Foxcroft Magazine (Spring/Summer 2024) by Foxcroft School

FROM THE

Head of School

Dear Foxcroft Community,

Across from my ofce is the College Counseling bulletin board which shows a map of the United States with pushpins and labels indicating where students have been admitted. Next to the map is a photo of each student in the Senior Class, and when she decides where to attend college, she places the university’s name and logo under her picture.

I love hearing the excitement when our students gather at the board to celebrate a classmate or ask questions about the school a peer is attending. “It has one of the highest-ranked math programs in the country!” “I got into the honors program with a scholarship,” or “I’m doing a dual enrollment with a college overseas.” “I’m playing soccer for that college!”

Younger students learn a lot about colleges and their programs and start asking questions about what they may want to study. And because our student body comes from all over the world, students get introduced to outstanding universities they may not be familiar with: “Did you know that Reed College in Oregon is kind of like Davidson in North Carolina?” “Did you know that the New Mexico School of Mines is one of the best places to study geology?” “Did you know there is a Miami University in Ohio?”

More importantly, the process that gets our seniors to this point is an example of Foxcroft’s purpose to prepare students

to learn and lead in college and life. Like everything we do at Foxcroft, the process is student-centered, from Foxcroft’s college preparatory course options that start freshman year to extracurricular and leadership opportunities that prepare students to make meaningful contributions to their college communities once they graduate. Even learning how to navigate roommate disagreements is preparing students for a smooth transition to college. All of this starts with students getting to know themselves better and what their interests and goals are. And because our faculty knows our students well — in and out of the classroom — they can be a sounding board and help students with college essays or interview preparation.

We know how much the college admission process has changed from when our alumnae, parents, and even older siblings applied. That’s why having a dedicated, knowledgeable college counseling team that stays informed and connected to colleges, universities, and peers in the industry makes all the diference for our students. The stress that today’s students face is eased by the process starting early with age-appropriate stages unique to each student’s journey.

This issue focuses on our College Counseling program and graduate outcomes. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about College Kickstart, a program

that provides data to help students form a balanced and personalized list of schools. Hear about our College Fair and essay workshops with college representatives. Most of all, I hope you will be filled with a sense of pride as you read profiles of just some of our recent graduates, and learn how and where they ended up after Foxcroft. They are living examples of our mission to help each girl explore her unique voice and to develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share it with the world.

Spring / Summer 2024

in this issue

Notebook: Foxcroft’s Dual AP Computer Science Female Diversity Awards

Campaign Update: Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Mars STEAM Wing

Notebook: Seven Seniors Earn Academic Concentration Distinction on their Diplomas

Feature: 7 Ways Our College Counseling Program Empowers Students

Commencement & Awards

Reunion: Alumnae Association Dinner, Courageous Conversations, Career Day, and more.

Out & About and Gone Away

Mission Statement

Foxcroft’s mission is to help every girl explore her unique voice and to develop the skills, conﬁdence, and courage to share it with the world.

Published twice a year by Foxcroft School

Please address queries to:communications@foxcroft.org, or Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound Lane, Middleburg, VA 20117

This magazine is printed on FSC-certiﬁed 10% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

Foxcroft School is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. Foxcroft School admits students of any race, color, religion, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national, or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions, or ﬁnancial aid policies, loan programs, athletics, and other school-administered programs.

Catherine S. McGehee Head of School

Dr. Tanya Hyatt Assistant Head of School

Bethany Stotler Director of Communications and Marketing

Christine McCrehin Assistant Director of Publications and Storytelling

Trey Adams Director of Enrollment

Krystyna Martin Director of Admission, Access, and Inclusion

Hayley Munroe Director of Institutional Advancement

Ranata Davis Dean of Inclusive Excellence

Correction: In the last issue, the class year for Natalie James Wiltshire was listed incorrectly. It should be 1995.

Design by Raison Brands

Additional Photos: Lauren Ackil, Grant Gibson, Jud McCrehin, Ginny Riley, Esther Sánchez, Bethany Stotler, Bob Updegrove, and Kate Worsham.

groundbreaking Ceremonial Groundbreaking Opens Construction Phase of Mars STEAM Wing

Friday, April 19, Foxcroft held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Mars STEAM Wing, the second of four phases in the School’s Building for Our Future campaign. The groundbreaking took place during the opening reception for Reunion Weekend when close to 150 alumnae, faculty, staf, trustees, and friends gathered just outside the current science wing. “Tonight we break ground on the Mars STEAM Wing,” announced Head of School Cathy McGehee. “You stand in its footprint so you can imagine what it will look like. It will house stateof-the-art facilities to support our Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math programs. The building will have dedicated physics, biology, and chemistry labs, a large STEM classroom, a smaller STEM classroom, and three student project spaces. A community garden will be outside the bio and chem labs to strengthen outdoor learning.”

For more information on the Building for Our Future campaign, please call or email Director of Institutional Advancement Hayley Munroe at 540.687.4515 or hayley.munroe@foxcroft.org.

Scan this QR code to learn more about the four phases of the Building for Our Future Campaign.

McGehee, along with donors Victoria Beth Mars ’74 and her niece Charlotte Audrey Rossetter ’12, Board of Trustees Chair Natalie James Wiltshire ’95, and Foxcroft’s Director for STEAM Education and Chair of the Fine Arts Department Julie Fisher spoke with excitement about the new learning spaces as students stood along the marked perimeter to visually represent the size and placement of the new building.

Speaking about their multi-generational gift and the hopes and dreams they have for Foxcroft, Mars shared, “Foxcroft helped shape the successful and capable women we are today, and for that, we are grateful and would like to ensure that the School can continue to thrive for future generations of young women.” Rossetter echoed that, adding, “Both my cousin Bernadette and I are in STEAM-related fields, and the confidence and foundations we had leaving Foxcroft made that possible. The Mars STEAM Wing is our way of saying thank you to this School and ensuring future girls feel the same confidence and possibility to pursue their passions.”

With a sense of hope for the future, the speakers, the four Mars women (Victoria, Charlotte, Pamela Mars Wright ’78, and Bernadette Schuetz Russell ’03), the student representatives of the Project STEAM Build seminar, and members of the Board of Trustees took shovels in-hand to ceremonially break ground on the new building. “Here we go — full STEAM ahead!” proclaimed Wiltshire. Representatives from Hord Coplan Macht and Coakley Williams Construction, the contractors partnering with Foxcroft on this building project, were in attendance alongside the Foxcroft community for this historic moment.

Following the ceremony, attendees were encouraged to write their hopes and dreams for the Mars STEAM Wing on the asphalt using colorful chalk. Students also conducted guided tours through the current science wing classrooms and The Innovation Lab spaces.

During the April Solar Eclipse, the

hosted a

Astronomy Club

viewing party for the Foxcroft community complete with Milky Way candy bars and eclipse glasses.

Foxcroft is the Only School in Virginia to Earn Dual AP Computer Science Female Diversity Awards

Foxcroft was the lone school in Virginia and one of only 68 worldwide to earn the prestigious College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Awards for achieving high female representation in both AP Computer Science A (AP CSA) and AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) courses during the 2022-23 academic year.

“Foxcroft continues to lead the way in STEM education for girls,” conﬁrmed Head of School Cathy McGehee. “The technology ﬁeld is one where women continue to be underrepresented, and eforts such as ours can make a diference. Congratulations to our AP Computer Science students and their outstanding teachers.”

This is the third time Foxcroft has received both the AP CSA and AP CSP Awards and the ﬁfth time it has received AP Computer Science Female Diversity Awards. Schools receiving the Award have either 50% or higher female representation in one of the two AP computer science courses or a percentage of the female computer science examinees meeting or exceeding that of the school’s female population.

Never afraid to be on the leading edge, Foxcroft was one of the ﬁrst schools to pilot the AP Computer Science Principles curriculum developed by Code.org, an “education innovation nonproﬁt dedicated to the vision that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education (code.org/about),” when AP CSP teacher and Director of The Innovation Lab Alex Northrup and two students from the Class of 2022 sat on Code.org’s student advisory board. “It’s a great curriculum,” ofered Northrup, who still uses it for his course. “All of the examples include diferent kinds of people — you see women and people of diferent ethnicities actively involved in computer programming and you begin to realize, ‘I can see myself in this, even as a career.’”

As their ﬁnal project this year, Northrup’s AP CSP students created their own AI Chatbots and invited the campus community to an AI Fair to share their creations and how they made them. With topics including Chinese New Year, Taylor Swift, Candy, The Ofce, and more, fairgoers got to test/play with the

of female computer science majors took AP CSA in high school (Google) 54%

AP CSP students are nearly twice as likely to enroll in AP CSA 2x

chatbots asking questions and enjoying the answers.

For most students, AP CSP serves as a stepping stone to other AP STEM coursework. Foxcroft students are a prime example of the truth in stats listed above as more and more of our graduates declare computer science or other STEM-related majors each year.

