Alumni News
, a multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles, is bringing new visibility to the cultural spaces that have long anchored Black communities. A graduate of Yale University, where she earned a B.A. in Art (with Distinction) and Ethics, Politics, and Economics, Jasmine’s practice spans photography, ceramics, and textiles. Her recent work focuses on Black beauty traditions, nostalgia, and entrepreneurship – threads that come together powerfully in her debut solo exhibition, Beauty Plus.
Beauty Plus opened on November 8, 2025, at Sunset House Los Angeles to a full house of artists, collectors, designers, and cultural tastemakers. The turnout included a strong showing of Cate alumni. Guests moved through an immersive installation inspired by the beauty supply store that inspired the project, with live performances from Marc E. Bassy and DJ sets from P-Lo + Aux Cord, Major League, and GULU creating a vibrant backdrop for the evening.
The exhibition centers on a series of large-format photographs documenting the final days of a beloved Black-owned beauty supply store in New Haven that served its community for more than 30 years. After learning of its closure, Jasmine returned to the shop over several months to capture what the space meant to generations of Black and Brown residents.
Beyond its celebration of legacy, Beauty Plus also acknowledges the contradictions embedded in beauty supply stores – places that function as both sanctuaries of self-expression and sites shaped by the complex economics of cultural identity. Jasmine’s work doesn’t attempt to resolve these tensions; instead, it reveals them with honesty, inviting viewers to consider ownership, care, and the ways cultural affirmation is both supported and challenged within these spaces.
As she reflected in her own message following the exhibition, the presence of Cate alumni was especially meaningful. Their turnout speaks to the steady throughline of community – how alumni continue to uplift one another’s work, creativity, and impact long after leaving the Mesa.
To learn more about Jasmine’s work, please visit her website or follow her on Instagram @jassyrennee.
Investing in Servons, Service, and Stewardship
“Mom! Your grades were terrible in Hong Kong! What happened?!” Rita Chan’s (Class of 1996) children exclaimed when they visited the Mesa this summer and saw her Cate application and student file. Rita laughed, explaining that she hadn’t been motivated in school back home, but her siblings encouraged her to explore West Coast schools. Cate stood out — beautiful campus, friendly people, and classmates who were smart, genuine, and passionate. “This energized me to step up and do my best,” she recalled.
Adjusting to 11th grade in a new country brought on culture shock, from learning slang to fitting in, but she felt supported by her classmates and advisors. Rita remains close to Cate, having recently taken a trip to Yosemite with her former advisor and science instructor, Isabelle Eyman, and classmate Tarah Schroeder ’96. She cherishes many Cate memories of baking, watching TV with her advisor, dinners with her advisory, playing squash and tennis, and even doing laundry.
Rita credits Cate with instilling the value of Servons in a foundational way. Weekly volunteer work inspired her lifelong commitment to helping others, a principle she carries into her career. She earned a degree in finance from the University of Michigan and has held roles at Deloitte, Citibank, and Goldman Sachs, spending 11 years at the latter. Rita now works as the Managing Director at LGT Private Banking, helping families preserve legacies and pass on generational wealth thoughtfully and securely. Rita Chan’s journey from a Cate student to an accomplished banker proves that the right environment and determination can change everything.
Fernando Hurtado ’12 returned to the Mesa in September 2025 as our Convocation speaker. A journalist, entrepreneur, and educator, Fernando has worked with NBC TV Network and Telemundo. Originally from Chicago, he came to Cate with help from the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund.
His talk, “In the Hyphen,” explored what it means to hold different backgrounds and sometimes feel “ni de aquí ni de allá” – neither from here nor there. He reminded us that we all occupy the hyphen at times, whether in culture, geography, or interests. With a shift in perspective, however, that phrase can become “de aquí y de allá” – from here and there, a place of belonging and possibility.
Fernando shared how his work as a journalist often requires him to write stories in English for NBC and then translate them into Spanish. While the reach of major networks is broad, it has limited his ability to tell stories in his own voice. With this in mind, he launched a YouTube channel, “In the Hyphen”, dedicated to bridging cultural gaps and reframing the conversation.
September 9, 2025
Jong Soo is thrilled to join the Alumni Leadership Council and looks forward to being a resource to the school, especially to the alumni, current and prospective students, and parents in Asia. At Cate, Jong Soo served as the Student Body President.
Jong Soo began his career as an engineer at Procter & Gamble in 2016 after graduating from Emory University with a Political Science and Educational Studies degree. In 2020, Jong Soo left P&G and worked as an M&A consultant at L.E.K. Consulting, Roland Berger, and The Boston Consulting Group.
In 2025, Jong Soo joined KFC Korea, where he was appointed General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bell Korea. Jong Soo is working relentlessly to bring his favorite QSR brand to life in his home country.
Jong Soo lives in Seoul, South Korea. He is out on the golf course when he is not at one of his Taco Bell or KFC restaurants.
September 2, 2025
Michael Sungsoo Yoon ’09 recently joined Cate’s Alumni Leadership Council. Michael came to Cate from Korea, where he and his family continue to maintain strong ties. He earned his undergraduate degree in applied physics at Columbia University. After careful deliberation, Michael pursued medicine and received his medical degree at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He completed his residency training in adult psychiatry at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., followed by a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at Mass General Brigham/Harvard Medical School in Boston. In fall 2025, he will begin his appointment as an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. He considers caring for people in their darkest and most vulnerable moments a great privilege. His work spans the treatment of mild to moderate mental illness, serious and persistent mental illness, and substance use disorders.
Michael enjoys spending his free time with his wife and cat or crafting leather goods in his workshop. He credits many of the skills he learned at Cate for empowering him to live a rich and fulfilling life, and he hopes to give back to that special community on the Mesa as a member of the Alumni Leadership Council.