Shaker alumni thrive in unique careers and trace their paths back to inspirational classroom experiences at Shaker Heights Schools.
By Julie Hullett
Max Bond, SHHS Class of 2016
Rock on, climb strong
Mountaineer returns to inspire future generations at Fernway
Unknowingly, a speaker changed the trajectory of Max Bond’s life when he spoke to students at Fernway Elementary School nearly 15 years ago. Bond’s third-grade teacher invited a mountaineer to speak to her students, and that planted a seed for Bond, now a 27-year-old mountain guide with International Mountain Guides.
Bond, Class of 2016, travels the world leading adventurers up the tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the Earth’s highest mountain above sea level. Bond reflects on his experience in the Shaker Heights Schools as the start of his quest for outdoor exploration. He recalls climbing on the rock wall at Fernway, one of a few items that survived the fire in 2018.
Bond chose a school in New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, on purpose to cut his teeth on the snowy, icy White Mountains. In addition to the basic technical skills he learned, such as belaying and the use of ropes, anchors, and carabiners, Bond’s experience in New Hampshire also taught him about an Alpine environment and introduced new tools such as crampons, a traction device for boots on ice. Bond is also knowledgeable on situational decision-making, including rope rescue, avalanche rescue, and emergency response.
“Mr. Bishko opened my world view,” Bond says. “He’s one of the teachers who showed me how cool Earth science is.”
“The objective for a group of climbers one day may be to climb a given snow slope. But I have to consider the weather that came in before, to determine if the slope is stable or could have an avalanche,” Bond says. “There are a lot of factors, including how steep the slope is, whether it’s concave or convex, the wind vulnerability, and the solar input. We’re making those decisions on hundreds of pieces of terrain.”
For anyone interested in serving as a mountain guide, Bond says the most important piece is to enjoy working with people.
“In the beginning, I loved my job because of climbing. Now climbing has little to do with it,” he says. “You should love the act of getting people to the top and helping them achieve their dreams. Climbers tell me that this is the hardest thing they’ve ever done and their proudest accomplishment. Summiting a mountain is a powerful experience. That’s often where you see tears of joy. For me, that’s more powerful than climbing.”
In October, Bond returned to Fernway to speak to fourth-grade students about Earth science. The students were thrilled to hear about Bond’s experiences on rocky, icy slopes. One hand after another shot in the air with questions, and teachers eventually had to tell students to put their hands down so Bond could continue with his presentation. Bond’s talk was peppered with hard-hitting student questions about glaciers, avalanches, and erosion.
“In the winter, I teach avalanche courses to adults. Sometimes they struggle with the material,” Bond says. “The kids at Fernway picked it up quickly. They even knew about glacial morphology!”
Bond encouraged the students to visit Shaker Rocks, a rock climbing gym on Warrensville Center Road, to learn the technical skills of climbing. Bond also had his start at Shaker Rocks.
When looking back on his path to mountaineering, Bond recognized Grade 8 Science Teacher Jeremy Bishko as a key figure.
“Mr. Bishko opened my world view,” Bond says. “He’s one of the teachers who showed me how cool Earth science is.”
Abby White, SHHS Class of 2015
Weaving worlds with words
Alumna publishes first novel with hints of hometown
Abby White, Class of 2015, has been reading and writing since she was a young child in the Shaker Heights Schools. White recalls that her parents intentionally moved to Shaker so she would have a strong education.
After many years of refining her writing skills in the Shaker schools and later at Columbia University, White is publishing her first novel in August – D.J. Rosenblum Becomes the G.O.A.T.
This young adult novel is about a Jewish teenager who investigates her beloved cousin’s murder while navigating new friendships and crushes. The plot was inspired by White’s own experience with the tragic loss of a friend. “A lot of foundational details are pulled from my own life,” White says of the novel. “I set the novel in Briar, OH, a fictional town, which is heavily influenced by Shaker Heights. It’s clear to people who read it. The synagogue is a big part of the book, too. A lot of what I describe sounds similar to Park Synagogue in Pepper Pike.”
White says the main character, D.J., is based on her own personality and life experiences. She is proud to include diverse characters in the novel, including various ethnicities, religions, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s something I would have loved to read as a kid. There’s so much more diversity in literature now,” White says. “Kidlit (books written for children and young adults) should be inclusive.”
