Emerson Alumni take many paths to achievement and success. Among the many awards won by graduates: Presidential Scholar in the Arts , Ann Arbor News Young Citizen of the Year, Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellowship, National Merit Finalists.
News and Information about Emerson Alumni
Dexter-Ann Arbor Half-Marathon
Michael Halloran took 3rd in the 13-14 year old age bracket with a time of 1:49.57- just two minutes off Andy Zimmer’s time!
Alums perform in Carmina Burana
Congratulations to the musically talented Emerson students and alums that performed last Saturday in Carmina Burana at Hill Auditorium with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.
Veronica Correa (8), Augie Guo (5), and Jack Pribble (4) performed with the youth choir, and alums Adriana Hassan, Victoria Johnson, Katie Kennedy, Liz Kennedy, Ari Axelrod, and Sam Kidd, performed with their high school choirs.
Alex Hassan selected as 2012 US Presidential Scholar Semi-Finalist
Emerson alumni, Alexander T. Hassan ('08), has been selected as Semi-Finalist for the 2012 US Presidential Scholars Program. Alex is a senior at Huron High School.
Alex is Huron's National Honors Society president and president of his class’ Executive Board. He has been named both an AP Scholar with honors and National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, and has made finals of state and national mathematics contests. He is Huron's football quarterback and team captain, and has received a Scholar-Athlete Award Scholarship from the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Active in various volunteer efforts both in his school and community, he is a voting member of Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum board of trustees and heads up the museum's Youth Empowerment Project.
Alex plans to study study biomedical and biochemical engineering in college.
The entire Emerson community applauds Alex for his leadership, academic accomplishment, and community commitment. He is an inspiration to us all.
Alums make a splash in first Ann Arbor High School Regatta
Oarsmen and women included Ali Breeding, Skyline Coach; Sarah McColm, Aaron Stryker, Milan Patel, Ryan Michaels, Skyline rowers; Victor Boyce-Peacor, Adam Kahana, Adam Psarouthakis, Avery Whitaker, Pioneer rowers.
Violinist wins SMA Award
Congratulations to Emerson Alum Dana Johnson (‘09), one of three winners in the 2012 Ann Arbor Society for Musical Arts Rosealie Edwards Youth Music Competition. The winners performed on March 21st at the SMA concert at the Ann Arbor City Club. Dana performed the first two movements of the Barber Violin Concerto.
Previous Emerson alumni winners include Jacob Joyce ('06) and Andrea Jarrett ('07).
Alumni return with insights and info
Seven months and counting for Emerson 8th graders ... and then, on to high school. Recently a group of "experts" offered insights and answered questions; the Emerson Alumni Panel returns! This year's returning alums are Graham Gerdes, Alexis Boyd, Molly Gelb, Elizabeth Kennedy, Adriana Hassan, Julia Doyle, Mitchell Murray, Molly Conn, Dana Johnson, Tori Johnson.
Alumni take to the stage
Chase Harris and Adam Psarouthakis performed in the play "Spring Awakening" as part of the Pioneer Theater Guild's 2012 MIFA competition piece on February 3 & 4. The Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association sponsors the largest theatrical festival in the state. At districts last weekend, Chase and two other performers in the cast received "excellent's" from the judges for their performances.
Alumnus sings out
Joshua Glassman gave a tenor voice recital at University Commons on January 28, 2012.
Alum at Carnegie Mellon ... and in Spain
Reid Sherard attends Carnegie Mellon University in the Class of 2013, majoring in International Relations & Politics, with a double major in Chinese. He speaks Mandarin and Spanish, and is spending the spring semester of his junior year studying in Madrid, Spain. He is a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity at Carnegie Mellon, where he recently served as Treasurer.
Alumna is "den mother" of local music
From behind the counter at Encore Records to behind the mic at WCBN-FM’s "Local Music Show," to behind live shows happening anywhere from house parties to the Blind Pig to the Neutral Zone, Shelley Salant is a one-woman cheering section for local music and the people who play it. Read more about where she's been and where she's going with her love of music in this annarbor.com story.
Alumna Serves in Peace Corp in Peru
Laura Chambers is currently living in one of the most remote areas of Peru, working to improve the nutritutional and overall health of her communities. She focuses on overarching educational initiatives as well as practical activities such as helping to plant nutrition-filled gardens. Laura writes a fascinating blog, LCFlips in Peru.
