Fall 2022
The Llama Notes alumni e-newsletter is filled with stories, news, information,
and resources to support our community. Our goal is to keep alumni informed and foster
a meaningful lifelong connection between alumni and The Potomac School.
If you have an idea or comments, please contact Laura Miller, director of alumni relations.
and resources to support our community. Our goal is to keep alumni informed and foster
a meaningful lifelong connection between alumni and The Potomac School.
If you have an idea or comments, please contact Laura Miller, director of alumni relations.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
An “Awkward” Interview with Filmmaker Russell Goldman '13
Russell Goldman '13 gives life to stories that could make you laugh or clench your palms or both. As a writer and director, Russell has a knack for finding the tension and the humor in an awkward situations.
Case in point: His Wesleyan University film studies thesis, Alpacaland, is a darkly comedic musical short where a visit to an idyllic alpaca farm reveals an unsavory cult. Another of Russell’s shorts, No Comment, focuses on the moment when an actor has a breakdown in front of a journalist who uses her interview opportunity at a cordial press junket to interrogate him for an exposé.
Feel Good This Fall
Lizzie Nelson '06 is a holistic nutritionist who believes that everyone deserves to feel good in their body. As the owner of Gut Feelings Wellness, an online health coaching practice, Lizzie applies her training, intensive research, and life experience to create an individualized plan for each of her clients.
After a comprehensive health intake, covering health goals and health history, she meets with clients over Zoom every week to discuss specific action items to focus on in five areas of whole body health: eating nutrient-dense foods, managing stress, getting optimal sleep, increasing daily movement, and building community. As a coach, Lizzie particularly enjoys being both an accountability buddy, providing specific customized homework for each client and holding them accountable to establish new habits, and a friend who is there to celebrate a client's successes and achievements along the way.
REUNION 2022
Better Together - Celebrating Classes Ending in 2 and 7 at Reunion
What better way to celebrate your Reunion milestone than joining the Potomac community for our fall traditions – Homecoming and Fall Frolics? This special Reunion Weekend, steeped in fun and tradition, is a highlight of the year at Potomac. We are delighted to offer you this opportunity to come home, be together, and join in this special Reunion celebration.
1937 | 1942 | 1947 |1952 | 1957 | 1962 | 1967 | 1972
1977 | 1982 | 1992 | 1997 | 2002 | 2007 | 2012 | 2017
Friday, October 21
- Come back to campus to join an Upper School class, take a trail walk, and enjoy a wonderful lunch with friends and classmates.
- In the afternoon, spend time on campus watching Homecoming matches in soccer, volleyball, tennis, and field hockey.
- Afterward, join friends, classmates, and beloved faculty on the patio of the spectacular Spangler Center for Athletics and Community for a Reunion Cocktail Party in your honor.
Saturday, October 22
- Rise and shine! Get some exercise, hang out on the playground, tour the campus, and enjoy food and fun at our annual Fall Frolics Carnival.
- Celebrate with other Potomac grads at the Alumni Homecoming Reception and cheer for our Potomac Panthers as they take on the Saint James Saints in Potomac’s 2022 Homecoming football game.
Click here
to find out more about
Reunion Weekend and to register!
If you are questions, please email Laura Miller, director of alumni relations.
Up Next...
We look forward to seeing the alumni community back for Fall Games on Friday, November 25. To see more upcoming events, click here.
Alumni Survey
Potomac wants to hear from you! An alumni survey will be arriving in your inbox later this fall. Update your contact information so that you can share your insights to help us better engage with Potomac’s alumni community.
The Term Magazine
The Term is Potomac's biannual alumni magazine. Packed with alumni profiles, campus news, and class notes, The Term keeps Potomac's community of 10,000+ connected and informed. Have a story idea? Pitch it to Laura Miller.
Did you miss an issue? Click here.
Get Involved!
The Potomac community is thriving, thanks to the support of alumni volunteers. Whether raising funds for your alma mater, helping to plan Reunion, or organizing social and educational events, our alumni are creative, connected, and committed. If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities, contact Director of Alumni Relations Laura Miller or click here.
Tap Into the Potomac Alumni Network
Keep up with your classmates by logging in to the Alumni Center, where you can find information about fellow Potomac alums, update your directory information, and sign up for networking activities. These members-only resources are available solely to Potomac alumni.
