Alumni

‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” -Albert Einstein

When I left Kimberton Waldorf, I came away with a strong foundation in creativity. Creativity proved most useful for teaching English in Japan. My first job after college was teaching English to kindergarteners, high-school and hotel-school students, housewives, police, and medical residents at the Sendai YMCA, a community center with six schools. Once we covered the required textbook material, we played language games and held freestyle conversations and discussions. We gathered for Japanese food at friends’ homes and sipped tea in traditional tea houses with darling tiny gardens on Ichibancho. We hiked Izumigatake, a gentle mountain (easily accessed by bus!) with fantastic views. YMCA friends and I attended Japanese festivals and traveled by train to see historic places and museums. We performed skits for the YMCA Christmas party. We enjoyed oysters in Matsushima, one of the loveliest places in the northeast. I saw Romeo & Juliet performed in Sendai dialect, as well as a traditional Noh play.  In Tokyo I saw the most amazing Hamlet:  Hamlet, a woman samurai, sang her soliloquies to a jazz quartet. My friend’s father was a calligrapher at such a high level of mastery, he was known as “a national treasure.” Japanese genuinely appreciate the arts! I spent pleasant afternoons in a Zen temple garden, writing letters.

While I taught full-time at the YMCA English School, I also taught English conversation part-time at Tohoku Gakuin University, the sister school of Ursinus College.  In 1991 I fulfilled my two-year YMCA contract and could now teach full-time at Gakuin. Here I did not need to use a textbook! Here I could create my own method of teaching, and I remember the exact moment when I came up with the idea of a learning environment. I was riding in a bus, and I thought—like Dr. Montessori’s method—I could create a whole-language learning environment within which students were free to choose what to learn. I set up my classroom in the university audio-visual center, where each student had a tape player. I provided each student an English-English dictionary. My learning environment included fifty books-on-tape of a variety of levels. There were newspapers and news magazines, as well as Simon & Garfunkel and The Beatles. Students listened to the song and filled in the blanks on my worksheet for the lyrics. In the same class I had students who were so shy they could barely introduce themselves to students who had lived abroad and were fluent English speakers. During the class, I was available for conversations with students who were ready to practice speaking. I remember one favorite topic was ghost stories. We also talked about current events and students’ hopes and dreams for the future. The students who were not speaking with me were listening to and following along in a book, writing their questions. I answered the questions in writing and returned papers the following week. Grades were based on attendance and effort, and I deducted points for sleeping during my class. Japanese college students are famous for sleeping during class and learning material just for the final exam. My class was workshop style with no final exam. Everyone worked independently and focused on reading, writing, listening to, and speaking English without textbooks and without Japanese dictionaries.

That was thirty-four years ago. Teaching English in Japan was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I stayed for six years. The memories sustain me and every now and then I’ll look through a photo album. Each time I came home on holiday, I brought some handsome object with me:  lacquer ware, ceramics, textiles, iron work. I still exchange letters, birthday cards, and email with Japanese friends. Someday I’ll return to Japan to visit friends and see how Sendai has changed.

YMCA English School, kindergarten front row, elementary to junior high, 1990

Izumigatake

Tohoku Gakuin students, staff, and their families, 1992

With YMCA Staff, 1989

Mt. Kurikoma in Iwate Prefecture

Kindergarten class and teachers from YMCA, 1990

Tell us about your journey since KWS.

After I graduated from Kimberton in 2017, I attended Sarah Lawrence College where I concentrated in Creative Writing and Classics (ancient Greek and Latin language, literature, and philosophy.) I studied abroad briefly in Bath, England While at Sarah Lawrence, I fell in love with the ancient Greek language and decided to pursue study at a graduate level, and I started a Master’s degree in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at Brandeis University in the Fall of 2021. I wrote my graduate thesis on satirical and sincere interpretations of Plato’s Republic, focusing on receptions of a particular strain of twentieth-century political thought and its dialogue with a contemporary speculative fiction series. Now, I am a Fulbright finalist, headed to Cork, Ireland, where I will attend University College Cork for a Master’s degree in Creative Writing. My project focuses on writing a poetry and prose collection about the Banshee (the Irish death messenger) and other wailing women and death messengers from the cultures that comprise my ethnic and intellectual identity.  

How did KWS prepare you for what you are doing today?

