Hallways: Innovate and illuminate (Summer 2022)

Innovate & illuminate

At Harpeth Hall, we ignite bright ideas that light the future

A PUBLICATION OF THE HARPETH HALL SCHOOL SUMMER 2022

Sallie King Norton ’71

grades. Inspired by Dr. Overholser, who Sallie called “the best teacher of my lifetime,” she set her sights on pursuing an English major at Vanderbilt University. Both Sallie and her sister also were elected president of their respective graduating classes. “Harpeth Hall instilled in me a desire to reach beyond my grasp,” she said. Well-prepared for her studies at Vanderbilt, Sallie thrived as a student. She met her husband, Bill, in college and later worked for five years in Vanderbilt’s Alumni Office as the first full-time reunion director. She returned to Harpeth Hall to serve as director of alumnae relations in 1997, and, during Ann Teaff’s tenure as Head of School, the alumnae office expanded with new committees, new ideas, and more involvement from alumnae than ever before. “I was proud to be a part of Ms. Teaff’s administration,” Sallie said, “because she gave 150%, and her enthusiasm was contagious.”

Bythe time she walked across Souby Lawn at Upper School Graduation in 1971, Sallie King Norton knew every twist and turn along the 40-mile stretch of backroads between her home in Murfreesboro and Harpeth Hall’s campus in Nashville.

Sometimes, she rode with a girl from her neighborhood who attended Lipscomb Academy and would drop her off at Harpeth Hall or a friend’s house at the crack of dawn. Other times, she rode with someone who worked at the Green Hills telephone company office. At times, she even relay-commuted, riding with a man who worked in Smyrna who dropped her off to meet the Ridley girls — Mary Ridley Livesay ’70 and Sarah Ridley Fleming ’72 — and go from there along with Kelmin Qualls Tyma ’71 and Betsy Tarpley Lesher ’71 who were also from Murfreesboro.

The commute was long, with no interstates, but getting to Harpeth Hall with other students from the Murfreesboro area was her top priority and definitely worth the effort. “Education was very important to my parents,” Sallie reflects, “and Murfreesboro had limited options for high school in the days before Riverdale and Oakland were built. Harpeth Hall had an established reputation for strong academics and leadership.”

Sallie says she and her sister, Carmine King Jordan ’65, were “embraced with open arms by the Harpeth Hall community. My class was particularly wonderful, and I treasure the lasting friendships.” Sallie learned quickly that a strong work ethic would yield good

Sallie’s work at Harpeth Hall until 2012 also afforded her the privilege of knowing the majority of alumnae at the time. She came to know many more students who, like Sallie and her sister, journeyed to Harpeth Hall in their own unique ways in pursuit of opportunities. And, like her parents, Sallie valued the education Harpeth Hall provided her own daughter, Sarah Norton Ross ’06. Sallie believes wholeheartedly in Harpeth Hall’s mission, and she always says “yes” when asked to volunteer and to give financially. “Celebrating my 50th reunion recently reinforced my appreciation for the deep friendships and happy memories of my time at Harpeth Hall,” she said. To Sallie, it feels “only natural” that she and Bill include Harpeth Hall in their estate plans.

“From the time I enrolled, I understood I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend Harpeth Hall with its invaluable education, its comprehensive and strong curriculum, myriad opportunities, passionate teachers, and beautiful campus,” she said. “Continuing the tradition of all-girls education in this community is a priority, and I would love for future generations to have the same opportunity that my sister, my daughter, and I enjoyed.”

After that long commute, Sallie has lived as close to Harpeth Hall as possible, just one street over, for the last 35 years.

If you are considering a planned gift to Harpeth Hall, please contact Susan Moll, director of advancement, at 615-346-0087 or moll@harpethhall.org

Sallie King Norton ’71 (left) with daughter Sarah Norton Ross ’06 and sister Carmine King Jordan ’65. Sallie has two sons, Will and Jameson, and nine grandchildren.

