GUL Atrium 6 - Gulliver Schools

WI NTE R 2 00 6
a magazine for friends and alumni
the atrium
Director
Marian Krutulis
Associate Director
John Krutulis
Director of Alumni Relations
Laura Sochet Keepax ‘85
Director of Communications
and Public Relations
Jennifer Vaida
Director of Institutional Advancement
Ted Milford
Communications Specialist
Ashley Gillett
Contributing Writers
Alix Hayes ‘92
Ashley Gillett
Laura Keepax
Karen Escalona
Jennifer Vaida
the atrium
Gulliver’s Corporate Partners
From the Communications Desk
News Around Campus
Faculty Profile - Robert Holmes
4
6-7
8-9
News Around Campus
10 - 15
Administrative Profile - Pat Martello
16 - 17
contents
News Around Campus
Board of Trustees
Jeffrey Bartel ‘84
Michael Gerrits
Bill Kerdyk
Dr. Roy Nirschel
Emilio Nuñez ‘83
Abigail Watts-FitzGerald
18
2006 College Acceptances
18 - 19
Gulliver 2005-2006 Financial Report
20 - 25
52 Years of Excellence
26 - 27
Q & A with Mike Biamonte ‘81
28 - 29
the atrium is published twice a year by the Gulliver
Schools Office of Communications and Public
Relations and is distributed free of charge to all friends
and alumni of Gulliver Schools.
Alumni Perspective - Alix Hayes ‘92
30 - 31
Contributions of photographs and articles are
encouraged; items submitted, however, will not
be returned.
Photo Gallery of 2006 Alumni Events
32 - 33
Alumni Profile - Ashley Sullivan ‘91
34 - 35
Alumni Roll Call
36 - 39
Gulliver Schools is a private, not-for-profit, 501 (c) 3
independent, coeducational, nonsectarian day school.
Libby Witherspoon ‘87
On the cover:
Top: View from an island on Biscayne Bay
Bottom: Kyle Maynard during his recent visit to
the Prep Campus
Alumni Spotlight - Noah Breakstone ‘83
31
From the
Communications Desk
With the past few weeks of “cool” weather, it finally feels like winter is
here. Even though in Miami that just means temps ranging in the 60s and
70s, no one is complaining. Quite the contrary, when the temperature drops
just a bit, our campuses become colorful places…out come the sweaters,
scarves, and Uggs (pink and purple seem to be a favorite here at Gulliver!).
More exciting are the myriad activities the holiday season brings. From
kindergarten concerts to high school dance recitals, the excitement and joy of
winter (and winter break!) is highly palpable. I can’t think of a more enjoyable
time of year.
The winter season also brings the New Year, and with it comes a sense of
looking forward and anticipating things to come. We approach every new year,
both school year and calendar year, with a desire to continually strengthen our
school and keep things fresh – academic programs, activities, and building
improvements alike.
We hope you enjoy our winter issue of the atrium. We have some exciting
announcements, and even though this is my fifth year compiling this
publication, I still marvel at the accomplishments of our students and staff. It’s
often hard to capture everything!
Best wishes for what will hopefully be your best year yet, from your friends
at the Alumni House.
Jennifer Vaida
Director of Public Relations and Communications
4
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You’re Invited
to Attend the
Gulliver Alumni
Get-Away
Weekend
Ocean Reef Club
& Resort
August 3 - 5, 2007
For further information,
contact Laura Keepax at
305-666-7937, ext. 1479,
or by e-mail at
keel@gulliverschools.org.
Check out page 32 for pictures of
last year’s Get-Away Weekend.
News Around CAMPUS
National Merit Scholarship
Program
Gulliver Prep has the highest number of Semifinalists in the
2007 National Merit Scholarship Competition in Miami-Dade
County. The following academically talented seniors now have
the opportunity to compete for National Merit Scholarships worth
$33 million:
Ritwik Bhatia
Nathaniel Bricker
Kelsey Brosnan
Harrison Diamond
Ashley Kirsner
Daniel Lage
Mallika Narain
Joel Perez
Bret Voith
Academy students during their attempt to break the Guinness record
Honor Roll
•
Multiple teachers - included in the 10th Edition
of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers,
2005/2006
•
Junior Dion von Moltke - winner of the feature
race of the EasyKart Grand National Championship
•
Highest number of semifinalists - 2007 National
Merit Scholarship Competition than any other
school in Miami-Dade County (see left)
Dion von Moltke
•
Senior Kathryn Bowen - 2006 NCTE Achievement Award in Writing from the National
Council of Teachers of English winner
success in rigorous college studies.
•
Fourteen seniors - recognized by the College Board’s National Hispanic
Recognition Program
Commended students in the 2007 National Merit Program:
•
Senior Nicole Chin - named a participant in the National Achievement Scholarship
Program
•
Senior Charlotte Dupree Patterson - 2006-2007 AATF Outstanding High School
Senior in French award
•
Sophomore Luis Urbina - winner of the final round of the Sixth Annual Ars Flores
Young Artists Concerto Competition
•
Academy Middle School - attempted to break the current Guinness record for the
most people reading at the same time in different locations
•
Academy Junior Thespians - received straight Superior ratings from the judges for
acting and a technical rating of Excellent at the District One-Act Play Festival
•
Prep Theatre Department - received one of seven Superior ratings and seven
Excellent ratings at the District Eight One-Act Festival
•
Prep Music Department - received 49 Superior ratings and six Excellent ratings at
the Florida Bandmasters' Association's District Solo & Ensemble Festival
The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual
students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for
Melissa Bengoa
Cristina Cardenal
Zoheb Imam
Jennifer Paniewski
Carolina Perez
Timothy Ramsay
Andrew Talansky
Pedro Urbina
Erica Wessling
6
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Performing Arts Calendar
Gulliver Schools’ Cindy Wilson-Hyde Named
Technology Leader
Congratulations to Cindy Wilson-Hyde, curriculum
technology integrator, for being named a winner of the
2006 Leader of the Year program by Technology &
Learning magazine. The visionaries being saluted in the
19th year of the program represent “the best of the best”
in education technology leadership.
Through her knack for relating to teachers,
Wilson-Hyde has transformed Gulliver’s relationship
with technology, with initiatives such as developing a
one-to-one training model to engage staff with new
technologies and rolling out an online communication system. One area where Wilson-Hyde’s
training has paid off is with Gulliver’s first grade teachers, who are using laptops and webcams to
document student reading fluency.
Wilson-Hyde was profiled in a feature article for Technology & Learning’s December awards
issue. She also will receive a spot on the magazine’s Advisory Board, a
one-year subscription to the magazine, and a personalized award certificate.
“We’re proud to recognize educators whose strategic leadership and ability to inspire change
is reshaping the role technology plays in education,” says Executive Editor/Associate Publisher of
Technology & Learning, Amy Poftak.
Technology & Learning’s Leader of the Year Program annually recognizes teachers,
technology specialists, and administrators who demonstrate leadership, vision, and creativity in
a
implementing technology in schools and districts. ■
JAN UARY
18 & 19 Middle School Theatre: Puppet Show
29 & 30 Middle School Theatre: Puppet Show (H7)
FE B R UARY
5 & 6 Middle School Theatre: Puppet Show
8 Middle School Theatre: Puppet Show
13 Prep Dance: AIDS Benefit Performance,
Pinecrest Prep, 6:00 p.m.
MAR C H
15-17 Prep Theatre: Spring Production,
Rumors by Neil Simon
20 Prep Dance: Student Choreography Showcase,
Prep Gym, 6:00 p.m.
23 Prep Music: Solo & Ensemble Concert,
Clarke Recital Hall, U.M., 7:30 p.m.
APR I L
12 Middle School Theatre: Improv Show,
5:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
MAY
3 & 4 Middle School Theatre: Spring Showcase
Production, 7:00 p.m.
6 Prep Dance: Spring Dance Concert, “Snapshots &
Making Memories,” 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
9 Middle School Music: Intermediate Concert,
Pinecrest Prep
11 Prep Music: Spring Concert,
Gusman Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m.
18 Middle School Music: Gusman Concert,
Gusman Concert Hall
19 Middle School Dance: Dance Performance,
3:00 p.m.
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7
{Faculty Profile}
ROBERT
HOLMES
“Debate is something that I enjoy doing, that I
love doing,” says Holmes.
Holmes has had a passion for debate since his
high school years, where he earned a debate
scholarship to the University of North Carolina Charlotte. After graduation, Holmes began working
for an investment company while also coaching
debate part time at a private school. Exhausted from
his 70-hour work weeks, Holmes attained a job in
Japan teaching English. Japan’s frigid winters
motivated Holmes to seek a job in warmer weather.
A friend of his notified him of a job teaching
debate at a private school. After a few phone calls
and an interview, Gulliver hired Holmes. Miami’s
sunny weather and his new position as a debate
coach seemed to be the perfect place for Holmes,
and Gulliver would come to be his second home
for the next 10 years.
One of Holmes’ utmost priorities is that his
students get the most they possibly can out of his
teachings. Holmes feels that his students have gained
advanced reading, writing, and analytical skills from
views on his students, instead allowing them
their knowledge and practice in debate. He also
to sometimes make mistakes in order to learn
believes that “They are well versed in myriad topics and
from them. He also likes to keep the learning
their research skills are absolutely incredible.” More
environment light and fun, while still being
importantly, Holmes believes that debate teaches
very hardworking.
support that I get here and from Mrs. K is
“ Theabsolutely
phenomenal, She is really good at
“
After winning every single debate
tournament in Florida this year and
attaining top rankings at the
prestigious debate tournaments
held at Harvard, Emory, and Wake
Forest University, Gulliver’s debate
team has gained quite a reputable
standing. We can attribute their
success partly to the man behind it
all, Gulliver’s nationally recognized
debate coach, Robert Holmes.
understanding our needs and allowing us to do
what we need to do to be successful.
students to explore and examine all possibilities,
rather than accepting immediately ideas as fact.
“Hopefully it teaches them that there is no right
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winter 2006
develops close and comfortable relationships
and wrong answer,” says Holmes. “There is a lot of
with his students. Holmes, along with his
different ways to look at problems and solutions.”
assistant and former student Kevin McCapher,
When in the classroom and at competitions,
8
Because the debate team travels two or
three weekends out of the month, Holmes
Holmes makes sure never to impose his own
tries to instill a sense of trust with the students.
He sets his expectations high in class and at the
Holmes seems “surprised” by his students’ genius!
Holmes with son Gabriel and wife Maribel
GULLIVER’S NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED DEBATE COACH
competitions, all the while maintaining a sense of
Tournament. The team has won the UF tournament
honesty about the difficulty of the challenge.
four times in the past six years. Holmes takes notice
“They trust me. I never lie to the kids, even if it’s
something they don’t want to hear,” says Holmes. “If
they make a mistake, it’s all part of the game and it
will ultimately help them improve.”
The team starts off the school year at the Wake
Holmes and the team to push their limits.
“The support that I get here and from Mrs. K is
that Gulliver intimidates other teams in Florida with
absolutely phenomenal,” says Holmes. “She is really
its outstanding success record.
good at understanding our needs and allowing us to
“I like going to a tournament and hearing people
say “Oh no Gulliver’s here,” he says.
Holmes’ credits much of the debate team’s
do what we need to do to be successful.”
Holmes is married to Gulliver’s art teacher,
Maribel Tolebo. The two met at Gulliver and have
Forest University Debate Tournament. “I’ve been
accomplishments to GulliverSchools’ and Mrs.
one son, Gabriel. Holmes says that Gabriel is being
going to the Wake Forest tournament every year
Krutulis’s generosity and responsiveness. He says
raised bilingual and is learning more words
since I was 14 and it just wouldn’t feel right not
that Mrs. Krutulis does not place emphasis on
everyday. Being the debater that he is, Holmes
going,” he says. Throughout the year the team also
winning or losing, but just on working as hard as
says he wants to make sure that he teaches his
travels to Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Berkley, Harvard,
possible. So, that’s just what they do - and it works.
son early on the value of a strong argument.
throughout the state of Florida, and to many other
Holmes emphasizes that Gulliver is an excellent
Having been born on Christmas day, Holmes wants
universities for debate tournaments. He also takes
support system and does not try and hinder the team
Gabriel to be able to debate receiving one present
great pleasure and pride in the students’ attendance
in any way. The school’s overall determination in all
a
for the two occasions! ■
and performance at the University of Florida Debate
academic and extracurricular activities motivates
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9
News Around CAMPUS
Summer Internships
Summer is generally a time for rest and
intern for him!” After completing the remainder of
relaxation, lounging on the beach, or hanging out
his internship with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Michelson
with friends. For many Gulliver students, however, it
interned for Congressman Conyers for the second
also is a time to dive into the career world. Through
half of the summer.
summer internships, students have the unique ability
Kyle Michelson ’07 with Congressman John Conyers
Michelson says that being able to help others
the function of the cell exonuclease VII. Her team
to further enrich their academic studies while
while simultaneously meeting some of the most
isolated E. coli mutants over the course of seven
working in an entrepreneurial environment.
pivotal players in Washington, D.C. is truly an
weeks. “The liberties that this program gave me
incredible experience. “Nowhere else can you meet
allowed for me to really learn hands-on what it is like
the summers of 2005 and 2006 were “an amazing
as many politicians from all over the political
to work in the laboratory,” says Pathman.
opportunity.” In 2005, Michelson traveled to
spectrum in one place, within minutes of one
Kyle Michelson ’07 says his internships during
]
Because there were scientists from all over the world and of every
ethnicity working in unison in one building, sharing a zest for
science, which I found invigorating and inspiring.
“
[
“
Aside from invaluable hands-on experience, the
interns spent time meeting other scientists at the
facility. They were able to learn what others were
researching and its application to the modern world.
Most notable for Lopez was the work environment.
“Most of the people at the lab were working on their
Ph.D.s, some already were doctors, and that made
everything interesting,” she says.
Washington, D.C. to intern for Congresswoman
another,” he says. “It was equally interesting that
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18). After his first
politicians from different sides of the aisle would
of the “United Nations” of sorts,” says Pathman.
experience, he decided to take a second trip to D.C.
converse rather civilly on an elevator ride, only
“Because there were scientists
in 2006 to intern with Ros-Lehtinen for a second
minutes later to be heard on the house floor
from all over the world and of
term. Little did he know that he also would have the
mercilessly criticizing one another.”
every ethnicity working in
opportunity to intern with a second Congressman
during his summer stay.