Kimberton prepared me to be an independent and interesting thinker in the world. The amount of freedom that Kimberton granted me to pursue my own interests within the boundaries of the curriculum (allowing me to pursue an independent study in my junior year to work on my novel, offering me an avenue during my senior project to write and publish a book of short stories and poetry) allowed me to learn to play to my own strengths and to always engage my deep sense of creativity and imagination. 

Describe a memory at KWS that particularly stands out.

It is hard to pick a favorite Kimberton memory. I cherish so many of them. The class of 2017’s tenth grade play, Euripides’ Hippolytus, kickstarted my deep and abiding love of Greek tragedy. I translated that play for my undergraduate senior thesis and it is a myth that has stuck with me for many years. It became one of my lifelong literary obsessions. I adored my senior year humanities seminar as well: it was the first place where I encountered Plato. Mostly, though, my greatest Kimberton memories are of a certain kind of stillness and quiet, whenever I was given free reign to write and read and to learn in my own way. Springtime at Kimberton was my favorite time of year.

What would you like to tell current KWS Students (about your studies, about your post-school experience, or general advice)?

In terms of general life advice: never lose your sense of wonder or curiosity. It is the best thing that Waldorf gave me. Do what you love, as often as you can. Dream big, make things.

Kimberton Waldorf School has always been dedicated to nurturing students’ holistic development and providing them with a foundation for lifelong learning. It fills us with pride to see alumni continue to thrive and make a positive impact on the world. We are delighted to share the inspiring journeys of two remarkable KWS alumni, Anna Sheik and Rebecca Frankel, as they embark on exciting adventures in pursuit of higher education and cultural exploration.

Anna Sheik’s Fulbright Journey:
Anna Sheik, a proud graduate of the KWS Class of 2018, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Mexico next year. Anna recently completed her thesis, titled “Bridging the Gap: Malinche Reimagined in Mexico and the Borderlands 1960-1987,” at Oberlin College. Her research delves into the cultural and historical significance of Malinche, a controversial figure in Mexican history, and explores how she is portrayed in literature and art. Anna’s dedication to cultural understanding and her passion for education make her a perfect fit for this Fulbright opportunity, where she will undoubtedly inspire her students with her knowledge and enthusiasm.

Rebecca Frankel’s Path to Ireland:

A member of the KWS Class of 2017, Rebecca is embarking on a captivating journey to Ireland that builds upon her impressive academic pursuits. After graduating from Kimberton, she attended Sarah Lawrence College, where she concentrated in Creative Writing and Classics, immersing herself in the study of ancient Greek and Latin language, literature, and philosophy. During her time at Sarah Lawrence, Rebecca’s passion for the ancient Greek language flourished, leading her to pursue further studies at a graduate level. In the Fall of 2021, she began her Masters degree in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at Brandeis University, where she wrote an exceptional graduate thesis on satirical and sincere interpretations of Plato’s Republic, exploring the dialogues between twentieth-century political thought and contemporary speculative fiction series.

Rebecca is now set to attend University College Cork in Ireland for a Masters degree in Creative Writing. Her project focuses on crafting a poetry and prose collection centered around the Banshee, the Irish death messenger, and other wailing women and death messengers from the cultures that shape her ethnic and intellectual identity. This endeavor intertwines her love for folklore studies with her personal connection to ethnic and genetic mythological history, promising an intense and compelling poetic exploration of the national mythologies surrounding the banshee.

Rebecca’s recent accomplishment includes passing her Master’s thesis at Brandeis University with the highest honors. Titled “Plato’s Republic: Satirical and Sincere Philosophical and Literary Interpretations,” her thesis showcases her exceptional academic prowess and her ability to engage deeply with philosophical and literary works. As she embarks on her Fulbright journey, Rebecca brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experiences gained from her time at Kimberton.

Of her time at Kimberton, Rebecca shares “Kimberton prepared me to be an independent and interesting thinker in the world. The amount of freedom granted me to pursue my own interests within the boundaries of the curriculum (allowing me to pursue an independent study in my junior year to work on my novel, offering me an avenue during my senior project to write and publish a book of short stories and poetry) allowed me to learn to play to my own strengths and to always engage my deep sense of creativity and imagination.”

