One of the hallmarks of a Waldorf high school education is the exploration of the arts. As our students develop into thinkers, leaders, and creators, we give them opportunities to experience many different kinds of art. Writing, painting, woodwork, working with clay, music, and performing鈥攁ll of those enrich a creative sensibility and deepen and enliven one’s work in any subject. Our alumni share how their arts-integrated education provided the foundation for their pursuits in production and performing arts.

 

Gianna Kiehl, ’15

Where it all began, Gianna as a wolf in her class play in the lower grades.


Name: Gianna Kiehl
Grades attended LCWS:聽Kindergarten through 12
High School Graduation Year:听2015
Grade School Teacher:聽Malisa Garlieb
High School Sponsor:聽Steve Crimy聽

Where did you attend College?
I graduated with First Class Honors from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

 

What is your career?
I currently live in London and I am working as an actor on the Amazon Prime show Hanna. This year, as I film the next season, I aim to write and produce my own play. When filming finishes this month, I will go into rehearsals with my actors, direct the show, open the show to the public when London opens up this summer after over a year of lockdown.

 

Gianna acting in her twelfth grade play at LCWS.

What are you working on currently?
Through applying for grants, hiring crew members, running research and development workshops, etc. I now have a script, a venue (the play will happen in a garden – Covid safe!), actors, and a plan for a SIXTEEN SHOW run, opening on May 20 in London. I have never felt more creatively inspired, exhausted and excited! I am making this play for myself, but I am also making it for the community in London, both the artists and the audiences. For the artists, I am making sure everyone involved gets a proper salary. For the audience, I am making sure the ticket prices are low to ensure total accessibility. Arts funds are incredibly sought after at the moment, so I am funding as much as I can by myself, and any donation helps us reach our goal. If you are interested in donating, or just reading more about the play, .

 

Chiara Hollendar, ’13

狈补尘别:听Chiara Hollender, ’13
Grades attended LCWS:聽from kindergarten through seventh grade
Class teacher:聽Michele Starr
Where did you attend college?
Ithaca College, BA in Theatre Studies, Minor in Women and Gender Studies
What is your career?
I’m a documentary film director & producer, and also identify more broadly as a storyteller. I’ve聽produced work for the DIY Network and Discovery Channel (US), and I’ve also worked for AMC Network and Silent Crow Arts in NYC.

What qualities, passions, or interests do you attribute to your time at Waldorf?
Waldorf gave me so much. Curiosity. The ability to explore without boundaries. An interest聽in food and mother earth. My interests in music and movement are definitely things I attribute to my Waldorf education too, especially because of how substantially Waldorf integrated the students with those things at such a young age. I also attribute my love for community building to Waldorf, because although I didn’t know it at the time, my classmates and I were building this sense of family and community that now looking back I’ve always kept very close to my heart.
What are your favorite memories of your time at LCWS?

My favorite memories are of the Holiday Fairs that happen every winter. I remember being obsessed with the cake game, and being enamored聽with the beautiful cakes parents and teachers would make and donate to the activity. It was such a beautiful time of the year, and as a young child, it was so exciting to be able to walk through all the classrooms鈥攅specially the older grade rooms which I was always longing to be in!

Do you have any advice for our students?
My advice is to try and not take your experience at Waldorf for granted, and to hold onto the community you build there. There will come a time where you miss the building, the woods, the teachers, and the music (I promise!) so do your best to savor the experience while you have it!

What are you working on currently?
I’m currently creating a documentary series聽that is dedicated to celebrating female-identifying people who cultivate our food, create medicine for our communities, and take care of the earth that takes care of us all.聽The first installation of the series was recently played at the New Filmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival, The Sydney Lift-Off Film Festival, and the Front Range International Film Festival. More broadly, I’m interested in using聽storytelling to create representation for unheard narratives and hopes to harness media as an outlet to explore the ways in which colonization and homogenization of our societies affect the psyches of girls growing up in today鈥檚 world.聽Here’s a聽聽for the first episode!

 

Harriet Veltkamp, ’20

Name: Harriet Veltkamp
Grades attended LCWS: Kindergarten through 12
High School Graduation Year: 2020
Class Teacher: Katherine Verman
High School Sponsor: Mr. Crimy

Where do you plan to go to college?
I was accepted early decision to New York University.

Are you taking a gap year, and if so how are you spending it?
I have been interning with an artistic director based in the NYC Experimental art scene, and have worked specifically at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn. While in New York, I aided in the opening of an art gallery and spent time helping to design and run this. I have also been working on a weekly live-stream art show and have been running the social media for the past six months. As of March, I have been co-directing and curating its transition into a student/learner platform. Through this experience, I have been able to expand my concept of art and grow both as a student, and as a creator.

How has your Waldorf education prepared you for this experience?
Waldorf education teaches you how to be curious and intentional about your learning. Going into an internship in an artistic field that was far less traditional than what I am used to, allowed me to gain so much more from my experience. I was given the tools to critically observe, and pick out concepts and techniques of art creation that will relate to anything and be invaluable going into my college education and artistic career. At Waldorf, you are also taught to develop confidence and a strong sense of self, and I am constantly using these skills in meeting and connecting with professionals in my field.

 

Do you know an LCWS alumnus who’d like to be featured in our newsletter or who would like to share their experience of our school? Please email lindsayf@lakechamplainwaldorfschool.org.