Emerson Alumna Signs Letter of Intent
Maggie Halloran became the first student athlete in Skyline High School's brief history to sign a Division 1 national letter of intent on November 9 as she made her commitment to play volleyball at Michigan state University. She chose the Spartans over Syracuse, Indiana, Bowling Green and Dayton. Maggie has been a standout in the Skyline program for four years. She led Skyline to their first MHSAA district championship game appearance this year. She dominated the first two rounds of district trounament and posted 44 kills, 47 digs, 14 aces, and 9 blocks. She finished her senior season with 484 kills, 350 digs, 46 aces, and 103 blocks.
Read more about Maggie here and here!
10 Emerson Alums Inducted into National Honor Society at SkyLine High School
Congratulations to Christian Boyd, Shoham Geva, Shalini Kota, Elizabeth Kennedy, Katherine Kennedy, Emma Powell, Jane Radecki, Ashleigh Shanley, Cecilie Simonsen, Leigh Yeh for their induction into the NHS Skyline High chapter. Membership is based on achievement in scholarship, characters, leadership and service. We are so proud of you!
Alum Honored with National Honor Society Induction
Leigh Pei was invited to join the Skyline High School National Honor Society chapter. She has been maintaining a very good GPA, is serving on the LinkCrew program mentoring Freshmen students, and volunteered at the UM Mott’s Children Hospital and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital during the summer.
Alums Perform in "The Miracle Worker"
The Greenhills production (November 19-20) stars Alaina Riker (9th) as Helen Keller, Michael Szocki (12th) as Captain Keller, and Matthew Fligiel (12th) as James Keller. The play is directed by Nancy Heusel, grandmother of Emerson first grader, Marin Heusel.
Alumni Care Packages
At the end of October 43 packages of goodies made their way to former Emerson middle schoolers in colleges throughout the country and in Montreal and Marrakesh. The Alumni Care Packages with Emerson coffee mug and bag, school supplies and treats to eat, are sent to students who have just finished high school. Each box is a message of congratulations and connection from the Emerson School community. Read more.
Emerson Alum Leads Skyline High School Volleyball Team to First Distric Finals
Maggie Halloran, a senior, led the Eagles to a straight set sweep of Pinckney. More.
Applause for our Theatrical Alums
Jeremy Glick, Class of 2010 and freshman at Skyline, and Julie Piper, Class of 2005, appear in Oliver!, at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre at the University of Michigan, November 17-20, 2011.
Emerson Alums Named National Merit Semifinalists
Greenhills: Hanna Anderson, Matthew Fligiel, Christopher Owyang, Katherine Selwa, Michael Szocik; Huron: Alexander Hassan, Margot Pontius; Pioneer: Charles Geronimus, Leon Sunstein; Skyline: Emily Trudeau; Saline: Andrew Chen. We are proud of your achievements!
Congratulations to Our Newest Alums -- The Class of 2011!
Geetha Lakshminarayanan is a math teacher at Summit Preparatory High School in Redwood City, CA. The school is one of ten "Transformative" High Schools" in Newsweek's annual ranking. With low-income students, paltry funding, dated facilities, they are still becoming the best in the nation. Read the story which includes a photo of Geetha! She is the daughter of Linda Lakshminarayanan, Emerson's Librarian
Sharon Fox, Emerson Class of 1995, is defending her dissertation, which is through Harvard Medical School and MIT Health Sciences and Technology. She has been using imaging methods to identify patterns of brain responses in infants at high risk for developing autism. This is part of a larger project at Children's Hospital Boston to find early markers of autism for both earlier identification/treatment, and to improve our understanding of the disease.
Michelle Fox, Emerson Class of 1999, is doing her residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital in internal medicine (her top choice!). She is living in Boston with her sister, Sharon.
Alum Teaches English to Future Chefs
Donald Dunbar is an English Instructor at the Oregon Culinary Institute. He teaches three English courses and one Diversity course, all of which he developed to complement the business side of the management program and the students' pursuit of culinary knowledge. Donald tells his interesting story here.
Alumni Panel
High school is on the horizon for Emerson 8th graders. Everyone has questions, and recently the students got answers and insights from the finest experts around – Emerson alumni.
The Emerson Alumni Panel was organized for the 8th graders by Alex Hassan, now a junior at Huron High. Former students fielded questions on topics from homework loads to class size, locker logistics and making friends. There was advice: get involved in clubs and activities right away. There was assurance: Emerson has prepared them well for advanced level classes. And there was an upbeat vibe of Emerson alumni connection and commitment. Thanks, alums!