As we celebrate the achievements of Anna Sheik and Rebecca Frankel, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for their future endeavors. Their journeys and goals exemplify the values of Kimberton Waldorf School. We are immensely proud of all our alumni who continue to create positive change and make a difference in the world.

By Jonathan Steckel, Class of 1996

Life for me after Kimberton Waldorf School in 1996 was focused on studying at Oberlin college and playing sports.  I felt like I had to find an area of study that I was passionate and excited about and that would lead me on a career path towards the ability to earn a good salary to support my desire to travel and eat well.  My first year at Oberlin was dedicated to playing varsity soccer and lacrosse with less focus on taking the standard prerequisite classes.  I felt lost with no class subjects or idea of what I wanted to study pulling me forward.  I pushed through the academic system last minute a one-year study abroad in Bologna through Brown University and spent my second year of college in Italy.  I studied Italian literature, architecture, and history at the University of Bologna, but spent most of the year traveling around Italy and emerging myself in the culture.  That year I met my current wife, Francesca, that lead me down a path of a lifelong connection to Italy and Europe’s culture.  My third year of college at Oberlin after my year abroad exposed me to Chemistry and Physics and everything clicked.  I was excited to study and dive deeper and I had found an area of study that pulled me in and allowed me to explain the physical world I saw around me.  I worked hard and threw all my energy and passion towards chemistry for my remaining time at Oberlin, which lead to a PhD in chemistry at MIT in Boston that started in 2001.

MIT challenged me like nothing I had ever experienced previously in my life.  Once I understood how to leverage all the resources around me and ask for help from all the amazing people working by my side, I started to thrive.  My first year was miserable and I almost quit and walked away several times.  I’m thankful I had Francesca there with me encouraging me and forcing me to continue in the toughest moments.  After all the grueling classroom work and cumulative exams in the first two years, the lab work focused on the development of a new class of materials called quantum dots was great fun.  In close collaboration with a professor in the electrical engineering department, we made new types of light-emitting devices (LEDs) using thin films of these semiconductor nanoparticles or quantum dots (QDs).  We made infrared emitting devices, red, green, and blue emitting devices for displays, and developed a new way of fabricating and patterning these light emitters, which led to several patents and publications and ultimately to us founding a company called QD Vision.

At QD Vision we commercialized the world’s first solid state light bulbs containing QD materials in 2010 and then in 2013 we commercialized the world’s first TVs containing QDs with Sony in their Bravia line.  The company was sold to Samsung in 2016 and was the basis for all the current QLED and QD-OLED TVs and monitors currently made by every display company in the world.  QD Vision was not a financial success for me personally, but it was a huge technological success that propelled my career significantly forward.  I joined Apple in Cupertino after my time at QD Vision and for many years worked on developing new display and sensor technologies based on quantum dot materials.  The sensor projects brought me to Europe frequently, where eventually I found a way to move to permanently by taking a new role at STMicroelectronics located in Grenoble, France.  I’m now a Fellow and Director of Advanced Technology in the imaging division at ST, where I have a very dynamic role working to commercialize a new QD image sensor technology that I have been working on for many years.

I’ve worked hard and had a lot of success in my career to date and am recognized as one of world’s top experts in quantum dot materials and devices, displays, and now sensors.  I give several invited talks and seminars at large technical conferences every year and I also try to give back to the community and do a lot of volunteer work.  I do guest editorial work, participate in several technical conference committees, and provide my guidance and advice to many startups as well as large companies in the US and here in Europe.  

Moving permanently from Silicon Valley to Europe 4 years ago was a very deliberate decision we made based on our desire to live a more balanced lifestyle, where quality of life is prioritized over career, where good food and local cuisine is prioritized over profits, and where the cost of living is more reasonable.  More vacation time and significantly better work life balance has provided so much more free time for me to spend with my family and begin to explore a key component in a balanced and happy life, which I’ve come to believe is building and creating with our hands.  As time passed since my days at Kimberton Waldorf school, I could feel that this was an important piece of life that was missing for me.  I started to feel the need to make stuff with my hands and to create and build things in my free time.  This brought me a sense of accomplishment and contentment as one idea sprouted and turned into a physical reality that we could use in our house or share with others.  For me this unfolded over the past several years in the form of woodworking as I took on more practical projects for the house like cabinets and shelves to more creative projects like carving fish with my daughter.  I’m now in the process of continuing to build out a more serious wood shop in our house and to take on more challenging builds of furniture and artistic pieces.

