LCWS has an amazing alumni family. We have scientists, performing artists, writers, members of the corporate business world, environmentalists, community activists, psychologists, a doula, a pilot, and many more. Many have Dean鈥檚 List awards and other academic awards, and a few alums already have their Master鈥檚 degrees and one has a major acting role on an Amazon Prime show.
So much love and appreciation for our wonderful school from our alums. Enjoy reading their news!
鈥� Alice Lissarrague, College Guidance
Micaela Albright 鈥�12
After graduating from Marist with a B.S. in fashion merchandising and a minor in business, Michaela went on to work in wholesale at Elie Tahari, Sanctuary Clothing and now she is at J.Crew.
鈥淐oming to the high school was so important to me and my family. I鈥檓 so happy I was able to complete my Waldorf education through high school even though it was two hours away for me. I鈥檓 grateful to the school for taking me in and making it feel like a second home and to my parents for not being afraid to send all three of their children away to complete their Waldorf education.
When I went away to Florence during my freshman year of college, I could tell how prepared I was for the experience in ways I saw my peers were not. After Florence, I was accepted as a sophomore into a highly competitive program, Marist in Manhattan, meant for upperclassmen. I completed my first fashion internship at DKNY and went on to have internships at Elie Tahari and Ibex Outdoor Clothing.
I truly believe my full Waldorf education has given me the tools I need to be successful not only in my career, but in life. There are moments at work or with friends that I think to myself, 鈥榯hat was a 鈥淲aldorf moment鈥濃�� – maybe it was a unique way I was able to problem-solve at work, being able to easily disconnect from my phone when with friends, or simply not being afraid to go after my next endeavor. I know that Waldorf helped shape me into the person I am today in more ways I even realize.鈥�
Carl Heyerdahl 鈥�12
Carl is a wedding photographer in Beverly, MA. He does photo work full-time and majored in photography at Ithaca College. Carl and his fianc茅e just bought a house in Beverly and are doing great!
Jenny Rehkugler 鈥�12
After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in public relations and marketing, Jenny moved to NYC to start her career. She now works as a finance and accounting recruiter for a mid-sized staffing agency called Green Key Resources. Jenny loves to travel as much as she can in her time off and recently she went to Japan with her family for an incredible ski trip in the northern region, Hokkaido.
Sebastian Lissarrague 鈥�13
Sebastian graduated from Hamilton College with Departmental Honors in World Politics. Following graduation he and two friends created a co-living start-up in Utica, NY. Sebastian just moved to New York City where he is working for WeWork as an analyst for the Real Estate Facilities Management Division.
Mikaela Niemasz-Cavanagh 鈥�13
Mikaela has been working at Harvard University as an IRB Administrator. She is also working toward her master’s in psychology through Harvard Extension School.
Anna White 鈥�13
Anna graduated from Colby-Sawyer College and is now working as a registered nurse on the inpatient hematology-oncology unit at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Anna recently graduated from Dartmouth-Hitchcock鈥檚 Nurse Residency Program and is currently in graduate school through Chamberlain University to get her MSN as a family nurse practitioner with the hope of working in palliative care.
鈥淚 absolutely would not be where I am today without my Waldorf education, and especially my high school education. So grateful for all the amazing faculty and staff supporting me every step of the way!鈥�
Mair茅ad Collins 鈥�14
Mair茅ad graduated magna cum laude from Goucher College in 2018 where she majored in sociology and double minored in Arabic studies and studio art. Mair茅ad now lives in Dublin, Ireland where she is working as a nanny for three young children. Mair茅ad just completed her Water Babies teacher training, the world鈥檚 leading baby swimming school. She is looking forward to offering her own classes in the autumn.
鈥淲hile at Goucher, I became involved in several community projects as well, including volunteering at an elementary school, and most especially, at Earl鈥檚 Place, which provides transitional housing for homeless men. I credit my Waldorf education with helping me understand the connection between academics, art, and community.鈥�
Amanda DeBellis 鈥�14
Amanda just graduated from Bournemouth University with a Master of Science in investigative forensic psychology. Amanda now is in the process of interviewing for jobs at Boston psychiatric hospitals and she is getting married!