Participants are pictured below: Alex Hassan, Adam Psarouthakis (sophomore at Pioneer), Tim Canter (junior at Greenhills), Jennifer Ho (junior at Saline), Catherine Doyle (junior at Fr. Gabriel Richard), and Miles Grofsorean (junior at Community).
Birding and Blogging
Andy Johnson, a freshman at Cornell, travels the continent photographing birds and he chronicles his story in his blog Birding Et Cetera. This summer he worked with a Cornell research team in Churchill, Manitoba (the polar bear capital!) studying the migration of the Hudsonian Godwit.
Skyline High School Sophomore Is A Budding Journalist
Shoham Geva is a first-year student in the Communication, Media, and Public Policy magnet, with a strong interest in journalism. She is writing a weekly column to showcase the CMPP magnet. Read one!
Congratulations to Emerson's Class of 2006
We say, "Well done!" to the Class of 2006 for their high school achievements. "Best wishes and continued success!" as they head to college. Members of the class are attending these colleges: Amherst College, Brandeis University (2), Carleton College, College of Wooster, Columbia University, Cornell University, Denison University, DePaul University, Goucher College, Grand Valley State University (2), Harvard University, Miami University, Michigan State University (2), St. Olaf College, Stanford University, University of California - Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Michigan (16), University of Pittsburgh, University of Texas, Washtenaw Community College, Yale University (4).
Congratulations to Emerson's Class of 2010
Emerson's recent grads begin new adventures in high school. Near and far, here's where they are now: Skyline (17), Pioneer (10), Saline (5), Gabriel Richard (3), Community (1), Greenhills (1), Chelsea (1), Plymouth (1), Ypsilanti Tech (1), Cranbrook (1), Out-of-state (1).
The Apple Tree Features Two Alums
May 2010 - Mackenzie Kimball performed as "Passionella", and Leigh Yeh worked the tech crew in Skyline High Schools' presentation of "The Apple Tree".
Albion College's Award for Leadership in Public LIfe
Ken Mazur received the 2010 Michael P. Noonan Award for Leadership in Public Life at Albion College's annual Honors Convocation. Ken is majoring in political science, with a concentration in the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service. He is the son of Glenn and Mayumi Mazur and a graduate of Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. Congratulations, Ken!
2010 US Presidential Scholar Semifinalist
Emerson Alum, Michael Ho, son of Dr. Flaherty, has been named one of approximately 560 semifinalists in the 2010 US Presidential Scholars Program. The semifinalists were selected from more than 3000 candidates on the basis of superior achievements, leadership qualities, personal character, and involvement in community and school activities.
You Can't Take It With You
Mackenzie Kimball performed and Betsy Mansfield and Leigh Yeh worked the tech crew in Skyline High School's presentation of You Can't Take It With You, April 23 & 24, 2010.
Three Alums Cut Loose in "Footloose"
Daniel Mozurkewich, Robert Axelrod and Tim Van Riper appear in the Pioneer High School Theater Guild presentation of Footloose. In 1984, Footloose, the movie, became a huge hit. Adapted for the stage in 1987, Footloose tells the story of a teenage boy suddenly moved from a big city to a small conservative Texas town where dancing is forbidden. The kids revolt and with songs like "Let's Hear It For the Boy," "I Need a Hero," and the title song, "Footloose," tell a great story that features a variety of wonderful characters, energizing music and of course, dancing!
An ACT Ace!
March 2010 - Emerson alumna Leah Latterner recenty achieved a perfect score on the ACT, one of three Pioneer High School students in a year to earn this honor. Leah aced the test despite incorrect directions to the testing center and a calculator that failed her in the middle of the math portion of the exam. Read more!
Two Alumni Earn Optimist Award
January 2010 - Emerson alumni Julia Butz and Paul Riker were honored Wednesday morning with the Harold Eastman Outstanding Youth Achievement Award from the Breakfast Optimist Club of Ann Arbor. Julia and Paul are currently juniors at Greenhills School and were selected for their academic achievement, leadership, industry and community service. Read more about this dynamic duo.
Alums perform in "Our Town"
November 2009 - Emerson Alumni appear in the Greenhills production of Thornton Wilder's play about the passing of time and the appreciation of life in all of its daily routines, rituals and simplicities.