1. Alex Northrup confers with Jessie Liang ’26 during AP CSP.

Gilmore Girls bot, which was built to answer questions about the show with relevant information.

Felt Feminist; Won’t Delete Later

To celebrate Women’s History Month, students in the U.S. History classes taught by Stephanie Young ’00 created mock social media proﬁles for women making change in America during the Progressive Era.

Each student chose and researched a changemaker, then designed a social media campaign to promote that woman on Instagram by creating a unique hashtag and highlighting the woman’s accomplishments, while also enticing people to research their changemaker further.

These visitors brightened our spring schedule. Read more on the Speaker Series & Seminars page of www.foxcroft.org .

Foxcroft’s Cum Laude Society Welcomes 8 Students and Dr. Sweeney

Alice Lane Lloyd ’97 (P’25) Nutritional Therapy and Paleo Coach

Wellness Weekend Speaker, January 5

Poet Laureate of Charlotte, NC

Paul K. Bergan Poetry Festival Visiting Poet, April 12

Dr. Holden Thorp

Editor In Chief of the Science family of journals

February 8

Traci Collins

Head of Communications for Mission Systems at Northrop Grumman

Career Day Keynote Speaker, April 19

Grace Jun

Author and Inclusive Design Educator

Alison Harrison Goodyear ’29 Speaker, March 21

Joneve Murphy

Farmer, Garden Designer, and Natural Artist

Helen Cudahy

Niblack ’42 Arts Lecturer, April 23

Maya Camargo-Vemuri

Graduate Student Researching Genocide

Humanities and Global Studies Concentration Speaker, March 26

Class of 2024 members Eva Cozby, Sarah Ford, Emmy Queen, and Isabella White were elected to the Foxcroft Chapter of the Cum Laude Society (modeled on the collegiate Phi Beta Kappa). In addition, Sara Warmack, Flora Warr, Eunice Wu, and Hailey Yang each received the impressive distinction of being selected as juniors. Seniors Grace Pumphrey and Elizabeth Viney were inducted last year. STEM teacher Dr. James Sweeney was also elected to the Society to honor his dedication to the scholarship, teaching, and love of learning fundamental to the ideals of the Society.

Back row:

members Eva Cozby, Isabella White, Sarah Ford, Elizabeth Viney, Grace Pumphrey, and Emmy Queen. Front row: Class of 2025 members Sara Warmack, Flora Warr, Hailey Yang, and Eunice Wu.

Junious ‘Jay’ Ward

’89

Signing Day!

Class of 2024 member Irene Boehm joins a growing group of Foxcroft graduates continuing their sports in college as she signed on to ride for the equestrian team at Division III Sewanee: The University of the South. Irene’s riding accomplishments earned her a spot as one of eight riders on Sewanee’s National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) roster for their Varsity Equestrian Team. While at Sewanee, she will also represent the School in the Open ﬂat and fences on their Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team.

After securing the Region 3 Championship, Foxcroft’s Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) team traveled to the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA, for a very competitive Zone 3 Championship. With 14 strong teams ready to fight for a qualification to Nationals, competition was stif. The team highlight for the weekend was a second-place finish from SAMMIE MASOUDI ’27 that put Foxcroft on the scoreboard and was a great way for her to close out a fantastic season in the Beginner Walk/Trot/Canter division. The team made their coaches proud this season by prioritizing good horsemanship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and having fun!

The winter season also marked the tenth year that the Foxcroft riding program has provided an opportunity for riders to live in Wellington, FL, for a portion of the winter and compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Once again, ﬁve riders realized their goal of showing at one of the most competitive venues in the country under the tutelage of the Foxcroft riding program staf. This group had a successful season, including putting several tri-colors on the banner. Shoutouts to ESME DEMARTINI ’27 and P-SKY MCCONNELL ’27 for putting two tri-color ribbons on the Foxcroft banner as they ended Week 1 as Champion and Reserve Champion, respectively, in the Training Jumper .90 39 & Under division and to CIERRA CASE ’25 for two weeks of being Champion and one week of being Reserve Champion in the Children’s Modiﬁed division.

and P-Sky McConnell ’27 ended Week 1 at WEF as Champion and Reserve Champion respectively.

3. IEA Region 3 Champions pose with their ribbons. Back: Maddie Kaplan ’26, Trainer Kendall Bear, Sammie Masoudi ’27, and Aradeal Hatcher ’26. Front: Anneliese Cabral ’26, and AnnaMaria Clarke ’25.

SPORTS PORTS

Foxcroft’s winter and spring varsity sports teams had multiple players receive All-Greater Piedmont Athletic Conference (GPAC) accolades. Highlights include:

BASKETBALL

Capping their season with a ﬁrst-ever trip to the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) State Tournament and a hard-fought but unfortunate loss in the ﬁrst round, Varsity Basketball saw First Team All-GPAC honors go to TASHAE’ ALLEN ’25 and IRENE BOEHM ’24 and Second Team recognition for SARAH FORD ’24.

LACROSSSE

Finishing a tough season, Varsity Lacrosse had four players receive First Team All-GPAC accolades: RACHEL LAPHAM ’26, AVA PUMPHREY ’26, GRACE PUMPHREY ’24, and FLORA WARR ’25

SOCCER

Ending their GPAC run with a heartbreaking loss in penalty kicks, Varsity Soccer nonetheless saw three players receive All-GPAC recognition, with First Team honors going to LILY MCCREHIN ’25, Second Team distinction for SARAH FORD ’24, and Honorable Mention for KYLA PETERSON ’26

Two Spring Athletes Receive

Varsity Soccer’s Lily McCrehin ’25 and Varsity Lacrosse’s Flora Warr ’25 received Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) All-State Second Team honors.

Named to Soccer’s VISAA Division I Second Team, “Lily was the heart and soul of our team all season long,” shared Coach James Sweeney. “She was one of our captains and led her teammates with a positive attitude and great work ethic. Lily played a vital role defensively as the central defender of our midﬁeld unit. She often had to corral the opponent’s most elusive player and help our defenders keep the ball out of the net. Despite her defensive role, she still led our team in goals and assists. This shows that she is an incredibly dynamic player with an incredible shot. Her crowning achievement this year was scoring two goals directly from a corner kick, a very difcult feat. Due to her impressive statistics and outstanding leadership, Lily is incredibly deserving of this all-state honor.”

As a Division II VISAA All-State Second Team honoree for Lacrosse, “Flora was the anchor for our team,” ofered Coach Michelle Woodruf. “As one of our tri-captains, she was instrumental in our team dynamic, working hard to create the unity that a true team needs. On the ﬁeld, her ability to win draws was critical for us, and her toughness on defense and threat as an ofensive player made other teams take notice. Flora was key to our transition game too, often outrunning her opponents and setting us up for a numbers-up play. She was a cheerleader for her teammates and someone they all looked to in intense moments. She was our Most Valuable Player and is immensely deserving of this all-state selection.”

5. VISAA Division I Soccer All-State Second Team Lily McCrehin ’25.

6. All-GPAC Basketball First breaks through the Highland defense.

7. All-GPAC Soccer Second distributes the ball from the backline.

8. All-GPAC Basketball First Team member Tashae’ Allen ’25 is all focus and determination as she surveys the basketball court.

shows her All-GPAC Lacrosse First Team skills as she looks to move the

10. VISAA Division II Lacrosse All-State Second Team honoree Flora Warr ‘25

Award-Winning Artists

Eight Foxcroft students created ten outstanding works of art that were selected for special recognition in the 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards regional competition. Among them, two works achieved Silver Key status. Those artists were ROCKY COLE ’24, for a photo titled “Blinding Lights,” and BEA LEWIS ’26, for her mixed media piece titled “Mercury” (below).

Forecasting Foxcroft!

This year, the “Drones, Data, and More” Wintermission class set up a weather station at the Read Observatory on campus.

The station provides a live forecast for Foxcroft that updates every minute, and stores historical weather data so that future students can analyze weather trends.

Ofering information like temperature, humidity, wind, rain, UV index, and more, the web page (https://tempestwx.com/station/132260/) provides the most accurate weather information achievable for our campus and has quickly become vital for planning campus events and predicting severe weather. Scan the QR code to check it out!

re weather. Scan the out!

Theater Students Shine with First-Ever Cappie Award Nominations!

Three Foxcrofts actors and the show’s costume designer were nominated for Cappie Awards for their roles in Foxcroft’s production of The Hamilton Conspiracies Nominees ELISE LAHAIE ’26, for “Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Play,” ANNA CAREY ’25 (right) for “Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Play,” and EMMY QUEEN ’24 (left) for “Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Play,” along with ARADEAL HATCHER ’26 for the play’s costumes.

Earn Academic Concentration Distinction on their Diplomas Seniors seven

Congratulations to this year’s Academic Concentration graduates on their hard work!

