This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Psalm 118:23
ABOUT THIS ISSUE
By Kristin Vazquez
This edition of the Triangle celebrates the end of Mr. Curt Masters’ twenty-five year career as Head of School at Brentwood Academy, with several articles connecting to Mr. Masters’ wellknown sayings that have shaped the character and culture of the BA community. These articles have a “Curt-ism” graphic at the top, along with a brief explanation about the saying in italics before each article. “What fun!”
Growing up with sayings guiding our character alongside Biblical truth, we learned to be “toughest on the hills,” cheered “Oh Yeah!” at school events, and responded to “What’s the first rule?” with “Don’t panic!” Often “bursting into song” on family car rides, we also heard “that was a two-tire offense!” when another car cut us off. A serendipitous event was “Nice if you meant it” (in a British accent), a new experience included “Never been up this high before—kick now!,” and we “could only say it if we were shoveling it.” Ordering “one of your finest” at a restaurant, “say[ing] it like you want it to be” while also “deal[ing] with reality,” we learned to “Keep it positive!” even while responding to an unfortunate event with “How disappointing!” or something like a stubbed toe with “That was invigorating!”
We thought about how to answer the question “Is God with us or isn’t he?” when faced with the greatest of challenges, along with humorously stating, “That’s nothing a little dark chocolate won’t cure!” and “Where there’s a ‘Wills,’ there’s a way.” Responding to difficult situations with “determined optimism” results in believing in the power of “yet” and that “hopelessness and helplessness are learned behaviors,” leading to the impact of being “Conspicuously in support” of others. “There’s a chapel talk in there somewhere!” Now it’s our turn to ask him, “Well, how was it?” and to encourage him to “Take the rest of the day off.” As for future endeavors? Well, “There’s never a dull moment,” but “For a small fee, anything is possible!”
Photo: Curt and daughter Kristin Masters Vazquez
Triangle
Another Great Day at BA!
Working Alongside Curt Masters
CURT-ISM Natural vs. Artificial Consequences
WINTERIM 2025
Dachau: Walking Through History
28
CURT-ISM
Encourage, Encourage, Encourage!
Under Whose Authority Do You Place Yourself? 36 CURT-ISM
Keep it Postive: Impact on Student Life
Austin Hull ’25 42 ALUMNI NEWS News, Marriages, and Births
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Curtis G. Masters
HEADMASTER EMERITUS
William B. Brown, Jr.
2024-2025 TRUSTEE CHAIR
Buddy Bacon ’82, Chair
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Kristin Vazquez
COORDINATOR
Jennifer Vickery Smith
EDITORS
Maggie Aultman
Holly Grenvicz
Jason Powell
Kelly Smith
Kristin Vazquez
STAFF WRITERS
Jennifer Vickery Smith
Kelly Smith
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kristin Vazquez
Dana Atkins
Roderick Cormier ’25
Amanda Butler
Austin Hull ’25
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Phil Goodman
Erin Monaghan
PHOTOGRAPHY
Bill Biggs
Andy Collignon
Jarett Croff
Phil Goodman
Casey Gower
Fifth & Broad
Jennifer Vickery Smith
BRENTWOOD ACADEMY MISSION
The Triangle magazine is published under the direction of the Brentwood Academy Office of Communications and is distributed without charge to family and friends of the school. Additional copies available upon request.
Brentwood Academy 219 Granny White Pike Brentwood, TN 37027
Brentwood Academy is a co-educational, independent, college preparatory school dedicated to nurturing and challenging each whole person — body, mind, and spirit — to the glory of God.
From the HEAD of SCHOOL 25YEARS OF SERVICE
BA Family,
Twenty-five years ago this spring, my family and I moved to become part of the Brentwood Academy community. As I have often shared throughout my years at BA, at an introductory parent meeting in the spring of 2000, Founding Headmaster Bill Brown and I were asked this question: “Is Brentwood Academy a Christian school?” Mr. Brown quickly responded by saying, “No, it’s not.” I eagerly awaited his further explanation as I had been recently hired to lead this school–to the glory of God! Mr. Brown continued by saying, “Schools aren’t Christian. People are. Brentwood Academy is only as Christian as each one of us is when we walk into school that day. It’s about a daily, personal relationship with Christ.” While we are bold about our school’s commitment to lift up Christ, this concept is the driving force in the mission and ministry of Brentwood Academy: the emphasis on each person’s relationship with Jesus while we live in community with each other. This provides an opportunity to encourage personal commitment to be Christ-followers, as we live out the two greatest commandments–to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
What a welcome we received when we moved here in the summer of 2000! Bible verses were written on the post-it notes and stuck inside of our closets, meals were brought, and encouraging words were shared. We immediately understood why Mr. Brown described the Brentwood Academy family as “very relational.” As our family became part of the BA family, our stories intertwined. Two of our three children graduated from BA (our oldest had already graduated when we moved), and some of our family also had the opportunity to work together in a professional context. We are grateful beyond words for the lessons learned, the friendships gained, and the ways we have been called to serve while we also learned from and leaned on others as they served us so well in our own times of need.
One of the great benefits of age and experience is the perspective gained over time. My wife Cindy and I have been so blessed and humbled by the many ways we have seen God’s faithfulness and provision through the many relationships we’ve shared. We’ve watched students grow in knowledge and wisdom and in their relationships with God and each other, seen gifted faculty mature in their faith as they refine their craft, and have been blessed to recognize the impact of generous support from volunteer parent and
board leadership. And as we’ve seen God bless us and BA in so many ways, we continue to thank God for those who came before us: Bill and Beth Brown, founding parents and students, trustees who protected and clarified the values of the school, and those who faithfully prayed for our students, parents, faculty, and leadership.
This edition of the Triangle includes articles reflecting the culture and values of Brentwood Academy that have been intentionally cultivated through decades while emphasizing the value of offering accountability, hospitality, and encouragement as we live in community with each other. God’s provision for Brentwood Academy has included amazing people and parental support for values as families sacrificially give of their time and other resources, resulting in consistent opportunities for student maturation and growth through experiences both on and off campus. As reflected by the stories in the Triangle, the impact of the encouragement and the faithfulness of others lasts for generations as students observe men attending The Wisemen Bible Study on BA’s campus or as a relationship results in influencing a career choice.
As I reflect on the opportunities throughout the years for campus growth that included new buildings and programs, I am confident in the vision for future growth at BA that will support the pursuit of excellence while also endeavoring to nurture and challenge each whole person to the glory of God. The challenges faced throughout the last half of a century may look different than the challenges faced in future decades, but facing these challenges results in the opportunity to more clearly choose under whose authority we place ourselves. The strengths that arise in the middle of adversity result from determined optimism and the hopefulness of “yet,” creating resilience both in individuals and in the BA community, building a solid foundation for the future.
Founding Headmaster Emeritus Mr. Brown symbolically handed off the baton to me to continue leadership of Brentwood Academy, “a co-ed, independent college preparatory school, dedicated to nurturing and challenging each whole person – body, mind, and spirit – to the glory of God.” Now I have the opportunity to pass the baton for the next leg of the race, to be worthily carried by Dr. John Patterson. Dr. Patterson brings a wealth of experience in leadership, expertise in relational team-building, and a deep commitment to following Christ in the context of delivering an exceptional Christian education. God has uniquely prepared and positioned him, along with his wife Cindy, to join our BA family to further the mission and ministry of Brentwood Academy on solid ground, through faithfulness to the Lord and dedication to this community.
What a blessing to have had the opportunity to build relationships with the Brentwood Academy family throughout the past 25 years. Although I will no longer be in the “head cheerleader” role at BA, I will continue to pray and to cheer from the sidelines, aiming to always “Encourage, Encourage, Encourage!” I invite you to do the same as you use the gifts and talents God has given you to have an impact for eternity. You have more influence than you realize, and I trust that God will continue to bless and encourage you as you play a part in what He is accomplishing, for His glory.
With gratitude to God for the opportunity to see Him at work, in and through the Brentwood Academy community,
Curt Masters Head of School
ANOTHER GREAT DAY AT BA!
By Kristin Vazquez
Mrs. Cindy Masters recalls saying, “Have a great day at BA!” during the Masters family’s initial tour of Brentwood Academy in the spring of 2000. Almost a decade later, while Mrs. Masters was undergoing treatment for Stage III colon cancer, Mr. Curt Masters returned to that phrase as they walked around BA, attaching two facts to the revised statement of “Another Great Day at BA!”: 1) God is always at work, and 2) We always have a choice in how we respond. This statement has become part of the fabric of Brentwood Academy, often included in new student orientations, assemblies at the beginning of the year, and in discussions about responding to life’s challenges.
In the Masters’ kitchen at 6:00 AM on any given morning, their kitchen island will include a toasted piece of what the Masters’ grandchildren call “Gammy bread” with jam, steaming coffee, and an open Bible, wellthumbed and underlined, with notes in the margins. Mrs. Cindy Masters, called “Gammy” by her grandchildren, consistently demonstrates that God is always at work and that we always have a choice in how we respond through the way she lives her life: delving into God’s word each morning and often sharing what she is learning from Scripture, riding the waves of each day with grace and humor as she cares for her grandchildren, and supporting the Brentwood Academy mission by opening her home to hundreds of people over the past 25 years.
Following that peaceful tableau, the kitchen then becomes a dance floor with music blaring, grandchildren and Gammy dancing to a wide variety of music–from “I’m a Gummy Bear” to belting out worship music. Although Mrs. Masters’ daily routine has looked different with each combination of grandchildren over the past 12 years (after previous careers as a registered nurse, dorm parent, and health teacher), every day includes cooking with Gammy in some way, with
each two year old in the family experiencing the thrill of being able to open the spice rack and move the spices into the microwave and back. Toys scattered along the window, artwork and air-dry clay figures spread across the art area, and the many meals served on the kitchen island reflect the rhythm of each day.
