Tamarack Alum

Anisha Prather

Anisha Prather, Tamarack’s Class of 2019, attended Pathways High School where she participated in the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s (MIAD) pre-college courses and summer internships. Through these programs she worked at multiple graphic design firms and became adept at Photoshop software before even graduating high school, and also inspired her love of the arts. Anisha decided to pursue a degree in animation and, after taking many dual-credit classes through MATC throughout her time at Pathways, had completed one-third of the credits required for the degree while still in high school. She was awarded both a MATC Promise grant and a League of United Latin American Citizens scholarship.

After graduating with her Associate’s Degree in animation this coming spring, Anisha plans to pursue a second Associate’s Degree in Computer Simulation and Gaming, positioning herself well for a career in game development.

Aidan Williams-Brusubardis

Aidan Williams-Brusubardis, Tamarack’s Class of 2020, graduated with honors from Pius Xi Catholic High School in June of 2024.  Last summer, after competing on the piano, he received the UW Madison Summer Music Clinic full tuition scholarship and is planning on attending UW Madison in the fall, majoring in music composition.   He is also a recipient of the Jack and Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship and The Welsh Club of Milwaukee Music Scholarship.

Aidan has been playing piano since he was 9 years old.  He began his classical music education with his grandpa, Ernie Brusubardis. When he was 12 years old, he discovered his love of composing and improvising on the piano and a few years later, started taking composition lessons with organist and composer, Karen Beaumont. At the age of 14, he began his studies in Jazz piano under Mark Davis of the Milwaukee Jazz Institute.  This past year, he began studying classical piano with the chair of the UW Milwaukee piano department, Elena Abend.

For the past 3 years, Aidan has been the primary organist and choir accompanist for the Latvian Lutheran Church in Milwaukee.  He is also a member of the Brusubardis Jazz trio and performs regularly throughout the Milwaukee area.

Carter Lawson

Carter, Tamarack’s class of 2020, recently completed a solo bicycle trip from Milwaukee to Grand Junction, Colorado (1,687 miles in 29 days) before beginning his new job at the Colorado National Monument. He started on March 7th, and the trip took him three weeks. Carter enjoyed the beauty of the driftless region as he rode west through Wisconsin. He covered most of his miles through Iowa and Nebraska, which was a long and unvarying stretch of the journey. As he reached southwest Nebraska, the topography became hillier and more exciting, which kept him motivated. The landscape of the highlands in Denver left him awestruck, and he was thrilled to face the challenge of riding through the mountains, even though it was hard work. The trek from Denver to Idaho Springs was challenging because the trails were heavily covered with snow, making them impassable, forcing him to take a bus from Idaho Springs to Rifle, CO, and then hop back on the trails to ride from Rifle to Grand Junction, where he arrived at Colorado National Monument.

During the journey, Carter camped whenever he needed to rest and ate simple and nutritious food. Carter was impressed by the beautiful scenery of Grand Junction. The soil is reddish-brown, and juniper trees are everywhere. Since he arrived early for his job and housing was not available, he decided to add some more miles to his trip and rode down to Moab to spend some time exploring.

Carter works in facilities maintenance at the national park and is one of the youngest crew members. On his days off, he heads down the mountain into town to meet people and enjoys rock climbing. When asked if his time at Tamarack helped him in any way, Carter said that being active at school helped him become the person he is today.

Quron Payne

We would like to extend our congratulations to Quron Payne for successfully completing his Doctorate of Jurisprudence at Harvard Law School in just 2 years and 3 months. Recently, he was sworn in as a lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. According to his mother, the judge immediately assigned him 14 cases after the swearing-in ceremony. Quron is now opening his own law practice in Milwaukee. To learn more about Quron's inspiring journey, please read his previous alum update below.

Hazel Crescent Danneil 

Hazel is a senior at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and plans to graduate in 2023 with a major in Archaeology and a minor in Anthropology. She attended Tamarack from preschool through high school, completing 8th grade in Dr. Price’s class of 2015. She graduated from Tamarack Waldorf High School in 2019.

Hazel recently spent six weeks in India, where she studied Himalayan Myths and Reality at the Himalayan Institute for Cultural and Heritage Studies.