Sarah Ford | Animal Science

The Negative Efect of TNR on the Overpopulation of Feral Cats

Sarah researched how the overpopulation of feral cats afects the environment and evaluated the negative impacts of trap-neuterrelease (TNR) on the cats. She interned at several local veterinary clinics and animal shelters and compiled the most efective solutions to this problem in a research paper.

Isabella White | Environmental Science

The Efect of Road Salts on the Goose Creek Watershed

Isabella evaluated the efects of deicing road salts on the Goose Creek Watershed. She spent the past two years sampling local streams to develop a comprehensive study of our watershed’s health and a guide to responsible salting practices.

Emmy Queen | Theater Theater in an Unlikely Place

Emmy brought performing arts into an unexpected light by linking the role of character development to the law enforcement ﬁeld. She created online personas using her theater knowledge and brought them to life to replicate what might happen in a virtual sting operation to catch internet predators.

Marley Frederick | Music

The Tone of Piano Music: Perception and Performance

Marley researched how the brain perceives music, particularly in forming memories. She created a musical compilation demonstrating how a musician can inﬂuence the audience’s emotions and memories during a performance.

Eva Cozby | Engineering

How I Built a Playhouse

Eva focused on the engineering aspects of STEM by designing and building a playhouse over a year. She discovered the do’s and don’ts of budgeting, how to make a vision come to life through a blueprint, and the step-by-step framing and construction process.

Gracie Rea | Neuroscience

Recovery Process after Brain Injury

Gracie researched the efects of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). Using her own experiences and those of others, she shared recovery stories through a podcast. Combining scientiﬁc research with personal experience, she ofered a well-rounded perspective on the efects and recovery process after sustaining a TBI.

Grace Pumphrey | Biochemistry

My Experience as a Doula Grace focused on raising awareness of doula work and shared her experience earning her certiﬁcation. She evaluated the beneﬁts and impacts of doula work and shared this with the community.

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE

Parents’ Association

By Lorina Leonard (Emma ’24)

Each academic year brings new beginnings, meaningful interactions with students, faculty, alumnae, and parents, and traditions dating back to 1914.

The goal of the Parents’ Association (PA) is to engage family members to share their talents and resources to enhance these experiences for students and faculty members while aligning with the School’s goals, mission, and vision.

To continue fostering engagement among parents, the PA hosted the annual Family Fest as part of Family Weekend in October. This year’s gathering started with a “Taste of Virginia’’ cocktail hour, hosted by Head of School Cathy McGehee and her husband Read at Covert. During the cocktail hour, parents mingled with each other and faculty, heard from Cathy, and were introduced to the PA Ofcers and Class Representatives. Families then gathered in the Sally B. Courtyard to enjoy a festive dinner where they watched students perform pieces from the Fall Revue, captivating the audience with their talent and passion. To close the evening, the traditional Family Fest rafe served as an exciting fundraising opportunity and I’m thrilled to report we met our goal of $3,300. On behalf of our Family Fest Rafe Committee and Chairs, Lindsay Langdon Rovde ’87, Sherrell Brown, Alice Lane Lloyd ’97, and Phebe Mason Wahl ’96, I want to thank you for supporting this event.

Our winter Top and Tail Dinner and Silent Auction was hosted in FoxHound Auditorium the evening before Fox/ Hound Basketball. Over 50 parents and faculty members enjoyed dinner and forging new connections while

bidding on more than 70 generously donated auction items. With an online platform enabling participation from near and far, the Silent Auction drew considerable interest and enthusiasm. The community’s collective efort was fundraising an impressive total of $15,500 from the Silent Auction. The funds raised through the Family Fest rafe and Silent Auction will enhance the school experience for all community members.

Due to your generosity, we were able to celebrate International Week with a tasting of mochi donuts, cheer on Fox/ Hound basketball with warm pretzels and hot cocoa, and collaborate with the Ofce of Student Life during the week of Wintermission to ensure our students had transportation to and from their internship opportunities in the area. We also donated $2,500 to the Ofce of Student Life professional development fund.

In addition to our fundraising endeavors, the PA prioritized accessibility by hosting all meetings virtually to ensure all parents would have the opportunity to participate. Our close collaboration with the School’s BIPOC afnity group underscores our commitment to diversity and inclusion, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued within the community, and the PA’s partnership with the Parents Council of Washington (PCW) has provided invaluable access to knowledge and resources, further enriching the school experience for families.

Before introducing our incoming PA Ofcers for the 2024-2025 academic year, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our outgoing leaders. Their unwavering dedication to the PA and Foxcroft community has been remarkable. Phoebe Warmack (Sara ‘25), our incoming President, along with the entire slate of PA Ofcers, Chairs, Liaisons, and Class Representatives, are eagerly anticipating developing deeper connections with each of our families and remain steadfast in their commitment to serving as a valuable resource for all.

Here’s to celebrating the power of community and the remarkable contributions of the Parents’ Association at Foxcroft School.

2024-25 Parents’ Association Leadership

PRESIDENT

Phoebe Warmack (Sara ’25)

VICE PRESIDENT

Phebe Mason Wahl ’96 (Ellie ’27)

SECRETARY

Christine Bryson (Maddie ’26)

TREASURER

Tara Dunlap (Mia ’26)

7 Ways Our College Counseling Program Empowers Students Discover Your Perfect College

By Laura Moan, Director of College Counseling

Our student-centered approach to college counseling is an important journey in its own right, ofering students an exciting opportunity to learn more about themselves and what they want in their next academic setting.

That said, this is NOT your parents’ college selection process. College admissions difer vastly from a decade or even ﬁve years ago. A recent New York Times article on college admission shared, “The so-called Ivy-Plus schools — the eight members of the Ivy League plus M.I.T., Duke, Chicago, and Stanford — collectively received about 175,000 applications in 2002. In 2022, the most recent year for which totals are available, they got more than 590,000, with only a few thousand more available spots. The quality of the applicants has risen also. In 2002, the nation produced 134 perfect ACT scores; in 2023 there were 2,542.”

It’s no wonder the college process is often stressful and scary for students and families! That is why we’ve developed our program to remove the scary by equipping our students with knowledge and options to explore as they pursue their dreams. There are many great colleges that might be a perfect ﬁt — it could be an Ivy, a school you’ve never heard of, or even one in another country.

Our ultimate goal is to help students identify and prioritize criteria so they will not just survive in college and beyond, but THRIVE. With our students at the helm, our program strives to make the process less stressful and more successful with these seven tried and true steps.

1College Kickstart

In a world driven by data, it makes sense that data plays a huge role in the college selection process — for students applying and for colleges deciding. What does the data mean? Does a lower admit rate equate to a better school? And what’s the deal with Test Optional? Do students even need to take an SAT or ACT?

These are all valid questions! It is NOT easy to navigate the crazy world of today’s college admissions.

Our students need to be armed with current and relevant information, which is why we use College Kickstart to help them create a balanced list of colleges that will yield predictable results. As one of only 11 schools using this program in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, we are at the forefront of data analysis. College Kickstart assesses the academic proﬁle of each student — her GPA, standardized test scores, and rigor of her

MY COLLEGE COUNSELING JOURNEYAttending:

Emmy Queen ’24

classes — then compares that to Foxcroft students over the past ﬁve years who have applied to schools on her list. Each college added to her list will be labeled according to admissibility (Unlikely, Reach, Target, Likely) based on prior student data and their academic proﬁles. Her list will get a grade from A+ to D-, which can improve with a better balance of her list — having at least two likely schools and three target schools, and adding two or three reach or unlikely schools.

The program’s accuracy has been tremendous. Foxcroft students have been admitted to 100% of their likely applications, 91% of their targets, 41% of their reaches, and 16% of their unlikelies — sometimes it pays to dream big! Having access to data for recent Foxcroft graduates gives current students an advantage — they can evaluate relevant admit rates and compare apples to apples. College Kickstart data also shows us that Foxcroft admit rates are equal to or better than national averages!

The College of William & Mary Degree program: Computer Science

One of the biggest things College Counseling helped me with was teaching me the Common Data Set. I used that religiously for every school I looked at — how many people applied, who got in, who got waitlisted, who stayed on the waitlist, who got enrolled — having all that data for each school was so helpful.

I remember getting College Kickstart and thinking it wasn’t helpful at all because I put in the schools I initially wanted and it failed me. Then we had an intro class, where they showed you all the features and I realized there’s so much more to the program. So I played around with it; these are the schools I want, this is what grade it’s giving me, this is what I need to do to get a few more likelies in there. The numbers surprised me so much because I thought it would be a more clean-cut decision than it turned out to be. In the beginning, I wanted a top-10 school. I wanted an Ivy League because I’d worked hard in high school. Then through research and learning more about the college process, I realized that I needed to branch out a bit. I also wanted to apply to 15 schools but realized that was not a realistic goal, so I cut that down to nine. I was all set to go to UVA but then I was accepted to William & Mary and that’s the school I chose.