The Masters’ kitchen, the heart of the sacred daily event of caring for the next generation, has also served as an extension of the Brentwood Academy mission: nurturing and challenging each whole person, body, mind, and spirit, to the glory of God. Consistently opening their home over the past 25 years has supported the mission and ministry of Brentwood Academy as Mrs. Masters boldly lives out the calling to “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” (Romans 12:13 ESV)
Mrs. Masters’ regard for hospitality came through her own life experience. Growing up on the mission field in Sudan, Congo, and Kenya, her family hosted many families over the years, often requiring their children to move out of their bedrooms to make room for guests as there weren’t other options for lodging in those locations. She
remembers her mom making food from scratch, including butter, cakes, and marshmallows, because there wasn’t an option to buy boxed items at a store. She also recalls falling asleep, loving the sounds of laughter and conversation as her parents continued to visit with their guests after her bedtime. “It wasn’t even about what food was made,” Mrs. Masters states. “It was just about being together.”
After Mr. and Mrs. Masters married and moved to Tacoma, WA, they attended a church where their pastor frequently opened his home, and his wife often shared about the importance of hospitality. When the Masters family moved to The Stony Brook School in Long Island, New York, they ate dinner every night with students in the dining hall and often gathered with other faculty in their homes on campus. They continued to host people in their home in South Florida, and when the Masters family moved to Brentwood, TN to join BA, Mrs. Masters recalls, “When we moved here, I really wanted to have people in our home, and I wanted to live close to campus for that reason. I was really influenced by people who had opened up their home and shared that with me. I love to cook, but cooking doesn’t have anything to do with opening your home and having people in. If I didn’t like to cook, I would order pizza. It’s about having people in your home, opening up your home, but the cooking part is just something I have fun doing.”
When the Masters family arrived at BA, they began to host dinners at their home before every football game. Over the years, with added school-related activities before football
“
I have fun baking bread and finding recipes that people seem to like. Breaking bread together is such an important part of my faith and my family, and it’s so encouraging to me.
”
games, the Masters now host one football dinner for BA faculty and staff, attended by 65-100 people. Mrs. Masters also hosts the dinner for new faculty and staff, previously hosted by Mrs. Cindy Tripp. This is a more formal event, with food that takes some additional preparation. More than 50 people attended this dinner in the fall.
“Before I host the meals, I always pray that anyone that comes in our home to eat or drink will be fed not just physically, but that they’ll be fed on different levels,” comments Mrs. Masters. “That they’ll be nourished in more ways than just by food. For some people, it might not be physical hunger, but it might be a hunger of being together, of friendship, or emotional or spiritual hunger, and I think there’s something very biblical about gathering in your home and basically breaking bread together. It’s really just a side note that I have fun baking bread and finding recipes that people seem to like.
Breaking bread together is such an important part of my faith and my family, and it’s so encouraging to me.”
When Mrs. Masters plans these large-scale dinners, she aims to cook enough to have plenty for people to take home leftovers to ensure she has enough food for all. Preparing to cook all of the food from scratch requires planning the menu, down to the details of writing down where each item will be purchased and organizing the tasks throughout the week ahead to accomplish all of the cooking. She notes, “The week before an event, I note what I’m going to prepare each day. I map it out, and I get great satisfaction when I put a check by it. And then I go right until hours before everyone comes. It’s just fun; it’s like a game. I write out, ‘assemble salad,’ ‘ice the cake,’ all the way to the very end. Otherwise I’d never remember anything. I’ve had someone come and help me pit cherries for the balsamic grilled cherry arugula salad, and I’ve had someone come and chop and peel vegetables. And I couldn’t do anything without my master sous chef [Curt], no pun intended. He is the best helper a cook could ever have. I love making a total mess, using every single pot and pan, and he washes every one of them. He keeps it going. I know that I couldn’t do it without him.”
A moment in “Gammy School”—Mrs. Masters shows Madi Grace, her oldest granddaughter, her Bible while they were talking about reading God’s Word.
Each person who has entered their home has been part of Mrs. Masters’ ministry as she nurtures others through prayer and by providing hospitality–room for fellowship along with delicious, homemade food. Mrs. Masters has often told her children that opening a home requires a person to be vulnerable to others. Her gracious and
courageous vulnerability, along with her sacrifice of time, talent, and effort, has helped cultivate relationships at BA both on and off campus, from the simple consistency of bringing fresh homemade bread for the BA Moms Bible Study to the larger events like the new faculty and staff dinners and the BA football dinners. Although she will be retiring from this role at BA, Mrs. Masters states, “Lord willing, I want to be cooking for people in our home when I’m 100!” Mrs. Masters’ hospitality reflects a vocational calling to live out the Gospel by cultivating relationships with the purpose of drawing people to Jesus while caring for each person’s body, mind, and spirit. Mrs. Masters embodies the heart of “It’s Another Great Day at BA”–understanding that God is always at work and that we always have a choice in how we respond–as she has chosen to respond to the opportunity to serve the BA community for 25 years by hosting from scratch.
THEN NOW AND
Mr. Masters was installed as Headmaster in the fall of 2000. Times have certainly changed during his time at Brentwood Academy. Here is a fun look at some of the things that have changed over those years.
YEAR 2000
#1 SONG - *NSYNC’S “BYE BYE BYE”
#1 MOVIE HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
YEAR 2025
STARBUCKS TALL LATTE $2
ELECTION OF GEORGE W. BUSH
MCDONALD’S BIG MAC $2.39
GASOLINE $1.51 PER GALLON NEW CAR PRICE
#1 SONG - TEDDY SWIM “LOSE CONTROL” (2024)
#1 MOVIE INSIDE OUT 2 (2024)
STARBUCKS TALL LATTE $2.95
ELECTION OF DONALD J. TRUMP
BIG MAC $5.69
GASOLINE $3.14 PER GALLON NEW CAR PRICE $49,740
YEAR 2000 YEAR 2025
TOM MOORE, BA’S 2ND FOOTBALL COACH, WAS HIRED
ELIZABETH WALKER ’04 WAS A FRESHMAN
CONSTRUCTION OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BEGAN
BA ENROLLMENT: 604 STUDENTS
INCOMING HEADMASTER: CURT MASTERS
PAUL WADE, BA’S 6TH FOOTBALL COACH (2024)
ELIZABETH WALKER ’04 MIDDLE SCHOOL FACULTY MEMBER
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHAPEL IS COMPLETED
BA ENROLLMENT: 766 STUDENTS
INCOMING HEAD OF SCHOOL: DR. JOHN PATTERSON
Working Alongside CURT MASTERS
FEATURE STORY
By Amanda Butler
Amanda Butler, Executive Administrator to the Head of School, has worked with Curt Masters for 25 years.
Igrew up in an area where everyone went to large public schools, and there were not any private (not to mention Christian) schools. After moving during high school, I learned of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama through church friends and leaders. I was able to attend college there and loved my experience; it was such a pleasure and a privilege to be able to attend chapel services, choral performances, sing and travel with the BSU choir, and take Old/New Testament and other classes in addition to my major. I was working after college for a couple of years in a job that I did not want to continue in and heard about a job at Brentwood Academy through church friends. Although I had heard of BA, I didn’t know much about it. When I discovered that it was a school that proclaimed Christ, it piqued my interest. BA sounded like a place that offered what I experienced at Samford but for younger students, and that hooked me. My first three years at BA I spent in the business office while Mr. Bill Brown was still headmaster.
When Mr. Curt Masters came in 2000, I began working with him and have continued throughout his 25 years here. He has carried the weight of this school and community through many seasons. People who have come and gone during their own shorter seasons may not have seen as many of his complexities as I have. He has humbly demonstrated kindnesses, forbearance, service, and led us in song every step of the way.
One of Mr. Masters’ favorite quotes is “Given all that, how do you intend to respond?” by Dr. Stephen Glenn. As I look back, here are some examples of resolute decisions he has made that have formed and maintained our mission and culture.
In 2013, Mr. Masters, with approval of the Board of Trustees, began a security program with full time retired law enforcement professional Sgt. Jason Beddoe, who developed deterrence, detection, and delay elements and trained a support team who could respond to an armed intruder with
an immediate response. This was a bold commitment on Mr. Masters’ part, long before many other schools around the country started to consider proactive security measures.
In 2020, after the world shut down for a few months, the moment the State of Tennessee released acceptable parameters for graduations, Mr. Masters confidently and immediately declared that BA would hold graduation on the same weekend that it had originally been planned. We adjusted the day, time, location, and procedures to make it happen, and we were able to allow immediate family to attend. In a time of uncertainty, it was a glorious night for the Class of 2020!
Over the course of many years as our culture continued to entertain and adopt more and more beliefs and practices that were contrary to the word and character of God, Mr. Masters demonstrated steadfastness and worked alongside the Board of Trustees to articulate BA’s statement of faith and diversity statement. When many wanted to step back from Biblical authority or walk in the opposite direction, Mr. Masters was courageous in his commitment to serve Jesus Christ and Him alone.
It is a privilege to be a part of a place that welcomes families who already know the Lord, as they can grow in their relationship with Him while they are here, and families who do not yet know Him, as they will have opportunities to learn of Him and come to know Him in their time.
We thank you, Mr. Brown, for starting BA; we thank you, Mr. Masters, for leading us through both joyful and turbulent times, all the while proclaiming and assuring us that God is at work even when we can’t see it; and we welcome you, Dr. John Patterson, as you take the reins.
Natural vs. Artificial CONSEQUENCES
By Kristin Vazquez
Mr. Masters often speaks about the difference between natural and artificial consequences: natural consequences are events that occur directly because of an action (like crashing a car because of driving too fast); artificial consequences are boundaries set in place by authority to help prevent natural consequences (like a speeding ticket), offering an opportunity to change course before running into a natural consequence.
Offering hope along with the worldview that we always have a choice in how we respond, Mr. Masters counseled students as they faced artificial consequences, with the goal that the students would develop resilience and make different choices in future situations. Sometimes that resulted in separation from Brentwood Academy, but sometimes a student who faced that consequence had the opportunity to return. Matt Sells ’08 is one of these students, resulting in the opportunity to develop both aspects of resilience, as defined by the Portrait of a Graduate: “being equipped to thrive under adverse circumstances, not only when faced with challenges, but also in good times when tempted to depend on something other than God.”
