- Welcome
- Update Contact Information
- Events
- Connect
- Career Corner
- Support SAAS
- Our Alumni
- Get Involved
Welcome
“I feel like SAAS prepared me for college and life by providing a very challenging, yet fun curriculum and—with the focus on the arts and sciences—paved the way for me to be able to succeed in a variety of environments. From the classroom to out on the soccer field to hiking in the Southwest Desert, I was given the opportunity to learn how to deal with, and overcome, many obstacles that I don’t think I would have been able to, as well as I have, had I not been a SAAS student.”
-Annika ZumBrunnen '99
Welcome to the Seattle Academy Alumni Association website. As an alumni, alumni parent, or alumni grandparent, this is your hub to stay connected or reconnect with the SAAS alumni community. From as nearby as Seattle or as far away as Italy, we have opportunities for you to stay connected with SAAS in a way that excites you and fits your lifestyle. The tabs above will help you navigate the website so you can tell us what's new with you, see what fellow classmates are up to, learn about engagement opportunities and so much more.
SAAS provides its students the opportunity to learn within an inclusive community where students are taught to question, imagine, and create, to best prepare them for both college and life. Now as an alumni, alumni parent, or alumni grandparent, we ask you to create and maintain a community of inclusive and geographically diverse alumni and alumni families who continue to support, live, and contribute boldly to a changing world in their life after SAAS.
Our Cardinals Fly Worldwide
As a Seattle Academy alumni, your opportunities are limitless. Our alumni live and work around the globe in more than 33 states, 4 countries and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tell us where you live by updating your contact information here or using our Alumni Directory.
Recent Alumni News
Alumni Events
Update Contact Information
Whether you have moved, changed jobs, gotten married or have a personal success story to share, be sure to stay in touch with SAAS. By updating your contact information you will:
- Receive important, school news
- Receive alumni community-specific news
- Receive information on exclusive alumni community opportunities.
- Feel connected to SAAS from any geographic location.
By updating your contact information, you will not:
- Receive spam or an overabundance of communications.
- Your information will never be shared with an outside source.
* Required
Events
SAAS Alumni Reunion- June 25, 2022
School is out but alumni reunions are in session! Come back to campus for the first-annual SAAS Alumni Summer Reunion on Saturday, June 25th at 6 PM PST. Join fellow alumni for a back to school night like no other. You’ll have the opportunity to tour campus, chat with old friends, and connect with current and retired faculty/staff members. The evening will begin on the Middle School Rooftop Field with drinks, appetizers, and lawn games where you can connect with old classmates from any grade. Remarks will be made by the one and only Rob Phillips, Head of School, and then attendees will be separated into groups by the decade they graduated within, where you have the chance to connect with those you were closest with in school.
This event is free to attend but registration is required. To reserve your spot, please complete the registration form below no later than Wednesday, June 22, 2022. As you complete your registration, please note:
- Attendees are welcome to bring a +1 guest but they must be registered using the form below.
- All attendees must be 18 and older to attend the Alumni Summer Reunion.
- Upon arrival at the event, all guests must provide ID.
- On-campus parking will be available.
With Washington State COVID-19 guidelines rapidly changing, we will announce vaccination and mask requirements closer to the event.
REGISTER FOR THE ALUMNI REUNION EVENT HERE
REUNION SCHEDULE
6:00-6:45 pm | Check-in (MS lobby)
6:00-7:30 pm | Connect & reminisce with food, drinks, and lawn games (Middle School Rooftop Field)
6:15-7:30 pm | Campus Tours (Depart from 13th Street, outside the Middle School)
7:30 pm | Remarks by Head of School Rob Phillips
7:45-9:00 pm | Reunion Breakouts (Middle School)
SAVE THE DATE
Connect
Alumni-Student Mentor Program
The Seattle Academy Alumni-Student Mentor Program is focused on building professional development, community affiliation and strong relationships within the SAAS community. As a SAAS aluma/us, serving as a mentor is a mutually beneficial relationship that can help grow and develop both the mentee and the mentor.
