The Big Room Blog

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month, we spoke to James McConnon '16, Analyst / CRM Strategist at Octagon, a global agency in sports, entertainment, and culture. McConnon assists Octagon's partners in areas including sponsorship analytics, event planning and recapping, as well as onsite event operations. He graduated from Saint Joseph's University in 2020 and was a catcher for the Hawks while studying Business Intelligence and Finance. He then earned his Masters in Sports Administration with a concentration in Sports Analytics from Northwestern University, where he also served as a graduate assistant for the 'Cats baseball program. He currently resides in Chicago with his fiancée, Molly.

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month, we spoke to Mohid Khan ’17, Autonomy Engineer—Integration at Motional and Co-Managing Director at Satya Nutrition. Khan is a roboticist with an ambition to commercialize bleeding-edge robotic technologies that ultimately augment the human experience. After successes on The Haverford School's Vex Robotics team, he pursued a formal education in robotics, earning a BS in mechanical engineering (honors distinction) and an MSE in robotics from Johns Hopkins University. His senior capstone in mechanical engineering—a fully autonomous pontoon boat—was awarded "best capstone" by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He also developed a haptic-robot interface with a virtual reality game to rehabilitate hand dexterity in stroke patients. Currently, he is focused on the autonomous driving problem at Motional while leading the non-profit Satya Nutrition's efforts to develop novel treatments to severe acute malnutrition. 

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month, we spoke to Luke Zeller, Ed.D. 04, principal of the Joseph H. Brown School in The School District of Philadelphia. Luke married his love, Laurena, and they welcomed their awesome son, Lucas, in Oct. 2022. He earned his Executive Doctorate in Education Leadership from Temple University in 2022 and became the principal of Joseph H. Brown School in the Holmesburg section of NE Philadelphia this school year.

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month, we spoke to United Talent Agency (UTA) Partner and Co-Head of Talent Department Chris Hart '96. In his role, Hart represents both established and rising stars, and helps oversee UTA’s endorsements group, which specializes in partnering talent with top brands at the intersection of entertainment, commerce and technology. Among Hart’s distinguished clients, he represents Common, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rob Gronkowski, Nick Jonas, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Terry Crews, Kelsey Grammer, Queen Latifah, Pitbull, Ryan Seacrest, Taylor Tomlinson, Bert Kreischer and Sebastian Maniscalco. Prior to joining UTA in 2010, Hart was an agent at ICM Partners (ICM) for nine years. Before this, he began his career in the mailroom of William Morris Endeavor (WME). Hart moved to Los Angeles after graduating from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 2000. Outside of UTA, Hart is an advisor to the widely used app, Cameo. He holds a board seat on the nonprofit organizations Chrysalis Foundation and Thrive Scholars.

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month we spoke to the Chair of the Archives Committee at Merion Golf Club John Capers ’61. The son of an eleven-time Merion Golf Club champion, Capers enjoyed golf as “a family affair” since childhood. He captained both the Haverford School team and the University of the South, Division One golf team. He went on to qualify for the 1966 US Amateur at Merion and the 1968 US Amateur at Scioto, while also earning 18 Merion Club championships. He has since spent over 25 years on the United States Golf Association Museum Committee. He spoke to The Haverford School about history—his own and that of his favorite sport. 

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month we spoke to Haverford alumnus, alumni parent, alumni son, and former employee, A. Hobart “Hobie” Porter ’72 P’04. Porter spent fourteen years of his career leading the development office at Haverford, seeing the School through the transitions to computers and a pedestrian campus. He then spent 15 years as a Business Development Director at Glenmede Trust Company, thanks to a Haverford connection. Haverford stays in his family to this day, with his daughter Molly Porter teaching Lower School art classes.

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month, we spoke on the phone with accomplished executive and soccer star Jeremiah White ’00. Beyond his impressive feats on the field—progressing from All-American status while at Haverford to joining the US national team in 2008—White also leads in the boardroom. He serves as the CIO and CEO for Accra Capital Partners and as the CEO for White Sports Ventures. He was recently elected board chair for the Dyspraxia USA Foundation, contributing his many skills in acknowledgement of his son’s experiences of the disorder. View Jeremiah White's website to learn more about his varied efforts.

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month, Hayden Felice ’93 shared his thoughts on literature, wine, and the restaurant industry. Felice is a co-founder and winemaker at Trippers & Askers, while also serving as a sales representative at Beaune Imports.

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month, Haverford arts festival featured artist Isaiah Jones ’13 returned to campus to speak to the boys about how opportunities at Haverford set him on the path to become an industrial designer. At Haverford, Jones practiced woodworking, 3D printing, and robotics. He graduated from the California College of the Arts and is now the Director of Design for Elroy Air, "developing autonomous cargo aircraft systems to massively expand the reach of express shipping, provide humanitarian aid in regions with challenging infrastructure, immediate relief in disaster situations, and enable rapid autonomous aerial resupply to troops in the field." 

In Fords in Four, we ask a Haverford School alumnus four questions about his time at the School and about his life beyond. This month, we interviewed Lane Odom '15, an accomplished fashion designer with experience in retail, trend forecasting, and custom design. He studied politics and economics at Johns Hopkins University and fashion and apparel design at Parsons School of Design. Examples of his work can be found on his website at aureta.co.