Matt recalls an experience from 10th grade that resulted in separation from BA, followed by the opportunity to return to BA his 11th grade year. Matt had the opportunity to reflect on how this impacted his character and future choices, exploring how accountability results in consequences, and that experiencing those consequences can create life-changing growth that results in wisdom and resilience. This article will continue as told by Matt, now a Senior
Vice President in the Restructuring practice at AlixPartners, LLP in New York City, where he and his wife, Chelsea, have lived since 2014.
“When I was a freshman in the fall of 2004, I got involved as a manager on the basketball team at BA. It felt like a full-time job during the season. The team was nationally ranked, and we were traveling all over the country. I remember being pulled out of classes multiple times with the other managers to give campus tours to coaches like Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams when they arrived at Brentwood Academy to meet with Brandon Wright ’06. As a young basketball fan at 14 years old, it was a surreal experience and unbelievable opportunity.
“We were traveling to Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, California, etc. almost every weekend for games or tournaments, and my classwork became an afterthought
during that season. I started to get in trouble for the dumbest things, but I didn’t consider myself a bad kid. I wasn’t drinking or doing drugs, but I started to cut corners when it came to homework and studying. It was laziness and entitlement combined with a lack of focus on schoolwork that led to me cheating or copying others’ work, and I got caught three times, all during basketball seasons.
“There’s this big lesson–you can work smarter and not harder within the bounds of the rules, and I didn’t know that when I was 15. I just tried to work smarter, period, at the expense of everything I liked about BA. I was so locked into what I was doing at BA, and I really thought I was picture perfect, working my tail off. There was a misalignment of things that mattered and didn’t matter for high school kids. I was going to be a basketball manager in college, and I loved it, but then I wasn’t holding up my end of the bargain. And the rug was yanked out from under me at my own doing.
“The first time I got caught cheating was freshman year; I don’t remember what it was. But my sophomore year I remember getting caught copying a paper by one of my teachers. It was the epitome of laziness. Mr. Masters kicked me out of school that morning, and I was pretty arrogant about it, thinking there are kids getting caught doing things much worse than cheating. I remember saying that to him, and I was so mad because he told me those were different circumstances completely. I learned that it’s hard to teach someone that they’re not special or above the rules. This was all happening in the second semester of my sophomore year, when I was about to start applying to colleges. I was seeing in real time that I was closing doors on myself due to my laziness and my entitlement, and that’s probably what I’m the most grateful for. I was facing real consequences. When I was 15/16 years old, I really thought I was above it. I had to have things I loved taken away from me to learn. It sounds so trivial and obvious, but that was such an important lesson in my life.
“When I was given the consequence of separation from BA, I thought that I was this great kid and that I had been wronged. I held this real resentment towards BA, and it was so spoiled of me. All in this vein of ‘I shouldn’t be in trouble’ instead of ‘I’m doing the wrong thing’ over and over. After I was expelled, I met consistently with George Pitts and Lyle Husband, two of the basketball coaches at the time. They both saw this experience as an opportunity
to learn and grow. Coach Husband and I went to Jersey Mike’s, and we told stories and laughed for a while, but then he said, ‘You messed this up. Make sure you learn from this because you were in the wrong,’ and that sticks with me to this day.
“The opportunity to potentially return to Brentwood Academy was something I had to really earn. It was incredibly important to me. I was 16, my twin brother was still a student there, and I missed my friends. When you’re 15/16, everything is the end of the world. It’s funny to think about all of this 20 years later, but any effort to shield kids from the consequences of their actions is a real missed opportunity to teach young people a valuable lesson. I’m so grateful for my experience of getting kicked out of Brentwood Academy, and even more grateful I had the opportunity to earn the right to come back. I am so much better for it.
“BA does an amazing job of bringing people together and cultivating meaningful relationships. I’m still close with several of my friends, teachers, and coaches from that
Matt Sells during his time at Brentwood Academy.
When you’re 15/16, everything is the end of the world. It’s funny to think about all of this 20 years later, but any effort to shield kids from the consequences of their actions is a real missed opportunity to teach young people a valuable lesson.
time. I was able to learn so much at a young age by facing the consequences of my actions during my time at BA. It’s a blessing to be afforded opportunities to grow and learn at any age, but to be able to point back to experiences from when I was 15 and 16 years old and still be able to apply lessons I learned outside the classroom at BA is really special.
“In 2016 I sent an email to the teacher who caught me cheating. I said, ‘A decade ago this week you turned me in for cheating and turned my life upside down, and I still think about it and wanted to thank you.’ I think that you’re really doing a disservice to kids if you don’t enforce the rules. If you’re not going to enforce the rules, why have them? I regularly text Lyle Husband to this day, ‘Catch somebody at BA cheating today and make some kid better because of it,’ and it’s always a nice laugh.
“The Bible is not vague: the wages of sin is death. There are consequences. Why would you believe it if there are no consequences to it–what’s heaven without hell? What’s anything if there’s not an upside or a downside? The concept of consequences in general is fascinating in 2025 with everything going on in the country right now. I’m so grateful for what I went through that made me a better person, and I still draw so much from what I went through at BA–to have it taken away and the privilege of being able to go back to it.”
UPCOMING AT BRENTWOOD ACADEMY
CHAPEL DEDICATION
April 9 at 2:00 PM Middle School Circle
CELEBRATION DINNER
April 13 at 5:30 PM
Franklin Marriott Cool Springs
tickets: brentwoodacademy.com/retirement
ALUMNI EASTER EGG HUNT
April 12 at 10:00 AM Event Gym baeagles.com/alumni
SPECIAL ASSEMBLY FOR CURT MASTERS
April 29 at 9:00 AM Kennedy Gymnasium
DACHAU WALKING THROUGH HISTORY
Each year, Brentwood Academy’s Winterim program provides students with the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom through immersive travel experiences. This year, 43 students journeyed to Germany and Austria for an eight-day unforgettable experience. One of the most memorable stops was Dachau, a former concentration camp located in Eastern Germany. As students arrived at the grounds, our guide provided a brief history of the area, and Mr. Steve Widmaier led a moving devotion and prayer before the group stepped into the gates. The visit held special significance as students were reminded of longtime Franklin resident and former BA coach Jimmy Gentry, a veteran of the 42nd “Rainbow” Infantry Division and one of Dachau’s liberators.
A stone memorial erected outside of the former crematorium, which reads “Think About How we Died Here.” This monument serves as a poignant tribute to those who perished. FEATURE STORY
Faculty Perspective
DANA ATKINS
The air felt heavy even before I entered the gates of Dachau. It was a gray morning, the kind where the sky seems to press down on you, urging you to bow your head in reverence. This was not a sightseeing trip. This was a pilgrimage to one of history’s darkest places, where the ground itself seemed to whisper of suffering and loss.
Jimmy Gentry, a young soldier in the 42nd Infantry Division, was among the first to set foot in this place of horror on April 29, 1945. He and his company had no warning for what they would find. They entered as warriors, but they left as witnesses—forever marked by the hollow eyes and skeletal frames of the prisoners who stumbled toward them in desperate gratitude. I carried his story with me as I walked through those same gates, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what had happened here.
The first thing that struck me was the silence. Thousands of visitors come here every year, yet there was no idle chatter, no laughter, only quiet footsteps and the occasional sharp intake of breath. It was as if even the birds knew better than to sing here.
The outline of the barracks stretched out in neat, cruel rows, too orderly for a place that had been filled with such chaos. And then the gas chambers. I had read about them and seen them in history books, but nothing prepared me for the cold sterility of that space. The walls, the ceiling, the floor—it was all so disturbingly mundane. This was a factory of death, designed not with passion but with efficiency. I ran my fingers along the doorway, imagining the hands that had done the same, searching for an escape that never came.
Outside, the train tracks told their own story. Cattle cars had once arrived here, crammed with men, women, and children who had no idea what awaited them. I stood at the platform and tried to hear the echoes—the cries, the confusion, the last words of a mother to her child. The relics inside the museum deepened the weight on my chest: worn-out shoes, belt buckles, and rusted shackles. These were not just artifacts. They belonged to people. People who had favorite songs, childhood memories, hopes, and dreams—until the world decided they did not deserve them.
Near the camp, chapels now stand—silent monuments to faith amidst the ruins. The Carmelite convent, the Jewish memorial, the Protestant and Catholic chapels, all erected in defiance of despair. I stepped inside one and let the quiet surround me. The candles flickered, casting shadows on the walls, as if to remind me that light still exists even in the darkest places.
As I left Dachau, I felt both hollow and full. Hollow from the horror of it all, full from the weight of responsibility—
to remember, to tell the story, to ensure that silence does not become forgetfulness. Jimmy Gentry and his fellow soldiers bore witness on the day of liberation. We, too, must bear witness, carrying the memory of Dachau into a world that must never again allow such darkness to take hold. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
RODERICK CORMIER ’25 Student Perspective
Dachau existed as a labor camp where executions were disguised as work accidents, and prisoners were forced into slave labor for the war effort. The local industry thrived on human suffering, and the camp’s liberation— marked by the plaque of the 7th Army Group under Alexander Patch—revealed the horrors within. I searched for information on the 7th Army Group while I was standing there and learned that General Patch and his soldiers advanced through France and Germany, liberating several concentration camps and uncovering the atrocities committed by the Nazis. It was amazing to think that soldiers like Jimmy Gentry had walked through those same gates all those years ago and were courageous enough to face the horrors within.
When we arrived within the confines of the camp, we were given the opportunity to watch a documentary about the experience of the survivors of Dachau. Human experiences ranged from watching prisoners freeze to death in order to study hypothermia for Luftwaffe pilots to infecting prisoners with malaria, mustard gas exposure, and high-altitude pressure tests just to see how their bodies would react to the desperate reliance on friendships for survival—without friends, death was nearly certain. The morally gray realities of survival reminded me of a book that we read in AP Literature called The Tattooist of Auschwitz, where choices were often dictated by necessity rather than morality. The fact that some of the concentration camp prisoners were forced to risk everything for others—and did—proves that humanity can survive even when conditions are bleak.
