Welcome, Parents of Alumni!

It’s not every day you get to be among a first group of performers who premiere a song, but that’s exactly what happened to this year’s fourth graders.

That song, The Great Salt Lake by local composer, and former principal oboist of the Utah Symphony, Robert Stephenson, was recently shared for the first time with the Rowland Hall community on Thursday, February 27. On that lovely late winter day, families, faculty, staff, and even two classes of beginning schoolers gathered in St. Margaret’s Chapel on the McCarthey Campus. As the afternoon light gently streamed through the stained glass windows, the accompanist began to play and the students’ voices joined together.

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“Once covered by Lake Bonneville, above the waves eleven rise,” they began. “The islands of the Great Salt Lake reaching for the skies.”

As they sang through each movement, the students led the audience on a tour of the famous lake: its islands and the many creatures that call them home, its essential role in bird migration, its conservation needs. It was an honor for those gathered to witness the piece’s first public performance, as well as to learn how this opportunity came to be.

It all started with a trip to the Great Salt Lake.

Any time we can get them out in the field, it’s huge.—Haas Pectol, fourth-grade teacher

Each September, Rowland Hall’s fourth graders, joined by 10th-grade learning buddies, travel to the Great Salt Lake for a field study of the lake’s ecosystem, history, and impact. This trip, one of many the grade takes during the year as they study Utah’s past and present, is designed to engage students’ senses as they connect their in-class learning to a local landmark.

“Any time we can get them out in the field, it’s huge,” said fourth-grade teacher Haas Pectol, as these experiential learning opportunities invite students to engage their senses, which helps them more easily grasp concepts, make connections, and care about the subject at hand.

At the lake, teachers encouraged sense engagement by having students make scientific observations through the I see, I think, I wonder lens. As they named what they saw, the students began to notice more in the environment around them. They noted their observations as they walked. We wonder, they wrote, why so many dead brine shrimp are floating around … why the sand has waves … how dead fish got out so far … why it smells so bad. 

“I looked at it with a new perspective because we were learning about it while we were there,” remembered fourth grader Jojo T.

Ryan Hoglund, director of community engagement and impact, said sensory learning approaches like I see, I think, I wonder are powerful when it comes to building lifelong learners and critical thinkers because they don’t allow learning to be siloed. As scientific observers at the lake that day, students sparked their own curiosity and wonder as they asked questions and made connections across their knowledge and interests.

“Wonder is a cue,” he said. “There’s a wow there, but you also know you need to go beyond yourself to learn more—do some research, talk to an expert, hear stories.”

These experiences can also help shape people who are empowered to find solutions to the world’s hardest problems by connecting them to a place, person, group, or cause. At the Great Salt Lake, students began to understand that they, too, can advocate for the lake they hear so much about.

“They care more and take more ownership because we’re creating a really meaningful, memorable experience and instilling that this is an awesome place,” said Haas.

So when McCarthey Campus music teacher Susan Swidnicki approached Haas about a multidisciplinary opportunity to link the students’ scientific observations from the lake to an artistic experience that would further their role as its advocates, Haas was excited to help out. Susan explained that her friend Robert Stephenson, who goes by Bob, was writing songs for the school’s children’s choruses. They wanted to include a piece about the Great Salt Lake and hoped fourth graders could contribute to its creation by sharing with the composer what about the lake most inspires them.

Did you know that collaborating with Bob Stephenson wasn’t the only way fourth graders built on their Great Salt Lake field study? The students and their 10th-grade buddies also created brochures for the lake’s 2024 intercoastal cleanup event. And the teachers shared their expertise with FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake, which creates fourth-grade curriculum for Utah schools. Their advice? Build in opportunities to engage students’ senses so they feel more connected to their lake studies.

The teachers decided to use picturing writing, a sensory engagement project in which students create a piece of art, then describe elements of that art through poem or prose. Susan led the students through the artistic process, providing photographs of the lake to inspire the class as they created crayon and watercolor paintings. Next, Haas led them through a descriptive writing exercise where they interpreted their paintings through vivid descriptive language. Thanks to their field study, they were well prepared.

“They drew on their own senses,” said Haas. “They’ve been there, saw it, smelled it.”

When the class was done, they had a gallery showcasing a range of subjects, from the lake itself to the landscape that surrounds it. Salty banks. Invasive phragmites grass encroaching on nesting areas. Mountains. Bird nests. The lake’s animals were there, too, from brine shrimp and antelope to the snowy plover. Even Pink Floyd, the legendary Chilean flamingo who wintered at the lake from 1988 to 2005, was represented. Below each image, the students’ words brought the lake to life, waking the reader’s own senses as they described the colors of sunset, the grit of a shoreline, the prickle in your nose as you catch a whiff of the lake’s signature scent.

