Charlotte Latin Magazine_Spring 2024

2023–24

School Leadership

Administrative Team

Charles D. Baldecchi, Head of School, P ’21, ’23, ’25

Todd Ballaban, Head of Middle School, P ’32

Joanne O. Beam, Director of Philanthropy, P ’22

David Gatoux, Director of Athletics, P ’31

James Huffaker, Chief Technology Officer

Beth Lucas, Director of Human Resources, P ’35

Mary Yorke Oates ’83, Director of Admissions, P ’12, ’15, ’18

Robert McArthur, Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Erica Moore, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Mark Tayloe, Head of Lower School, P ’15, ’18, ’20

Sonja L. Taylor, Associate Head of School

Lawrence Wall, Head of Upper School

Board Of Trustees

Mike Freno, Board Chair, P ’23, ’25, ’28

Rael Gorelick, Vice Chair P ’24, ’26, ’27, ’29

Phil Colaco, Treasurer, P ’19, ’22, ’26

Dave Shuford, Secretary P ’28, ’30

Trustees

Mackenzie Alpert, P ’30, ’32

Irm Bellavia, P ’19, ’20, ’22, ’25

John Comly, P ’28, ’30

Mary Katherine DuBose, P ’24, ’26

Paige Ford ’06

Don Gately, P ’98, ’04 GP ’30, ’32, ’33, ’35

Stacy Gee, P ’19, ’21, ’22

Karim Lokas, P ’24, ’26

John McCoy, P ’31

Ed McMahan ’93, P ’22, ’24, ’30

Kristin Middendorf, P ’21, ’23

Katie Morgan, P ’21, ’24

Uma O’Brien, P ’28, ’30, ’33

Christian Robinson, P ’32, ’34, ’36

Charles Thies ’90, P ’32, ’35

Michelle Thornhill, P ’21, ’24

Ex-Officio

Charles D. Baldecchi, Head of School, P ’21, ’23, ’25

Robert McArthur, Chief Financial and Operations Officer

James McLelland ’17, 2023—24 Alumni Governing Board President

Deborah Hullinger, 2023—24 Parents’ Council President, P ’22, ’25

Charlotte Latin School | Spring 2024

Editor

Gavin Edwards

Associate Editor

Tricia Tam

Contributors

Tommy Beeson ’24

Lea Fitzpatrick

Mary Gorman ’00

Emily Harris ’20

Meredith Kempert Nunn ’98

Nikki Williams

Designer

Monty Todd

Photography

Abbe McCracken

St. John Photography

Rusty Williams

On the cover:

Upper School and Lower School students together on Community Day

Please send address corrections to: Office of Philanthropy Charlotte Latin School 9502 Providence Road Charlotte, NC 28277

Or email to cory.hardman@charlottelatin.org

Dear Friends of Charlotte Latin School,

Recently, when I was eating lunch with some Latin seniors, we had a fascinating conversation about cliques in the Upper School. By the time our seniors graduate, they find that a lot of arbitrary social barriers among their classmates have fallen away, but these students told me that they wished they could go back in time and convince their freshmen selves to care less about those meaningless tribes.

“Would your freshmen selves listen to you?” I asked. They conceded that they probably wouldn’t. As seniors, they understood that they had needed to learn some life lessons the hard way, but they also knew that when you spend time both inside and outside cliques, those social walls start to crumble on their own accord.

Part of our ongoing work at Charlotte Latin is fostering the relationships among students that make it easier for them to hurdle those walls — or to tear them down. Our theme this year of interconnection emphasized the power of the bonds that tie our community together. That’s why I was extraordinarily proud of our first-ever Community Day in March, when students from Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School worked together in cross-divisional teams to beautify our campus, learn outside the classroom, and help our community partners. For more information on Community Day, please turn to the article on page 8 of this magazine.

In addition, it is my sad duty to report that earlier this year, we lost two beloved faculty members, each of whom taught at Charlotte Latin for many years before retiring: Dr. James “Jim” D. Bean III and Dr. Kenneth “Doc” Collins. (You can read more about Doc in the article on page 12.) Defining what it means to be a Hawk, both Jim and Doc forged countless connections among Latin students, faculty, parents, and alumni.

I hope that this spring, you will honor their memories by reaching out to other members of the Latin community, whether that means striking up a conversation with an unfamiliar face at May Day Play Day or emailing an old friend who’s mentioned in this issue’s Class Notes. Latin is at its best when we recognize how much strength we all draw from each other.

With gratitude for a job I love,

Chuck Baldecchi Head of School

HAWKS SERVE

Community Day

Klang-klang-klang. The Lower School students were so eager for the firstever Community Day at Charlotte Latin School to begin, they were stomping on the metal bleachers at Patten Stadium, pounding out a thundering rhythm. The music on the PA system segued from Kool & the Gang to Post Malone, clashing with the stainless-steel cadence. Klangklang-klang. Then Head of School Chuck Baldecchi stepped onto the 50-yard line with a microphone and the student body fell silent. “Community Day is about the past, present, and future of Latin,” he told them.

It was also about teaming up students across the three divisions of the school: the event on March 8 matched Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School students (for example, a three-person team might include one representative each from Grade 3, Grade 6, and Grade 10). It sent them all out of their classrooms for an array of activities that encompassed scholarship, wellness, beautification of the Latin campus, and service to community.

Soon after Baldecchi’s opening remarks, more than 1,500 students were sprinting across the campus for a scavenger hunt, playing games of Jenga with massive blocks while quizzing each other on best mentalhealth practices, and joyfully hopping through rope mazes on one leg.

One tangible result of the day: art projects designed in consultation with Latin’s local community partner

organization, Habitat for Humanity. Students made gifts for families who would be moving into new homes, including welcome mats, flower pots, and birdhouses. “Remember that swinging a hammer can cause injury!” an alumni volunteer cautioned students who were constructing birdhouses on the porch of the Knight-Dickson Library.

Dr. David-Aaron Roth, Director of Student Leadership Development, explained that an essential aspect of Community Day was producing goods that Habitat for Humanity actually needed — treating the organization as a true partner, not just a source of enrichment for Latin students. Happily, because communityengaged learning genuinely benefited

Latin’s partner, it also made the work more meaningful for students. As Roth observed, “If they’re building a birdhouse, we want them to understand why a birdhouse matters.”

Teams rotated from one activity to another, including stints in beautification that entailed scrubbing picnic tables and collecting trash all over the Latin campus. Expeditions into Latin’s woodland trails yielded a surprising array of detritus, including a car tire, a lawn chair, and a busted laptop. By midday, the most obvious trash had been taken care of, but there was now scattered litter from lunch to be dispatched — a useful reminder that Community Day was not a one-day solution to the world’s problems, but the beginning of a longer process.

“I’m just amazed that the Lower Schoolers, Middle Schoolers, and Upper Schoolers are working together as a team,” said Head Librarian Emily Long. On each team, the older kids were visibly mindful of their younger charges, listening to them intently, leading them through discussions of how to handle bullies, and giving them piggyback rides during the scavenger hunt.

Lawrence Wall, Head of Upper School, observed, “So many of them, it was reminding them of who they are.

There’s a sweetness that you know is there, but that they show when they’re given charge of the little ones.”

For many Upper School students, the day was a nostalgic reminder of where they had come from: in some cases literally, as they set foot in the Lower School for the first time in years. “This is a normal-size building!” marveled one Grade 11 student. “It used to feel ginormous.”

Conversely, for Lower School and Middle School students, the day was a glimpse into their futures. A Grade 5 student earnestly asked a senior, “So, is there a lot of

homework in the Upper School?”

Striding across campus, Baldecchi said, “One of the priorities for the day was having all three divisions working together doing projects — it’s exactly as I hoped it would be. I knew this took a lot of logistics, but I’m impressed by how well-thoughtout it is.” Those logistics required a small army of teachers, staff, parents, and alumni: the planning was spearheaded by Roth and Dr. Sonja L. Taylor, Associate Head of School.

“The day is meant to get students out of their routines and looking at learning in a different way,” Roth said. “We’re trying to build a day centered on how we build community in places and spaces that we might not be able to on other days.”

At the end of the day, the student teams split up. As a cluster of Grade 10 students left the Lower School, one Grade 3 student frantically waved goodbye and shouted, “We’ll miss you!” The students returned to their own classrooms and bus lines, but they didn’t leave behind the connections they had made.

LATIN LEADS PlanStrategicUpdate

The Latin Leads Strategic Plan, launched in January 2023, is already in full swing. While some aspects of the Strategic Plan are shaping the future of Charlotte Latin, others are making their mark right now.

The Leadership Lab, a highly sought-after elective in Grade 7, will now be available to Grade 8 students as well. With this additional class in our 2024-25 course catalog, twice as many Middle School students will be able to discuss the values of leadership, practice communication skills with an emphasis on listening to other voices, and work outside the classroom with community partners. Similarly, a new Grade 10 Leadership and Social Responsibility course expands the Upper School curriculum in Leadership Development.

“Students are curious about their leadership identities,” says Dr. David-Aaron Roth, Director of Student Leadership Development, “and it’s important that they have opportunities to develop those identities.”

The Latin Leads Strategic Plan is the blueprint for Charlotte Latin’s future as an institution. It identifies areas where Latin should grow to meet the ever-changing needs of our students, while strengthening the core values central to our school’s mission. We are grateful for the many members of the Latin community who are lending their valuable time and expertise to this important work.

To read more, please visit the Latin Leads website at charlottelatinleads.org

Strategic Plan Vision

Charlotte Latin School develops courageous, honorable leaders, fueled by intellectual curiosity and guided by a commitment to excellence, who can navigate and thrive in a complex global society.

Goal 1: The Latin Leader

Our growing Leadership Development curriculum will add two new courses next year: the aforementioned Grade 8 Leadership Lab and Grade 10 Leadership and Social Responsibility course.

Latin’s recent Community Day included on-campus service opportunities to support our community partner Habitat for Humanity.

Portrait of a Latin Leader integration continues; crossdivisional faculty committees are working on plans for further implementation.

Goal 2: Teaching and Learning

The first phase of the Lower School curriculum review is complete. A representative team of Lower School educators is working with divisional leadership to prioritize action items for the upcoming school year.

The schedule redesign for Middle School and Upper School is underway. A 14-member design team with representatives from both divisions meets regularly. Recently, each team member shadowed two students — one in Middle School and one in Upper School — to experience a day in their life. Similar work is underway to understand the experience of faculty members. The results of these experiences will inform the schedule redesign.

The new position of Lower School Assistant Head was announced in March and Avery Teichman will begin in this role starting in July. Her work will help support our execution of the strategic plan in the Lower School.

Goal 3: Community Wellness

Michele King began as Latin’s first Director of Student Support & Wellness in January. (See page 24 for more

information on her background and her vision for the Wellness at Latin program.) Her early months have included conducting a needs analysis for programming and professional development for the 2024–25 school year.

One key element of our community’s feedback on wellness was the desire for more parent education on topics affecting the well-being of their children. Our parent education program continues to grow: On April 24, Dr. Devorah Heitner, author of Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World, visited the Latin campus and spoke about navigating childhood in the digital age.

Goal 4: A Community of Purpose and Belonging

We held focus groups in 2023 with more than 125 adults — Lower, Middle, and Upper School faculty and staff, and Latin alumni — to better understand how our community thinks about belonging. These conversations are helping to guide the design of our Purpose and Belonging dashboard, which is in development with a team of 19 cross-functional faculty and staff members.

Goal 5: Access and Affordability

Latin is committed to assuring that every child invited to attend will experience a full and meaningful educational experience. While tuition assistance currently meets the demonstrated need of each student, many cocurricular programs come at significant additional costs and can therefore inhibit students from experiencing a full Latin education. Latin is committed to working to meet these needs for those who cannot afford them.

Our community’s generous philanthropy has grown the resources available to support these priorities. Recent significant gifts have established endowments to support scholarships and provided funds to pay for additional student services.

As the financial assistance program grows, we will look to support the comprehensive cost of a Latin education. We will also endeavor to increase the percentage of our enrolled students receiving financial assistance.

Ten Things

We Learned from Doc Collins

Nobody could replace Dr. Kenneth Collins, who taught math at Charlotte Latin School for 50 years — beginning in 1971, just one year after the school’s founding. But before his death in January 2024, he did his best to share everything he knew. With dedication, compassion, and a relentless stream of terrible math puns, he made a deep impression on everyone he met in the Latin community. Doc Collins taught countless lessons that extended beyond graphing quadratic equations: we wanted to share ten of them.

1. HOW TO TAKE ON A NEW

CHALLENGE

Lizzie (Hibberd) Elder ’04: “Dr. Collins approached me about taking AP Calculus BC. I was hesitant to do it and really nervous about the class. I asked him ‘what if I fail?’ I still remember his response: ‘I won’t let you.’ It was the most rewarding class I have ever taken in my life. When I got a 5 on the exam, I remember looking up his home number in the phone book and calling to tell him!”

2. HOW TO TEACH MATH

Carol Webb-Gargagliano, Upper School Mathematics Chair: “I was always impressed with how he knew what the next thing was in math education, whether it was worth pursuing or some trend we wanted to ignore. I never understood how he was always on that front line until after he died. I went to visit his wife, Mary Beth, and she offered me his math books. He had more books than I can fathom, and she said he had read every one of them at least once. That’s how he knew so much: he was curious and he wanted to know things. He opened up worlds to all of us.”

3. HOW TO SWIM AS FAST AS POSSIBLE

Dr. Collins spent 33 years working with the Charlotte Latin swim team, helping the coaches wherever he was most needed. “He would swim in the lanes with us,” remembered Josie Harper ’22, who was a team captain at Latin. “It was impressive that someone that age could keep up the pace with teenage kids. He’d get in the water with kids and show them correct form—it’s hard to demonstrate how to swim when you’re on land, looking down at the lanes.”

During swim meets, Dr. Collins would station himself behind the starting blocks, giving each swimmer a personalized pep talk. “I’m an anxious racer and competitor, so he was very helpful in teaching me how to get into the right mindset,” Harper said. “If it was somebody like my brother, who needed humbling, he’d be telling him not to get cocky and stay focused.”

Ultimately, Dr. Collins taught Hawks more than how to achieve their maximum aquatic velocity. “His ability to personalize his advice to each swimmer taught me, when I was captain, to observe all the swimmers on the team and give calculated advice to each one,” Harper reflected. “He taught me how to be a better leader.”