When you walk on our campus and talk to one of our students or teachers, it is almost impossible not to see Harpeth Hall as a place brimming with bright and exciting ideas. Our students are focused and engaged, and they are taught and mentored by thoughtful and dedicated teachers. Why wouldn’t this school be an incubator for innovation?

But turning those ideas into action is not always easy. That is why we are intentional about fostering the right environment for bright ideas to form while ensuring that those ideas are tried and tested — and tested again. We want our girls to understand that a new idea only signals the beginning of the work to come. Next comes the dedication.

In these pages, you will see how dedicated Harpeth Hall students, faculty, and alumnae are to generating fresh thoughts, new approaches, and different ways to look at the same old problems. You will read about our 6th grade students who have been inspired to pursue their own big ideas after bringing the role models of history alive through their Distinguised Women projects. You will learn more about the student diversity leadership group, BELONG, and how it is generating ideas for meaningful ways to bring together Nashville educators and students from all schools. You will get a glimpse into the ideation that happens in every nook of the brand new Bullard Bright IDEA Lab. And you will hear from two accomplished members of the Harpeth Hall community — Entrepreneur Center President and CEO Jane Allen and actress and businesswoman Reese Witherspoon ’94 — about the limitless possibilities that come in pursuit of academic and professional curiosities.

And that is just a part of the illumination at Harpeth Hall. Fostering innovation happens in all corners of campus — in classrooms, pods, studios, and labs. STEM subjects explode with possibilties for problem solving and deep thinking. Our Worlds-qualifying robotics team can tell you just what it takes to come up with the best strategy to get a robot competition ready. Hint: it takes hours, weeks, and months of creating new code. But idea generation does not just happen in STEM. In the English classrooms, our students are describing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in the most eloquent ways. What use is a bright idea if it cannot be successfully communicated? In the history classrooms,

our girls are making the connections across cultures and historical events that influence our time and our decisions. Understanding context is an essential element of success.

As a school, we are also cultivating bright ideas. We continually search for a better way to educate, engage, and connect with our students. We cling to the values that are the foundation of our mission while evolving to meet the needs of our students today. We support our girls and young women as they stretch and reach. We also know that in order for them to achieve their goals, we need to slowly let out more slack so that they will have room to take bigger risks and even fail at times.

Though I am not a scientist, I appreciate the value of thinking like one. Whenever a scientist looks for a solution to a problem, she looks for flaws in the logic and reasoning. She doesn’t search for affirmation. Rethinking, and in some cases unlearning, previous assumptions may be the most crucial step to innovation. Trying and failing immediately calls for a new and innovative approach. It becomes increasingly difficult to stick to the old method when it ceases to work. We want our girls to search for their best critics before they can feel secure with their own line of reasoning. Searching for those who disagree with our premise is essential in readying our ideas for implementation and ultimately to a finished product.

At Harpeth Hall, we know well that enhancing a school culture of innovation requires a commitment to building capacity for these skills in the classroom, in faculty meetings, and at the leadership level. Turning insight into action breeds a better school. A better school produces a graduate who “rises to intellectual challenges and discerns solutions to complex issues.” Harpeth Hall is a better school each year because of the bright ideas fostered here. Never remaining idle, our students and faculty continually find new ways to think critically, lead confidently, and live honorably.

Jess Hill Head of School

Bright Ideas FROM DISTINGUISHED WOMEN

Harpeth Hall has always been a place that inspires and prepares girls to become what they dream. Perhaps it is a pilot, a paramedic, a poet, a president. There are no limits to the bright pursuits of our students. And the 6th grade Distinguished Women project sets them on their path.

This year, the middle school students researched important women in all eras of history, learning what inspired them, the challenges they faced, and how they made a meaningful difference in the world. Then, as is tradition, the students brought spirits of their chosen women — Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, and other timeless female role models — to life through their project presentations.

As they do each year, each 6th grade student learned what it takes to become a woman who turns ideas into reality.

