By: Grace Pettee ’20 

Clayton Finney ’20 is a recognized scholar-athlete. Having recently been awarded the Brian Piccolo Award, the three-sport athlete is a known leader among his teachers, coaches, and peers. 

Liza Goldstone ’20 has been an engaged member of the Crown Joules robotics team throughout her Upper School career. However, until eighth grade, she had not envisioned pursuing a future in robotics and engineering.

Longtime piano instructor and beloved member of the Fine Arts faculty Doug Evers will retire after 33 years of teaching at Pine Crest School.

Once a Panther, always a Panther. Stay connected with each other, and your Pine Crest family by sharing your success, life events, the good and bad, and everything in between.

 Professional Achievements:

Tulsie Patel ’07 always knew she wanted to be a doctor.

Once a Panther, always a Panther. Stay connected with each other, and your Pine Crest family by sharing your success, life events, the good and bad, and everything in between.

 Professional Achievements:

Sumeet Gulati ’19 is known on campus for his energetic Bhangra dance performances with the Indian Heritage Club.

Clara Nguyen ’19 remembers the quote she recited in her eighth grade graduation speech:

Once a Panther, always a Panther. Stay connected with each other, and your Pine Crest family by sharing your success, life events, the good and bad, and everything in between.

 Professional Achievements:

Pine Crest School students are known for their intellect, curiosity, and talents, with recent graduating classes including pilots, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, researchers, animal rescue advocates, and more. One Class of 2019 alumna, Britta Strain, adds amateur rodeo champion, professional roper, and future equine radiologist to the long list of students’ diverse interests.

Once a Panther, always a Panther. Stay connected with each other, and your Pine Crest family by sharing your success, life events, the good and bad, and everything in between.

 Professional Achievements:

By Grace Pettee ’20

Pursuing science and medicine in high school, Anthony D’Almeida ’10 ultimately found his passion was in entertainment.

Starting at Pine Crest School in pre-kindergarten at the Boca Raton campus, Anthony took advantage of extracurricular activities and immersed himself into the Pine Crest community.

His involvement in drama, chorus, and broadcasting stoked his love for entertainment and performance.

“I had a blast taking drama with Mrs. Blakely and working on PCNN (the Pine Crest News Network) with Mr. Burgess,” said Anthony. “It was awesome having that supportive creative environment in Lower and Middle School.

In Upper School, Anthony joined the Science Research program, a course that gives students an opportunity to pursue group and independent science research projects over the course of three years.

“I remember having to research extensively and often found myself looking to Ms. Gordinier (Upper School Science Instructor) for answers,” said Anthony. “She was the type of teacher who never gave students the direct answers even when they felt they needed it the most. Looking back, her encouraging me to find the information myself has helped me even to this day.”

“I was serious about science research but I did tend to be a bit of a goofball. I loved making people laugh, and ultimately that ended up being the path I took,” said Anthony.

After graduating from Pine Crest, Anthony attended college at the University of Southern California where he studied screenwriting and critical studies at the School of Cinematic Arts.

As an associate producer for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Anthony works closely with Jimmy and his writers, finding funny clips, creating montages and other content for the daily monologue.

Beginning of his day at 6:00 a.m., Anthony brainstorms and researches topics for that night’s show until 5:00 p.m. when they are ready to film. His favorite part of the job? Picking up on a small, funny detail, for instance President Trump’s quirk of moving objects when he sits down at a table, and ultimately seeing it play on TV, go viral, or end up on the nightly news.

Sifting through political and pop culture material on a daily basis, Anthony keeps up with trends and current events that will resonate with the show’s audience.

“It was daunting at first to always be tuned in to news and pop culture at such a detailed level, but eventually it became second nature,” said Anthony.

Looking back on his time as a student and how the Upper School prepared him for life outside of Pine Crest, Anthony said, “I left Upper School with a strong backbone and sense of worldliness. When I got to college, I had peers who had trouble communicating with their professors. For me, this was second nature from working my teachers at Pine Crest.”

As a student, Anthony looks back fondly on his time at PCNN, “anchoring the desk, shooting shows like ‘Design My Locker’ (a version of MTV’s ‘Pimp My Ride’), and hosting a comedy segment called ‘Anthony's Insight.’ I also remember writing and acting in Spring Scenes (a performance of short scenes), especially writing "Topenga's Dike," a spoof of Dawson's Creek with Kelsey Flynn ’09 and Ilana Peña ’09.” 