4. HOW TO PLAY CHESS

Circa 1994, Marshall Brenizer ’95 dreaded free periods at Charlotte Latin: he would often sit on a bench, feeling like he didn’t belong. “But going into Doc Collins’ classroom changed that,” he remembered. Dr. Collins started hosting a half-dozen kids for an informal chess club, teaching them openings and endgame technique. Sometimes Dr. Collins would throw his pupils a curveball with an unusual chess variation, like a game where the white pieces had only a king and pawns, but white could move twice in a row.

“And then he’d let us play head-to-head and towards the end of the time period he would pick one of us unlucky souls and jump in and just beat the brains out of us,” Brenizer said. The student never beat the master, but he treasured his ability to last more than ten moves and to anticipate exactly how Dr. Collins would administer the coup de grâce. “The environment that he created,” Brenizer said, “that was the most meaningful part to me.”

5. HOW TO BUILD CONNECTIONS BETWEEN FAMILIES AND FACULTY

Jeff Knull, Upper School math teacher: “Ken Collins was the master of talking with parents about their child’s progress in math. He was so patient and he always knew that it was about their anxiety over not being able to control the situation. He never made it about the emotions, because teachers are emotional too. He made it about the process and ‘let’s find the place where the child can be the most successful.’”

6. HOW TO THINK ABOUT THE LONG TERM

Eli Collins ’97 remembered how his father taught him to play the long game: “Mostly it was about behaving day-today in ways aligned to long-term commitments: maintaining friendships, giving to institutions he believed in, staying healthy to maximize time with his grandsons.” But it also manifested in his patience as a parent: “In college, I changed my major three times in three years and ultimately left NYU early (finishing parttime) to join a startup, before doing that was a thing. My dad was supportive — he believed I should make my own decisions, even as a teen, understanding that I might mess up in the near term but it was better to mess up earlier rather than later.”

7. HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF A REUNION

“Anytime there was food somewhere, he magically appeared — it was like he had the metabolism of a four-year-old,” Christopher Downing, Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Latin, said with a laugh. Dr. Collins was famous for attending every Latin reunion, but he did it for reasons beyond the buffet.

He knew that people relied on him as the school’s institutional memory: his presence helped Hawks of previous generations orient themselves in the school’s current landscape. Downing recalled, “People would say, ‘When I was here, we had four buildings.’ And he’d say, ‘Well, let me tell you about these 17 buildings that we have now.’ And he’d be able to say, ‘Picture where the tennis courts used to be,’ or he’d reference a teacher who retired 30 years ago, or he’d say ‘Remember where you fell down the stairs that time.’ He showed up because he was an anchor for people to reattach themselves to a very specific period of time in their lives.”

8. HOW TO GIVE BACK

Downing was present in Thies Auditorium at an assembly in 2011 when Dr. Collins announced that he and Mary Beth were donating $500,000 to Charlotte Latin School to begin the Collins Lower School Scholarship Fund. “He got up and meekly said, ‘Here’s what we want to do — please help me with that vision. This is where it begins.’” He gave that much money in part because he knew it would do good by itself and in part because he hoped to inspire other people to follow him. Latin is now home to three Collins Scholars.

Eli Collins says that his father didn’t come from money; he was prudent financially and he let compound interest work for him across the decades. “He was frugal, but he spent his money on what mattered to him,” he said. “I would try to get him to go on more vacations, but he had these goals in mind for how he wanted to contribute.”

9. HOW TO DRAW A PERFECT CIRCLE

Generations of Hawks marveled at Dr. Collins’ signature move: stepping up to the chalkboard or the whiteboard and,

in the blink of an eye, drawing a flawless circle. Eli Collins tried it himself but couldn’t master the technique: “I think it had something to do with unhinging your shoulder,” he said.

“I could never duplicate it,” Marshall Brenizer said, “but I would watch him closely. He would stand the right distance from the chalkboard where he could make a stiff arm and then rotate his shoulder so he could make a cone with his shoulder at the center. And he was quick enough that there were no vibrations in the line.”

10. HOW TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Students across the decades testified to how Dr. Collins’ unflagging support taught them to be the best versions of themselves. “There is no other teacher besides Dr. Collins who unequivocally taught me that if I set my mind to learn something new and commit to it then anything is possible,” said Boyd Holland ’92. “The confidence that I gained through a year of calculus class with Dr. Collins bolstered my ability to learn new things and to trust myself in a way that I still use today.”

Manuela Araque ’14 remembered a pivotal moment when, frustrated with a math problem, she said she couldn’t solve it: “He looked at me and said something that I will always remember. He said, ‘People are going to doubt you in your career, Manuela, especially because you are Latina and a woman. You don’t doubt yourself, you just prove them wrong.’ I didn’t really understand how deeply that comment would impact me, but I have held onto it all throughout college and in medical school. Dr. Collins was always in my corner, rooting for me and believing in me when I didn’t realize how powerful that type of support could be. I owe him so much.”

Coach Collins with swimmer Annissa Mignardi ’13

Here Comes the Future

STEAM at Charlotte Latin, from Legos to China

Charlotte Latin students from the 1980s and ’90s might remember the school’s first glimmers of STEAM education: Tom Dubick leading small groups in lunchtime Legobuilding, kids assembling robot kits in science class, and the Cardboard Box Regattas that had students furiously paddling homemade boats across Lake Latin.

“We were doing STEAM before STEAM was a thing,” Dubick says with a laugh. (As a reminder, it stands for “science, technology, engineering, art, and math.”) “At one time or another, all the prep schools in the region have visited to see what we do here.” That leading-edge approach even landed Dubick and his cohort David Taylor in Wuxi, China, last October.

Currently the Chair of the Innovation and Design department and Director of the Fab Lab, Dubick recalls a moment from early in his career: “I’m giving a speech at a state conference for independent schools. It’s the late ’80s, and I say, ‘We should be teaching engineering!’” He stops — eyes wide, peering through black–rimmed glasses — and explains the stakes. Dr. Edward J. Fox Jr., Charlotte Latin’s Head of School from 1976 to 2001, was in the crowd and Dubick wasn’t sure how he would respond to the implicit criticism of Latin’s curriculum. “I keep on with my speech, all the while thinking, ‘I hope they keep me on as a science teacher.’”

Tom Dubick in Wuxi, China

Fox supported Dubick, and when STEAM became a trendy education acronym, Charlotte Latin had a 15year head start on its peers. Latin now has a fully integrated STEAM curriculum that spirals upward through all divisions, a team of passionate educators, an entire building dedicated to Science, Art, and Technology, and a world-class digital-fabrication laboratory (the Fab Lab).

Dr. David Taylor came to Latin in 2014 after pioneering the district curriculum for engineering electives at CMS. In addition to teaching Middle School engineering and computer programming, he’s also a championship-winning coach of Lego Mindstorm SumoBot and SeaPerch robotics teams. In conversation, Taylor and Dubick are like two jazz musicians riffing, building on each other’s thoughts and nodding appreciatively at each other’s solos.

“Nurturing creative confidence requires a purposeful environment,” says Taylor, “a place where curious learners — both students and faculty — feel safe to take risks.”

“We’re still innovating,” Dubick adds. “[Faculty] spend a lot of time talking to alumni and businesses to find out what students need to be able to thrive in the future. We’re the only high school in the world to offer Fab Academy (an intensive fivemonth, multi-disciplinary program that produces 20 certificates, culminating in a diploma.) We’re working on meaningful internships and professional certifications— something others will catch up to years from now.”

We’re teaching them how to learn — how to think critically and problem solve.”

At the end of October 2023, Dubick and Taylor traveled to Wuxi, China, to present at the Innovation & Development Forum. Wuxi (WOOshee), sometimes called “Little Shanghai,” sits on a beautiful freshwater lake in the Jiangsu province. Like Charlotte, Wuxi has a history of industry that includes mining and textiles. But today, the city of 7.5 million people is transforming into a high-tech hub.

The Nanjing Foreign Language School in China and King’s College School in Wimbledon, United Kingdom, partnered to create a “school of the future,” the Wuxi Dipont School of Arts and Science.

A similar collaboration produced another Dipont namesake 130 miles south in Hangzhou. Dubick and Taylor attended the five-year anniversary celebrations for both, where they shared information on Latin’s STEAM success story and established new relationships.

Touring these “great and very expensive” international boarding schools, hearing the laughs and sounds of the playground, Taylor and Dubick noted that “kids are kids, the world over.” Talking with fellow teachers, they discussed similar challenges of educating in a post-Covid era. Walking the hallways lined with banners of the colleges that Dipont graduates are attending,

Tom Dubick and David Taylor

they realized that parents in China hold the same hopes for their families as in the United States: They want to future-proof their children.

The modern thinking in science is that students need to learn the process — to think like engineers and test conjectures with scientific method and design. At Latin, that process is infused into ageappropriate projects where students learn by making and prototyping. With access to the Fab Lab’s digital fabrication tools like laser cutters, 3D printers, milling machines, and more, students can turn ideas into reality.

Lower School STEAM Lab meets once a week and tackles challenges like constructing payload-testing bridges, learning coding and digital design, and soldering electric circuits. Middle School classes and electives give students the opportunity to work more purposefully with digital fabrication tools, document their digital portfolios, and consider projects with social impact.

Upper School Innovation & Design and Art classes, including Entrepreneurship and Global Leadership, teach business principles and how to build sustainable products and solutions.

“We’re teaching them how to

learn — how to think critically and problem solve,” says Dubick.

“And there’s a vulnerability in that,” Taylor points out, “because students have to get okay with making mistakes.” With mistakes, students pinpoint what went wrong and why. When the dance of discoverymistake-discovery becomes as natural as inhale-exhale-inhale, students have harnessed the life breath of STEAM — the foundation of being a resilient navigator.

Asked about their favorite part of

being educators, Dubick and Taylor describe a similar scene: When a student has been working on something for days, making multiple attempts, and then they finally get it to work… a raw sound erupts. ”A shriek!” gasps Dubick.

Chuckling, Taylor says, “Kids figuring out what they can do is awesome.”

Cardboard Box Regatta

Upper School and Lower School students working at the 3D printer

The Fab Lab

Studying in the Inlustrate Orbem Building

Upper School English teacher Daniel Hayes

Library time!

Upper School French teacher Renee Gerden with students

Upper School musical: Mean Girls

Middle School musical: Xanadu Jr.

Orchestra classroom

Lower School musical: Finding Nemo, Kids

Senior Art Show

AROUND

Kindergartners at Teddy Bear Hospital

Grade 3 at Market Day

Upper School psychology project: Babies

Senior ornaments

Students in Spoleto, Italy

Lower School students learning about Germany, our 2023–24 Global Partners

Middle School students creating museum exhibits

Pilgrimage to the Spectrum Center

Exchange students from Argentina

AROUND CAMPUS | Days of Celebration and Athletics

Lunar New Year

Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Christian Mackey ’14 with his parents, Chuck Baldecchi, and leaders of the Black Student Alliance

Jonté Harrell ’98 on Veterans Day

Upper School faculty and students performing for Diwali

Middle School boys’ basketball

State champion boys’ swimming team

State champion boys’ wrestling team

Middle School girls’ tennis

Upper School girls’ cross country

Meet Michele King THE ROAD TO WELLNESS

When Michele King — the first-ever Director of Student Support & Wellness at Charlotte Latin School — initially studied psychology, she was learning how to sell things. Her senior year of high school in Bohemia, New York, she took an elective psychology class that focused on marketing. “I was interested in how the mind works,” she says. “But my parents instilled me with a desire to be a helper.”

So instead of crafting advertisements for lemonade and Jet Skis, King majored in psychology in college, eventually earning a master’s degree in social work and entering a career in clinical practice. When the fields of school counseling and social work swelled in the early 2000s, she jumped into the academic world and never looked back.

Beginning her 20-year career with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as a school social worker, King eventually became the director of student wellness & academic support, picking up a master’s degree in school counseling along the way. She loves that every day she works in a school, she can see mental and physical wellness improving the lives of students and fostering their academic success.

“When I was growing up, I would have loved to have developed an awareness that health and wellness shouldn’t be an afterthought,” she reflects. “The earlier we can teach kids the language and tools of emotional and physical wellness, and give them opportunities to practice it, the more successful they’ll be in school and in life — especially when they go to college and navigate all of the pressures and challenges that come with that transition.”

Away from Charlotte Latin School, King is a fan of Due Amici pizza, vintage alt-rock like the Goo Goo Dolls and Barenaked Ladies, and her dogs Bandit and Maggie. (“Bandit is the chill leader; Maggie is the anxious younger sibling who follows his lead,” she reports.)

On the job, her bedrock principle is supporting children throughout their educational experience. “‘What is the purpose?’ is my mantra,” she explains. “We have to consider this in everything we do. Part of that purposeseeking is to look at what we’re doing and determine if there are ways to do it better. It all comes down to how we can best serve our students.”

Since joining Latin in early January, King has focused on getting to know our community, striving to understand how best to build a comprehensive wellness program for the Charlotte Latin community. Her early weeks have included conversations about existing processes, programs, curriculum, data focused on student wellness, and the legacy of whole-child education that is a cornerstone of the Latin experience.

“Latin has a strong, robust history of caring about the whole child,” she says. “I want to honor that and honor our core values as an organization, while responding to the physical and emotional needs of students today.”

What is our vision for Wellness at Latin?

Our vision for Wellness at Latin is rooted in extensive research showing that when kids learn skills to take care of themselves physically and emotionally — such as how to manage stress and develop positive relationships — they do better academically.

By building comprehensive and integrated wellness practices and curricula for students TK–12, we will enhance their ability to be strong academically, socially, and emotionally. Ultimately, this will help our kids be more successful in all aspects of their lives and reduce their risk for depression and anxiety, a growing concern for today’s youth.

Beyond the exciting potential for impact within our own community, Latin’s innovative approach to this work can be a model for other independent schools that are not yet evolving their wellness resources the way we aim to.

How does this vision align with the school’s Core Values?

Latin’s Core Values have clear alignment with the best practices of wellness in an academic setting. A leading organization in the field, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), identifies five research-based social-emotional competencies that are critical to student success: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. Comparing these focus areas to our Core Values, there is an incredible amount of overlap. This intersection

informs how we focus and implement best practices within the wellness program, while reinforcing the relevance of Latin’s Core Values to our kids today.

