Message from the Alumni Relations Manager

 

Tarrier Alumni,

 

With the unexpected passing of our interim head of School Chris Gorycki, Rachel Rippl has been named our interim head of school. Rachel is a Tarrier through and through who has been a loyal and dedicated member of our community since 2009. I am extremely excited to see Rachel lead our school as we continue to push forward. Since our last Bleed Green newsletter, we have had two different alumni events which both had amazing turnouts! Homecoming and Pub Night were a huge success, and it was awesome to connect with so many Tarrier Alums. I hope everyone has a Happy Holidays, and as always, would love to connect with any Tarrier Alums for a coffee or a tour of our beautiful campus.

 

In partnership,

 

Henry Cheney ’16, MBA

Alumni Relations Manager

 


Message from the Head of School

 

Tarrier Alumni,

 

As you may know, we’ve had significant, unexpected leadership changes on campus over the past few months. Amid our sorrow, there has been much to celebrate as well. One of the greatest gifts Chris gave our community was his steady, gracious presence. He listened patiently and offered care at a time when many were feeling hurt and disconnected. In the weeks since his passing, I’ve seen our community unite in remarkable ways to support and continue his legacy.

 

Last week, we saw record-breaking participation for Giving Tuesday as part of our Fund for CWA campaign. Raising money to support the work of the school is always important as tuition doesn’t cover the full cost of a Charles Wright education, but even more so, it was the messages of gratitude for the community and the breadth of participation that blew me away. When we all lean in and offer what we can with our time, energy, and resources, we show our true colors and I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this community right now. Our faculty, staff, students, and community want to thank YOU for making a difference and supporting these efforts. The future of the school is bright and I look forward to sharing even more with you as the year progresses.

 

Once a Tarrier, Always a Tarrier!

 

Rachel Rippl
Interim Head of School

 


Alumni Spotlight & Profiles

Maggie Macdonald ’03 married Patrick Mauro in Belize last December. In a fun coincidence, Patrick was roommates in college with Jonathan Medley ’03, and the three have enjoyed reconnecting.


 

Bruce Nisker ’80, Dr. Morgan Wain P’17, and CWA Board Member, Dr. Dave Hirschberg ’80 P’17 completed a dive in-between Helene and Milton in the Florida Keys.


 

Director of Development & Alumni Relations, De’Andre Jones with CWA Alumni Matt & Kelsey (Savre) Stinson ’05 at Insight Brewing during the recent Regional Tarrier Tour event in Minneapolis, MN.


 

J’Nai Bridges ’05 recently returned home to Tacoma for her debut at Symphony Tacoma for her show “Passion & Intrigue” at the Pantages Theater. Additionally, she was presented with the Key to the City by the City of Tacoma. J’Nai began her musical journey right here in Tacoma, nurturing her passion for singing in the EP Williams Choir at Allen AME Church, Tacoma Youth Chorus, and Tacoma Opera. She has since grown into a two-time Grammy award-winning and internationally renowned mezzo-soprano opera singer. We are so proud of J’Nai and the impact she is having on her local community and the global music industry through her artistry! Congratulations J’Nai!


 

What a joy it was to gather for our Annual Alumni Pub Night at Narrows Brewing Company on Wednesday, November 27, 2024. Easily the best pub night turnout we have had in years. Highlighted by some of the most loyal and tenured staff members, David Adams “DA,” David Kangas, Laurel Webster, Bill White, Christina Bertucchi, and Interim Head of School, Rachel Rippl.

 

We had attendees representing over 16 different classes, ranging from 1993 to 2020! Thanks to everyone who came out and we cannot wait to see you again next year for this annual tradition!

 

These are just a few examples of how our Tarriers are staying connected! We’d love to have our Tarrier alumni come back to campus and hear about what you have been up to over the years. If you have a story that you want featured in the next edition of Bleed Green, please feel free to submit it to alumni@charleswright.org or submit a class note later in the email and a member of our team will be sure to follow up with you.


Alumni of the Year Nominations

 

We are excited to announce that we are bringing back one of the many historic traditions – Founder’s Day! As a part of the Founder’s Day programming, we will be honoring our 2025 Alumni of the Year award recipient. The Nomination form is now LIVE! You can submit a nomination for a peer or yourself today!


Tarrier Athletics Spotlight

 

The Tarriers basketball teams started their season last week! The CWA girls team is led by the legendary and hall of fame coach, Kate Rue. Coach Rue is entering her 15th year as head coach for the upper school girls team. The boys team is led by Erik Knowles ’09, who is entering his 9th year as head coach. In 2008, Erik was recognized as the CWA championship point guard. Charles Wright athletics is extremely lucky to have both of these coaches leading our programs, and both have impacted countless Tarriers throughout the years.

 

Whether you are home for the holidays, live locally, or want to relive the glory days, we would love to invite you out to the Tarrier Dome to watch our teams play this winter!

 

Upper School Girls Basketball Schedule

 

Upper School Boys Basketball Schedule


Class Reunions!

 

Development & Alumni Relations are working closely with members of past graduating classes to organize class reunions!

 

So far we have the classes of 1980, 2000, 2014, and 2015 planning events. Expect more details in future updates!

 

If you would like to organize a reunion for your graduating class, please email us at alumni@charleswright.org


CWA Business Directory

 

We are proud of the incredible Tarrier businesses in our community and we want to promote them! If you are interested in being featured as part of our business directory, please complete this brief form. This directory will be a part of our newly revamped alumni webpage!


Upcoming Events

 

Alumni Art Show & Reception | Thursday, December 19, 2024

 

This December we are exhibiting our first Alumni Art show in the Ted Sanford Gallery in the Upper School. The show features a wide variety of work from sculptures to printmaking. We will be hosting a reception on campus from 5 – 7 p.m. and we hope you can join us! We are honored to have had so many talented Charles Wright artists come through our program and continue to pursue creative endeavors in college and beyond. The ten artists featured in this exhibition are: John Long ’64, Richard Thietje ’84, Erica Nordfors Applewhite ’86, Allison Hyde ’02, Andrew Degoede ’07, Maya Stoker ’17, Cecelia Schilling Sims ’15, Mei Ge ’18, Alexa Booker ’20, and Bret Lyon.

 

Alumni Art Show RSVP


 

2024-2025 Regional Tarrier Tour!

 

Calling all Tarriers! The Alumni Relations team will be hitting the road this year and embarking on our 2024-2025 Regional Tarrier Tour! We hope you will consider joining us!


Boston, MA | Wednesday, January 22, 2025

 

BOSTON RSVP


Washington D.C. | Saturday, January 25, 2025

 

WASHINGTON D.C. RSVP


Bellevue, WA | Thursday, January 30, 2025

 

BELLEVUE RSVP


Portland, OR | Sunday, February 2, 2025

 

PORTLAND RSVP


Spokane, WA | Wednesday, February 12, 2025

 

SPOKANE RSVP


Los Angeles (Culver City), CA | Monday, February 24, 2025

 

CULVER CITY RSVP


Los Angeles (Silver Lake), CA | Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 

SILVER LAKE RSVP


South Bay (Mountain View), CA | Wednesday, February 26, 2025

 

SOUTH BAY RSVP


East Bay (Berkeley), CA | Thursday, February 27, 2025

 

EAST BAY RSVP


Ways to Connect and Get Involved!

 

Submit a Class Note

 

Update your Contact Information

 

CWA Alumni WebPage


For questions, please email alumni@charleswright.org and a member of our team would be happy to get back to you!

 

Sincerely,

 

The CWA Development & Alumni Relations Team