Ransom Everglades Alumni

The 14th Annual Ransom Everglades Epic Fishing (R.E.E.F.) Tournament and Dock Party was a tremendous success, bringing together the entire RE community for a day filled with fishing, great food — including barbecue from RE parent Spencer Crowley — live music by Tiki Flores and children’s entertainment by Tiny Big Steps. Thank you to everyone who joined us for an unforgettable day on the water and on shore at Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our participants, sponsors, and supporters, we were able to sponsor two Breakthrough Miami scholars and raise over $14,000 for the RE Waterfront.

The REEF Tournament continues to engage the entire RE community in support of projects that fulfill the school’s mission to give back. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s event such a meaningful success. A special thank you to our co-chairs Christian Falk ‘91, Kevin Grossfeld ‘95 and Aabad Melwani P’28, ‘32 and the entire REEF committee.

Check out photos from the event here - https://ransomeverglades.canto.com/v/R4VPJH5UNB/folder/VKEGV?viewIndex=0

We would like to welcome the RE Class of 2026 to the alumni community! Congratulations 🎉

We’re excited to share this RE Alumni Spotlight featuring Marcel G. Laniado ’02!

Marcel continues to live the RE Way both professionally and personally. Recently recognized as the United Way of Miami’s Next-Gen Philanthropist of the Year, he shared his reflections with us about the importance of giving back, family time and the lifelong friendships and mentorships formed at RE.

“Success means being of service to clients, helping my team grow and improve, contributing positively to my community and having the time and resources to care for my family and friends.”

Read the full interview here - https://www.ransomeverglades.org/news-detail?pk=1416954

Senior Sendoff 2026 was one for the books! We honored Ransom Everglades legacy families with commemorative plaques showcasing parent and senior yearbook pages side by side. This year, a record-breaking 38 seniors will cross the graduation stage, following in their parents’ footsteps and continuing their families’ RE legacy.

The afternoon continued with a cherished RE tradition, the Brick Laying Ceremony, in which graduating seniors take part. It serves as a physical reminder that no matter where life takes them, their name is forever etched into the heart of Ransom Everglades.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! Once a Raider, always a Raider 💚🩵

We closed out our final Lunch & Learn of the year with an inspiring conversation led by alum and Co-Founder of Las Rocas Climbing Gym, Kamal Daghistani ‘10.

Joining students virtually, Kamal reflected on his time at Ransom Everglades before sharing how he combined entrepreneurship, real estate, his passion for rock climbing and love for Miami to co-found one of the city’s newest climbing gyms.

Kamal also spoke about the value of building alongside lifelong friends. He has partnered with his best friend, Jesse Seitz ‘10, while bringing in another classmate, Emery Matson ‘10, to lead marketing and communications efforts. A powerful reminder of how community, creativity and collaboration can shape exciting new ventures.

Thank you for an incredible way to wrap up this year’s Lunch & Learn series!

Celebrating the incredible achievements of RE alumni authors Tara Narula Cangello ’93, author of The Healing Power of Resilience, and Clarence Cryer ’80, author of In Their Own Words.

Recently, Tara and Clarence returned to the community to share their stories during special events at Books & Books in Coral Gables.

In a conversation moderated by ABC’s Will Reeve, Tara reflected on her work as a cardiologist and the importance of helping patients build resilience through life’s most challenging moments. During a heartfelt discussion with fellow RE alumna Gloria Goins ’81, Clarence shared the inspiration behind his powerful collection of poetry, created to authentically amplify voices too often under- or misrepresented. The work emphasizes dignity, humanity and the importance of listening to voices that are too often left out of the conversation.

The events were made even more meaningful by the presence of fellow alumni and former faculty mentors, including Doc Crabtree, who recalls being Tara’s biology teacher. This is a beautiful reminder of the lifelong connections within the RE community.

We are so proud to see RE alumni voices, ideas and creativity making an impact far beyond Ransom Everglades.

From all of us in the Ransom Everglades alumni community, we wish our faculty a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week! We’re especially thankful for the dedicated educators who make such a lasting impact at RE, showing up each day to support and inspire their students. Take a look at these photos from Alumni Weekend last month, featuring both former and current teachers who continue to shape the RE community.

We loved celebrating Alumni Weekend 2026! Reunion classes of 1976, 1981, 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2011 marked their milestone years with special events thoughtfully planned by their class committees. 💙💚

Be sure to check out the link to relive all the highlights and view photos from the weekend - https://ransomeverglades.canto.com/v/SG1JETVT74/folder/GJ5M3?viewIndex=0

Marissa Schwartz Gimelstein ’06, Nicole Roederer ’16 and Sophia Reyes ’16 are passionate volunteers for the Young Benefactor Circle (YBC). Through their work with YBC, they exemplify why alumni choose to give – ensuring that future generations of students can access the transformative education that shaped their lives.

They represent different graduating decades but share a common goal: supporting financial aid at Ransom Everglades. The trio was recently featured in the RE Log Magazine, where they shared the following reflections:

“It’s incredibly humbling — and inspiring — to see more alumni step forward to get involved. It proves that our commitment to keeping RE accessible continues to grow stronger.” - Marissa Schwartz Gimelstein

“Financial aid matters to me because it ensures that the Ransom Everglades experience isn’t limited to just one type of student – it opens the door for a community that’s genuinely diverse, dynamic and reflective of the real world. I think RE is at its best when students from different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences learn alongside one another.” – Sophia Reyes

“When speaking with alumni, I try to express the tangible impact The Fund for RE makes on the student body and school. It allows for a diverse community of thought and experiences, which is central to Ransom Everglades’ guiding principles.” – Nicole Roederer

To read the full interview, follow the link - https://linktr.ee/admin/links?

Join us this Saturday, April 25, at 11 a.m. for a special panel with Ransom Everglades leadership. Hear from Head of School Rachel Rodriguez, COO David Clark ‘86, Head of the Upper School Don Cramp, Head of the Middle School Pete DiPace and Director of Teaching and Learning Jessica Merrick as they share updates on the school today and connect with our alumni community.

New this year: We have a special interactive workshop about RE’s newly created portrait of a graduate. Join Head of School Rachel Rodriguez and Director of Teaching and Learning Jessica Merrick at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Register for these events and explore the full lineup for Alumni Weekend 2026 through the link in our bio.