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THE HUDSON SCHOOL • ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
Winter 2016
The
Hudson
School
Alumni
Newsletter
Winter 2016
STEM is in the Air
"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ~Pablo Picasso
IN THIS ISSUE
A letter from the chair of our science department, November 2015:
Dear Alumni,
It is soccer season at The Hudson School at the moment. Girls are 3-1 with three wins so far.
The girls beat the large Hoboken High the other day, 2-0. And we have a boys’ soccer team
again after five years with no boys’ team.
So, what’s this got to do with science? Well, nothing much, really. But I just wanted to tell
you all. After all, my name is Räisä …Ari Räisä.
But I am also very happy about the science program at Hudson. Among the positives I count
a relatively new middle school science teacher, Katie Lawrence, who is enthusiastic,
organized, and excellent in many ways. She teaches environmental science and life science
to 7th and 8th grades.
SAVE THE DATE - June 17th
Alumni Reunions and Hudson Celebration &
Retrospective of 38 Years of Service to Our
Community, honoring Mrs. Newman
We also feature an alumnus, Rusty Laracuenti ‘04, who has added a hands-on
engineering/science element to our science curriculum. He has brought a 3-D printer to the
science lab. He teaches engineering, robotics, 3-D design, calculus, and fifth grade science. I
have been looking for a hands-on educator for a while and am happy to have him and his
calm demeanor in our science program. Our science staff also includes a positive and
energetic new biology teacher, Holli Schorno.
Last year, our sixth graders participated in STEM-a-thon, a new Stevens Institute initiative,
during which all students faced various engineering and design challenges. Our kids did very
well. We are now trying a similar challenge day in place of our usual science fair.
Let me finish by saying that you should keep your eyes open, as
we live in an exciting universe.
Ciao,
Ari Räisä
Science Department Chair
STEM is in the Air
Alumni are doing exciting, fulfilling, important, and
interesting work in Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics. Read more inside.
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
2
Save the Dates
Tuesday, February 9th
 Annual Board of Trustees
Dinner in support of the
Scholarship Fund at Amanda's
Restaurant
Wednesday, February 24th
 Winter Auction in support of the
Scholarship Fund at McLoone's Pier
House
Tuesday, June 14th
 Mini-Courses offered by Alumni
Friday, June 17th
 Class Reunions and The
Hudson School Celebration &
Retrospective of 38 Years of
Service to Our Community
Honoring Mrs. Suellen Newman
Sunday, June 19th
 Middle and High School
Graduations with a faculty meetand-greet in between.
Get involved with this year’s reunion
events. Help with planning, organizing
and spreading the word.
Email Randi Roberts ’05 at
[email protected].
~
Idea for a Mini-Course? Please email
[email protected]
Photos: Mr. and Mrs. Newman, Class of 1986 Graduation, Alumni BBQ, Reunion Cocktail, 2015 Alumni Reunion Cocktail Party
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
3
June 2015 – Alumni BBQ
As the school year was winding down,
alumni of The Hudson School came
together to celebrate their classes, each
other, and the school at various reunion
events.
Following Field Day on June 10, the
yard of the Community Church
neighboring The Hudson School was set
up for the Alumni-Faculty BBQ
complete with burgers, veggie shish
kababs, and all the fixin’s. Longtime
Hudson teachers reunited with former
students, while alumni chatted over
chips and guacamole with students from
the newest graduating class.
Pictured: Students from Class of ’15 with Geri
Wasserman; our friend Nikki Froehlick with Rusty
Laracuenti ’04 at the grill; at the table: Max
Ohring MS ’10, Maia Kamil ’15, Truce Jack ’15,
Justin McCorrmick, Robert Stark ‘14
June 2015 – Class Reunions
Class of 1985: Susana Llanio, Ken
Kwiatkowski, Margaret Dobrow,
Chris Vail, Earl Rollins, Greta
Kugler, Johanna Hagelthorn
Alumni from classes ending in 0’s and
5’s caught up over drinks and hors
d’oeuvres at Trinity Bar and Restaurant
on Friday, June 12. The high school
class of ‘05 and middle school class of
‘85 came out in especially full force,
reliving memories and sharing lots of
laughs while enjoying the New York
City skyline. The cocktail hour hummed
with anticipation of upcoming events and
our enduring love of The Hudson
School.