White recalls her incredible team of teachers in the Shaker Heights Schools, including Dianne Derrick and Valerie Libman at Woodbury Elementary School and Chuck Kelly and Natalie Sekicky at Shaker Heights High School.
In addition to publishing her first novel, White has held a full-time position at West Wing Writers, a firm for strategic communications and ghostwriting in Washington, DC. White and her team have written speeches, books, op-eds, and social media posts for clients across politics, sports, nonprofits, and corporations. To throw in yet another task, White is also pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Nevada, Reno. She will graduate this August.
“It feels like I’ve had three jobs this year – West Wing Writers, graduate school, and preparing my book for publication. But I’m still kicking!” she says with a chuckle.
White recalls her incredible team of teachers in the Shaker Heights Schools, including Dianne Derrick and Valerie Libman at Woodbury Elementary School and Chuck Kelly and Natalie Sekicky at Shaker Heights High School. White also describes her time on The Shakerite, the high school newspaper, as a formative experience.
“The Shakerite taught me to think critically, clearly and ethically,” she says. “I learned to consider what is it that I have to say, and what is it that I have some authority to say. My commitment to asking and answering that question comes from being a journalist and asking what good writing can achieve. I’m proud of the things we did on The Shakerite.”
For students looking toward a similar career path in writing, White recommends practicing extensively. In the age of artificial intelligence, she notes, burgeoning writers need to practice writing without the help of technology.
“Write anything, anytime, just write,” White says. “When it comes to writing, nothing is a substitute for the work and practice of doing it yourself.”
Lauryn Alexandria, SHHS Class of 2016
Reel in the Real Deal
Shaker alumna succeeds in charting path as digital nomad
Lauryn Alexandria, Class of 2016, never planned on being an influencer. She was finishing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Lauryn moved home and was feeling low because theaters were closed. To bring more joy into her life, she started posting on anime TikTok, and it went viral.
“I didn’t want to be an influencer. I was just a Black girl singing in Japanese, then it blew up,” Lauryn says.
Her popularity grew to include 1.3 million followers on TikTok, @toastymarshmellow_, where she posts nerdy lifestyle content. She employs a manager and four video editors. Although Lauryn did not intend to be an influencer, she says it’s not far off from her original goal.
“I used to be a visual artist. I was really into art and cartoons. My dream as a kid was to become a Manga artist and move to Japan. Then I fell in love with theater and wanted to be a Broadway performer. Working now as a content creator is just enough commitment, just enough reality, and it gives me the freedom to work from anywhere. I’m still singing and acting, and I can go to Japan whenever I want!”
Last year, Lauryn performed in Rent at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ. She has ventured into voice acting, especially for cartoons and video games. She recently played a voice actor role in a horror video game called Indigo Park.
She is very involved in the New York City nerd community, and often collaborates with the Japan Society. She recently hosted an interview with Japanese actors from an anime called “Bleach,” and hosted a Cosplay masquerade in 2024. Lauryn also plans and hosts her own events, including one called We Mingle for anime fans in New York City.
As she reflects on her career path, she sees the foundation she built in the Shaker Heights Schools.
As a community leader, she recently won recognition from the Black Girl Digital Awards for her collaboration with Excedrin to promote mental health in gaming.
Many young people are looking toward a career as a social media influencer. However, Lauryn advises against putting all of your eggs in one basket.
“Go to college and get a degree if you can,” she says. “Sometimes if I didn’t have a brand deal coming, I wouldn’t have been able to pay my rent. It’s a volatile career, so make sure it is in parallel to something else.”
As she reflects on her career path, she sees the foundation she built in the Shaker Heights Schools. Lauryn was a member of MAC Sister Scholars and performed often with the Shaker Heights High School Theatre Department. She appreciates Shaker’s focus on the arts in addition to academics. Lauryn knows the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and feels prepared to handle these challenges in her professional life.
“As a Black girl in the nerd space, I face a lot of racism and misogyny. I just let it roll off my back,” she says. “It’s online, you can’t let them get to you. I see obstacles and I think to myself, ‘I’m going to do it anyways.’”
Julie Hullett is the communications specialist with the Shaker Heights City School District