Students pose in front of the International Monument, a sculpture located in front of the former maintenance “check-in” building at Dachau. The sculpture depicts human bodies entangled in barbed wire fences.
Statue of Jimmy Gentry in Downtown Franklin, dedicated in April 2024.
THE THREE E’S
Encourage, Encourage, Encourage!
By Kristin Vazquez
Mr. Masters often shares that there are “Three E’s in Brentwood Academy,” humorously pointing out that while aren’t actually three “E’s,” encouragement plays a vital role in nurturing and challenging each whole person, body, mind, and spirit. With the reminder that everyone needs more encouragement than they may appear to need, Mr. Masters notes that each person’s experience at BA will be impacted most by the person next to them throughout the day, fostering a positive culture of community, ownership, and encouragement.
“This is a story of God doing the unimaginable.” —Dr. Allen West
Years ago, Dr. Allen West ’94 graduated from Brentwood Academy to set out on a path that would lead him to dental school, followed by attending the orthodontic program at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Parker Brown ’13 was the very first patient Dr. West put braces on, and Dr. Brown continued to visit the office long after his braces were removed.
Dr. Brown recalls, “Dr. West is one of a kind. He had such an impact on me, and he instills confidence in everyone he talks with. He did all of the braces for me and my siblings, and it ended up working out to where I worked in his office as an assistant for the summer, and it was just fantastic. I loved it. He let me put my younger sister Corinne’s braces on, and it was so much fun to be in there. I got to see behind the scenes of what he does, and he had such an impact on me. We stayed
friends the whole time, and in dental school I decided I wanted to do orthodontics. I don’t know how, I’m the luckiest person ever–we ended up working together, and he ended up selling the business to me, and we stayed friends throughout. It was just a dream, for sure more than I could ask for.”
“It was so fun to have him in there,” remembers Dr. West. “Parker just stayed close. The office was nothing more than a conduit to love people. I don’t do what I do because I love moving teeth. I do what I do because I love serving people. It’s an incredible place to do it, and an incredible living as well.” Dr. West, commenting on the development of his faith and the way it has impacted his practice, notes, “I knew there was something very real about Jesus in my life because of the family I grew up in and because of BA–the people that I knew there and the teachers who I had not just respect but affection for because they loved me well. BA had a huge impact on me. As someone who has discovered a love that is greater than what we could imagine, I recognize the love and the spirit of God that was in those hallways while I was there.” Dr. Brown also recalls how BA helped him develop a work ethic and the influence of “having somebody that is not your peer instill confidence in you, just seeing that model of how it was at BA when I was there, when we were there, and that the faculty really do pour into the students. Peers are great, but the faculty is what stands out, having somebody older than you that just pours into you, attempting to ingrain confidence and love.”
Dr. West continues, “But I would say my faith became real when my daughter Dakota, 18 ½ years ago, was born. That was when I picked up my Bible and started reading, and that changed everything. That was basically the time when I put braces on Parker and started working. With Scripture being alive and being the source of all truth, what we learn in Scripture is that we are all given gifts. We get to choose whether or not we use those gifts to love those we are in front of, whether it be your spouse, children, work, or those whom you serve. Every time I read Scripture, I find that it is a picture of Jesus, Old and New Testament. It is nothing but an encouragement of who I am, how loved I am, and a reminder that He chose each of us to let His glory shine. I get up every morning and spend time with Him and feel so loved and so
encouraged that the byproduct of it is God loving those around me through me and His gifts being given to them through me. That’s not anything that I’m doing; that’s Christ who is in me. And with Parker, it goes back to a disciple, a mentorship; he’s someone who is going to have time with people. If I can love Parker in a way that is nothing but encouraging him about who he is and the life he has an opportunity to live in Christ so that he can show that to others in his life, you can bet I’m going to do that. Parker has a contagious, invitational, quiet spirit in him, and it comes out in his smile, gentleness, and intelligence. It’s easy for me to encourage somebody who lives life like he does.”
“I don’t think we realize, until we slow down and we’re willing to sit in silence, we don’t recognize the power of words. In order to know what words do, we have to be quiet. And what I’ve realized is that there is no topic that doesn’t fit under encouragement,” adds Dr. West. “To watch people come alive at any age is not something anyone can manipulate because it’s from the Spirit and is the work of the Lord. Many former patients have come to shadow or spend a day in the office thinking orthodontics may be a path they want to take, but our conversations always turn to the fact that they were attracted to the practice because of a love they felt that was much bigger than me. I don’t do this because of dentistry. I do this because of kids, but what an encouragement to me. That’s incredible. And when I see somebody light up, even more than they’ll ever know, I was the one encouraged.”
Parker Brown ’13 with younger sister Corinne ’21, after assisting in putting on her braces while shadowing Dr. West ’94
“
I am so encouraged by watching Parker live life, spending time with him in and out of the office, and how his kindness genuinely affects me in a way to become a better man ”
Dr. Allen West
One year into Dr. Brown’s orthodontic residency at LSU, Dr. West suggested that he return to work in the office with him. Dr. West reflects, “The Lord was doing a number of things in our life that were really tough. I would say through struggle and beauty unbeknownst to me, the Lord was moving me out of practicing ortho for the rest of my life. I didn’t know why. I told Parker, ‘Hey, I want to talk about doing something different with you. I’m thinking that if you want to do this, that I’ll sell this practice to you, and you’ll have full autonomy and control. You tell me what you’d like, and I’ll tell you what I’d like.’ And he said yes, and it has been incredible to see him run an office and to watch how he treats people. I am so encouraged by watching Parker live life, spending time with him in and out of the office, and
how his kindness genuinely affects me in a way to become a better man.”
Noting his choice to step away from his practice, Dr. West comments, “People hear it and can’t believe I’ve sold it, number one, and I think a radical obedience to Jesus scares people. We live in an area that’s so comfortable. I think we would love to think that when you make that decision to live like that, that things are easier, but they’re not. As said by my good friend Bill Spencer, ‘Good intentions are followed by good intentions, which are followed by good intentions. But decisions are made once, and you spend the rest of your life managing that decision.’ I’m so thankful. There are little tiny things that have happened over the course of the year with Parker that are amazing. God is taking me to a place that doesn’t seem normal for other people. I told Parker, ‘I’m here for you from a life standpoint, as a mentor, as a friend, as someone who wants to see you have great success in life.’”
After the agreement was made, Dr. West worked with Dr. Brown for the first year and now goes in for a day every four to five weeks as a continued mentor as Dr. Brown establishes his practice. Dr. Brown adds, “Allen and I have prayed a couple of times about a few things: over the practice and for the transition. Allen and I have both taken leaps of faith in some way with the transition, and for me it was just relying on God’s providence. I almost went in with a blind faith, hoping and praying it would work out. This process with Allen has been so rewarding, and I don’t think this would’ve worked with anyone else.” Deeply impacted by Dr. West’s encouragement, Dr. Brown notes, “I have heard this from almost everybody who walks in the door: how good Allen was with everybody and how he encourages everybody he talks to. I’ve tried to do the same. It was done for me, so I feel that I need to do it for others if at all possible. I want to continue what he’s done, basically continue Allen’s legacy, the impact he has had. That’s what I aspire to do.”
“I really wouldn’t be doing this without Allen,” concludes Dr. Brown. “Allen is the reason that I’m here.”
Contact Brown Orthodontics at (615) 373-2025 or office@drparkerbrown.com for more information about becoming a patient of Dr. Brown’s.
BRENTWOOD ACADEMY PRESENTS THE ANNUAL
ALUMNI & FRIENDS AWARDS
What a privilege to now have five decades of alumni and friends who are living out Brentwood Academy’s mission and having an impact on advancing God’s kingdom throughout the world. Earlier this year we celebrated this milestone in BA history by recognizing recipients of our 2nd annual Alumni and Friends Awards.
OUTSTANDING ALUMNI OF THE YEAR:
Michael Vaughn ’80 for instilling discipline, unity, and character in BA students both as a mentor and a coach.
Kristi Stone ’88 for the many ways she gives back to the community, serving with kindness, integrity, and humility.
YOUNG ALUMNI OF THE YEAR:
Hunter Terrill ’16 Fox for supporting her students and enriching their lives with the same positivity and kindness that she was known for as a BA student.
Cara Sadler ’16 for committing herself to shaping the lives of BA middle school students by serving as a role model, much as she did when she was a student.
FRIEND OF THE YEAR:
Doug Beck for his service to BA as a parent of alums, including involvement with BA Dads, volunteer work during football games, advocacy of BA in the broader community, and being readily available for any volunteer opportunity.
FAMILY OF THE YEAR:
Bob and April Tanner ’93 Weber Family for being tireless advocates for BA and for their constant encouragement to students, faculty, staff, and coaches.
Dan and Linda Brown Family for their long-range vision for BA that included both endowment plans and land acquisition for continued campus growth.
Bill and Sharon Sheriff Family for their board service, role in establishing BA’s softball field, volunteer work, and continued encouragement of BA students, faculty, and staff.
Nominations are now open for next year’s Alumni and Friends Awards.
The timer beeps, and I have ten seconds to shoot ten targets at ten yards—each needing two perfect hits. I draw my pistol, and in less than a second, I land two direct shots on the first target. Heart pounding in sync with my finger, I move swiftly to the next set, executing every step exactly as I’ve practiced. After the final shot, I unload my pistol and holster it. Ten targets, twenty hits. I’ve just won the final stage of the United States Practical Shooting Association National Championship, becoming one of the youngest shooters ever to do so.
Driven by my competitive nature and curiosity, I became interested in handguns when I was 12. Chris and Amanda Smith, family friends and owners of a local gun shop, recognized my potential and worked closely with me to develop my skills. I’ve made my mark primarily in the Production division of United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) events. The Production division, often called the “stock” division, restricts magazine capacity to 15 rounds and limits external modifications to the gun. USPSA matches consist of a series of shooting stages that test a shooter’s speed, accuracy, and gunhandling skills against the clock. Each match features multiple stages, each with a distinct arrangement of targets. Shooters can engage the targets in any order unless specified otherwise in the stage briefing. I enjoy the strategic challenge of the production division, using my visual acuity and planning skills to map out each course and determine the best reload points so I don’t run out of ammunition mid-stage.