What does Wellness at Latin encompass?

Our newly formed Wellness at Latin team includes staff members who focus on the academic, emotional, and physical aspects of student wellness, drawing from learning resources, school counseling, nursing, and more. In addition to building on our existing excellence in these areas, we want to include curricular elements woven into existing classroom instruction.

More broadly, there are countless ways wellness is advanced throughout our community at Latin, which we need to consider when thinking about our work. This includes extracurriculars, student-led clubs focused on wellness, parent education, employee well-being, DEI, and more. Our vision is to bring together all of these complementary elements to enhance individual student success, while aligning how we integrate them in an age-appropriate way to improve the collective student wellness experience. Another opportunity for our program is streamlining how we gather and synthesize data to identify student needs and how we address them. Our awareness of national trends is important, but cannot replace our understanding of how to best support students at Latin. The collective, comprehensive picture of wellness data across divisions will inform how we make decisions that best support all our kids.

Dogs and Cats Living Together

Latin students transform an animal shelter with art

Last year, the kennels run by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control (ACC) were in dire need of improvement: not only were they not up to code, they were run-down and had all the visual appeal of a cinder block. While that situation was depressing for anyone working at the shelter, or interested in adopting an animal there, it was also an opportunity for Charlotte Latin students to make a difference as volunteer service partners.

ACC embarked upon a two-phase renovation—first bringing the shelter up to code and then renovating the lost dog, adoption, and treatment kennels. With change in the air, Jen Wouters P ’26, an ACC volunteer and CLS parent, brainstormed with Cody Trespalacios, the shelter’s volunteer coordinator, for ways the Charlotte Latin community could help brighten the new space. She proposed the idea of transforming the cinder block walls with a beautiful mural that would uplift the spirits of volunteers and staff — and maybe even the animals they served.

Wouters and Kaila Gottschling, Department Chair of Visual Arts, then discussed ways to incorporate the mural project into Latin students’ education, allowing them to learn about the shelter’s mission and to contribute to its improvement. Gottschling created mock-ups that visually conveyed the importance of adoption and its impact on both animals and human beings.

Gottschling and Wouters developed a two-part plan to add color to the shelter. Part one: a hand-painted outdoor mural to serve as a social-media backdrop when a family celebrates an adoption from the shelter. Part two: a mural at the front entrance of the shelter to reinvigorate the ACC brand and to affirm the important role this nonprofit plays in the Charlotte community. Next, they brought the project to the Latin Arts Association and asked the parent group for funding; the vote in favor was unanimous.

Before any Latin students visited the shelter, Gottschling spent hours on-site sketching and designing the mural. She collaborated with Dr. David-Aaron Roth, Director of Student Leadership Development, to ensure student volunteers had a genuine service learning opportunity as part of their involvement.

To paint the mural, Hope Gottschling ’24, Hannah Hurden ’25, Anna Wasko ’24, Elizabeth Wolff ’27, and Ellie Wouters ’27, plus Nicole Isotov (a German exchange student), gave their time over several weekends. On a break from their work hand-painting the wall, they went inside the shelter for a tour, on which they learned more about ACC’s work and its impact on our community. While all the students gained a new appreciation for the animal-rescue world, Elizabeth Wolff ended up with a little more: she (and her parents, Mary and Kent Wolff) went home with foster kittens.

PET PORTRAITS

In a Lower School art room, visual art teacher Shelly Magno was showing a group of Grade 4 students a computer slideshow that explained the realities of the animal shelter run by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control (ACC): because the shelter is always overcrowded, 150 dogs are in foster care, living in temporary homes while they wait to be adopted.

After the slideshow, she asked her students, “How are we as artists helping to educate our community?”

Half the students raised their hands. Magno called on a girl who suggested tentatively, “Maybe if we put up posters of the dogs they’ll know there’s a shelter?”

That was pretty much Magno’s plan. Each of her students picked an animal in foster care (mostly dogs) and, working from photographs, drew color pictures of them — which they hoped would draw attention to their plight. Some of the students even took homemade flyers door to door, hoping to

find permanent homes for those creatures.

Magno volunteers at the shelter in her free time; she was looking for a project that would bring together her passion for teaching and her love of animals. The pet portrait project taught her students new visual skills: not just identifying the shapes that form a canine body and then rendering those forms on the page, but learning how to blend watercolors for the background.

The kids rooted for all the animals to get adopted: On the wall of the art room, Magno posted a grid with thumbnails of their portraits and they put a heart sticker on any animal that went home with a new family. And further increasing their reach, 20 of the portraits were chosen for display at the “Dogs! A Science Tail” exhibit at Discovery Place (up through May 5).

Asked how he chose the dog he chose to illustrate, one boy said earnestly, “I felt a connection with him.” He picked his words carefully. “For me, the best connection is with art.”

Dear Charlotte Latin Community,

Every spring, I get nostalgic and excited. It’s a busy time, with end-of-schoolyear celebrations and favorite Latin traditions— May Day Play Day, class parties, Hawkspys, moving-up ceremonies, Commencement Exercises, and so much more — but it’s also a time of reflection about all that we’ve accomplished during the school year and how fortunate we are to be part of this special community. That’s why, at CLS, we often call this season “Maycember.”

I know that this time of year, many of you are thinking about the years that have passed faster than you ever imagined and those that are yet to come. I am so proud of this school’s tradition of Latin Leaders, rooted in our history while lighting our path into our future.

Reflecting on the 2023-24 school year, I am filled with gratitude. Our donors have helped us continue to make every day at CLS a special day for our students and teachers. This time of year, our hallways are filled with engaged and energized faces; all our students have learned so much, ranging from the kindergarten student who is now excited to read to the Grade 12 student who has mastered calculus in anticipation of the AP exam. Our teachers have provided lifelong learning opportunities, spurred their curiosity, and nurtured their ability to listen and exchange new ideas.

As you think about your impact on Charlotte Latin, I encourage you to reflect on the lives you have touched every day with your generosity to the Latin Fund and other philanthropic initiatives. Consider the connections made between teacher and student, coach and student, learning resources teacher and student, and director and student — and more. These important relationships help our students engage with enthusiasm, learn with curiosity, and thrive in the complex world around them.

In planning for FLY DAY this year, we heard from Latin’s teachers and staff that their favorite part of the day is being remembered by our community. As we approach May 7, I hope you will enjoy the new opportunity to send notes expressing your appreciation for their impact on the lives of our students and families. While everyone will get a FLY DAY cookie this year, we particularly encourage gratitude notes. A simple message of thanks means the world to our employees and reminds them how important they are to all of us.

Thank you for what you make possible at Charlotte Latin.

Joanne O’Brien Beam P ’22 Director of Philanthropy

Teacher Spotlights

Neil McConaughy Lower School math, science, and social studies teacher

I’ve been here 17 years, and every single year has been better than the one before, simply because the culture of the school is collaborative. We have four fourth-grade teachers, and we collectively plan everything we do, working jointly with our assistant teachers.

Right now, we’re working on our big state fair project: each kid draws the name of a state out of a hat and does a presentation on it. That teaches them how to research, with help from our librarians: they’re learning how to cite their sources, how to avoid plagiarizing, and how to make decisions about what’s interesting. They do a timeline and an infographic on their iPads, and for the day of the presentation, they choose what famous person from their state they want to dress up as.

Every year, we make the state fair a little better and make subtle tweaks to it: it goes back to the collaborative effort of our team.

Laura Korkowski Middle School math teacher

I have a lot of kids that math has not been kind to — my job is to get them to realize that they have the tools to do it, even if they’re not sure which ones to use. But they have the grit to tackle it every day and they trust me enough to know that we’re going to battle it head-on together.

Something I’ve tried this year is letting them work through problems more: when I see their frustration, I’m very eager to jump in and help right away. It’s hard to see them struggle, but I tell them, “You’re going to learn more from sitting with this problem for three minutes than from me giving you the answer in 15 seconds.” And because of that, I think they’ve grown more as students.

FLY DAY

Since 2018, FLY DAY has been Charlotte Latin’s annual 24-hour giving day, when the entire Latin community – parents, alumni, grandparents, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends – unites to celebrate and support the school we all love.

With every $25 gift, you can send a personalized note that will be hand-delivered to a faculty or staff member. Donors can also make gifts in multiples of $25 and include more than one honoree on the same giving form. To give, visit latinflyday.org/give or text FLYDAY (all one word) to 41444.

FLY DAY gifts support the Latin Fund and supplement the school’s operating budget — which gives the school’s exceptional teachers the resources they need to focus on the job they love, teaching children.

Whitney Duquette Upper School history teacher

I teach World History I and an elective class on the history of food. Food is a shared human experience that’s a requirement for existence, full of ethical and moral questions. I divide the class into three units, focused on production, trade, and consumption.

Honors students are required to complete a capstone project: a 10-to-12-page research paper and a 15-to-20minute presentation. They run the gamut, from examining foods in children’s literature to studying the “Turnip Winter,” a famine in Germany in the winter of 1916–17. One student did a cookbook that drew on her roots in a small town in Georgia where there’s a peanut factory and a history of slavery. It was this lovely family portrait, but she also acknowledged issues of cultural appropriation and the complicated history of our country.

The students do a great job of bringing in additional knowledge from other classes and outside sources. We have some really thoughtful discussions.

The Philosophy of Physical Education LOWER SCHOOL

This year, when students line up to enter Carol Hall Lower School Gym, two new faces welcome them.

Filling the shoes of not one but two legendary teachers is a daunting task. For over 30 years, the Lower School Physical Education department consisted of Mary Cerbie and Buck Bryant. Coach Cerbie and Coach Bryant instilled their love of play in generations of children and oversaw all aspects of physical activity in the Lower School. Our new Lower School PE teachers, Coach Sam Tavino and Coach John Grosse, share their passion and dedication while creating a fresh experience for Latin students.

Sam Tavino came to Latin with a master’s degree in health education K-12; she previously taught grades PreK-12 in Connecticut, where she developed a PreK curriculum for physical education. After coaching the Latin boys JV lacrosse team for the past two seasons, John Grosse joins the PE department with a master’s in sports administration.

“Mary and Buck were a big presence for the Lower School,” Coach Tavino observes. “Having both of them go out at the same time and having two brand-new people with different ideas is an adjustment.”

Coach Grosse adds, “Parents are adjusting too. They say, ‘I had Coach Bryant, I had Coach Cerbie. This is how we did it.’ And that’s a whole generational transition — which is cool to see! Everybody’s been helping each other out and figuring out how to make it a smooth transition.”

Now that they have most of a year at Lower School under their belts, Tavino and Grosse are working on their own curriculum, designing a seamless TK-to-Grade 5 experience for Latin students.

Tavino starts with TK/K and Grade 1. She says, “We’re working on striking with implements. So we did an entire unit with balloons and noodles — which could be golf, could be tennis, could be baseball. We’ve done kicking, we’ve done catching, we’ve done rolling, we’ve done bouncing, we do balance boards. All those smaller skills can translate into different sports.”

Sam Tavino

Smaller skills can translate into different sports.”

As students transition to Grade 2 and 3, Grosse takes over. He explains, “We continue to work on physical skills, absolutely, but also social-awareness skills like healthy conflict resolution. Can you resolve an issue on your own? We’re giving them the tools to work through pretty big emotions when they’re starting to get into competition. When you break out a scoreboard in third grade, it gets crazy.”

He adds, “We want them to be a little more self-sufficient by the time they hit Grade 5, understanding how to use resources and create their own games. That allows us to talk more about tactics and strategy, build some skill development, and then watch them utilize it. If we can say, ‘Here’s four cones and a ball, can you figure out how to play a game?’ and then they split into teams, create rules, abide by the rules, and have a functioning backand-forth game — that’s our ultimate goal.”

They are also instilling the concepts of the Latin Leader in different sports units. Every student has a role to excel in, be it coach, equipment manager, player, or statistician. And they work to make sure that students are sportsliterate. After the football unit, they don’t expect that every student can throw a perfect spiral pass, but they want them all to be able to watch the Super Bowl and understand what’s going on.

Grosse explains, ”It’s not so much where they’re going to be in high school — we want to set a foundation for after that. Once you’re a 20-year-old young man or young lady, how are you going to continue your fitness?”

Tavino and Grosse’s shared philosophy is that all students have the psychomotor (the actual playing of the sport), but also the cognitive domain (understanding the sport) and affective skills (being able to work with your community, as when you organize a game with your classmates). Being a successful athlete requires at least some ability in all three of those categories. By balancing them, the coaches are working to ensure that Latin students can enjoy sports and athletics for their entire lives.

John Grosse

From Bad Zwesten to the Queen City

After 18 years, Raphaela Grimme returns to Charlotte Latin

By Tommy Beason ’24

Raphaela Grimme traveled over 4,000 miles to visit Charlotte Latin School — twice. She first made the trip in October 2005 as an exchange student; in October 2023, 18 years later, she returned as a teacher chaperone. Grimme lives in Bad Zwesten, a town of 4,102 people in central Germany. There she teaches English at CJD Oberurff Youth Village Christopher School, the same school she attended; on her second visit, she accompanied 12 German students from her school who visited Latin. This year, Germany has been the featured country in the Global Studies program, which means that Lower School students have been able to immerse themselves in German history and culture. For Latin families, meeting and hosting exchange students can open the door to a decadeslong relationship with the German people.

In 2005, when Grimme was a 17-year-old student on a 23-day visit, she stayed with Charlotte Latin student Julie (Webster) Mon ’07. During her time on campus, Grimme kept a journal — in English! — recapping the unfamiliar details of an American school, starting with her first day on campus. “3rd period all German exchange students got together and Ms. Carpenter told us about our timetables. Later, we went to the library and the librarian (however that is spelled!) gave us a PIN so we could always log in to the computers and check our emails,” she wrote.

She also learned about American customs. “Back at home we are much more straightforward and I noticed that

while I was shopping,” she said quietly during her October return to Charlotte Latin. “For example, if we are trying on clothes and they don’t fit, we always tell our friends the truth.” She acknowledged that she preferred German bluntness — but she appreciated the American spirit of improvisation. “People in the US seem to be much more spontaneous and go out with their friends, without a plan in mind,” she observed. She fondly remembered how this led to impromptu fun — far less frequent in Germany, where, she said, people usually plan outings well ahead of time.

