Over the years, thousands have graduated from Redwood, dressed in cap and gown with diploma in hand, as they march to begin their next chapter. Many look back fondly at their time in high school, memories of rallies, classes and friends still fresh in their minds. These impactful experiences have fostered a shared identity, leading to the creation of the Alumni Association, a group of dedicated alumni continuing to be deeply involved in the Redwood community.
Founder and current co-president of the Alumni Association, Marilee Rogers, was a sophomore when Redwood first opened its doors. From day one, Rogers has been an active community member, participating in the creation of the school song and even helping choose the name for The Redwood Bark. After graduating from the University of California Berkeley, Rogers returned as a Social Studies teacher, where she started the Social Issues classes and an Art History Class on campus.
“I loved teaching. It was a great career,” Rogers said.
After retiring in 2001, Rogers continued to be involved in school events. When the 50th anniversary was held in 2009, Rogers decided Redwood was overdue for an alumni association. She founded the association that year; one of the first events involved was the 50th-anniversary celebration itself.
“[The Alumni Association] had a reunion of the first four classes and all of the teachers. We were involved in getting the paving going, the dedication stones and the time capsule. The Alumni Association got started that way,” Rogers said.
Currently, one of the Alumni Association’s main tasks is managing the Avenue of Giants. Located by the main offices, the avenue highlights successful alumni from all different career paths and walks of life.
“We didn’t want to just focus on celebrities. We knew Robin Williams and [other celebrities] but we wanted to acknowledge scientists and [other] people. We’ve got two people that were on Nobel Prize-winning teams in physics. We rely on people to nominate others we wouldn’t have known otherwise,” Rogers said.
Nominated members are invited to attend the Avenue of Giants speaker day, which will occur in May this year. Speakers tend to be booked months and sometimes years, in advance. It’s a day for alumni to reunite and connect, reminiscing about shared memories and experiences. The Alumni Association helps organize other events, such as class reunions, by providing class lists and contact information. Moreover, the association works with the Redwood Foundation to raise funds for the Alumni Scholarships, which are awarded to deserving graduates.
Rebecca Caspersen, Executive Director of the Redwood Foundation, highlighted the Alumni Association’s involvement with the Foundation.
“We invite [the Alumni Association] to all of our board meetings. I can probably count on one hand the number of times [Rogers] or one of the other co-presidents hasn’t been in attendance. They like to hear about what’s going on at Redwood and they give us updates about what’s going on with the alumni,” Caspersen said.
Alumni continue to be a prominent part of the school’s diverse community. Caspersen highlighted one ongoing goal for the Alumni Association: the need for Alumni Council members.
“[The Alumni Association is] always looking to expand their board, to get some young blood in there. They would love to have more people involved in the Alumni Association,” Caspersen said.
Finding a community with as many involved and dedicated members as the Giants would be difficult. It is a place where students continue to stay connected, even after graduation.
“Redwood is a school that produces people that are going to make a difference in the world,” Rogers said. “I just turned 80, and I’ll probably [work with the association] until I die.”