Audrey Hepburn • CHOSEN

BY ALESSANDRA NAVORI

“Audrey Hepburn showed passion in her work, whether in the spotlight as an actress or traveling across the country to support children. The positive outlook she maintained each day inspired others and influenced them to pursue their dreams while giving back to society.”

What big idea did Ms. Hepburn inspire in you?

“Her devotion to UNICEF inspired me to help out with my community more. Since the future is computer-based, my idea is to create a program that collects donations of used electronics — computers, iPads, and more — and give them to the children in need to further their education. … Also, like Ms. Hepburn, when I reach 7th grade I’ll face my fears of being on stage and start auditioning for musicals.”

Katherine Dunham, a noted dancer and choreographer with a Ph.D. in anthropology, is celebrated for her innovative interpretations of African American, Caribbean, African, and South American movements and for incorporating those dance styles and themes into her ballets. She was active in human rights causes, and in 1992, she staged a 47-day hunger strike to highlight the plight of Haitian refugees. Ms. Dunham received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1983 and the National Medal of Arts in 1989.

What big idea did Ms. Dunham inspire in you?

“Through her career, she danced in all different types of cultures, has traveled, and made incredible projects to help the world. She taught me that you can do anything — you just have to break through barriers. She has inspired me to write books and short stories.”

Nancy Lopez • CHOSEN BY LUCY OLIVER

Nancy Lopez was a professional golfer known for being a major force in the sport in the 1970s and 1980s. A lifelong student and instructor of the game, Ms. Lopez was recognized during the LPGA’s 50th anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA’s top-50 players and teachers. She was presented with the 2003 Billie Jean King Contribution Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation, and in 2004, she became the first woman to receive the Frances Ouimet Award for lifelong contributions to golf.

What big idea did Ms. Lopez inspire in you?

“My distinguished woman was known for having the best attitude and always being so kind to others. She has inspired others to always have an awesome attitude even when they're having their worst day. She also gave me the bright idea to play in more golf tournaments with people who are better than me so I can continue to improve and love the game even more.”

Katherine Dunham • CHOSEN BY KENNEDY SANDERS

Birmingham bound

Atextbook can’t always convey the magnitude of historical events. Sometimes the best way to comprehend pivotal moments and movements is to turn learning into an experience. This spring, 5th grade students traveled to Birmingham to see important landmarks from the civil rights movement in person after studying the history and reading “The Watsons Go to Birmingham.” During the trip, students visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and learned about the Birmingham Children’s March. They met with a participant from the march and learned how the bravery of the children who fought for freedom in Birmingham led to Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington. Their moving experience in Alabama helped to contextualize the stories they read in class, adding new layers to what they learned.

Creating a music brand

Didyou know that there are over 180 recording studios, nearly 500 music publishers, and 80 record labels in the Nashville area? With the vibe of Music City booming all around them, Brion Kennedy’s 7th grade Music and Culture class wanted to inject its own creativity into the industry. It started with a song. Students formed their own rock band and worked together to write, record, and produce a piece of music. They studied music marketing and created a brand for themselves, designing their own logos to match the goals of their brand. At the end of the project, they turned their song into a visual wavelength and designed promotional T-shirts with the wavelength. Keep an ear out for these budding artists in the future.

The politics of problem solving

WhenHarpeth Hall students see a problem, they want to solve it. This spring, 7th and 8th grade students traveled to the Tennessee State Capitol to address issues our state faces and propose bills to enact change as a part of Youth Legislature, a program in which students learn parliamentary procedure and act as senators or representatives to write their own legislation. Among the hundreds of students from across Nashville participating in the event, Harpeth Hall students introduced bills to reduce opioid abuse, provide more funding for mental health services for incarcerated youth, and improve self-defense education for students. Two of the bills proposed were placed on the docket for discussion, and a bill to improve water infrastructure throughout the state won the Outstanding Bill award.

