More than 60 Gilman alumni gathered along the Golden Coast for the School’s annual trio of California regional events in late January. The mild climate offered a welcome reprieve from the icy cold visitors from Roland Avenue had been experiencing before their departure!

The Los Angeles alumni community enjoyed the first events on the circuit. Janet Marie Smith, a former Gilman parent and the current executive vice president for Planning and Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers, hosted this year’s event at her workplace, Dodger Stadium — a far cry from a run-of-the-mill office setting. She noted that the stadium is the third-oldest in Major League Baseball and the largest by capacity, with 56,000 seats (the next largest, Chase Field in Arizona, seats 48,330). Drawing on her deep architectural and planning knowledge of the organization, Janet Marie guided 30 alumni through some of the venue’s most popular and recognizable spaces, from the press box and Legends Court to the clubhouse, then into the dugout and onto the field itself. At the reception that followed, guests posed for photos with the 2025 Dodgers’ World Series trophy and Janet Marie’s eye-popping championship ring (her second with the franchise!).

The next day in Palo Alto, Erwin Hosono ’78 and his wife, Beth Axelrod, welcomed 20 alumni into their lovely and historic home (built in 1905 and included in the Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places). Guests mingled and chatted over apps and drinks before transitioning to dinner tables for continued conversation and a delicious dinner. Eventually, attendees migrated to the dessert and coffee, settling into casual seating in the living room. Erwin welcomed his fellow Greyhounds and reflected on his upbringing and the transformative nature of his Gilman experience. He credited Gilman for putting him on the path to personal and professional success (particularly for reaching the Yale School of Management, where he met his beloved Beth). Erwin then passed the proverbial mic to Head of School Henry Smyth, who offered updates from faraway Gilman, in turn weaving together the life-changing aspects and treasured experiences that span generations of alumni (represented in this event’s guest list from the Classes of 1963 to 2024).

Finally, in the City by the Bay, an energetic crowd of 20 met for drinks and heavy hors d'oeuvres in San Francisco’s Financial District. The Vault Garden’s heated outdoor venue was the perfect setting for attendees to enjoy a crisp, gentle breeze after a sun-drenched workday. Several attendees closed up shop and walked easily from a nearby office. In the case of Noah Klein ’19, he merely rode the elevator down from the 43rd floor to the ground level of the restaurant’s office building! Several alums embraced lengthier commutes, happy to brave traffic for the camaraderie and Mr. Smyth’s updates from campus. Special credit goes to Abraham Karikkineth ’24 and Rohan Sinha ’23 for making the trip down from their current campus, the University of California at Berkeley. Better yet, it was Rohan’s birthday, for which he was feted with a group sing-along of “Happy Birthday.”

From Fog City to the City of Angels, Greyhounds toasted the good news from Roland Avenue and countless fond memories from their old stomping grounds. Thank you to all of our attendees for coming out to show their continued support and interest in all things Gilman!