In addition to governmental affairs, Gulliver’s
Pathman agrees. “My building was an example
unison in one building,
diverse student body participates in internships in
sharing a zest for
other fields. Kim Pathman ’06 and Veronica Lopez
science, I was
House Office Building, I thought I heard someone
’06 both took part in the Howard Hughes Medical
invigorated and
asking me if I wanted potato chips,” says Michelson.
Institute Summer Internship at the University of
a
inspired.” ■
“To my surprise, when I looked up, I saw
Miami School of Medicine this past summer.
Congressman John Conyers. As it turned out, he
Pathman interned in the Department of
was actually asking his son if he wanted potato
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and studied
“One day, when I was in the deli in the Rayburn
chips. He explained that he was offering them to his
son and then asked me to come by his office to
10
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Audio Enhancement Systems
Audio Enhancement Systems are one of the
infrared sensor. “Sound field amplification systems
technologies that current research has proven has
enhance and distribute the teacher’s voice above
the most impact on improving student achievement
background noise in the classroom, making the
and learning. Gulliver teachers are embracing this
voice more audible to students. The system creates
technology, and both teachers and students are
a more personal teaching environment that allows
benefiting from these valuable new additions to their
the teacher to speak in a subtle, conversational, and
classroom environment. Gulliver currently has Audio
nurturing voice. It enables students to listen better
Enhancement sound field systems installed in 36
and more clearly focus on teaching. Sound
classrooms on the Academy, Pinecrest Middle, and
enhancement systems use wireless infrared
Pinecrest Preparatory Campuses. The systems also
transmitters (microphones) and an amplifier receiver.”
more clearly. Students are better able to focus on
are installed in the story area of the Academy Library
(Hot Technologies for K-12 Schools, Steve
the spoken word of the teacher and are not as easily
and in the Academy Cafeteria.
Rappaport and Karen Henke)
distracted by other ambient sounds.
The system consists of an amplifier, speakers
installed in the classroom ceiling, microphone, and
All students, regardless of their seat location in
the classroom, are able to hear the teacher’s voice
Podcasts on Edline
Gulliver, always working to effectively use
technology to enhance the student environment,
is now offering podcasts on Edline. These
podcasts are short audio messages from
teachers and administrators and are recorded
Third grade teacher Mrs. Fiol wearing an Audio Enhancement microphone
Future plans entail equipping all classrooms on
a
every campus with this valuable technology. ■
curriculum. Cynthia Wilson-Hyde, curriculum
technology integrator, says the teacher response
to this new aspect of Edline has been great. “Our
teachers are some of the most creative educators
I have ever worked with, and the response from
parents who listened to the welcome podcasts
a
was great.” ■
and posted to individual class pages. This
relatively new technology provides a way to
utilize some of the wonderful multimedia
capabilities of Edline as students began the
2006-07 school year.
Third grade teachers posted an audio writing
prompt on Edline in October titled “Spooky
Stories.” Responses were recorded and posted –
complete with scary background music! As the
year progresses, audio podcasts will continue to
Mrs. Vides with second graders as they record their podcast, which they
do every month
be part of the many multimedia elements in the
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11
News Around CAMPUS
Georgia High School Wrestling Championships.
He is presently enrolled at the University of
as both motivation and inspiration to Gulliver’s
Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a
student body, as well as its faculty and staff.
Champion in Wrestling and in Life, has appeared
“Listening to Kyle speak about his life opened a
on the New York Times Best Seller List.
new door for me,” says Joey Kalbac ’08. “I
resonated with the Gulliver audience. “Find out
what you’re special at and go for it,” Maynard told
Kyle Maynard Visits
Prep Campus
Many onlookers wiped tears from theirs eyes
as Kyle wheeled to his seat at the front of the Prep
Gym. The young man, standing just over three
feet tall, took his seat and began his moving tale of
overcoming a major disability and succeeding as
both an able athlete and an incredible individual.
Kyle Maynard was born with a rare disorder
called Congenital Amputation that left him with only
three major joints: a neck and two shoulders. He
has no elbows or knees. Despite his physical
differences, Maynard was one of the top high
school wrestlers in Georgia during his senior
season, qualifying for and competing in the 2004
12
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And powerful it was, as Kyle’s life has served
Georgia and his book, No Excuses: The True
Maynard’s message of “No Excuses” soundly
Kyle, autographing copies of his book No Excuses for students
Excuses’ in a most powerful way.”
learned that the only thing that is keeping me from
being better than I already am is me.”
“His message really hit home,” says Nancy
the Prep students. “Life is 100 percent about
Goldberg, mother of Catherine Goldberg ’07. She
perception. If you perceive yourself as
says that she and her family have been deeply
handicapped or broken in some way, well, yeah,
affected by the significance Maynard’s speech.
you are. If you choose to think differently, you
“I’m finding myself saying ‘If Kyle can do it...’ when
open up so much opportunity for yourself.”
I’m feeling lazy about exercising or putting more
This message, told through the metaphor of
effort into a project.”
his wrestling career, reflects the indomitable and
“Maynard’s personal story of courage and
determined spirit with which Maynard approaches
perseverance personifies the belief that some
his life. “Kyle clearly has taken custody of his
dreams at first may seem impossible, even
particular life, for real life is all he knows,” says
improbable,” says Fitzgerald. “But when steadfast
Director of School Relations Linda Fitzgerald.
will is summoned, they become inevitable.”
“He has chosen to share his message of ‘No
Goldberg adds, “Gratitude was another
It’s a
B U NGL E
in the
message I walked away with. Most of us are blessed with arms and legs and
relatively good health; let’s not squander these gifts that were given to us.
And gratitude that Kyle, despite his disabilities, is using what he has to go after
life with such zeal and determination. I don’t think I’ll ever forget meeting him.”
JUNGLE
Kyle Maynard is an inspiration to athletes such as David Beckham, Wayne
Gretzky, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Andy Roddick, as well as
people from other walks of life, including Larry King, Steven Tyler, and even
Howard Stern. In fact, he is an inspiration to all who are fortunate enough to
meet him or hear his story. As Joey Kalbac so poignantly put it, “After hearing
a
Kyle Maynard’s story, I see my life in a new way, a positive way.” ■
June 11, 2007 - July 20, 2007
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Camp Gulliver has been making summers brighter for South
Florida youngsters for the past 36 years. Campers enjoy activities
such as instructional swimming, tennis, gymnastics, sports and
games, music, arts and crafts, and drama. Field trips, special
events, and stimulating themes enhance the program. The camp
staff is composed of certified classroom teachers, and college
students, and is assisted by qualified high school upperclassmen.
Camp Gulliver runs from June 11 through July 20, 2007.
For session dates, prices, or other information,
please e-mail us at: wieb@gulliverschools.org
or call 305-665-3593, ext 3327.
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13
News Around CAMPUS
Voith Named Finalist for
High School Heisman
Award
Senior Bret Voith was named one of 12
National Finalists for the 2006 Wendy’s High School
Heisman Award. Voith, a two-time All-Dade
selection and last year’s Miami Herald Water Polo
Player of the Year, was named the state’s male
representative of the award given annually, by
Bret Voith, during Atrium Announcements, with representatives from the Wendy’s High School Heisman Organization
Wendy’s restaurants.
For eight generations, the Heisman name has
second consecutive Miami-Dade County athlete to
the 2007 National Merit Scholarship program.
signified excellence, determination, and prestige
win the state award. Southwest softball player
among college football’s elite. Created in 1994 in
Leanne Penna, now a freshman at Columbia
Gulliver Preparatory School and an
partnership with the Heisman Memorial Trust, the
University, won last year.
all-expenses-paid trip to New York City. Voith and the
Wendy’s High School Heisman Award has
Voith, who has a 5.74 GPA, scored 107 goals
recognized high school seniors who embody the
last season while leading Gulliver to the state
spirit of the Heisman name for 13 years. Voith is the
championship game. Voith is also a semifinalist for
Koff Brings Bowling to Prep
Andrew Koff took top honors in the individual
have because it’s easy
championship round of the 2006 FHSAA Bowling
to get into,” says Koff,
Finals at the Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando. A bowler
as quoted in an
since the age of six, Koff is the youngest athlete to
August 27, 2006,
win a singles title in the history of the FHSAA.
Miami Herald article.
Chuck Tobey, athletic director, was enthusiastic
“You don’t need any
about starting a bowling team after hearing of Koff’s
one special quality to
accomplishments. “It’s a great sport for a school to
be good.” ■
a
14
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winter 2006
Andrew Koff with athletic director
Chuck Tobey, being recognized
for his 2006 FHSAA Bowling
State Championship win
As a finalist, Voith received a $1,000 donation for
other 11 finalists were presented with gold medals at
a
the Awards Ceremony on December 8th. ■
Gulliver Prep Girls’ Varsity Water Polo Historic
Record of 166-0: Beast or Burden?
By Karen Escalona, mother of Kristina Escalona ‘07
When does a winning streak become a burden?
Girls’ Water Polo champions
NCAA Division I Water Polo for Arizona State. “When
closer to the same level as the athletes in California,”
my sister graduated three years ago, she looked at me
Byrne added.
For Coach Alex Bennett and his Girls’ Varsity Water
and said, “You’d better not lose or I’ll have to hurt
Coach Bennett, who played as an undergrad for
Polo Team, maintaining a historical record of 166
you.” There’s just no chance of letting the team or
Long Beach City College and is a three-time recipient
straight wins has become more than a challenge; it is
Coach Bennett down.” Her sentiments were echoed
of the US Water Polo Development Coach of the Year,
now an obligation. The six time Florida State High
by Mantel, who was earmarked as the team’s MVP
says that his team has “proven they can hold their own,
School Water Polo Champions will defend their title
from the first time she stepped in the pool five years
not only against the best teams on the west coast, but
when the season begins in February 2007.
ago. “Bennett’s dedication to the sport and coaching
international teams as well.” He overcame the personal
Expectations for a continued streak are so high in
greatly contributed to my becoming a better player,”
obstacle of a massive heart attack four years ago yet
Florida that a local reporter from the Miami Herald
she observes. The results are most evident in terms of
never skipped a beat in coaching the girls to a winning
declared that anything less than a win would elicit
her individual success. Last year, she returned from
record, Bennett’s recovery fueled the resolve of his
“fireballs to start falling from the sky.”
Princeton University where she qualified to join the
team. Just like their coach, the girls are survivors.
The rewards for such a record are many, and
2006 USWP Junior National Team in California. She
And dedicated athletes as well. There are no
accolades continued for the team and the coach, as
adds, “It’s Bennett’s job to coach us and demand the
holidays for the girls of Gulliver and no letting down
the winning streak is clearly a state and national
best, but it’s our job to rise to the occasion.” Mantel
the burden of keeping up a winning streak. Summer
record. It has also been submitted to the Guinness
will be the second Gulliver player to reach top national
2006 was filled by the Junior Olympics and this
Book of World Records for consideration of inclusion.
recognition under Bennett’s tutelage. Carolina Ardila
Winter Break they will forgo the ski slopes for the
‘04, Princeton University, qualified in 2003 against the
annual FCWP Holiday Training Camp in Miami. This
now falls on the shoulders of seniors Kristina
best high school players in the country, the majority of
spring, these dedicated players also will use their skills
Escalona, Michelle Garcia, Natasha Iglesias, Alison
these from the literal Mecca of water polo: California.
to do much more than win games. They plan to
Mantel, Cara Reitz, Angie Salgado, and Melissa
The lure of the Pacific 10 NCAA Conference is a key
continue a tradition to raise funds for relief efforts in
Sesana. The pressure is close to unbearable,
factor in the drive for Florida players to excel.
Sudan by a “Scores for Sudan” fundraising plan, which
The burden of continuing the winning streak
especially for junior goalie Shelby Reyes. “I definitely
“It basically comes down to the fact that water
feel the pressure,” says Reyes. “I really won’t have a
polo in Florida is nowhere near as popular as it is in
back-up goalie so it’s basically all up to me in the
California,” says Taylor Byrne ‘06, who entered the
unnoticed. The City of Coral Gables, Florida, presented
goal. I believe I am ready because under pressure I
inner sanctum of PAC 10 at University of California -
the team with a proclamation, declaring May 23, 2006,
always seem to step it up. I’m no longer responsible
Santa Barbara in August. “Athletes out there begin
“Gulliver Girls’ Water Polo State Champions Day.” Will
for myself but for the whole team.”
to play from a young age and have knowledge of the
the steak continue? For the girls of Gulliver Water Polo,
sport from the beginning. However, in Florida, when
a
the honor of carrying the burden is priceless. ■
How is it that each year the returning starters
and new additions, fresh from the bench, manage to
a child is choosing what sport to play, they don’t know
stoke the streak machine? “The motivation to win is a
they have the option of water polo, or even what it is.
combination: fear and pride,” says returning starter
As water polo is given more recognition, I feel the
Escalona, whose older sister, Elena, went on to play
sport will prosper in Florida and the athletes will get
turns their many goals into aid for the most needy.
The team’s achievements have not gone
the atrium -
winter 2006
15
Pat
{Administrative Profile}
Martello
One of these people is Academy Lower
School Principal Pat Martello.
“I want to take them all home. I want them all
imitating what they see, absorbing their
newspaper. For the first five months at the
Academy, she taught fourth grade. Barbara
with everyday.
Perry-Gill, currently the South Miami Campus
principal, was the principal at the Academy at the
your own mother. Her love of children is
time and immediately recognized Martello’s
contagious and affecting, which is probably what
leadership qualities and educational experience.
makes her such a beloved principal.
Perry-Gill recommended her for the position as
Children have always been Martello’s life.
assistant principal, a role Martello occupied for four
Before she entered the field of education, she was
years before becoming the Academy Lower School
a full-time mom who actually anticipated summer.
Principal upon Perry-Gill’s short-lived retirement.
“I was one of those moms that really liked the
“Pat’s knowledge of curriculum and children,
summertime. I wanted to spend more time with my
and her calm, level-headed approach to situations
kids,” she says. She was a very involved stay-at-
certainly made her the perfect choice [for
home mom, of course, volunteering as a room
principal],” says Perry-Gill.
