Justin graduated from Clairbourn in 2017 and attended Flintridge Preparatory School. He will be going to Boston College to study Business Entrepreneurship after taking a gap year.
He is very interested in a mission-driven approach to business, where business models are built around social responsibility, improving the lives of their constituents, and positively impacting human welfare.
One of Justin’s well-known characteristics at Clairbourn was his eagerness to try new things. This eagerness certainly continued throughout his high school years as well. He was able to try his hand at several different jobs over the summers such as fruit packing in the fruit district of downtown LA at 5 in the morning, running a high-traffic lego booth at the largest LEGO convention in Pasadena twice a year, researching design materials and building scale models while interning with an architect, and perfecting his excel skills as a business analyst for an online advertising firm. The Covid school year made classwork tough for a lot of seniors, but Justin also experienced it from the teacher’s point of view when he developed and taught a couple of 8-hour courses to middle schoolers, via Zoom, on the History of War.
Justin also explored a variety of study programs over the summers. The NC State Design Camp exposed him to five different facets of design (architecture, graphic design, art & design, landscape, and industrial design). The University of Chicago introduced him to innovation through the interdisciplinary study of economics, entrepreneurship, and the sciences. He was able to further his interest in global citizenship when he studied present-day issues through the lenses of economic, legal, and political theory as a Young Yale Global Scholar.
It’s no surprise that Justin continued to play goalie for Prep during his 4 years there. But he also picked up some other interests that have stuck with him, such as heading to the nearest climbing gym to practice his bouldering and sewing his own clothes.
Left: Participating in Design Challenge / Right: Buddy reading with a lower school student
Justin already knew 4 years ago that he would take a gap year. There were just so many more things he wanted to do. In the fall of his gap year, he will road-trip across the US exploring Americana and visiting his friends in college. For the ski season, he will become a snowboarding bum and work for SkiCo. He’s not sure yet what job they will give him – ski lift operator, ticket sales, restaurant work, etc – but he’s hoping for retail sales. In the spring he will get his Wilderness First Responder certification, and then head to Peru for 2 months to build houses. And when summer comes back around, he’s looking forward to catching up with all his friends home from college once again.
When we asked Justin about some of his favorite memories, he responded, “I loved the Design Challenges in middle school. Those were great. PE was always super fun. And I’ll always remember Mrs. Wreede’s ticket reward system and bidding on the gumball machines.”
Left: Justin was no. 11 on the school basketball team. / Right: Participating at a sports meet
Bennett was part of the Clairbourn class of 2017. He knew music was his passion and followed it at a young age. Over the years, Bennett has performed as an artist at the Whiskey A GoGo, the Troubadour, the Federal, and Universal Studios, as well as in Europe. He has also worked with many well known artists and producers.
Left: Bennett with The California Jet Club / Right: Bennett with El DeBarge
His most recent project was co-producing an album called “Union” with Tyler Brown for an up-and-coming teenage artist from New York named Matilda Marigolds. The album debuted this month and Bennett produced, edited, recorded, wrote, mixed and even played the main guitar part. He collaborated with artists Mike Garson (David Bowie’s pianist), Guy Erez (from Alan Parsons), and violinist Meena (from Smashing Pumpkins). Union was mastered by Howie Weinberg who also worked on albums for Madonna, Prince, Aerosmith, and Nirvana. It was an exciting experience! Here is a music video of one of the songs in the album called “Leroy.” (Bennett is one of the guitarists.)
Last month, Bennett worked with the legendary El DeBarge and prepared his entire set for his show in Atlanta. It was hard work but a huge success! He was also part of a team to work on a Dio cancer fundraiser which will live stream in July via Rolling Live Studios.
Bennett with Joey Belladonna from Anthrax
Bennett was hired by Rolling Live Studios as a head audio engineer. RLS is an art and entertainment production company run by the industry giants — Kerry Brown (music) and Stacey Sher (film). One of Bennett’s first jobs was to work on this year’s Oscars. He had the pleasure to work with amazing artists and producers such as Sheila E., Macy Gray, Guy Erez, Mike Garson, Howie Weinberg and others.
Currently, he’s working on a short film called “You’re Something Else” as the head sound and audio engineer. He will also assist on the the soundtrack production. Bennett looks forward to the exciting projects lined up for him for the rest of the year.