Stage Manager - Paul Riker (11th)
Howie Newsome - Matthew Fligel (10th)
George Gibbs - Tom McClure (12th)
Mr. Webb - Michael Szocik (10th)
Constable Warren - Andrew Garton (11th)
People of the Town - Liz Baker (9th) and Patricia Simmer (9th)
Emerson alumni working as a crew member - Erin Spencer (12th) is the actual Stage Manager
Revenge of the Space Pandas
November 2009 - A two-speed clock is at the heart of David Mamet's crazy comedy, The Revenge of The Space Pandas. Among the actors playing beyond Earth time in the Greenhills middle school production are Emerson alumni Gus Nordhielm, Astra Tucker, Brendan Kelley-Bukovac, Annika Morrison and Gina Vasey.
Alum plays in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
October 2009 - Emily Wilson-Tobin is among the cast of five actors, each playing four roles, in Blackbird Theatre's original take on Shakespeare's classic love comedy.
Emerson Alum performs at Chelsea High with "Barrage!"
October 2009 - Barrage! is a high-octane fiddle-fest that performs its ecletic mix of music, song and dance internationally. This year's multi-talented cast is joined by Emerson alum, Kiana Weber, Class of 2003. On October 6, Kiana performed locally at Chelsea High School where she was a stand out in academics, music and drama.
Alum is recognized as 2009 Presidential Scholar
May 2009 - Emerson Alumna Andrea Jarrett has been selected as a 2009 Presidential Scholar. The Presidential Scholars Program is a nonpartisan, public-private partnership designed to recognize and provide leadership development experiences for some of America's most outstanding graduating high-school seniors. It is one of the Nation's highest honors for high school students. The 141 students named annually as Presidential Scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people.
Andrea has been playing the violin since the early age of three, and attends the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program for pre-college musicians, where she studies with Almita Vamos. Andrea was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2008 Michigan ASTA Solo Competition, Junior Division. She is a member of Quartet Polaris, Gold Medal Winners of the 2008 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, Junior Division. Andrea has performed as a soloist with the Toledo, Dearborn, Birmingham-Bloomfield and Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestras, as the first-place winner of their concerto competitions. In April 2009, she performed at Carnegie Hall as a member of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. This summer, she attended the Astona International Summer Music Academy in Geneva, Switzerland, and in the fall began studies at the Julliard School.
Andrea’s ultimate goal playing the violin has always been to inspire audiences with her passionate performances.
The Scholars travel to Washington, D.C. each June as guests of the program for National Recognition Week: five days of educational, celebratory and fellowship activities. Scholars participate in seminars, lectures and workshops with government officials, elected representatives, educators, authors, musicians, scientists and other accomplished people; perform community service; and attend cultural events and ceremonies held in their honor. During the week they forge friendships that often last a lifetime. The week culminates in a White House-sponsored event at which the Scholars are awarded the Presidential Medallion.
Our heartfelt applause to Andrea for her boundless musical talent and inspiring accomplishments.
Alum awarded US State Department Critical Language Scholarship
May 2009 - The Department of State's Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) for Intensive Summer Institutes Program was launched in 2006 to increase opportunities for American students to study critical-need languages overseas. In 2009 the CLS Program received over 5,400 applications and accepted only a little over 500 students. Emerson Alumna, Adina Williams, was awarded a scholarship.
As a member of the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor Community, Ms. Williams is excited to represent her hometown and her country on her travels in China. Ms. Williams, a native Ann-Arborite, has taken full advantage of the Asian educational and cultural opportunities available at the U of M and in the city of Ann Arbor. Throughout her undergraduate career at the University of Michigan, Ms. Williams has participated in myriad university and community organizations ranging from the Taiwanese Student Association to the UM Shorin Ryu Karate Club. As an honor student, Ms. Williams has also enjoyed working and volunteering in many scientific laboratories at the University. Her laboratory work ranges from social sciences to biological chemistry.
After graduation in the winter of 2009, Ms. Williams plans to attend graduate school and find some way to combine her love of the chinese language with her love for scientific research. She has completed the equivalent of 4 years of academic study of the Chinese Language through the U of M Asian Languages and Cultures Department. She is a member of the Asian Martial Arts Studio on Fourth St. in downtown Ann Arbor and spent a summer working at Falling Water Books and Collectibles, a locally owned and run shop on Main St. Ms. Williams feels incredibly fortunate to be able to attend one of China's most famous Universities (Soochow University in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province) and continue her work on the Chinese Language.
Congratulations, Adina, on your outstanding work and impressive achievement.
Alex Perlman is chosen Ann Arbor News Young Citizen of the Year
May 10, 2009 - Alex Perlman's leadership and his service to the community he loves so much have earned him The Ann Arbor News Young Citizen of the Year Award for 2009. Congratulations, Alex, and thank you for all of your work on behalf ot the community. Read article.