[
“
The Lower School has a very close group of teachers. It’s a very
interesting mix of personalities, but at the end of the day, they’d
give each other the shirt off their backs – they give 110 percent.
]
“
And it is true that children learn by example,
at Gulliver after responding to an ad in the
to be mine,” she says, of the students she works
Martello is kind of person you’d want to be
It was Garrison Keillor who once
said: “Nothing you do for children
is ever wasted. They seem not to
notice us, hovering, averting our
eyes, and they seldom offer
thanks, but what we do for them
is never wasted.”
where her husband was then stationed. She landed
environment, storing information and experiences
parent, reading aide, first-aide station attendant,
for future recollections which will determine their
and library assistant. Even when she wasn’t being
educational leadership with the focus on
behaviors. It is perplexing how many adults forget
paid, she was working in a school.
administration and supervision, is legendary to the
Martello, who has a master’s degree in
When Martello, the wife of a naval officer and
Gulliver community for her enthusiasm, drive, and
maternal unit of a transient family of four, decided
initiative. She’s always either coming up with new
to return to work outside the home, the choice was
programs or encouraging and helping develop the
role, who want to make the children of their world
natural. She jumped in as a kindergarten teacher,
ideas of others. Among the Lower School
their own.
transitioning into a fourth grade classroom, where
programs she has developed and/or spearheaded
she spent most of her teaching career.
are the Body/Brain Gym and Mileage Club,
this fact, and understandable how many are
intimated by this massive responsibility.
There are others, however, that embrace this
Prior to joining the Gulliver family in 1997,
16
the atrium -
winter 2006
programs to help keep students in top physical
Martello was teaching fourth and fifth grade at
and mental form, and the annual Jog-A-Thon, a
Roosevelt Roads Elementary School in Puerto Rico,
community service initiative which yielded nearly
$20,000 last year, where students jog laps to
raise money for charities of their choosing, as well
as promoting the use of technology in lower school
classrooms as a way to enhance learning.
Through all of her efforts, Martello’s love of
children is evident. She has a special place in her
heart for the lower school and a general aptitude
Of her staff, Martello says she couldn’t ask
for a better group of educators.
“The Lower School has a very close group of
Martello recalls a formative episode in her own
childhood with her second grade teacher, whom
she remembers fondly to this day simply because
teachers. It’s a very interesting mix of personalities,
she referred to her students as “people” rather
but at the end of the day, they’d give each other
than “children.”
the shirt off their backs – they give 110 percent.”
Perhaps another reason Martello is so well loved
“She made me a person,” Martello says. “In a
sense, through that, she helped me understand
for dealing with this population and its parents
by her staff is that she is very approachable and
and teachers. She still enjoys spending time in
open to ideas and suggestions. She says she
the classrooms, and considers it a treat to be
doesn’t interview for new teachers by herself,
she can’t “take all the children home,” Martello
able to sit in and work with the boy and girls
instead calling in grade coordinators to give their
insists that unless she feels a sense of
during the school day.
input on a potential hire. Since Martello believes that
responsibility for them, something is missing.
my own sense of self-worth.”
At the end of the day, even though she knows
Principal Martello with her beloved children
“The time flies when I’m in there and I just
couldn’t be happier,” she says.
Though Martello’s in it for the children, they
the Lower School is indeed a surrogate family, she
wants them to have a say in who will join their team.
At the heart of it all, Martello, herself a
“They’re all different and special, each and
every one of them,” says Martello. “The best
compliment I ever received was from a parent
aren’t the only ones who benefit from her guidance.
grandmother of five, says it is the kids that matter.
about one of my teachers. This mom said that she
“Mrs. Martello is a real teacher's principal,”
It is easy to get wrapped up in the curriculum, and
would never know that her son wasn’t the only
says Connie Ernsberger, admission director for
the schedules, and the classes – all of which are
child in the class. When one of my teachers is
grades pre-kindergarten through eight.” She
essential, she says. Ultimately, however, all
celebrated like that, for their being and their affect
has an ambitious vision for what she'd like the
children will learn the subject matter. It is the way
and their general wonderfulness, I feel
Lower School to be, and she gives the
they learn it, and the memories and skills they
a
accomplished,” says Martello. ■
teachers all the support they need to reach
build in process, that will stay with them forever
those goals.”
and shape who they become.
the atrium -
winter 2006
17
News Around CAMPUS
College Acceptances
Lynne Cox Visits Prep Campus
Below is a comprehensive list of
colleges and universities to
which the Class of 2006 was
accepted. We apologize for the
omissions in the Summer 2006
issue of the atrium, and are
pleased to present you with an
updated list.
The Prep Parents’ Association presented its Parent Connection
event, “Exploring the Impossible: A Tale of Remarkable Physical
Prowess and Heart,” with Lynne Cox in October 2006.
American University
Arizona State University
Amherst College
Adelphi University
Auburn University
Agnes Scott College
Lynne Cox is an
internationally known motivational
speaker and author of Swimming
Babson College
Ball State University
to Antarctica and Grayson. She
Bard College
has been named Los Angeles
Barry University
Times and Glamour Magazine’s
Belmont University
Woman of the Year and she
Bentley College
has been inducted into the
Berklee College of Music
International Swimming Hall of
Fame. Her articles have
appeared in The New Yorker and
Los Angeles Times Magazine.
Boston College
Boston University
Bucknell University
Class o
Clemson University
College of Charleston
College of William and Mary
Colorado College
Columbia College
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
DePauw University
Dickinson College
Drew University
Duke University
East Carolina University
Eckerd College
Elon University
Embry Riddle University
Emerson College
Emory University
Fairfield University
Florida A & M University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
Florida Memorial College
Florida Southern College
Florida State University
Her memoir Swimming to
Brandeis University
Antarctica was named one of
Sports Illustrated’s ten best books
California State University- Los
Angeles
a
of 2004. ■
Carnegie Mellon University
Furman University
Catawba College
Georgetown University
Chapman University
George Washington University
Chestnut Hill College
Georgia Institute of Technology
Clark University
Goucher College
18
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winter 2006
Fordham University
Framingham University
of 2005-2006
University of South Carolina
Nichols College
Santa Fe Community
College
University of ColoradoBoulder
North Carolina State
University
Savannah College of Art
and Design
University of Delaware
University of Southern
California
University of Denver
University of South Florida
Indiana State University
Northeastern University
Simmons College
University of Florida
University of Tampa
Indiana University
Northwestern University
Skidmore College
University of Hartford
International School of
Design
Nova Southeastern
University
Southern Methodist
University
University of IllinoisUrbane-Champaign
University of TennesseeKnoxville
Iona College
Occidental College
Stetson University
University of Indianapolis
University of the Pacific
Ohio State UniversityColumbus
University of Kentucky
Jacksonville University
Stevens Institute of
Technology
University of the SciencesPhiladelphia
Johns Hopkins University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Stanford University
University of Louisville
University of Maryland
University of Vermont
Johnson & Wales
University
Oxford College of Emory
St. Louis University
University of Virginia
St. John’s University
University of Massachusetts
Pace University
Pennsylvania State
University
University of
MassachusettsDartmouth
University of WisconsinMadison
Knox College
St. Mary’s College of
California
Lafayette College
Pepperdine University
Suffolk University
University of Miami
Villanova University
Lehigh University
Philadelphia University
Syracuse University
University of Michigan
Lenoir Rhyne College
Pitzer College
Texas Christian University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University
Lindsey Wilson University
Point Park University
Tufts University
University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill
Loyola University- Chicago
Princeton
Trinity College
Loyola University- New
Orleans
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Lynn University
Regis University
Mars Hill
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute
Haverford College
New York University
Hobart and William Smith
Colleges
Hofstra University
Ithaca College
Kansas City Art Institute
Marymount University
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
Rice University
Miami-Dade College
Ringling School of Art and
Design
Miami University
Roger Williams University
Miami University- Ohio
Michigan State University
Middlebury College
Muhlenberg College
University of Texas- Austin
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
Washington University
Tulane University
University of North
Carolina-Charlotte
United States Military
Academy
University of North
Carolina-Greensboro
Wheaton College
University of Alabama
University of Northern
Colorado
University of Arizona
University of California- Los
Angeles
Western Carolina University
Wingate University
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of California- San
Diego
University of Rhode Island
Rollins College
University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara
University of San Diego
Rose-Hulman Institute of
Technology
University of Central Florida
Rutgers University
Salve Regina University
University of Richmond
University of San Francisco
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
the atrium -
winter 2006
19
Gulliver Schools Financial Report
The
2005-2006
Associate Director’s Report
Dear Gulliver Parents, Alumni, and Friends:
As I write this letter for our winter issue of the atrium, which includes our latest financial report, I
can’t help but be reminded of the Winston Churchill quote: “We make a living by what we get, but
we make a life by what we give.” It is so heartwarming for me to tell you about the overwhelming
generosity of our parents and friends, and how their selflessness and philanthropic spirit has indeed
brightened the lives of our students.
It is expected that you will hear of a large gift given to our institution, and rightly so, for it is those
larger gifts that help us get our major building projects off the ground and serve as the catalyst for
future giving. There aren’t enough words to thank the Gintel Family Foundation for their million dollar
gift and for helping make our new Aquatic Center a reality. We treasure their generosity and feel
humbled by their dedication to Gulliver’s mission.
Often unrecognized, however, are the smaller gifts received by the school. These gifts can be by way of the moms who beautify our
campus for the different seasons, or the parent volunteers who spend hours researching which speaker would best impact our students,
among many others. Gifts of time and talent are indeed appreciated. There also are tangible gifts that enhance the students’ daily
school experience. Over the past eight months, Gulliver has been the recipient of gifts such as audio enhancement systems for our
classrooms, new science labs at the Academy, televisions for all Lower School classrooms, and funds to sponsor class trips and to help
with the soft costs of our building projects.
Each and every gift helps us reach our ultimate goal of making Gulliver the best place to receive an education. The truth is, there
are no small gifts. Each is representative of your desire to ensure Gulliver is still here for your children’s children, and for future
generations of children to come.
Many heartfelt thanks for all the gifts – big and small – that you share with Gulliver!
Sincerely,
John Krutulis
Associate Director, Gulliver Schools
20
the atrium -
winter 2006
2005-2006
Source of Funds
Financial Report
Gulliver Schools, Inc., a 501(c) (3) non-profit
corporation, is committed to operating a financially
stable, constant, and reliable organization that
carefully focuses on the school’s mission and
strategic plan.
The school is committed to fiscal compliance,
financial accountability, and full disclosure as
applied to non-profit organizations. Please refer to
the charts indicating the source and the
application of funds.
Gulliver operates a fiscally sound economic
Application of Funds
base which minimizes debt and tuition growth and
has implemented a system of internal controls
designed to reasonably ensure the safeguard of
its assets and the proper authorization of its
transactions. In addition, the school engages the
services of Verdeja & De Armas, LLP as
independent accountants to audit its financial
statements and express an opinion concerning
said statements. Their audits include reviews and
tests of the school’s internal controls to the extent
necessary to determine and conduct the audit
procedures that support their opinion.
the atrium -
winter 2006
21
A Summary of Giving for
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Lifetime membership is granted to those who
have made a contribution to Gulliver Schools of
$25,000 or more. This list represents those who
have contributed since Gulliver became a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity in May 2000.
Mrs. K’s Society
$1,000,000 and over
Mrs. Marian Krutulis
Mr. Stuart Miller
Atrium Society
$250,000 - $999,999
Anonymous
GOYA Foods of Florida
Mr. and Mrs. John Krutulis ‘76
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Unanue
Half-Century Society
$50,000 - $249,999
Academy Parents’ Association
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Davidson ‘86
Mr. Edward Easton
Krutulis Family Foundation
Mr. Donald Rosellini and Mrs. Susan Fox-Rosellini
Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity Cruises
Mr. Alfredo Sesana*
William Fox Jr. Foundation
Raider Society
$25,000 - $49,999
Mr. Alvaro M. Cabrera*
Mr. and Mrs. Pedro Garcia
Mr. and Mrs. Rolando Garcia
Datapro, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ginsberg
The Gintel Family Foundation, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gintel
J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Alejandro Knoepffler
Mr. Leonard Lewis
Original Impressions
*Denotes new member
Blue/Silver
Society
$10,000 - $24,999
Mr. Noah Breakstone ‘83
Mr. Jorge Escalona
Mr. Leonard Lewis
South Florida Golf Foundation, Inc.
Principal’s
Society
$5,000 - $9,999
Academy Parents Association
Addison House Fine Furniture
Bacardi Global Brands, Inc.
Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.
Mr. William E. Beckham
Mr. Stuart Bell
Dr. Dale Caughey, Jr.
Mr. Gerardo Cisneros
Class of 2004
Class of 2006
Mr. Jean-Blaise Duc
Food Supply Concepts, Inc.
Kaufman Rossin & Co.
Ms. Nicole Meske
Ocean Bank
Mr. Richard Pfenniger
Royal Caribbean International &
Celebrity Cruises
SG Private Banking (Suisse) SA
Mr. Juan Torrens
Faculty Society
$1,501 - $4,999
Ms. Annette Abascal ‘81
Mr. Joel Adler
Mr. Noel Aguilera
Aircraft Electric Motors, Inc.
The Amadi Companies, LLC
Mr. Victor Angulo
Annonymous
Mr. Jose Aragon
Mr. Roberto Arguello
Mr. Scott Barkow
Mr. Mark Barnette
Ms. Joan Bennett
Mr. Robert Berrin
Best Equipment
Mr. Timothy Blake
Blank Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Mr. Bill Blechman
Christina Party Rental
2005-2006
Mr. Anthony J. Clemente
Mr. Patrick L. Cordero
Country Carver
Country French
Mr. Alvaro Da Silva
Mr. Javier Dalmau ‘88
Mr. Anthony Davide ‘89
Mr. Andre Dawson
Mr. Sergio De Jesus Rodriguez
Mr. Eduardo Del Carmen
Mr. Julio del Rey
Mr. Antonio Diaz
Doctors Cassel and Barroso
Anonymous Donor
Express Travel
Fertility & IVF Center of Miami
Mr. James R. Field
Florida Coast Water Polo Club Inc
Mr. Robert J. Garcia
“Geiger, Ruth & August Charity
Foundation”
Dr. Phillip T. George
“GOLTV, Inc.”
“Mr. Gregory Gomez, Sr.”
