’s allowed me to take my time and learn the material I’m interested in,” she said. And it’s let her apply the skills she’s been building at Rowland Hall in new, low-pressure ways that are good practice for college.

“It gave me freedom that I really haven’t had before,” said Ashlyn. “I have a new sense of when things need to get done, and how I can do them to meet my internal standards.” It’s even, she shared, proving to be a smart move as she applies for summer jobs like river guiding, because it shows initiative to employers.

Ashlyn said she’s hopeful more students who enjoy a bit of independence in learning will consider this kind of option. “The type of student who will do well with this doesn’t have to have the best grades of all time or be the most academic,” she said. But if you crave a chance to be more self-reliant and you’re willing to try out a path that may help lead to success, it can be a wonderful way to uncover your personal strengths and build your self-confidence.

And whether a student chooses a project on education, or French, or physics, or finance, the many benefits, and memories, that stem from this type of authentic learning opportunity stay with them long after the work is complete. For Claire, those memories are numerous, though there’s one that rises above all others. When she walked into the first-grade classroom on her 18th birthday, she was greeted by the students as usual, though this time with cries of “Happy birthday!” mixed in. The class then presented Claire with a stack of handmade cards, each of which shared something special: an “I love you” message, a hand-drawn picture of Claire as a cat. As she read through the cards, Claire teared up.

“They reflected the lessons I taught them about punctuation, the impact that our conversations and relationships have had on them,” said Claire. Each was a representation of a child she’s gotten to know, whose life she’s brought joy into, and each is a reminder of the passion that led her to take on this opportunity. She plans to bring the cards to college, where they’ll continue to inspire her as she takes the next step on her journey to bring her teaching dream to life.

“Those will always be treasures to me,” she said.
 

Authentic Learning

Rowland Hall’s vision is to develop people the world needs. This February, a group of students from the Middle School got a formal introduction to that world and discovered just how vast it really is.

“When we entered the United Nations building it was crazy to see all these nameplates of different countries,” said eighth grader Alex P. “I got to meet people from Spain, Italy, West Africa, all sorts of places.”

Alex was one of 16 Rowland Hall students who traveled to New York City for the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) Model UN conference. There, they were among more than 1,300 young people from more than 100 schools representing 60-plus nations from around the world. They were also the youngest delegation, being the only middle schoolers invited to attend.

“A lot of the kids who were 15 or 16 were asking me how old I was,” said eighth grader Dean B. “They were like, ‘You’re so brave.’ So my goal was just to talk as much as I could.”

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During the conference, the kids were split up and placed in different committees to examine various dilemmas facing the world today. Some explored climate change, while others talked about criminal justice or issues impacting labor. All were put into situations that would stretch their cultural competency and move them out of their comfort zones. However, what could have been a challenge instead became a highlight of the experience.

"My favorite part was getting to hear everyone's different languages and viewpoints,” said eighth grader Zoe P. “Even seeing how computer keyboards were adapted to write in those different languages."

My favorite part was getting to hear everyone’s different languages and viewpoints.—Zoe P., class of 2029

The students soon found themselves making friends with people from all over the world.

“I got to make some really good friends that were from all sorts of different countries, specifically Jamaica, Italy, and Georgia,” said eighth grader Zoya S. “It was really interesting because they brought a lot of new ideas to the table and made the discussions a lot better.”

Improving cultural competency and practicing soft diplomatic skills were not the only lessons learned. Students stepped up to become leaders and, in the process, gained skills that can’t be taught, but only earned.

“These kids walked in there unsure and not really confident,” said seventh-grade world studies teacher Margot Miller. “They walked out on top of the moon. They became very confident, whether it was because they made a speech or had their language included in a resolution. All of that, whether it was very small or very big, mattered to these kids.”

The presence of an authentic audience played a part in students' transformative experiences. The opportunity to step outside the classroom and interact and receive feedback from a larger community led to the students taking the matter more seriously and dedicating their full attention to what they were doing.

“That immersion was so important. It doesn’t get more authentic than the UN headquarters,” said political science and debate teacher Mike Shackelford. “It's a simulation, but you can't simulate a multicultural, global experience like that. You can't get that reading textbooks, being online, or doing any kind of in-class simulation.”

They also had the opportunity to learn from peer mentors who, not long ago, had been in their shoes. The delegation was led by two ninth graders who had previously taken Model UN in Middle School and now are taking Mike’s Applied Forensics class in the Upper School. Gregory House and Reid Venkatesan not only went to participate but also to serve as guides to their younger classmates.

“They would show me and everyone else the work they were doing, five days, four days, every day before the conference,” said Alex about the older students. “They'd help us by showing us the ropes and what to do, explaining things we didn't understand, and even helping us write speeches.”

“Reid was in my commission, and I was trying to keep up with him,” added Dean. “I would probably not be as brave if he wasn’t there. I saw Reid do all this stuff and I wanted to do it too.”

For their part, Gregory and Reid said they were happy to help their classmates, and hope it means they will continue with Model UN as they progress through school.

“I think if you go to Rowland Hall, you should take that class,” said Reid. “The skills that you gain from it, the public speaking, the research skills, and learning how to incorporate that into the rest of your schoolwork, has been super beneficial for all of the work that I do at school.”

Both Reid and Gregory received diplomacy awards for their work, setting a standard that their Middle School classmates hope to attain at future conferences. And some hope to exceed it.

This conference inspired me to change my future. It made me see that I want to make change throughout the world.—Jena S., class of 2029

“This conference inspired me to change my future. It made me see that I want to make change throughout the world,” said eighth grader Jena S. “I think I want to be an ambassador in the UN because it's a way of making change. This helped me open my mind to that.”

Students like Jena are the future of the UN and may help save it in the face of challenges it is facing from around the world.

“It's a delicate arrangement to pursue peace and put your country's interests aside. And that doesn't come naturally,” said Mike. “To instill in younger generations that the UN is a viable institution means that work can continue.”

Rowland Hall will continue its work with the UN this spring during Interim, when a group from the school travels to attend a leadership lab organized by WFUNA, exploring local solutions to global dilemmas.

It’s another step in a partnership that not only opens up a world of opportunity for these students but also gives the world the people it needs.

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Banner photo courtesy of the World Federation of United Nations Associations

Authentic Learning