Two Emerson Alumni awarded McDowell Writing Awards at Greenhills
May 2009 - Marita Ingelhart (11th) received the award for Poetry, and Paul Riker (10th) was this year's winner for Fiction. The community was invited to hear the winners share their writing on May 19 at Greenhills.
Alum is a youngsARTS semi-finalist
This February,in New York City, Andrea Jarrett qualified as one of the 46 semifinalists in the youngARTS competition. 20 will be selected to travel to the White House and receive the Presidential Scholar in the Arts award.
Emerson Alums in "Fiddler on the Roof" at Greenhills
There was music in the air at Greenhills as the Upper School production of "Fiddler on the Roof" took to the stage, March 27-28. The show was directed by former Emerson student Emily Wilson-Tobin, and the cast included alums Hannah Anderson, Jenny Burks, Michelle Canning, Lauren Duclos, Matt Fligiel, Andrew Garton, Alia Phillips, Paul Riker, Cameron Strong, and Maddy Walsh, as well as current 4th grader, Daria Chamness. Joe McClure and Katherine Selwa played in the orchestra; Noah Cohen and Erin Spencer were tech crew members.
Alum heads to Yale in the fall
March 2009 - Former Emerson student, Joshua Stein will be attending Yale next fall. Congratulations Josh!
National Merit Finalist
February 2009 - Former Emerson student, Joe McClure was named a national merit finalist last week. Congratulations, Joe!
2 Emerson Alums team up for music making
January 2009 - "Engaging" and "energetic" are words to describe the musical collaboration of two Emerson Class of 2006 alums. Leah Latterner (pianist) and Jacob Joyce (violinist) have joined with fellow Pioneer High School junior, Ryan King, to form the Cobahshi Trio. They recently performed Bartok's Contrasts:III:Sebes at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids. See - and hear! - them in action here.
Emerson Alumna recognized for commitment to inner city teaching
September 2008 - With a new Master's of Education Degree from Stanford and a 5-year fellowship from Knowles Science Teaching Foundation, Sangeetha Lakshminarayana knows exactly where she's going -- across San Francisco Bay to San Lorenzo Unified School District. There she will be teaching high school math in an inner city setting. Read more about this alum who is the daughter of our own Emerson Librarian, Linda Lakshminarayana.
Young Ann Arbor birder recognized for his skills
Andy Johnson, 15, is going to World Series of Birding. He knows the secret in seeing a rare species of bird lies not in great binoculars, but in a good set of ears."If you've heard about a location of a specific bird, you can start there and then if it moved, you walk around a little bit," said the 15-year-old Ann Arbor Pioneer High School sophomore. "The most important thing to do is to listen. You're going to hear it before you see it."
Johnson knows what he's talking about......
Read the Ann Arbor News article here.
In Memory of Julia Segall-Derfler
The Emerson community is deeply saddened by the death of former Emerson student Julia Segall-Derfler, age 24, on November 19, 2007. After Emerson, Julia attended Greenhills School and Huron High, and in 2005 she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Georgetown University College of Linguistics. Emerson teachers remember Julia as spirited, tenacious, and independent; individuals who have known her in recent years, also citing these qualities, describe with admiration and awe her generous spirit and passion for supporting diversity. Julia worked in Washington, D. C., as an Arabic translator for the U.S. State Department, and was married in Israel in August, 2007. She was a remarkable young woman who inspired and won the hearts of all who had the good fortune to know her. Individuals wishing to remember Julia may contribute to a fund named in her honor: Ann Arbor Community Foundation - The Julia Segall-Derfler Fund for Understanding and Sharing Diversity, 301 N. Main St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
Emerson Alumnus in the Community
Alex Perlman, a Junior at Huron High School and a 2005 Emerson graduate, recently visited Emerson as a representative of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s Youth Council. He is helping Emerson fifth grade students apply for community service mini grants. Alex is one of 25 Council members. “Five to ten vacated positions are filled each year,” explained Alex. “I submitted an application and went through an interview process before being selected.” Not only is Alex a member of the Youth Council, he is also a “Trustee in Training.”
After explaining the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation grant process, he spent time brainstorming community service ideas with our students. He asked them “How do you think your project will benefit the community?” and “What do you hope to accomplish with your project?” Our fifth graders are currently completing their grant applications and will learn of the awards in January.
The Youth Council “gives young people an opportunity to help solve the problems and challenges they all share” by involving them in grantmaking. The Youth Council’s goal is to develop and encourage youth involvement in philanthropy and community service.