Individualized Attention

Getting to know students and families through individual meetings allows us the opportunity to best advise and assist our students through each step of the college process. It is a fun process of self-exploration as students identify goals and take steps toward achieving them. We love to be a part of the journey, helping when we can along the way and celebrating all of the wins, big and small — choosing an essay topic, making final edits to an essay, creating a well-balanced list, submitting applications, earning scholarship money, finding a home for their next four years. Our girls start the process as high school students and finish as confident young women.

One-on-one meetings start in the second semester of their junior year, during which each student shares her research to date, her goals and dreams, and works with her college counselor to develop a plan to stay on track for the marathon that is the college process. Treating it like a marathon instead of a sprint helps alleviate some of the pressure and stress that can accompany this experience — pacing is important!

Students continue to work with the College Counseling ofce throughout their junior and senior years, as they ﬁnalize lists, edit essays, submit applications, apply for scholarships, and make ﬁnal decisions. We are here for every step along the journey!

MY COLLEGE COUNSELING JOURNEY

Calissa McNeely ’19 URNEY y ’19

Attended: Manhattan College

Degree: Bachelor of Arts, International Studies and Economics

Current Job: Junior Chief of Staf, Associated Medical Schools of New York

Up Next: Fordham Law, fall 2025

Something I carried from the college counseling process was that if you know your goal, you can break it down and ﬁgure out what you want from it. The most impactful thing was when they had us make a list of schools that we wanted to go to and a list of things we wanted in a school. If you want to go to Syracuse for example because it’s a large school, has Greek life, and March Madness; there are at least ﬁve other schools that are the same. You can’t silo yourself into just one thing because you might end up shutting a lot of doors and opportunities.

Something I remember from Foxcroft — there was a lot of advocacy. If you want to do something, you have to reach for it. I always felt like everyone was advocating for themselves, and I carried that with me. My college ofered a program that if selected would set you up with an internship. I didn’t connect with my ﬁrst internship ofer, so I reached out to every professor I knew to see if they could help me ﬁnd another opportunity. Thankfully, one of them knew someone at The New York Civil Liberties Union and set up a meeting. We met and he took the time to carve out an internship for me. He also teaches at Fordham Law School and encouraged me in undergraduate pursuits and to apply to law school. So that’s the plan for fall 2025. My goal is to go to law school and hopefully pursue a career in contract law for sports.

College Seminar for Juniors

College Seminar is a weekly class for our juniors, sharing details of the college admission experience — from researching (colleges, scholarships, and themselves and what criteria will be important in their search), to planning (will they apply ED/EA/RD, test optional, creating a balanced list), to executing that plan (completing Common App, writing and editing essays, asking for letters of recommendation). Because most students apply to college in November — either Early Decision (ED) and/or Early Action (EA) — we start College Seminar in November of junior year, giving them a full year to digest all of this important information.

One part of the second-semester portion of College Seminar is the week-

long Wintermission class, giving us ﬁve consecutive days to teach and have fun with the juniors! Morning sessions are spent on the nuts and bolts of the college process, with engaging activities in the afternoons to supplement instruction. Students get to act as an admissions committee, learning about their college’s proﬁle and institutional priorities, and reading mock applications to that college. Then they have to make a decision on each application (admit, deny, waitlist), and the debates rage! They are usually upset to learn there are no ‘correct’ answers, and they all learn a new-found appreciation for the work of admissions ofcers.

Highlights include College Visit Day and Adulting 101. One full day is dedicated

to visiting colleges — a large, public university and a small, private, liberal arts college — and being together to learn some of the diferent aspects of colleges. Adulting 101 is a day dedicated to establishing life skills that will benefit the students through the college process and beyond. Led by the director of a college career center, our students learn strong interviewing skills, develop a great professional introduction, and build a solid resume; helping them define goals and build confidence in their ability to achieve those goals.

Intentional Grade-Level Programming

FRESHMAN YEAR

• Attend Middleburg College Fair

• Get good grades

• Get involved in activities on campus

• Make a 4-year plan of classes

SOPHOMORE YEAR

• Attend Middleburg College Fair

• Get good grades

• Get more deeply involved in activities on campus

• Consider club/dorm leadership for junior year

JUNIOR YEAR

• Year-long College Seminar

• Junior Class Trip - College Visit

• Attend meetings with college representatives

• Family Weekend seminar

• Keep grades up and take rigorous classes

• Attend Middleburg College Fair

• Start applying for scholarships

• Leadership on campus - get deeply involved

SENIOR YEAR

• Write/edit essays

• Attend meetings with college representatives

• Keep grades up and take rigorous classes

• Essay Writing Workshops

• Senior Seminar

• Submit applications

• Apply for scholarships

• Hold leadership positions - leave a legacy

MY COLLEGE COUNSELING JOURNEY

Helen Ventikos ’23

LEGE LING en ntikos ’23

g: ty of Texas,

Attending: University of Texas, Austin

Degree program: Biomedical Engineering

program: am: am cal ring

prised how rk it is to . You really have ot of efort into t the ess is The ounseling program kiid

I was surprised by how much work it is to apply to college. You really have to put a lot of e it — it’s not just the essays! The process is long. The college counseling program started making me consider college in my ﬁrst year. This allowed me to understand the application process and the timeline. They helped narrow down the colleges I would want to apply to, but the most helpful part was the ability to have essay readers. I was very concerned when it came to my essays, and having faculty as readers was supportive in ﬁne-tuning them.

I received my acceptance to Virginia Tech at the beginning of October, which allowed me to focus on applications to colleges I felt were a reach. I would have been happy to attend any of the colleges I applied to. When I visited UT Austin, I was very impressed with the engineering program and facilities, and (a bonus) the warmer climate. Thriving is important! Finding the school with the right ﬁt and resources for you, such as academic help, is essential. During my ﬁrst year, I felt the process was almost seamless from high school, which is why I feel like it was the right choice.

The plan is to get my bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering; however, I am uncertain in which direction I will still go — I have years to ﬁgure it out! I know one thing, though: I want to have a fulﬁlling career.

Essay Workshops

During the spring semester of junior year, and again in the fall of senior year, Foxcroft students learn from the experts about one of the most stressful components of the application — the college essay. We invite representatives from a wide variety of colleges to share their tips. Because they read thousands of essays each year, these professionals have the best advice for our students.

In their ﬁrst essay workshop, students learn about brainstorming topics, what makes essays memorable, what topics to shy away from, and how to make their essays stand out from others. In the fall of their senior year, students should have

a draft of their essay(s) to share with the representatives to get some feedback on what they’ve already written. Students often report that hearing feedback from the admissions ofcers is one of their favorite parts of the college process!

In addition to inviting college admissions ofcers to campus to help with essays, many of our faculty ofer their time to provide feedback and editing help to our seniors during their writing process. We do what we can to help alleviate the stress that comes with this part of the application.

MY COLLEGE COUNSELING JOURNEY

Ryleigh Borror ’23

Attending: Lycoming College

Degree Program: Astrophysics

I think the most helpful thing College Counseling taught me was how to start the college search and navigate the whole process from application to activities to making sure that I knew exactly who to ask for recommendation letters, then going into College Seminar and pinpointing how to search for colleges and ﬁlter what you like, what you need in your programs, and your potential majors. Every step was very helpful to me.

College Counseling’s goal of students ﬁnding a school where they can thrive and not just survive is really important. If you’re going to a school that you don’t have a love for then you’re not going to have a good time there. You’re just kind of there to get your degree and leave. I think being involved in the campus environment is vital to living the real college life. I am deﬁnitely thriving where I am right now; it’s not just me getting through. I’m leaving for the summer break and do not want to go, I just want to stay here and keep going.

son

Gracie Rea ’24

Attending: Denison University, QuestBridge Scholar

m: he d ore d ed for their olar senior year ir and a lot n was ut a ne h, and OURNEY Rea

holar larol

Degree program: Undecided

I learned about the QuestBridge program sophomore year and junior year I applied for their college prep scholar program. I didn’t get in, but senior year I came across their website again, logged in and a lot of my information was saved. It was about a week before the deadline for the college match, and I decided why not?

About 20,000 students in the country apply and 5,000 become finalists. Becoming a finalist was really exciting. I wanted a small school, so Mrs. Moan and I found the small schools on their list, ranked my top 15, and submitted them. Then, I had about a week to submit every supplemental essay, interview with almost every school, and submit my financial information. About 900 to 1,000 of the 5,000 finalists match for a full scholarship. I got my second choice, Denison, which was cool because I didn’t have to worry about additional scholarships. I was done. That was a great feeling. I went to Denison for Accepted Students Day and a woman pulled me aside and said, “I read about 50 applications a day and I will never forget yours. I went to a high school seminar and talked about it. Your story was just so good.” It was from an English project where we had to write a descriptive narrative of someone, so I wrote about my mom’s morning routine. It turned into 1,000 words, so we had to cut it and I think I sent it to everyone — Mrs. Moan, Dr. Preston, Mrs. McGehee, Ms. Campbell, Ms. Cesar, Mr. Hyatt, and Ms. Martin. Ms. Martin helped me with QuestBridge. Dr. Preston helped with interview prep. It can be hard to ask for help, but you have to. You can’t do it alone.