The overarching goal of the Seattle Academy Student-Alumni Mentor Program is to facilitate connections between experienced alumni mentors with students who are eager to learn and to prepare for life after SAAS. Specific program goals are as follows:
- The mentor will help their mentee Explore and dream big about life after SAAS, career options, and personal goals which includes reinforcing but not replacing the messages of College Advising
- The mentor will Assist the mentee with establishing long and short term goals to achieve both their personal and professional desires
- The mentor will Equip the mentee with resources and connections as well as past experiences to help guide the mentee towards opportunities to prepare them to reach their intended goals
- The mentor will Prepare the mentee with professional development skills that will prepare them from advancement after SAAS
To learn more about the program, view the timeline, and review the frequently asked questions, please click the Learn More button below. To participate in the 2022 program, please sign-up no later than February 24, 2022. For questions, email saasalumni@seattleacademy.org.
QTBIPOC Voices for Change
The QTBIPOC Voices for Change Committee continues to receive feedback and recommendations from our alumni to help improve our overall school culture and community. Your willingness to share with us continues to help put in place systems to better support current QTBIPOC students, to coordinate with other committees working with current students and parents, and to repair the relationships between our alumni and Seattle Academy where they have been fractured. To read the full entry from the Committee, please continue to our website.
Should you wish to come forward and report previous incidents of witnessed or experienced racism and other forms of discrimination, or simply want to share your broader experience while at SAAS, please reach out to any of the members listed below. Please note that the Committee continues to follow a formal process for reporting concerns and incidents, and those incidents that are legally reportable will be referred to the proper authorities.
This committee will write a report for the Head of School which will share themes, concerns and make recommendations for student and faculty training and support.
Thank you.
Members
Erin Aitchison, ’98, Director of Safety, Trips, & Travel
Mike Haykin, Assistant Head of School-Options
Nicole Higgins, Director of Major Gifts
Past Event:
Did you miss our recent Mental Health Awareness Week? We recorded everything so that you can still partake!
The SAAS Alumni Association partnered with mental health writer and alumna Rachel Havekost`07 to promote safe and effective exercises that support mental health. Each day throughout the week, we hosted simple, quick and convenient activities to participate in. Find the links to each video below.
Bio: Rachel is an NYU trained actress, former primary school educator, and graduate-level trained mental health therapist--though she believes the core of her education has come from life experience.
After a decade of eating disorder recovery, depression, anxiety, and deep therapeutic work, Rachel has made it her mission to create safe spaces off and online for people to connect, heal, and find peace.
Using honest storytelling, Rachel destigmatizes topics like suicide, eating disorders, and divorce. She offers tangible tools for coping with life’s stressors, as well as free and affordable resources for healing from trauma and navigating depression/anxiety. She believes these tools should be accessible to all, and until they are, aims to use her social media platform and privilege to provide ethical support.
Connect With Your Fellow Cardinals
With nearly 5,000 members of the Alumni Community spread across the world, it’s important to stay connected. No matter where you are located, you can remain virtually connected to SAAS and to your fellow Cardinals by following the Seattle Academy Alumni Association on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. By following the Seattle Academy Alumni Association on LinkedIn, you will be part of the Seattle Academy Alumni Directory where you can connect with past classmates, faculty, and staff. See below to learn more about using LinkedIn as an Alumni Directory.
Using LinkedIn as an Alumni Directory
View our step-by-step instructions here.
Alumni Newsletters
Take a look at our past and present newsletters to see what the entire alumni community is up to.
2022
Alumni Newsletter Winter 2022-January 2022
Alumni Newsletter Spring 2022 - March 2022
Alumni Newsletter Summer 2022 - June 2022
2021
Seattle Academy Alumni Newsletter Fall 2021- October 2021
Announcing the Seattle Academy Alumni Association - April 2021
2020
2019
2018
Career Corner
Whether you recently received your diploma, have relocated and are looking for your next career move, or are ready to give back to current students, SAAS is here for you. We are invested in your lifelong growth and professional development, so take full advantage of the tools and resources we provide.
Check Out Our Recent Webinar:
Job Seeking Amidst a Global Pandemic
Did you miss our recent webinar?
Job hunting is never an easy feat. It can often be filled with long hours of cover letter creation or repeatedly answering the same generic questions. Then, add a global pandemic to the already challenging process and it can seem nearly impossible. Click above to watch the recording of our recent webinar where moderator, SAAS teacher, and entrepreneur Mariah Gentry interviewed three panelists who have become just short of experts in the job hunting game. The panel covered generalized questions, such as:
- How can my application stand out amongst the crowd?