The class then invited Bob to campus to view the gallery and gather inspiration for the subjects that would shape his songwriting. Bob said it was important to him to incorporate as many aspects of the lake as possible to illustrate its vital, multifaceted role, and its importance to the community and environment. Over time, this took shape as three separate movements: “Above the Waves,” which describes the lake’s landscape through the lens of its 11 islands; “Brine Shrimp, Brine Flies,” which playfully highlights the lake’s role in bird migration; and “Nowhere to Go,” which addresses the crisis of the shrinking lake. The goal, Bob explained, was to inspire listeners to aid in Great Salt Lake’s preservation.

“I hope somebody listening to the piece realizes the lake’s relevance, and that if we put our minds together and we collaborate, and we’re careful, it’ll be something that lasts,” he said.

It’s a perspective that fits beautifully with Rowland Hall’s approach to shaping empathetic, ethical citizens through our curriculum. In music class, this happens through discussions of musical changemaking. “We’ve been trying to teach them that music can sometimes get a message through to people when other things can’t,” explained Susan.

This role as musical changemakers, coupled with their own experiences from the field study, inspired and energized the entire fourth grade, which agreed to perform the song’s world premiere. Over the months they prepared and practiced, Bob visited rehearsals several times to collaborate with the students, gathering feedback and making adjustments in real time. The teachers hoped these experiences were memorable not only because they gave students a peek into how a professional musician works, but also because they proved that others are invested in and available to them as they work to make change.

“We want students to be exposed to all these different people in our community—it makes them feel having access to community partners is normal and within the realm of feasible things that can happen,” said Haas. And the chance to work with Bob, like the chance to visit the lake, more deeply connected them to the learning experience.

“They feel so lucky to have a composer work with them and really honored to be part of the process,” said Haas, “and they really took it seriously,” even and especially as they were challenged to learn three complicated movements, stretch their singing abilities, and master new vocabulary. Fourth grader Noelle B. explained that learning the song could be challenging (like when she was trying to hit the high notes!) but it was fun to be part of the process. It’s clear that the confidence built through the experience helped students like Noelle feel real ownership of the collaboration.

“It’s exciting that we get to have our own song,” she said with a smile.

And the students are excited about the song’s potential impact. After the February premiere, Bob began the process of searching for a publisher, with the goal of making the piece available to more schools so it can, hopefully, inspire greater advocacy.

Our goal is for children to awaken all senses and know they can use their whole self to learn.—Susan Swidnicki, McCarthey Campus music teacher

As for the song’s first, and perhaps most passionate, singers, the teachers hope the multidisciplinary process behind this experience has a long-term impact on how they view themselves. After all, this kind of learning, explained Susan, is one of the best ways to help students see themselves as multifaceted people: scientists and musicians and writers and painters, as well as people who can make a difference, all at the same time.

“Our goal is for children to awaken all senses and know they can use their whole self to learn,” she said. “We want to grow and encourage the whole person, and help them understand they can come at challenges from many ways to make their lives, and others’ lives, more beautiful, worthwhile, and better.”

Experiential Learning

When Rowland Hall alum Parker Bushnell ’12 began collecting sports jerseys as a teenager, he never imagined it would be the start of a successful career, but he’s certainly happy it turned out that way.

As the senior director of retail for Rank + Rally, Parker oversees the creation, distribution, and sales of merchandise for the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club. Every decision he makes influences the next generation of fans.

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“In the modern world of sports there’s not a better way to engage with your fan base,” he said. “Tickets are digital now, you can’t take your food home, so merch is how memories are collected and kept.”

Parker oversees the creation, distribution, and sales of merchandise for the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club. Every decision he makes influences the next generation of fans.

It isn’t easy creating the perfect merchandise. It isn’t just about slapping a logo on a shirt and putting it up for sale. As a graduate of economics from the University of Utah and a 13-season veteran of sales, Parker has learned that getting fans to buy is part art and part science.

“You have to make items unique so there is an obligation for fans to come purchase at our store or on our website and support the teams,” he said. “At the same time, you have to go over every piece of data to learn everything you can about the sizes that sell and whether people prefer V-necks or crew necks.”

There are also unexpected factors that sometimes come into play—like the purchase of a hockey franchise. In April of 2024, coming off an already busy Jazz season, Parker and his team had just eight days to prepare for the announcement that Utah was getting a professional hockey team. As if that wasn’t stressful enough, there were the added issues—no one knew what the hockey team would be called, what the colors would be, and what logo would be used. They knew one thing, though: there are no sports fans like those in Utah, so they readily embraced it as a challenge.