When asked what advice he would offer to students looking to go into the entertainment industry, Anthony said, “The entertainment industry is based heavily on networking. Many opportunities are not posted publicly on job websites, so getting to know people and asking questions is key. Start lists, include contact info, a short blurb about how you met, and what you talked about. Share your goals and interests, don't be afraid to ask for help, and remember to follow up.”

Cheryl Doolittle has been a treasured member of the Pine Crest School community since 1986.  

Once a Panther, always a Panther. We are always happy to hear from alumni and share your success, life events, the good and bad, and everything in between.

Once a Panther, always a Panther. We are always happy to hear from alumni and share your success, life events, the good and bad, and everything in between.

Professional Achievements: 

A CEO by age 13, Rachel Zietz ’18 turned her passion for lacrosse and inability to find high-quality equipment into a successful business. As a Pine Crest “lifer,” Rachel balanced being a student-athlete, graduating cum laude, an entrepreneur, and a speaker, most recently addressing students at Harvard University.

Anthony, or as he is better known, Tony Bridges ’18 finished his high school track and field career as the state champion triple jumper, school record holder for a triple jump of over 48 feet, with multiple all-state honors, and 52nd in the nation for the triple jump.

In June 2018, The Boundless Dreams Playground opened in Delray Beach, Florida. This playground is the first of its kind in Delray Beach, and the story behind it leads us to recent Pine Crest School graduate Ava Goldstone ’18.

Beckton Peddy ’18 started the Second Life Project as a Pine Crest School sophomore, combining his appreciation for computers with his desire to help others. The Second Life Project collects and refurbishes used laptops and tablets, and donates them to local students in need.

Once a Panther, always a Panther. We are always happy to hear from alumni and share your success, life events, the good and bad, and everything in between.

Two Pine Crest School alumni and classmates, Griffin Conine ’15 and Zack Kone ’15, were selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) first-year player draft.

Once a Panther, always a Panther. We are always happy to hear from alumni and share your success, life events, the good and bad, and everything in between.

Professional Achievements: 

Pine Crest Upper School journalism and yearbook students attended the 94th annual Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Spring Convention and had the opportunity to meet with a group of Pine Crest School alumni.

Ensign Orion Rollins ’11, was on campus in Fort Lauderdale to observe Veterans Day with Upper School students. Ensign Rollins graduated from the Naval Academy in 2016, and is currently stationed at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

Pine Crest School alumni Elyssa (Renert) Helfman ’99, Danny Glass ’09, and Joshua Aronson ’12 had work on display at Spectrum Miami, a juried contemporary art show.

The Pine Crest School community mourns the loss of H. Wayne Huizenga (1937-2018), an influential businessman, generous philanthropist, and alumnus of the Class of 1955.

As a student, Mr. Huizenga was active in the life of the school. He played baseball, basketball, and football; wrote for the student newspaper; served as the business manager for the yearbook; and was elected senior class treasurer. Throughout the years, he remained connected to Pine Crest through his children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, and through the Huizenga family’s generous support of our School’s facilities and programs.

In 1996, the Huizenga Family Foundation donated $1 million to Pine Crest’s Campaign for Science and Technology. The Huizenga Family Science Center, a 23,800-square-foot Upper School science building, includes eight laboratories for biology, chemistry, and physics, and two computer labs, which remain in active use today.

“The impact of Mr. Huizenga’s generosity is both far reaching and long lasting,” said Dr. Dana Markham, President. “The rich experiences and deep learning that take place in the Huizenga Family Science Center inspire a love of science among Pine Crest students, many of whom go on to become doctors, nurses, researchers, and scholars. The legacy of Mr. Huizenga’s belief in our mission will benefit generations of Pine Crest students.”

On behalf of the entire Pine Crest community of alumni, faculty, and students, we extend our deepest condolences and gratitude to the Huizenga family.

Pine Crest School alumnus Rees Gillespie ’09 recently launched Ripple Safety, a 24/7, nationwide personal safety service that can be activated by a wearable device the size of a dime. The service keeps you safe anytime, anywhere in the United States for just $10/month.