Halloween took place during her 2005 visit; the holiday exists in Germany, and October 31 is a day off for some people, but it is generally known as the much-less-frivolous Reformation Day. With low expectations for the holiday, the exchange students were in for a treat. Grimme went costume shopping

and trick-or-treating, and even attended a Halloween party with her fellow German students. Mon remembered, “It was a fun way to teach them different American words that they wouldn’t have otherwise had a reason to learn, like the different costumes and candy or decorations and traditions associated with Halloween.”

When Grimme returned home, she attempted to maintain contact with her host sister via email and Facebook, but found it difficult six time zones away. Nevertheless, they stayed close enough that in 2014, she attended her host sister’s wedding in Cape Cod. Even during one of the biggest weekends of Mon’s life, the two friends enjoyed the opportunity to catch up.

Last year, Grimme enjoyed another invitation to revisit her past. On Latin’s campus after years away, she grinned as she discussed how her memories had mingled with progress: “Walking around campus, I remembered the quad and the science building; however, I saw the IO building, which was certainly not here many years ago.”

Grimme has explored the world, receiving a bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies, traveling to Japan and South Africa, and bringing a wider perspective back home with her. No matter where she visits, she will always remember her time at Charlotte Latin. Grimme said, “I sometimes say to my students that my experiences have given me other perspectives which help me take a step back and think about the multiple sides to every story.”

Raphaela Grimme in a tree during her 2023 visit

Marsha Ashcraft

Lower School, 26 years

Jeff Knull

Upper School, 32 years

Performing Arts, 7 years

Lynn Hellmuth

Lower School, 18 years

Annette Morris

Lower School, 7 years

Thank You

… for your incredible service to Charlotte Latin School. Your colleagues, students, and friends bid you a fond farewell and extend their best wishes for your retirement.

Pam Sweer

Celebrate

More than 850 parents, faculty, and staff came together in fellowship and celebration of Charlotte Latin School at the 2024 Celebrate Latin event, held on January 20 at Quail Hollow Club.

$667,000 raised

Celebrate Latin is the largest fundraiser for our Parents’ Council, and this year the event broke a new record with more than $667,000 raised.

The dollars raised for Celebrate Latin fund the Parents’ Council budget for the next two years. It makes possible flagship events that foster the special community found at Latin: Touchdown Tailgate, Book Fair, Faculty Appreciation Luncheons and Quarterly Treats, Global Partners Events, May Day Play Day, and so much more.

68 Parent volunteers

We are grateful to the Hartley family and the winestore. for their commitment to Latin, and their generosity in choosing to be the presenting sponsor of Celebrate Latin 2024.

Celebrate Latin also allows the Parents’ Council appropriations committee to fund specific requests submitted by our administration, faculty, and staff. Thanks to Celebrate Latin 2022, Parents’ Council funded new Lego kits and Blue Bots for Lower School’s STEAM program, added 20 new study carrels in the Knight-Dickson Library, and invested in 20 virtual reality headsets currently employed in the Middle School.

240 corporate and family sponsors

The success of Celebrate Latin 2024 would not have been possible without:

Our two co-chairs, Mandy Hicks and Kelly Lilly, leading the way.

Our 68 parent volunteers, dedicating months of work.

1,244 raffle tickets

Matthew and Julia Hartley and the winestore. for acting as this year’s presenting sponsor, leading the way for more than 240 corporate and family sponsors.

The tortured poets and heartbreak princes who bought 1,244 raffle tickets to see Taylor Swift and/or to receive a $20,000 tuition credit for 2024–25.

Mandy Hicks and Kelly Lilly

A special thank you to our 2024 sponsors for making Celebrate Latin possible

Summa Cum Laude

Magna Cum Laude

Kinsey and Billy ’02 Fennebresque The Ferguson Family Leslie and Mitchell Wickham

Cum Laude

Ellen and Charlie Harris

Michael Rankin

Founder’s Friends

Sonia and Rit Amin

Anonymous

Stacey and Steven Cady

Ginny and John Comly

Katie and Kevin Cumbus

Frances and John Fennebresque Sr.

Deborah and Jerry Hullinger

Sehnaz and Gene Lowe

Denny (Smith) ‘90 and Brian O’Leary

Jolie and Brian Short

Christine and Jason Strife

Stephanie and J.P. ’01 Tsahakis

Kathy Upton

Scott Upton

Karen and Rob Vaughn

The Purcell Family

Bench Press

The Celebrate Latin Paddle Raise Beautifies Campus

When the Covid pandemic moved our faculty and students outside, Charlotte Latin quickly purchased picnic tables to allow for outdoor teaching and learning. That furniture reinforced something fundamental about Latin’s campus — our students, staff, and faculty savor the time they spend together in the sunshine.

We launched the Paddle Raise to elevate the outdoor experience for our community, inviting students and faculty to gather at high-quality picnic tables and benches: places where they can study, dine, and socialize for years to come. As our journalism students shared on Instagram, Latin’s beautiful campus and outdoor space is the “Invisible String” that ties our community together.

At Celebrate Latin, Chuck Baldecchi and Parents’ Council challenged guests to raise their paddles. We are grateful for the 64 families and alumni who gave so generously toward this effort.

A special thank you to our 2024 Paddle Raise donors:

Christine and David Adams

Rebekah and Mackenzie Alpert

Erin and Chuck Baldecchi

Joanne and Steve Beam

Emily and Ryan Beaver

Kara and Andy ‘07 Benjamin

Erin and Brad Buser

Meredith and Will ‘01 Chapman

Jenny Chapman

Stewart and Jeff ‘02 Cincotta

Parents’ Council

Haley and Ben Cripps

Lauren (Guy) ‘01 and Rob Davenport

Elizabeth and John Fagg

Holland and Ian Ferguson

Rachel and Jeff Filer

Elizabeth (Moore) ‘96 and Matt Filpi

Gail and Tim Fischer

Lea and Doug Fitzpatrick

Jenn and Mike Freno

Dorian and Kevin Fritze

Marshall (Long) ‘00 and Dustin Fuzzell

Courtney and Rich Goettke

Gabi and Rael Gorelick

Melissa and Grant Hamilton

Emily and David Harry

Julia and Matthew Hartley

Mandy and Tim Hicks

Cathy and Bob Howell

Kexin Zhao and Xuetao Thomas Hu

Jenna and Mac Hughes

Deborah and Jerry Hullinger

Kristin and Reed Kracke

Meghan and Justin Lay

Kelly and Matt Lilly

Callie and Will ‘00 Lloyd

Brittany and Derek Luther

McCay and Kevin Manwaring

Katie and Erik Martenson

Jenny and Paul Martineck

Madeline and James ‘17 McLelland

Kristin and Marty Middendorf

Katie and Kevin Morgan

Kimber and Trey Morgan

Amanda and Jeff Nadeau

Laura and Will ‘03 Potts

Neely and Jack Purcell

Emily and Brian Richards ‘96

Chrys and Ches Riley

Stephanie and Mark Rindner

Kate and Anthony Ring

April and Tim Robertson

Heather and David Romero

Emily and Luke Rosser

David-Aaron Roth

Jackie (Roche) ‘04 and Steve Ryder

Jen and Christian Saarbach

Kate and Jeff Snoots

Kristi and Eric Speckman

Christine and Jason Strife

Peggy (Kane) ‘96 and Charles ‘90 Thies

Whitney and Andrew Tindel

Sara and Ryan Weiers

Cameron and Thomas White

Jacki and Andy Wright

Anonymous

GREETINGS LATIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

At the onset of the 2023-2024 school year, the Alumni Governing Board had a vision to build authentic and meaningful spaces for alumni to connect with each other and give back to the Latin community. Our bold aspirations resulted in a two-year strategic plan with five goals: (1) Future-proof the Alumni Governing Board (2) Create community among CLS alumni (3) Connect alumni and current students (4) Support CLS Strategic Plan initiatives and (5) Instill a culture of philanthropy.

Highlights of the year have included opening alumni governing committees to all alumni, partnering with the College Counseling office for the College-Aged Alumni Luncheon, reviving Hawks on Tap, formalizing the Regional Lead role, hosting our first True Blue Giving Society State of the School, and being part of Latin’s first Community Day.

In addition to increasing fellowship across the Latin community, we held meaningful conversations on how to maximize the alumni endowment to support Latin. The alumni endowment will continue to support the Inlustrate Orbem Awards, the Distinguished Faculty Chairs, and the Learning to Fly Lower School scholarships. And in an effort to maximize our giving, the Alumni Governing Board unanimously voted this year to partially fund the CLS Community Day, to contribute to the Dr. Collins Lower School Scholarship Fund, and to commit to an annual gift to the Latin Plus Fund (which underwrites costs beyond tuition for Latin families with 85%+ financial need).

As we charge through 2024, I challenge all alumni to find a way to meaningfully connect or reconnect with the Latin community. You might attend a Hawks on Tap event, go to an artistic production on campus, grab coffee with an old classmate, connect with a current student for a discussion about where they want to go college, or make a gift to the Latin Fund on FLY DAY.

Joining our hearts, minds, and hands to support a community that has left a profound impact on our lives, Latin alumni continue to help our alma mater in its mission to enlighten the world.

Warmly,

James McLelland ’17

Alumni Governing Board Chair Charlotte Latin School

WHEN HAWKS COME HOME REUNION WEEKEND

Class of 2008

Class of 1978

Class of 2003

Matt Kryder ’93, Claire Gregson ’93, Ken Kiser ’93, Carlisle Evans ’93, and Julie Evans

Chris Patterson ’03, Coach Larry McNulty, and Cullen McNulty ’93

Mike Moody ’93 and Currie Gilbert ’93

Candace Daniels Sealey, John Calabrese, Lee Shubert ’03, and Clay Sealey ’03

Pat Finn ’03, Brandon Gabosch ’03, Katherine (Zuger) Ladd ’03, David Gaskin ’03, and Lauren (Fiume) Derrenbacher ’03

WHEN HAWKS COME HOME REUNION WEEKEND

Matt Niess ’93 and Barbara (Gaddy) Turner ’93

Mary Holland (Rankin) Griffin ’03 and Rachael (DeCurtins) Parker ’03

Claire (Litaker) Patterson ’08, Coach Lee Horton, and Hope (Davis) Skouras ’08

Connie (Godwin) McNichols ’83, Barbara Robinson, Sarah (Francis) Samples ’83, and Deanie (Albright) Hanley ’83

Andy Henson ’98, Davis Hankins ’98, and Lindsey Henson

Michelle (Ashcraft) Shaffer ’98, Jamie (Green) Nichols ’98, Talia (Caligiuri) Fann ’98, Louise (Alexander) Vaughn ’98, and Kathryn (Wilkinson) Wallingford ’98

Addison May ’78, Gloria (Sheppard) Haar ’77, and Trey Thies ‘78

Ann Megan (Young) Douglass ’83, Chum Balk, and Sarah (Francis) Samples ’83

Chuck Baldecchi, Bob and Mary Robinson, Addison May ’78, and Robin (Waters) Griffith ’78

Class of 1983

Class of 1998

HAWKS HOLIDAY HUSTLE 5K

A bright sunny morning brought out over 100 runners and walkers for our third annual Hawks Holiday Hustle. Cross Country and Track Coach Mike Weiss welcomed participants and cheered them on as they made the 3.1-mile trek; doughnuts and coffee from DonutILoveYou replenished our runners’ and spectators’ holiday spirits. Congratulations to Frank Kenny and Helen Hurden ’23 who took first-place honors!

ALUMNI BASKETBALL GAME

Following the Holiday Hustle 5K on December 23, Coach Chris Berger ’89 hosted the annual Holiday Hoops alumni basketball game in Belk Gym. A special guest appearance by former Coach Jerry Faulkner made the morning extra special!

Rachel Kokenes ’10, Coach Mike Weiss, Lea Kokenes ’14, and Dennis Kokenes ’79

Frank Kenny and Joe ’83 Kenny Worth Hinshaw ’20, Harrison Klingman ’22, and William Kressner ’19.

Emilio Llerenas Soto ’23 and Maria Llerenas Soto

Basketball alumni

John Pence ’22, Brandon Lavitt ’22, Daniel Haughton ’22, Ned Hull ’23, Tyler Hendley ’23, and Jaylen Jones ’22

Joe McGirt ’25, Chase Metheney ‘94, Kevin Levine ’86, and Jorn Bleimann ’85

R.J. Johnson ’20 and Donay Fullwood

Coach Jerry Faulkner and Coach Chris Berger ’89

Two Hawk fledglings, Wills and Thompson, with their dad William McEachern ’04

Alex Kern ’10, Chris Downing, and Kameron (Spence) Phelan ’11

Helen Hurden ’23

Jonathan Collins ’98 and family

5 AND 10 YEAR REUNIONS

Hawks from the Classes of 2013 and 2018 flocked together at their 5-year and 10-year reunions on the night of December 23. Gathering at Devil’s Logic Brewing and Giddy Goat Coffee Roasters, these Hawks loved decking the halls and being jolly with their former classmates.

Class of 2018

Annabelle Oates ’18, Ashley Foley ’18, Olivia Clements ’18, and Mary Louise Kenny ’18

Class of 2013

Callahan Phillips ’18, Caroline Balogh ’18, Livy Smith ’18, Mary Elliott McCabe ’18, and Lindsay Robelen ’18

Cole Clough ’18, Adam Darwich ’18, and Justin Mingoes ’18

Allen Tate ’13 and Ellie Sheild ’13

Emily Naumann ’18 and guest, David Cowan ’18, and Colin Hayden ’18

Mitchell Adams ’13 and Jordan Harris ’13

Connor Downing ’18 and Matigan Simpson ’18

Rory Keeley ’13, Ashley Finke ’13, Laura Gill ’13, Becca Jones ’13, Mary Lewis ’13, and Sarah Shea ’13

YOUNG ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY

This year marked our 17th Young Alumni Holiday Party at Andy Henson ’98’s Angry Ales. Hawks were excited to gather and catch up, keeping our festive December 26 tradition alive. We started early so the Class of 2020 could enjoy a long-overdue celebration. (They graduated in 2020, need we say more?)