College Fair

Foxcroft hosts the Middleburg College Fair each year in early April when juniors are well on their way to researching schools and creating a college list, and seniors have received decisions from their colleges. We encourage our seniors to meet with the representatives at institutions where they have been admitted and/or waitlisted, as it’s a terriﬁc time to express gratitude or continued interest.

Welcoming more than 100 colleges and universities from all over the country and the world, our academic day is shortened, allowing all of our students the opportunity to interact with the representatives who visit.

Before the fair, we share tips on how to navigate a college fair, including developing a strong introduction and coming up with good questions to ask. This is great practice for our freshmen and sophomores, so by the time they are juniors, they have perfected the conversation. Students are encouraged to visit with schools they may be interested in, as well as learn something about schools that are new to them. Keeping an open mind may help them ﬁnd a diamond in the rough!

MY COLLEGE COUNSELING JOURNEY

Ishika Gupta ’24

Attending: Dickinson College Degree program: Undecided, possibly data science or sustainability

I didn’t know anything about U.S. colleges because I’m not from here, so my parents hired a college consultant from India who was the most unhelpful person. They just gave me a bunch of colleges that ﬁt into our budget and that’s about it. They didn’t go over my essay or ask questions. They just sent me a list of schools and told me to apply. My parents were surprised at how helpful Foxcroft’s college counselors were. They would tell me that college counselors have so many kids to look after “they’re not going to be able to

MY COLLEGE COUNSELING JOURNEY

Sara Warmack ’25

give you enough time” and it turned out to be the opposite. Coming and talking to the counselors was the most helpful part for me. Their judgment meant a lot to me because they’ve done this for so many years. If I had a doubt about some college, I just came and talked with them. They were there for me whenever I needed them. I remember just popping up to Orchard and sitting with Mrs. Moan to work on things or going to Reynolds to talk to Ms. Mawyer. Having access to that help was great.

Committed: Williams College, Women’s Soccer Degree program: Biology or Pre-Med

Academics have always been super important in my college search. My shortlist was Dartmouth, Williams, Bates, and Denison.

College Fair was really helpful last year because I went and talked to Washington & Lee and a couple of other schools and asked them questions about academics and soccer. Also, the woman who came during Wintermission and talked about building a resume and interviewing was really helpful.

The whole college counseling team is really supportive. I think the ability to come into their ofce, or see them in the Dining Hall and tell them stuf is my favorite thing — knowing I have that support. Mrs. Moan’s insight as a former college coach was helpful during my process — helping me draft appropriate notes to college coaches or explaining the recruiting process to me, and giving me insight into what college coaches might be thinking. We talked for a while about what other people would say if I committed DIII and not DI. I know now I’m doing what’s best for me. I’ll go to a school I want to go to, where I’ll be happy and it doesn’t matter if it’s DIII or DI.

Visiting schools and talking to coaches or having phone calls and interviews; being comfortable doing these things without my parents and then being able to decide for myself — is the vibe of the coach right, is the vibe of the school right, is this the atmosphere I want to be in? Figuring out what’s best for me and advocating for it without my parents are skills that will help me in college and beyond.

6 Senior Seminar

During Senior Seminar, which starts immediately in the fall of senior year, seniors spend at least one free period a week in the College Counseling Ofce, working on their college applications and essays. With our counselors available to answer questions and ofer suggestions, students continue attending Senior Seminar until they have submitted all of their college applications.

This dedicated time allows seniors to complete applications during the academic day, instead of during or after study hall, maximizing their productivity and ensuring their best possible application gets submitted.

Below: As part of Senior Seminar, College Counseling Administrative Assistant to answer questions.

MY COLLEGE COUNSELING JOURNEY

Chelsie Ekhelar ’22

Attending: The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)

Degree program: Bachelor’s Degree, Applied Food Studies

I applied to several colleges for a number of diferent majors, but ﬁnding one that was just right was certainly difcult. Thankfully, because the college counselors had gotten to know me during my time at Foxcroft, they were able to provide helpful insights. Together, we narrowed my list and worked to ﬁgure out which college I would truly enjoy attending. I loved how easy it was to connect with my counselors! They shared my joy whenever I got accepted and listened intently to my concerns and troubles. They always found a way to make me feel less stressed about the college application process.

I have always loved baking and enjoyed sweets, and I was able to continue this love for baking at Foxcroft as Head of the Cooking Club. It wasn’t until my senior year that I considered pursuing it as more than just a hobby. When I talked about attending college to pursue culinary arts, my college counselor was extremely supportive. Her encouragement pushed me to apply to the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales, and Drexel University for their culinary programs. The CIA was deﬁnitely my ﬁrst choice. I knew if I wanted to get the best education, I should aim for the top.

Being able to call myself a student of the Culinary Institute of America is a title I wear with honor. The food industry is vast, and as I continue my education, more opportunities present themselves daily. Classes at the CIA range from Basic & Classical Cakes and Artisan Breads to Nutrition and World Hunger Studies, meaning that I get to learn about the entire world of food. Once I complete my degree, I would love to become a master chocolatier.

Paying it Forward

Because Foxcroft is such a small and tight-knit community, our students know each other well, and across grade levels. Learning about colleges from peers has proven to be a useful resource for our students. Each year, a panel of seniors share their experiences and advice with juniors about the college process, from their favorite ways to research schools to advice about essay writing (write many drafts during the summer months!). For our seniors, a Zoom panel of young alums (still in college) ofer their advice about the transition to college and answer the seniors’ “ask me anything” questions. Some of our favorite stories are when current students visit colleges and meet with Foxcroft alumnae — once a Foxcroft girl, always a Foxcroft girl!

2020-24

Top U.S. Destinations for Foxcroft Grads

Boston College

Boston University

Carnegie Mellon

Columbia University

Cornell University

Culinary Institute of America

Davidson College

Emory University

Hamilton College

New York University

Northeastern University

Olin College of Engineering

Pomona College

Scripps College

Tulane University

UNC-Chapel Hill

UCLA

University of Michigan

UT Austin

UVA

Washington & Lee

Williams College

William & Mary

Yale University

Other Schools Admitted

Colgate University

Pitzer College

Pratt Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

University of Notre Dame

Villanova University

Vanderbilt University

Top International Destinations for Foxcroft Grads

Sorbonne (France)

St. Andrew’s (Scotland)

NYU Shanghai (China)

McGill University (Canada)

King’s College London (England)

Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (Switzerland)

Sunshine and Smiles on Graduation Day!

Under a sunny blue sky on the very last day of May, the 29 members of the Class of 2024 took their last steps as Foxcroft students into Miss Charlotte’s Garden for the School’s 110th commencement ceremony, eagerly awaiting the moment they would emerge as alumnae.

Chosen by the Class of 2024 to be their commencement speaker, Dr. Whittney Preston, Foxcroft’s former Dean of Inclusive Excellence, was the ﬁrst to ofer praise and advice to the graduating class.

“Graduates, I urge you not to run from opportunities that present themselves,” advised Dr. Preston. “Show up and show them what you can do.” After sharing some of her own experiences, she closed with this observation and guidance,

“Seizing opportunities requires more than just hoping for the best or making a good situation out of something that did not go your way. It takes courage. The courage to try something new, to step outside of your comfort zone, to embrace new people and experiences, and to take risks. Seizing opportunities is about standing up and having the audacity to chase your dreams, even when it seems the odds may not be in your favor. … I know ﬁrsthand through your experience here at Foxcroft that you have what it takes to make the most of every opportunity you choose to accept.”

Senior Class speaker Emma Leonard then reﬂected on the class’ time at Foxcroft, sharing, “The Class of 2024 is the ﬁrst and only class at Foxcroft to start our freshman year virtually. The fall of 2020 was a memorable one for us all. … not able to eat in the Dining Hall, not able to mingle with other grades or even with each other outside of our dorm cohorts. These were adjustments we had to make. At the time, we didn’t

Commencement Awards

Pillsbury Award/Valedictorian

Grace Pumphrey ’24 (above)

Salutatorian

Elizabeth Viney ’24

Josie Betner Mallace Prize

Marley Frederick ’24

Ida Applegate Award

Ava Bartolomucci ’24

Dudley Prize

Emili Rossman ’24

Charlotte Haxall Noland Award

Gracie Rea ’24

Junior Award For Scholarship

Eunice Wu ’25

Elebash Award

Natasha Heyres ’27

Becky Award

Ariana Arana ’26

Mildred Greble Davis Award

Ruby Dewling ’25

know how those experiences would keep us bonded in our circle at Foxcroft.”