Bennett is grateful for the time at Clairbourn that provided many opportunities for chapel reading. It gave him a foundation for public speaking and the confidence needed to be on stage. He has fond memories of Mrs. Stahmer and Dr. Nafie, as well as Mrs. Wreede, Mrs. Corwin, Mr. Guyer, Mrs. Barker, and Coach Paciorek.
Nicole Lam was a part of the Clairbourn Class of 2017. She recently graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) as valedictorian. This fall, she will be attending Yale University, majoring in applied mathematics while continuing her piano studies.
In her senior year at LACHSA, Nicole was named a California Scholarship Federation South Central Seymour Award recipient, Equitable Excellence Scholar, National Merit Scholar, USC Trustee Scholar with a full-tuition scholarship, and UC Berkeley’s Regent and Chancellor’s Scholar, totaling over $350,000 in merit-based scholarships.
Nicole is a concert pianist and a mezzo-soprano opera singer. She has performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Zipper Concert Hall, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Carnegie Hall, La Mirada Theatre, and concert halls in Vienna and Romania. She also won first prize at the Houston International Music Competition, Steinway Junior Piano Competition Regionals, Southwestern Youth Music Festival, MTAC VOCE Competition Senior Ensemble, Lansum International Music Competition, Dan Stover Music Competition, and was recently named a finalist in the Spotlight International Piano Competition.
During high school, Nicole took on several jobs: she was the apprentice and intermediate choir director for the San Gabriel Valley Children’s Chorus, the president of LACHSA’s California Scholarship Federation, a teacher at the Saturday Conservatory of Music, and also worked as a bilingual translator, interviewer, and host for US National TV. At the TV station, she has interviewed renowned figures on live television and has hosted several live shows broadcasted internationally to over 20,000 audience viewers.
Additionally, Nicole is the founder of her own 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Love Through Music, which shares music with underserved communities. With six organization branches in the US, her nonprofit organization has hosted over 50 concerts with 500+ student performers at local retirement homes, veterans hospitals, and orphanages. The nonprofit has also donated musical instruments to several Title I schools to supplement their music programs. Remotely through Zoom, she has taught music fundamentals to over 100 Nepalese orphans, and has also traveled in person to Kathmandu, Nepal annually to donate school supplies and rebuild school buildings after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake.
At Clairbourn, some of Nicole’s favorite memories were the 8th grade Shakespeare play Midsummer Night’s Dream, playing piano during chapel, and singing in the annual Christmas shows! She would like to thank all her teachers at Clairbourn for making her childhood experience so memorable and incredibly special.
It has been a long Clairbourn tradition to invite the alumni class graduating from high school back to campus for a reunion breakfast the morning of our graduation. It’s not only a celebration before sending them off to college, but it also gives the alumni a chance to make Clairbourn connections with current students and share their insights. This year is no exception!
We reached out to our class of 2017 and asked for their reflections! Let’s see what they have to say!
Class of 2017 are going to the following cities for colleges: Boston, Chicago, Claremont, Columbia, Eugene, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Haven, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Shanghai, St. Louis, Tucson, and Washington D.C.
At Clairbourn, we believe in the essential capacity of every student to master academic content and develop intellectual habits, leadership skills, and social awareness necessary for success. Our students develop a growth mindset along with essential 21st-century skills and intellectual habits that lead to success in school and in life. For over 75 years, we have been dedicated to excellence in education and creating scholars and leaders with heart.
This past year was a challenging time for all, and Clairbourn is so grateful to our community for the continued support during these critical times. Our school was once again voted Best Private School in the San Gabriel Valley. In addition, Clairbourn won honors for being a top Favorite Non-Catholic / Christian School. It was announced this past weekend in many magazines and newspapers across the San Gabriel Valley!
Together, we show perseverance, passion, dedication and courage. It is humbling to see we have been recognized for our quality education for the past three years, and we want to thank our wonderful community for all of your support.
"Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart"
To view the post in the San Gabriel Valley Readers’ Choice Webpage, click here. To view our Graduate Success, click here.
Clairbourn School congratulates its eighth grade graduates, the Class of 2021! In order to properly honor our graduates while complying with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for the pandemic of 2020, Clairbourn School held its Graduation Ceremony outdoors, and masked.
Sarah I.
The celebration began with Student Council President Sarah I. giving a warm welcome to all in attendance of the Graduation Ceremony. She expressed the gratitude the Class of 2021 feels for all the wonderful opportunities Clairbourn families have made possible as their Clairbourn experience comes to a close and they move on to their high school experience.