Class of 2020

Harris Oates ’12, Charlie Thigpen ’20, Meagan Oates, Bailey Oates, and John Oates ’15

Lauren Foley ’20, Gracie Colombo ’20, Jackson Davis ’20, Abby Matthews ’20, and Kemp White ’20

Maxine Tan ’20, Alexander Hall ’20, Jakob Lucas ’20, and Blake Kiefer ’20

Bennett Smith ’20, Will Gray ’20, David Felkner ’20, William Atwell ’20, Richard Harris, Brad Hull ’20, Andrew Sumichrast ’20, and Mac Tierney ’20

Dolan Brasser ’20, Thomas Lockwood ’19, McCall Canady ’19, Taylor Pearce ’19, Smith O’Leary ’19, Anne Gray Stedman ’19, Amy Dragelin ’19, and Sam Shumate ’20

Charley Denny ’20, Emma Gatrell ’20, and Lane Tayloe ’20

Dalila Mendygaziyeva ’16, Sydney Scott ’18, and Rachel Mackey ’16

POST HOLIDAY LUNCH AND ALUMNI PANEL

Before heading back to school, our college-age Hawks gathered for a post–holiday lunch on January 3. Alumni enjoyed catching up with each other and faculty and staff over Anderson’s boxed lunches and Flik chocolate chip cookies.

New to the event this year: The Alumni Relations Office teamed up with College Counseling and hosted an alumni panel for seniors. Moderator Alex Segura led the panelists through topics ranging from time management to relationship building to selecting and living with a roommate.

A special thanks to our alumni panelists Cecelia Berens ‘18, Stephanie Caddell ‘20, Matthew Jordan ‘18, Josh Manuel ‘18, Nyela Rucker ‘23, Tiana Sullivan ‘20, and Charlie Thigpen ‘20, who did a great job sharing their firsthand knowledge and experiences about life after Latin.

ALUMNI WRESTLING

What’s better than practice and pancakes? Our alumni Mat Hawks joined Coach David Paige and current Mat Hawks for a morning of drills focusing on moves and techniques. A pancake breakfast and fellowship was enjoyed by all afterwards!

Alumni panelists

Chuck Baldecchi, Nyela Rucker ’23, Matthew Jordan ’18, Josh Manuel ’18, Cecelia Berens ’18, Charlie Thigpen ’20, Stephanie Caddell ’20, and Tiana Sullivan ’20

Nate Downey ’23, Jackson Morgan ’21, Charlie Thigpen ’20, Carol Webb-Gargagliano, and Hunter Murphy

Belle Nabors ’23, Macy Thigpen ’23, Jane Cotchett ’23, Sydney Caddell ’23, and Dylan Long ’23

Morgan Hammer ’22, Nyela Rucker ’23, and Carolina Sagasta-Pereira ’23

Alumni Mat Hawks with Coach David Paige

Alumni Mat Hawks with current Mat Hawks

100 DAYS AND COUNTING

When there’s only 100 days until Commencement, that’s worth celebrating! On the morning of February 14, the alumni office greeted seniors in the parking lot with Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Chick-fil-A minis — the countdown is officially on.

TRUE BLUE STATE OF THE SCHOOL

In early February, over 45 alumni gathered in the Inlustrate Orbem Building for our first True Blue State of the School event. Head of School Chuck Baldecchi and Director of Student Leadership Development Dr. David-Aaron Roth shared more about the Latin Leads Strategic Plan and Portrait of a Latin Leader. It was a great night celebrating our alumni leadership donors! To learn more about True Blue, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Meredith Kempert Nunn ’98 at meredith.nunn@charlottelatin.org.

Ryan Samii ’24, Kadence Johnson ’24, Alexa Marcus ’24, Jasmine Zheng ’24, and Carter Babcock ’24

Rohan Nadkarni ’24, Mary Stewart Hunter ’24, Lucy Dempsey ’24, and Avery Cheatwood ’24

Nathan Butler ’24, Nicholas Niles ’24, Andrew Jiang ’24, and Calvin Ehrenberg ’24

Ellé Collier ’24 , Cora Wickham ’24, and Lydia McNichols ’24

Kate Hampton Haynie ’24 and Anna Wasko ’24

Elizabeth (Barnhardt) ’04 and Jonathan Kirkland ’02, Chuck Baldecchi, J.P. Tsahakis ’01, and Stephanie Tsahakis

Conor ’11 and Ann Louise (Seaton) ’11 Keeley, David-Aaron Roth, and Stephanie (Wisinski) Ladley ’00

CLASS NOTES

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A Hawk has returned to the nest! Lauren (Davis) Judson recently moved back to Charlotte. Lauren previously lived in Rochester, NY, for 31 years and Murrells Inlet, SC, for six years. Lauren and classmate Marty (Frazer) Caton have reunited and teamed up to help with the planning of the class of 1974’s 50th reunion, which will be held later this fall.

Adeline (Couch) Talbot continues to run her travel business Studio Traveler. Studio Traveler has been offering cultural travel since 2012 to a growing list of nonprofits, museums, and other destinations. Adeline and her husband, David, are living in Beaufort, NC, in their previous vacation cottage.

If you have a class note to share or are interested in being a Class Agent, please contact Meredith in the Office of Alumni Relations, meredith.nunn@charlottelatin.org.

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Scott White, owner of White Design, designs and makes sustainable furniture, incorporating materials such as wood, metal, resin and rubber. He has designed and built 11 custom benches for the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe, NM.

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Paul Rutter, after his retirement last summer, is serving in the Peace Corps in Kosovo. Paul is working in economic and community development, but still has time to play and ski at Brezovica on the North Macedonia–Kosovo border. If you’d like to visit, he would love to have you!

Susan (Fitzgibbon) Shumaker is marking her 15th year as president of Cone Health Foundation (CHF) and her 40th year with Cone Health. CHF focuses on eliminating health and racial disparities in Greensboro, NC, and played a significant role in the expansion of Medicaid in North Carolina. Susan and her husband Brad enjoy golf and Kure Beach. They have two adult children, a one-year-old grandson, and two dogs.

The Fullers’ newest little Hawk has joined the flock! Georgia Fuller ’36, granddaughter of Mark Fuller, began kindergarten this year at Latin. Georgia is the daughter of Alex Fuller ’07.

Lauren (Davis) Judson ’74, at the wedding of her son, Davis, in October 2022.

Adeline (Couch) Talbot ’74, owner of Studio Traveler, celebrated her daughter’s wedding in April 2023.

A bench by Scott White ’76, furniture designer, at the New Mexico Museum of Art.

Paul Rutter ’77, skiing in Brezovica.

Susan (Fitzgibbon) Shumaker ’77, president of Cone Health Foundation.

Langdon and his wife Charlotte are looking forward to two of their sons getting married in May of 2024!

Brad Hood is the group director of client engagement at Wray Ward Marketing Agency in Charlotte, NC, where he is entering his 25th year. He and his wife Tami are active in the United States Tennis Association and the Queen City Tennis Leagues, playing out of Blakeney Racket & Swim Club. When they’re not on the courts, you can find them on Seabrook Island!

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Congratulations to Robin (Waters) Griffith, who is the ski patrol director for Sugar Mountain Resort Inc. Robin began volunteering as a ski patroller in 1980 and is a member of the National Ski Patrol.

Langdon Hartsock resides in Charleston, SC, where he has worked at the Medical University of South Carolina for 28 years as a professor of orthopedic surgery and chief of orthopedic trauma.

Congratulations to Catherine and Harrison Rutter, who are proud new grandparents to Henry Pittman. Henry’s namesake holds special meaning in the family, as he is named after his late great uncle, Lt. Frank Pittman “Pitt” Rutter ’77, USN. Henry is the son of Pitt and Emilee Rutter.

Langdon Hartsock ’79 lives in Charleston, SC.

Georgia Fuller ’36, Alex Fuller ’07, and Mark Fuller ’77.

Robin (Waters) Griffith ’78 with her son Noland Griffith ’11.

Brad Hood ’79 lives in Charlotte with his wife Tami.

Henry Pittman, son of Pitt and Emilee Rutter, is the new grandson of Harrison Rutter ’79.

After more than 30 years working in emergency medicine, JP McBryde recently made the transition to palliative care. He’s working with Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region, a nonprofit and the largest hospice organization in the Carolinas. His duties now include supervising clinical teams of hospice workers to help deliver compassionate care to patients and their families at the end of life.

Mary Yorke (Robison) Oates is currently in her 10th year as the Director of Admissions at Latin and her 19th year coaching field hockey. Her son, John Oates ’15, was married in May 2023. Mary Yorke loves spending time with Marion, her granddaughter and daughter of Harris Oates ’12.

It’s no secret that John Patten is keeping busy. John resides in Springfield, IL, where he volunteers with the National Park Service, giving tours of the Abraham Lincoln National Historic Home. John also loves spending time with his niece, who recently joined him on a hiking trip to Fremont

Peak in Wyoming and on a skydiving expedition. John is an avid skydiver and has tallied over 3,000 jumps!

After a long career in sales and marketing at Warner Bros. Discovery, Jennifer (Keown) Mirgorod pivoted in 2022. Jennifer is now certified as a leadership and executive coach; she started a new business, Crest Consulting. Jennifer resides in Atlanta, GA, with her husband George and two daughters, Mary and Kate.

Congratulations to Lorez Meinhold, a finalist for the 9News Leader of the Year award in Colorado in recognition of her role in creating the Caring for Denver Foundation. In less than 18 months, the foundation distributed over $142 million in funding, guided by community input. Lorez has various professional roles, from steering the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative 19 82 19 83 19 84

JP McBryde ’82 (second from right) now works for Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region.

John Patten ’83 recently took his niece, Susie, skydiving! John has been skydiving for over 20 years.

John Patten ’83 volunteers with the National Park Service by giving tours of the Abraham Lincoln National Historic Home.

Jennifer (Keown) Mirgorod ’84 of Crest Consulting.

to serving as a senior program officer for the Colorado Health Foundation.

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Congratulations to John Stoever and Missy Bridges ’84, who tied the knot on September 30, 2023, at the Morehead Inn in Charlotte, NC. The happy couple even had a special cake styled like the Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots game, customized

for the rivalry between the University of Georgia (Missy’s alma mater) and The Citadel (John’s alma mater). They currently reside in Charlotte.

After owning a remodeling business for 27 years, Jörn Bleimann was hired by Atlanta-based Davis Window and Door in July 2023 as the director of operations. For readers in Atlanta or Charlotte looking to upgrade their homes, Jörn has special discounts for Latin family members and classmates!

In addition to his full-time job as an operations analyst at Wells Fargo, Keith Cooke now works as an assistant baseball coach at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, SC. This new position supplements Keith’s radio presence: he is the announcer for the varsity baseball team and the Fort Mill American Legion Post 43 Juniors baseball program. In November, Keith returned to Latin, broadcasting the Varsity boys’ basketball game against the Hawks. Keith says, “It was great to be back and welcomed by lots of folks out there, including Coach Chris Berger [’89]!”

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Marty Viser has been the community relations and communications manager at BASF Agricultural Solutions since 2022. She lives part-time in Durham, NC, handling sponsorships with agricultural organizations such as the National FFA, Agricultural Futures of America, and Women in Agribusiness. Marty loves that she gets to do a little bit of everything in her role, including event planning, financial handling, public speaking, and working alongside elected officials.

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Jasper-Beaufort, the newest school in the South Carolina Meeting Street Schools Network. It’s an innovative nonprofit school that collaborates with families and the community to create an inclusive environment where all children can reach their greatest potential, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. Syd’s goal is to empower these children to learn how to be responsible for their health: physically, socially, and emotionally. Syd enjoys crossing four bridges and watching beautiful sunrises on her trek to work!

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After never taking an art class beyond Mrs. Rutherford’s six-week session in Grade 8 at Latin, Caroline (Kohn) Perlman began painting in 2020. Her mediums of choice include acrylics and soft pastels. Caroline participates in local shows and art markets in Atlanta, GA, and Greenville, SC. Caroline and her family live outside of Atlanta.

After 25 years as a lead nurse with Beaufort Pediatrics, Syd (Geissinger) Lubkin launched herself into a new nursing role. Syd is the founding nurse for Meeting Street School

Syd (Geissinger) Lubkin ’87, founding nurse at Meeting Street School Jasper-Beaufort.

Caroline (Kohn) Perlman ’88 with her daughter Leah.

Missy Bridges ’84 and John Stoever ’85 married in September 2023.

Lorez Meinhold ’84, a finalist for the 9News Leader of the Year award in Colorado.

Congratulations to Ina (Rothmaier) Pubantz on the completion of her three-year course as a children’s palliative pain nurse. For the past five years, Ina has worked as a children’s registered nurse in one of the 19 children’s hospice facilities in Germany.

Bart Noonan, the founder and executive director of West Blvd Ministry, will be celebrating seven years of serving the families and communities of West Charlotte in March 2024. West Blvd Ministry offers programs that support young men and their families, plus schools, neighborhoods, and local police departments.

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Congratulations to Katherine Lambert and her husband, Bill Semans, who were wed on November 11, 2023. Katherine serves as the regional leader for the Alzheimer’s Association in the southeast, overseeing the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

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Congratulations to Curt Bower and his wife Katie for completing two IronMan 70.3 events last year, in Roanoke, VA, and Wilmington, NC. Curt and Katie work at the Carilion Clinic, where Curt is a minimally invasive surgeon. Curt is also the section chief for general surgery, program director for Carilion’s Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, and carries an academic appointment with Virginia Tech as an associate professor of surgery. The Bowers live in Roanoke, VA.

Birds of a feather flock together! Court (McBryde) Young, Virginia (Bryson) Rhodes, Suzanne (Gundaker) Lineberger, Gray (White) Setaro, and Sally (Litaker) Tanner gathered to celebrate their upcoming 50th birthdays in 2024. Way to go, y’all!

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Congratulations to Cullen McNulty on the recent expansion of McNulty Realty, his realty group. McNulty Realty announced the opening of a new residential property management division, Principled Residential.

After three years in Wilmington, NC, David Michael and his family are returning to the Queen City this spring! The Michael family lived the beach life during the Covid era; they loved their time in the sun and caught some rather large fish. However, there’s no place like home — they are all excited to be back in Charlotte.

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Katherine Lambert ’91 married Bill Semans in November 2023.

Hawks from the class of 1992 gathered to celebrate their upcoming 50th birthdays.

David Michael ’94 returns to Charlotte.

Curt Bower ’92 recently completed two IronMan 70.3 events alongside his wife Katie.

Cullen McNulty ’93 of McNulty Realty.