Working to make worldwide impact Student grant

It’s

not every day that a high school junior can say she debated the tenets of sustainable development with teenagers from around the globe. But, in the spring, three Harpeth Hall juniors — Amelia Cummings, Caroline Ford, and Mary Roper — had that very opportunity. They joined more than 150 students from the United States, Canada, India, Turkey, and Colombia in an event organized by the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG), which promotes and navigates global education in schools. Together, student groups gathered virtually to discuss UN Sustainable Development Goal 12, which reads, “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.” At Harpeth Hall, the Global Scholars program encourages our students to “think beyond the geographic and cultural boundaries of the familiar in order to develop leadership skills necessary to become effective and responsible global citizens.” At the GEBG event, participating students and faculty gathered in a virtual room for a brief orientation and then joined breakout rooms of about 10 students from other schools with a faculty facilitator to discuss the global challenge and how it affects their own lives and to share ideas for solutions. The discussions had a tremendous impact on the students, and they began thinking about how they can lead change. “After considering the many and wide-ranging perspectives of the people in my breakout room group, I think that if individuals can start sharing the things they are actually doing to consume sustainably, others will begin to believe that they could take sustainable steps as well,” Mary said. “Because our world is more connected than ever before with social media and cell phones, one person’s deliberate actions have the potential to inspire thousands of others as well.”

Junior Amelia Kremer went down a woodworking rabbit hole on YouTube. After learning she was one of only 10 students across the country to receive the Erkan Fellowship STEM Education Grant from the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, she started brainstorming the many ways she could leave her mark. The grant presents her with the opportunity to complete STEM projects while participating in a mentorship program throughout the rest of her high school career. But where should she begin? In the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab’s new workshop, the walls of tools presented so many possibilities.

“I was itching to do something with the new machinery,” she said. After hours of YouTube video inspiration, she decided on her first project. In the spring, Amelia began construction on a workbench complete with laser engravings and epoxy art.

Togas to go in Latin IV

Carpe diem. Quid pro quo. Ipso facto. Et cetera. These Latin phrases are a part of our modern vernacular as we have adopted the ancient language into our ever-changing culture. But, what would the ancient Romans think of our modern-day world, and how would they fit in? The Latin IV classes sought the answer. First, they needed the authentic clothing of ancient Rome to truly play the part. They researched what the day’s fashion was like throughout the eras, and in one of Harpeth Hall’s maker spaces, The Design Den, students crafted authentic clothing complete with peplos, ornate pins, and an 18-foot-long toga. Then it was time to put the costumes to the test. Members of the Latin IV honors class wore the clothes out in Nashville to film videos imagining what the ancient Romans would be like in the modern world. Teacher Jerard White wanted students to explore how their imagined Roman character would react to some of our technology and way of life based on the ancient readings students completed in Latin. Imagine a Roman senator walking through an Apple Store. What do you think his reaction would be?

sets benchmarks for bright ideas

“Deciding on which of my several ideas to pursue for my grant project was very difficult for me because I tend to be overly ambitious, but Mr. Kyle Odum, my mentor for this project, helped me make my decision. I have done very little with wood before, so we went with a simple bench and made it more special with the laser engraver and epoxy. I plan to give it to my brother as a gift because he was my first role model for engineering and has always helped me pursue it. I was and am ecstatic about this project mainly because I have never had an opportunity like this before and getting to experiment with designing software, do hands-on work, and have a tangible product in the future is a huge deal for me. Basically, the stars aligned to make this happen for me with the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab and my grant, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I have already learned so much and am looking forward to more and bigger projects that could potentially benefit the school!” — Amelia Kremer

SOWING THE SEEDS: Turning

by Jane Allen, Harpeth Hall parent and trustee and the CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center

Have the heart and mind

we all know, the world has a lot of problems to be solved. The good news is entrepreneurs are here for precisely that reason — to create solutions, bring new ideas to life, and build products, services, and organizations to overcome complex situations. As the CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, I see this every single day in every industry. We serve entrepreneurs across four stages of the entrepreneurial lifecycle — innovate, rapid growth, stabilize, or exit to circle back. Our programs support founders from those who have an idea or business and want to figure out whether it is a viable, economically sound business; to those ready to scale; to those needing a succession plan; to those who want to connect and help the next generation. We walk alongside and connect them to critical resources to create, launch, grow, and scale. These critical resources are vast but include access to curriculum, programs, money, and, most importantly, people.