“In my Waldorf education, I developed skills for non-formulaic, creative processing and problem-solving. At Tamarack, I was exposed to a variety of craft skills that helped me learn to approach new projects and issues constructively, and I gained experience working with complex sensory and cognitive functions.”

Maria Rogers

Maria is a 2004 Tamarack alum. She graduated from MATC in business and then went back to MATC to continue her studies in Liberal Arts. After completing her certificate from the Aveda Institute of Beauty and Wellness in 2013, she now has her own business working at Luxe The Salon in Shorewood as a massage therapist and eyelash tech.

"Attending Tamarack taught me skills that I wouldn't have learned if I would have attended another school."

Sarah Schelble

Sarah Schelble (class of 2005) might also be remembered as Ms. Sarah to many students and parents. After graduating from Tamarack, Sarah went on to Rufus King High School, and the University of Minnesota-Twins Cities, where she studied Family Social Science and Art. After coming back to Milwaukee in 2012, Sarah began working at Tamarack. Over the next seven years, she became the Care Coordinator for the Before-and-Aftercare Programs, and co-Handwork and Woodwork Teacher. In 2019, Sarah made the difficult choice to leave Tamarack to pursue a graduate degree in Art Therapy from Mount Mary University. She completed her degree in May of 2022.

Sarah credits Tamarack (and her mom) with inspiring her love for handwork, fibers, and craft. She thinks back on all her handwork and woodwork classes fondly and is grateful for the opportunities Tamarack gave her to create meaningful and useful projects.

“Not only did these classes teach me the skills that would eventually get me a job, they also helped me learn many social and emotional learning skills that I still rely on today, such as patience, perseverance, and a willingness to make mistakes and learn from them”.

Sarah is proud to have been able to return to Tamarack as a teacher and share her love for handwork and woodwork with new generations of students. It was through her work with the students that she realized the therapeutic benefits of art and craft, and decided to pursue art therapy. She currently works as an art therapist and counselor in Milwaukee and Waukesha, working with adults with disabilities and chronic mental health concerns, and children and adolescents. She hopes to continue to share her skills and passion for handwork and woodwork with her clients and the art therapy community.

Ms. Sarah can still be seen in the teacher's section at 8th grade graduations cheering on her former students. 

Spencer Gravatt

Spencer attended Tamarack for kindergarten and returned to attend Tamarack Waldorf High School for four years. He had the opportunity to take a senior trip to Egypt with members of his class and graduated in 2019. He is a self-employed utility technician and is currently working in Austin, Texas.

“When I look back at my experience at Tamarack, I think about in-depth pursuits of not just informational education but the focus on developing all facets of the human experience. From service trips helping the less fortunate, creative writing and mindfulness classes to bi-yearly play performances, Tamarack truly offered something for everyone, and I believe evoked passions and ideas for many students who otherwise would have never discovered them going to a traditional public school. They taught us how to be good members of society through a uniquely experiential education and for that I’m truly grateful.”

Nicholas Hayes

Nicholas is currently a first-year PhD student at the University of California, Davis. As a student researcher in the department of Psychology and the Center for Mind and Brain, Nicholas' research primarily focuses on understanding how the brain supports memory and attention during development and aging.

Nicholas graduated from Tamarack Waldorf School (K5 - 8th grade) in 2007. He attended Pius High School from 2007-2010, and later graduated from Menomonee Falls High School in 2011. Nicholas then studied Psychology and Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, receiving his bachelor's degree in 2015. After completing his undergraduate degree, Nicholas held various professional positions between 2015-2021 including Firm Administrator at La Fleur Law Firm in Milwaukee, WI, Research Associate at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Research Associate at Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE.

"There are so many challenges we may encounter in our lives, and so having the understanding that we are all collectively sharing those challenges on this planet together is vital to how we navigate such obstacles. If that understanding took the form of a compass, then Tamarack has served as my compass. The tamarack experience is one where community meets creativity, where creativity meets compassion."

Quron Payne

Quron Payne is currently attending The Howard University School of Law and is in his second academic year. Quron graduated from Tamarack Middle School in 2007 and went on to graduate from Riverside University High school. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he was stationed in North Carolina. After completing his active duty role, Quron served as a reservist and attended the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM). Quron graduated from UWM in 2020 and believes education plays a crucial role in life.

