Alumni
The Berkwood Hedge School alumni community remain deeply engaged in learning long after graduation. They are the ones who raise their hands, the generous collaborators who operate with empathy, the original thinkers who seek and solve hard problems.
Regardless of when in Berkwood Hedge School’s 80-year history they were students, our alumni always offer fond recollections of their time at our school. It is not uncommon for our local alumni to return to us when it is time to find a school for their children.
Berkwood Hedge School alumni are cherished members of our extended school community, and we love to learn about and share their unique paths and adventures. The things our alumni go on to contribute to the world never cease to amaze. The relationships students—and parents—form at our school are the kind of supportive, healthy ties that persist, and many alumni classes remain deeply connected.
If you are a Berkwood Hedge School alumni, welcome!
Be sure to let us know where you are and what you have been up to so we can include your news in the next issue of our school publication, Behind the Hedge. We also want to be sure to keep you informed about the many wonderful happenings at Berkwood Hedge School!
Alumni Spotlight
Berkwood Hedge School alumni have gone on to be citizen-leaders and change-makers in a variety of areas, including the arts, medicine, science, activism, and politics. One such changemaker is Vice President, Kamala Harris. We are honored that Vice President Harris’ mother chose our school to start her daughters’ educational journey. With our commitment to critical thinking, collaborative problem solving, academic excellence, and social responsibility, our students leave our school well-prepared to go anywhere—even the White House!
In August 2024, at the Democratic National Convention, a fellow alumni and long-time friend of Vice President Harris, Stacey Johnson-Batiste, shared a story from their time at Berkwood Hedge School about a then five-year-old Harris standing up to a bully in art class. We were delighted to be mentioned as a learning environment that nurtures up-standers! We were equally delighted when a current student, and daughter of an alumni, had the unique opportunity to lead the Pledge of Allegiance on the last night of the DNC in Chicago!
Alumni News
Taro Raskin, Class of 2018
Taro Raskin, Class of 2018, told us about his first semester at Occidental College and serving as a Youth Basketball Coach for the Golden State Warriors!
Zephira Derblich-Milea, Class of 1995
We caught up with Zephira Derblich-Milea, Class of 1995, and learned about their work teaching middle school and high school students about healthy relationships, healthy boundaries, and consent!
Ilana Umansky, Class of 1987
Ilana Umansky, Class of 1987, shared about her travels with her new Eurovan Camper and experiences teaching in the College of Education at the University of Oregon.
Liam Edwards, Class of 2014
We caught up with Liam Edwards, Class of 2014, and learned how he is working on novel cancer treatments by developing robotic systems!
Poppy Blu, Class of 2015
Poppy Blu, Class of 2015, shares her recent painting series "Old As Time," with us and discusses how Berkwood Hedge sparked her interest in storytelling and folklore!
Abe Hill, Class of 2009
We chatted with Abe Hill, Class of 2009, about his life since graduating from Berkwood Hedge and his work at Delta Airlines!
Malin Morell, Class of 2017
Malin Morell, Class of 2017, updates us about her leadership roles at Georgetown University and how she's stayed connected to Berkwood Hedge!
Naama Weksler, Class of 2010
We spoke with Naama Weksler, Class of 2010, about her developmental biology studies in graduate school and the biggest lessons she learned at Berkwood Hedge!
Jo Purcell, Class of 2017
In a recent interview with Berkwood Hedge School Class of 2017 alum, Jo Purcell, we got to hear all about their gap year abroad in Asia.
Ben Kolligs, Class of 2007
We caught up with Berkwood Hedge School alum, Ben Kolligs, to talk about life, robotics, and his favorite Berkwood Hedge memories!
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Beyond Berkwood Hedge School
With a solid academic and social emotional foundation, our graduates move through the world with confidence and self-awareness and are prepared for whatever the future holds. Our students successfully move on to a variety of independent and public high schools, including Maybeck High School, College Preparatory School, Bishop O'Dowd, The Athenian School (Upper School), Bentley School (Upper School), Head Royce School (Upper School), Berkeley High School, Albany High School, El Cerrito High School, St. Mary's College High School, Lick-Wilmerding, and Salesian College Prep.
Berkwood Hedge alumni also go on to attend a wide array of colleges from large, traditional, universities to smaller liberal arts colleges to HBCUs and international universities. In the last 5 years our graduates have attended: Smith College, NYU, Vassar College, Yale University, MIT, Occidental College, Brown University, Bates College, Morehouse College, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Maritime, Howard University, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, Wellesley College, UCLA, Georgetown University, Whitman College, Laney College, Swarthmore College, St. Andrews University (Scotland), Mount Holyoke College, Pomona College, Carnegie Mellon University, Chicago Art Institute, and many others.