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have gotten to where I am without Waldorf education, and I am so grateful for it!鈥�
Vincent Gauthier 鈥�14
Vincent just completed his master鈥檚 degree in environmental management at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. He is now living in New York City, working for the United Nations Global Compact on Planetary Health Issues.
鈥淎s you know, I care deeply about the school and the Waldorf pedagogy, so please use me as a resource.鈥�
Jonas Powell 鈥�14
Jonas graduated from Wesleyan University this past spring with his master鈥檚 degree in astronomy. He now lives in Cambridge, MA and is working as a data scientist for the defense contractor Systems and Technology Research.
鈥淏asically, my job is to make sense of all the data that the intelligence community (CIA/NSA/etc) generate, using machine learning/AI. I鈥檓 using a lot of the skills I learned studying astrophysics in college (which in turn leveraged a ton of Waldorf skills) and they’re paying me abundantly. I feel incredibly strongly that I would not be here today without Waldorf and hope that kids continue to get the chance to go through our amazing school.鈥�
Noah Ranallo 鈥�14
Noah is going into his senior year at Vermont Technical College in their Professional Pilot Technology program. He has earned his Commercial Pilot Certificate which allows him to be paid to fly. During the summer of 2018 he flew for Vermont Skydiving Adventures in West Addison. Noah is now a Certified Flight Instructor working at the Vermont Flight Academy in South Burlington. Next year Noah hopes to be hired by a regional airline and eventually fly for the likes of Delta, Southwest or American.
Oliver Scanlon 鈥�14
Oliver is traveling with his band Pete’s Posse, playing traditional folk music styles at concerts, folk festivals and contradance weekends as well as many local gigs here at home in Vermont. He also teaches private fiddle lessons both in Burlington and at a couple of traditional music camps during the summer and this summer he is leading a group of more than 20 teenage traditional musicians in a group called the “Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group.” On occasion, Oliver even gets the opportunity to do live sound reinforcement for local concerts and events!
Eva Espenshade 鈥�15
Eva is majoring in women鈥檚 studies at Concordia University in Montreal. She is currently on the Dean鈥檚 List, received the Lillian S. Robinson Memorial Scholarship in Women鈥檚 Studies and was a 2018 Arts and Science Scholar. She also edits the Montreal-based feminist journal 鈥�厂耻产惫别谤蝉颈辞苍蝉.鈥�
Will Heintz 鈥�15
Will is majoring in classical percussion performance at Purchase College Conservatory of Music in Purchase, NY. He will be a senior this fall and plans to continue at Purchase for his master鈥檚. Will spent last month traveling through Europe.
Gianna Kiehl 鈥�15
Gianna graduated with First Class Honors from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. She currently lives in London working as an actor filming the second season of the Amazon Prime show Hanna, in which she has a main part. Gianna will be filming on location in Spain and London through November.
Gianna also tutors children in violin and is involved in new writing projects with peers working in the industry.
Sarah White 鈥�15
Sarah will be a senior at Smith College majoring in gender studies and studio art. Sarah is a Stride Scholar and has been named to the Dean鈥檚 List every year. As a first-year student Sarah won the Meg Quigley Award for a paper she wrote in Women and Gender Studies and last year the Smith College Museum of Art awarded Sarah the Tryon Prize for an art history paper. She was also nominated and chosen for the Five College Consortium鈥檚 highly selective advanced studio art program.
Maggie Daly 鈥�16
Maggie will be a junior at Wheaton College where she is a double major in psychology and studio art with a concentration in animal behavior/cognition. At school Maggie has worked on an independent study with a K9 training academy. Next semester she will be looking at treatment of PTSD in dogs. Maggie is working at Jericho Settlers Farm again this summer鈥� her 6th summer and 7th season with them!
鈥淟CWHS really took me under its wing and without it I am without a bulk of my community and my 鈥榩eople.鈥欌��
Brendan Fontanez ’16
After graduating in 2016, Brendan took a year off of school to work, travel the US, and backpack in Europe. He is now a rising junior at Oberlin College, where he is studying computer science and creative writing. Next spring Brendan plans on spending a semester abroad to study game design in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Nancy Hilton 鈥�16
Nancy just finished a very challenging junior year at St. John鈥檚 College in Annapolis, MD. Last summer she completed an internship in cancer research at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. She was awarded a Hodson Grant to complete the internship. Nancy is currently taking the summer to work in Annapolis, apply to post-baccalaureate programs in preparation for medical school, and read War and Peace for school.