“I remember sitting down with Chris Barney, Smith Entertainment Group president of revenue and commercial strategy, and saying we need to have merch for this. I don’t care if it’s an NHL shield, we need to commemorate this moment so that people can remember exactly where they were for this announcement,” Parker said. “We worked pretty long nights, but within two or three days we got the product in for the party.”

The breakneck speed for building the retail offerings for the Utah Hockey Club slowed between the initial announcement and the first home game, but not by much. Parker’s team had two weeks to prepare for the draft party, and then only a handful of months to design, order, and stock all the merchandise needed, from shirts and hats to hockey pucks and everything in between. On October 8, 2024, as the club took to the Delta Center ice for the first time, fans showed their appreciation for all the hard work by buying and proudly wearing the new merchandise—symbols of the state's newest fandom, and a way for attendees to hold onto the memories and camaraderie of the historic moment.

“We broke the Delta Center record for sports revenue, and frankly we almost doubled it,” he said. “And the exciting thing is we get to do it all again next year when we change the name again.”

The hours are long, and the challenges are many, but Parker loves what he does—and he’s well suited to it, due partly to skills he gained at Rowland Hall.

The hours are long, and the challenges are many, but Parker loves what he does—and he’s well suited to it, due partly to skills he gained at Rowland Hall more than a decade ago. “The ability to understand the intensity that’s required to be successful is probably the thing I took away the most from Rowland Hall,” he said. “That’s something I use now in every application of life.”

And it’s something he passes on to others now that he is in a senior management position and beginning to mentor people on his team, as well as those who want to get into the sports field but aren’t sure where to start.

“You cannot be picky in the sports world about your entry-level position. You need to get into it and then from there you can define your path,” he said. “You need to make a lasting impression on those you meet so they want to give you opportunities to grow.”

Parker has already made a lasting impression on the world of sports retail and will continue to do so for years to come. And it all started with a love of jerseys.

Alumni

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Banner photo: Parker Bushnell ’12, center (in blue suit), and team at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City.

Breezy Johnson ’13 is on fire!

The Rowland Hall/Rowmark Ski Academy alum etched her name into ski-racing history on February 8 when she took gold in a stunning downhill performance at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria.

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Despite stiff competition, as well as a demanding downhill track, Breezy blazed to victory, clocking 1:41.29—a mere 0.15 seconds faster than the next competitor—to secure her first downhill world champion title.

“This victory means everything to me,” Breezy said in a post-race interview with Eurosport. “I’ve been working toward this moment my entire life, and to achieve it on this stage, with my family and teammates here, is a dream come true.”

Raised in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Breezy, who specializes in the downhill and super-G speed disciplines, refined her skills at Rowmark before joining the US Ski Team in 2014. Since then, she’s represented the United States in multiple World Cup seasons (in addition to this year’s victories, she has seven World Cup podiums to her name) and was a member of Team USA at the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Games.

And even after being crowned a world champion, Breezy wasn’t done. On Tuesday, February 11, she teamed up with fellow US Ski Team member Mikaela Shiffrin for the women’s team combined event, where Breezy had a strong downhill performance, finishing in third. Mikaela then followed with a slalom run time that allowed the duo to secure gold for the US. What a week!

“All of us at Rowmark are so proud of Breezy,” said Todd Brickson, program director, who has for years watched this former Rowmark athlete inspire others with her dedication, persistence, and passion for alpine ski racing.

“Ever since she was at U16 at Rowmark, she had a dream to be a world champion,” Todd continued. “After many years of commitment, injury, blood, sweat, and tears, she has reached this huge milestone. Her perseverance and work ethic are second to none, and now that she has broken through on the highest stage, this likely is the tip of the iceberg for her.”

Congratulations, Breezy! We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.

Alumni

When media arts teacher Danny Schmidt was in high school, he didn’t dream about making films.

“I always appreciated visual arts, and the teachers in those programs—I liked using that part of my brain—but I had a mind for science,” he remembered.

So as an undergraduate, Danny chose to study geography and computer science at the University of Utah, ultimately earning a bachelor’s degree in earth science. He then began looking into graduate school, starting his search with what he called the “obvious options” tied to his undergraduate field of study. While searching, he discovered Montana State University’s master of fine arts in science and natural history filmmaking, a program that trains students with backgrounds in science, engineering, and technology as creative filmmakers.

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“That sounded really fun,” Danny remembered, and like a great way to combine his love of science with his continued interest in the visual arts. He enrolled in the program and fully jumped into learning the art of filmmaking.

After graduation, Danny began working as a director, producer, and cinematographer on projects across film styles: non-fiction television, web content, and, what he may be most passionate about, documentaries. Looking through Danny’s portfolio, it’s clear his work—which has appeared at film festivals around the world and can be seen on PBS, Disney+, and Netflix—is made up of projects he cares about.