In 2022, I debuted on the national stage at the Handgun Nationals Competition, winning my first national title in the A-Class. This performance led to an invitation to join the Super Squad for the 2023 Handgun Nationals Competition. It was incredibly exciting for me to be competing with the best shooters
in the country, and at the age of 17, I earned my first national title in the Master division. In September 2024, I competed with the Super Squad again at the USPSA National Championship and successfully defended my title with another first place win in the Master division.
My accomplishments on the range captured the attention of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), an elite military branch focused on training top-tier soldiers and showcasing their skills in global competitions. After receiving a private invitation to try out for the team, I was selected in November 2024 as the newest member of the Action Shooting Team. This team is known for its dynamic approach to marksmanship, specializing in obstacle shooting courses and training some of the military’s most elite units. There hasn’t been an open spot or a tryout for this team in over four years, so it is an incredible honor, privilege, and a testament to God’s perfect timing that this opportunity happened for me.
Competition drives me in every aspect of life—whether on the baseball field, the shooting range, or in the classroom. I constantly push myself to improve, striving not only to excel in sports, but also to achieve academic success. As a student at Brentwood Academy, I have maintained a GPA above 4.0 and scored 33 on the ACT. As a pitcher and third baseman, I’ve done my best to contribute to BA’s varsity baseball team. I attribute so much of my success to the sacrificial love and support from my parents. I also want to recognize the guidance and support of BA’s faculty and coaching staff, who have challenged me to grow in mind, body, and spirit, truly fulfilling the school’s mission in my life. After graduation, I will enlist in the Army as a member of the USAMU and will be stationed at Fort Moore, GA. While serving in the military, I also plan to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering and continue advancing in competitive shooting, striving to honor God in all that I do. I invite you to follow my journey by following my Instagram page @austin_hull_shooting.
Hand in Hand SERVICE CLUB
Service has been an integral part of the Brentwood Academy experience since the beginning. Last year, Virginia Sims ’25 approached College Counselor Ms. Katie White with a passion and vision to inspire her peers to live out the mission of Brentwood Academy through service. In January 2024, BA’s service club, Hand in Hand, was founded. Ms. White sat down with Virginia to reflect on the club’s inaugural year.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START A SERVICE CLUB?
“I have always had a passion for serving others and wanted to see more opportunities to do so at BA. I believe that service is such an amazing thing that if someone has the slightest inclination to get involved, it should be easy for them to do so. My goal was to create service opportunities for my peers and use those
experiences to build a community and deepen our faith together. I wanted to see people united by our work and show everyone what a beautiful thing it is to shift our focus from ourselves to the needs of others. We have so many blessings at BA, and it is such a gift to extend that to others.”
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION TO SERVE?
“The phrase ‘purpose determines priority’ has impacted me this year, and I find it so true. As Christians, we do not have to question our purpose or identity because we are anchored in a good and faithful God. He created us to draw others closer to Him and to love our neighbors. If that is what we were made to do, our priorities should align with that; we should serve others out of our love for the Lord and our trust in His plan for our lives. In
Photo above: Organizing toy donations for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.
fact, Matthew 25:40 says, ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”’ In every act of service we perform, we are serving Jesus, which just completely blows me away.”
WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT OF HAND IN HAND ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
“I am proud of how much we’ve grown, with over 40 members, and how excited they are to serve. We have had some great projects, like food packaging at Second Harvest, where we packed over a thousand meals for schools to hand out to kids for the weekend, throwing parties at the Haynes Garden after-school program with Mrs. Hodge, and toy sorting for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. We have gathered people with a heart for serving others, and I think this club has helped many people realize that about themselves.”
HOW HAS HAND IN HAND ENCOURAGED YOUR FAITH?
“Meeting people outside my circle and learning more about their stories has always encouraged my faith. The Holy Spirit unites people no matter how different their backgrounds, and this could not be more evident through service. Hand in Hand has helped me realize why I serve and establish a basis for what we do. Once we begin to experience the Lord, our cup overflows, and we can serve by simply being His light. The Bible says that our heart is a wellspring of life, and if we drink from the living water, it will flow powerfully out of us and onto others. God wants us to love others just as we love ourselves and put down our needs to help others. We could not do this without the Lord, and I am so thankful that He has given us this opportunity.”
Virginia Sims ’25 hosting a party for the girls at Haynes Garden.
Top Photo: Addie Latham ’25, Eden Borders ’25, and Mary Mason Botts ’25 serving at Haynes Garden. Bottom Photo: Sorting and packing food donations at Second Harvest Food Bank.
UNDER WHOSE AUTHORITY DO YOU PLACE YOURSELF?
25 YEARS OF BIBLICAL WISDOM
By Kristin Vazquez
EVERY YEAR AT GRADUATION,
Mr. Masters encourages all in attendance to ask the question, “Under Whose Authority Do You Place Yourself?” Acknowledging that BA students are no longer under the authority of BA when they become alumni at graduation, Mr. Masters reminds the audience that we are all under authority–and that we have a choice who we put in that role in our lives.
In the summer of 2000, Founding Headmaster Emeritus Mr. Bill Brown retired from Brentwood Academy, Mr. Curt Masters became Brentwood Academy’s new Head of School, and The Wisemen Bible Study was founded by Mr. Hal Hadden, who had decided he wanted to start an “old man’s group.” Mr. Hadden, the founder of Christian Leadership Concepts (CLC) and the father of two BA alums, formed this group in the same manner as CLC groups. The groups are typically made up of 12 young men; the men commit to a weekly meeting for two years; they are Christian and usually study a Christian book or the Bible; and the meetings are top priority for the men. Mr. Brown shares, “The group is called The Wisemen, not that they are wise, but meaning they are sharing Biblical wisdom to others outside the group. I think Ray Tarkington, our former facilitator, a former BA parent and Trustee, is credited with naming the group. He just passed away last month.”
Studying the book of Hebrews, The Wisemen Bible Study averages about 12 men every Thursday, with 16 active living members. Ten of the original members have “gone home” since the group started in 2000. “The men start drifting in about 8:00 AM and sort of shoot the breeze til 8:30 AM when the meeting begins,” says Mr. Brown. “It starts with an opening Scripture which is read by the facilitator, and then the song, which I lead with a couple of others from our Stumbler Band. Curt comes in sometimes and adds his voice. We always pray for the leadership of BA. Next is the teaching time. Right now we have two men God has gifted to teach: Bob Alley, a former BA parent, and Rob Fulcher, whose brother is a former BA parent.” Mr. Fulcher teaches five to ten verses each week, and then they adjourn with prayer at 10:00 AM.
Brentwood Academy, the site of The Wisemen Bible Study, has benefited from this group as well. In addition to their prayers
Left: The Wisemen meet each Thursday in the BA Board Room. Right:Tom Ryan and Mr. Bill Brown leads the Wisemen in worship.
informed by occasional updates about BA from Mr. Masters, they have had the opportunity to share some of their stories with a Bible class at BA.
“Every member has a story,” states Mr. Brown. “For instance, one of our men had served 11 years in Federal prison for flying drugs from South America into the US. He now Zooms his own weekly Bible study on Mondays, and he is presently writing a book. We have taken time outs to allow every member time to share their story in ‘fence posts.’”
Functioning like a small church “devoted…to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42 ESV), The Wisemen Bible Study’s longevity speaks to the commitment and faith of its members. Mr. Brown recalls when Mr. Don Pinto challenged the group at a Wisemen retreat held at The Hiding Place in Ashland City, reminding the men that as long as they are on earth, they are to continue the work for God’s kingdom. Citing Galatians 5:22, Mr. Brown comments, “It is not so much about the work as it is ‘are we bearing fruit?’ Then come the works. Works are dead without fruit [of the Spirit].” When reflecting on how this Bible study has impacted his faith, Mr. Brown comments, “I definitely have grown, even though I do not always grasp the entire Word of God cleanly. Jesus tells us to come as little children. Knowledge passes away, but it is all about the heart.”
As said so well in “Be Wise,” sung every year at BA’s graduation,
“Wise Men still seek the way.
Wise Men still seek the truth.
Wise Men still seek the Savior.
Be wise. Be wise.
Wise Men still seek the light.
Wise Men still seek the star shining bright.
Wise Men still seek the Savior.
Be wise. Be wise.
Who is wise?
Lift up your eyes.
Wisdom still leads to Jesus.
Who is wise?
Lift up your eyes.
Jesus is the way of the wise.”
— Song composed by former faculty member Jenny Oldham, with lyrics by Kate Campbell
These Wisemen continue to actively place themselves under the authority of the Lord by learning more about God’s word, praying together, and building community. Their committed consistency has made a lasting impact on the BA community by providing an example of faithfulness for future generations.
“
I definitely have grown, even though I do not always grasp the entire Word of God cleanly. Jesus tells us to come as little children. Knowledge passes away, but it is all about the heart.
”
Bill Brown, Founding Headmaster
DR. PARKER BROWN ’13
(featured on p. 22), grandson of Mr. Brown, reflects on his impact: “I love him to death. My grandfather has had such an impact on my life. Growing up he has always been such a source of wisdom for anybody who would listen, and I love going to his house and talking with him. We’ve bonded through his music as well. He turns 90 in May, and he continues to love his music and his Bible study.”
Left: Bob Alley and Mike McNally
Academy Singers perform “Be Wise”
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE WILLIAMSON HERALD
BRENTWOOD EAGLE SCOUT
HONORS FAMILY DOG BY BUILDING RAINBOW BRIDGE FOR ANIMAL CENTER
Dozens of folks with a shared love, the love of pets, gathered at Williamson County Animal Center (WCAC) on Monday, Dec. 9, for the dedication of a memorial built by a local Scout to honor the bond between people and pets who have passed.
