Alumni
Keeping in touch with our Humanities House graduates is of the utmost importance. If you have graduated from the Humanities House Program and would like to have your testimony added to the alumni page please email Ms. Sigman at:
We would love to hear from you.
Please use the following format:
Name
Humanities House Graduating Class
College Major
What are you doing now?
Class of 2010
Love Letters from your First Humanities Class September 2014
Chloe
Dear Humanities teachers,
Your first humanities class had a little high school reunion a couple weeks ago, and we all wanted to write to you to tell you how much you have meant to us, and what we are up to these days. I apologize for some of the craziness in the letters; we may not have grown up as much as we would like to believe! I hope you enjoy the notes, because we had so much fun reminiscing about high school and all the amazing experiences you gave us. In particular, I remember almost every day in tenth grade, hanging out after 8th period and talking to Mr. Ward about all sorts of things, probably thinking all of my ridiculous “insights” were pure genius. And Mr. Ward, you listened to us for hours on end, taking in everything we were blabbing about and challenging us to think more deeply, even though you probably wanted nothing more than some peace and quiet after a long day with us. And Mrs. Solomon, I never read more challenging or interesting books than the ones we read in your class. I loved every minute of it! Mr. McKenna and Ms. Thorne, I will NEVER forget your amazing performance for us at the end of senior year when you dressed up and wrote us a song about our years at PHS. And of course, Mr. Shannon, I cannot thank you enough for your unfathomable patience with us during AP World History. I probably learned more during that class than I learned all four years of college! And your golf coaching that ended up also being life coaching meant so much to me. I am sorry that you ended up stuck in cars on long rides to the golf course with me and Maddie, but those were some of the best times I had in high school.
I started out my college career at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, but I transferred to UVA after two years and was much happier after that. I graduated this May with a BA in anthropology and African studies and am looking to pursue a career in international human rights. Right now, I am working in DuPont Circle at a small NGO that promotes girls’ secondary education in Africa, and I cannot emphasize enough how much you all prepared me for the job. You strengthened my writing skills so that I can write grants, and my public speaking skills (thanks, Mr. McKenna, for the public speaking class!) so that I am comfortable fundraising and networking with new people. My friends and I talk all the time about how useful our Humanities education has been for our future schooling and careers, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hard work, dedication, and encouragement that made us all who we are today!
Lots of Love,
Chloe
Michael-Ann
Hey PHS,
I’m going to work for a non-profit marketing company, CCAH. I graduated UMD in May, with a degree in Journalism. Thank you for instilling great writing skills in me, so that I can write this after 2 drinks. Miss you, Shanman, Thorne, Sigman, and McKenna!
Vinayak
To my PHS Family,
It’s Vinayak! I just graduated from the University of Maryland with an accounting and IS degree. I will be working as an auditor for Deloitte and Touche. I am so thankful for all the lessons PHS imparted on me.
Thanks for everything!
Vinayak Ramaswamy
Justin
Dear PHS Teachers/Family,
Every time I read or begin to write a screenplay, I think of Ms. Sigman’s class, my first ever class during my freshman year. I wouldn’t have the knowledge or the courage to continue with it for this long if it weren’t for all of you. I graduated from Syracuse in May; I’m working in commercials and poetry shows now, and I’ll be moving to LA next summer. Thank you guys for your knowledge. I won’t ever forget it.
-Justin
Shelly
Hey PHS Humanities Faculty,
Hope everything is going well and the program continues to grow and thrive. I graduated UMBC in December 2013 with a BS in biology and a minor in statistics and music. I’ve always felt grateful for the education I received at PHS and it has really set me ahead of my peers. I spent January and April-July in Puerto Rico studying the singing behavior of Troupials. We are spending the next four months performing sound analyses and putting together several papers.