This past October, Lyde (Spann) Uffelman spent her birthday with her birthday-buddy niece, Stella Spann (daughter of Bennett Spann ’97). The pair spent their 47th and 8th birthdays in New York City, hailing taxis, riding the subway, eating pizza and bagels, enjoying a trip to the Natural History Museum, riding on the Tea Around Town bus, and savoring a fancy dinner at Balthazar. Indulging their thespian tendencies, they worked their way backstage to hang out with L. Steven Taylor, who plays Mufasa in the Broadway production of The Lion King!

Allison Avery is living her best life in the Pacific Northwest, working with couples and individual adults as a licensed couples and family therapist. She is also raising her two daughters, Caroline and Milena.

Congratulations to Wendy Docherty and Todd McAuliffe, who tied the knot on September 23, 2023, in Charlotte. Many Hawks were present to celebrate the couple, including Amber (Ankers) Almond, Laurie (Perkis) Campbell, Katherine (Schmitt) Grant, and Kim (Hauch) LaMore

We love when Hawks reunite! Despite living only 20 minutes away from each other, Marshall Brenizer and Jeff Case had not seen each other since graduation. The two recently reconnected just outside of Cambridge, MA.

Holly (Ivanoff) Graham is a fulltime artist based in Charlotte, NC, where she lives with her husband, Matt, and two Hawks, Henry ’27 and Lila ‘29. Her work is currently represented in galleries across South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and locally at Soco Gallery. Holly’s abstract collages were recently featured in Season 3 of the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones. This fall, she collaborated with sleepwear brand Lake Pajamas to create an exclusive print for boys featuring her illustrations of vintage SUVs. Holly is working on new collages for two exhibitions: one opens in April at Art & Light Gallery in Greenville, SC, the other in September at the Miller Gallery in Charleston, SC.

Hawks from the class of 1994 gathered to celebrate the wedding of Wendy Docherty ’94 and Todd McAuliffe.

Jeff Case ’95 and Marshall Brenizer ’95.

Illustrations by Holly Graham ’96 were featured in Lake Pajamas’ print “Vintage Vehicles.”

Allison Avery ’94 with her two girls, Caroline and Milena.

Lyde (Spann) Uffelman ’94 and her niece, Stella, spent their birthday weekend in NYC.

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Abby (Rivenbark) Brown was named the office managing shareholder for the Helena, MT, office of Parsons, Behle & Latimer in January 2024. Abby is a water law attorney and part of the firm’s environmental and natural resources team. Abby and her husband Collin spend most of their time trying to keep up with their two boys, Rivers and Xander.

Meg (Stokes) Alden and her husband Craig, recently visited Kenya for nine days with Africa Exchange, a nonprofit serving the villages of rural Kenya. The couple established by the nonprofit and studied the diverse ecosystems of Kenya. The Aldens live in WinstonSalem, NC, with their two children, Libby and Sam. Meg is a pediatrician for Novant Health and founder of the start up company Mōmi brands.

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Congrats to Katherine and Chris Ekstrom of Charlotte who welcomed their daughter, Clementine, in April 2023. Clementine joins her proud big sister, Lily — and Chris loves being a girl dad!

Congratulations to Tenae (Wilkins) Downing, who starred in her first national commercial as the principal actress, playing the Popeye’s Strawberry Biscuit Woman! Tenae, also known for her role as Veronica Drake in the movie War Room, lives in Charlotte.

Hawks that jam out together stay together! Charlie Gaddy and Adam James started writing songs together again, returning to a beloved hobby, and plan to release music in fall 2024. Be on the lookout for their new album.

In Memoriam

Dr. James “Jim” D. Bean III Upper School, 18 years March 3, 2024

Vincenzo “Vinnie” Paolo Cipolletti ’01 September 20, 2023

Dr. Kenneth Michael Collins Upper School, 50 years January 6, 2024

Edward “Kent” Griffin ’74 July 20, 2023

Ronald “Ron” Dean Payne Upper School, 10 years March 25, 2024

Justin Nathan Segal ’07 March 20, 2024

Valerie Bullington Sills ’82 March 22, 2023

Deryl Hart Warner ’79 December 23, 2023

Meg (Stokes) Alden ’98 recently visited Kenya.

Clementine, daughter of Chris Ekstrom ’99, born in April 2023.

Tenae (Wilkins) Downing ’99 starred in a national commercial as the Popeye’s Strawberry Biscuit Woman.

Abby (Rivenbark) Brown ’97 of Helena, MT.

Congratulations to Reagan Kenwell and Patrick Eddy, joined in matrimony on December 16, 2023, in Buxton, ME. The couple’s sweet Frenchie, Winnie, served as flower girl. Reagan walked down the aisle to the song “You Can’t Hurry Love,” a nod to the couple’s 16 years together.

Congratulations to Matt “Smokey” Cloud on his Emmy win! Smokey served as first assistant sound editor on the film Prey, which won the Emmy for outstanding sound editing for a limited or anthology series, movie or special. Smokey previously won an Oscar in 2020, in the category of best sound editing, for his work on Ford v Ferrari. Smokey’s recent work includes the 2023 documentary concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé and the 2023 Netflix movie The Family Switch.

Congrats to Colin and Julia (Gilbert) Murray, who welcomed their daughter, Vivian Pressly, on September 11, 2023. Vivian joins her proud big brother, Anthony (“Nino”), and two fur brothers, Waylon and Chester. The Murray family lives near Wilmington, NC.

Alumni from the class of 2001 continued their annual holiday-season tradition of gathering in Charlotte, NC.

Audrey (Brown) Dickison recently moved to Jackson, MS, where her husband Scott is the new pastor of Northminster Baptist Church. Audrey continues to work in design for Winget Art Studio and stays busy with her 3 young boys, Billy, Sid, and Mac. The recent move didn’t prevent Meg (Rutledge) Beal and Ruth (Van Dyke) Wyatt from joining her for a milestone birthday celebration in August 2023!

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Congratulations to Pat Finn for being appointed to the Leadership Lyceum of the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association (GCAA), a leadership development experience to advance members’ presence in the GCAA. Pat resides in Charlotte. with his wife Aly and their four-yearold daughter, Sutton; he works as an associate attorney with Brownlee Whitlow & Praet, and is on the boards of the Pine Island Country Club and the Overlook Neighborhood HOA.

Matt “Smokey” Cloud ’00 recently won an Emmy.

Hawks from the class of 2001.

Ruth (Van Dyke) Wyatt ’02 and Meg (Rutledge) Beal ’02 visited Audrey (Brown) Dickison ‘02 in Mississippi.

Reagan Kenwell ’00 married Patrick Eddy in December 2023.

Vivian Pressly, daughter of Julia (Gilbert) Murray ’01, born on September 11, 2023.

Pat Finn ’03, recently appointed to the Leadership Lyceum.

Rachael (DeCurtins) and Brian Parker were married in Charlotte at Sharon Presbyterian Church on December 3, 2022. The couple also welcomed their first child, Graham Robert, on September 7, 2023.

Congratulations to Caylor and Ellen (Kane) Mark who welcomed a baby boy, Reilly Daniel, on October 16, 2023! Big sister Johanna ‘36 and brother Thomas are proud and adoring.

Graham Carroll and his wife Lacy live in Greenwich, CT, with their two children. Their son, Peter, turned three in March 2024; their daughter, Dottie, was born in July 2023. Since graduating from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School in 2014, Graham has been working for software start-up companies and investing in

software. In 2020, he joined a venture capital firm based in New York, NY.

Congratulations to Cristina Atencio and her husband, Dan Eckel, who welcomed their son Charles “Charlie” Oliver on June 9, 2023. Charlie joins big brother Andy, who is thrilled about his new role.

Ben Crane published two books in 2023. In the spring, he released Cosmic Cadets (Book One): Contact!, an allages sci-fi adventure graphic novel about a group of kids who have to prevent an interstellar war when their parents botch first contact with an alien race. Ben followed it up in the summer with the prose novel A Man of Lies, a noir heist thriller about a Mafia enforcer launching a desperate con to save his life after he gets caught stealing from his boss. Be sure to check them out!

Congratulations to Kristin and Fletcher Gregory, who welcomed their daughter, Eve Danielson, on July 29, 2023. The family currently resides in the Tribeca area of Manhattan, NY, and are enjoying city life with their daughter.

The Kirkland and McEachern families had an impromptu reunion at the UNC–Princeton baseball game in March. William McEachern ’04 and Elizabeth (Barnhardt) Kirkland ‘04 were classmates at Princeton.

Rachael (DeCurtins) Parker ’03 recently welcomed her son, Graham Robert Parker.

Reilly Daniel Mark, son of Ellen (Kane) Mark ’03, born in October 2023.

Graham Carroll ’04 with his wife, Lacy, and their son Peter.

Charlie, son of Cristina Atencio ’04, poses with big brother Andy.

Ben Crane ’04 with his dog, Bertie, and recently published books.

Eve Danielson, daughter of Fletcher Gregory ’04, born in July 2023.

The Kirkland and McEachern families at the UNC–Princeton baseball game.

It was a full-circle moment for Lindsay Anderson when she learned that the Lower School musical was Finding Nemo, Kids: she had adapted the lyrics and story of the underwater Disney property for the 30-minute play. She sent the 115 cast members a video for opening night wishing them luck and telling them to break a fin!

Tally Sharma Venjohn lives in Minneapolis, MN, where she is the director of development at Breck School, a local independent school. She and her husband Chris have wholeheartedly embraced their time as parents of three kids under the age of six.

Congratulations to Caroline (Buchan) and Eddie Dalton, who welcomed their daughter, Lucy Phillips, on December 28, 2023. Lucy joins her proud big sisters, Rogers and Millie!

Congratulations to Laura Manns on her first Emmy win! Laura, along with the Sesame Street creative team, won

an Emmy in the brand-new category of outstanding puppet design and styling at the second annual Children’s and Family Emmys. Laura would like to thank the art department at Charlotte Latin School for inspiring her to pursue a career in art!

Congratulations to Mark Ashcraft on his new role as an audit manager at Ally Financial. Mark resides in Charlotte.

Congratulations to Jessica and Byron Revels who welcomed their daughter, Annemarie (“Annie”) on November 9, 2023. Annie joins her proud big brother, Rex. The family lives in Charlotte.

Congratulations to Cody and Maddie (Durrett) Bonsignore who welcomed their daughter, Haven Sloane, on January 12, 2024. Haven weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces, and joins her fur sister, Emerald. The Bonsignores live in Durham.

Congratulations to Matt and Caroline (Hawkins) Pfister who welcomed their daughter, Ramsay Frances, on February 1, 2024. Ramsay weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces, and was born just in time to share a birthday with her mother. Ramsay is named after her greatgrandfather, Frank Ramsay Thies Jr., who was the Chairman of the Founding Board of Trustees for Charlotte Latin School. The family lives in New York, NY.

Lindsay Anderson ’05 adapted the lyrics and story of Finding Nemo, Kids

Laura Manns ’05 won an Emmy for her work on Sesame Street.

Haven Sloane, daughter of Maddie (Durrett) Bonsignore ’07, born in January.

Ramsay Frances, daughter of Caroline (Hawkins) Pfister ’07, born in February.

Annie, daughter of Byron Revels ’06, born in November 2023.

Lucy Phillips, daughter of Caroline (Buchan) Dalton ’05 and Eddie Dalton ’05, with her sisters, Rogers and Millie.

Congratulations to Scott and Molly (McCrory) Schultz who welcomed their son John “Wilson” on February 2, 2024. Wilson weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces and joins his brother and sister, the twins Tripp and Sally! The family resides in Columbia, SC.

Congratulations to Elizabeth (Rowan) and Will Rainwater of Charlotte who welcomed their daughter, Kathryn (“Kackie”) Ruth, on February 14, 2024. Valentine’s Day baby Kackie joins her proud big brother, Archie, and her fur brother Sully!

Congratulations to Betsy Klein on her first live report from the White House! Betsy is a producer and reporter covering the White House for CNN. She first joined CNN’s political team in August 2014 as an assignment editor in the Washington bureau. Betsy previously wore many hats at ABC News’ Washington bureau, where she worked for all platforms and won an Emmy as part of the Good Morning America team.

Congratulations to Natalie and James Proffitt who welcomed their son, James (“Kuba”) IV, in August 2022. Kuba’s nickname is the Polish translation of “James,” a nod to Natalie’s Polish roots. The family lives in Denver, CO.

Claire (Litaker) Patterson and Amy (Masters) Summers recently reconnected! The Patterson family visited Amy and her husband Richard in Rowayton, CT. It was a fun reunion and included their boys Lehman, Tommy, and Scotty. Claire’s daughter, Link, also tagged along for the trip.

Wilson, son of Molly (McCrory) Schultz ’07, born in February.

Betsy Klein ’08 of CNN.

Kathryn (“Kackie”) Ruth, daughter of Elizabeth (Rowan) Rainwater ’07, born in February.

James (“Kuba”), son of James Proffitt ’08, born in August 2022.

Claire (Litaker) Patterson ’08 and Amy (Masters) Summers ’08 and their boys, Lehman, Tommy, and Scotty, reunited with some popsicles.

Congratulations to Hope (Davis) Skouras who was featured on the @womenofclt Instagram feed. Hope, a certified integrative nutrition health coach, is the founder of The Whole Hope. She has started selling her Lemon Swirls, which are made with juiced organic lemons, ginger, and turmeric: the perfect ready-to-go hydration, vitamin C, and antioxidant boost.

Kudos to Hannah Barry, who opened a stargazing venture in November 2023 in Joshua Tree National Park, in the California desert. This is her second astro-tourism business (the first being in Zion National Park in Utah), where guests enjoy a two-hour program under the stars, guided through the cosmos by professional astronomers. These programs are both educational and entertaining: guests view planets, galaxies, nebulae, and more with state-of-the-art telescopes. Barry has lived in Utah since 2021, working in the tourism industry and running her ceramic business.

Trevor Wynn, who lives in Los Angeles, CA, recently launched the lifestyle podcast Paré Paré. A weekly in-depth conversation, Paré Paré is dedicated to appreciating all things design-oriented, including watches, cars, architecture, and furniture. Trevor and his co-host, watch dealer Stephen Berube, are passionate about all things crafted with great design and discuss them with the admiration they deserve. Catch their energetic banter by following Paré Paré on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Jenna (Branner) Rude is founder and creator of the Raised on Plants app, which provides bite-size lessons for parents on feeding their families more plants, saving money and time in the kitchen, preventing sickness and

choking, strategies for picky eaters, and over 150 vegan and gluten-free family-friendly recipes. Jenna also runs local and live-streamed cooking classes for families, private coaching sessions about the plant-based lifestyle, and exclusive retreats for moms.