Several AGC members at our September meeting.
Click here to see the full list.
Message from the
Alumni Governing Council
Welcome! As the Executive Committee of the Alumni Governing Council (AGC), we know that alumni are an integral part of Potomac, and their involvement is the result of, and contributes to, the overall success of our school. Potomac’s long-held traditions and the lasting friendships we made here are the cornerstones of our unique shared experience. The AGC works to keep you connected to Potomac and one another ensuring a welcoming environment for lifelong alumni engagement.
This summer, we welcomed six new AGC members: Shannon Gopaul Balser '01, Mariah Chappell '12, Brendan Dwyer '15, Stephen Garibaldi '13, Sean Sullivan '02, and Lauren Wackerle '12.
We are delighted that these experienced and committed professionals will serve our school community in this important leadership role. Click here to learn more about the Alumni Governing Council and our leadership team. Additionally, five AGC members finished their service this past summer. We thank Stephanie Caggiano '11, Amir Jones '15, Cameron Kahl '12, Scott Nelson '03, and Andrew Serafin '92 for their dedication, generosity of spirit, and exemplary leadership.
The AGC supports a thriving, active community of alumni volunteers who work hard to invigorate and connect alumni to one another and to the school. We are here to listen to and serve the alumni community. If you have ideas or are interested in getting involved, contact the Director of Alumni Relations Laura Miller.
Sincerely,
Rory Byrnes '01, President
Catherine Kahl Linskey '09, Vice President
Meaghan Kiernan Sparkman '05, Secretary
Fall Frolics
Come join classmates, friends, past parents, and faculty at the Alumni Panther hospitality tent, located in front of the Intermediate School.
Rides, Games, Musical Cakes, Pick-A-Pocket, Prizes, Bake Sale, Nearly New, Inflatables, and more!
Homecoming Games
Cheer for the Potomac Panthers as they take on the Saint James Saints. Kickoff is at 12:00 PM!
For more information on all Homecoming games (including the rain plan), visit potomacschool.org/athletics.
Have You LinkedIn with the
Potomac Alumni Community?
Looking to connect with Potomac alumni, find a job, secure an internship, or keep up-to-date on a variety of topics? Then join The Potomac School Alumni Professional Networking LinkedIn group. This group provides current and future alumni an opportunity to leverage the full potential of Potomac’s global community through meaningful connections and discussions via a professional network.
We have also recently launched The Potomac School Alumni Association Real Estate Professional Group (PSRE) made up of Potomac alumni working or doing business in the real estate sector. PSRE plans to meet throughout the year for professionally relevant programs and to network. If you are interested in getting more involved or want to host an event (virtually or in-person), please contact Rory Byrnes '01, Brendan Dwyer '15, Stephen Garibaldi ‘13, Gabriel Miller ‘16, or Sean Sullivan '02.
Articulating Our Commitments
James Hightower joined Potomac this July in a new senior administrative position -- director of community engagement. In this role, James is working with student and parent groups and collaborating with offices across campus to strengthen existing community initiatives and develop new ones. His work is focused on ensuring that all members of the Potomac community have a strong sense of connection to, and opportunities to be engaged in, the life of our school.
A proven educational leader, James brings more than 25 years of experience in independent schools and higher education. For the last five years, he served as director of college counseling at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. Before that, he was dean of student life and college counseling at Greensboro Day School in North Carolina. James previously held positions at The Lovett School and Phillips Academy Andover and worked in admissions at Berea College and Johns Hopkins University. In addition, he served as director of multicultural retention at Albright College in Reading, PA.
Please join us in welcoming James to Potomac!
Farewell and Best Wishes!
Farewell and Best Wishes! Alumni play many important roles within the Potomac School community. Some return to campus as guest speakers, some serve as mentors to current students and fellow alums, and many provide generous philanthropic support that helps our school achieve its educational mission. In addition, a few alumni serve as Potomac faculty and staff. After many years of dedicated service and leadership, two such individuals left our school at the close of the 2021-22 academic year. We salute Annabelle Redway Dunn ’85 and Rob Lee ’78 for their contributions to Potomac and wish them well in their next adventures.