“I’m not making a film about something I don’t have an investment in,” explained Danny. That’s because he works on films for years at a time and knows the vicarious toll that telling human stories can take. By choosing topics that resonate with him, Danny ensures he’ll have the drive he’ll need to move his projects forward—and that he’ll create work that touches audiences.

It’s no surprise, then, that Danny's projects have received numerous accolades over the years. Most recently, Path of the Panther, on which he worked as a cinematographer and consulting producer, won the national Emmy for Outstanding Nature Documentary. (Danny has also won regional Emmys for the PBS films Indian Relay and Finding Traction.)

Path of the Panther follows people dedicated to protecting the endangered Florida panther and its shrinking habitat. As cinematographer, Danny traveled to the Florida Everglades a dozen times to capture the lives of panthers and the essence of their home, which, as more and more people move to the state, is being encroached upon. The goal of the feature-length documentary, one of a series of National Geographic films about native Florida wildlife, was to highlight the biodiversity of swampland through the perspective of panthers. As a result of these films, conservation efforts, including legislation to protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor, have become a reality. So while the Emmy recognition is really gratifying, Danny is also proud of the project’s larger impact.

We make these films because we care about the world. ...
By teaching, I multiply my efforts of putting this medium to good use to make change.—Danny Schmidt, Middle School and Upper School media arts teacher

“We make these films because we care about the world,” he said.

And because Danny cares about making an impact on the world through film, he’s chosen to empower the next generation of young filmmakers as a teacher. He’s a firm believer that anyone can make documentaries, and he enjoys helping students push past the art form’s steep learning curve so they can create work they’re proud of and share their voices with a larger audience.

“By teaching, I multiply my efforts of putting this medium to good use to make change,” he said.

At Rowland Hall, which is expanding media arts as part of our strong visual and performing arts program, Danny is putting his expertise to work, aiming to make the school’s program top-notch among independent schools nationally. This year alone, the program is offering classes in media arts, media literacy, and podcasting in the Middle School, and media arts and documentary film production (levels I and II) in the Upper School. It will expand to include classes in advanced post-production and cinematography in 2025–2026.

“Danny's vision for the program and some of the work his students are already doing with his guidance align beautifully with our strategic priority goals,” said Upper School Principal Ingrid Gustavson. She added that, in addition to working with his own students, Danny collaborates with colleagues across disciplines to showcase the power of film as a tool for communication, collaboration, building understanding, and taking action, all of which amplify student voices.

“The medium lends itself well to student-designed projects, creative problem-solving, and documentation of our immediate, as well as wider, community, for the purpose of highlighting timely issues and compelling stories,” Ingrid continued.

Indeed, by investing in media arts, Rowland Hall is benefiting students in numerous ways, beginning by helping them see themselves as storytellers with valuable perspectives. One way Danny builds this understanding is by having students pick the subjects they’re most interested in for their projects. This allows them to discover and tap into their personal passions and become confident in their storytelling abilities.

“It’s empowering for students to take a big cinema camera and tripod, walk confidently down the hall, and start filming a story and capturing reality as they see it, not as someone else does, or as they’re told,” explained Danny.

Filmmaking can help shape empathetic and ethical global citizens. Through the process, students are asked to slow down, to really look at the world around them, to ask questions about what they care about, and to build empathy.

It also democratizes filmmaking, a powerful medium that was once tightly controlled. Today, Danny said, students can flip the script, telling stories about what they want, the way they want. It shows them their voices matter and have influence, while helping them better understand the media they themselves consume and the power that media can have. And it helps shape them as empathetic and ethical global citizens. Through the filmmaking process, students are asked to slow down, to really look at the world around them, to ask questions about what they care about, and to build empathy. “It’s really impactful on students to make films about themselves and others,” said Danny.

Ninth grader Will Weisselberg, who was initially worried about the challenge of making films, said his media arts classes have built his confidence and taught him a lot about himself—particularly when it comes to his commitment to the process and his passion for his work.

“I think this passion comes from the idea of sharing my perspective on things I'm interested in,” he said. “I can put effort and time into things I care about.”

Will’s even considering filmmaking as a career and said he’s grateful he’s had the chance to learn from a teacher who believes students can make a real difference.

“Danny Schmidt is by far one of the best teachers I have ever had,” said Will. “He teaches with such passion and commitment, and truly cares about how we learn and the kinds of films we make.”

And for Danny, who has long been aware of the school just up the street from his house, joining Rowland Hall’s faculty has been a welcome addition to his impressive career, allowing him to make an impact on a learning community whose values align with those that have driven his filmmaking.

“I knew at Rowland Hall I would have not only the resources, but students that would take the medium seriously,” he said, “not to mention the integrity of people who care a lot about making change in the world.”

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