Mr. Ken Gorin
Haynsworth Photography
Mr. Bob Hequin
Mr. Marc Iacovelli
Ikon Office Solutions
InSource Insurance Financial
Services
“JGP Engineering Group, P.A.”
Mr. Bruce C. Kaplan
Mr. J. G. Kaufman
Dr. Roger Khouri
Mr. Russell B. Klein
Mr. Christopher Korge
Mr. J Lacerda
Mr. Julio Larraz
Loews Miami Beach Hotel
Mr. R. Hugh Lumpkin
Mr. Thompson Lykes
Dr. Martin Madorsky
Mr. Thomas F. Magenheimer
Mr. Hans F. Mantel
Dr. Thomas M. Mark
Mary Louise Designs
Merlin & Hertz P.A.
Mr. Daniel L. Miranda
Mr. Talbert I. Navia
Dr. John Nordt
Olazabal Hair & Skin Salon
Dr. Alvaro Ordonez
Mr. Gino Pacini
Mr. Joseph Pallot
Mr. Rafael Pelaez
Mr. Andres Perez
Mr. K. Phillips
“Place St. Michel, Inc.”
“Quantum Investment Partners,
LLC”
Mr. Andres Ramos
“RBS RE, L.L.C.”
Mr. John Rebstock
Mr. Keith Reilly
Riviera Jewelers
Mr. Gonzalo Rodriguez-Fraile
Roque Gulf Service Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Rosenthal
Schottenstein Realty Corp.
Mr. Walter G. Secada
Mr. Alan Sheffield
Mr. Daniel Shypula
Mr. William Smiddy
South Miami Parents Association
Mr. Richard L. Strauss
Mr. Ralph Suarez
Tan Solaire
Mr. Robert Targ
Total Bank
Dr. John Uribe
Vanguard Charitable Endowment
Program
Mr. Thomas A. Watts-Fitzgerald
Mr. Peter Whelpton
Mr. Steven H. Wood
Mr. J. Hayes Worley
Mr. Cary Zel
Gulliver Friends
Up to $1,500
A & E Garcia, P.A.
Mr. Charles Abele
Mr. E. J. Abrahams
Mr. Jesus V. Acevedo
Mr. Victor E. Acosta
Mr. Bruce Adams
Mr. Robert R. Adams
Mr. Michael J. Agnoli
Mrs. Margaret Aguilera-Rodriguez
Mr. Jose I. Aguirre
Mr. Jonathan E. Aibel
Aizcorbe-Cueto Interiors, Inc.
Mr. Carlos E. Albir
Mr. Armando Alonso
Mr. Manuel Alvarez
Mr. Tony Alvarez
Mr. Frank Amaral
Amaya Finishing, Inc.
Mrs. Susan Amick
Anderson & Jacoby
Mr. Thomas Anderson
Mr. John Anzivino
A special thanks goes to the Classes of 2004 and 2006 for giving back to Gulliver Schools.
Mrs. Alina Arellano
Mr. Gus Armada
Mr. Eric Aserlind
Dr. Carlos Asilis
Mr. Marc H. Auerbach
Mr. Frederic Bajol
Mr. Charles Bales
Mr. Juan Ball
Mr. Arthur Ballard
Mr. Victor Bared
Mr. David R. Baron
Mr. Rodney Barreto
Mr. Jose Barrio
Mr. Timothy Battle
Dr. E. Joseph Bauerlein
Mr. Bruce Behren
Mr. Edward Beiner
Bella Fortuna U.S.A., Inc, D/B/A
Toni & Guy
Mr. Ted Benghiat
Mr. William Berenson
Mr. Richard B. Bermont
Mr. Paul J. Bertell
Mr. Steven Berwick
Big Gator Swimming, Inc.- DBA
Stingray Swim Team
Mr. Alfredo Bild
Ms. Michelle Blair
Mr. Jared Block
Mrs. Giselle Blondet
Mr. Mark Bloom
Mr. Edward R. Blumberg
Body & Soul Fitness
Mr. Terry Bookman
Mr. Leonard Boord
Borges & Associates, P.A.
Breffni Academy of Irish Dance
Ms. Michelle Breider
Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C.
BroadBand International
Mrs. Valerie Browne-Krimsley
Mrs. Gabriela Bryan
Dr. Steven Bukowski
Dr. Redmond P. Burke
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Burkholder
Mr. Robert Burlington
Mr. Robert Burstein
Mr. Michael Byrne
C & C Concrete Pumping, Inc.
Mr. Jose A. Cajiga
Mr. Zulema Calle
Mr. Dennis Campbell
Mr. Andres Campos-Cervera
Mr. Daniel Canel
Mr. William Canida
Mr. John Carullo
Dr. Pedro Carvajal
Mr. Joao Carvalho
Mr. Michael Casey
Dr. John M. Cassel
Mr. Carlos M. Castany
Mr. William Castellano
Mr. Hector O. Castellon
Mr. Ginno E. Cecchi
Mr. Carlos R. Charur
Mr. Keith Chasin
Mr. Zheng Chen
Mr. Bruce Chesney
Mr. Hector Chomat
Mr. Omar Cintas
City Car Care
Clino Med, Inc.
Mr. Stephen Clot
Dr. Roset Codini
Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.
Mr. Patrick Collins
Colonial Investment Properties, Inc.
Mr. Dean Colson
Mr. David Comeau
Comfort Service and Repairs Corp.
Mr. Michael Comras
Mr. Joseph Connolly
Construction Glass Industries
Mr. Luis Consuegra
Coral Gables Firefighters Benevolent
Association
Mr. Aberto M. Cordoves
The Core Pilates
Mr. Ernesto Corredor
Mr. William Corredor
Mr. James Cosmides
Dr. Glenda Crawford
Mr. Carlos Cueto
Curbside Florist & Gifts, Inc.
Mr. Jeff Cutler
Dance Empire
Mr. Douglas Darbut
Mr. Eric Darmanin
Mr. Barry L. Davis
Mr. Thomas Davison
Mr. Juan De Abreu
Mr. Sebastiao De Aguiar
Mr. Andres De Corral
Mr. Aquilino De La Guardia
Mr. John V. Dean
Mr. Jorge Del Rey
Mr. Jacob Denaro
Dennis & Associates
Mr. Frank Desimone
Diango Group, Inc.
Mr. Carlos Domenech
Mr. Fernando Donayre
Mr. Patrick Doucet
Mr. Richard Dunberg
Mr. Bernardo Duran
Mr. Peter Eckhoff
Mr. John Ehlers
Mr. & Mrs. George Eikenberg
Dr. George Elgart
Mr. Martin B. Ellis
Ms. Jessica N. Elswick
Mr. Luis Espinosa
Mr. Joel Esquenazi
Mr. Errol A. Falcon
Mrs. Tania Fano
Mr. Alan Farago
Mr. Michel Farah
Mr. John Faust
Mr. Antonio Fernandez
Mr. Juan P. Fernandez
Mr. Julio Ferro
Ms. Samantha Feuer ‘94
Mr. Roberto E. Fiallo
Mr. Daniel Figueroa
Mr. Barry Fine
Mr. Seth Finkel
Mr. Scott Finlay
First Choice Insurance &
Financial Services
Mr. Michael Fischl
Mr. Isaac K. Fisher
Mr. Randall Fisher
Ms. Linda Fitzgerald
Dr. Dirk L. Fleischman
Dr. Juan-Carlos Fleites
Mr. Eric Flesch
Mr. Jeff Flick ‘81
Mr. Steven Foldes
Mr. & Mrs. James A. Ford
Frameworks
Mr. Mario Frati
Mr. Carlos V. Freyre
Mr. Gary Frohman
Mr. Victor Fuller
Mr. Carlos Gamez
Dr. Jose C. Garcia
Mr. Luis Garcia
Mr. Pedro J. Garcia
Mr. Raul R. Garcia
Dr. Luis Garcia-Mayol
GardenScapes and Services, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony R. Garrett
Mrs. Janice Gates
Gateway Realty Services, LLC.
Mr. Daniel D. Gautier
Mr. Paul Gershen
Mr. Stephen Getz
Mr. Antoine Ghosn
Mr. Mark A. Gilbert
Mr. Tom L. Gilomen
Mr. David Glauberman
Dr. David Glimp
Mr. W. H. Glover
Mr. C. D. Gluck
Goddess Boutique
Mr. Bruce Goldman
Mr. Eduardo Gomez
Mr. Patrick M. Gonon
Dr. Carlos P. Gonzalez
Mr. Frank Gonzalez
Dr. Jesus Gonzalez
Mr. James S. Gould
Mr. John K. Goymer
Graphic Display Systems
Greater Miami Caterers, Inc.
Mr. Philip R. Greenberg
Mr. Steven Grossbard
Mr. Bill Grossman ‘79
Grove Tree Service &
Landscaping, Inc.
Mr. Louis Gurkin
Mr. Robert Gutlohn
H.T. Smith, PA
Dr. Andrew Hanly
Ms. Barbara Harper
Mr. Tiani Hausen
Mr. Stephen Helfman
Mr. Frederick Henderson
Mr. Guillermo Heredia
Mr. Craig R. Herkert
Mr. Antonio E. Hernandez
Mr. Hector Hernandez
Mr. Mitchell Herr
Mr. & Mrs. Enzo Herrrera
Mr. Andrew Hessen ‘76
Mr. Edwin W. Hickey
Mr. Henry Hirst
Mr. Robert Hodges
Mr. & Mrs. Hans Holland
Mrs. Helene Hollub
Homes 4 U Corp
Mr. John Houchin
Ms. Lisa Hudson ‘89
Mr. Andres Hurtado
Mr. Fernando Iglesias
Independent Living Systems,
LLC
Mr. Roger B. Insley
Mr. Steven L. Isicoff
Mr. John Jabro
Mr. Mark D. Jackman
Jaguar Restaurant
Mr. Steve L. Jakubczyk
Mr. Joseph James
Mr. Isidro Jauregui
Jeff Gautier Landscaping Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. James Gary Jeffery
Mrs. Berta Jimenez
Mr. Benjamin Joannou
Mr. Todd Johnson
Jordan, Castellon & Company
Joseph S. Rosenbaum P.A.
Mr. & Mrs. David Jove
Mr. Allan Kaiser
Kandell & Kandell P.A.
Mr. Stephen A. Kandell
Mr. Ezra Katz
Mr. Jose Katz
Mr. Ron Katz
Kei Optical
Dr. Michael Kelly
Mr. Nicholas Kelly
Kendall United Methodist
Church
Ms. D. Jean Kerins
Mr. Larry Kerr
Mr. Anton Khoury
Mr. Douglas King
Dr. Robert Kirsner
Mr. Dean C. Klevan
Mr. Alejandro Knoepffler
Mr. Robert L. Koeppel
Mrs. Vicki R. Koller
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen J. Kolski
Mrs. Tina Korres
Mr. Thomas E. Krecker
Mr Frank Kronberg
Mr. Richard Kuci
Mr. Jeff Kurzner
Mr. Howard A. Kusnick
Mr. Gregor Kuznik
Mr. Luis Lago
Mr. Alberto Lamadrid
Mr. Emilio Lamar
Mrs. Rosa Lang
Mr. Hank O. Langston
Mr. Hector Lans
Mr. Joseph LaPadula
Le Vernis Salon
Legal Title Services, Inc.
Mr. Antonio Lei
Mr. James Leigh
Mr. Paulo C. Leme
Mr. Robert Levine
Mrs. Garlin Lewis
Mr. Irwin G. Lichter
Mr. Steve Lichtner
Mr. Arthur Lieberman
Dr. Lai-Yuan Liu
Mr. Andres E. Lopez
Mr. Valentin Lopez
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Lossing
Mr. Kenneth Loughry
Mr. Jack R. Loynes
Mr. Jeffrey P. Luchey
Dr. Roberto Lugones
Luis Insurance, Inc.
Mr. Mitchell L. Lundeen
M Salon
Macdonald Imperial Cleaners
Mr. Brian Macdonald
Mack Cycle
Dr. Thomas F. MacMahon
Mr. Charles F. Maier
Mr. Christophe Maincourt
Major Title & Marble Installation
Corp.
Mr. Tomas Manrique
Dr. Alex J. Marban
Martha Issac Day Spa
Mr. Faustino Martinez
Mr. Ramon E. Martinez
Mr. Ramon E. Mas
Mr. Gerald May
Mr. Dennis M. McCarthy
Mr. John McComas
Mr. Peter McCook
Mr. William McDowell
Mr. Michael McGlannan
Mr. Robert McNaughton
Dr. Alex Mechaber
Mr. Felipe Medina
Mr. Michael Melamud
Memory Factory
Mr. Robert J. Merlin
Mr. Clifford R. Mermell
Dr. Thomas Mesko
Midtown Video
Mr. & Mrs. Noah Miller
Mr. Howard Millhauser
Mr. Cecil Milton
Mr. Fernando Montero
Mr. William D. Morrison
Morrow & Milberg, P.A.
Mortgage Advantage
Corporation
Mr. Carlos Mouawad
Mr. Alonzo Mourning
Mr. Paul Mouttet
Mr. Jose L. Mujica
Dr. Mark Multach
Mr. Angel Munoz-Bonilla
Mr. & Mrs. Matthew T. Murnane
Mrs. Veronica J. Murnane
Mr. & Mrs. J.R. Neipris
Mr. Scott Neitzel
Mr. Otto Neuman
Mr. Miguel Nido
Mr. Carlos Noble
Dr. Bernard Nusbaum
Ocariz, Gitlin & Zomerfeld, LLP
Mr. German Olano
Ms. Jane M. Oliveira
Mr. John Olmo
Dr. Steven Olszewski
Orlando Longwood Auto Auction
Ms. Esta K. Orovitz
Mr. Steven Orzechowicz
Ms. Sandra D. Ostan
Ms. Carrie M. Otto
Mr. Luis Padron
Mr. Craig Pahl
Mr. Basilio Paneque
Mr. Andre Papadam
Mr. Charles Papy
Paramount Drywall Inc.
Mr. Douglas Parent
Mrs. Barbara D. Parry-Gill
Mr. Dipak Patel
PBM Win-Door Inc.
