I arrived at Summerville after a hard fought battle working to secure an inter-district transfer. My application had been initially rejected on the basis that my argument – Summerville was where I felt I belonged – was a weak one. But after working the phones and some civil disobedience (particularly on the part of my parents), the Sonora High School Board eventually reversed its decision. And in the years that followed I showed that while my argument may have been weak, it was correct; I did belong at Summerville.
Many victories and defeats followed, particularly in the 7 AM hour during zero period in Mr. Heldstab’s student government class. It was here I continued to explore my passion for rallying troops for a cause – first as class treasurer, then as ASB Vice President, as well as for two years as the student representative on the school board (which similar to Washington DC’s representative in Congress has no real voting power). I remember causing a bit of a stir for my firm stance in favor of GPA minimums to participate in extracurricular activities, a position I no longer hold in light of how critical I feel they were to me in becoming who I am today.
I fell into the music and theater program almost immediately as a freshman, making memories and friendships that last to this day. Acapella choir stands out to me, particularly the group Jazz @ 8 where we took an unforgettable trip to New York City for a chance to perform in Carnegie Hall. This experience was my first time visiting a major city and it sparked a lifelong appetite for travel and exploration. I’ll forever be grateful to Mrs. Young not only for the time she dedicated at school, but especially for the time spent after hours working to provide a community for thousands of artsy kids like me to develop and find connection.
After graduating from Summerville, I attended UC Davis where I began cutting my teeth in politics as an intern in the State Senate and Governor’s office while also leading the student volunteer efforts for Governor Schwarzenegger’s re-election. These experiences set me on a decade-long stint in US politics where I had many incredible opportunities living and working across the United States including serving as a political aide for Senator John McCain, a spokesperson for Gov. Mitt Romney among others. In 2015 I entered the tech sector after moving to San Francisco from Washington DC and have been working ever since as a Head of Communications for high-growth companies, recently Sonder and currently REEF .
In my experience, the best teachers make us smarter by making us more curious and helping us ask better questions versus filling us with facts. Many of these for me were at Summerville, but no teacher was as critical to preparing me for a career in communications as Mr.DeGennaro who taught Honors and AP English. In addition to helping students learn to think critically and ask better questions when reading and writing, he made us excited about the possibilities college could unlock, helping us adjust our mindset for entering a new world beyond Summerville.
And because academically I always gravitated towards subjects such as english, history and art, I’m extremely thankful I had teachers like Mr Hohne and Mr. Pyle to make subjects like science and math compelling and engaging, even for the right-brained. Not to mention the countless hours they spent after school tutoring or taking the ecology club on field trips to Eagle Meadows.
My journey since graduating SHS in 2003 has taken as many turns as Old Priest’s Grade on the way to Groveland. Looking back on the trip so far (just as steep in some parts) I’m extraordinarily grateful for the role Summerville and its instructors played in preparing me for the miles traveled, and the road ahead.