I’ve come to believe that all of us need to spend some amount of time expressing a little creativity and using our hands to build or create.  Some people turn to playing music, others to painting, and in my case, it was woodworking that filled this missing piece in my life and brought back a sense of contentment and peace.  I was lucky to attend Waldorf school from 2^nd to 12^th grade where we spent so much of our time crafting and making with our hands.  I now understand why and believe that this aspect of life is one of the most important for us to engage in regularly throughout our lives to give us a sense of wholeness and feel complete inside.

Neomi Haut, Kimberton Waldorf School Class of 2013

Looking back, middle school feels like a blur of hikes, dodgeball games, campsite stories, eurythmy shenanigans and many playdates. As an adult with a new baby of my own, I have the privilege of watching him discover new wonders daily, and it brings a new appreciation for all the magical experiences I was able to have as a child at Kimberton Waldorf School. One experience that I always looked forward to as a student was when Santa Lucia and her helpers (all played by students), made their way through the school singing a beautiful hymn and handing out cookies. Whatever class we were in at the time, there was always a magical pause as the procession made their way through the classroom. As an 11th grader, it felt full circle when I got to wear the candle crown and be Santa Lucia for the day, followed by the sweet second graders, which happened to be my brother’s class! I cherish my time at Kimberton, and look forward to one day hearing about my own child’s experiences at such a special school.  

Tim Foster, Kimberton Farms School Class of 1983

As I get older, I find myself thinking more and more about that for which I am grateful. While I was only at Kimberton for grades 6 through 9, the experience changed my life. It cultivated my love of the natural world, my curiosity, my sense of self and place, and my feelings about the power of community and shared traditions. I believe educational experiences are defined by the people who surround you, and in the case of KFS, I was spoiled by the people who were my classmates and those who were my teachers within and beyond the classroom. 

At the center of it all, really the curator of our educations, was Miss (then) Deborah Miller. She was extraordinary. She had such high standards and yet she met each of us where we were. And given who we were and where we were, this was no small feat! I will forever remember turning in my first main lesson book, and Miss Miller telling me that I would need to do it again. A DO-OVER?!? This, coupled with a big dose of encouragement along the way, was the impetus for me wanting to do my best work—in the classroom and then in my places of work and even in my own vegetable garden in Maine (with a big assist from the lessons of Mr. Eberle). The shared community values and the many teachers who took a personal interest in me made me want to be my best self. 

When I was in elementary school in New York, I dropped a building block on a classmate’s head. My teacher told my mother I would never go to college. Kimberton changed all that for me, and I am forever grateful.

Michelle Popowsky Spring, Kimberton Farms School Class of 1973

Kimberton’s recent catchphrase, “The Art of Education,” perfectly sums up my experience there. Emphasis on “The Art.” Nearly every memory I have of the school and its people centers around their appreciation for the arts, their talent for inspiring art, and their desire to infuse the artistic impulse into every aspect of school life. I didn’t know how to write before Dr. Noer and Mr. Brossene trained me. More significant, they taught me how to find my own inspiration. Mrs. Kimmich’s lectures on art and art history were perfectly illuminating and demonstrated to me the immense power of the visual arts. And after a particularly lively main lesson with Mr. Stone, Parzival became my spirit guide for life! 

I carried this emphasis on the arts with me throughout my further education and career. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Barnard College of Columbia University with a major in literature. After years working in book publishing in New York City, I ventured to Washington DC to write speeches for a U.S. Senator. Most recently, I communicate to others my love for art as a Docent at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. 

Alumni Spotlight Iona Bruckner ‘99, By Sarah Courtney Tudor ‘98 

Iona attended KWS from early childhood and graduated in the class of 1999. Always the artist, she was seen frequently with charcoal smudges on her fingers and her trademark paint brush or pointed sticks tying up her white-blond hair. “Free spirit” may have been a familiar descriptor, but she surprised many of her peers when she revealed her incredible focus and passion for the more buttoned-up title of “Architect” for her career. 

I had the privilege of attending high school and college with Iona where I saw her throw herself wholly into her passions. She was the first person that came to mind when I thought of doing an alumni spotlight for this month.  

