Seattle Country Day School’s alumni network spans government, entertainment, sports, and business, including Sally Jewell (’66), the 51st U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and Corbin Carroll (’15), now a two-time MLB All-Star and 2023 National League Rookie of the Year for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Because SCDS serves Grades K–8 only, its graduates head on to high school, often at strong Seattle-area schools like Lakeside, before their careers take shape, a pattern that shows up clearly across this list.
Alumni in Government and Business
Sally Jewell (’66) served as the 51st United States Secretary of the Interior under President Obama, playing a central role in conservation and natural resource policy. Rudy Gadre (’83) built a career as a venture capitalist and early legal executive at both Amazon and Facebook, positioning him at the center of two of the most influential technology companies of the past two decades.
A Pattern of Institution-Building
What connects Jewell’s federal conservation work and Gadre’s early-stage tech leadership is a comfort operating inside young or evolving institutions, whether a federal agency navigating new priorities or a company still defining its own systems and culture.
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Alumni in Film, TV, and the Arts
SCDS’s arts-focused middle school electives, spanning theater, music composition, and podcasting, show up clearly in its alumni outcomes. Alexis Denisof (’79) built a recognizable acting career, known for roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Ethan Sandler (’86) has worked as a producer, actor, and writer across multiple entertainment projects. K. Thor Jensen (’90) works as an artist, writer, and cartoonist. Lauren Selig (’90) has produced numerous films as a producer and entrepreneur. Ben Kadie (’09) has built a career as a filmmaker. Nathan Cummings (’10) was recognized as a National Student Poet, a national honor for literary achievement.
| Alumnus | Class Year | Field |
| Alexis Denisof | ’79 | Acting (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) |
| Ethan Sandler | ’86 | Producing, acting, writing |
| K. Thor Jensen | ’90 | Art, writing, cartooning |
| Lauren Selig | ’90 | Film producing |
| Ben Kadie | ’09 | Filmmaking |
| Nathan Cummings | ’10 | Poetry (National Student Poet) |
Alumni Athletes
Ben Collins (’83) competed as a professional triathlete at the highest levels of endurance sports. Lindsay Meyer (’03) represented the United States as an Olympic rower. Corbin Carroll (’15) is the most prominent recent SCDS alumnus in athletics: after SCDS, he attended Lakeside School before being drafted 16th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019. Carroll won the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year award, has been named an MLB All-Star twice (2023 and 2025), and signed a contract extension through 2030.
From Queen Anne Hill to the Major Leagues
Carroll’s path, SCDS through 8th grade, then Lakeside School for high school before turning pro, reflects exactly the pattern SCDS families often cite: a strong K–8 foundation followed by continued success at a top-tier high school.
Maximizing Your SCDS Strategy: Partnering for Long-Term Success
SCDS’s alumni network reflects the range you’d expect from a school built for gifted, curious kids: a cabinet secretary, tech-industry leaders, working artists and producers, and Olympic and professional athletes. Since SCDS is K–8 only, these outcomes also speak to the strength of the high schools SCDS graduates go on to attend, not SCDS in isolation.
Cardinal Education supports families by helping them navigate the transition beyond SCDS and ensuring their child is well-positioned for top-tier high school placement. Our collaborative approach emphasizes long-term success, bridging the gap between SCDS’s strong K–8 foundation and the elite secondary environments where these alumni outcomes truly take shape.
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