Mr. Gregory Peck
Mr. Roberto Pedroso
Mr. R. Donahue Peebles
Mr. Jose M. Perez
Mr. Ricardo Perez
Mr. Howard K. Perlman
Dr. Myron Persoff
Mrs. Nancy Peterson
Philip Francis Hair Designers
Mr. Anthony Phillips
Mr. David P. Phillips
Mrs. Diana Phillips
Mr. Eduardo Pinto
Mr. Al Pisano
Mr. & Mrs. George L. Pita
Platimun Airlines, Inc.
Dr. Jerome Poliacoff
Mr. Richard D. Pollack
Mr. Charles Posten
Mr. Wayne Powell
Prado Expert Pet Grooming
Mr. Sergio Prado
Dr. Rafael Prats
Precision Translating Services,
Inc.
Presby & Associates, Inc.
PRP Waterproofing, Inc.
Mr. Alberto Puig
Ms. Christina Pupo-Mayo
Quality Design, Remodeling &
Finishing Corp.
Mr. Flavio Quesada
Mr. David Quint
R.A.D. Carpentry, Inc.
Mr. Eduardo Ragolta
Recovery Performance & Marine
LLC.
The Red Apple
Reel Big Subs, LLC (DBA Reel
Subs) Shops of Old Cutler
Mr. Shalom Reiser
Mr. Pasquale Renzi
Mr. George Reyes
Mr. Jaime Reyes
Dr. Ruben Ricardo
Mr. Vinson P. Richter
Dr. Jeffrey Ritter
The Ritz Carlton
Mr. Raymond Robinson
Mr. Manuel Rocafort
Mr. Jorge Rodriguez
Roque Coral Way Inc.
Ms. Rhonda Rose-Drecksler
Mr. Clifford Rosen
Mr. Fredric S. Rosenberg
Dr. Eliot Rosenkranz
Mr. Don Rosenthal
Mr. Jeffrey C. Roth
Mr. Michael Rounds
Mrs. Marsha K. Rowland
Royal Palm Tennis Club
Mrs. Bonnie Rubel
Mr. Jeff Rubin
Mr. Robert R. Russell
S. Danoff U.S.A. Limited
Saks Fifth Avenue
Dr. Sharon Salamat
Mr. Edward Sanchez
Mr. Felix Sanchez
Mr. Guillermo Sanclemente
Mr. Ronald H. Sasso
Mr. Gary Saul
Mr. William Savain
Mr. John S. Schwartz
Scotty’s Landing
Mr. Jon Secada
Mr. Allan Sepe
Mr. Gary Shear
Mr. Philip Shechter
We apologize in advance for any omissions or errors in this list.
Mr. Emery Sheer
Mr. Rick Shore
Mr. Isaac Shteremberg
Mr. John K. Shubin
Mr. & Mrs. Jay Siegfried
Mrs. Ana Sigler
Dr. Michael Silberman
Mr. Julian C. Simerly
Mrs. Jill C. Simkins
Mr. John D. Simko
Mr. Ken Singh
Sir Galloway Dry Cleaners
Mr. Uthai Sirichoke
Mr. Richard Skipper
Mr. Rolf H. Skjong-Nilsen
Mr. Mark Skweres
Slack Johnston &
Magenheimer, Inc.
Mrs. Monica Slodarz
Mr Alfred Smith
Mr. James Smith
Mr. Tristram Snyder
Mr. Alan Sokol
Mr. Brad Sokol
Mr. Jay Solowsky
Mr. Steve L. Sommers
South Broward Housing Inc.
South Florida Auto Auction
Mr. Alan Soven
Specialty Plus inc.
Mr. Andrew Spector
SportFit Rehab and Training
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Stang
Mr. Paul Stebbins
Mr. F. M. Steffens & Mrs.
Marjorie Goldman
Dr. Steven Stylianos
Dr. Emilio Suarez
Sugarman & Susskind PA
Mr. Bruce Sukert
Mr. Kenneth Sussman
Mrs. Linda Swayze
Mr. Gene Swindle
Mr. James Taintor
Tala Construction
Mrs. Marsha Talianoff-Sayet
Dr. Albert Tano
Mr. Anthony G. Tegnelia
Mr. Fred Telishi
Mr. Carlos A. Teran
Terrastone, Inc.
Mrs. Tatjana Terzic
Dr. Seth R. Thaller
Mr. Franz Theard
Mr. James Thomas
Mr. Joseph Thornton
Mr. Jorge A. Toledo
Mr. Daniel Tormo
Mr. Ernest Traad
Treasure Cove Title Services,
Inc.
the atrium -
Mr. Harley Tropin
Mr. Gabriel Tykocki
Mr. Franco A. Uccelli
Unitech Builders Corp.
USA Transfer
Ms. Antonina Vaccaro
Mr. Chris J. Vaida
Mrs. Agnes Valencia
Ms. Elise van de Reis
Mr. Antonio L. Vazquez
Ms. Melie Viera
Dr. Luis Villa
Mr. Oswaldo Villalobos
Mr. Francisco Villasante
Mr. Jose A. Villegas
Mr. David Voell
Mr. John Voith ‘03
Mr. Stephan Vorbe
Mr. Stan Wakshlag
Ms. Berenice Wallace
Dr. Grace Wang
Dr. Roberto Warman
Mr. & Mrs. David W. Warren
Way Out Thar Inc.
Wayside Market
Ms. Michelle Weinberg ‘85
Mrs. Devorah Weintraub
Westley Company
Mr. Daniel Williams
Mr. James Williams
Mr. William Winegar
Mr. Lawrence Woerner
Dr. Aizik L. Wolf
Mrs. Robyn D. Wolf
Mr. Howard Wolofsky
Wonder Papers
Mr Jeffrey Yagoda
Mr. Bruce I. Yegelwel
Mr. Alexander Ynastrilla
Mrs. Patricia Young
Mr. Guillermo Younger
Mr. Daniel Zabludowski
Mr. John C. Zelaya
Dr. Jack Ziffer
Mr. Robert A. Zinn
Carol Paul
Memorial
Dr. Glenda Crawford
Mr. David P. Phillips
Steven Chase
Memorial
Mr. Charles Bales
Ms. Linda Fitzgerald
Mr. Hank O. Langston
Mr. Gregory Peck
Mr. Walter G. Secada
winter 2006
23
Aquatic Center Features
• Myrtha pool design system – laminated, stainless
pool panels (longevity, less maintenance)
• Entry fountain & court
Future Building Projects:
Prep Aquatic
• Coaches’ office and classroom
• Covered BBQ & outdoor dining area - 1,000
square feet
• Landscaped Social Plaza with covered, outdoor
seating - 2,500 square feet
• Partially covered, upper level observation deck 2,000 square feet
• Partially covered team area with built-in benches
- 1,500 square feet
• Covered, built-in bleachers for fans - 1,800
square feet
• Separate restrooms & locker rooms
• Environmental & green materials and systems
Pools
• 25 yard by 25 meter with 10 swimming lanes
• 8’ x 40’ lap pool (warm ups and cool downs)
• Two 8’ x 16’ therapy pools
Pool Equipment & Placement
• High efficiency, low noise, geo-thermal heating
and cooling
• Placed inside buildings, beneath bleachers,
behind closed doors
• Located in north elevation, away from residential
neighbors
Gulliver Schools Receives
Million Dollar Gift
families, including my own, and it gives me great
travel daily for afternoon team practice. The facility
Gintel Family Foundation, Inc., in honor of Mrs. Marian
pleasure, in her honor, to spearhead this most
also is utilized by Ocaquatics, a company that provides
Krutulis and her 55 years of service to the South
worthwhile project.”
swimming lessons for children. Scheduling all pool
Gulliver Schools is pleased to announce that the
Florida Community and education, has pledged a one
The new Aquatics Center will fill a real void at
million dollar gift. The donation is directed towards the
Gulliver Schools and enhance students’ participation in
Aquatics Center, to be located on the Prep Campus.
water activities. In addition to nationally recognized
activities, including Ocaquatics classes, has become
problematic in recent years.
“The pool has really been overused,” says John
water polo and swim teams, Gulliver includes
Krutulis, the school’s associate director. “It’s definitely
fine educational institution,” says Mr. Robert Gintel,
swimming as part of its athletic curriculum for students
time that we give our outstanding students a state-of-
founder of the Gintel Family Foundation, Inc.,
in lower and middle school. For years, the school’s
the-art aquatic facility. Having two pools will alleviate
grandfather to senior Morgan Ginsberg, and father to
only pool has been located at the Academy Campus,
some of the logistical problems with scheduling
Debra Ginsberg. “She has done so much for so many
and students in grades nine through twelve have to
classes, swimming lessons, and practices.”
“Mrs. K is the guiding spirit and founder of this
Robin I. Voith Memorial Fund
cs Center
After a courageous six-year battle with
cancer, Robin I. Voith passed away on
September 15, 2005. Mother to John Voith
III ’03 and senior Bret Voith (see “Voith”
story on page 14), Robin was recognized
around the campuses of Gulliver Schools as
a tremendous advocate of the school’s
academic excellence and sports successes.
The Robin I. Voith Memorial Fund was
established to honor this courageous and
remarkable ambassador of Gulliver Schools.
The fund is directed to the Aquatic Center
and related aquatic activities.
Robin I. Voith Memorial Fund Donors
Gintel agrees, recognizing the project’s worthiness and
its community outreach possibilities. “A facility where kids
can learn to swim is very important, especially here in South
Florida,” he says. “We are surrounded by water, and it is
essential that children learn to swim properly and have a
facility to do it in. There is a real shortage of facilities here.”
The Center is scheduled to break ground winter 2007. ■
a
“Philanthropy lies at the heart of human greatness.”
-Patrick J. Ryan
Mrs. Margaret AguileraRodriguez
Ms. Joan Bennett
Mr. Robert Berrin
“Big Gator Swimming, Inc.DBA Stingray Swim Team”
Ms. Michelle Breider
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Burkholder
Mr. Michael Byrne
Dr. Roset Codini
Mr. Joseph Connolly
Mr. James Cosmides
Mr. John V. Dean
Mr. & Mrs. George Eikenberg
Mr. Martin B. Ellis
Ms. Jessica N. Elswick
Florida Coast Water Polo Club
Inc
Mr. Steven Foldes
Mr. & Mrs. James A. Ford
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony R. Garrett
Mr. Tom L. Gilomen
Ms. Barbara Harper
Mr. & Mrs. Enzo Herrrera
Mr. Roger B. Insley
InSource Insurance Financial
Services
Mr. Steve L. Jakubczyk
Mr. & Mrs. James Gary
Jeffery
Mr. & Mrs. David Jove
Ms. D. Jean Kerins
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen J. Kolski
Mr. Thomas E. Krecker
Mr Frank Kronberg
Mr. Antonio Lei
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Lossing
Mr. Jack R. Loynes
Mr. Jeffrey P. Luchey
Dr. Thomas F. MacMahon
Mr. Hans F. Mantel
Mr. & Mrs. Noah Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Matthew T.
Murnane
Mrs. Veronica J. Murnane
Mr. & Mrs. J.R. Neipris
Ms. Sandra D. Ostan
Mr. Andre Papadam
Mr. K. Phillips
Mr. & Mrs. George L. Pita
Mr. John Rebstock
Mr. Jaime Reyes
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Rosenthal
Mr. Alfredo Sesana
Mr. & Mrs. Jay Siegfried
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Stang
Mr. Anthony G. Tegnelia
Ms. Bernice Wallace
Dr. Grace Wang
Ms. Michelle Weinberg ‘85
Donations to honor Robin I. Voith can
be sent to The Gulliver Schools Robin I.
Voith Memorial Fund, 13615 South Dixie
Highway #498, Miami, Florida, 33176.
Thank you in advance for your support!
52 Years of Excellence
How Much do You Remember?
Senior Skit - 1997
Homecoming - 1984
Homecoming Fair - 1997
Spirit Week - 1987
Distance Runners - 1987
Pep Rally - 1987
26
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winter 2006
Senior Skit - 1997
Prom - 1987
Alumni Benefit
Any person who attended Gulliver Schools for a minimum
of one (1) year is granted alumni status and is eligible to
have the admission application fee of $100 waived for his
or her child. Upon the child’s acceptance and enrollment,
the $400 matriculation fee will be waived. Please contact
Laura Sochet Keepax ’85, director of alumni relations, for
more information on this benefit.
Halloween - 1987
the atrium -
Soccer - 1997
winter 2006
27
QA
&
with
Mike Biamonte ’81,
Sports Announcer for the Miami Heat
Mike Biamonte ‘81 announcing a Heat game
By Jennifer Vaida
MIKE BIAMONTE, CLASS OF ’81, HAS ONE OF
THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE VOICES IN SPORTS
TODAY. IN FACT, HE HAS BEEN DUBBED “THE
VOICE.” A PROUD FATHER OF THREE, BIAMONTE
HAS ANNOUNCED ALMOST 500 GAMES AND, AS
THE GAME ANNOUNCER FOR THE MIAMI HEAT,
WAS FRONT AND CENTER WHEN THE HEAT
WERE CROWNED NBA CHAMPS IN 2006. HERE
IN OUR Q&A, HE RECOUNTS HIS LONG JOURNEY
TO THE MIAMI ARENA AND WHEN HE FIRST
DISCOVERED HIS “GIFT.”
JV- So this is “the voice.” I have to admit, it’s a nice voice.
Any ideas on how to capture that in a magazine interview?
MB- (laughs) Well, it’s definitely attention grabbing. When someone hears it, heads
usually turn.
JV- When exactly did you discover that you had “the voice?”
MB- God’s honest truth, it was when I was in sixth grade. In Latin class at Gulliver, with
Mrs. Machado.
JV- Tell us the story.
MB- We were preparing for a holiday skit, which involved singing a song in Latin. We
were practicing and I found that I could project louder than anyone. I wasn’t having fun
(I mean, who really likes Latin?). I really got bad conduct grades in that class!
JV- Were poor conduct grades a problem for you?
MB- Yeah, just conduct. My report card was very colorful – A in Academics, F in
conduct.
JV- So when most kids were saying “I want to be a doctor
or I want to be a ballerina,” were you saying “I want to be
‘the Voice’”?
MB- (laughs) That genesis began as I got older. I was a big basketball fan, played in
middle school and watched games on TV. And I always noticed that voice in the
background, not the TV announcer, but the game announcer.