Here’s a brief recap of what Iona’s been up to since KWS. She graduated with a B.A. in Architecture from Bennington and went on to receive her Masters of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. She then spent 2 and a half years as an Architecture Intern at the Philadelphia firm Re:Vision. From there, she went on to teach at Philadelphia University as an Adjunct Professor of Architecture, focusing on Sustainable Technologies in Architecture.  

Iona’s first big project was a dream job for her. She had always loved art spaces, having spent so much time at Bennington’s award-winning art space, VAPA (for Visual and Performing Arts) as a college student. She jumped at the chance to work at a new Performing Arts school with a big International Firm in Houston. The final project was 5 stories tall and a full city block in size, housing music, creative writing, and visual and performing arts. 

Projects these days are a bit more intimate for Iona. She is a busy mom of 2 young boys and she focuses her efforts on a small boutique firm of about 20-30 architects. She is still drawn to designing schools, theaters, art facilities, and churches. Her current project is a 3-story facility of studios with ceramics and digital arts.  

Iona is known for her concept sketches that resolve complex problems in unique ways. She attributes much of this out-of-the-box thinking to her time at Kimberton. “As Waldorf students, we were very used to considering the big picture, and, in many ways, Architecture is the ideal pursuit for a Waldorf student. You are quite adept at pre-visualizing solutions where nothing has existed before.” 

For example, on a recent project, she was presented with only a site map.  The main feature of the landscape was a hill. In this case, she had to pre-visualize which direction the building would face. Of all submissions, her model was chosen because of how the building interacts with the landscape. This is something 12th-grade classes consider in-depth during their History through Architecture block and on their trip to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Fallingwater.”

When asked about what she appreciates most when looking back at her school experience at KWS, Iona remarks how lucky we were to learn and exist in beautifully thought-out spaces where the human experience was considered and we could be surrounded by art and beauty.  She also values the big picture and interdisciplinary approaches to learning.  It’s no surprise that Iona often looks at larger social issues in her work through the lens of her art form. As a Community Designer, Iona facilitated discussions on Design Justice through Community Engagement and Social Justice through Community Design. She continues to look at her work from all angles and will be forever inspired by how people live, work, and interact with the spaces she designs. 

Producer, songwriter, manager, entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed “Waldorf lifer” Jeremy Skaller ’90 (TWS) sat down with John Graham ’97 (KWS Alumni Association) for a conversation about artistic decisions, meaningful musical experiences, and why failing uphill is the only way to live. A piano player turned Producer,  Skaller started his songwriting career as a founding member of several bands. Later, he became a successful entrepreneur in the music industry as a co-founder of Orange Factory Music (OFM), the production team that brought Cash Money Records and Cultural Icon, the artist Jay Sean to the forefront of the global musical stage. OFM has also produced, remixed and/or written for many artists including Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Yoko Ono, and Fabulous. To date, as a Publisher, Producer, Manager, Writer and Label owner, Jeremy via his companies The Heavy Group and Orange Factory Music, has sold over 75 million records worldwide. 

In the mid-’70s to early ’80s Skaller attended Kimberton Waldorf School and then also attended Waldorf schools in Germany, Scotland, and Canada where he graduate from the Toronto Waldorf School in 1990. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

Your career has so many layers, so many stages, it’s as if you’ve already lived multiple career lifetimes. How and when did you get a big break? 

You know it’s funny, it’s kind of the opposite. I never got a big break really, it was always more about failing and learning from each failure. I like the idea of “failing uphill” because I think that accurately describes my life and career. Each loss only fueled me with the energy to continue walking upwards, or taught me a valuable lesson, not to be repeated (hopefully)… in that way, each failed moment has moved me “Uphill.” 

I will say that working really hard allowed me to be in the right place at the right time. I remember having the opportunity to work with Yoko Ono in the early 2000s, and of course, she was such a legend, it was extremely intimidating to be working with her. But at the same time, I learned from that experience that I have something to offer that even legends need; I found my place. But I also learned a lot from the experience of being completely dirt poor in New York City, and having to choose whether to buy a bagel and walk to the studio or forego breakfast to instead buy a bus ticket across town. It was either/or in those days and there was no external pressure, it was just me against the city. I had to put pressure on myself to get better and be better.  I had very supportive parents of course as well, and they probably wouldn’t have let me starve…but I never REALLY told them how dire it got at times.