- What key components should be in a resume?
- If the cover letter is optional, will I be evaluated differently if I don’t submit one?
- What types of questions should I ask during an interview?
- Should I plan to follow up with the recruiter or interviewer after our interview?
The panel also addressed pandemic-specific topics like:
- What does Zoom etiquette look like during virtual interviews?
- What types of questions should I expect to be asked during a virtual interview?
- Should I extend for a handshake during an in-person interview?
Watch the full webinar to hear additional questions prompted from our audience, answered live. Once you’ve completed the webinar and are ready to get started on your job seeking journey, we recommend utilizing Miro, an online mind-mapping platform that helps you to discover your strengths, passions, connections, and skills.
Meet Our Panelists
Panelist 1 - Dianna Winegarden| SAAS Current Parent
Senior Vice President of Client Success | Dreambox Learning
Dianna is currently the Senior Vice President of Client Success at Dreambox Learning, a K-8 digital math program available in English and Spanish. Dianna leads Client Experience, Professional Development and Client Support teams that deliver a wide range of services to delight school districts and families.
Dianna brings 20 years of experience from a range of high-growth technology startups to global enterprise companies. Prior to Dreambox, Dianna served as COO for Level Technologies, a Techstars company with a mission to redefine financial services for the gig economy. She has also worked in service and operations leadership roles at Microsoft. Dianna and her family previously lived in London, where she was the Global Client Services and Solutions leader for what is now Investis Digital. Prior to working for technology companies, Dianna was a recruiter at a staffing firm, an English teacher in Japan, and a Residence Director for a university.
Dianna holds a BA in International Relations from Drake University, and an MBA from University of Washington. Dianna is active in the Seattle community, serving as a board member for Ventures and a volunteer for Farestart.
Experience in job Seeking – “I’ve had the unfortunate experience of being suddenly laid off, having to look for a job after a family move, as well as the more general job hunting when it is just time to seek a new challenge.”
Favorite job seeking tactic – “Ask my friends and network to identify the leaders they admire, the ones solving hard problems and find a way to get to know those leaders. I believe that passion to work on big problems is more compelling for employers than someone just looking for a job.”
Panelist 2 - Sydney Parno | SAAS Classroom Assistant
Budding Entrepreneur
Sydney Parno has traveled a winding path through the working world: first as a program coordinator at a nonprofit theater company, and then an executive assistant to the student government at Portland Community College. Like many others, Sydney wasn’t certain what she wanted to pursue.
A year ago, Sydney graduated from University of Washington’s undergraduate entrepreneurship program. She is currently a long-term financial literacy substitute and classroom assistant to the entrepreneurial leadership class at Seattle Academy. On the side, she is the CEO of Stripped, a size-inclusive women’s underwear brand that she launched during college. Her days consist of lesson planning and teaching while her nights involve fashion design and business meetings.
Sydney intends to lead a fulfilling life by being a lifelong learner. She has big dreams of building businesses, traveling the world, and inspiring students to reach their goals.
Experience in job Seeking – “I’ve recently endured a grueling six-month dry hunt, and finally took on teaching as a way to make ends meet. It has brightened my days!”
Favorite job seeking tactic – “A job hunting tactic that I love is applying for jobs that are outside of my intended career path because you never know what you might stumble upon when you least expect it!”
Panelist 3 - Michael Jaffe ‘07 | SAAS Alumnus
Senior Client Lead Recruiter | Twitch
Michael Jaffe ‘07 has had many jobs since he left SAAS. Starting in publishing and editorial with Marvel Comics and Fat Beats Records in New York, he broke off to be the founding Editor-in-Chief of Soletron, a sneaker website that was later bought by Karmaloop. After a year of running Soletron, and a brief stint in sales, an opportunity to relocate to San Francisco came up. He took a job working with VonChurch, a recruiting agency that worked with gaming companies like Riot and Niantic. That experience taught him enough skills about the industry to move to Yelp as a University Recruiter for nearly two years. After his time at Yelp, he finally got the call from Twitch to go into lead technical recruitment for their commerce and advertising teams (albeit with a move back to Seattle!) which is where he remains 4.5 years later. Currently, Michael is a Senior Client Lead Recruiter at Twitch and leads all planning and recruitment efforts for commerce, advertising, music and design teams. He partners closely with executives to align headcount and works with a small team of sourcers to go out and find the best candidates in the world to come work for Twitch.