The Alumni Association wants to
continue this tradition and hopes that the
future reunions will be even bigger and
better. This year’s alumni reunion will
coincide with the Hudson Celebration
and Retrospective of 38 Years of
Service, honoring retiring Mrs. Newman.
To help us bring your class together for
this special event, contact
[email protected].
Alix Roberts ’09, Chloe Estes ‘09
Katie Barna‘05, Bronwyn FlemingJones‘05, Alex Loizzo-Desai‘05
SAVE THE DATE
Friday, June 17th
2016 Class Reunions and Hudson Celebration
Class of 2005: Jen Frome, Bronwyn Fleming,-Jones, JJ Swartz, Katie Barna, Jonathan
Wohl, Randi Roberts, Justin Cornell, Robin McGrath, Jen Reed, Alex Loizzo-Desai
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
4
STEM is in the Air @ The Hudson School
“Keep your eyes open, as we live in an exciting universe.”
– A r i R ä i s a (Science Department Chair)
Sure, The Hudson School is small,
and even with our updated science
lab in 601 Park and smart boards in
many classrooms, our STEM
facilities are modest to say the least.
But that hasn’t stopped Hudson
alumni from digging deep and
flourishing
in
the
Science,
Technology,
Engineering,
and
Mathematics fields. Around the
world, Hudson alumni are doing
research, developing and applying
new technologies, writing code,
teaching and exploring mathematics.
motion photography in the science lab.
Bill Stoddart ‘05
I work as an electrical engineer on
communications equipment with a
degree in electrical engineering in
progress. I've always been interested in
electronics and electrical engineering,
and Hudson did nurture that for sure.
I've been building things electrically for
as long as I can remember and while I
was at Hudson, the creative
environment encouraged that process
even more so.
Here are a few:
Marc Howard ‘06
Joseph Raymond ‘08
I am currently a software engineer at
Google, working to protect news sites
from digital attacks and censorship and
building technology that aids users in
distress around the globe. In my spare
time, I teach robotics to middle and high
school students. I went to Ithaca
College, where I got a BS in Computer
Science and minors in Physics,
Psychology, History, and Math. I went
on to get a Masters in CS from
Columbia University, with a focus in
Robotics.
I was always interested in the importance
of engineering the things that we take for
granted in society today. I'm a Field
Engineer with Skanska USA Civil, and I
am currently working on rebuilding the
WTC PATH Station. I graduated from
Stevens
Institute of
Technology
in 2013 with
my
bachelors in
Civil
Engineering
and then,
with my
masters in
Construction Management. My time at
Hudson confirmed my interest in
STEM. There, my Senior Project
allowed me to spend time on residential
projects to see firsthand how
engineering played a role in developing
Hoboken to handle an increased volume
of people. A lasting memory I have
from Hudson is studying for the
Calculus AP exam after school at Ms.
Couturié’s house. Almost every teacher
at Hudson has had an impact on me,
which allowed me to become who I am
today.
I was always destined for a STEM field,
but Hudson played a large role in my
success by providing me the
opportunities I needed to advance at my
own rate in different fields. Hudson
allowed me to pick my courses on my
own terms - making sure I was getting
breadth across all subjects but not
locking me into a standardized
curriculum. This produced a unique and
wonderful experience that encouraged
me to grow and develop my passions
into something I could make a career out
of. At Hudson, I accumulated many
STEM memories, like building a science
project around an air pressure cannon
and then afterwards using it to do stop-
Erica Erlanger ‘04
Like all students who go through Hudson
High, I took STEM courses, but I
became interested in geology in college
when I took an environmental geology
course and a course on the geology of
carbonate environments. I fell in love
with the science for many reasons,
namely that my interests have always
been interdisciplinary and geology
accomplishes that very well by
integrating chemistry, biology, physics,
math, and some
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
Computer Science @
Hudson in the 1980’s
(Yes, that’s way before ubiquitous cells
phones and before anyone had heard of
the internet.)