“A couple of weeks ago,” she concluded after sharing some fun stories, “the Senior Class posed for a photo … wearing t-shirts with the logos from the colleges we will be attending this fall. While our circle at Foxcroft is coming to an end, the circle of our next stage in life is just beginning. So, remember to stay curious, be gracious, embrace every opportunity, learn and grow from life’s lessons, and continue your circle with all the accomplishments I know you will achieve.”

The culminating event of the day brought Chair of the Board of Trustees Natalie Wiltshire ’95 forward to award diplomas to this impressive group. Afectionately called “small but mighty” by Head of School Cathy McGehee, the Class of 2024 accomplished much, receiving 128 ofers of admission from 87 colleges

and universities. Thirteen seniors were ofered 17 merit scholarships totaling almost $1.2 million. One is an AP Scholar and two are AP Scholars with Honor. Six are members of the prestigious Cum Laude Society, and seven now hold a transcript designation in Foxcroft’s Academic Concentration program: ﬁve in STEM and two in The Arts.

Members of the class will attend Bucknell University, Denison University, George Washington University, Northeastern University, Sewanee: The University of the South, Syracuse University, The College of William and Mary, University of California Davis, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Delaware, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Washington and Lee University, among others.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your graduation!

Relatively Speaking

When the ﬁrst daughters of alumnae came to Foxcroft, our beloved founder Charlotte Haxall Noland (aka Miss Charlotte) created a special name for them: ITs, which stands for Ideals and Traditions. The Class of 2024 graduated three ITs — Adriana Kawpeng, Grace Pumphrey, and Juliana Rose.

smiles as she celebrates with her parents Daniel and Joy Romualdez Kawpeng ’89, and brother Nicos.

2. Proud grandmother Dorothy “Dotty” Reynolds Brotherton ’70 (far right) poses with granddaughters Grace

Pumphrey ’26, daughter Lisa Brotherton, and grandson Andrew.

long line of Foxcroft graduates including great-grandmother Nancy Carnegie Rockefeller, Class of 1919; great aunt Lucy Carnegie Rice, Class of 1922; great-aunt Nancy Rockefeller

Rockefeller Rose ’51; and aunt Georgia Rose Crompton ’79. Here, she celebrates graduation with (l to r) Melissa Odegaard, sister Elizabeth Rose, mother Julie Scott Rose, Julia RoseAkinrimisi, and Barb Skelton.

Awards and Accolades

Stephanie Young ’00 Receives Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award

For the second time in her tenure as a faculty member at Foxcroft, History teacher Stephanie Young ’00 received the Mary Louise Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award. “Stephanie clearly cares deeply about her role as a history faculty member,” praised Head of School Cathy McGehee as she shared words of kindness and appreciation from one of Young’s colleagues. “She ﬁnds innovative ways to get students thinking about and discussing difcult topics. She encourages students to discuss current events, within the context of her history lessons.”

Hired in 2013 to teach history by former Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer herself, Young holds a B.A. in International Relations from Syracuse University and a dual Juris Doctor degree from American University’s Washington College of Law and Université de Paris X-Nanterre, France. A member of the New York Bar, she has served as a contract attorney specializing in French language litigation support. She currently teaches AP Modern World History and

United States History and sponsors Foxcroft’s Model United Nations.

In closing, McGehee shared, “Ms. Young was selected by her class, Foxcroft Class of 2000, as the student Commencement speaker. In her speech, she wrote, ‘It’s like when you ﬁrst come here, they give you wings. Well, they don’t give you wings, you’ve always had them. They just say, here, look, this is where your wings have been all along, and it’s up to you whether or not you are going to learn to ﬂy.’ Stephanie, it is my distinct honor to present the Mary Louise Leipheimer Award for Teaching to you for helping so many Foxcroft students learn to discover their wings and helping them soar.”

The Mary Louise Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award was established in 2014 by Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees to honor the retiring Head of School who spent 40+ years at the School as a teacher and administrator.

Bethany Stotler Receives Jane Lockhart Service Award

Director of Communications and Marketing Bethany Stotler was awarded the 2024 Jane Lockhart Service Award, recognizing her dedication and

outstanding service to Foxcroft School for the past decade. “Over the past 18 months, [Bethany] has overseen a branding refresh project, built a relationship with a new SEO partner to enhance our marketing eforts, and built a new website,” shared McGehee. “She’s kept these projects on track and her attention to detail and care for the ﬁnal product are unmatched.”

McGehee also commended Stotler’s caring and creative leadership, noting that one colleague wrote of her, “Whether she is designing a page for the new website or chaperoning a trip on the weekend, her genuine love for this community is what drives the work she does. Her commitment to marketing Foxcroft in an authentic way has made working with her fun and easy. She never stops thinking about ways to organically involve students in our communication eforts. She knows each student, making connections while they’re here, and maintaining relationships with alums too! She deserves this award for her constant thoughtfulness and consideration of what will make Foxcroft a better place.”

She concluded with these words from a member of the Class of 2024, “This

person is one of the kindest, most selﬂess adults that I have been lucky enough to know on this campus. She works diligently to ensure that the needs of faculty and students are met, and Foxcroft truly would not be the same without her. She and her husband have raised two beautiful children who have grown to be more than just my tag and hide-and-go-seek partners; they have become the faces I look forward to seeing every day in the Dining Hall. My experience at Foxcroft has been forever impacted by the Stotler family and I could not be more grateful for the relationship I have built with them!”

Coming to Foxcroft part-time as resident relief in Dillon Dorm, Stotler joined Foxcroft full-time in 2010 as an Advancement Assistant, ultimately ascending to her current position as Director of Communications and Marketing in 2022. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, she holds an M.B.A. and a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts.

The Jane Lockhart Service Award was established in 2012 in appreciation of Jane Lockhart, who worked at Foxcroft for 50 years (1966-2016).

Dr. James Sweeney Named to Newly Endowed Ferrell Page McClean ’64 Faculty Chair

Introduced by Head of School Cathy McGehee at this year’s Awards Assembly, the Ferrell Page McClean ’64 Faculty Chair, is a newly endowed teaching chair that recognizes a faculty member who is forward-thinking, engages in ongoing professional development, and contributes to mathematics education in and out of the classroom. Established by McClean in appreciation for the impact a talented faculty member can have to develop a deeper understanding and life-long love of math by making math fun, capturing their students’ imaginations, and showing how math translates to the real world, the income from this endowed fund will help ofset funding for the salary, beneﬁts, and

professional development of a highly qualiﬁed, inspirational teacher of mathematics.

In naming Dr. James Sweeney as the inaugural chair holder, McGehee shared, “In his daily work he exempliﬁes the characteristics of the McClean teaching chair: He is forward thinking and engages in professional development to strengthen teaching and learning and to create student conﬁdence through fostering a growth mindset. He has created a curriculum that allows students to work at their own pace. In the summer of 2022, he received a Kenan grant to develop the materials for this self-paced curriculum for Algebra II. In a given class, a student could be learning a new skill through a video, working on practice problems, or demonstrating their understanding on a skill check. This personalization allows Dr. Sweeney to move around the classroom and work with individuals and small groups to help the students master a concept. In all he does, Dr. Sweeney encourages students to take risks and to grow from failure.”

In 2023, the Modern Classrooms Project recognized Dr. Sweeney as a Distinguished Modern Classroom Educator for implementing a blendedlearning, self-paced, and masterybased instructional model in his Algebra II courses. Currently teaching AP Calculus and Algebra II & Trigonometry, Dr. Sweeney received his B.S. degree from Coker University and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.

1. Leipheimer Award winner Stephanie Young ’00 is all smiles with her mother Bernadette Ford and son Caleb.

2. Director of Communications and Marketing Bethany Stotler (far right) celebrates receiving the Jane Lockhart Service Award with her family (l to r): Dean of Academics Steve McCarty and his wife Yvette, husband Daniel, children Hunter and Juniper.

3. Dr. James Sweeney enjoys his new chair with son Leo and wife Meghan after receiving the Ferrell Page

A Selection of Student Awards

Dean’s Leadership Awards

Marley Frederick ’24

Patty Arwine ’25

Community Service Awards

Caroline Carpenter ’24

Frankie Wasinger ’25

Eustis Prize Gracie Rea ’24

L. Richard Weinbach History Prize Irene Boehm ’24

Bausch and Lomb Award Hailey Yang ’25

Haythe Science Award

Grace Pumphrey ’24

Digital Arts Award Rocky Cole ’24

Hilary Somers Deely Drama Award

Ava Bartolomucci ’24

Parents’ Association Awards

Emmy Queen ’24

Tashae’ Allen ’25

Ariana Arana ’26

Cece Young ’27

Best Athlete – Older Girl

Flora Warr ’25

Best Athlete – Younger Girl

Ava Pumphrey ’26

Riding – Miss Charlotte’s Trophy Cierra Case ’25

Scan the QR code to see a full list of winners.