Chris Krag 鈥�16
Chris is entering his junior year at the University of Vermont as a biology major and a music technology and business minor. Chris participates in club water polo (the team placed second overall in New England) and with the swim team at nationals he hit his personal best in all his events. Chris had a great time playing electric violin with a Dixie Chicks cover band called the 鈥淒ixie Dix.鈥� 鈥淲e had one wildly successful show before we all went our separate ways.鈥�
Adam Marcinkowski 鈥�16
Adam Marcinkowski recently completed his second year at St. Lawrence University. He is deeply entrenched in the Outing Club, leading rock climbing, skiing and hiking trips, and is now a certified climbing wall instructor and Wilderness First Responder. For spring break a small group traveled to La Grave, France, and skied glaciers. Because of his Waldorf French language training in grades 1-12, he was dubbed the speaker/translator for the group.
Adam is a global studies major and this fall he is taking a semester abroad in Amman, Jordan. He is really looking forward to visiting the ruins of Petra and hopefully attempting some of their world-renowned rock climbing areas. He chose this program because it offered home stays with a variety of families during his four months in country. This summer, Adam is in his third year as a guide with Kroka Expeditions in Marlow, NH. He will be leading rock climbing, backpacking, and base camp expeditions around New England for 10- to 15-year olds.
Aidan Powell 鈥�16
Aidan is a rising junior at Colorado College, studying organismal biology and ecology. He鈥檚 happiest anywhere in the out-of-doors, is on the Colorado College mountain bike team, and back country skis every weekend he can. Aidan is currently in Spain for a language immersion program. Aidan writes 鈥淎fter studying in Ecuador I was inspired to study more Spanish in hopes of returning to South America.鈥� In August he and three friends plan to bike pack the entirety of the Colorado Trail, similar to the Vermont Long Trail.
Zarrah Shethar 鈥�16
Zarrah is now a senior at Hampshire College majoring in art and psychology. She鈥檚 waitressing this summer at a 鈥渇arm to table鈥� Irish restaurant in Northampton. Here she is with a weak lamb she took care of this spring!
Clara Slesar, 16
Clara is going into her junior year at Smith College where she is a conservation biology major. Some highlights of her time at Smith have been working in a microbiology lab studying evolutionary biology and ecology of amoebae, taking a variety of classes both in and out of her major, and rowing for Smith Crew.
Clara has been on the Dean鈥檚 List for the past two years, and at Smith she has been a member of the Key Pioneers Leadership Program, NIRC All-Academic Team, NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team, NEWMAC All-Conference First Team and Smith College Athletics All-Pioneer Team.
John Tatlock 鈥�16
John just completed a month-long seminar on James Baldwin in Paris (鈥渨ho,鈥� John writes, 鈥渨ould be a great candidate for the community book one of these summers鈥�) where he lived in the 15th arrondissement, just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower. He spent many days reading in the Champ de Mars and the Jardins du Luxembourg and ate 鈥�so, so, so much bread.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Back in Vermont, John is in his third summer with VPIRG as a Field Manager. This fall, he will return to The New School in Manhattan for his last semester, completing his BA program in literary studies. John plans to then move out west and begin applying to creative writing MFA programs.
Faith Thompson 鈥�16
Faith has been an art student at Concordia University in Montreal while also taking classes at the Community College of Vermont. Her work with children at the Charlotte Children鈥檚 Center has brought forth a passion for pursuing early childhood education at the University of Vermont, where she will begin classes in the fall.
Hannah Ely 鈥�17
Hannah will be a junior at Centre College, Danville, KY, where she is double-majoring in French and international relations and is on the Dean鈥檚 List. Last year Hannah spent a semester studying in Strasbourg, France. Hannah ran her first half marathon earlier this year and continues running.