In high school, I did mostly theatre/drama. I tried to play basketball, but the second
game of my junior year, I blew out my knee. This gave me the perfect opportunity to try
my hand at announcing. I went to Mr. Williams (the headmaster at the time) and asked
permission to put a sound system in the Blue Dungeon. He said yes, so long as the
opposing coach didn’t mind if I announced. Before every game, I’d always ask, and no
one ever objected. At that time, we were the only 2A school even announcing boy’s
varsity basketball, pretty much because of me.
Mike Biamonte ‘81 with his family
28
the atrium - winter 2006
I went to Mr. Williams (the headmaster at the time) and asked
permission to put a sound system in the Blue Dungeon. He said
yes, so long as the opposing coach didn’t mind if I announced.
Before every game, I’d always ask, and no one ever objected.
“
“
JV- But that was only the beginning,
right?
MB- Yes. I announced all games my junior and senior
year. We added music, and the teams and fans were
thrilled. As I was filling out my college applications and
answering the question “What accomplishment are you
most proud of?,” it became very clear to me that it was
my high school announcing career.
My first year at FIU was the school’s first year
accepting freshmen. Along with an increase in student
population came other changes, including a basketball
program. Of course, they needed people to fill certain
jobs: ticket sellers, stat keepers, etc. Guess what else
they needed?
JV- Announcers.
MB- Yes, announcers. So I’m called in to audition for
the role of announcer. I go, announce a game, and get
offered the job. I spent 12 years as the Public Address
Voice of FIU. We used to be called the Sun Blazers.
That was later changed to the Golden Panthers.
JV- How’d you get the Heat gig?
Pretty sweet gig, if you ask me!
MB- Here I am, announcing FIU Basketball. I had the
job from 1981-1993. The Heat didn’t even exist until
1988. I’m announcing at the small level and I start
wondering where I’m going. I mean, I’m having fun,
don’t get me wrong, but where do I go? I wanted to
grow professionally.
I started getting a few jobs here and there. Before the
Heat, the NBA came with exhibition games and I was
lucky enough to work some of those.
Then in ’88, the Heat came and I’m thinking to myself,
“Oh, this is perfect!” I sent a letter and resume and
soon received a letter back saying that the position has
been filled by someone on the staff.
Of course, my hopes were dashed.
I had a friend who got a job for the Heat in sales and
told them what a great announcer I was. Still, years
seemed to go by.
Then one day, out of the blue, I get a call at about 10 in
the morning and it’s them. Their announcer has gotten
sick and they wanted me to announce the game. After
the paramedics revived me, I said yes. I announced that
game at the Miami Arena. It was the Heat versus the
Seattle Supersonics. After the game, I was asked to be
the permanent back-up from that point forward.
promo of “White Hot” theme was big, so everything in
the stands was pure white.
During an event like this, your nerves can get the best
of you. I have announced almost 500 games, but
nothing compares to this. You kind of just have to go
with the flow like you always do. But the truth is, it’s
NOT Tuesday night against Atlanta.
JV- I can imagine the worst thing that
could happen would be for you to
lose your voice. What do you do to
protect it?
MB- On game day, I try to stay as quiet as possible. I
don’t really have any rituals, just try to moisten my vocal
chords with water, warm liquids, and throat drops. I’ve
been fortunate to never have completely lost my voice
and been unable to announce a game.
JV- So maybe you can come by and
announce a game for us here?
JV- How often did you announce?
MB- Well, a season passed and no call. Then another
year. Still no call. Then one morning, I am reading the
sports page and on page 2, I see a small article “Heat
Announcer Resigns.” I make a phone call, pretty much
a “Hey guys, I’m still here!” phone call. But I had to
audition like everyone else.
MB- Of course I would! Three or four years ago, I was
lucky enough to be invited back to listen to one of the
school’s announcers. He was the PA Announcer for the
basketball team. We e-mailed back and forth. It was
great to be able to mentor like that. The school gave me
a lot, and it’s nice to be able to do something in return.
I got the job. That was 15 seasons ago.
JV- That was a long trip from the
Blue Dungeon to the Miami Arena!
So tell me, have you ever played one
on one with Shaq?
MB- Never. No, I’d have to say that is probably a bad
idea. He’s definitely one of the more powerful Heat
players.
JV- Tell me about the experience of
announcing the 2006 Finals.
Watching it at home on my couch
was such an amazing experience. I
can’t even imagine what it must
have been like to announce it!
MB- It was unlike anything I have ever announced
before. There were TV cameras everywhere, even in
my face, and these giant props, like trophies, to
decorate the arena. This was a worldwide show. They
want it to be filled with pomp and circumstance. The
the atrium -
winter 2006
29
Alumni
Perspective
By Alix Hayes ‘92
My parents call me their “vagabond child,” I’ve
moved north, south, east, and west, and lived in eight
states chasing my broadcast dream. My television job
has allowed me to interview some amazing (and famous)
people over the years, and I wouldn’t trade my
experiences for anything.
Often times, when I speak at schools and kids ask
me, “How did you get involved in journalism?,” I think they
expect me to say I wanted to be a reporter since
kindergarten. But in all honestly, I may be considered a
late-bloomer to the Big J, and in fact, it was my
involvement with the Gulliver newspaper during my
senior year at the Prep that kick-started my career path.
Back in 1991, I was in a class of about 10
students — none of which had worked for the Raider
before — and instantly we all took our new jobs as
young-Edward R. Murrows seriously. I remember my very
first “beat,” going into the lunchroom and asking friends
for quotes on stories I was working on (you know, the
30
the atrium -
winter 2006
“
in Iowa. He hired me on the spot to be a reporter (and
fill-in anchor) at the CBS station in Mason City, Iowa.
That was a shared-market with Rochester and Austin,
Minnesota, which was anything but warm! I’ll always
remember my first day on-air as a bonafide reporter. I
thought I was trendy and cosmopolitan in my Donna
Karan suit, anchor-hair, and pearls. Let’s just say I
looked a bit ridiculous when my first-ever broadcast
story aired. Basically, I did an agriculture report from
the middle of a cornfield!
My next stop was in the Deep South, home of
sweet tea, NASCAR, and country music. I met the best
ONE OF MY PROUDEST MOMENTS IN MY CAREER WAS BEATING THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS AND CNN AS THE FIRST REPORTER TO CONFIRM THE
MISSING 15,000+ VOTES DURING THE 2000 ELECTION. YOU MAY RECALL THE
POLITICAL FIRESTORM OF THAT ELECTION SEASON, HANGING CHADS AND ALL.
collegiate print background, helped me snag a spot in
the University of Miami’s graduate program in
broadcast journalism in 1995.
When I graduated a year later, I worked behind-thescenes as a writer at WSVN-TV, the Fox-affiliate in
Miami. Though I was close to home, that first job sure
was a reality check — working the midnight shift for less
than $10 an hour! (It’s funny how people assume
television reporters and anchors make “big bucks.”
That’s a true assessment in larger markets, but being
low on the totem pole and paying your dues in this
business means meager salaries and reporting for duty
when all your friends are sleeping.)
While at the annual TV convention in Las Vegas,
Nevada, I struck up a conversation with a news director
“
Though it sometimes seems like I just
graduated from the Prep, I’ve been an
on-air reporter now for more than a decade.
standard high school fare: coverage of the upcoming
football game, the possibility of Coca-Cola coming to the
North Kendall Campus, junior vs. senior parking rights,
and other ‘big stories’ for teenagers).
Because of my Raider experience, I ditched my prelaw dreams upon entering Tulane University. I even
signed up to be a staff-writer for the college paper
before freshman classes started, and became News
Editor of Tulane’s award-winning newspaper by my
sophomore year.
Getting into television happened when I applied
for a CNN internship, and Mrs. Krutulis wrote me a
glowing (well, at least I think!) recommendation. Once I
caught the TV-bug, I was hooked on television news
forever. My CNN experience, coupled with my
of friends and colleagues in my two years in the Tri-Cities
TN/VA/NC market. The people of that Appalachian
region were the nicest of Americans, true to their
families, culture, and immense Southern pride. I
anchored the morning show there for several months,
but then left for warmer weather when offered a gig in
South Florida. (One of the proudest moments in my
career was beating the Associated Press and CNN as
the first reporter to confirm the missing 15,000+ votes
during the 2000 election. You may recall the political
firestorm of that election season, hanging chads and all.)
I left the Sunshine State to take a reporter job
with the NBC station in Connecticut. That’s
technically my original home, since my family moved
from the Hartford area to Miami when I was 11. I can
If you’d like to contribute an alumni perspective to the atrium, please send your idea and
contact information to vaidaj@gulliverschools.org.
honestly say I prefer colder climates, or at least
states that actually have four seasons. I enjoy
seeing the leaves change colors and fall off
trees, and there’s something to be said about
bundling up and doing live reports in the middle
of a snow storm. It‘s invigorating! (In contrast,
when you’re wearing a business suit and full
make-up, reporting on a multi-fatal crash on I-95
in Boynton Beach, it’s anything but pleasant.)
Since I had always wanted to be a full-time
anchor, I left New England to be the weekend
anchor and primary reporter at the CBS station in
Flint, Michigan. But once again, my roots started
pulling me East, and now I have landed the
dream assignment in Philadelphia. Currently, I
am on-air several times a week as a freelance
general assignment reporter for the NBC affiliate
in the City of Brotherly Love. I currently live on
the New Jersey shore with my boyfriend (and
have a long commute!) and in my short-tenure at
NBC10 I’ve already done live shots for stations
in California and MSNBC. Philadelphia, as the
fourth-largest TV market in the country, has many
of the same stories as the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
market: near-daily homicides, political corruption
allegations, soldier-related stories, school budget
crunches, and fiscal crises at city halls.
Over the years, I’ve been blessed to cover
some important stories and interview fascinating
people. I’ve put my microphone in countless
politicians’ faces (from Senators, to the VicePresident, to folks running for city council). I have
had the opportunity to talk to chart-topping
country music singers, Don King, and Michael
Moore, to name just a few, and I’ve even helped fly
an experimental plane and done a stand-up in a
lion’s suit for Halloween!
Of course, not every story is fun. I think the
hardest stories to do involve the death of children,
or interviewing a family member who has just lost
a loved one. And for me, it’s been increasingly
hard to cover soldier’s funerals, particularly since
9/11. No matter how emotionally grueling some
of those stories are to cover, I think I’m blessed
for having met all the people I’ve interviewed, to
help tell their stories. After all, not many people
can say they’ve talked to a homeless man looking
for health benefits, videotaped a grade-school
classroom where kids were writing letters to
Marines in Iraq, or told tens of thousands of
people that their favorite route to work is
off-limits thanks to a train collision. To do all that
is a week, is just…fun.
So what keeps me going, when an
increasing amount of stories I do are negative or
crime-related? The chance to be creative.
Without question, the dedicated and resourceful
English teachers at the Prep got me interested in
writing, and journalism. Sure, what 15-year-old kid
didn’t hate “Wordly Wise” exercises, but Mr.
Woodbury and Ms. Whitney had such passion for
what they did that it translated to their students’
work. I honestly feel had my Gulliver education not
taught me all the things it did — early on in my
schooling, as critical English and grammar
foundations were laid — I would not be where I am
today. I love using alliteration and consonance in
my scripts!
Nowadays, whenever I have to mention a city
in the Middle-East on the news, I swear I think of
Mrs. Hinde (Schmidt) telling us about Hammurabi’s
Code and the Fertile Crescent. When I do science
stories, I remember dissecting an eel in sixth grade
— and also frogs, worms, a shark, and even a fetal
pig in AP Biology.
The social and “people” skills I received
during my years at Gulliver have helped me move
around the country every two years or so with
each new television contract. That’s part of the
college-prep experience, I think. I was acclimated
to so many cultures, ethnicities, religions, and
backgrounds while at Gulliver, it makes me a
better reporter. (Not to mention the Spanish skills
Ms. Chase taught me at the Prep were invaluable!
Every now and then, I have to ask a few questions
at a breaking news scene in Spanish.)
I’m very confident in my work, and I’m proud
of the stories that my editors, my photographers,
and I have put on air. We might not get to
“change the world” on a daily basis, but we impact
lives and relay critical information. TV news is
a
certainly a crazy world, but I love it! ■
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Noah Breakstone,
Class of 1983
Years at Gulliver: 8 (fifth through
twelfth grade)
Gulliver Activities: National Honor
Society, Band (played trumpet
and clarinet), Cheerleading,
Football, Track & Field
Favorite Gulliver Class: History with Mr. Michael Stone - “He
was such an outstanding person,” says Breakstone.
I just talked with him about six months ago. His
whole class was about how to relate contemporary
politics to history, and all his students could
understand to that.”
College: Wharton School of Business for two years;
graduated with a degree in Economics and
Philosophy from Yale
Last Time He Visited Gulliver: To present the Yale Book Award
in 2006 - “That’s something I’ve done for the past
four years, and I really enjoy it,” he says.
First Job: Selling (actually becoming the TOP seller in the
region) of Encyclopedia Britannica in high school
Career: Chairman of Breakstone Homes, a home-building
and development company in Dade, Broward, and
Palm Beach Counties
Family: Brothers and sisters, including Adam
Breakstone ‘79 and Gabrielle Sevilla ‘82; Wife Patty
and three children: Joshua,15, Jacob, 13, and
Samantha, 9
For Relaxation: Spending time with his family, boating, snow
skiing, racquetball, and writing haikus (okay, he
doesn’t really write haikus, but he likes them!)
Role Model: His father - “One of the beautiful things about
being a parent is realizing how much you don’t
know,” says Breakstone. “My father understood
that, always leading by example.”
How He Wishes to be Remembered: “As someone who proved
that successful business and integrity and sensitivity to
the environment are not mutually exclusive.”
Favorite Gulliver Memory: Friendships - “The friendships I
developed at Gulliver have been long-lasting.
They’re still my closest, dearest friends.”
For more information on Breakstone Homes,
visit www.breakstone.com.
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31
August 25, 2006
Tampa Road Rally and Social
2006 Gulliver Alumni Events Gallery
John Krutulis, Mrs. K., Stephan Keller ‘87, and Ramon
Martinez ‘88
Bernard & Claudia Schmidt Cockrell ‘83 and children
Linda Fitzgerald and Claudia Scmidt Cockrell ‘83
Stephan Keller ‘87 and Ramon Martinez ‘88
Alumni on the beach at Marco Island
“Fun Fear Factor” gets underway!