April 18-20 saw more than 152 alumnae and guests on campus to celebrate reunions from the 5th to the 60th!

Reunion weekend was full of warm hugs, hearty laughter, and lively events. The ceremonial groundbreaking for the Mars STEAM Wing, welcoming the Class of 2024 into the Alumnae Association, Saturday’s tailgate at the Middleburg Races, afnity group meetings (LGBTQ+, International, and BIPOC), and class dinners ofered myriad opportunities for alumnae to reconnect with each other. Thank you to everyone who made the journey to campus; it was a joy to see you! For those unable to attend, please know that you were truly missed, and we hope to see you soon!

Alumnae Association Dinner

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Reunion 2024 kicked of Thursday evening with the Alumnae Association Dinner. Alumnae Council President Tarin Heilman Horan ’93 welcomed the Class of 2024 into the Alumnae Association and recognized the newest class representatives, Eva Cozby, Grace Pumphrey, and Student Head of School Gracie Rea, who also gave the Class of 2024 address, sharing, “Every school has something that makes it stand out. For me, Foxcroft’s thing is community. Now, the Class of 2024 has even more community, all of you.”

Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair Cricket Bedford ’85 and Foxcroft’s Director of Riding Kate Worsham then announced Sports Hall of Fame inductee Ann Hardaway Taylor ’76, who was unable to attend; we look forward to celebrating with her this fall. It was a lovely evening and a great way to start the weekend’s events.

Mars STEAM Wing Groundbreaking and Reception

Outside the current science wing, alumnae and students gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Mars STEAM Wing, the second of four phases in the School’s Building for Our Future campaign (see full article on page 6).

Alumnae Career Day

Alumnae Career Day began with a fantastic keynote address by Traci Collins ’89, Head of Communications for Mission Systems at Northrop Grumman, followed by a morning of stimulating breakout sessions conducted by 12 alumnae representing classes ranging from 1974 to 2014, who graciously gave their time to share stories about their professional paths with students.

Career Day breakout session speakers included: (Back): Maniecsha Holmes-Leach ’09, Cathleen Gruver Cleverly ’07, Phebe Mason Wahl ’96 (Middle): (Front):

Relationships Matter

Make Connections and Nurture Them

“My career has been much like Foxcroft Road,” reﬂected Traci Collins ’89, Head of Communications for Mission Systems at Northrop Grumman, as she kicked of Foxcroft’s sixth annual Alumnae Career Day. “Lots of twists and turns. Sometimes you can’t see over the top of the hill, and that can be a little bit scary, but the views are glorious, and the ride is spectacular. It’s even more fulﬁlling when you can just sit back and enjoy the ride and absorb all the experiences along the way.”

Growing up, Collins had two goals for her future. “Everyone who knew me knew that I wanted to be fun. I wanted to be adventurous. I also wanted to be a vet.” Unfortunately, during her junior year at Foxcroft, she was diagnosed with allergies to most animals. Devastated but still trying to keep her love of animals as part of her path, she chose to major in biology. But, somewhere along that path, she “discovered a love for human behaviors … understanding who the person is” and decided that law might be the right path for her.

“But I wanted to kick the tires first, so I got my paralegal certificate. I worked at a large law firm in DC, which turned out to be a little too quiet for my personality. I loved the work that I did. It was incredibly fascinating, just

understanding why people behave the way they do. But I realized that criminal law wouldn’t be my path. So again, I was searching for how to combine everything I loved — the things I was interested in — and I connected with the White House. One simple phone call turned into an interview … you have to be ready to accept the opportunities that come your way and then shape them.”

“I believe it’s so important for us to nurture this special place that’s given so much to all of us.”

After six years at the White House, with roles at the U.S. Department of Education and the State Department as an Ambassador to Switzerland, honing her skills in managing complex communication tasks, she transitioned to the private sector, where she excelled in various leadership positions at Northrop Grumman, ascending to the position that she holds today. “You won’t always like everything you try, but I encourage you to be brave enough to chart another path. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do. You just

have to follow your passion. Be kind, be courageous, be authentic. Ask questions. You will ﬁnd your next opportunity and have an amazing ride along the way.”

At one point during the presentation, Collins spoke about the people and experiences that shaped her life, from siblings and parents to her friends and time at Foxcroft. “What I gained at Foxcroft is sisters. I believe you learn diferently from and with women. What I learned here is to use my voice, to speak with ﬁrmness and with kindness. I learned to share a little bit diferently. I learned to negotiate with women who brought their own hearts and perspectives to the conversations. And most of all, I learned the value of deep connections. Wherever you go, you’ll learn that relationships matter.”

In closing, she ofered this advice to students, “I believe it’s so important for us to nurture this special place that’s given so much to all of us. I encourage you to stay connected with each other and the folks here this weekend. The theme of this year is ‘Design Your Future at Foxcroft.’ You should start right here, right now, today. This weekend gives you an amazing opportunity to connect with the great gifts of the incredible women who have come from this incredible place. Get to know them, be inspired by them, learn from them, and they will help you chart your path.”

Courageous Conversations

Foxcroft’s sixth Courageous Conversations with Foxcroft Women was held over lunch, where alumnae were invited to sit with students and faculty in their advisory groups. With a theme of “Belonging,” the discussion was led by Kiah Edwards Williams ’95, who guided those in attendance through a series of thoughtful questions about Belonging. was e y in of y ed of g.

Mimosa Mixer and Alumnae

The Mimosa Mixer and Brunch ofered more opportunities for alumnae to gather and reminisce. The Alumnae Association Annual Meeting was also held during brunch, where President Tarin Heilman Horan ’93 ofered a year in review of the Council and Committees.

Reunion Giving Awards

Congratulations to the classes listed below, and thank you to all other classes who donated!

CLASS OF 2004

Congratulations to the Class of 2004 for winning the 5th-20th Reunion Giving Award with 28.6% participation.

CLASS OF 1974

Congratulations to the Class of 1974 for winning the 25th-60th Reunion Giving Award with 52.3% participation!

Middleburg Spring Races Tailgate

The sunshine set the perfect backdrop for alumnae in attendance during the Middleburg Spring Races. Under the tailgate tent, alumnae enjoyed refreshments and light bites as they cheered on the horses throughout the afternoon and reﬂected on all the fun they had on campus during this year’s Reunion!

Gatherings around the country — whether ofcial Foxcroft events attended by Head of School Cathy McGehee, or informal outings organized locally — celebrate the shared experience of Foxcroft. All photo captions are from left to right.

1 2

DALLAS

TEXAS

In February 2024, alumnae and parents gathered for an intimate cocktail reception hosted by Brett and Lester Levy in their beautiful home.

4. Chloé Christenson ’20, Cathy McGehee, and Stephanie Mirshak ’02

5. Elise DeCleva ’85, Kaye Durham ’81, Kimberley Elting ’82, and Laura May ’86

6. Andrea Cozby P’24, Melanie Lozier Henke ’89, and Brett Levy P’23

7. Cathy McGehee and Shannon Doenges Collins ’85

8. Lester Levy P’23, Melanie Lozier Henke ’89, Cathy McGehee, Kaye Durham ’81, and Kimberely Elting ’82

9. Brett Levy P’23, Lester Levy P’23, Andrea Cozby P’24, and Cathy McGehee

10. Greg Henke and Melanie Lozier Henke ’89

11. Chloé Christenson ’20 and Kaye Durham ’81

12. Emily Stroud P’25, Mary Progar P’25, and Brian Progar P’25

GREENWICH

CONNECTICUT

A big thank you to Elaine Velaochaga Ubina ’84 for hosting a beautiful luncheon at The Field Club of Greenwich in February 2024.

1. Wilhelmina McQuarrie ’23 and Cathy McGehee

2. Beatriz Williams, Head of School Cathy McGehee, and Sydney Williams, IV

3. Cathy McGehee and Sydney M. Williams, III

WEST PALM BEACH

FLORIDA

More than 30 alumnae joined Head of School Cathy McGehee for a fun cocktail reception hosted by Dorothy Meek Porter ’82 and Joan Moseley Frost ’71.