5
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
A close-up of our 3D printer.
archaeology/anthropology. Studying
geology made me feel like a detective
John Fontana MS ‘82
Jacinthe Sasson-Yenor ‘06
trying to use small clues in rocks or soil
to uncover the mysteries of our planet. I am currently a Senior Developer for
After majoring in American Culture and
BinaryTree, Inc., focused on
working in a law office for a while, I
Now, I hold both a bachelor’s and
development of web applications and
realized that law wasn’t for me. I decided
master’s degree in Geology, and I am
API's for use in mobile and desktop
to go back to school to study animal
currently pursuing a PhD in Geology at applications. I am completely self-taught. behavior. I am currently working on my
the Swiss Federal Institute of
It is especially important in this field to master’s in Animal Behavior and
Technology in Zurich (ETH).
continue learning. However, at Hudson Conservation at Hunter College.
my strongest subjects were language and
My time at Hudson allowed me to learn arts-related, as opposed to science and
the fundamental sciences, but I had not math. I had the privilege of being a
considered a career in science until I
student of Nancy Couturié, who I will
went to college. I remember Ms.
always remember as the most influential
Couturié’s pre-calc and calculus classes teacher in my life. Math was not my
fondly, as she was good at helping us
easiest subject, especially when
relate to the material while making it fun challenged by the unusual focus on
(brownies or cookies on test days). Plus symbolic logic during Ramsey Ameen's
she was accessible. I still remember her 9th grade classes. Ms. Couturié tutored
phone number by heart: PYT-STOP. To me in her home. Those sessions were
me, that is true dedication to helping
some of the most challenging and
students learn.
beneficial lessons I have ever had. I
recently wrote to Mr. Ameen to let him Dylan Kessler ‘10
know that I actually use symbolic logic
I've always been interested in computers
on the job every single day, despite
having struggled with it in the 9th grade. and engineering since I was a kid. Math
and science classes growing up only
That being said, my inclination to
linguistics and art rather than science and helped to solidify this. Going into my
math has been valuable in terms of being senior year of high school at Hudson, I
attended a program at Carnegie Mellon
able to approach problems with
imaginative rather than purely deductive University, Introduction to Computer
Science, and after that I knew I wanted
solutions. I also think that our
to go into that field in college. Six years
Philosophy classes had an enormous
later, I am a consultant working for the
impact on my problem-solving and
reasoning abilities, probably even more company Edgile, a small boutique firm,
doing Identity and Access Management
so than math or science.
(IAM) work, which is a subset of
Billy
6
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
Information Security.
Working with Mr. McCormick at
Hudson definitely helped me maintain
and increase my interest in computers.
And working with Ms. Couturié helped
me gain a larger interest in math, which
is a large part of computer science as
well. Beyond specific teachers, though,
my general course load and the style of
teaching at Hudson helped convince me
that I wanted to go into a consulting
field. It helped me realize that I was
better at writing and speaking than I had
thought and that I wanted to go into a
client-facing field vs. a field where I
would sit in a cubicle every day.
I also appreciated working with
McCormick on computers in the
Advanced Computer Systems and Repair
course that he made up specifically for
me in order to continue what I was doing
with him, plenty of great times with Mr.
Raisa just talking about the future in
general, being recommended by Mrs.
Couturié to take a pre-calculus course
over the summer in order to skip from
Algebra II to AP Calculus, and more.
Bronwyn Fleming-Jones ‘05
I've been interested in medicine for most
of my life. As a child I wanted to be a
doctor, but as I grew older, my interests
became more varied. After working with
both midwives and nurses locally and
internationally, I decided to go the
nursing route. Ultimately, the
curing/caring arts of nursing encompass
many of my interests and allow me to
provide holistic care to my patients. I
received a graduate nursing degree in
Women's Health and Midwifery from
7
Yale University. I'm currently working
as a nurse-midwife and women's health
nurse practitioner at a public hospital in
New York City.
My time at Hudson was extremely
nurturing in
terms of
allowing me
to explore
my diverse
interests and
encouraging
me to take
my own
unique path.
I'm not
exactly what
you would
call "inherently adept" in the STEM
field, so I don't think I would have gotten
by without the dedication of Ms.
Couturié or the wit of Mr. Raisa. I'm an
experiential learner, so I was impressed
by Hudson's approach to teaching, hiring
expert faculty to teach their subject or
their life's work. I always tell people how
I had an actual practicing psychologist
teach me psychology! I was grateful for
how accommodating Hudson was in
helping each student get what they
needed. I credit much of my success in
the STEM field to the foundational
learning I received at Hudson: the
ability and desire to proceed and succeed
and, above all, because they never made
me take physics!