Experience in job Seeking – “I've had many jobs in various fields in my life and wouldn't give up any of them, because even the worst job I've had taught me skills that got me to where I am today. I got to recruiting because getting other people to their happy place was important to me. Recruiting is problem-solving and trying to make people happy; it's essentially customer service that pays really well.”
Favorite job seeking tactic – “My favorite and easiest trick to getting in the door has always been to include pieces of the job description that best describe me and include them in my resume. Companies will connect with you quicker if they see you using their language to describe the work you've done.”
Professional Development Webinars
How To Get Clarity and Get Ahead In Your Career
What’s the Secret to Being Indispensable in Today’s Workplace?
Personal Branding: Embrace Your Authentic Self to Stand Out and Thrive
Negotiate Anything: How to find Confidence in Conflict
Support SAAS
Alumni support matters more than you may realize! As a graduate of Seattle Academy, you know the value of a SAAS education better than anyone. You were once a student at Seattle Academy and had the invaluable experience to learn, take chances and grow in a supportive and empowering environment. Now that you are part of the alumni community, your support speaks volumes about the school and the SAAS experience you had when you were a student here. Whether it’s a donation of $10, $100 or $1,000, no matter the size, your participation creates opportunities for SAAS students and faculty today.
Tuition covers the operating cost of the school. New programs, outdoor trips and travel, Financial Aid and even the Alumni Program are made possible by donations to the Annual Fund. Gifts to the school support and continue to grow these programs as our school continues to grow each year. You can make a gift or pledge today with the form below.
Thank you for supporting Seattle Academy!
Our Alumni
Alumni Faculty & Staff
Seattle Academy Alumni are located everywhere from New York, to Italy, to right here in Seattle. In fact, we have many alumni who have continued their SAAS journey as a current faculty or staff member. We are honored that these alumni have chosen to continue their journey with us and we are proud of their work with current SAAS students.

Kelly Rettenmier
SAAS taught me it was okay to try new things, to be open to all people, and to believe in yourself. - Kelly Aitchison Rettenmier '95

Francesca Rosati
I have always been a cheerleader of SAAS and the community. I had a really incredible experience at SAAS as a student and hold my time here very close to my heart. I knew coming back to SAAS would be a very likely possibility for me - especially as an art educator!
- Francesca Rosati '15
Get Involved
From November 19 through December 31, the SAAS Alumni Association is calling on all alumni and asking you to give back by making an impact in your local community. Whether that means donating blood, serving food at a homeless shelter, writing letters in support of a non-profit, or peacefully protesting — there are endless ways to make a difference. Alumni can choose a safe, effective way to help society in a method that resonates with them personally. To spread the spirit amongst the entire SAAS community, we are asking that you submit a photo of yourself in action. To show our appreciation of your involvement, we will mail a SAAS alumni gift to every alum who submits a photo.
How to Participate
- Sign-up to participate by completing the form on this page below.
- Choose a volunteer or civic engagement opportunity that is meaningful to you. For suggestions, please view our suggested list.
- Make an impact in your community by carrying out your chosen engagement and snapping a photo as you do it. Don’t be afraid to represent SAAS by wearing SAAS apparel as you volunteer.
- *Encouraged - Share a social media post about your experience to spread encouragement amongst your followers. Make sure to tag @saasalumniassociation on Instagram and @saasgrad on Facebook to spread encouragement amongst the SAAS community.
- Email your photo to alumni@seattleacademy.org
- Feel good knowing that you made a positive impact on your community!
- Enjoy your SAAS Alumni gift when it comes in the mail.
Suggestion List
Within the Seattle REGION:
Outside of the Seattle region:
- Visit AllForGood.org or VolunteerMatch to find safe volunteer projects near you.
- Write and send cards to people serving in the military, spending their holidays in the hospital, or seniors who are still home due to COVID.
- Donate or volunteer safely with food banks and pantries.
- Deliver meals and groceries to seniors through Meals on Wheels.
- Give blood: Contact your local blood bank such as the Red Cross.
- Write letters in support of a non-profit organization that you stand behind (such as a political or environmental organization).
- Start a community garden.
- Do something good for the environment by implementing green efforts into your household.
- Work with a local animal shelter as they tend to be overwhelmed during the holidays.