13. Virginia Dunning Tobeason ’84, Jennifer Mabley Handler ’84, Alexis Robinson Waller ’84, Anne Dougherty Day ’84, Dorothy Meek Porter ’82, and Stephanie Cheshire ’84

14. Veronica Whitlock ’79, Melinda Highley Rockwell ’79, and Signa Merrill Hermann ’79

15. Cathy McGehee, Marion Couzens, and Ferrell Page McClean ’64

16. Cathy McGehee and Carla Paterno Darlington ’54

17. Cathy McGehee and Dorothy Meek Porter ’82

18. Hope Jones ’82, Veronica Whitlock ’79, Beverley Foster Murphy ’83, and Signa Merrill Hermann ’79

19. Maria-Flora Miller Smoller ’82, Hope Jones ’82, Dede Pickering Bossidy ’71, and Joan Moseley Frost ’71

20. Polly Norris ’72 and Dorothy Meek Porter ’82

21. Alexis Robinson Waller ’84, Dede Pickering Bossidy ’71, and Fiona Drummond ’78

22. Sarah French Fleming ’82, Melinda Highley Rockwell ’79, and DD Alexander Matz ’81

23. Peaches Harrison Bauer ’85, Wendy McIlvain ’83, and Sally Weldon ’77

24. Beverley Foster Murphy ’83, Cathy McGehee, and Virginia Dunning Tobeason ’84

25. Hope Haskell Jones ’52, Isabella Haskell deTomaso ’48, and Paige Crawford Kelly ’84

Milestones

Our heartfelt sympathies to all our alumnae who have recently lost loved ones.

Sympathy To

BARBARA JANNEY TRIMBLE 1956 on the loss of her sister

MELISSA EHLERS 1998 on the loss of her father

KRISSI SPENCE 1993, HALIE GILBERT 2016 on the loss of their mother/grandmother

JACKIE KLEINHANS 2005 on the loss of her mother

SARAH HOPE DE MAYO 2007, MOLLY DE MAYO 2009 on the loss of their grandmother

ROBIN PETERSON 2018 on the loss of her mother

Marriages & Commitments

MORGAN MANLEY 2007 to Alexander Ian Gaits Hofman

Births & Adoptions

JENEVIEVE HILL NELSON 2005 a daughter, Margot Briana

SHANNON WISOTZKEY-WOOD 2006 a daughter, Annelise Jamison

KAYOKO HIRATA PAKU 2007 a daughter, Shiyuko

CHARLOTTE WRIGHT ROSSETTER 2012 a daughter, Adeline Audrey

In Memoriam

SHEILA JANNEY WILLIAMS 1954

LUCIE GUERNSEY KLEINHANS 1973

MARY ROBIN PETERSON 1980

Farewell and Thank You!

Foxcroft would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to LIZANN GOHRING ’88, HOPE JONES ’82, and SCOTT BURHOE as they ﬁnish their terms on the Board of Trustees. Their hard work and dedication are greatly appreciated and will impact our girls and School for years to come.

AFTER 27 YEARS OF FRIEND- AND FUND-RAISING,

Marion Couzens Retires

After almost three decades of dedicated service to Foxcroft, Marion Couzens, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, retired at the end of June.

Marion started her journey with Foxcroft in 1997 as Director of Major Gifts, two years into the Gateways to Excellence campaign, the ﬁrst of three in which she would play a central role.

“Marion brought a wonderful mix of skills to her work at Foxcroft,” shared alumna and former colleague Stacey Ahner ’73. “As we all know, she takes true joy in talking with anyone about anything. But what I came to especially value were her creativity and calm demeanor. Her creativity sparked the design of campaigns, events, and publications that were fresh and unique while her thoughtful levelheadedness allowed her to excel as a fundraising leader both at Foxcroft and in the national independent school community. Her impact in both arenas has been transformative.”

Bill Weeks, former Board of Trustees member and Co-Chair of Foxcroft’s Centennial Campaign, agreed, “Marion was a terriﬁc fundraising partner. She has an incredible relationship with our alumnae. I could not have asked for a better person to work with on a campaign. She is an example of how one person can make a huge diference in an organization.”

During her tenure, the School has received approximately $150 million in total gifts for all purposes. This success would not have been possible without Marion’s warmth and caring, creativity and intuition, and most importantly her knowledge of our donors. She has always understood that raising money is about building relationships.

Marion has worn multiple hats throughout her time at Foxcroft, from Senior Class sponsor to project manager on the construction of the Athletic/ Student Center for a time, as well as advisor and Administrative Duty Ofcer, and yes, a loyal Fox! If you asked her, we suspect Marion would say that her proudest accomplishment was seeing her daughter Maeve ’12 graduate from Foxcroft, a strong, conﬁdent woman.

In 2022, Maeve, her brother Ian, and their father Bill shared another proud moment with Marion as Head of School Cathy McGehee recognized and honored her for 25 years of service to Foxcroft. “Marion has a gift for connecting constituents to the School and its mission and matching a donor’s interest with the institution’s needs. She always asks how she can help and no job ever seems too small for her to pitch in and do.”

“It has been a great pleasure to work with Marion over the years,” ofered Board of Trustees member Kaye Durham ’81. “She has been an amazing champion for Foxcroft for 27 years. She has worked tirelessly to see that Foxcroft grows and thrives and she is an encyclopedia of knowledge about Foxcroft and the School’s alumnae.”

It truly has been a pleasure! Thank you, Marion, for all you have done for Foxcroft — you will be missed!

1. Current and former colleagues, friends and family honor Marion at her retirement luncheon.

2. Bill and Marion celebrate with Maeve ’12 at her graduation.

3. Marion marks 25 years at Foxcroft with Ian and Maeve ’12.

GET TO KNOW

Hayley Munroe

Hayley Munroe joined Foxcroft as Director of Institutional Advancement a year ago to work with retiring Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Marion Couzens and learn about all things Foxcroft — from Fox/Hound traditions and alumnae stories to taking the reigns of a $65 million capital campaign. We recently caught up with her to answer a few questions. Here is a brief but close-up look at our newest Director of Institutional Advancement.

What has been your favorite part of the job so far?

My favorite part of my job is our community. I’ve enjoyed getting to know our alumnae, students, and parents. Hearing their stories about what makes Foxcroft special has been so helpful as I begin my role here.

You have come to Foxcroft amid our Building for Our Future capital campaign. How was that and how’s the campaign going?

It’s an exciting time to be at Foxcroft! I’ve enjoyed working alongside the Board of Trustees, the Campaign Advisory Committee, Cathy McGehee, Marion Couzens, and the community on this transformational campaign. It’s also been a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the design and construction of buildings. The Mars STEAM Wing will open in Fall 2025 and we’re currently fundraising for the Ruth T. Bedford ’32 Performing Arts Center!

You regularly work with alumnae, parents, and students. What do you enjoy the most about each group?

Our alumnae are intelligent and successful women who lead with their hearts and voices. I love listening to their stories about Foxcroft and how their friendships have continued over the years. I enjoy engaging with our parents and working with the Parents’

Association to plan fun and impactful activities like Family Weekend and Top and Tail! The most rewarding part of working with our students is seeing their growth throughout the year. I had the opportunity to teach a Wintermission class and enjoyed getting to know our students on a more personal level.

When you consider where Foxcroft could be decades from now; what are your hopes?

My hope is that Foxcroft will continue to be a safe and warm environment for our students to learn, grow, and use their voices and that we continue to have bright, passionate teachers and curious and kind students.

Fox or Hound? Go Foxes!

Favorite Foxcroft tradition?

New Girl Runnings during Fox/ Hound Field Hockey weekend! I was blown away by the teamwork and camaraderie our students showed!

Favorite spot on campus?

Walking the halls of Schoolhouse; I really enjoy interacting with the students and the faculty!

If a visiting friend had only 24 hours to spend at Foxcroft; what would you put on their itinerary?

I’d have my friend start with a walking tour of campus and then visit a class to

watch our incredible faculty interact with our students. I’d have them meet with Alex Northrup and Patty Boswell to learn more about the Fox/Hound traditions, then head to the sidelines to cheer for our athletic teams. We’d join faculty and students for dinner in Brick House and hopefully watch a student participate in the birthday tradition of running around the salad bar as everyone cheers! Finally, as the sun sets, we’d walk Big Track and hopefully see a fox!

In May, the Class of 2024 joined our worldwide network of more than 3,000 #GreatWomenFXC. As they look ahead to their next endeavors, know that your gift to The Foxcroft Circle enabled us to give them a strong foundation for their future.

The logo for The Foxcroft Circle was inspired by the early tradition of planting an ivy stem for each graduating class at the base of Brick House. As the ivy grew up the building, it would entwine with the stems planted years before, making the whole much stronger than each individual vine.

We invite you to help us prepare the next graduating class for their future by supporting The Foxcroft Circle with a gift that directly impacts our students, our teachers, and our operations.

22407 Foxhound Lane

Middleburg, VA 20117

FOLLOW FOXCROFT

August 24–28 • Opening Days

October 25–26 • Family Weekend

November 22–23 • Fox/Hound Field Hockey UPCOMING EVENTS

November 23 • Thanksgiving Break Begins

December 8 • Christmas Pageant

December 19 • Winter Break Begins

Please note that these dates are tentative and subject to change.

DO YOU KNOW A FOXCROFT GIRL? JOIN US FOR OUR FALL OPEN HOUSE

November 11

FOXCROFT.ORG/ADMISSIONS/EVENTS-VISITS

Congratulations to the Class of 2024!