Interesting People
Class Of 60
In September 1964, a handful of teachers, 12 students and a secretary held the first classes of what would become Sacramento Country Day School.
In March 1986, a baby was born at Sutter Memorial Hospital who would eventually attend Country Day for 13 years, making her a “lifer” of the independent PK-12 school. That baby was me.
The school’s educational philosophy said its students were to be “grounded in the academic disciplines, proficient in reading, speaking, writing, listening, and mathematics, and with a development of perceptual awareness and creative talent through music, art, and writing.”
As Country Day celebrates its 60th year, a lot has changed. But I can confirm the original philosophy still rings true.
Star Turn
When the call came saying Roberto Fatal’s short film “En Memoria” had been accepted to the 2025 Sundance Film Festival out of 8,000 submissions, Fatal almost crashed the car.
Back home in Land Park, Fatal told co-writer and girlfriend Ali Meyers-Ohki. Then they called the cast and crew.
It was a dream come true for the team that brought “En Memoria” to reality.
“I’ve been in love with movies and sci-fi since I was a child,” Fatal says. “But being queer, in the closet, Latino and mixed Indigenous, I didn’t see a lot of my community in sci-fi, which scared me a little bit. I’d think, Oh, my God, I think this means we don’t make it to the future!
Homecoming
Javier Plasencia is the new director of education at the Crocker Art Museum. He oversees eight programmers and educators in the planning and execution of more than 300 programs to serve about 35,000 people each year.
The job is a homecoming for Plasencia, who grew up in Pocket-Greenhaven. His experience includes work with the arts and design team at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York and Museum of Modern Art.
Most recently, he was program manager for the Museum Studies Master of Arts program at University of San Francisco. He recruited, advised and taught graduate students.
Wellness Doctrine
Dr. Scott Fishman could have retired last year. Instead, he opened a new door to continue his work in pain management.
Fishman became executive director of the UC Davis Office of Wellness Education. He’s the Jacquelyn S. Anderson endowed chair of wellness for the organization. He’s also a professor emeritus for UC Davis Health Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine.
“Jacquelyn Anderson was a patient of mine who had cancer, and when she passed away, her husband Jim left us a gift of $5 million that founded this organization,” Fishman says.
Balance Me Out Coffee
Founded in 2020, Balance Me Out started as a coffee trailer, which you can still find every Saturday at the Midtown Farmers Market. Owner Nancy Guzmán was trained by roasters and baristas at Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters during the pandemic to hone her craft.
Air Born
Kat Boston loves to defy gravity. The high-flying athlete has been an aerialist since 2012 when she sought a new way to stay fit. Her sport involves yoga-style movements in the air, using silks, hoops, hammocks or ropes.
“I have a background in Olympic weightlifting and Crossfit, but I kept getting injured,” Boston says. “I needed something different for my body and I was looking for a creative outlet. I stumbled on an aerial class and was instantly hooked.”
Boston is always up for a challenge, which is why she loves aerial performance and the fire service. She became a firefighter in 2006.