But success did come, and you have the resume to show for it! Tell me how you look at success. 

You know, I’ve worked with big artists, and I’ve helped them be “commercially” successful for sure. But success for me is about being creative and helping other people be creative. It’s about making a difference through creative-to-creative empathy. Let me give you an example. When I was shopping for Jay Sean, an Indian singer from England, all the major US labels could not or would not commit to the idea of an Asian Popstar. It was too unknown, too risky (in their estimation). He didn’t fit the profile of what they thought could work in America. But together, along with him, we pushed harder because we knew deeply that the stereotypes and racial biases. in the Music Industry needed to be challenged, and now was the time. There had to be some representation and Jay was the one to start it. We finally found the right Label for Jay Sean (Cash Money/Republic Records), and he blew up because of talent, determination, and lots up Failing uphill moments…just because the industry wasn’t ready, doesn’t mean that the market wasn’t!  There are always ground-breaking artists, and Jay Sean is one of them. Jay is the first South Asian (or Asian of any kind) to have a #1 Billboard single in America. 

Tell me about your own journey into music as a child.

My father is a piano player, and I started playing at a young age. I was pretty serious about it for a while. I also had incredible musical experiences at Kimberton, from Kimberton onwards. My class teacher Gerry LeDolce challenged me to expand my comfort zone, so instead of just playing the usual Recorder, I played piccolo and then Alto, and finally the Bass recorder with the class. He intuitively knew that he needed to push me or I would have been bored. His insight is not lost on me 40 years later. Mrs. Karp was the orchestra teacher, and she was just amazing. I have so many memories of her. One of the most impactful was when I was supposed to play the song “Wish upon a star” on the piano for class recitals. I wanted to jazz it up of course… I was always pushing.  But instead of any of the other responses that many teachers might have given, I remember Mrs. Karp just being joyful at my desire to be a little disruptive and hence, creative. “Do it differently,” she told me, “I’ll support you.”  It’s those kinds of early support moments that give Creatives like me the confidence to do what I do now. I felt completely safe exploring my creativity. She also told me at one point, you’re not a French Horn player, you need a Trumpet in your hands. And she was right! She knew music, and she knew her students.

I also had incredible music teachers at Kimberton that encouraged creativity! How about musical experiences in your later years?

There were so many. But a couple of teachers really stand out. In Toronto, David Willkenson was my homeroom teacher and he didn’t just encourage me to learn guitar, he wanted to jam with me. I think that was the first time I started to see myself as an artist, not just a player. That level of support absolutely helped me feel safe to start writing songs, which in turn led to me starting some bands (most of which didn’t do much) and then finally having an actual career with my band Belizbeha. (We toured for years sometimes doing upwards of 150 shows per year for many years in a row!)  Also, my choir teacher in Toronto, Dorothy Haller is just a phenomenal musician. I mean really world-class. Instead of letting me sing in the bass section (which is where I wanted to be), she put me in the tenor section where I really had to learn to use my upper range. This was another “failing uphill” moment because I was pretty terrible as a tenor at first,  But that switch forced me to develop a muscle that I would not have otherwise developed. Mrs. Haller also knew, long before many others that my talk about becoming a Lawyer was nonsense. She knew, even before I did, what journey I was about to embark on.  

What else in your Waldorf experience informs your decision-making today as a music industry insider? 

I am a Waldorf lifer. I attended Waldorf schools all around the world, finally graduating from The Toronto Waldorf School. My parents were quite engaged with Anthroposophy, so I also experienced something of an immersive home life in that world.  

An important idea (certainly not an original one) that I often share, is that ”Art informs Art.” By that, I mean that our experiences with other art, informs and amplifies the creativity in our own sphere.  At Kimberton, like all Steiner schools, we had these sorts of artistic experiences on a daily basis. Painting, Handwork, Sculpture… etc. All of these artistic pathways served to inform me of where my music would eventually end up taking me.  They also allow you to see things from different angles and perspectives. For example, I find that I am well informed when talking about visuals (music videos or photo shoots) because I understand color and composition. It’s just inside me now. It’s that cumulative exposure to all of these arts as a child that gives me a level of comfort across so many mediums. 