Chris Langer ‘15
I plan to go into biomedical engineering,
hopefully with a focus in
nanotechnology. Biomedical engineering
integrates the problem-solving and
designing of
engineering with
modern medical and
biological sciences.
When you hear about
a blind person being
able to see or someone
deaf finally heading—
it's not a miracle, it's
biomedical
engineering. I am
majoring in
student projects using the 3D printer
biochemistry, which puts the aspects of
chemistry that I love so much into the
applicability of biology. I never even
enjoyed science until I got to Hudson. I
thought it was dull and ironically stupid.
But I got to realize how important and
interesting it is. My only regret is that the
year after I graduated is the year Hudson
got an engineering department!
One of my special STEM memories from
Hudson is from Robotics Club with Mr.
Prussack, when my self-driving car
actually worked. Every day in Mr.
Raisa's class was a fun memory! He is so
passionate about his subject.
Other Alumni (of the many)
working in STEM and related
fields:
Science:
Prishani Amin ’10, Sam Zeibel ’08,
Paco Gerald MS ‘85 , Auden
Schendler ’81, Emma Pazzuti ’15,
Anna Suben ‘15
Computers:
Eli Coggins MS ’10, Yale Spector
‘07,
Jeremy Pesner ’05, Steve Cornell
‘97,
Rusty Laracuenti ’04, James
Lantz ’08, Patrick Riccardi MS '80
Engineering/Tech:
Alex Asconeguy MS ’86, Jason
Creux MS ’86, Kier Hillare ’13,
Korey Petgrave ‘13, John
Foster ’86, Jacob Gottlieb ’14,
Robert Stark ’14, Ezra Flavius ‘15
Mathematics:
Alex Eng ’08, Anchel SchaferCohen ’11, Sara Herrera MS ’86,
Enid Newman MS ‘81
Medicine:
Paul Santiago MS ’82, Johanna
Hagelthorn MS ‘85, Michael
Santiago MS ’89, Juliette
Quintero’85, Emily Losordo ‘10
Architecture
Miles Zhang ’15, Ander Gomez ‘13
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
8
June 2015 Graduations
MIDDLE SCHOOL
MOVING UP CEREMONY
In early June, The Hudson School
community celebrated middle and
high school classes of 2015 through
commencement ceremonies in the
Bissinger Room at Stevens Institute.
Midday sun streamed through the
windows that Sunday afternoon as
attendees and graduating eighth
graders held their breath with
excitement. Varied musical
performances and humorous
speeches by classmates prefaced the
main event.
where are our newest High
School graduates off to?
Cl ass of 2 0 15
Bard College
Columbia University
Drexel University
Drew University
Eugene Lang College—
The New School
Fairleigh Dickinson
University
Hampshire College
Macalester College
Muhlenberg College
Ramapo College of NJ
Reed College
Rutgers University
Santa Barbara City
College
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Purchase
Syracuse University
University of
California Santa
Barbara
University of Maine
University of
Pittsburgh
University of Saint
Andrews
Vassar College
Vaughn College of
Aeronautics and
Technology
Luisa Garbowit and Suellen Newman
Those of you who
were middle
schoolers will
remember the
touching (and
perhaps
embarrassing)
moment in the
ceremony when
Jack Coggins
dramatically read
heartfelt messages
from your families. This year’s
middle school graduation was no
different; faces flushed and parents
beamed as the timeless tradition
continued.
Hudson “Alumna” teacher, Erin
Whitcraft, came all the way from
Minnesota to speak at the eighth
grade commencement, moved by
the special invitation from her
former fifth grade students who
were now going on to high school.
Alluding to the popular television
show Dr. Who, she compared life to
“swirly whirly timey wimey stuff”
while rousing laughs from the
graduating class and attendees.
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
Later that day, guests looked on as
graduates, framed by the evening sky
and glittering New York City skyline,
received their diplomas. Myles Zhang
spoke of The Hudson School’s
tremendous and enduring role in their
lives, forever a welcoming home.
A poignant keynote peach was delivered
by English teacher, Gerri Wasserman.