Benji Barry of Troop 16 in Franklin said that his Eagle Scout project is a place for community members to celebrate the love and memories of pets.
Benji’s project, dubbed “Reagan’s Rainbow Bridge,” is dedicated to his family’s chocolate lab, Reagan who passed at the age of 15 years in 2022.
“She was my best friend,” Benji said. “And, as I thought about her, I realized that this bridge would serve as a way to memorialize not just her, but all pets that people have lost.”
For those who are not familiar, “The Rainbow Bridge” is a poem that, in Benji’s words, “describes a beautiful place just beyond the horizon where pets go after they pass. A place where they are restored to health and happiness, free to run and play, waiting to be reunited.”
Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson expressed his appreciation for the project and noted the positive influence that animals have in the lives of many humans. Anderson also made a point to recognize Benji’s parents, Lance and Mindy Barry, for their behind-thescenes contributions. Among others in attendance were a number of Benji’s family members in addition to his parents, and several of his Scout leaders, WCAC Director Ondrea Johnson and shelter staff members and volunteers.
Benji was given the honor of placing the first collar on the bridge, Reagan’s collar, and then others in attendance
added to it following the ceremony. All are invited to memorialize their beloved pets who have passed by hanging a collar or other object on the bridge at any time. The bridge is located at the entrance of the wooded walking trail adjacent to the public dog park at WCAC.
WCAC (www.adoptwcac.org) is open to the public Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.to 3 p.m.; and closed Sunday. Located at 1006 Grigsby Hayes Court in Franklin, hours may vary due to holidays. Phone: 615-790-5590.
Left to right: Scott Pieper, Assistant Director, WCAC, Ondrea Johnson, Director, WCAC, Benji Barry ’25, Eagle Scout and Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson stand on “Reagan’s Rainbow Bridge.”
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Academy Singers Showcase
Rock Band Concert
Jazz Band Concert
Upper School Musical The Music Man
Chorus Concert
Band Concert Dance Show
March 21-22 at 7:00 PM Theatre
April 22 at 7:00 PM Band Room
April 24 at 7:00 PM Band Room
May 1-4, 7:00 PM and 2:00 PM Theatre
May 8 at 5:00 PM Theatre
May 8 at 6:30 PM Kennedy Gymnasium
May 10, 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM Theatre
Campus has been an active construction site throughout the school year, and the BA community has begun benefiting from significant enhancements that will help further advance our mission and ministry for generations to come.
BA has a new traffic-controlled main entrance, 71 additional parking spaces, and a new traffic loop to make campus safer and more welcoming.
The school’s first chapel will open this spring and serve as a pronouncement of BA’s Christ-centered commitment. This beautiful space is a new home for worship, fellowship, student and parent Bible studies, and many other events that will strengthen community through fostering the spiritual emphasis of BA’s triangle philosophy.
ADVANCING THE MISSION AND MINISTRY
Construction is well underway for the Innovation and Arts Center: Learning spaces for entrepreneurship, robotics, finance, and arts. This 6,300 square-foot addition to our upper school will provide four new classrooms for enhanced student learning experiences in business and entrepreneurship, middle school robotics, and visual arts. The center will open in the fall of 2025.
All of these projects are possible because of generous giving. To learn more about taking a supportive role in this philanthropic endeavor, please contact Dr. Jason Powell, Director of Development, at (615) 373-0611, ext. 148 or jason_powell@ brentwoodacademy.com.
2024 CLASS REUNIONS AT BRENTWOOD ACADEMY
Class REUNIONS
OUR 35TH REUNION WAS ONE OF THE BEST WE’VE EVER HAD! It was so much fun reconnecting with friends I hadn’t seen in five years or longer. We cherish the connections we share, everyone was enjoyable, and the surprise guests who showed up were thrilled to be invited and included, making the event truly unforgettable. — Jase Tillman ’89
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE 1994 REUNION was when we circled around the room, much like we had done as students in “The Round Room.” We shared one thing we now appreciate about our BA years, something that our 2024 self would tell our 1994 self, or brings us joy now. The conversations in the room reminded me how much people can grow up, experience joy and hardship, and do amazing things yet still be the same goofy kid I sat next to in Coach Compton’s science class. I am thankful for our time together and the great people I know through Brentwood Academy. – Amy Johnson ’94
I WAS ECSTATIC WHEN BA ASKED IF I COULD HELP SET UP THE FIVE YEAR REUNION FOR THE CLASS OF 2019. However, my expectations were significantly surpassed. It is an absolute blessing to get to see how your classmates have developed both professionally and personally. Discussing old times and memories, new jobs and opportunities, and even meeting your classmates’ spouses and, in some cases… children, is just part of the fun! It seemed like everyone had a wonderful time, and I cannot wait for the 10 year! – Ethan Way ’19
KEEP IT POSITIVE
Impact on Student Life
By Kristin Vazquez
Mrs. Dana Atkins, recipient of the 2024 Clyde Swift Faculty Award, has used her creativity in a new position as Student Life Coordinator to plan events to foster community and positivity among both faculty and students. Mrs. Atkins states, “My primary goal for myself has always been to treat others with the same kindness and respect I hope to receive. I wanted to create an environment where students not only enjoy their time in school but also look back on it in a positive light. My goal for my new position is to create meaningful connections among students through intentional activities, and I hope that these connections will leave a lasting positive impact
on our kids. When we talk about nurturing the body, mind, and spirit, I view the mind as encompassing both academic growth and emotional well-being—encouragement, kindness, and fun. My goal is to continue nurturing these aspects in ways that inspire students. Through my passion for what I do and the activities that promote interaction and kindness, I hope students can see the value of our efforts.” She adds, “Ultimately, my goal is to reflect God’s love in everything we do, showing students that they are cherished and valued in His eyes.”
Mrs. Atkins emphasizes the importance of balancing academic and extracurricular demands while fostering a positive environment for students, stating, “I believe students can experience burnout—homework, clubs, meetings, and extracurriculars can be exhausting. Addressing this has been an important part of my approach, ensuring that their experience is both meaningful and joyful. Not only did I want to make it a good experience for the kids, but I also wanted teachers to feel loved and appreciated,” Mrs. Atkins adds. “It’s easy to give in to complaining, and so I said, ‘Let’s do something instead of just celebrating the kids. Let’s celebrate the teachers because they need it too.’ So, we created Gratitude Month in November, with one special gift or event each week for the teachers.”
Adding something new every season brings an element of spontaneity and surprise for the student body, which reflects thorough preparation and planning behind the scenes. “I can’t say enough good things about BA’s support,” Mrs. Atkins shares. “I think they saw the need as well, and once they saw one activity had a positive impact, then two activities, and then another, well, it has grown from there. Everything I’ve done has been a group effort, and the school has been 100% behind it. It has been nothing short of amazing.” Initially there wasn’t a budget for the activities, but the help of BA administration and BAPA made it
Dana Atkins poses with Head of School Curt Masters after winning the Clyde E. Smith Faculty Award
possible to fund these activities for students. Mrs. Atkins works closely with Mr. Andy Bradshaw, Dr. Phil Masters, Mrs. Jenny Cretin, Mr. Ray Mullican, Mrs. Alyssa Hall, and Mrs. Lindsay Wade, commenting that they work together well, supporting each other while troubleshooting along the way.
Mrs. Atkins’ experience coordinating over 120 volunteers at YALLFest, the largest young adult literature festival in the United States, prepared her well for this position. She multitasks by teaching AP English classes, coordinating in-school events for students, and helping to coordinate events for students after school, while also thinking of ways to engage the faculty. Sourcing her ideas while perusing social media platforms or even just while thinking of soda pop and what could be done with that, Mrs. Atkins loves to be able to use her creativity to plan activities that will result in BA alums desiring to return because of how much they enjoyed their time at BA as students. Mrs. Atkins fosters the “Keep It Positive” culture through a wide variety of fun and engaging activities.
ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, CUPID:
Students were all given a set of beads. Each student could challenge someone else, best two out of three, and if a student wins, he or she receives the other student’s beads. This was used as a fundraiser for Agape. (Students could buy more beads at 5 for $1.)
“KEEP IT POSITIVE” is a saying that came about for application at sporting events as an admonition to keep the focus on positive aspects that can be cheered on rather than focusing on the negative. Mr. Masters often communicates this saying to the student body by placing his arms into a plus sign as a reminder to Keep It Positive!
POP DAY: All activities relate to pop somehow (ring pop, soda pop, games with things that pop).
STUDENT-LED WORSHIP
SERVICES: With the support of Student Life, students have developed worship services 100% studentled–prayer, scripture readings, devotion, music, and even lights and sound.
THE KINDNESS CAFE: When teachers “catch” students doing something kind, they can give them a ticket which can then be used to redeem items at the “Kindness Cafe,” open periodically during lunch.
CO-HO: Similar to Homecoming, students participate in dress days, class activities and games, and a pep rally, in preparation of the Coming Home Dance. For the dance, hired line dancers teach the students how to dance. Nearly 400 students attended last year, and there was not a single student leaning against the wall! There is also a DJ, along with a drawing every 20 minutes to give students a chance to win prizes. Last year, the grand prize was $500. BAPA was so gracious in helping purchase the prizes!
FUN FRIDAYS: Every Friday, some type of activity is planned during lunch for the students to enjoy.
PAPER AIRPLANE BATTLE (Battle of Granny White): Students were given materials to create paper airplanes and had a competition in the gym to see whose plane went the longest distance.
Mrs. Atkins plays “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Cupid” with a student on Valentines Day.
LEI OUT THE COMPETITION:
This was for the CPA game specifically. There were a variety of Hawaiian-themed items—grass skirts, hats, surfboards, leis, etc.—and students were able to dress up at lunch. A photographer came in and took their pictures, and then they were allowed to pick up the pictures the next school day. This was a huge hit!
SNOWBALL FIGHT: BA provided donut holes, juice, and hot chocolate during activity period of exam review week.
LUNCHTIME KARAOKE: BA has a karaoke machine, and students choose a song (from a pre-made list) to sing in the dining hall.
