Alumni Matters

Alumni Art Show

The first Alumni Art Show was held in 2017 during the celebration of our school’s 75th Anniversary. Over the last 80 years, Country Day has benefitted from a rich legacy of creative expression, and the Hance Family Gallery has exhibited works from notable collections and by renowned artists like Romare Bearden, Phil Moody, Linda Foard Roberts, and Charles Williams. This year, in an exhibit that ran from January 24–March 4, we showcased the work of our talented alumni artists, including: Grayson Cassels ’18 Thomas Cluderay ’03 Anne Harkness ’74 Evie Horton ’19 Katana King ’20 Madison Letts ’15 Grant LoParo ’08 John O'Neil ’08 Holly Patton ’73 Katie Sawyer Rose ’92 Dalia Saleeby ’17 Lulu Sasz ’22 Patsy Sasz ’20 Sally Sasz ’17 Bennett Stowe ’15 Colby Trenkelbach ’06 Anne Harkness

Colby Trenkelbach

Thank you to Exhibit Chairs Sybil Wornall Godwin '99 and Lauren Harkey '05

Holly Patton

Close Family Courtyard

This winter, siblings Baxter Close Petrone ’08 and Claude Close ’10 stopped by campus to check out the many new and updated facilities on our Cannon Campus, including the Close Family Courtyard outside the new John and Claudia Belk Upper School Learning Center (unfortunately, brother Craddock Close ’13 had a work conflict). We are so grateful to The Springsteen Foundation and the Close family for their generosity and support of the school’s Forefront Campaign, which made The Close Family Courtyard possible. Nearly every day, faculty, staff, and students can be seen enjoying the beautiful and welcoming outdoor space! The Close family has been an integral part of Country Day for many years. Baxter, Claude, and Craddock’s father, Derick Springsteen Close ’77, served on the Board of Trustees from 1999–2005 and was honored as our Alumnus of the Year in 2013. We are grateful for the Close family’s continued partnership and devotion to Country Day and for all they do for our greater Charlotte community as well.

Alumni Book Club

This past fall, alumni and friends from Charlotte, California, New Mexico, and Maryland met on Zoom for a book discussion with retired English teacher Mary Allen Todd. Over four months, the book club discussed The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration. Participants considered themselves lucky to have a masterclass taught by a Country Day legend. Several reflected on what the experience meant to them.

“I never had the pleasure of taking a class with Ms. Todd while at Country Day, but I remembered how much my friends enjoyed her courses, so I jumped at the chance to join a book club with her. It was every bit as interesting as I hoped it would be. The Warmth of Other Suns was an intriguing book choice but hearing the other members’ insights about the text was the best part. I miss our meetings and our lively, thoughtful, and thoughtprovoking conversations. Since we finished the book, I have continued to correspond, via the mail, with Ms. Todd which has been really lovely.” – Tracey Kelly ’86

“The alumni book club was such a treat! While I suspect I would have enjoyed reading The Warmth of Other Suns on my own, our group discussions created an even richer experience. I was really able to engage with the historical period, our country’s legacy of racism, the characters, and the writing. Making the experience even more special was the opportunity to reconnect with Ms. Todd and meet some other alumni who were just as passionate about reading and learning as I am. Thanks to Danielle Ferguson and Ms. Todd for organizing, and for all the alumni who participated!” – Jill Blumenthal ’93

Connect To The Country Day Alumni Group on LinkedIn

More than 800 people are networking in our alumni LinkedIn group. Help us grow that number and connect with fellow alums. Simply search for Charlotte Country Day School and request to join this great community of alumni. The group provides an alumni directory, and creates an online forum for sharing information about alumni news and events, and career-related advice and networking.