Ms. Wasserman, who retired at the end
of the year, aimed to move, challenge,
and inspire her last senior class. Evoking
the memory of her not long ago departed
friend, our beloved Mr. Any Stapp, she
reminded the graduates to act fearlessly
and, with conviction, to stand up for
what they believe even in the face of
power and authority.
Alumni are warmly welcome to celebrate this year’s graduation on Sunday, June 19th.
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
Cauliflower Lunchbox Quiche
Nora Martinez’ 95
9
common knowledge that if you bake
something in a muffin tin, it's always
extra delicious.
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
12 ounces cauliflower florets (3 cups)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
(thawed, if using frozen)
6 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup grated Swiss or cheddar cheese, plus
extra for the top a few dashes hot sauce,
optional nonstick cooking spray
cauliflower is beginning to brown, about
another five minutes or so. Remove the
pan from the heat and allow the
cauliflower and onion mixture to cool
somewhat.
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees,
and spray a twelve-cup muffin tin very
well with nonstick cooking spray. Eggs
are sticky!
5. Crack six eggs into a large mixing
bowl. Add the milk and whisk
well. Fold in the cooled cauliflower
mixture, along with the brown rice and
one cup of grated cheese. Add the hot
sauce, if you're using it.
6. Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to ladle
1. Cut the cauliflower so that the pieces
the egg mixture into the muffin
are no bigger than about an inch.
tins. Sprinkle a bit of extra cheese over
2. Place a large skillet over medium
the top. Bake for about twenty minutes,
So what's to love about this
heat with one teaspoon of olive
or until the tops are beginning to brown
dish? Caramelized onions are a crucial oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the and the centers of the quiche are no
ingredient here, adding a depth of flavor onions to the pan and sprinkle with 1/4 longer jiggly. Let the quiche rest in the
that is usually missing from a
teaspoon kosher salt. Let the onions
tin for twenty minutes, then run a knife
substandard lunch. Cauliflower adds a
cook until they start to brown, about five around the edge of each one to loosen
creamy bite to these quiche, but broccoli minutes.
from the baking tin.
would make a fine substitution if you
3. Add a bit more oil to the pan if
This recipe will yield twelve muffin-sized
are so inclined. The non-traditional
needed, followed by the cauliflower, and quiches.
addition of brown rice or quinoa bulks
sprinkle with the nutmeg and remaining
up the lunch to keep you, or your kids
Excerpt reprinted here with permission from
salt. Continue to cook until the
running all afternoon. And finally, it's
“The Jersey Journal.”
Alumni Basketball –January 2016
from the left:
Babar Ashfar `11, Ophir Marom `08,
Coach Dan Burrell MS `85, Ben Flavius
`13, Brian Toro, Louis Rodriguez `15,
Chris Gomezcoello `14, Kamar
Williams `16, Julian Serna `16, Miles
Cordoza `16, Dennis Serna `08, Neil
Losordo MS `10, Korey Petgrave `13,
Sebastian Cevallos `14, Ezra Flavius
‘15, Coach Jeff Jacobs, Brian, Coach
Rob Pena, Eleazar Nuñez `10
10
Save the Date!
STEM IS IN THE AIR| Winter 2016
Tuesday, February 9th
 Annual Board of Trustees Dinner in support of the Scholarship
Fund, Amanda's Restaurant in Hoboken, NJ. For TICKETS
Wednesday, February 24th
 2016 Winter Auction in support of the Scholarship Fund,
McLoone's Pier House in Hoboken, NJ. For TICKETS
Friday, June 17th

Class Reunions and The Hudson School
Celebration & Retrospective of 38 Years of
Service to Our Community
Honoring Mrs. Suellen Newman upon her retirement
More details to follow, stay tuned…To volunteer, contact:
[email protected]
Sunday, June 19th
 Middle and High School Graduations - all alumni are warmly invited
For more information about coming event, visit our website: www.thehudsonschool.org
Tel: 201-659-8335 Fax: 201-222-3669 Email: [email protected]
Like us on FACEBOOK: The-Hudson-School-Alumni-Association
The Hudson School Alumni Association
601 Park Avenue
Hoboken, NJ 07030
The Hudson School Alumni Association
Update your contact information with us at [email protected].