Future Forward

139 students from 38 zip codes including 31 Parker lifers comprised the Class of 2024. In addition to being exceptional Parker students and new alumni, they have distinguished themselves in many other ways. They do more than school—from jobs to travel, work to volunteering, extracurricular activities to much more.

The Class of 2024 has chosen to attend 75 different colleges in 23 states, Washington, D.C., and Scotland. 240 different colleges made offers of admission to the seniors from the Class of 2024. In alignment with trends from recent years (click here to review our four-year data through the Class of 2023), 43% of the class chose to attend colleges and universities in California. 

In addition to their outside-of-school interests, the Class of 2024 includes:

• 28 Cum Laude Society Members
• 2 National Merit Scholarship Winners
• 4 National Merit Scholarship Finalists
• 4 National Merit Semifinalists
• 15 Student-Athletes heading to collegiate programs (NCAA DI, II, III and NAIA)
• 31 Lifers in the Class of 2024
• 3 Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award Recipients
• 1 Silver President’s Volunteer Service Award Recipient

We are excited to watch the meaningful difference the Class of 2024 will continue to make in the world at their respective colleges, universities, and gap year destinations. The following list was updated on June 12, 2024. Congratulations, graduates!

• American University
• Arizona State University
• Barnard College (2)
• Bates College
• Boston University
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• California Lutheran University
• California Polytechnic State University
• San Luis Obispo (5)
• California State University – Maritime Academy
• California State University Long Beach
• California State University Monterey Bay
• California State University Northridge (2)
• California State University San Marcos
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Chapman University (2)
• Colorado College
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth College
• Georgetown University
• Haverford College
• Loyola Marymount University (4)
• Loyola University Chicago
• Loyola University Maryland
• Marist College
• Marquette University
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (2)
• Northeastern University (3)
• Occidental College
• Pace University (Westchester)
• Pepperdine University
• Pratt Institute
• Princeton University
• Purdue University (3)
• Reed College
• Rice University
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• San Diego City College
• San Diego State University (4)
• Santa Clara University (2)
• Scripps College (2)
• Stanford University (3)
• Texas Christian University
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• United States Coast Guard Academy
• University of California Berkeley (4)
• University of California Davis
• University of California Los Angeles (3)
• University of California Riverside (3)
• University of California San Diego
• University of California Santa Barbara (2)
• University of California Santa Cruz (2)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado (4)
• University of Iowa
• University of La Verne
• University of Miami (2)
• University of Michigan (6)
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Rochester
• University of Saint Andrews (3)
• University of San Diego (3)
• University of Southern California (5)
• University of Washington (6)
• University of Wisconsin (3)
• Vanguard University
• Villanova University (3)
• Washington University in Saint Louis (2)
• Wellesley College 

Congratulations to Andrew Vassiliadis ’01 and Sydney Thomas ’06, Parker’s 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients.

The Outstanding Alumni Award is given to the alumni who embody the ideals of intellect, initiative, and social responsibility, which are the essence of a Parker education. They exemplify the School’s core values through excellence and selfless service in their careers and lives. They show a commitment to their community and/or Parker and strive toward local or national recognition.

Andrew Vassiliadis ’01 grew up playing soccer and developed a love for the sport. After college, Andrew launched a career in the entertainment business as a DJ and event producer for events around the world. He found himself drawn back to soccer. He was the youngest owner of a United Soccer League Team, the beloved San Diego Loyal, which debuted in 2020. SD Loyal was committed to its community off the field and received many awards for their dedicated service. SD Loyal ignited the soccer community in San Diego, developing a dedicated fan base of families, friends, and soccer fans until they played its last game in 2023.

Sydney Thomas ’06 is the Founder and General Partner of Symphonic Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in companies making life better for the 99%. She has created a distributed network invested in this space by founding a podcast where she profiles these companies, launching a newsletter where she writes about these companies, and hosting events where she organizes people who care deeply about the impact these companies can have on our society. She participates in several extracurricular activities to increase diversity in tech and level the playing field more broadly. This work awarded her a “Black VC’s Making an Impact” designation and a feature in Marie Claire.

Congratulations again to Sydeny and Andrew on their accomplishments. Along with the Rising Star Recipients, they will be honored at the inaugural Alumni Awards Ceremony on May 31.

Congratulations to Maddy Jennewein Ph.D. ’10 and Julie Jester Newman ’10, Parker’s 2024 Rising Stars Award Recipients!

The Rising Star Alumni Award is given to an alumnus who embodies the ideals of intellect, initiative, and social responsibility, which are the essence of a Parker education. This person demonstrates leadership and has obtained a high level of accomplishment in their career. They are committed to their community and/or Parker, striving toward local or national recognition.

Maddy Jennewein, Ph.D. ’10 is a senior scientist at Moderna working on EBV vaccine development to protect against infectious mononucleosis. Maddy earned a Ph.D. in virology at Harvard University in 2019; they also graduated with a secondary concentration in Science, Technology, and Society from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Maddy did postdoctoral research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Care Center, focused on immune development to SARS-CoV-2 and broadly neutralizing antibody responses to infection. After their postdoc, Maddy worked for a biotech institute helping run various vaccine development programs in RNA vaccines. 

Julie Jester Newman ’10 is the Chief Engineer for a major satellite program at Boeing. She was recognized with the “20 Under 35” award for her industry. Julie is also an active STEM outreach champion and author of the best-selling book: Pull Don’t Push: Why STEM Messaging to Girls Isn’t Working and What to Do Instead. Over her career, Julie has worked on a wide range of space programs, including the Space Launch System, Starliner Crew Vehicle, SWOT earth-observing satellite, and the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Congratulations again to Maddy and Julie on their accomplishments. They were honored at the inaugural Alumni Awards Ceremony in May, along with the Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients.