Introducing the 2025 Alumni Leadership Council

In this issue of the Alumni Newsletter, we would like to take a moment to celebrate a special group of individuals who quietly serve behind the scenes to strengthen and elevate the Sierra Canyon alumni experience. The Alumni Leadership Council brings together graduates who are deeply committed to supporting their fellow Trailblazers, advising the Alumni Office on key initiatives, and helping to grow an alumni network rooted in connection, opportunity, and shared purpose. Their leadership is essential to the ongoing success of our Alumni Association, and today we invite you to get to know them a little better.

Since its inception five years ago, the Sierra Canyon’s Alumni Leadership Council has become one of the most essential pillars of the Alumni Association. It serves as a sounding board, a bridge between generations, and a driving force behind alumni engagement. This year's Council represents a range of graduating classes and life stages. Yet, each member shares a powerful connection to Sierra Canyon and a genuine desire to remain involved in its future.

For many Council members, the decision to serve is grounded in gratitude and a lasting sense of belonging. Tanner Cusumano '13 reflects that Sierra Canyon played a meaningful role in shaping who he is and sees Council service as a way to stay connected while supporting current and future students. That same desire to remain engaged and give back resonates across the group. Talha Rafique ’20 describes Sierra Canyon as foundational to his character and work ethic, noting that serving on the Council allows him to contribute to the very environment that once supported him. Paridhima Pruthi ’13 shares that perspective as well, viewing her service as a way to give back to the community that helped shape her while remaining connected to fellow alumni, faculty, and staff.

Across their reflections, one theme consistently emerges: the strength of Sierra Canyon's community. Council members describe Sierra Canyon as a place where students are known and supported, where faculty invest deeply in growth, and where relationships extend far beyond graduation. Tanner recalls a campus where classmates became lifelong friends, while Talha points to a culture of care that encourages students to grow academically, personally, and creatively.

That sense of connection is reinforced through shared Trailblazer values. Pari highlights how special it is for such a diverse community to find kinship by living out Sierra Canyon’s core principles of excellence, integrity, community, and independence. Priyanka Grover '14 echoes this sentiment, recalling how her time on campus helped her to discover her passions while surrounded by driven classmates and teachers who shaped her in ways that extended well beyond the classroom.

Similarly, for James Low '99, P'33, the connection to Sierra Canyon is both deeply meaningful and profoundly full circle. Serving on the Alumni Leadership Council, he writes, “feels a little like coming home,” especially as he now watches his daughter, Alice, experience the same campus that shaped his own childhood. He describes Sierra Canyon as a rare place that manages to be both ambitious and deeply personal, becoming woven into a family's story across generations.

The Sierra Canyon Alumni Association is fortunate to have this group of alums, for whom giving back is not transactional, but an extension of their connection to Sierra Canyon and its future. Members frequently speak about their desire to pay forward the mentorship, opportunities, and encouragement they received as students. Tanner hopes to help create those same possibilities for others. Talha views supporting Sierra Canyon as a way to honor the foundation the School provided, while Pari has expressed a sense of responsibility to ensure future Trailblazers continue to benefit from the same support she once received.

Priyanka describes giving back as her way of honoring the community that helped shape who she is today, and James frames it even more broadly, calling his support "gratitude across generations," a way to thank the School for what it gave him while helping ensure the same sense of belonging and possibility for his daughter's generation and those that follow.

To our current students, Council members are always eager to offer thoughtful and encouraging guidance. Their message is consistent: take advantage of every opportunity, stay curious, build relationships, and do not be afraid to stretch yourself. Talha urges students to "fail loudly, rise quickly, and don't live small," while James offers the same reminder he gives his daughter each morning: "Be safe, be curious, be brave, be kind, and have fun."

Together, these reflections paint a clear picture of what it means to be a Sierra Canyon alum: someone who carries the values, relationships, and spirit of the School forward long after leaving campus.

Looking Ahead

We are so grateful to these ten Alumni Leadership Council members for their service to the Sierra Canyon alumni community. They bring perspective, enthusiasm, and a deep commitment to strengthening alumni connections and supporting the next generation of Trailblazers. Their leadership helps ensure that alumni remain an active, engaged part of Sierra Canyon’s story long after graduation day.

Trailblazers have always forged paths.

The Alumni Leadership Council is helping ensure that some of those paths will always lead right back home.

2025 Alumni Leadership Council

Blade Brady '13
Tanner Cusumano '13
Priyanka Grover '14
Kyra Hill Williams '14
Jane Jing '17
James Low MS'99, P'33
RJ Maya '24
Adrian Moreira Behrens '19
Paridhima Pruthi '13
Talha Rafique '20

Click here to view pictures of some of our Alumni Leadership Council members.