Bleed Green Alumni News – Fall 2024
October 17, 2024
Dear Tarriers,
Our goal with the alumni newsletter is to keep Tarrier Nation and all of its alumni up to date about what is happening at CWA, and secondly to highlight, celebrate, and share what CWA alums are doing in the community. We want to invite ANY and ALL alumni to come back to campus for a tour, have a coffee or meal with a member of our team, explore hosting your class reunion(s), and be a part of all the incredible work happening across campus. One of the main goals from the CWA Board of Trustees this school year is to invest and connect with our alumni community in a more intentional way – thus the shift from the Office of Development to the Office of Development & Alumni Relations. I am so excited to be a part of that investment, both as a 2016 alum, and as someone who will be helping lead this work moving forward. We know that we have work to do with our alumni community and we will be in relentless pursuit of doing a better job connecting with all of you.
Charles Wright Academy is an extremely special place, and we are excited to get to work!
Henry Cheney ’16, MBA
Alumni Relations Manager
alumni@charleswright.org
Message from our Interim Head of School
To the CWA Alumni Community:
I recently returned to the PNW from a trip back home. While I loved being home and seeing my family, I missed life on the CWA campus! The buzz of Upper School students in the hallway, students engaged in the classroom, and our younger students playing outside in this beautiful Tacoma weather. I am so proud to have the opportunity to lead this community and to work with so many talented individuals. I invite you to stay connected with our Office of Development & Alumni Relations. I can’t wait to see all of you at our Homecoming on Friday, October 18!
Once a Tarrier, Always a Tarrier!
Chris Gorycki
Interim Head of School
cgorycki@charleswright.org
CWA Alumni News
We are thrilled to invite you to join us in celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of the Class of 2024! Our newest Tarrier alumni have demonstrated resilience, determination, and intellectual curiosity throughout their time in the Upper School, and we are confident that the knowledge, skills, and support they have acquired will serve them well in their future endeavors. This milestone would not have been possible without the unwavering support and guidance of our entire community. We extend our gratitude to all families, guardians, faculty, staff, and administrators who have played a pivotal role in nurturing these young minds. Your dedication has been instrumental in shaping their growth and success. If you are curious to learn more about what this class has accomplished and where they are headed, check out this infographic. Congratulations again to the Class of 2024 and we hope to see you back on campus soon or during one of our upcoming regional visits later this year!
In August, Director of Development & Alumni Relations, De’Andre Jones had the opportunity to connect with Stuart Karpenko ‘85 and Toru Sakane ‘91. During their visit to campus, Stuart and Toru reminisced on classes they took, experiences they had in Tarrier athletics, and the bond they developed and have maintained over the last few decades.
Additionally, there were two classes that hosted milestone reunions. The first was the Class of 1989, who celebrated 35 years! The Class of 2004 gathered at Jellyfish Brewing Company in Seattle, WA for their 20 year reunion and shared this photo with us in their Tarrier gear!
Last week, we were joined on campus by Phil Zeeck Jr. ‘01 and his family during their recent visit from Kansas City, MO. Phil was recently appointed as assistant general counsel for the Big 10 Conference. Zeeck will manage various functions within the Conference’s legal department, including contracts, policy development, legal analysis, intellectual property, and outside counsel coordination. A seasoned litigator in the collegiate athletics space, Zeeck will assist chief legal officer and general counsel Anil Gollahalli with litigation, arbitration, and mediation proceedings.
Zeeck joins the Big Ten Conference after 11 years at Polsinelli PC, most recently serving as counsel. At Polsinelli, Zeeck served as vice chair of their class action litigation group and represented multiple collegiate sports conferences in state court litigation, arbitration and mediation proceedings.
Zeeck received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. He is a two-time graduate of The George Washington University, receiving his master’s degree in political management and a bachelor’s degree in political communication. Additionally, Zeeck serves as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law.
On behalf of the Charles Wright Academy community, we’d like to extend our congratulations to you Phil, and wishing you all the best as you embark on this next step in your professional journey!
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 to submit a class note later in the email and a member of our team will be sure to follow up with you.
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!
Alumni of the Year Award 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! Submit a nomination for a peer or yourself today!
CWA Alumni Art Show
Greetings Artists! If you have fond memories of your time in studio art classes at CWA, this announcement is for you. We will be hosting our first-ever Alumni Art Show this winter at the Ted Sanford Gallery in the Upper School. We would love to showcase the artwork you have created since you left school. The show will be on display from December 9, 2024- January 3, 2025. We will host a reception for the artists and the school community on Thursday, December 19. If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Christina Bertucchi, Visual Art Department Chair, cbertucchi@charleswright.org.
Tarrier Athletics Spotlight
This edition of the Tarrier Athletics Spotlight focuses on the accomplishments of our Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees! As part of this year’s Homecoming festivities, we will be honoring the following individuals for their performance, contributions, and impact on Tarrier athletics. They will be recognized on Friday, October 18, 2024, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Wight Gymnasium.
Nate Mondou ’13
4 Year Nisqually All-League
2014 Nisqually League MVP
All State Team
All-American Infielder at Wake Forest University
13th Round Draft Pick by the Oakland Athletics
Made MLB Debut on October 4, 2022 with the Oakland Athletics
Member of the 14U USA National Baseball Team
Louisville Slugger Collegiate All-American
2009 CWA 4x100m 1A Girls State Champions
Emilee Bell ’09
Diane Lawrence ’10
Grace Su ’09
Rachael Williams ’11
Coach Mindy McGrath
5 Consecutive State Volleyball Appearances
Multiple Coach of the Year Awards
2018 CWA State Title Game Appearance
Upcoming Events
Please visit our Alumni webpage to learn more about upcoming events!
Ways to Stay Connected & Get Involved
Keep up to date with your fellow alumni by submitting a Class Note! Class Notes are shared annually in CWA’s TIES Magazine.
Update Your Contact Information
The CWA Alumni community welcomes you! Please complete this brief questionnaire to help us ensure we have up-to-date contact information for you in our system. Once a Tarrier, Always a Tarrier!
Join our Tarrier Business Directory
The goal of the Tarrier Business Directory is to highlight and showcase businesses owned, operated, and managed by our Charles Wright Community. Submit your business today!
Follow CWA on Social Media
We love to stay connected with you in many forms, the best way to stay up-to-date on campus happenings is to follow CWA on Instagram and Facebook.
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