PAPER FOOTBALL COMPETITIONS
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS:
Students wrote cards to former faculty member Catherine Lawhorn, who is battling breast cancer. We also had many extra letters of encouragement that were sent to Sarah Cannon at Vanderbilt.
TRIVIA TUESDAYS: Students are the trivia questions. For example, “This senior would only answer to the name ‘Ron’ when he was younger.” (Sam Franklin Lanyon) Parents were asked to send fun facts about the seniors, and a game was created based on the fun facts that were received.
MARKYOUR CALENDARS
October 3-4, 2025
APRIL 15, 2025
Listen to a conversation with Chairman of the Board Buddy Bacon ‘82, Curt Masters, and Dr. John Patterson recorded live in the Brentwood Academy Theatre during Dr. Patterson’s Welcome Weekend
From the incoming HEAD of SCHOOL
BA Family,
I am humbled and excited to introduce myself in this, my first submission for the Brentwood Academy Triangle magazine. After meeting many of you and spending time with this special community on the BA campus during the past few months, I can wholeheartedly share my enthusiasm and excitement to join you as your third Head of School. Since I was announced as BA’s next Head of School, my wife, Cindy, and I have received hundreds of hand-written notes and emails welcoming us to the BA community. The graciousness of Brentwood Academy overwhelmed us. Knowing so many of you have been praying for my family throughout this process means more to Cindy and me than we can express. We’ve been told repeatedly how special this community is, and we have experienced that firsthand. On behalf of my wife, Cindy, and my daughter, Gracie, thank you for your prayers and hospitality.
I want to thank Nathan Brandon, Buddy Bacon ’82, and each member of the Brentwood Academy Head of School Search Committee for their confidence in me. Curt Masters’ mentorship, as we journey through this transition, has been steady and comforting to me. As you might imagine, I’ve been asked multiple times how it feels to “step into Curt’s shoes,” and my answer is a quick one. It is impossible to fill the shoes of Curt Masters; he is a legacy Head of School. Much like Curt did when he succeeded Bill Brown, my goal is to honor and learn from the past while embracing the future to continue furthering the mission of Brentwood Academy (Prov. 16:9).
Not long after I applied for the position in June, I listened to an episode of the “Guided by His Hand” podcast series featuring Curt Masters and Bill Brown. Although I had read extensively about the history of Brentwood Academy, hearing these two legacy leaders speak about their experiences gave me a deeper understanding of the opportunity before me. I was inspired in a way I hadn’t been before, and I felt a clear and strong calling from the Lord to contribute to the legacy that has been shaped through their leadership.
So, what is next? My goal for this next season is to listen and to learn the culture by building strong relationships with the BA family. I look forward to having lunch with many of you and sitting down in the dining hall to talk about life at BA with the students. Getting to know each of our students, hearing stories from our alums, and spending time with our faculty and BA family – I am most excited about this!
My wife and I are honored and humbled to be part of the BA family. I will officially step into the position on July 1, but the work has already begun. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your BA story. Feel free to email me and introduce yourself. As we look back to learn from the past, I am looking ahead to a future that is most promising, with a focus on our mission statement and specifically its last portion, “to the Glory of God.” I believe our best days are yet ahead.
GO Eagles!
Dr. John Patterson
john_patterson@brentwoodacademy.com
BRENTWOOD ACADEMY
ALUMNI NEWS
GORDON KENNEDY ’78 remains in the music industry and has been playing live with Garth Brooks since Garth’s 2019 Stadium Tour. Gordon is currently performing with Brooks as part of a Vegas residency.
TOM LUNDBORG ’83 works at Symspire, a company his father founded in 1968. Tom’s sons Thomas III ’09 and Andrew ’11 also work at Symspire.
JACK HOWELL ’87 became the high school principal at Sumner County Middle Technical College High School. This high school serves juniors and seniors in Sumner County with dual enrollment opportunities in partnership with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology. Students graduate with a high school diploma and technical credentials/diplomas.
ANDREW PARRISH ’97 was recently named Philanthropy Officer of the Year for UNC Chapel Hill. Andrew is in his sixth year working in development at UNC in the university’s Ackland Art Museum.
ANGELA HOLT SATTERFIELD ’97
joined Weichert-The Andrews Group as a real estate agent in June of 2024 and is thrilled to be serving the Middle TN area.
ADAM ROSENBAUM ’00
released his first book, The Ghost Rules, in August of 2024. This middle school grade level book weaves serious topics into a story told with humor, wit, and heart.
WHITNEY TUNNEY NEWBY ’04
and her family moved to Greenville, SC, and run Brighter Day Press, creating gospel-centered, literaturerich resources for family discipleship. Whitney also wrote and illustrated her first book, a devotional for moms based on Psalm 121, entitled Lift Your Eyes. It is now available for pre-order on Amazon.
MIKE BOWEN ’05
is pursuing the release of a documentary, Eyes on the Horizon, about his mental health and how he is challenging himself as he confronts a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa. tinyurl.com/EOTHDOC
KYNDAL BRADFORD ALLEN ’07
and her husband, Ian, started Applied Technology Solutions, Inc., in Huntsville, AL. They employ engineers working on the Defense Department’s hypersonic missile programs.
NIKKI HUNTER BLANTON ’08
and her husband recently opened Blanton Fitness in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood.
VIRGINIA BURKHART SANDERS ’10
and her husband, Kevin, along with their two sons, James and Bennett, live in Melbourne, Australia, where Kevin works for Caterpillar Financial.
DR. BRITTA RISTAU BROOKS ’12, fulfilling a long-time dream, recently opened an orthodontic office in Berry Hill. Dr. Brooks accepts both children and adults as new patients. https://nashvilleorthodontists.com/home
STORMY RAINS ’12
was promoted to Associate Buyer, Handbags, for Neiman Marcus, shortly after being named 2024 Senior Merchandising Planner of the Year.
INDIA WAY ’12 recently received a promotion to Manager, North America Marketing, for the Stryker Corporation.
JOSHUA
LESTER ’13
and his wife Callie Rae own Lester’s Pecans, specializing in delicious homemade cinnamon sugar roasted pecans. The couple enjoyed participating in Christmas in Brentwood by selling their pecans at the Merry Market. https://lesterspecans.square.site/
ALI
THRASHER ’13
recently became engaged to Roger Massie. The couple is planning a June wedding.
ELLEN ELIZABETH HILL ’14
graduated with her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University on May 25, 2024. She is an associate, practicing Law at King & Spalding LLP in New York, NY, as Ellen Dunn.
SAM SCRUGGS ’14
graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in May of 2024 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. He is stationed at Naval Base San Diego and works at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, along with other medical stations in the area.
AMANDA EIDSON ’14
lives in New York City and is a Senior Designer for Julia Jordan and Donna Ricco Dresses.
WILL BOLING ’15
recently became engaged to Peyton Kennedy.
SARAH WEISS ’15
graduated in May of 2024 from the LSU School of Dentistry with a DDS degree. She is practicing dentistry locally.
JOSHUA BELL ’16
recently became engaged to Karson Speth. The couple is planning a July wedding. Josh teaches and coaches at BA.
KELTON REYNOLDS ’16
graduated from medical school in 2024 and began residency in Nashville at Ascension Saint Thomas.
SARAH-CATHERINE MARTIN ’17
completed her doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) at Belmont University in August of 2024.
GAVIN SCHOENWALD ’18
recently became engaged to Katie Conder ’17.
ABBY THOMPSON ’18
wrote and published Growing, a book that revolves around the central theme of the complexities of growing up and coming of age in today’s diverse and rapidly changing culture. Abby currently lives in NYC and works at Saks Fifth Avenue in social media production.
HANNAH HOLLEMAN ’20
graduated from Baylor University in May with a degree in psychology. She will be doing mission work with university students and recent college graduates through Student Mobilization (STUMO) in Tokyo, Japan, for the next two years.
KRISTEN LOUDERBACK ’20
graduated from Liberty University on May 9 with a BSN in Nursing. She is currently working at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, NC.
ELLIE MULLICAN ’20
recently became engaged to Colby Ferrill.
JACKSON PEDEN ’21
recently accepted a two-year campus ministry position as a Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) intern at Harvard University. He will begin his work growing Harvard’s Christian Community following graduation this spring from UNC Chapel Hill with a double major in Biology and Neuroscience. To learn more about and/ or financially support Jackson’s mission work, please visit jacksonfromruf.com
GABRIELLA PINSON ’20
graduated summa cum laude in May from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting, and a minor in Spanish. After graduation she moved to New York City where she accepted a litigation paralegal position at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison. After fulfilling her contract, she will attend law school.
SARA BETH MARTIN ’22
recently made the Chancellor’s Honor Roll at Ole Miss in recognition of a 4.0 GPA for the fall 2024 semester. Sara Beth is a junior majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications and is on the Rebelette dance team.
ADDIE BOLES ’22 AND CAROLINE KELLEY ’22
went to Uganda last summer to intern with Heal Ministries. Addie is currently at the University of Tennessee pursuing a nursing degree, and Caroline is currently at Auburn University studying occupational therapy.
HARRISON TAYLOR ’22
was recently accepted into Xavier University’s International Jesuit Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu. This honor society is for students who have particularly distinguished themselves in scholarship, loyalty to Jesuit values, and service to others, and is the highest honor to receive at a Jesuit institution.
SKYE CARTER ’24
was recently named to the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health’s Dean’s List for the fall 2024 term.
ETHAN DICKINSON ’24
was recently awarded the Lipscomb University Trustee Scholar award, a full tuition scholarship awarded to a select number of incoming Freshmen.
Due to limited space in our alumni section, Brentwood Academy may edit responses for length, style, formatting, relevant content, and printing as space will allow.
In Memory of
JEFF PERRY ’82
BARBARA BURTON ’87
BILLY BORRE ’87
BELOVED
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
TEACHER MARCIA BOWEN passed away in December 2024. Marcia taught at Brentwood Academy for 25 years, impacting the lives of her students and fellow faculty with her joyous spirit and passion for teaching. Marcia’s three children are BA alums, Ben ’00, Stephanie ’02, and Mike ’05.