Chocolate-covered crickets were the big hit at the
“Fun Fear Factor.”
Teams of “Fun Fear Factor”
Class of '86
Class of '86 celebrating 20 years
Tracy Baldwin Riley ‘86, Tania Garcia-Esquerro
Mercante ‘86, and Amy Kies ‘86
Ed Hill ‘83, Marguerite Graham, Eva Papazickos, and
Hugh Schmidt ‘82
Class of '96 celebrating 10 years
32
Headmaster Pat Snay
July 7-9, 2006
Marco Island Get-Away Weekend 2006
Gulliver Alumni cheering on the Raiders in Tampa
Elaine Casey and Dotty Krutulis
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winter 2006
Marc Breslow ‘86, Lynn Davis ‘86, David Messinger ‘86, and Christina Curl ‘96, Ashley Berlin ‘96, Cara Coller, and
Michelle Zymet
Tammy Garrison Garcia ‘86
Lynn Davis ‘86, Yvette Ferry ‘85, and Lance Troupe ‘86
October 14, 2006
Homecoming 2006
Career Workshops
Connie Papazickos Ernsberger ‘87, Hugh Schmidt ‘87, Garrett
Lim ‘87, Adrianna Restrepo Muñoz ‘87, and David Moret ‘87
Mateo DeSola ‘85, Linda Fitzgerald, and Lucia
Quinonez DeSola ‘85
Mrs. K., John Krutulis, and Garrett Lim ‘87
John McKlosky, watching as Gulliver students entertain
some of the alumni’s children
Alex Suarez Sarmiento ‘05, Rick Sarille ‘95, and friend
Jim Johnson ‘83, Dana DeTchon Fleitas ‘85, George
Riemer ‘85 and his wife, Melissa
Stephan Fernandez ‘06, Shae Pinckney ‘03, Jason
Esquenazi ‘04 and friends
Chris Derks ‘88, a special agent with the FBI, talking to
some of Gulliver’s government students
Peter Dreyfuss ‘88, an orthopedic products engineer
speaking with Gulliver’s aspiring engineers
Jeff Segal ‘91, personal trainer, speaking with the yoga
students
Betty Liorente ‘94, addressing the freshmen about
GPAHC
Charlotte Blake ‘06, Andrea Lopez ‘06, and Kerri
Spears ‘06
John King ‘92, Chris Lumpkin ‘06,
Chi Chi Nwadike ‘96, and Eric Sidor ‘96
Sergio Martinez ‘99 and Ben Fernandez ‘99
Jorge Ros ‘96 and Coach Jorge Dieppa
Lori Morgenstern ‘97, Pilar Rodriguez ‘95, and
Frankie Rosenberg ‘95
The Winners (Game was Tied!)
Fall 2006
November 25, 2006
Alumni Soccer 2006
Mike Maguire ‘77, Laura Sochet Keepax ‘85, Jim Johnson, Laura
Robbins, Garrett Lim ‘87, Eddie Robbins ‘86, and Frank Dostaler ‘77
Coach Agresti, Jose Menendez ‘95, Mo Gabay ‘89, and Richard Perdomo ‘04, John Krutulis ‘04, Phillip Calderon ‘04,
Ben Fernandez ‘99
Kristian Gonzalez ‘04, Danny Vasquez ‘04, Alberto Ramos ‘05,
Jean Camere ‘02, and Speedy Imran ‘02
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33
G
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The organization focuses on, but is not limited to,
gathering areas. At the completion of the eco-island
creating educational and environmental opportunities
project, Miami residents, through
for underserved youth.
Shake-a-Leg or by their own means of water
“A classroom doesn’t have to be inside of four
walls,” says Sullivan. “A classroom is a teachable
moment that is everywhere in the world.”
Sullivan also has devoted her time spent at
transportation, can journey to and enjoy these
public islands.
“I’ve been very motivated to make a difference in
my community and in my landscape. Shake-a-Leg
Shake-a-Leg Miami to reviving manmade islands.
Miami is an organization that has allowed me to do
She helped start the eco-island project, where
that,” says Sullivan.
Shake-a-Leg, along with the City of Miami’s Parks
Because Shake-a-Leg is a non-profit organization,
and Recreation Department, the Department of
it is funded by local, state, and federal grants, as well
Environmental Resources Management or DERM,
as private contributions. Their educational programs
and the Royal Caribbean’s Ocean Fund, have
currently consist of five major grants including the local
focused their efforts in restoring five manmade
Children’s Trust and the Florida Department of
islands off the shores of Coconut Grove that have
Education Grant. Sullivan’s position as director of the
education and vocational programs at Shake-a-Leg
been abandoned and polluted. The goal of the
organization requires that she manage all these grants,
Miami, encourages both adults and students to
project is to turn these islands back into pleasant
which total about 2.5 million dollars. She also manages
engage in alternative ways of bringing learning to life.
public parks. The project involves the removal of
the staff and over 2,000 children that are involved in
Shake-a-Leg Miami is a non-profit organization that
exotic plants and trees and the replenishment of
Shake-a-Leg programs.
connects Miami residents to the perks of Biscayne
native ones. It also entails the creation of an
Bay through water sports and educational programs.
accessible dock, nature trails, and educational
Ashley Sullivan ‘91, who is the director of
34
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Sullivan’s personal motivation for doing this kind of
work has been the opportunity to make a difference in
V
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{Alumni Profile}
AL
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BISC
AY N E
B A Y, A S A N E D U C A T
TOOL
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the lives of so many young people and how they view
College. Wishing to embrace her love for the outdoors,
believes the school is a body of people that have a lot
their connection to the world socially and
Sullivan soon left the farm to become a ski instructor
of skill and wisdom to share, and would like to tap into
environmentally. She stresses that one of the most
in Vermont. It wasn’t long after that she made her
that. Sullivan encourages Gulliver students, faculty, and
important things about Shake-a-Leg Miami is that it is
way up to a manager position, managing the
alumni to spend volunteer hours at Shake-a-Leg.
a place where anybody’s dreams can become a reality.
five-to-seven-year-old kids’ ski program. After a
Sullivan says that the aim of the organization is to
skiing accident in 1999 in Utah, where Sullivan tore her
global environmental and educational projects. She
“foster independence and improve quality of life for
ACL, her skiing career was put on hold. She came
attributes much of Shake-a-Leg’s success to it’s
underserved people in the community,” whether that
home to Miami to recover from knee surgery. A friend of
collaborative partnerships and “creative, out-of-the-box
individual is suffering from a socioeconomic, physical or
hers informed her of Shake-a-Leg and their work with
thinking.” She wishes to share the experience and
academic challenge.
mostly inner city and disabled youth, and their outdoor
knowledge that she has gained from Shake-a-Leg with
“Life’s boundaries really don’t exist here,” says
In the future, Sullivan hopes to be involved in more
education programs. Having grown up on Biscayne Bay,
other communities in countries throughout the world.
Sullivan. “When you create a boundless environment,
Sullivan was immediately interested in the organization. It
Countries like Sweden and Japan already have
there is a lot of opportunity for great things to happen
was during this time that she was able to combine her
expressed an interest in wanting to imitate the good
and for dreams to come true.”
love for the outdoors and for youth and begin her
works and services that Shake-a-Leg has provided.
volunteer work at Shake-a-Leg Miami.
She would like to be involved in expanding the nature
Sullivan’s passion for her career at Shake-a-Leg
comes as no surprise. Throughout her life, she has
exhibited a keen interest in both outdoor activities and
community programs. During her college summers, she
“I have been a sailor and a boater my whole life,
and it just seemed like a natural fit,” she says.
Sullivan, one of four children (all are Gulliver
of the organization on an international level.
“Shake-a-Leg Miami is not just a small
grassroots organization in South Florida, but it’s an
worked at a non-profit environmental program called
alumni), has expressed an interest in visiting Gulliver
attitude and a vision that can be shared with the
Shelburne Farms, where she would come to work
and perhaps working with the students by providing
a
whole world,” says Sullivan. ■
full-time after college graduation from New Hampshire
ideas to create social change and societal charity. She
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35
.
Alumni Roll Call
1970s
Dr. Edward Krukowski ’79
Edward and his wife purchased a Piper Arrow airplane and are
enjoying long weekends in interesting places.
Mrs. Laurel Nichols Moreira ‘79
Laurel has been certified by the American Board of Opticians.
1980s
Mrs. Elaine Skaggs Rising ‘80
Elaine’s real estate partnership just hit the two-year mark. She and
her husband are half owners of a coffee and tea company based in
Santa Fe and are the sole owners of a flea market company in
Taylor, Texas, which will open its doors this spring.
Mr. Larry Keffer ’80
Larry recently published a book titled Just the Facts about Jesus.
He is an evangelist at the Biblical Research Center in Tampa,
Florida.
Mrs. Jodie Forman Casanova ’81
Jodie and her husband Vincent have been married for 18 years and
their oldest son is entering high school. They have five children:
Stefano, Dillan, Jordan, Alexa, and Arin.
Ms. Lisa Lantinberg Engel ‘82
Lisa has her own “Creative Memories” website at
www.mycmsite.com, which specializes in scrapbooking.
Ms. Michelle Beck Viana ‘82
Michelle is a legal assistant for an attorney who manages the PIP
Department.
Mr. Michael Cannon ’83
Michael has published a book titled The Selling Machine and has
started a new business called PWC Group. His oldest son will be
attending the Citadel.
Dr. David Carroll ’83
David is a dentist at Carroll Dentistry in Miami, Florida.
Mr. Paul Creighton ‘84
Paul and his wife welcomed the birth of their fourth child, Beatrix,
in April 2006.
Heidi Goodhart Donnellan ’84
Heidi has been married for ten years and lives in Massachussetts.
She has three sons: Jake, 8, Samulel, 5, and Theo, 2. She is the
manager of outpatient and partial hospital psychiatric services of
Marlborough Hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. John Roll ‘84
Curtis and his wife Pamela welcomed the arrival of their first child,
Chase Wesley Roll, in June 2006.
36
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Ms. Patricia Suarez de Sola Kafie ‘84
Patricia is living in Honduras and has a 16-year-old son.
Mr. Sherwin Mena ‘85
Sherwin and his wife recently celebrated the birth of their daughter,
Camryn Sophia Mena.
Mr. John McWicker ‘85
John is now retired after completing over 20 years of active duty
with the United States Air Force.
Melissa Jones ‘85
Melissa has two children: Madison, 4, and Kyle, 1.
Mrs. Kimberly Hall Costley ‘85
Kimberly has two children: Tristan, 5, and Ashley, 3.
Mr. Tamir Keshen ‘85
Tamir and his wife adopted a baby girl, Kendall, 9-months-old, in
November. Their son, Nathan was born March 21, 2006.
Ms. Fiona Howe Rudin ‘86
Fiona has two sons, ages 7 and 4.
Mrs. Terri Alpert Zarillo ‘86
Teri was elected partner at a law firm in Jaunuary 2006. Her
daughter was born March 2004 and her son was born March 2003.
Mr. Jeffrey Kaplan ‘86
Jeff and his family have moved to Connecticut.
Mr. Robert Kaplan ‘86
Rob has moved to Los Angeles, California, and works for
Distractions Entertainment Company.
Mr. Mark Cooper ‘86
Mark opened a civil engineering firm called Blackhawk Engineering
as well as a geotechnical firm called Soils Sediment and
Subsurface, Inc.
Mr. Tim Cecconi ‘86
T.J. is senior vice president of Sungard Data Systems, an IT disaster
recovery company. He is in charge of the healthcare group and sets
up emergency information systems in times of disaster.
Ms. Gloria Lara ‘87
Gloria’s first son, Desmond Oliver FitzGerald, was born on December
16, 1994, and her second son, Hernán FitzGerald, was born
September 21, 2006.
Mr. Darren Gordon ‘87
Gordon was married in May 2005 and has a baby boy, Eli Alexander,
born in April 2006.
Mr. Nicholas Stoetzer ‘87
Nick is a licensed public insurance adjuster specializing in art
related claims.
Ms. Razelle Cogen ‘87
Razelle started medical school in August 2006.
Amy, Ashley, and Jeff Baxter ‘84
Johanna, daughter of David and Conn
Ernsberger ‘86
Deepa Sharma ‘97 and husband Dev
Drew Gardner ‘97
Summer and Sunshine Singleton, daughters of Sylvia
Pina Singleton ‘86
Bella and Logan, children of
Michelle Rubel Winick ‘84
Mr. Juan Morillo ‘87
Juan is a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, an international law firm in
Washington, D.C. He specializes in white collar work and civil
litigation. He and his wife Ruth have been married for seven years
and have a 17-month-old son named Mateo Gaston.
Mr. David Moret ‘87
David is vice president of Continental Real Estate Corporation in
Miami, Florida, and specializes in the acquisition, development, and
sale of commercial properties.
Mr. Christian Perks ‘87
Christian’s second child, Andrew Robert Perks, was born
October 18, 2005.
Mr. Jason Smith ‘87
Jason visited Gulliver on Career Day and spoke about the real estate
market.
nie Papazikos
Marion Shur Hardwick ‘03 with her family
Fernanda Pinzon '94, with her daughter, Gabriela Espitia
Pinzon
Erika and Swapnil Shah ‘94 with their sons
Zoe, daughter of Dimitri and Becca Madan Kollaras'87
Natalie and Eric Sidor ‘96
Mark Cooper ‘86 and his wife
Patricia Kafie Suarez '84 and son
Children of Peter Dreyfuss ‘88
Lauren Bartel, daughter of Cathy and Jeff Bartel ‘84
Lucien Jacquemin ‘00 with Dolphin Cheerleaders
Arleen Rosenthal, Susan Rydz '04, and Linda Fitzgerald
Carolina Buia ‘94 with her twin girls
Ms. Amanda Burke Buckley ‘87
Amanda’s son, J. Patrick Buckley IV was born on August 23, 2005.
Ms. Katrina Foster lvarez ‘88
Katrina and Santiago Alvarez have two sons: Santiago-Jac, 2, and
newborn, Sebastian Michael.
Mr. Christopher Derks ‘88
Chris is a special agent with the F.B.I. in Dallas, Texas. He
specializes in white collar crime and recently visited Gulliver on
Career Day. He and his wife are expecting their first child.