Natalie A.
Next, Natalie A. introduced three specific groups the Clairbourn graduating Class of 2021 wanted to thank for helping to make their individual journeys so successful. She thanked our Clairbourn parents and families for providing her class with excellent opportunities, tremendous support, and love at school and as CFA volunteers who made special events unforgettable.
Evan B.
Evan B. continued to give a special thanks to the second group, the Clairbourn faculty. Evan expressed thanks to all faculty members who have touched and shaped their experiences at Clairbourn. He thanked them for the challenges, the encouragement, the skills and the strategies that helped shape the successful graduates they have become.
Vanessa H.
Lastly, Vanessa H. expressed thanks to the final group, the Clairbourn Board of Trustees for their leadership, guidance, and behind the scenes support of the Clairbourn experience that her class has cherished during their time here.
8th Grade Speeches
Clairbourn Class of 2021
Eighth-grade students shared their remembrance speeches. Read their heart-felt speeches about the growth they have experienced, the memories they have made, and the overall impact Clairbourn has had in their lives.
Mikey F.
Good morning!My name is Mikey F. and I have been attending Clairbourn since Junior Pre-Kindergarten. Along the way I’ve learned a thing or two about being selfless and giving back. What makes someone selfless? Simple, just doing things to be nice, right? Well, yes and no. Being nice is part of it, but not the entire thing. Webster’s dictionary defines the word selfless as “having no concern for one’s self; unselfish.” What did you take away from that? Usually people we believe to be selfless are those such as police and firefighters. They risk their own lives in order to help others. Now, this doesn’t mean the next time you see a burning building that you need to join the firemen and run in and try to save the people inside. But you can try to help people in ways that you specifically can. Read Mikey F.’s Full Speech
Ashby Z.
Good morning, Clairbourn students, parents, and faculty. Thank you for being here, for being PRESENT. Being present means we are mindful of what is happening at this very moment. So I’m going to ask you all to look around and soak it all in! As a 2021 graduate of Clairbourn, for me, right now, in this moment, I realize it may be the last time I speak to you as Clairbourn students. It may be the last time I am in the presence of all my teachers. It may be the last time I roam this beautiful campus. And that’s all after walking through the entrance of Clairbourn as a curious 3-year-old on my first day of Jr-PK 11 years ago. So, I’m going to soak up this moment and enjoy being “present.” None of us can turn back the clock and the future doesn’t exist yet, so we need to remind ourselves to always be present without distractions, for living in the moment is the key to being happy. Read Ashby Z.’s Full Speech
Anthony C.
Hello and welcome, my name is Anthony C. and the first question I want to ask is how many of you like to work hard? You don’t have to raise your hands, but I’m guessing many of you would prefer to take it easy if you could. But what if I told you I have learned that working hard is a great thing and is a very important thing to do? As a student I can say that when I work hard I reap the rewards for my efforts. A very common example would be studying. When I work hard by studying before a test or quiz I give myself a higher chance to do better. The effort I use to study beforehand can be applied to everything and can be used in daily life scenarios. By giving my all in everything I do, I can make that slight difference between success and failure. I’ve learned many lessons so far in my 10 years at Clairbourn, and I think the most important are to always do my best, to work hard, and to never give up. Read Anthony C.’s Full Speech
Parisa B.
Hello students, faculty, and parents. My name is Parisa B. and I have attended Clairbourn for 10 years. I would like to start by saying that I have learned and gained so much from my time at Clairbourn and I am so grateful for the wonderful years that I have spent here. I would like to say a special thank you to my fellow classmates, for they have taught me so much about myself and who I want to be. Whether it was a kind remark, an encouraging word, or even simply a smile, you may not have realized it at the time, but every one of those small but very impactful gestures contributed to making my harder days not as bad, and my good days so much better. Read Parisa B.’s Full Speech
The Class of 2021 Graduation Address
Head of School, Dr. Patzlaff
The Class of 2021 is unique. You have been through a pandemic, experienced remote learning, participated in hybrid learning, sheltered in place, and learned to reemerge safely. You participated in a virtual concert, put on a Shakespear production remotely, recorded math videos in TikTok, and participated in a modified cardboard boat regatta. Through all of this you learned new skills and strengthened existing ones. You maintained connection with each other even when you couldn’t be physically together whether meeting for study groups in Discord, having class parties on Zoom, or joining watch parties on Netflix. You developed your grit, perseverance, flexibility, creativity, compassion, and patience. It was an opportunity for a lot of growth, and grow you did!
