Natalie Arnoldi ’08

True to her alma mater’s name, Natalie Arnoldi ’08 has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to arts and sciences. She is earned a Ph.D. in marine biology at Stanford University—where she also received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees—studying the role of mobile marine predators in fostering ecosystem connectivity. She is also an accomplished visual artist known for her large-scale oil paintings, which often feature an environmental narrative. Her work has shown at galleries throughout the country, including numerous exhibitions with her father, the artist Charles Arnoldi, and an exhibition at the Bakersfield Museum of Art that ran September 2019 to January 2020.

“Crossroads’ equal emphasis on the arts and sciences in part enabled me to pursue simultaneous careers as a biologist and artist,” she shares.

Natalie’s passion for both disciplines was nurtured at Crossroads, which she entered as a kindergartner. “I particularly remember loving art and music classes in Elementary School,” she notes. In Upper School, she gravitated to the ceramics class taught by Leslie Rosdol. Another one of her favorite courses was marine biology, taught by Frank Baele. She pursued her passion for the ocean outside of School, as well, volunteering weekly at Heal the Bay Aquarium in Santa Monica as an aquarist intern and competing in surf contests.

While a dual focus in marine biology and visual arts kept her plenty busy, Natalie made time to explore other interests as well. An avid swimmer, she was a member of the swim team throughout Middle and Upper School. She studied Spanish with Ana Maria Floyd (“One of the best teachers I’ve ever had”) and enjoyed the legendary course Great Books with Jim Hosney.

Natalie describes her time at Crossroads as formative and enriching. “The older I get, the more I particularly appreciate how unique and holistic the Elementary School curriculum was,” she says. “From kindergarten, we were immersed in a hugely interdisciplinary style of teaching and taught from the outset how to communicate our feelings. I definitely think that Crossroads students graduate with
a level of emotional intelligence that many people never achieve.”