-Shelly Monroe
Amy
Hello Humanities Teachers,
It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years since we all graduated. It feels like so long ago yet just yesterday at the same time. I just graduated in May from High Point University with a degree in strategic communications (public relations and advertising) so I pretty much write all the time. I am now working in the communication department at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It’s a lot of fun and such an interesting work environment because there’s always something new to learn. Thanks for providing such a great HS education that prepared me for college and beyond.
-Amy Stamm
Bobby (Rob)
DEAR TEACHERS:
I know the past few years have been hard, as you have been surely searching for a student wise and charismatic enough to replace my presence in the classroom. Myself, I’ve been well, although few of my college professors have matched the standard the lot of you set with you knowledgability and encouragement of independent thought. I’ve bounced between majors, finally settling on film, and spent a couple years editing the arts and entertainment section of Maryland’s student newspaper. (Among my numerous accomplishments, I had the opportunity to interview Tina Fey, Tommy Wiseau, and others- not at the same time, obviously- and helped earn the paper an award for the region’s best student daily.) At the moment, I’m figuring out what the next step for me is, but my capacity for trend recognition suggests that I’m probably gonna kill it, whatever it is.
Best,
Rob Gifford (I aged out of “Bobby” a while ago)
PS Chloe wants me to mention I also interviewed Channing Tatum but I think he lacks charisma both as an actor and an interview subject
Geo
Dear PHS Humanitites Teachers,
This is probably the first paper I have handed in on time to a high school teacher. Thank you for Jazz Café, The Great Gatsby, A Farewell to Arms, Shakespeare’s Hamlet (and performances), the Constitutional Symposium, Solomon’s Island and countless other moments of enrichment and enjoyment.
This fall, I will pursue a Masters in Spanish Language at the University of Malaga, Spain. I hope to visit soon (or at least send a postcard). Thank you for everything.
Best wishes,
Geo Nikolov
Joe
Dear Ms. Kellert,
Or should I call you K-Money? I hope things are going well. I hope you keep running the MUN club. Thanks to MUN, my entire life is dedicated to International Relations. You can let the rest of the Humanities team know that I am still alive and well.
-Joe Kamali
Dear Mr. Ward,
Do you remember the time we placed sticky notes all over your car? How did you handle us for more than 5 minutes? Hope you’re doing well.
-Joe Kamali
PS I’m definitely not a Republican anymore
Emma
Shanman, Siggy, Thorne, Ward, McKenna, Stanton, Loughney, Douglass, Young, K-DAWG/K-MONEY, every single one of you life-changers (Solomon- you killed me, but I needed it),
I love you all so much. Thank you for everything. Combined, you all were the perfect amount of tough love, mixed with encouragement. I honestly could not thank you enough. Words could never express how inspired you all STILL make me. High school was a ridiculously unique experience thanks to the likes of you. You are incredible, caring, inspiring teachers.
All my love,
Emma Cook
PS senior year I was honored as the future “Miss Thorne”… I’m still working towards that goal (mixed with a bit of Sigman!). And to Shanimal… you never gave up on me. I love you!
Amanda
Dear Mr. Shannon, Ms. Thorne, Mr. McKenna, Ms. Sigman, and Mr. Ward,
Thank you so much for all that you taught me. I am no longer the bubble-head that I started out to be back in 2006 thanks to your teaching and guidance. I am currently an NIH contractor for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and I wouldn’t have gotten here without your help! Humanities was a pivotal moment in my life and thank you for everything. I hope to visit soon.
Love always,
Amanda
Adithya
Dear PHS Faculty,
It’s Adithya! I graduated from UMD in May with an Information Systems major. I am currently working as an IT consultant for the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Financial Management System. I’m still getting used to the job but I’m using the skills that our Humanities teachers instilled in us on an everyday basis. Shout out to all our Humanities teachers (Mr. Shannon, Mr. McKenna, Ms. Thorne, Ms. Sigman, and my man Mr. Ward!). Hope to see you guys soon. PHS family 4 life.
Adithya R
Emanoel
Dear Mr. Ward,
I hope you’re doing okay in life. You looked pretty mad in high school.
-Emanoel