“What makes Tamarack special, in my opinion, is that Tamarack encourages you to think creatively. In a world where there’s a lot of emphasis on technology and advancement, Tamarack also reveals the beauty and value in nature. This combination produces a well versed student in the end, and I believe this versatility has been my edge in life.”

Maliqk S. Martinez

Maliqk S. Martinez recently graduated from Tenor Highschool this past June. He is attending at MATC with a focus on Environmental Biology. He is enrolled in their Freshwater Science program and is looking to eventually study marine biology.

"I am very grateful to have attended Tamarack. It’s not like most schools. Tamarack allowed me to learn in a creative setting where I thrived. Their emphasis on connecting with nature fostered my current studies. Tamarack also helped develop my critical thinking and develop my unique and alternative view as credited by my teachers at Tenor Highschool. My most important takeaway from Tamarack was that it taught me how to have meaningful relationships."

Sebastian Danneil

Sebastian Danneil, Tamarack student from Joy of Learning through Grade 10, graduated from Youth Initiative High School (YIHS) in Viroqua, WI June 6, 2021. He plans to attend the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in the fall to study Architecture.

"What I appreciated about Waldorf education was the less biased view on history, and how patient the teachers were, giving all the students the attention they deserve. Many of the teachers at Tamarack made an incredible impression on who I am today, which I can't appreciate enough.

YIHS complimented my Tamarack education incredibly well, and rounded me out as a person. Now, I'm looking forward to the social aspects of college and the chance to really focus in on my interests."

Hermione Zamzow

Hermione Zamzow, 8th grade class of 2017.
She graduated Pathways High School this year and will be spending the fall in Rome, Italy through a gap semester program at John Cabot University.

“Having the opportunity to live in Italy means two things to me. One, my dream is coming true to be in the country. Two, I get to learn the cultures and backgrounds of students from 60+ different countries. Learning the backgrounds of people from all over the world gives me a better understanding of the human race and I am excited to go through this journey.”

Gabriella Poulos

Gabriella (Tamarack class of 2013) graduated this May from Kansas City Art Institute with BFA in Fiber. Her sash was selected to be worn by the President of the Kansas City Art Institute at the 2021 Commencement ceremony.

Gabriella shares more:

Each spring, the seniors in the Fiber Department have the opportunity to submit a proposal for the commencement sash. The fiber faculty members review and select one student to execute their design. Upon completion, that student must present the sash to the KCAI president, and in return receives a check as payment for material fees and time.
This sash is worn by the KCAI president during the commencement ceremony. After that graduation, the sash becomes part of the collection. Every year after it is worn by the president, it is worn at commencement by another member of the faculty, starting with the senior-most member. Someday there will be enough sashes for every faculty member to wear one during graduation.
This sash is made out of felt. Four colors of roving were carded together before felting. Then I utilized a traditional Japanese technique of pole wrapping, called arashi, which is typically used for shibori. This process is what gives the felt the pleated texture. I used each of the four colors of roving to create the felted cords, which are used to hold the pieces of felt together.

Learn more about Gabriella and her work on her website.

Ian Sustar

Ian Sustar was part of the second graduating class at Tamarack in 2003. He is the owner of Sustar Woodworks, located in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. He designs and creates beautiful custom furniture like Tamarack's front office desk! His business has grown steadily over the last 4 years but has been particularly busy this past year! You can learn more about Ian and his work at his website.

Jay Stokes

After finishing 8th grade (2002) at Tamarack, I went to Pius XI high school and thrived academically and socially. After high school, I attended the University of Wisconsin Whitewater for my Bachelors degree and found my career path: to work at a University. This brought me to Northern Arizona University where I did my Master’s of Education work in Counseling and Student Affairs. I worked as a Residence Hall Director and helped shape the lives of college students. The network I built and the connections I made led me out to New York, where I work in International Education - helping students study abroad. One of the many aspects I appreciate about Waldorf is the long term connection with teachers. I know I am more comfortable interacting with professors and administrators now because of the genuine and foundational relationships with teachers from Waldorf over 2 decades ago.

“I believe that Tamarack and Waldorf was the spark that developed me into a life-long learner.”