King School families and faculty came together Thursday evening for a night dedicated to “Making Connections.” Head of School Carol Maoz led the gathering on October 24, emphasizing how fostering meaningful connections — academically and socially — is a core principle at King and crucial to the school’s mission.
“This year’s theme, ‘Making Connections,’ reflects not only what we strive for every day at King but what makes our school truly unique,” Maoz said, setting the tone for the inspiring night ahead.
“Making meaningful connections is more important than ever — for learning, relationships, and understanding the broader world,” Maoz shared during her opening remarks. She described how students at King connect their academic knowledge to real-world applications and how the school’s project-based and interdisciplinary learning approaches promote deeper comprehension.
The evening’s theme extended beyond academics. Maoz discussed the importance of the connections between students and their peers, teachers, and communities. “At King, education is a social experience. Students learn through group work, peer-to-peer interactions, and forming meaningful relationships with their teachers as mentors,” she noted.
Following her address, Maoz moderated a lively panel featuring four upper school students: Leila G. DeSimone ’28, Jaipal Dohil ’25, Hathaway L. Liparidis ’26, and Katherine C. Ruhe ’25.
Each student shared personal reflections on the theme of connections and how it has shaped their time at King School. They spoke passionately about the relationships they've built in classrooms, co-curricular activities, and community service projects, offering insights into how these connections enhance their academic growth and personal development while strengthening the community.
Jaipal discussed his interest in macroeconomics and investments, his experience understanding global issues through his participation at Model UN, and a family initiative that allowed him to connect with his beloved family and the broader community.
“Last year I took AP Micro and Macro Economics, which solidified my interest in the field of economics of investing,” he said. ”I was able to see how there are so many connections between economics and other disciplines that I've been learning about at King.”
Hathaway delved into her work with classmate Sienna Barlow ’26. The pair earned the Tom Main Leadership Fellowship, an award granted to a team of outstanding sophomore students to fund research and present papers on a liberal arts topic of major global interest. The pair used the award to examine healthcare issues for women in poverty.
“We’re especially focused on abortion access for women in poverty,” said Hathaway, adding that their work will also investigate how domestic abuse, contraceptive access, education, and other issues affect women.
Leila highlighted her interdisciplinary READY Project, which focused on how microphones pick up sound and how placement and soundboard techniques influence the clarity, balance, and emotional impact of a theater performance.
“I chose this because I love performing in theater and thought it would be interesting to connect my love of performing onstage to what is happening offstage that enhances my performance,” she said. As a polyglot who speaks Arabic, Spanish, and Chinese in addition to English, Leila also emphasized how languages allow her to connect with people and cultures in a deeper way.
Katie described her work with refugees, which started sophomore year when her AP World History class tasked students with interviewing a refugee. She was paired with a Ukrainian woman, and their connection resonated deeply.
“The opportunity for me to be able to interview such a powerful woman who's gone through so much has really been a cornerstone of my life,” said Katie. “She's upheld many of the values I still think about today.”
Compelled to do more, Katie reached out to Jewish Family Services, which had initially introduced her to the Ukrainian woman. She led an initiative to assemble baskets of essentials for incoming refugee families and mobilized King Cares to create opportunities to help. She also formed a club that now has over 20 members working on initiatives to help displaced people.
“It's really been such a great way to use King Cares,” she said, underlining the empathy she has seen within the King community demonstrated in their ability to connect with refugees and immigrants.
To cap off the evening, the audience was treated to a stunning tap dance scene from the play “The Drowsy Chaperone,” magnificently performed by Steven Blanco ’26 and Zach Louizos ’25.
The two talented performers talked about connections made on and off the stage, with Zach highlighting ties between his passion for chemistry and his love for performing arts.
“When I go to science competitions, I use some of the performative skills I've learned from the theater, and I apply them to the field of science research in order to give a stronger presentation,” he said.
Steven reflected on the personal growth he’s experienced in performing.
“With that push from the people around me, I've been able to reconnect to myself and develop my form of self-expression,” he said.
In her closing remarks, Maoz underscored that “Making Connections” is a guiding principle that will continue to shape the King School community.
“These connections — whether in learning, relationships, or understanding the world — provide a strong foundation for our students to thrive,” she concluded.
The night ended with a cocktail reception, giving King School families the chance to further build connections among themselves.