Alumni Spotlight: Laura Melohn Emerson, Class of 1975
MIRAMONTE’S REAL ALASKA REALITY SHOW: AN ALUMNA’S LIFE
LAURA MELOHN EMERSON, CLASS OF 1975
Think it’s cold in Orinda? Wait until you hear about Laura Melohn Emerson’s life in the Alaskan wilderness! This 1975 Miramonte alumna traded city life for the rugged, off-grid reality of the Alaskan bush, where temperatures plummet to minus 33°F and transportation requires a plane or snow machine. From building her own log cabin to foraging for food and witnessing the northern lights, Laura’s journey is one of resilience, self-reliance, and intentional living. Read on to discover how her Miramonte roots and diverse career path led her to a life few can imagine—and the rare chance to live her own “real Alaska reality show.”
Read more
Alumni Spotlight: Meet the Schnugg Family – 13 Alumni, 15 Years, One Unbreakable Bond
THE SCHNUGG FAMILY:
THIRTEEN MIRAMONTE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI
The Schnugg family, whose 13 siblings graduated from Miramonte High School over a span of 15 years, recently gathered during one of their monthly Zoom calls. Together, they reflected on their time at Miramonte and shared their thoughts as a family.
Spanning generations, the Schnugg legacy includes 13 siblings, 38 grandchildren, and 58 great-grandchildren (with more on the way!), carrying forward the strong ties to family, community, and Miramonte High School that began with Frank and Sev Schnugg.
Read moreAlumni Spotlight: Dr. Christopher Severson (Class of 1992)
MATSNATION ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW
CHRISTOPHER SEVERSON, CLASS OF 1992
Please tell us a little about yourself and your history with Miramonte High School.
CS: I graduated from Miramonte High School in 1992. My four sisters also all graduated from Miramonte. My oldest four children all attended Miramonte. The youngest is a freshman at Campo (in order to take German).
Can you tell us what you’ve been up to since high school?
CS: I graduated from Brigham Young University in Economics and was a church missionary in Paris, France, for two years. I attended medical school and emergency medicine residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. I was on the Orinda Union School District Board of Trustees for four years, from 2010-2014, and am serving on the Acalanes Union High School District (“AUHSD”) Board from 2018-2024.
Mostly, I like to run. I’ve done about 15 road marathons. I ran the Boston Marathon twice. Now I do more trail and ultramarathons. I’ve run seven 100-mile mountain races.
Professionally, I am an Emergency Medicine Physician with Kaiser Permanente, where I’ve served as Chief of the Walnut Creek location since 2019.
Read moreAlumni Spotlight: Kate Cryan (Class of 2002)
Meet a Matador: Miramonte Foods Teacher
Please tell us a little about yourself and your history with Miramonte High School.
KC: I graduated from Miramonte in 2002. I grew up in Moraga and chose to go to Miramonte to take Latin and Public Speaking. My sisters, Joanna (Cryan) Aiken and Laura (Cryan) Zellmer, had both gone to Campolindo High School. Joanna graduated in Campo’s Class of 1989 and Laura in their Class of 1992. It was a big deal that I came to Miramonte. I'm not sure they ever totally got over it!
Alumni Spotlight: Drew Holland (Class of 2013)
Meet a Matador: Champion Water Polo Goalkeeper
Please tell us a little about yourself and your history with Miramonte High School.
DH: I graduated from Miramonte in 2013 and have two older brothers who went to Miramonte as well. My oldest brother, Kent, graduated in 2006, and John graduated in 2010. We all played on the water polo team, so I was following in their footsteps. Kent went on to play four years of water polo at Brown University and graduated as their all-time saves leader and an All-American. John went on to play four years of water polo at Claremont McKenna College, and was an All-American and Division III National Champion. Kent now lives with his family in Hermosa Beach, California, working as a vice president of sales in technology. John now lives with his family in Portland, Oregon, working for Nike.
Meet a Matador: Gavin Kermode (Class of 1998)
Meet a Matador: Gavin Kermode
By Miramonte Parents Club Communications team
Meet Miramonte's 3D-Art Teacher and Visual & Performing Arts Department Chair, Gavin Kermode!
My wife Natalia and I have three children. Our daughters, Reese and Cora, are 9 and 5, and they go to Del Rey. Our son Hunter is 3 and goes to a Spanish immersion preschool. They all love our two boxers, Chief and Leetah.
Read moreRick Binascca (Class of 1983) & Chris Schell (Class of 1992)
MHS Alum Done Good
Submitted by Rich Binsacca
Hello!
As the editorial director of Pro Builder, a national B2B media brand for the U.S. housing industry, I have the privilege of selecting our annual Builder of the Year, which we profile in our November/December issue.
Sabrina Ionescu (Class of 2016)
Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty celebrates after scoring against the Connecticut Sun in Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals on Sept. 26. Sarah Stier/Getty Images
WNBA Finals, with Sabrina Ionescu and All-Star cast, are a must watch.
San Francisco Chronicle
by Bruce Jenkins
October 7, 2023
"The backcourt battles — Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot against the Aces’ Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray — will be a whirlwind of ball movement, clever passing, deadly outside shooting and a general sense of seeking out the best possible shot. You seldom see crunch-time isolation in the WNBA, the depressing sight of four players standing around the perimeter while a star goes it alone. It’s always about the best pass, the next look, and the unbridled joy that comes from teamwork."
Drew Bennet (Class of 1996)
Drew Bennett scores a touchdown against the Raiders
Miramonte and UCLA alum Drew Bennett reflects on time in NFL
Lamorinda Weekly
By Jon Kingdon
February 15, 2023
"There is no greater annual sporting event that captures the attention of the country than Super Bowl Sunday. In the buildup to the game, there is as much analysis done as there is for a presidential election.
For Drew Bennett, following his graduation from Miramonte and UCLA, the term long shot would not have been misapplied prior to his eight-year career as a wide receiver for six years with the Tennessee Titans and two years with the St. Louis Rams that could clearly be called successful, having caught 307 passes and 28 touchdowns."
Ken Dorsey (Class of 1999)
Spotlighting Alumni: Ken Dorsey
The Mirador
Sohann Renac
November 14, 2022
"Now leading one of the NFL's most dynamic offenses, Miramonte alumni Ken Dorsey '99 demonstrates how commitment to athletics in high school can shape one's life.
Growing up in Orinda, Dorsey attended Miramonte High School from 1995 to 1999. Involved in sports since freshman year, he quickly rose through the ranks in both football and basketball, granting him official recognition as a letterman athlete. Dorsey was a part of both football and basketball varsity teams throughout his high school career and took up essential roles in both teams, starting at quarterback and forward during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. He proceeded to lead the matadors to back-to-back NCS titles and threw an outstanding 52 TDS in those two years alone. As a result, Dorsey was named All-East Bay in 1997 and 1998, Examiner All-Metro in 1997 and 1998, and Cal-Hi All-State in 1998. Dorsey would later be inducted into Miramonte's hall of fame in 2017."