Dr. Eric Valladares ‘88
Eric’s two daughters just enrolled at Gulliver: Erica, Sr-K, and
Gabriella, Jr-K.
Mrs. Marie Leon ‘88
Marie’s ad agency has grown from four to 14 people in two years.
She has twin boys, Marcos and Lucas, and a newborn, Rocco.
Mr. Matthew Sullivan ‘88
Matt has two sons: Matty, 4, and Lucas, 2.
Mr. Maurice Gabay ‘89
After appearing in several films, Maurice recently took a position as
producer/director of a small independent film studio.
Mr. Andres Restrepo ‘89
Andres’ second son, Christopher Michael Restrepo, was born August
25, 2006. Big brother Carlos Andres is very happy!
1990s
Dr. Federico Grande ‘90
Federico and his wife Annette are expecting twin boys.
Ms. Melissa Mazzotta ‘90
In addition to her real estate school in downtown Miami, Florida,
Melissa has opened a full service real estate company called
Metropolitan Brokers.
Dr. Frances Ramos ‘90
Frances received her Ph.D., and is the assistant professor in the
history department of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western
Michigan University.
Mrs. Trisha Bonilla ‘90
Trisha and her family have moved to Austin, Texas.
Ms. Allison Estes Browne ‘90
Allison has three sons, ages 10, 9, and 7 months.
Mr. Joshua Scheiner ‘90
Josh and his wife of eight years, Katherine, have two daughters;
ages 2 and 1. They live in Weston, Florida.
Ms. Kelly Gomez ‘91
Kelly announced her engagement to Jeff Messett at her mother’s
retirement party.
Mrs. Katherine Galindez Yannucci ‘91
Katherine has a yellow English Labrador puppy named Zen.
Mr. George Earle ‘92
Geordie and his wife Michelle have two sons: Jack Edward Earle, 3,
and James Patrick Earle, 1.
Continues on the next page
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37
Ms. Christine Wassall Brennan ‘92
Christine is engaged to Donald Viehl and will be married in June
2007.
Mrs. Jennifer Gilbert Cohen ‘92
Jennifer celebrated the birth of her son, Aidan Michael Cohen, born
July 12, 2006.
Ms. Bianca Solorzano ‘92
Bianca left MSNBC and has been named a New York City-based
correspondent for CBS News.
Mr. Constantine Scurtis ‘92
Constantine has two sons: C. Jonathan, 2, and Kristian J., 1.
Ms. Alixandra Hayes ‘92
Alix is an on-air reporter for NBC10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Christopher Green ‘92
Christopher and his wife Jennifer have a daughter, Caroline, and a
newborn daughter, Catherine.
Mrs. Ines Apolo-Rodriguez ‘93
Ines and her husband celebrated the birth of their daughter, October
2006.
Mr. Armando Rouco ‘93
Armando went to Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Infantry.
Ms. Mara Menachem Karlinsky ‘94
Mara and her husband have two children: Neal, 3, and Liam, 1.
Mrs. Andrea Rubin ‘94
Andrea and her husband Brian celebrated the birth of their daughter
Ella Sophia on June 18, 2006.
Ms. Fernanda Pinzon ‘94
Fernanda and her husband German Espina celebrated the birth of
their daughter Gabriela on May 18, 2006.
Ms. Debra Rostorfer ‘94
Deb is in her first year as a teacher.
Mr. and Mrs. Swapnil Shah ‘94
Swapnil and his wife Erika celebrated the birth of their third child,
Maya.
Ms. Beatriz Llorente ‘94
Betty’s nephew, Nicholas Llorente, enrolled at Gulliver this past
summer.
Ms. Benita De Mirza ‘94
Benita has received her D.M.D. from Tufts University and will
graduate with a specialty in pediatric dentistry from Boston
University in 2007.
Ms. Marisa Roy ‘94
Marisa’s first child was born November 2006.
Mr. Christopher Kavalir ‘94
Chris was married on July 9, 2005.
Mr. Timothy Heatley ‘94
Tim married Laura Apy on March 19, 2006.
Mr. Briton Bischoff ‘95
Brit is attending Duke University’s School of Business.
Mrs. Cara Bernabo Araujo-Coller ‘95
Cara married long-time friend Joshua Coller. Her son is 3 and she is
expecting her second child.
38
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Mr. Ethan Shapiro ‘95
Ethan married Amy Heller at Central Synagogue in New York City in
October 2006.
Mr. Daniel Gonzalez ‘95
Daniel recently celebrated his third year as an associate with the
law firm of Meland, Russin, and Russin, specializing in corporate
bankrupty and commercial litigation.
Mr. Ricardo Sarille ‘95
Rick is working in sales for preconstruction development for
“Nautica on the River,” on the Miami River, in Miami, Florida.
Dr. Benjamina Brown Rowe ‘95
Benjamina and her husband recently welcomed the birth of their
son.
Ms. Joanie Leibowitz ‘96
Joanie has started a business singing and playing guitar at
children’s birthday parties. She also writes children’s music. Visit
her website at www.citykidmusic.com.
Mr. Brian Sharpe ‘96
Brian is married to Leslie Press.
Mrs. Jessica Garcia Arteaga ‘96
Jessica was married in June 2004 and celebrated the birth of her
son on July 21, 2006.
Ms. Barbra Galdo ‘96
Barbara will marry Albert Ondis III, from Rhode Island, on March 17,
2007.
Mr. Mark Swartz ‘96
Mark visited Gulliver on Career Day and spoke about music
production.
Mrs. Laura Dalmau Maldonado ‘96
Laura was married in 2004. She started a foundation to help young
women battling breast cancer after losing a very close friend to
cancer.
Mr. Drew Gardner ‘97
Drew has published a novella, The Sands of Erebus. Find out more
on his website: http://www.publishedauthors.net/sands/index.html.
Mr. Gregg Safinski ‘97
Gregg graduated from flight school in April 2006 and is currently a
UH-1N Huey light attack pilot for the United States Marine Corps.
Mr. Michael Winkleman ‘97
Mike recently became engaged to Claudia Lipton.
Mr. Federico Pedroletti ‘97
Fred graduated from dental school in 2006. He is a first-year
resident of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Broward General
Hospital.
Ms. Maria Isabel Rosso ‘97
Maria is in her second-year residency at Children’s Hospital in New
Orleans, Louisiana. She will marry Dr. Paul Gastañaduy in 2007.
Mr. John Zabalo ‘98
John is engaged to Lourdes Valdes.
Dr. Allyson Triana ‘98
Allyson is a registered pharmacist and is in residency.
Ms. Nina Thakkar ‘98
Nina is working on her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology at
Drexel University, College of Medicine followed by a pursuit of an
M.D. She will marry in July 2007.
Mr. David Concepcion ‘98
David is a political consultant for the Republican Party and
chairman of the Moder Charter Schools in Miami-Dade County.
Ms. Nicole Eichenwald Braghin ‘98
Nicole has opened a special events company called N Events in
Miami, Florida.
Ms. Caridad Sola ‘98
Caridad recently graduated from Parsons School of Design in New
York City with a M.F.A. She is currently showing at the
Schweinfurth Art Center where her work as won Best of Show. She
is now pursuing another master’s degree in construction engineering
and management from Columbia University and a master’s degree
in real estate development from New York University while earning
her license in architecture.
Ms. Allison Newbauer ‘99
Allison works as a legal assistant at a law firm in Coral Gables,
Florida.
Mr. Patrick Anderson ‘99
Patrick married Catalina Barrera on March 18, 2006. They live in St.
Petersburg, Florida, where they they purchased a new home.
Ms. Shandra Colzie ‘99
Shandra is currently pursuing her master’s degree in educational
leadership to become a school administrator/district administrator.
Mrs. Megan Simmons Sapp ‘99
Megan welcomed the birth of her beautiful daughter, Grace in
August 2005. She says she loves being a mother.
Mr. Tyler Schwartz ‘99
Tyler is in his second year at the University of Virginia, where he is
pursuing a master’s degree in urban planning. He is engaged to
Norma Perez and their wedding is scheduled for January 5, 2007, at
Deering Estate.
2000s
Mr. Matthew Reininger ‘00
Matt recently became a high school social studies instructor at
American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida.
Mr. Brian Dosal ‘00
Brian moved back to Miami in November 2005 to work in the family
business after two years at IBM.
Mr. Allan Medina ‘00
Allan will be graduating from American University, Washington
College of Law in May 2007.
Mr. Jeffrey Elkin ‘00
Jeff Elkin is the owner of Dope Quotes clothing company. He
designs and manufactures custom urban clothing.
Mr. Lucien Jacquemin ‘00
Lucien, a.k.a. D.J. Entice, is an international D.J. and works for
WEDR radio JAMZ. Lucien is the official D.J. for the Miami Dolphins
at Pro Player Stadium.
Mr. Raul Placeres ‘00
Raul is the new assistant Boy’s Basketball coach for GatlinburgPittman High School. He also is a Spanish interpreter for the Sevier
County School System in Tennessee.
Ms. Diana Bartomeu ‘00
Diana has been promoted to the position of account executive.
Ms. Laura Diaz-Jane ‘01
Laura began pharmocology school at Nova Southeastern University in
September 2006.
Mr. Manuel Lopez ‘01
Manuel was part of the first class of Hispanic students to receive a
McNight Fellowship from the Florida Education Fund for the pursuit
of doctoral studies.
Ms. Danica K. Howanitz ‘01
Danica will marry Adrian Peters in November 2007.
Ms. Lindsay Krell ‘01
Lindsay graduated from the University of New Orleans with a B.A. in
psychology in December 2005. She bagan a doctorate of psychology
program at Nova Southeastern University in August 2006.
Ms. Juliana Taboada ‘02
Juliana resides n Colombia, South America, where she is studying
law at the Universidad de los Andes.
Mr. Christopher Avila ‘02
Christopher is currently pursuing a master’s in international relations
at Florida International University.
Ms. Crystal Cook ‘02
Crystal is a business major at the University of Georgia.
Mr. Fernando Alvarez ‘02
Fernando is in law school after graduating from the University of
Miami with a B.A. in English, philosphy, and business law. He was
on the National Dean’s List from 2002-2006. Currently, he is an
intern for Congresswoman Ileana Ross-Lehtinen and the state
Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Mariana Zanotti ‘03
Mariana is attending Tulane University and is the student director of
orientation for new students.
Ms. Misogi Abe ‘04
Mimi has opened a modern Japenese restaurant called Yuga in Coral
Gables, Florida. Her sister operates Lan Pan in Dadeland Station and
their parents run Izakaya in Coral Gables.
Mr. David Alvarez ‘04
David was on the National Honor Roll from 2001-2004. He is a
junior at the University of Miami majoring in English and motion
pictures/film studies. He directed, produced, and edited a number
of independent films including a documentary about Elian Gonzalez.
He also has collaborated with the artist Pitbull and has an entry in
the 48-Hour Film Festival.
Ms. Elena Escalona ‘04
Elena is attending St. Francis College in New York and is pursuing a
major in international cultural studies and a minor in philosophy. She
participated in an internship with Sunsglow Organization, which
specializes in global law in developing countries. She also is a starter
on the Water Polo team for St. Francis College.
Ms. Courtney Engelke ‘04
Courtney raised over $10,000 for breast cancer awareness and
education, as the Zeta Tau Alpha fundraising chair.
Mr. Jonathan Rakofsky ‘04
Jon was on Emory University’s Dean’s List for the fall 2004 and
spring 2005 semesters. He also is a member of the National Society
of Collegiate Scholars. When he is not studying, he is an emergency
medical technician in Atlanta, Georgia.
Andrew Lenoir ‘05
Andrew spent part of his summer sailing with his sister Dana around
the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador on a sailing vessel
called the Beagle. They swam with penguins, turtles, sea iguanas,
and sharks. Luckily, both Andrew and Dana left Quito before the
volcano erupted. Andrew is now back home and is taking a
chemistry class at the University of Miami.
ALUMNI UPDATE
Upcoming
Alumni Events*
Check the alumni section of Gulliver’s website
(www.gulliverschools.org) for more information.
Alumni Basketball
January 20, 2007
Calling all ballers! Come play with your friends and past
teammates and cheer on the girls and boys teams later
at Ransom Everglades. Come and meet the players and
cheer them onto victory. Lunch and goodies will follow.
Alumni Social
February 28, 2007
We will be holding our traditional alumni social evening at
Scotty’s Landing.
New York Reunion Evening
T.B.A.
For the many alumni who have moved up to the
northeastern U.S., the Alumni Association will be hosting a
reunion evening in New York City in April 2007.
Alumni Networking
Alex Acosta ‘86 with Linda Fitzgerald and Laura Keepax ‘85
R. Alex Acosta ‘86
On June 9, 2006, Alex was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District. The Southern District comprises 15,197 square
miles and extends along more than 300 miles of coastline from Key
West in the South to Vero Beach in the North. The District has
approximately six million people and covers nine separate counties:
Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian
River, Okeechobee, and Highlands.
Blake Ross ‘03
The University of Miami, School of Education welcomed
Blake, cofounder of the Firefox web browser, to the
University of Miami when he spoke at the Storer Auditorium
at the School of Business Administration in October.
The Gulliver Alumni Association is developing a business network online.
Check our website for more information.
If you are interested in offering internships to our current students or alumni in college, please
contact us with details at keel@gulliverschools.org.
T.B.A.
Come and bring your business cards to our networking
social. Meet your fellow alumni and share your
professional expertise. What better way to get business
connections in real estate, finance, commercial services,
etc., than from you classmates and friends? Enjoy
complimentary food and drinks and good friends.
Ocean Reef Get-Away Weekend
August 3-5, 2007
Our annual get-away weekend at Ocean Reef will begin on
the evening of August 3, 2007, and last until August 5,
2007. Come down for the day or the whole weekend for
lots of fun and games. Meet old friends or make new ones.
Last year we had over 200 alumni in attendance!
*All events are subject to change.
Photography
In Focus Studios
Design
John Keepax
the atrium -
winter 2006
Printing
Jes Graphic
Resources
39
a selection of
student art
“A Gentle Gardener” by senior Olimpia Martinotti
Gulliver Schools
Office of Communications and Public Relations
6575 North Kendall Drive
Pinecrest, Florida 33156
“How Does Your Garden Garden Grow” by eighth grader Ana Koff
Non-Profit Org.
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