Congratulations to Sarah (Wojcik) and John Grantham, who welcomed their son, Griffin Parks, on December 2, 2023. Griffin joins his proud older brother, Wiley. The family lives in Charlotte; John works for a commercial real estate firm with other Hawks, while Sarah recently opened a barre3 exercise studio in the Elizabeth neighborhood.

Hope (Davis) Skouras ’08 of The Whole Hope.

The Raised on Plants app.

Trevor Wynn ’08 and Stephen Berube of Paré Paré.

The Grantham family of Charlotte.

Hannah Barry ’08 launched her second stargazing venture.

Congratulations to Meggie Trusty and Collin Breeney, who tied the knot on April 1, 2023, in Palm Springs, CA. John Grantham officiated the wedding. Kelly (Breeney) Boyd ’13, Cari (Breeney) Croom ’10, Sarah (Wojcik) Grantham, and Meredith (Trusty) Riggins ’05 served as bridesmaids, while Coco Riggins (the littlest future Hawk), was the flower girl. Freddie Sherrill served as a groomsman. Several other Hawks were in attendanc,e including Nick Boyd ’14, Patrick Clapp, David Golder, Austin Medall, Andy Metzger, and Jessica Wernikoff.

Congratulations to Cody and Morgan (Holt) Johnson, who welcomed their daughter, Maddie Ann, on September 22, 2023. The Johnson family is thrilled for another little Hawk — Maddie attends the Nest with her big sister Ella!

Congratulations to Michael and Jenny (Roche) Madigan, who welcomed their daughter, Elsie, in September 2023. Elsie joins her proud older sister, Sutton, and fur brother, Cooper. Jenny currently designs fine art and design under her brand, J Madigan Studio.

Kudos to Sarah Turner Wells and Cody Luens, for their wedding on September 16, 2023, at Jewel of Ortega, CA. Becky (Green) High was responsible for the couple’s guest book: a collection of the guests’ fingerprints, formed to look like a tree.

Congratulations to Bess (Asimos) and Brooks Whitmore, who welcomed their daughter, Sophie Brooks, on August 29, 2023. Sophie weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and joins her fur sister, Penny! The family lives in Charlotte.

Best wishes to Preston Griffith, who married Kelsey Tate on May 7, 2022 in Amelia Island, FL. The couple met during the second semester of their senior year at the University of Georgia on a blind date for the Chi Omega Cardinal and Straw Formal. Preston’s parents, Robin (Waters) Griffith ’78 and Preston “Fred” Griffith ’78, were in attendance, along with his brother, Noland Griffith ’11. The couple live in Atlanta, GA, with their basset hound, Edgar.

Meggie Trusty ’09 and Collin Breeney ’09, married in April 2023.

Maddie Ann, daughter of Morgan (Holt) Johnson ’09, born in September 2023.

Jenny (Roche) Madigan ’09 welcomed her daughter, Elsie, in September 2023.

Sarah Turner Wells ’10 married Cody Luens in September 2023.

Sophie Brooks, daughter of Bess (Asimos) Whitmore ’10 and Brooks Whitmore ’10, born in August 2023.

Kudos to McCallie (Jones) Winstead, who was recently named one of the top 500 agents at Upstate Real Producers. McCallie is a real estate agent for the Bluefield group serving Hendersonville and South Charlotte, NC.

Congratulations to Claire and Chase Carbone who welcomed their son, William Dean, on June 14, 2023. The family lives in Charlotte.

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Congratulations to Noah and Martha (Truslow) Smith who welcomed their son, James Morrison, on December 3, 2023. James weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces, and joins his fur brother, Mosely. The family lives in Charlotte, where Martha leads Grombre, an online community and blog.

Congratulations to Isa and Tommy Litaker of Charlotte who welcomed their son, Thomas “Hart” Jr., on June 26, 2023. Hart weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and joins his fur brother, Banks. Tommy works for Windermere Insurance Group.

Congratulations to Noland Griffith and Catherine Allen, wed on July 15, 2023 in Charlotte. Noland’s parents, Robin (Waters) Griffith ’78 and Preston “Fred” Griffith ’78, were in attendance, along with his brother, Preston Griffith ’10 Noland, who recently graduated with his MBA from Wake Forest University and works for Wells Fargo in Charlotte.

Kudos to Rob and Liza (Robinson) Williams who welcomed their daughter, Ann “McNair”, on October 22, 2023. McNair weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces; she is also the granddaughter of Shep Robinson ’81 The family lives in Greenville, SC.

Preston Griffith ’10 married Kelsey Tate in May 2022.

McCallie (Jones) Winstead ’10 of Upstate Real Producers.

William Dean, son of Chase Carbone ’10, born in June 2023.

Hart, son of Tommy Litaker ’11, born on June 26, 2023.

Noland Griffith ’11 married Catherine Allen in July 2023.

James Morrison, son of Martha (Truslow) Smith ’11, born on December 3, 2023.

McNair, daughter of Liza (Robinson) Williams ’11, born in October 2023

Congratulations to Ann Louise (Seaton) and Conor Keeley, who welcomed their daughter, Heidi Louise, on January 2, 2024. The family lives in Charlotte, where Ann Louise is a product manager and Conor is a podiatrist.

Congratulations to Daniel Hoilett, who was selected for a full ride to Clemson’s Master of School Counseling program through a partnership with the Greenville County School District. Daniel will teach for two years while he completes his second master’s degree, and will then pivot to school counseling for three years. When not in the classroom, you can find Daniel with his theatre family in Greenville, SC! Daniel has played lead roles in Once On This Island, Mary Poppins, and Cabaret at various large theaters in the area. He is currently directing a production of Lion King Kids at the elementary school where he works, and will be joining the cast of The Spongebob Musical at the South Carolina Children’s Theatre later this spring.

Congratulations to Callie (Kennedy) Lilley who matched at Duke for her gastroenterology fellowship, which begins this summer! Callie and her

husband Paul have been living in Durham since Callie first matched into Duke’s internal medicine residency in 2021. Prior to moving to Durham, Callie and Paul were married in New Orleans, LA, on May 1st, 2021. Bridesmaids included Latin alumni Tyler (Cooney) Armstrong, Mary Scott Kennedy ’06, Ruthie Lovejoy, and Claire Pace

Congratulations to Sarah Bailey Wilson and Chandler Carpenter, who celebrated their wedding on May 13, 2023, in Highlands, NC. Brother Alex Wilson ‘10 was in attendance for the big day. Following their wedding, the couple honeymooned for two weeks in Fiji and Australia. The couple met at UNC Chapel Hill, but now reside in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte with their two rescue dogs, Pixie and Cash. Sarah Bailey works as a graphic designer.

Heidi Louise, daughter of Ann Louise (Seaton) ’11 and Conor Keeley ’11, born in January 2024.

You can find Daniel Hoilett ’11 acting in many plays and musicals in Greenville, SC.

Callie (Kennedy) Lilley ’12 with her husband Paul.

Sarah Bailey Wilson ’12 married Chandler Carpenter in May 2023.

Doctor Doctor

Latin grads reunite as OB-GYN residents

A decade after leaving Charlotte Latin, Betsy Gammon ’10 and Win Holt ’12 reconnected in Nashville, Tennessee, working together as OB-GYN residents at Vanderbilt University.

“We had a Zoom ‘virtual happy hour’ for the resident applicants to meet us, the current residents,” Gammon remembers. “I got a private message from a very familiar name mid-Zoom! Sharing the inside scoop about our residency program with Win was helpful for him to decide if Vandy was a good fit, and likewise, my insight into Win’s work ethic and demeanor were helpful to our program.”

“Working closely with a fellow Hawk is a nice reminder of home,” Holt says. They’ve been on the same OBGYN team since July 2021, but their time together is about to end (again) — this summer, Gammon is moving back to North Carolina for a palliative care fellowship at Duke University.

Did you know each other at Latin?

Betsy Gammon: Win is two years younger than me, so over our 10 years of overlap, I’m sure we unknowingly shared quite a few Lower School playground moments, cafeteria lunches, and Upper School assemblies. I remember Win being one of those people who made the most of Latin, in lots of different groups from JCL [Junior Classical League] to the Student Council. He was one of the good guys, with really cool older sisters!

Win Holt: The Gammon family was (and still is) pretty legendary. Betsy was everybody’s friend at Latin. I knew her in passing — most of our interaction was through the school musicals. Being a few years above me, she was simply cooler than me. Still is.

How does it feel to be working with a fellow Hawk?

BG: Residency bonds you forever, and I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with Win, getting to know him professionally, and seeing him grow into an exceptional doctor. It’s been fun to share little things with Win, such as a “swoop, swoop” cheer when we pass each other in the hallways.

WH: I’ve loved reconnecting through this shared experience of residency. After a long shift or sleepless night, a good “Go Hawks!” shared with a colleague can be very therapeutic.

What skills or values from Latin have proved particularly valuable in your day-to-day work?

WH: Honor Above All. This phrase applies to so many aspects of adult life, and I’m proud to have learned its importance as a student at Latin. Additionally, I am forever grateful for my tutelage in the Latin and Greek languages. I majored in classics in college and enjoy its application throughout the field of medicine.

BG: I use the concept of Moral Courage at least once a week. Residency is wonderful, difficult, and exhausting, often in equal measures. It takes moral courage to show up day after day, and often night after night, and do your very best for each patient and for your colleagues. I work hard to be a role model for the younger residents, including Win, and Moral Courage is a big part of that.

How has the network of Latin alumni contributed to your professional development?

WH: The Latin network helped me discover and explore my interest in medicine early on. I was lucky enough to shadow physicians with ties to Latin while in high school and to work with others throughout college. I am grateful for every opportunity that Latin afforded me!

Betsy, please tell us about your experiences in Kenya.

BG: I had the opportunity to rotate at a mission hospital in Kenya last spring and teach a group of Kenyan doctors in training. I loved helping these aspiring doctors perform their first Caesarean deliveries and other important surgeries. Likewise, they were patient with me as I learned how to navigate the intricacies of the Kenyan health system. On the weekends, I was able to see some wildlife preserves and go on some incredible safaris. It was a great opportunity for growth and adventure!

How do you think Latin alumni can support each other?

WH: A strength of Latin is the strong sense of community that being a student there fosters. My memories of Latin make me want to stay connected as an alumnus and give back to the community that has supported me so much. I think the best way for alumni to support each other in navigating their careers is to welcome opportunities to reconnect, at whatever stage in life you may be. I’m forever reminded how farreaching the Latin community can be!

What’s your favorite memory of working together?

WH: Doing 3 a.m. yoga in the workroom together as a team while on-call last year. Betsy led the exercise with passion and fervor. We were sleep-deprived and probably a little delirious — the endless laughs were well worth being sweaty for the next several hours of work.

BG: I had the privilege of being on our labor and delivery unit the night that Win’s wife, Julie, came in for labor. Decorating their labor room, supporting the arrival of a baby Hawk, and seeing the moment Win became a dad were such special memories for me. Welcome to the world, little Eddie!

Gammon Holt

Congratulations to Robby Lucas and Katie Hanson, married on June 3, 2023 in Lake Forest, IL. After their wedding, the couple honeymooned at Sugar Beach in St. Lucia. Katie is in her first year of pediatrics residency at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL, while Robby is working for the Winston & Strawn law firm in Charlotte. Their dog, Winters, enjoys traveling between Charlotte and Chicago, but befitting his name, loves cold Lake Michigan!

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Several years ago, after working for multiple agencies in the equestrian sports world, Tori Bilas launched her own business, providing communication and media services for internationallevel horse shows. She serves as the head of communications for Desert International Horse Park in California, one of the nation’s biggest horse show circuits. Tori provides commentary and reporting services for additional shows across the country, all while continuing to call Charlotte home.

After finishing college at Duke University, Win Holt attended medical school at USC Greenville, where he met his now-wife Julie. The two married in 2021 and matched into residency at Vanderbilt together. Win is now in his third year of OB/ GYN residency at Vanderbilt and Julie is finishing her internal medicine residency. They love living in Nashville and welcomed their first son, Edwin “Eddie” William Holt Jr., in May 2023.

Congratulations to Elizabeth (Floyd) Burnside and her husband Ben, who welcomed their first child, Thomas (“Tommy”) Reuben V, on October 12, 2023. Ben and Elizabeth met at the University of Georgia and got married after graduate school. The Burnside family lives in Nashville, TN, where Ben works for Heritage, a healthcare private equity group, and Elizabeth works for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital as a pediatric physical therapist.

Kudos to Cassie and Michael Chadwick, who welcomed Ellis Noble on December 17, 2023. Ellis, who weighed 6 pounds and measured 20 inches, joined big brother Grayson. Michael is currently the Varsity Swimming Head Coach for Latin

Tori Bilas ’13 provides communication and media services for international-level horse shows.

Win Holt ’12 lives in Nashville with his wife Julie and son Eddie.

Ellis Noble, son of Michael Chadwick ’13, born in December 2023.

Thomas “Tommy” Reuben Burnside V, son of Elizabeth (Floyd) Burnside ’13, born in October 2023.

Robby Lucas ’12 married Katie Hanson in June 2023.

Congratulations to Hayden Shoffner and Will Hendrix Jr., wed on November 4, 2023, in Hilton Head Island, SC. After their wedding, the couple honeymooned in the Swiss Alps, traveling through ski towns in Switzerland, France and Italy. Hayden and Will have been great friends since they were 14 years old, when Will attended rival Myers Park High School. Hayden, the co-founder and designer at Byrdie Golf Social Wear, used her design skills to create her own wedding gown and rehearsal-dinner dress!

a lively weekend of celebration. The couple lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Congratulations to John Robinson and Heather Lee, married on July 8, 2023, in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Hawks in the wedding party included John’s father, Shep Robinson ’81, who served as a best man, groomsmen Zach Brouse and Carter Sheridan, and bridesmaid Liza (Robinson) Williams ’12 The couple lives in Charlotte.