I was thinking about why you did so well, and I think it has a lot to do with how you responded to the challenges. The news kept saying these are unprecedented times. True, we hadn’t seen this combination of events before, but you have been practicing how to respond to challenges for years. Even though there was no playbook or roadmap for a pandemic, I believe you actually do have a solid guide for how to respond to any challenge you face. The guide can be summed up in three questions. The three questions are: 1. Do your actions help you to grow and learn? 2. Do your actions build others up, helping them progress? 3. Do your actions show compassion, respect, and love? Read The Full Speech
High School Acceptances
Clairbourn Class of 2021
Our students will be attending the following schools in the Fall: Flintridge Preparatory School, Maranatha High School, Westridge School, Mayfield Senior School, Webb School, La Salle College Preparatory High School, Loyola High School, South Pasadena High School, St. Francis High School, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, San Marino High School.
How do you properly honor a group of 8th grade students, full of achievements and ready to graduate, who have spent as many as 11 years of their childhood at one school? Due to the pandemic of 2020, normal graduation ceremonies and gatherings were not allowed, but Clairbourn found a way to honor each student with a special family graduation appointment. Using the spacious center quad to present diplomas was perfect because it allowed for social distancing, beautiful photographs, a symbolic graduation walk, and contactless delivery of the diplomas because parents were asked to hand the diplomas to their children and shake their hands.
From left: Aaron C., Aidan S., Kennedy K., Samantha F., and Isabel C.
Clairbourn students excel at public speaking. It is therefore very natural for every member of the graduating 8th grade class to write a remembrance speech when the school year comes to a close. This speech is designed to provide students with the opportunity to reflect on their journey at Clairbourn—specifically to write about their personal growth, the challenges they overcame, meaningful opportunities, and their appreciation for inspiring teachers. While every student writes a speech, only 10 students (about 1/3 of the class) is asked to give a public presentation of their speech at the Morning Assembly, the Awards Assembly, or the final Graduation event. Here are excerpts from five of the speeches given at the end of the 2018-2019 school year.
“I have been at Clairbourn for 8 years. My Clairbourn experience has been much more than a journey through education, it has actually been like a basketball game. Kevin Durant says, “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” Sometimes, I faced people or challenges bigger than me. Other times, I missed many shots that discouraged me. However, at the end of the day, it is not the score that really counts. It is how I persevered and worked hard towards my goals that really counts because it showed me how to work hard and walk the road in order to succeed.” – Aaron C.
[At Clairbourn I learned that] “…staying present helps us to not dwell on the past or overthink the future, which allows us to enjoy our current experience… We don’t want to miss the good right in front of us. I urge everyone to remind ourselves to always be present.” – Aidan S.
Isabel C. speaks at the Awards Assembly
“In my time here, opportunity has knocked on my door many times… through these opportunities,I have figured out who I am.” -Kennedy K.
“I want to say thank you to the Clairbourn community for shaping me into the person I am today, giving me the encouragement I needed through thick and thin, and ultimately teaching me that failure is not fatal.” – Samantha F.
“I have learned so much from the entire Clairbourn community— everything from algebra, to crafting a thesis, to self-worth and emotional vulnerability.” – Isabel C.
Aaron C. Remembrance Speech video available here. Aidan S. Remembrance Speech video available here. Kennedy K. Remembrance Speech video available here. Samantha F. Remembrance Speech video available here. Isabel C. Remembrance Speech video available here.
Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.
Clairbourn School congratulates its eighth grade graduates, the Class of 2019! These twenty-seven students have distinguished themselves with academic achievements, leadership accomplishments, and creative community-building activities. This class includes volleyball and golf champions, math competition winners, award-winning artists, published composers, and many highly dedicated student government leaders. Their positive and inclusive class spirit will be remembered by those still at Clairbourn for many years to come. The Class of 2019 will be attending Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Flintridge Prep, Gabrielino High School, Harvard-Westlake Upper School, LaSalle College Preparatory, Loyola High School, Maranatha High School, Mayfield Senior School, Polytechnic School, Principia Upper School, San Marino High School, Saint Francis High School, and Westridge School.
Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.