Recently, there was a memorial zoom-gathering for Helge Rudolf, one of the founders of the Toronto Waldorf School, and almost everyone who attended brought a piece of handwork that they had created with her. I was so moved by this. The arts have a legitimate and positive physiological effect on us, that in my case they have helped me to remain healthy, mindful, and constantly evolving as a musician and as a result, also as a person. 

I recently caught up with my classmate Tobias Policha (class of 1997), who shared some reflections on how his education at Kimberton has influenced his life. John Graham, for the Alumni Association

John Graham: Tobias, you’ve led a fascinating life since our time as students at Kimberton. Where to begin? You’re working as an educator of botany and ecological science, can you tell me about that?

Tobias Policha: Well, after finishing my PhD research on orchid pollination in Ecuador, I began teaching here at the University of Oregon several years ago and I’m still here! I’ve just been promoted, and this coming year looks to be my most busy because a number of courses that I proposed to teach were accepted, so now I actually have to do the hard work to create them! But I love the process, I find it is one of the most creative things I do, putting together all of the course material in ways that are engaging and educational even for non-biology majors.

J.G.: What courses do you teach, and who are your students?

T.P.: I teach everyone! I have large undergraduate general education courses, I teach in the general biology series, upper division majors courses, graduate courses. Here are some of the names of the courses: Introduction to Ecology; Systematic Botany, Neotropical Ecology, Field Botany, and Plants and Society.

J.G.: Fascinating, I would love to take some of these courses. You are also an avid promoter and educator in community gardening. Do you still offer public workshops or engage with communities outside of your busy university commitments?

T.P.: Well the pandemic has thrown a wrench in everything, right? But yes, I still help organize the local Wildflower Festival at the local arboretum. I have taught several botany workshops for them too. I give presentations to whoever wants them, natural history societies, science pubs…. I volunteer at my local natural area, ecological restoration, that kind of thing.

J.G.: You published an incredible book, Las Plantas de Mindo: A guide to the cloud forest of the Andean Choco. Are you still involved with Ecuador? 

T.P.: As a matter of fact, I am planning a study abroad program for students to Ecuador to study biodiversity and tropical ecology. I was also part of a team that won a grant from National Geographic a couple of years ago to do a biological diversity study in Reserva Los Cedros because the area was being illegally targeted by the Canadian mining company Cornerstone Resources. Our findings were so incontrovertible that it turned into several lawsuits. They worked their way up through the appellate courts and last year I had to dust off my Spanish language skills to testify as an expert witness in front of the Ecuadorian Supreme Court on the case. We actually just heard that we won, which is kind of unbelievable considering the various power players involved.

J.G.: That is incredible! After high school you were a serious environmental activist. Now you’re a science professor and getting a new look at how to protect biodiversity in the face of destructive commercial forces. Did some of these impulses come from your education at Kimberton?

T.P.: Ha! Well if you remember, I was some kind of rebel in high school. We had a whole culture of questioning authority, which in those days was misdirected at our faculty, but in truth was all about developing critical thinking skills and the capacity to question and observe reality. I credit my friends for supporting me in those years, but I also credit Waldorf pedagogy and the courses that we took in literature with Susan Neumann and Mary Echlin and Tom Dews for forcing us to question and think about deeper social questions. 

J.G.: What else reminds you of your Waldorf education?

T.P.: I’ll tell you something from yesterday. We were taking our four year old son on a hike, which turned into a really long five-hour hike around a lake. Of course this was an epic voyage for our little guy, but he did it! The motivating factor for him were stories. I realized that if he was listening and engaged in a story, then he could walk all day, so I started telling stories. At first I wondered if I knew enough stories. But then I just started doing the same thing that I do in the classroom, which is describing plants and their relationships to their environments. Of course I made it more accessible for a pre-schooler, but essentially I was describing the environment that we were walking through, embellishing a little here and there with cameo appearances from mice or salamanders or ants. You know as well as I do that in Waldorf school, we were constantly learning through stories. It’s a way of seeing the world. It’s what I do now full time in my professional life, and yesterday I realized, it is also a big part of the way that I relate to my son and his expanding world.

Tobias Policha is a senior instructor in the biology department of the University of Oregon, teaching plant science, ecology, and environmental sustainability courses. He attended Kimberton Waldorf School from 1992-1996, ultimately graduating from the Toronto Waldorf School.