Dr. Michael Lopez

1.  Which year did you graduate?

I graduated in 2003. My younger brother, Carlos, and sister Annie also attended Unity School.

2. What do you think was the most valuable thing you learned at Unity?

The most valuable thing I learned was how to become a well-rounded person with the education and background to be able to build upon to achieve my professional goals. I thrived in the smaller class sizes and really enjoyed my teachers.

3. How do you think the foundation you received at Unity prepared you for life?

Unity prepared me with a solid foundation and a love of lifelong learning. I had early exposure to sports and music as well. I went on to Cornell University and was a Division I Baseball player. I always wanted to be a surgeon and I attended medical school at NOVA Southeastern University. I did my residency at the University of Miami in general surgery. I am currently a cardiothoracic surgery fellow at MD Anderson and UT Houston.

4. What advice would you give to the current Unity students?

I would tell the current students to take advantage of everything that Unity has to offer (extra-curriculars, sports, music). I would also tell them that I still keep in touch with many of my Unity friends. I’ve even been in some of their weddings. One of the coolest things is that one of my old friends from Unity and I have children in the same class now.

5. Why did you choose Unity to be your children’s school?

When my wife and I were looking for schools for our children, we decided on Unity because I was very happy with the strong education I received. We were welcomed by the Unity community. We have been very happy with the education our son has been receiving. It is great to see that Unity has continued to prosper over the years.

6. Anything else you would like to add?

Don’t change Wednesday pizza day ever!

Dr. Jennifer Alvarez
Class of 1995

1.Which year did you graduate?
I attended Unity School from preschool through 8th grade.  I graduated in 1995 and went on to Atlantic high school IB program.

2. Which college did you go to?
Undergrad: I graduated with honors from the University of Florida. GO GATORS!! Medical School: Nova Southeastern University Residency in Anatomic/Clinical Pathology: Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska) Fellowship in Cytopathology: University of Colorado (Denver, CO)

3. What is your current position and how did Unity prepare you for your career and/or adult life?
I am currently a Pathologist specializing in Anatomic/Clinical and Cytopathology at Bethesda
Hospital.  Unity instilled a strong work ethic in me early on. The teachers I had during my time at
Unity made learning fun and I wanted to keep reading and learning as much as I could. They
encouraged me to dream big and that I could become whatever I set my mind to—which was always to become a Doctor.

4. What is your favorite memory from Unity?
I have so many wonderful memories from Unity but my most favorite memory has to be The
Odyssey of the Mind program which is a creative problem-solving team competition. I
participated in “OM” for many years beginning in elementary school all the way through high
school (Atlantic HS, IB program). Our teams at Unity (and Atlantic) won many regional and state
championships and we were fortunate to travel around the country competing with teams from
all over the world! Through Odyssey, we were able to combine creative and critical thinking
skills to solve problems given to us. Unity was a force to be reckon with during that time. We
were the team to beat! I would love to get OM back on campus. It was truly a special program.
Another fond memory I have is participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 7th
grade with the Unity Show Choir. We were part of “America Sings”. It was a once in a lifetime
experience!

5. What do you think was the most valuable thing you learned at Unity?
Unity was my home away from home. My mom was a teacher there for many years and we had
the same kids in class from preschool through 8th grade. It was like a family. Unity taught us to
look out for one another; To treat everyone equally and to be kind to your neighbors.

6. Was there a teacher who made an impact on your life?
I was fortunate to have my mom as one of my teachers.  She was really good at teaching—she
made History Class fun!!   She was also my Odyssey of the Mind coach… who led us to 3rd
place at World Competition! She cared about all of her students and wanted us all to succeed.
She invested a lot of time in her classroom and allowed us to think independently and creatively.
Ms Margie Richards was my drama teacher! She was all things fabulous. She instilled
confidence in me that I didn’t know I had! She would encourage me (and the other students) to
sign up for auditions and not be afraid to get on stage. Her favorite word was “Projection”, and
those who know Margie can imagine her saying it !

I also have fond memories of my second grade teacher Ms. Sullivan. I’ll never forget she gave
us a seed as our last day of school gift. We were instructed to plant the seed and watch it grow,
to symbolize our growth as students. That seed grew into a beautiful huge tree!  It was very
special.

I also had Coach Sharon as my PE and basketball coach. Not enough words can describe her
ability to coach and mentor young student athletes. She also gave me the confidence to believe
I could succeed in sports as a young girl ! I love watching her success all these years later.

7. What advice would you give to the current Unity students? 
Never give up. Keep working on your goals and dreams and learn as much as you can from
your teachers AND your peers.

8. Why did you choose Unity to be your children’s school? 
I love Unity’s philosophy -“to empower children and inspire learning by educating the entire
child: mind, body and spirit”.

Go Mustangs!

Jaclyn Daily
Class of 2004

1. What was your favorite memory from Unity?

Unity Students are admitted to their top choice high schools. Once there, they are flourishing–when visiting area high schools we regularly hear: “We love Unity students!”