We invite alumni to participate in our Alumni Garden with a custom inscribed brick. Each brick symbolizes the foundation and the path traveled as a graduate of Brentwood Academy. The bricks are a focal point of the garden and are a beautiful way to recognize a legacy.
The cost of each brick is $320, and funds raised go to the Alumni Endowment Fund. Bricks will be inscribed with the name and graduation year of each alum. Bricks may be purchased by alumni, their parents, or others in honor of a Brentwood Academy graduate.
ALUMNI MARRIAGES
to Kristen Connelly in May 2024.
STEPHEN RICHARDS ’09 to Lexi Stewart on January 27, 2024.
MAMIE JOYCE ’12 to William Livingston on April 6, 2024.
BLAIR PERDUE ’12 to Jack King, May 24, 2024.
BRITA RISTAU ’12 to Hunter Brooks in October of 2023.
CONNOR ANDERSON ’13
to Nicole Alston in January of 2025 in Chicago. Brentwood Academy alumni made up most of the wedding party. The couple resides in Boston.
PARKER BROWN ’13
to Kate Fox on June 7, 2024, in Nashville. Parker is an orthodontist in Brentwood, and Kate is a pediatric dentist in Franklin. The couple resides in Nashville.
ERIC HENNINGER ’13 to Madeline Stavrum on May 11, 2024.
BAILEY BROWN ’14 to Glen Prichard on October 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. Bailey is the Marketing Director at Phoenix, and Glen is Partner and General Manager at Driven Collection. The couple resides in Marina Del Rey, CA.
ELLEN ELIZABETH HILL ’14
to Christian Dunn at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN, on September 7, 2024. The couple met in law school at Vanderbilt University and are practicing in New York City.
REAGAN BLEVINS ’16 to Drake Lamp on October 26, 2024, in Malibu, CA. The bridal party included BA alumnae Katie Fuller Fadler ’16, Anna Stephens Reynolds ’16, and Kelton Reynolds ’16.
RYAN JOHNSON ’16 to Carlie Richey on December 16, 2024, at Firefly Lane Chapel in Dickson, TN. Ryan and Carlie reside in Brentwood.
MARY-MARGARET CRABB ’15 to Daniel McMullen on May 25, 2024.
SAM FADLER ’15 to KATIE FULLER ’16 on March 23, 2024. The bridal party included Andrew Rankin ’15, Clark Wilson ’15, Julia Creech Crocker ’16, and Reagan Blevins Lamp ’16.
LUKE BROWN ’16 to AVERY MYRICK ’15 on September 21, 2024, in Sewanee, TN. Luke is completing his master’s in psychology at Purdue University and is a chess instructor for Rookly. He and Avery own Sandy Avocado Surf in Long Beach Island, NJ, where Avery is the director and manager of the surf camp.
BRYCE MATHEWS ’16 to ELIZABETH WRIGHT ’14 on February 15, 2025
OLIVIA COOK ’16 to Jordan Moore on March 15, 2024, at a ceremony in Philadelphia. The two met as students at Vanderbilt University.
KELTON REYNOLDS ’16 to ANNA STEPHENS ’16 on May 24, 2024.
ALUMNI MARRIAGES
ISAAC WAY ’16 to Kelsey Karnes on November 2, 2024. The couple currently resides in The Nations in Nashville.
DARBY BROWN ’17
to Jack Wilcocks on September 28, 2024, at Pengenna Manor, an 800-yearold estate in Cornwall, England. The two met while both were earning their masters’ degrees from the University of Birmingham in England. Darby and Jack reside in London, England. Darby is a writer as well as the Events Manager for a local bookstore called Backstory. She is also an editor for Young Writer, an international literary publication.
TOM DANNER ’17 to WREN ARONOFF ’17 in July 2024.
ISAIAH (HENRY) SCOTT ’18 to Caitlyn Brinkley on July 28, 2024, in Nashville, TN. The couple begins their new life in New York, NY.
KATHRYN STOCKHOFF ’18 to Fairfax Landstreet on November 23, 2024.
HALLI HENNINGER ’18 to Jacob Webster on June 29, 2024. The wedding party included five BA alumni.
WILL COLLINS ’19
to Cooper Stanley on July 19, 2024. Matt Brown ’97 officiated. Will works at Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. Engineering Firm as a Transportation Engineer, and Cooper works at Brentwood Academy in the College Counseling office.
CONNER SMITH ’19
to Leah Thompson in Wilmington, NC on April 12, 2024. The couple met in California and now live in Nashville, where Conner is a touring artist in the country music industry and Leah is an apparel/swimsuit designer. Four of Conner’s groomsmen were his long-time BA friends from the Class of 2019, Jack Victory, Ben Pearce, Hunter Cranford, and Marcus West.
EMMA GRACE THRASHER ’19
to Jordan Cram on August 25, 2024. The two met at Mississippi State and reside in Nashville.
ETHAN OESTERLE ’20 to MACAULLY SUTTON ’18 on July 5, 2024.
KEELI MULLICAN ’21
to Ryan Palmieri on December 26, 2024.
JASMINE SWAIN ’21 to Josh Adams on July 21, 2024. The couple took a Carribean cruise out of New York for their honeymoon.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS
JAKE GRIFFIN ’02
and his wife, Allison, welcomed Lily Chandler on May 24, 2024. Lily joins siblings Olivia Grace, William Oldacre, and Annie Moon
JOSH LAWSON ’03 and his wife, Jenny, welcomed their fourth son, Colt, in April of 2024. Colt joins brothers Asher, Jack, and Bo.
ASHLYNE HUFF
BLUE ’04 and husband,
Dr. Marcus Blue, welcomed Archer Ash, on May 1, 2024. Dan Huff ’79 is the proud grandfather.
MERRITT GOODMAN GREGORY ’05 and husband, Joshua, welcomed a son, Micaiah Galen, on June 3, 2024. He joins sister, Mary Grace.
CLAIRE PARKS ’07
HOUISON and husband, Leigh, welcomed a son, Theo Brandon, on June 16, 2024.
ALEX HUDDLESTON ’07 and wife, Erica, welcomed their first child, Lillian Margaret, on August 20, 2024.
ABIGAIL LAWRENCE SHAW ’07 and husband, Tim, welcomed their fifth child, Katherine Elizabeth, on October 14, 2023.
PHIL MASTERS ’06 and wife, Caroline, welcomed their third child, Ellie Laura, on April 15, 2024.
ELLIE COLLINS DEBERRY ’07 and husband, Hunter, welcomed their third child, Duke Elliot on May 13, 2024. He joins siblings Annie and Jack. Chris Collins ’80 and Angie Curtis Collins ’81 are the proud grandparents.
The tradition of all-boys continues to the next generation for the Wilson family.
TOM WILSON ’07 and wife, Farrah, welcomed a son, Lachlan Joseph, on September 30, 2024.
SAM WILSON ’09 and wife, Tori, welcomed a son, Sutherland Victor, on December 16, 2024.
GUS WILSON ’13 and wife, Lizzy, welcomed a son, Oliver Sutherland, on December 1, 2024. Pictured are the three fathers along with their brother, Jack Wilson ’11. Not pictured is the fifth brother, Toby Wilson ’18.
COURTNEY GILLIAM BOWMAN ’08 and husband, Noah, welcomed their second daughter, Rosemary Wade, on June 24, 2024. Leslie Wood Gilliam ’84 is the proud grandmother.
MAGGIE HARDWICK
BATTS ’09 and husband, Ben, welcomed a daughter, Amelia Josephine, on February 2, 2024. She joins brother, Benjamin.
THOMAS LUNDBORG
III ’09 and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed a son, Thomas IV (Tommy), on May 13, 2024. He joins sister, Lucy. Tom Lundborg ’83 is the proud grandfather.
COURTNEY FADLER
DANT ’12 and husband, Michael, welcomed a son, Samuel Joseph, on April 30, 2024.
TYLER EMERY ’12 and wife, Marissa, welcomed a son, Brooks Tyler, on November 13, 2024. The family lives in Lexington, KY, where Tyler is in his second year of residency at the University of Kentucky.
LINCOLN PRIEST ’12 and his wife, Maraya, welcomed twin girls, Ellory and McCall, on June 24, 2024. They join their sister, Parker.
AUSTIN ANDERSON ’13 and his wife, Grace, welcomed a daughter, Harper Faith, on November 16.
DYLAN KENNEDY ’13 and his wife, Alexis, welcomed a son, Miles, in 2024. Gordon Kennedy ’78 is the proud grandfather.
WILL ROBERSON ’13 and his wife, Julia, welcomed their second daughter, Nora Kate, on January 13, 2025. She joins big sister, Camille Elizabeth.
KINGSLEY EAST
GIBBS ’14 and her husband, Nathan, welcomed a daughter, Eden East, on September 20, 2024. Cathy Rowan East ’80 is the proud grandmother.
MARGARET TULLOCH PAYANT ’14 and her husband, Marlow, welcomed twin girls, Mary Hatcher and Charlotte James, on December 28, 2024. They join a big brother, Watson. Emily Crockett Tulloch ’82 is the proud grandmother.
BECKY JOHNSON
TENOSCHOK ’14 and her husband, Mike Tenoschok, welcomed a son, Peter Elias, on September 20, 2024. Franye Goad Johnson ’86 and her husband, Jeff, are proud grandparents.
TAYLOR HASTY COLE ’14 and her husband, Will, welcomed a daughter, Scottie James, on November 7, 2024. She joins big sister, Charlotte.
MEREDITH BECK
STUTZMAN ’16 and her husband, Tanner, welcomed their second child, Ezra Scott, on September 5, 2024.
BA Community Members who wish to make a gift to Brentwood Academy in honor of Curt and Cindy’s leadership over the past 25 years may visit brentwoodacademy.com/legacy.
These honorary gifts may be designated for our Innovation and Arts Center, the Brentwood Academy Endowment, or the BA Fund. Questions-contact Dr. Jason Powell, Director of Development at 615-373-0611 ext. 148 or jason_powell@brentwoodacademy.com.
