Alumni Spotlight
![Steve Freligh]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1778505042/potomac/nlalpjecx3ryhgeqkngy/Steve_1.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1778505042/potomac/nlalpjecx3ryhgeqkngy/Steve_1.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1778505042/potomac/nlalpjecx3ryhgeqkngy/Steve_1.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1778505042/potomac/nlalpjecx3ryhgeqkngy/Steve_1.png","width":900}])
![Leigh Ernst Friestedt ’85 is using her on-field intuition to challenge a multibillion-dollar NCAA settlement— and defend the future of Title IX]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1777912581/potomac/gjtnjutevsotzl2o3hxc/Spotlight_Leigh.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1777912581/potomac/gjtnjutevsotzl2o3hxc/Spotlight_Leigh.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1777912581/potomac/gjtnjutevsotzl2o3hxc/Spotlight_Leigh.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1777912581/potomac/gjtnjutevsotzl2o3hxc/Spotlight_Leigh.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1777912581/potomac/gjtnjutevsotzl2o3hxc/Spotlight_Leigh.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1777912581/potomac/gjtnjutevsotzl2o3hxc/Spotlight_Leigh.png","width":1670}])
![Josh Stinchcomb]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1777575126/potomac/isgaq3viu1sfqcpgxtod/Josh_Stinchcomb2.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1777575126/potomac/isgaq3viu1sfqcpgxtod/Josh_Stinchcomb2.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1777575126/potomac/isgaq3viu1sfqcpgxtod/Josh_Stinchcomb2.png","width":800}])
![Leading Roll: Striking it Big on Your Next Venture]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762965050/potomac/lvawwgrin1lj8wthcfbp/Leading-Roll_1.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762965050/potomac/lvawwgrin1lj8wthcfbp/Leading-Roll_1.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762965050/potomac/lvawwgrin1lj8wthcfbp/Leading-Roll_1.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762965050/potomac/lvawwgrin1lj8wthcfbp/Leading-Roll_1.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1762965050/potomac/lvawwgrin1lj8wthcfbp/Leading-Roll_1.png","width":1600}])
What makes one startup soar while another stalls? Two veteran investors, Damien Petty ’93 and Stefanie Thomas Martin ’03, reveal the traits in a founder who—rather than a startup’s product, profit, and market fit—can make or break a venture.
![Moving Pictures]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762900727/potomac/wslgldzgutqy8tpbb6gp/DAVIS_Spotlight.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762900727/potomac/wslgldzgutqy8tpbb6gp/DAVIS_Spotlight.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762900727/potomac/wslgldzgutqy8tpbb6gp/DAVIS_Spotlight.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762900727/potomac/wslgldzgutqy8tpbb6gp/DAVIS_Spotlight.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1762900727/potomac/wslgldzgutqy8tpbb6gp/DAVIS_Spotlight.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1762900727/potomac/wslgldzgutqy8tpbb6gp/DAVIS_Spotlight.jpg","width":1670}])
Davis Guggenheim '79 first broke through with his 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and he has since directed acclaimed works such ...
![Feature: Family Style]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762879140/potomac/fnlewxhz4q1czw1jpom0/NabilasFeatureImage.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762879140/potomac/fnlewxhz4q1czw1jpom0/NabilasFeatureImage.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762879140/potomac/fnlewxhz4q1czw1jpom0/NabilasFeatureImage.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1762879140/potomac/fnlewxhz4q1czw1jpom0/NabilasFeatureImage.png","width":834}])
Michael Farah ’99 left Wall Street to build a Brooklyn restaurant around the flavors of his mother’s table.
![A smiling woman with long brown hair wearing a bright pink blouse stands in front of a plain background.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762983527/potomac/potomac/j1famrjg1aaugusnbm5t/SarahNellWalsh.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762983527/potomac/potomac/j1famrjg1aaugusnbm5t/SarahNellWalsh.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762983527/potomac/potomac/j1famrjg1aaugusnbm5t/SarahNellWalsh.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762983527/potomac/potomac/j1famrjg1aaugusnbm5t/SarahNellWalsh.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1762983527/potomac/potomac/j1famrjg1aaugusnbm5t/SarahNellWalsh.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1762983527/potomac/potomac/j1famrjg1aaugusnbm5t/SarahNellWalsh.jpg","width":1816}])
Sarah-Nell Walsh ’97 shares her journey and how she learned to navigate Lifequakes with courage and clarity.
