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Wednesday, November 02, 2005 | The Evans Garage of antique cars on the Old Pacific Highway was the venue last Friday for the Third Annual “Classic Cars for Classic Kids” fund-raiser for The Preuss School UCSD. With the theme “A Night on Broadway,” 250-plus glamorous guests walked down the red carpet entrance amidst camera-flashing paparazzi and autograph hounds.
It was a night of fun with a goal. “The mission of The Preuss School is to improve educational practices, and provide an intensive college preparatory school for low-income student populations which are historically underrepresented on the campuses of the University of California. … The school fosters a culture of high academic performance in an environment that encourages risk-taking, the art of questioning, and logical and critical thinking.” Math, science, engineering, mentoring, tutoring, visual and performing arts, and the all important transportation to get to school, are all the prerogatives of The Preuss School.
The Evans Garage owners, Grace Evans and David Cherashore, Susan and Bill Evans, and pretty matriarch Anne Evans were there. Anne’s family was the event’s honorary co-chairs along with UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. Another important matriarch by the name of Anne was there with her family. Anne Otterson was joined by family members including Benedicte and Eric Otterson and Gabriele and John Otterson.
Among the many there also were Preuss School Principal, Doris Alvarez, President of the Board of Directors Cecil Lytle, and staff members, including Anne Artz, Caesar Dispo, Julie Garrie, Jan Gabay, Phil Ensberg, Scott Barton, Carol A. Sobek, Donald Stump, Jamie Santocono, Kenia Milloy, Jeff Major, Kelly Kovacic and Mercy Hwong. They guide and inspire, but it is up to the students to apply themselves.
Preuss School graduate Gloria Hoang states it well. “We all have the same goal – getting into college – and we were all willing to sacrifice to reach it.” Gloria graduated from the Preuss School in 2004 and is now attending Stanford.
More there enjoying fine Catamaran Hotel-catered cuisine included Judi Freeman, Joy and Jim Furby, Ann Parode and Buzz Woolley, Pat Jacoby, Amy and Bill Geppert, Elisabeth Ecke, Ed Gillenwaters, Linda and Mel Katz, Anne Middleton (brilliant in a red St. John suit), Ruth and Jim Mulvaney, and Renee and Duane Roth.
The Preuss School Honors Choir performed a rousing repertoire including “All That Jazz” from “Chicago,” “Summertime” from “Porgy & Bess,” “Luck Be a Lady” from “Guy and Dolls,” “Seasons of Love” from “Rent” and “For Good” from “Wicked.”
And the Preuss School students performed brilliantly like the rising stars they are! They were directed by Darren Thorn, choreographed by Carlito Peralta, and vocally coached by Jackie Maraya. They all received thunderous applause. So did the organized event co-chairs Robin and Hank Nordhoff and Fiona Tudor.
Perpetual applause also goes to sponsors of The Preuss School. They include the Deutsche Bank, Cooley Godward, Gen-Probe, The Anne L. Evans Family, the Farrell Family Foundation, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Frances Dynes Hellman and Robert Dynes, Invitrogen, the Jack in the Box Foundation, The Walter M. Milford Charitable Foundation, the San Diego Padres and of course, Peggy and Peter’s The Preuss Foundation.
Can’t leave out The Preuss School’s founders – Peter and Peggy Preuss have given back to the San Diego community in so many ways. Peter, a mathematical whiz in the making, years back, journeyed from a strong education in Germany to continue at UCSD. One Master’s in math and almost a PhD later, Peter’s academic studies of complex analysis were interrupted by his founding of Integrated Software Systems Corp. ISSCO is a leader in visual information systems software.
Since Peter’s sale of ISSCO in 1986, Peter and his beautiful and smart wife Peggy have generously poured smart funding back into San Diego organizations including The La Jolla Chamber Music Society, The John and Rebbeca Moores UCSD Cancer Center and more. Peter and Peggy’s Preuss Foundation funds research for brain tumors, and in 1999, they founded The Preuss School UCSD along with their son Peter.
To quote Aristotle, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” And that’s what The Preuss School is all about – limitless boundaries in education.
To learn more about the The Preuss School UCSD, please visit
Margo Schwab, an alumna of the University of San Diego’s graduate business school, reports on social/charity events, celebrities, restaurants and from time to time breaking scoops.