Hannah continues to pursue her interests in hunger and food insecurity (her Waldorf senior project) and was selected for the Shepherd Internship Program where she spent eight weeks addressing food insecurity and refugees at the Common Earth Gardens with Catholic Charities in Louisville, KY. Read about Hannah鈥檚 work in the Centre College newspaper: Hannah Ely 鈥�21 leaves 鈥榩ositive footprint鈥� on the world during Shepherd Internship:
Maya Fontanez 鈥�17
Maya is home following her first year at Mount Holyoke College and is currently serving for AmeriCorps at the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. Through this position, Maya is able to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to food-insecure patients recovering from illness in hospitals across the state.
Nina Lissarrague 鈥�17
Nina is a rising sophomore at Hamilton College where she made the Dean鈥檚 List.
Nina is a climbing wall instructor at Hamilton and was selected as a student leader for the Adirondacks first-year students鈥� orientation experience. This summer Nina is working as a counselor at the Waldorf camp Glen Brook in Marlborough, NH.
Maeve McCurdy 鈥�17
Maeve will be a junior at Smith College where she is majoring in anthropology. Next spring Maeve will spend the semester in Rwanda to study their peace process. She was on the Dean’s List this past year and she is active in theater, Irish fiddle music, and the divestment from fossil fuels movement on campus.
This summer Maeve is interning at Rights and Democracy in Burlington where she works on their climate justice campaign, as well as helping out with their efforts to raise the minimum wage.
“My time at the high school was invaluable and I cannot imagine what a loss it would be for all the future classes to not have such a supportive and unique environment to grow and learn in during their high school years. I did not attend the LCWS grade school, only the high school, and feel a deep connection to that specific experience that cannot be found anywhere else. After graduating, this connection has only been strengthened, as has my belief that I was truly lucky to be able to have such a positive time during high school. As a community, we have a wealth of creativity and passion, and we cannot give up on something so indescribably special.鈥�
Zachary Mills 鈥�17
Zachary is entering his junior year at American University where he is double majoring in audio production and music performance. This summer Zachary is interning with Vermont PBS, where he is getting experience in his field capturing audio for film, broadcasts, and interviews. PBS is filming the children’s television show Mr. Chris and Friends. Zachary has also been working part-time at Egan Media Productions organizing a sound effects library of over 50,000 recordings.
Jaco Schiller 鈥�17
Jaco has spent the past couple of years traveling in the States and southern Asia doing biodynamic and organic farming, wilderness expeditions, Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimages, music instruction and performing.
Jaco will begin studying at Prescott College this fall with a focus on environmental science and filmmaking.
Hailey White 鈥�17
Hailey is currently traveling and working internationally. She recently completed a postpartum doula training.
Leyi Cheung 鈥�18
Leyi just finished her first year at the University of Vermont in the top 20% of her class. Currently she is majoring in philosophy and computer science with a minor in linguistics. She will be transferring to the University of Melbourne in the spring of 2020. One of Leyi鈥檚 passions is hunting for vintage books. She recently bought a first edition of Metaphysics by Martin Heidegger.
鈥淚 chose my majors because of the danger and future of artificial intelligence. People who work in such fields need to be responsible about what they do. I decided to major in philosophy because it will not only help me with coding but also help me make good future decisions. I have loved philosophy ever since taking philosophy in my senior year of high school and I incorporated philosophy into my senior project.鈥�
Amara Krag 鈥�18
Amara will be a sophomore at The University of Vermont, where she is majoring in biology. This summer she is spending her time working and training to become a bartender at Peg and Ter鈥檚 in Shelburne.
Elliott Rice 鈥�18
Elliott is currently finishing the last few months of what has been a truly amazing gap year experience replete with work, travel, and personal discovery. This summer he is working as a Field Manager for VPIRG, and he looks forward to transitioning to college life as a student at Centre College in Kentucky.
Lark Thompson 鈥�18
Lark is currently in Washington, D.C., working at a summer camp. She will be a sophomore at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was named to the Dean鈥檚 List. Lark is having a classic college experience and is pursuing an interest in environmental preservation.
Hannah Webster ’18
Hannah is a rising sophomore at Bates College in Maine where she is a psychology major and history minor and has earned a place on the Dean’s List. Hannah plays on the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team and the team placed 2nd at DIII Nationals this year. This summer Hannah is home and interning for a local business where she is focusing on social media and marketing.
鈥淚 loved my education at Waldorf and I feel that it set me up for success as a student and as a young adult in this world.”