After graduating from Pine Crest, Jocelyn Absher ’11, better known as Joy, attended Florida State University where she began studying international affairs. “About halfway through my degree program, I decided to also work toward a business degree,” said Joy. “I was able to earn both degrees in four and a half years, which was quite a feat!”

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.

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.

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.

John and Molly Chalmers ’62 met and fell in love during their senior year at Pine Crest School. 

Pine Crest’s Class of 1981 held their junior prom at The Breakers in Palm Beach. Pam (McNierney) Rauch recalls it being a first for the school and her first glimpse into Palm Beach County. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Christie Raleigh Crossley ’05 has dreamed of being an Olympic swimmer for as long as she can remember. In fact, swimming at Pine Crest under Coach Jay Fitzgerald was a big part of making that dream a reality. “He was a phenomenal coach,” said Christie. “He helped me learn to be humble, and he coached me through developing my own unique competitive edge.”  

By Adam Shiff ’24

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.

By Sara Pearl Adler ’24

Pine Crest Upper School proudly welcomed U.S. Marine Corps Combat Engineer Officer Hannah Montague ’13 as the guest speaker on Veterans Day.

Hannah is a lifer, having spent 14 years at Pine Crest after joining the community as a pre-kindergarten student. As an Upper School student, she was an athlete competing on the cross country and track teams and was a member of the three-year science research program. She was also heavily involved in community service work, earning her an Honorable Mention in the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards in 2013. After graduation, she matriculated at Wake Forest University, declaring a major in biology and a minor in Russian language.

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.

“I always told my parents I wanted to be a doctor,” said Dr. Paige Finkelstein ’10. “I have wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember.” 

The challenges of 2020 provided millions of people worldwide with the opportunity to take a fresh look at how the world worked. This was the case for Pine Crest School alumnus Kobi Kassal ’15, who was living and working in Boston at the time. 

A singer, song-writer, piano and guitar player, Jeremy Berkun ’22 says he was always drawn to music. As he approaches college in the fall, music has become more than a hobby. His passion to create and perform have served as a conduit for connecting with others.

It is no exaggeration to say that Shaurnav Ghosh ’22 is a global citizen. 

When you think of the type of student to graduate from Pine Crest School, the word “dynamic” comes to mind. A Pine Crest student is well-rounded, enthusiastic about learning, and a true scholar. As a yearbook editor, musician, athlete, and polyglot, Emma Gómez ’22 is someone who embodies all of those qualities, and more.

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.

A student at Pine Crest School since first grade, Ella Taub ’22 follows in the footsteps of her father and fellow Pine Crest alumnus David Taub ’91.

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.

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.

Mara (Aronson) Geronemus ’95 and Lisa (Dean-Kluger) Jerles ’97 did not know each other during their Pine Crest School days. 

A graduate from Pine Crest’s Class of 1988, Paul Keung did not expect to find himself living and working in Hong Kong.

Growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Paul spent a majority of his time as a teenager working in his family’s restaurants. While that took up most of his time outside of school, Paul has fond memories of his time playing football.

“I was not very good, but it was my escape,” said Paul. “I had a variety of friends who I spent time with when I wasn’t working. I was safe, and I had a school community that supported me despite my unusual upbringing.”

Paul says he had many wonderful teachers at Pine Crest, but Mrs. Marcia Hunt ’12H, had the greatest impact on his career path.

“My parents made it very clear that I was to attend either an Ivy League school and pursue a career as a doctor or lawyer, or attend a state school and return home to run the family restaurants,” said Paul. “Mrs. Hunt encouraged me to apply to Cornell and highlighted the Hotel School program. I applied to Cornell’s Arts and Sciences program and attended pre-med classes my freshman year. What Mrs. Hunt told me stuck with me and I transferred to Cornell’s Hotel program the following year. I had no interest in working in hotels or restaurants, however, the program was a lot more interesting than economics, and they had a wine and cooking class — free food and drink!”

Starting his career as a valuation consultant for hotels, Paul traveled to properties across the country.

“I loved the travel,” said Paul, “although as a fresh graduate, I was often assigned to due diligence hotels in places that more senior colleagues would prefer not to go. During that time, one of my early clients was an investment bank, and that connection introduced me to a 16-year career on Wall Street.”

Following the crash of the dot-com boom in 2000, Paul transitioned to cover the internet travel sector.

“I jumped at the opportunity,” he said. “I met Priceline and Expedia that year when these companies were trading for just a few dollars. In 2002, I started to look at ecommerce and covered Amazon and Ebay. Shortly after that, I started traveling to China to visit Chinese internet companies.”

“I have met many incredibly talented entrepreneurs in my career,” he continued. “I love learning new things, and I find new technologies fascinating. The icing on the cake is when you have a real conversation with someone who has a vision to change our lives for the better with innovation.”

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.

Spending her senior year at Pine Crest, Jill Cressy ’91 has fond memories of her time diving and pursuing her studies.

When Jonathan Williams ’21 first arrived on Pine Crest’s Fort Lauderdale campus in the ninth grade, his classmates and teachers quickly realized that they had a superstar among them. 

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.

A dual sport student-athlete, Jonathan Valdes ’21 used his final year as a Pine Crest Upper School student to move into leadership positions. 

Daniela “Dani” Tejada ’21 has been an engaged leader in the Pine Crest community since starting on the Fort Lauderdale campus in seventh grade. 

A dancer since the age of three, Sabrina Kreiss ’21 has taken advantage of every dance opportunity available at Pine Crest.

As the grandson of an Armenian immigrant, Alexander Edep ’17 has drawn on his family’s painful history as a source of education and strength in his work as a filmmaker. 

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.

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.

Michele (McNichol) Stocker ’83 has been a valued member of the Pine Crest School community for more than 40 years, most recently as the Chair of the Board of Trustees. 

Recent college graduates, college roommates at New York University (NYU), and friends since their sophomore year of Upper School, Jonathan Farchi-Segal ’16 and Mateo Pugliese-Bassi ’16 knew that the corporate world was not for them.

It took incredible tenacity and dedication to turn Lance Oppenheim’s passion for filmmaking into a career. 

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:

At the end of October, Pine Crest School hosted our first Panther Giving Week. The week was an opportunity for our community to support our School and have their new and increased gifts matched.

“I frequently thank my parents for sending me to Pine Crest. Pine Crest got me where I am today — I have a STEM career without a STEM background. Pine Crest gave me the foundation to do anything.”

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:

Rhea Jain ’20 has made a name for herself in Boca Raton as an entrepreneur and founder of Renoosh, a high-end clothing line for petite women. Rhea launched her business when she was a freshman in Upper 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:

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.

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.