THE FUTURE
STARTS NOW
La Jolla Country Day School cuts the ribbon on The Hub for Human Impact.
OCTOBER 6, 2026
Before anyone could cut the ribbon, La Jolla Country Day School’s newest building was already buzzing with life.
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, hundreds of students, families, alumni, educators, donors, and friends gathered for the ribbon cutting of The Hub for Human Impact, a leading-edge, 20,000-square-foot learning space designed for students to collaborate across disciplines and divisions, pursue their passions, and develop solutions to real-world challenges.
Younger students programmed Blue-Bots and Ozobots, while robotics team members invited guests to drive their latest robot prototype. Third and fourth graders collaborated on wind turbine designs, testing blades and using their findings to create 3D-printed prototypes. Student metalworkers demonstrated forging techniques, while visitors watched laser cutters in action and took home laser-cut keychains. Elsewhere, students shared engineering projects and showcased creations from the Upper School Rocketry Flex.
In the new Ranglas Family Courtyard, guests enjoyed popcorn and lemonade before gathering for the program, where towering columns of blue, white, and silver balloons framed the stage. The excitement was simply too much to contain.
A New Hub for Human Impact
Head of School Jeff Terwin, Ph.D., opened the ceremony holding an unlikely piece of LJCDS history: a chunk of rock from Community Hall, the building that once stood there.
“We are in a full-circle moment,” he told the crowd. “That space served us so well, but we had no idea what was in store for us at Country Day.”
Just 17 months earlier, in May 2025, students from age 3 through Grade 12 had gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Hub. Now, an extraordinary new learning space stands in its place. Dr. Terwin invited everyone to look around and high-five someone nearby.
“We did this together,” he said. “It’s a high-five-able moment.”
The Hub reimagines what learning can look like when students of all ages come together. Its classrooms, gathering spaces, and advanced design and innovation facilities encourage students to explore ideas, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another.
Dr. Terwin connected those possibilities to the school’s motto, Scientia Pacifica, or “peace through knowledge,” and to five areas of impact:
Innovation
Citizenship
Community, culture and belonging
Global understanding
Service learning
“This Hub is a place to explore your passion, to find your purpose, and to impact the world around you,” he told students. “A place to connect, to collaborate, and find joy in each school day.”
Board of Trustees President Jen O’Brien P’23 ’25 brought the focus back to the students who will make the building their own.
“Our greatest measure of success is not the beauty of this building, although it is stunning. It is the joy, discovery, and agency our students experience within it,” Ms. O’Brien said. “We want every Torrey to feel that their voice matters and that the future is theirs to shape.”
A Centennial Recognized by the City of San Diego
The ribbon-cutting also provided the backdrop for another historic moment. San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee, who represents District 6, joined the festivities to present an official proclamation recognizing the school’s 100th anniversary. He called The Hub a fitting representation of the Centennial and the school’s investment in its future.
At the September 29 City Council meeting, where the proclamation was approved, Mr. Lee praised LJCDS’s contributions to San Diego over the past century.
“When you look at the fabric of our city, you can see the hands of La Jolla Country Day School alumni everywhere,” he said, citing their contributions to local businesses, nonprofits, healthcare, and public service.
On behalf of the mayor and San Diego City Council, Mr. Lee officially proclaimed Oct. 6, 2026, La Jolla Country Day School Centennial Anniversary Day.
Built by a Community, for a Community
The celebration may have culminated with one snip of a giant pair of scissors, but the vision behind The Hub began years earlier. The Board of Trustees launched the master planning process in 2019, imagining a campus that could meet students’ evolving needs not only today, but for generations to come. The Centennial Campaign helped transform that vision into reality, supported by more than 600 donors who believed in what this new space could make possible.
Centennial Campaign co-chairs Lucy Smith Conroy ’90 P’24 ’25 ’35 and Merritt Rosen Brizolis ’05 P’35 ’37, both alumni and current parents, helped lead the community effort to bring that vision to life.
Bringing The Hub to life took the dedication of many, including trustees and campaign committee members who championed the project, architects at Domus Studio, the team at Dempsey Construction, and educators and students who helped shape the spaces within it.
“Building a new community space on this campus has been a dream for a lot of us for many years,” Mrs. Conroy said. As she walked through The Hub, she was moved to see the names of people who helped make it possible, many of whom raised their children alongside hers at LJCDS.
When Mrs. Conroy first showed the plans to her daughter Keira ’25, an LJCDS lifer, Keira immediately told her, “Mom, I know exactly how I would use that space.”
“It’s our hope that every Country Day student will walk into The Hub and make it their own,” Mrs. Conroy said.
“There is something for you in this building,” Mrs. Brizolis said. “There is something that will inspire you, further your passion, and give you a sense of belonging.”
As she reminded the crowd, “The Hub was truly built by our community for our community.”
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. With the Torrey Tree mascot joining the festivities, Sara Conroy ’35 took the stage, giant scissors in hand. The crowd counted down, Sara cut the ribbon, and confetti burst into the air as cheers erupted.
The future starts now.