![Currents: Murals of Connection]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762875214/potomac/i4doldnotsr8mra2auah/CURRENTS_thetermfall2025.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762875214/potomac/i4doldnotsr8mra2auah/CURRENTS_thetermfall2025.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762875214/potomac/i4doldnotsr8mra2auah/CURRENTS_thetermfall2025.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762875214/potomac/i4doldnotsr8mra2auah/CURRENTS_thetermfall2025.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1762875214/potomac/i4doldnotsr8mra2auah/CURRENTS_thetermfall2025.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1762875214/potomac/i4doldnotsr8mra2auah/CURRENTS_thetermfall2025.jpg","width":2200}])
Ash Samuels ’17 partnered with Upper School students to create artwork that reflects creativity, resilience, and belonging.
![Syllabus: Acts of Service and Connection]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762875763/potomac/rv8uez17ozm4oyeltgd7/ServiceLearning_CAD_IS_Term2025.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762875763/potomac/rv8uez17ozm4oyeltgd7/ServiceLearning_CAD_IS_Term2025.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1762875763/potomac/rv8uez17ozm4oyeltgd7/ServiceLearning_CAD_IS_Term2025.png","width":537}])
Joy Webster, director of Service Learning, reflects on the “why” that drives this work, the moments that keep her going, and the profound impact service learning experiences have on our students.
![A large group of people, both seated and standing, gathered in what appears to be an auditorium or lecture hall, with a man standing at the front addressing the audience.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762884920/potomac/potomac/pmgm21qacaf5ul9c8wwb/TRADITIONS_TermFall2025.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762884920/potomac/potomac/pmgm21qacaf5ul9c8wwb/TRADITIONS_TermFall2025.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762884920/potomac/potomac/pmgm21qacaf5ul9c8wwb/TRADITIONS_TermFall2025.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762884920/potomac/potomac/pmgm21qacaf5ul9c8wwb/TRADITIONS_TermFall2025.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1762884920/potomac/potomac/pmgm21qacaf5ul9c8wwb/TRADITIONS_TermFall2025.png","width":1474}])
Assemblies have been at the heart of Potomac since the school’s inception. To this day, they build school spirit and identity while offering students an incomparable opportunity to speak and perform in front of a supportive audience.
![Astral Works (Tim Makepeace ’77)]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1747146772/potomac/gyac6fwr8gjnwhrwlrmx/Screenshot2025-05-13at103232AM.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1747146772/potomac/gyac6fwr8gjnwhrwlrmx/Screenshot2025-05-13at103232AM.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1747146772/potomac/gyac6fwr8gjnwhrwlrmx/Screenshot2025-05-13at103232AM.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1747146772/potomac/gyac6fwr8gjnwhrwlrmx/Screenshot2025-05-13at103232AM.png","width":978}])
How artist Tim Makepeace ’77 found his muse in the James Webb Space Telescope.
![Hire_Grounds (Summer Delaney '11)]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1747153998/potomac/m9mnf7v25eox3jsy2gve/SummerDelaney_Hire_grounds.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1747153998/potomac/m9mnf7v25eox3jsy2gve/SummerDelaney_Hire_grounds.png","width":449}])
Through her startup, Summer Delaney ’11 is helping connect big media companies and abundant–but elusive–pools of talent.
![Strange TRip]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1747146635/potomac/rytg0nkuyet22wtvpkvu/Screenshot2025-05-13at102819AM.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1747146635/potomac/rytg0nkuyet22wtvpkvu/Screenshot2025-05-13at102819AM.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1747146635/potomac/rytg0nkuyet22wtvpkvu/Screenshot2025-05-13at102819AM.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1747146635/potomac/rytg0nkuyet22wtvpkvu/Screenshot2025-05-13at102819AM.png","width":1140}])
The journey of virtuoso bassist Oteil Burbridge ’79 from starving musician to jam-band superstar—and the spiritual awakening that helped him stay on track.
![Libby Jewett]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1716907928/potomac/havfwe4shayjfrjyrzco/LibbyJewett.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1716907928/potomac/havfwe4shayjfrjyrzco/LibbyJewett.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1716907928/potomac/havfwe4shayjfrjyrzco/LibbyJewett.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1716907928/potomac/havfwe4shayjfrjyrzco/LibbyJewett.png","width":1000}])
![Teddy Nemeroff]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1716906451/potomac/oxow4urywzzbaeg1buuh/TeddyNemeroff.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1716906451/potomac/oxow4urywzzbaeg1buuh/TeddyNemeroff.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1716906451/potomac/oxow4urywzzbaeg1buuh/TeddyNemeroff.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1716906451/potomac/oxow4urywzzbaeg1buuh/TeddyNemeroff.png","width":1000}])