Congratulations to Rachel Calloway and Christopher Bradham, who married on October 14, 2023 at the Ballantyne Hotel in Charlotte. Many Hawks were in attendance, including Carter Anderson, Wesley Dudas, JT Fortenberry ’15, Mason LeDonne, George Lucas, and Griffin Smith. After their ceremony, the couple honeymooned in Aruba before returning to Charlotte. Rachel is currently a dentist in residency at Atrium Health CMC Main, specializing in oral medicine.

Congratulations to Caroline Seaton and Thomas Watts, joined in matrimony in Charlotte on November 18, 2023. There were many Hawks in attendance, along with Thomas’ Providence Day friends.

Lizzie Kingsley married Strawn Dixon on September 16, 2023, in Lake Forest, IL. Lizzie and Strawn were joined by several Latin classmates for

Hayden Shoffner ’14 married Will Hendrix Jr. in November 2023.

Hawks gathered to celebrate the wedding of Rachel (Calloway) Bradham ’14 in October 2023.

Hawks celebrated at the wedding of Caroline Seaton ’14 and Thomas Watts in November 2023.

Hawks danced and celebrated at the wedding of Lizzie Kingsley ’14 and Strawn Dixon in September 2023.

John Robinson ’14 married Heather Lee in July 2023.

Kudos to Nikki Sanz for her launch of Giggs, the “new LinkedIn” for the music industry! Giggs has partnered with many notable entertainment companies, including Live Nation and Marathon Live Venues, and is backed by six prominent music industry investors. Nikki also recently won first place in the Entrepreneur Center’s Pitch Competition, second place in Score’s Pitch and Panel Event, and was selected as a top-five finalist to pitch at the 3686 Pitch Competition.

Reunited in Australia and it feels so good! Cannon Clough enjoyed a visit from her brother, Cole Clough ’18. Cannon is a defender for Canberra United in Australia’s capital. Previously, Cannon played for the Brisbane Roar and the Newcastle Jets. Cannon graduated from UNC in 2018 before beginning her professional soccer career.

Congratulations to Alison Bonner, who graduated from the UNC School of Medicine in May 2023. Alison then moved to New York City to start her residency in Emergency Medicine at New York PresbyterianCornell/Columbia. Alison’s family, including her brother Ryan Bonner ’20, along with Sarah (Waller) John, attended the big day!

Elizabeth Beecy is finishing her MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and pursuing a career in commercial real estate. In her free time, Elizabeth runs the Instagram account @BoardsbyBeecy where she shares her latest cheeseboard design ideas, recipe inspirations, and some of her own creations.

Congratulations to Catherine Crigler and Hunter Sheridan ’16, who were married on November 11, 2023, at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte. Hunter and Catherine are highschool sweethearts who began dating at Latin in 2013. The couple’s wedding party included Grayce Anderson, Hayden Crigler ’13, Hope (Dragelin) Drake, Avery Horvath, Mitchell Malak ’16, Jackson Monnin, Clayton Parnell ’16, Ben Scott ’16, Carter Sheridan ’14, Gray Smith, and Caroline (Peters) Szczecinski; several other Hawks were in attendance.

Catherine and Hunter honeymooned in the Caribbean and live in Charlotte.

Nikki Sanz ’14 of Giggs.

Alison Bonner ’14, joined by her family for her graduation from UNC School of Medicine in May 2023.

Elizabeth Beecy ’14 runs @BoardsbyBeecy.

Catherine Crigler ’15 and Hunter Sheridan ’16, wed in November 2023.

Cannon Clough ’14 and her brother, Cole Clough ’18, reunited in Australia.

Sufferin' Till Suffrage

Rachel Lebda

’19

works on a Broadway musical

What’s your job on Suffs?

I’m a production assistant. We do tasks that the stage management team needs, such as distributing paperwork and making coffee, and when there are no crew members present, we act as stagehands. It’s a temporary position — my job is over after opening night. Once the show is officially locked, or frozen, as we say, and there are no more changes to be made, then the full-time stage managers take over and they don’t need us anymore.

What’s Suffs about?

Suffs is a glimpse into the women’s suffrage movement, specifically the years leading up to the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920, and highlights prominent figures like Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells, and Carrie Chapman Catt in their fight for equality. The show explores the cyclical nature of creating change and calls on the audience to continue the work. My favorite quote from Suffs is “Let history sound the alarm of how the future demands that we fight for it now.”

How does this show compare with a theatrical production at Latin?

While Broadway is one of the most structured places to do theater because of the unions and all of the protections that are involved with that, ultimately there’s still some level of chaos. Everyone’s stressed and everyone’s running around doing their jobs the best way they know how. The difference is that it’s on a larger scale and there are way more people involved.

How do the Core Values of Latin affect what you’re doing now?

One that stuck with me is Commitment to Excellence. On our first day of rehearsal, we had a communitybuilding workshop and someone mentioned that they wanted to release themselves of the need to be perfect and instead strive to be excellent. Also, something I learned from Latin is honesty, and that’s something that I really value within a stage management team.

Any advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?

I’ll be cheesy here and quote the finale song from Suffs: One of the lines is “The path will be twisted and risky and slow, but keep marching.”

Congratulations to Hope Dragelin and Caleb Drake for tying the knot on October 1, 2023, in Harvard, MA. The wedding party included Grayce Anderson, Alec Dragelin ’11, Amy Dragelin ’19, and Catherine (Crigler) Sheridan. Also in attendance were Emma Hallock ’19 and Timothy Swimmer ’19

Congratulations to John Oates and Bailey Gardner, who wed on May 27, 2023, in Mobile, AL. John is the son of Mary Yorke (Robison) Oates ’83. The wedding party included John’s siblings, Annabelle Oates ’18, and Harris Oates ’12, and his niece Marion, daughter of Meagan and Harris Oates. John and Bailey now reside in East Lansing, MI.

Congratulations to Anna Jones and Jack High, who were married on December 17, 2022. They held their ceremony and reception at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, NC, in memory of where they met and graduated from college. Anna works as a pre-K teacher for Stokes County Schools.

Congratulations to Dannie Litaker and Thomas Pendergrast, who were married on December 9, 2023, in Islamorada, FL. Anna McAlister and Claire (Litaker) Patterson ’08 served as the maid and matron of honor. Other bridesmaids included Carlisle Cashion, Lily Kelly, Mary Katherine Lupo, Sarah Stephens, Katherine Tomlin, and Perry Zollicoffer. Her brother Tommy Litaker ’11 was also in attendance. Dannie is the owner of Eloise & Skiles, an online children’s boutique.

Congratulations to Audrey Beaussart and Eric Davis ’16, who were married on June 17, 2023, in Charlotte. Audrey and Eric are high-school sweethearts who became inseparable after playing the couple in a musical production of The Secret Garden. Lots of Hawks were in attendance for the big day! Audrey and Eric, who live in Charlotte, honeymooned in French Polynesia.

Kudos to Emily Herron on her work as a software engineer for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, an initiative to strengthen global broadband through a network of satellites. Emily is working hard on the mission management team in Redmond, WA.

Hope Dragelin ’15 married Caleb Drake in October 2023.

Anna Jones ’15 married Jack High in December 2022.

John Oates ’15 married Bailey Gardner in May 2023. Hawks celebrated as Dannie Litaker ’15 married Thomas Pendergrast in December 2023.

Audrey Beaussart ’15 and Eric Davis ’16 wed in June 2023.

Bravo to Timothy Vorhoff for tackling the Hoka Bandera 100K Endurance Trail Race in January. Timothy proudly secured the 6th position in his age range and 44th spot overall. The race took 12 hours and 9 minutes, encompassing two laps over a 50K course with more than 7,000 feet of vertical gain and decline. Timothy is now gearing up for his toughest ultramarathon yet, the Moab 240: a 240-mile trail run in October through Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park in Utah. Best of luck to Timothy!

Hawks fly together! Scott Chappell, Ryan Gardner, Adam Watts, Alez Demas, Austin Lancaster, and Gray Smith reunited for a long weekend in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to Addie Robards for being named Teacher of the Year at Fairforest Elementary School in Spartanburg, SC, where she teaches 4th grade. Addie is the daughter of Suzanne (Little) ’82 and James Robards.

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Congratulations to Margaret Redic, who was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Margaret is using her award to pursue her Ph.D. in clinical psychology and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis (MO).

Kudos to Abigail Okland, who launched her wedding planning business, The Plannerie. Abigail already

has a full roster of clients for 2024 and is accepting inquiries for 2025. She would love to work with CLS alumni, so if you are recently engaged or starting to plan your wedding, visit www. theplannerie.com for more information.

Timothy Vorhoff ’15 completed the Hoka Bandera 100K Endurance Trail Race.

Margaret Redic ’17, recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Abigail Okland ’17 of The Plannerie.

Addie Robards ’16, Fairforest Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year.

Emily Herron ’15 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

Hawks from the class of 2015 in Washington, DC.

Ellie Perrigo is working as a Norma Hunt Fellow Player Personnel Assistant for the Kansas City Chiefs. During the football season, Ellie assists the Super Bowl champions by compiling scouting clips, speaking with scouts at all-star games, and helping with the NFL combine, pro days, and the NFL draft.

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Kudos to Kevens Grammont, who was recently featured on CNBC, Fox News, and on a billboard in Times Square for his work as a portfolio management analyst. Kevens graduated from Harvard University in May 2023 and is pursuing his MBA at Columbia Business School in New York, NY.

NC. Molly is also continuing her personal art brand, ArtbyMollyK, and currently has artwork featured in a Wilmington restaurant and Charlotte’s own Manhattan Bagel.

Congratulations to Claudia Dickey for playing in the National Women’s Soccer League Championship game with her team, the Seattle Reign FC. The match, a hard-fought contest with the NJ/NY Gotham FC, was held in San Diego, CA, on November 11, 2023. Claudia, who is starting her third season as a goalkeeper with the Reign, lives in Seattle, WA.

Congratulations to Molly Kennelly, who graduated with her bachelor’s degree in studio art from UNC Wilmington in May 2023. Incorporating her art skills into digital marketing, she works with Red Earth Marketing in Wilmington,

Congratulations to Hallie Thompson, one of only 50 nominees for the prestigious AAI Award. The AAI Award, which names the most outstanding senior collegiate female gymnast in the country, is voted on annually by NCAA gymnastics head coaches. Hallie was also the recipient of the John Lotz Award, given to a UNC student-athlete who has demonstrated a passion to succeed under adverse circumstances. Hallie graduated from UNC in May 2023 with one degree in Spanish language and cultures and another in exercise and sport science. Now a graduate student at UNC, Thompson is working toward her degree as a master of applied professional studies.

Artwork by Molly Kennelly ’19 of ArtbyMollyK.

Ellie Perrigo ’18 of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Claudia Dickey ’18 of the Seattle Reign FC.

Kevens Grammont ’19, featured on TV and a Times Square billboard for his work as a portfolio management analyst.

Hallie Thompson ’19, nominated for the AAI Award.

Currently a senior at the University of Notre Dame, Nikki Reinhardt is also a member of the Notre Dame Pom Squad. Nikki performed at football pep rallies, basketball games, and various other sporting and community events. Keep an eye out for her as she finishes her senior year with the team!

Congratulations to Taylor Henry, who accepted a job offer as a wealth management analyst with Bank of America! Following his graduation from Boston College in May, Taylor will begin the job, continuing to live in Boston, MA.

Lauren Langley, in addition to pursuing her business degree from Kenan-Flagler at UNC Chapel Hill, has been working for the business school as a global programs specialist. This has given her the opportunity to study abroad in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. In May, Lauren will lead a study-abroad group to Cape Town, South Africa.

Congraulations to Ana and Sara Kenefick, who were recently crowned champions of the 2024 Ivy Classic through their work with the University of Pennsylvania’s gymnastics team. Ana earned top marks on the beam and floor to aid in her team’s success. Sara performed well in beam and floor, and earned the co-champion title for her high marks in vault.

Emma Carter recently moved to Hungary for a fourmonth experience traveling abroad. She has settled in Budapest and already visited Vienna and Prague. In future months, she plans to visit Malta, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Croatia, and Slovenia.

Nikki Reinhardt ’20 of the Notre Dame Pom Squad.

Ana Kenefick ’20 and Sara Kenefick ’20 were 2024 Ivy Classic champions.

Lauren Langley ’20 of Kenan-Flagler, with the elephants in Thailand.

Fourth from the left, in white jacket, Emma Carter ’21 in Budapest, Hungary.

Congratulations to Ben Anderson for receiving the Specialist of the Year Award from the University of Oklahoma football program for his work as long snapper. The Specialist of the Year Award recognizes a player on the special teams unit who performs both well on and off the field.

continents. Recently, she spent her first winter break in Chile, kayaking through the diverse rivers of the Andes range. Madeline is excited to continue her coursework, and plans to pursue her pilot wings upon graduation.

Harrison Klingman is working at the Earl Gregg Swem Library Special Collections Research Center in Williamsburg, VA. The center, which contains the college archive, grants him the opportunity to interact with historical artifacts including Thomas Jefferson’s letters, Martha Washington’s family bible, Civil War amputation saws, and the first editions of books by Isaac Newton and Phillis Wheatley. Harrison is a sophomore at William & Mary.

Madeline Pease is in her second semester of Naval ROTC at Virginia Tech. Prior to beginning her journey toward commissioning into the Navy, Madeline took a gap year to travel and kayak. She spent a month on the Poland – Ukraine border doing construction to support Ukrainian refugees, and kayaked across three

Morgan Hammer has performed in three operas, two of them professional, as part of the opera theatre program at Florida Southern College. This past January, Morgan was a featured geisha in Madama Butterfly. She is the music director of her campus a cappella group, the Mocappellas. Morgan enjoys living in sunny Florida and getting her money’s worth out of her Disney annual pass!

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Birds of a feather pickleball together! McClain Marshall, Eleanor Poole, Anne Carden Chapman, Cindy Minnig, and Ellie Chai, got together for a round of pickleball before heading off to their first year of college.

Request access to this private Charlotte Latin School Alumni group on LinkedIn and start connecting with 1200+ of your fellow Hawks.

Morgan Hammer ’22 of Florida Southern’s Mocappellas.

Madeline Pease ’22 of Naval ROTC at Virginia Tech.

Harrison Klingman ’22 of the Swem Library Special Collections Research Center.

Hawks from the class of 2023 on the pickleball court.

Ben Anderson ’22, Specialist of the Year with the University of Oklahoma football team.

Saturday, May 4 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

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