Fleeing single-digit temperatures and lingering snow and ice, a small group of Gilman staff and administrators headed to California in late January to meet with alumni in the Bay Area.

The first night featured a reception at One Market in San Francisco's Financial District hosted by Jim Scriba '77 and Debbie Ford-Scriba. Jim shared several reflections on his time at Gilman and the School's impact on him, mostly notably Redmond C. S. Finney '47's insistence on striving to be a first-class citizen, an impulse that he still carries on to this day. Head of School Henry P. A. Smyth then shared an update from Roland Avenue. Referencing positive college outcomes, an exciting admissions season, and banner fundraising totals — not to mention great success on sports fields, in congressional app challenges, and with other extracurricular activities — it was clear to all that the School is operating from a position of strength. Over mini sliders, bite-sized latkes, and even Gilman-branded fortune cookies, alumni could be heard discussing their work, which included cancer research, social entrepreneurship, mind-bending park construction projects, and even robotic dishwashers.

The next day featured a luncheon at Tamarine in Palo Alto hosted by Collin Wallace '02. Smyth shared a similar update on the school year, and not surprisingly, many of the questions had a distinctly techy slant. This time, the chatter centered around the history of Sun Microsystems, DeepSeek and the future of artificial intelligence, community service, travels to far-off places, and much more.

At both events, alumni from different generations met, reconnected, and swapped memories of their times on campus. Once again, it was clear how fortunate Gilman is to have such a talented and engaged alumni base.

See More Photos from These Events