For the Pierson family, Pine Crest is more than a school. It is the heartbeat of their family story, spanning four generations of students, educators and alumni.
Cristy (Sollosso) Pierson ’84 first stepped onto campus at age four, when her father, beloved Spanish teacher Señor Juan Sollosso, began his career at Pine Crest in 1970. Her mother, Mrs. Cristina Sollosso, soon joined the School in the Finance Office, and together with Cristy, the Sollossos became part of the Pine Crest fabric. Indeed, any student in Señor Sollosso’s classroom remembers his passion for history and the stories he would share about the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba.
“During the years my father was on the faculty, he brought many family members to Pine Crest, including cousins who served as dorm parents, my mother’s sister, Ani McKee ’09H. He had a real gift for drawing impactful people into the Pine Crest community.”
“The whole family would drive to school together every day,” Cristy remembers. “It was an incredible experience, and I felt like I was part of the Pine Crest family from the very beginning.”
Cristy thrived as a student, cherishing the education, friendships and formative experiences that carried her forward to the University of Florida. Years later, she and her husband Glen Pierson ’23H returned to South Florida and, at Cristy’s encouragement, Glen joined the Pine Crest faculty as an Upper School science teacher and baseball coach. Over more than 30 years, Glen became a mentor to countless students and athletes.
He has held many titles throughout his time at Pine Crest, from “emcee” at Pine Crest Day Camp to joining the Upper School administration as Assistant Upper School Head. In recognition of his service, he was awarded honorary alumni status in 2023, a moment Cristy describes as “so meaningful and deeply deserved.” Most recently, Glen has compiled the history of Pine Crest varsity athletics in the Pine Crest Athletics Almanac, documenting decades of student-athletes.
The Pierson family tree of Pine Crest connections continued to grow once Glen started teaching. Michael Pierson ’11, Cristy and Glen’s son, began his own journey at Pine Crest in pre-kindergarten and graduated 14 years later as a “lifer.” Like his mother, Michael experienced Pine Crest both as a student and as the child of a faculty member. He still laughs about the unique experience of taking his dad’s chemistry class in Upper School, just as Cristy once sat in the front row of her father’s Spanish class, “not being allowed to talk and getting a lecture at night if I misbehaved!”
Michael’s Pine Crest experience extended far beyond academics. Athletics played a central role in his life, and he is proud to have been inducted into the Pine Crest Athletic Hall of Fame. Today, Michael carries on his father’s legacy by helping organize the annual alumni baseball game, which has become a tradition of reconnecting teammates and celebrating the community his dad helped build. “The first year we brought it back, 25 alumni showed up,” Michael recalls. “It’s grown every year since and is a testament to the bonds created here.” The Alumni Baseball game is now a part of Alumni Reunion Weekend in April.
The Piersons’ Pine Crest legacy doesn’t stop there. Michael’s wife, Anna, is in her 10th year as a member of the Pine Crest faculty. She currently teaches first grade on the Fort Lauderdale campus, continuing the family’s tradition of service in education. Their daughter Emilia, now in pre-kindergarten, is the newest Panther in the family.
For Cristy, seeing Emilia in her Pine Crest uniform was an emotional moment: “It was so impactful to see the next generation starting out. It reminded me of all the great feelings and memories.” Michael adds, “Watching her thrive, not just academically but in all the extracurriculars, Spanish, the arts, everything Pine Crest offers, it feels like things have come full circle. I hope she forges her own path while carrying forward our family’s pride in being Panthers.”
Through every era—Cristy and her parents in the 1970s and ’80s, Michael and Glen’s starting in the mid-90s and continuing through the first 20 years of the 2000s and now Anna and Emmy’s journey—the Piersons have witnessed Pine Crest grow and change while holding fast to its core values. “The only constant is change,” Michael reflects. “The campus looks so different, and the programs have evolved, but Pine Crest has always strived to better itself and prepare students to succeed.”
Even today, Pine Crest remains part of the Piersons’ daily rhythm, whether attending athletic events, cheering on friends’ children or staying connected with faculty. “I can’t imagine Pine Crest not being a focal point in our lives,” Cristy says.
The Piersons’ advice to fellow alumni? Reconnect. “Even if it’s just one event a year, it’s worth it,” Cristy says. “And if you can bring a friend or a small group, it makes the experience even more meaningful.” Michael adds that alumni shouldn’t underestimate the power of showing up: “You’ll take away something positive, whether it’s reconnecting with a teacher who inspired you, catching up with classmates or building new networks. The community is still here, and it’s worth being part of it.”
For the Pierson family, Pine Crest has been a gift they have nurtured by staying involved and giving back. As Cristy puts it: “Everything that is valuable needs to be nurtured. Our family has received so much from Pine Crest, and we’ll always make an effort to give back.”
As Michael looks ahead, he dreams of seeing his children one day wear green and white on the playing fields, just as he once did. “We’re not going to stop trying to better the Pine Crest community,” he says. The Pierson family will be deeply entrenched here for years and decades to come.”