Viewpoint prep school sends motivated graduates into the world
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

DONE!- Seniors celebrate.

"Every child begins to write his or her destiny at the moment they graduate from high school," said Sam Haskell, proud parent of a Viewpoint Upper School student who is graduating this year.

Haskell was the commencement speaker at the Calabasas school's graduation ceremony last Saturday.

As the former worldwide head of television for the William Morris Agency, president of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh's Young Americans' Challenge, and chairman and founder of the Haskell Scholarship Foundation in Mississippi, Haskell said he wanted to share his life experiences to inspire the class of 2007.

His daughter, Mary Lane Haskell, and the 100 other students who are graduating from Viewpoint this year are ready to begin a new journey filled with great prospects. These students have already demonstrated that they are capable young people who will contribute much to the world, said Viewpoint school officials.

They worked hard in a rigorous curriculum, participated in varied community service projects and dedicated significant time outside of school to areas of individual interest, said Amy Calvert, director of college counseling.

The graduates are heading to 47 colleges and universities in 15 states across the country, the District of Columbia and Scotland.

"Viewpoint offers every type of student the tools to succeed. The school provides the resources needed for any student to excel beyond the classroom," said Jesse Kalatchi, a Malibu resident who is going to attend Lafayette College in Easton, Pa.

Kalatchi has not selected a major yet but said she enjoys math and chemistry and likes to learn other languages.

"Viewpoint is one of the top college prep schools in Los Angeles County," said Haskell, who has served on the board of directors for the nonprofit private school for the past seven years.

Mary Lane Haskell is going to study musical theater at the Tish School of the Arts, a division of New York University in New York City. She aspires to an acting career on Broadway, she said.

While attending Viewpoint, Haskell also learned about ethics and community service and recently coordinated a benefit that raised $34,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. She said she plans to continue to use her talents for the greater good while she attends college.

"I am extremely blessed with an incredible family who supports me in whatever I do and also with the opportunity to attend a school such as Viewpoint that gives me the means, tools and resources to make all of my dreams come true. And I believe that it is, in turn, my duty to give to those who are not as fortunate as myself," Haskell said.

She was a member of Viewpoint's Conservatory of Theater and the Upper School Chorus. She also was president of the Theater Club, served as copresident of the Music Honors Society, and was vice president of Community Outreach for Everyone (CORE), the community service honors society at Viewpoint.

The Upper School's students are required to contribute 45 hours to community service before they graduate, but it is not unusual for some to volunteer several hundred hours, said Andrea Rosas, communications and publications associate for Viewpoint.

The Class of 2007 contributed a total of approximately 14,000 hours to community service, she said.

Over the years, Kalatchi also frequently spent time volunteering at Viewpoint and in the Greater Los Angeles area hoping to bring a ray of happiness to younger, less fortunate children.

"Community service is something that I have happily been involved in for years, and working as president of CORE has given me the opportunity to spread awareness and the importance of giving back to the community," she said.

"Both Jesse Kalatchi and Mary Lane Haskell are extraordinary young women," said Viewpoint Headmaster Robert Dworkoski.

"They are academically successful, highly motivated in all activities and devoted to the cause of helping others," he said.

The valedictorian was Jacob Combs of Hidden Hills, who will attend Brown University this fall.

Chad Kenney of Woodland Hills served as salutatorian, welcoming Viewpoint's families, friends, faculty and staff to the ceremony.

With 1,200 students, the kindergarten-through-12th-grade school is the sixthlargest member of the California Association of Independent Schools.

In 2006, Viewpoint became the first school in the state and one of the first two schools in the United States to offer the Duke of Edinburgh's Young Americans' Challenge International Award.

Last month, Britain's Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to Calabasas to present bronze medals to 45 Upper School students, honoring their participation in the program, which includes volunteer work and outdoor challenges.

Viewpoint also won 10 league championships in 16 varsity sports this past academic year.

Viewpoint Class of 2007

Amanda Kari Ackerman, Kelly Elizabeth Adelman, Justin Edward Alters, Garo Haig Apelian, Nitin Bajaj, Veer Singh Bawa, Michael Thomas Bianco, Gal Bino, Maiyan Bino, William LaPolt Blackman. Tristan Robert Brown, Woodford Spencer Brown, Brian Jeffrey Caloz, Jacob Daniel Combs, Christel Renee Star Cornelius, Danielle Lauren Davis, Sean Paul Denny, Christina Belle Dickens, Carlo DiGregorio, Suryaveer Dogra, Alexa Michelle Droubay, Joshua Michael Dver, Garrett Louis Edell, Krystyna Paige Faillace, Kara Kathleen Gerald, Matthew Eric Gilbert, Blake Durand Goldberg, Joseph Nolfi Golden, Shannon Leigh Greulich, Catherine Emrick Hamilton, Kyunghee (Helen) Han, Ara Hartoonian, Mary Lane Haskell, Kyle Jordan Vincent Hindin, Brandon Yoshihiro Ikeda and Cailey Celia Jacoby

Jesse Rachel Kalatchi, Roshanne Clara Katouzian, Michael Cameron Katz, Rachel Whitney Kavanaugh, Chad Shigeo Kenney, Benjamin S. Kessler, Christine YunJee Kim, Jonathan P. Krikorian, Megan Rose Lazar, Dominik Maximilian Lehner, Eric Wheatley Leidersdorf, Taylor Adam Lesser, Jonathan Warren Levinson, Miles Hochhalter Lewis, Lior Lipman, Troy Aaron List, Naveed Majd, Nataly Mamaliger, Molly Elizabeth Jean McVie, Nareg Krikor Momdjian, Sable Anne-Marie Muntean, Jack William Murgatroyd, Julian Dilip Nagendran, Sophie Gabriella Rose Netanel, Michael Christopher Noori, Meghan Tara O'Donovan, Justin Lee Ocksrider, Samantha Tomo Olea, Andrew Laurence Pae, Evan Paul Perillo, Michael Clark Pfeiffer, Alexander Clayton Pherson, Yana Piatetsky, Alexandra Elizabeth Pines, Daniele Peter Pitsch, Melanie Eve Prescott, Christopher Daniel Ramos, Adam Hamilton Reiffen, Jennifer Dawn Reuben, Jessica Neal Robertson and Colleen Jacqueline Robins

Samuel Ricardo Saenz, Patrick James Gerhardus Saris, Sarah Jane Schechter, Robert Max Schouweiler, Michael Joseph Segal, Ida Shahmoradi, Jenna Dana Blake Sklar, Samantha Arianna Smith, Alexandra Jacquelyn Stabler, Hollie Bo Steinberg, Michael Harvey Sterman, Daniel Benjamin Sulitzer, Aria Susan Taddey, Sheba Taherizadegan, Matthew Christopher Talamantes, Allison Sarah Tashnek, Lindsey Elizabeth Tate, Jacob Joseph Topper, Brittany Katherine Troxler, William Kyle Van Trigt, Alexander Edward Warren, Jessica Felyce Weiss, Alexander Yari and Kamryn Taylor Young.