In 2000, I started my own business, Counsel on Call, an on-demand legal services company. It grew into a global business known as Legility. Being an entrepreneur requires taking a blueprint and crafting it into something concrete — a tall task at first glance but made possible with persistence and determination.

The entrepreneurial journey is unique and does not fit into a box; however, from my own entrepreneurial journey and as CEO of the Entrepreneur Center, here are some tips I share with my fellow entrepreneurs:

If the idea does not push you to want to learn everything about the subject or industry, then maybe it’s not the idea for you. So, what to do when that happens? Keep thinking. It’s not what you look at in front of you; it’s what you see when you close your eyes. That vision. As a practicing attorney who enjoyed law and the firm where I worked, I saw many women leaving the profession. I also saw a model that had a variable client base and a static hiring base — and I saw a solution. Quite candidly, I looked for every reason not to start the business; however, I likened it to a seedling, I kept putting dirt on it, and it kept sprouting. I would wake up with ideas and eventually knew that I would regret not taking the chance if I did not pursue them.

Create a business plan

The document that separates the emotion from the practical. The goal here is to think of the real problem you’re trying to solve and who is experiencing that problem. The business plan was a great tool that helped create the Counsel on Call brand, website, and marketing materials and forced me to truly think about the economics before jumping in — it made me very aware of the importance of running a lean operation. A couple of questions that guided me were:

• What does the business do?

• Why will it be successful?

• Who are the customers?

• What is the cost vs. pricing structure?

Bright IDEAS into Business

Test the market

One of the reasons a bright idea will be successful is that you’ve tested it. It’s the only way you’ll truly understand the problem you’re trying to solve. Talk with those you trust who understand the problem. Seek their input and guidance. I had the good fortune to clerk for a federal judge and talked with him and a few of his peers, listening to their input and suggestions. The feedback I received was invaluable.

Know the customers and sell it

Listen to what the customers are saying and use that feedback to adapt. The companies with longevity are the ones that can listen and refine their approach and business model. We started Counsel on Call to enable women to stay in the profession. My first client was a male attorney who needed balance — I quickly learned the problem was much bigger than I anticipated and responded accordingly.

Community

The road to entrepreneurship can be lonely. It is vital to find a peer community and a mentor community. This is what we provide at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. It’s essential to learn from those who have come before you and talk with those in similar stages in the entrepreneurial journey.

BIO

Jane Allen is the CEO of Nashville Entrepreneur Center. An attorney by training, she received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law and completed a federal clerkship in the Western District of Kentucky. She moved to Nashville in 1994, where she was an attorney at Doramus & Trauger (now Trauger & Tuke). In 2000, she left the firm to start her own business, Counsel on Call, an on-demand legal services company, known today as Legility. She also started Hanner Clarke, a handbag company she co-founded with her sister, Rebecca White. Jane is married to Greg Allen and is the mother of three sons and a daughter, Elizabeth Allen ’22.

Eighth grade students quiz alumnae on Career Day

by Jessica Bliss and Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

Tuesday afternoon started with an untraditional pop quiz for Harpeth Hall’s 8th grade students.

• Can you name the sisters in Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women?”

• What are two ingredients in a GooGoo Cluster?

• How do you define neurosurgery?

• What are the names of Harpeth Hall’s two Olympic-medal-winning swimmers?

• How many justices sit on the U.S. Supreme Court?

The answer to each question connected in some way to a Harpeth Hall alumna and her cool career. It was the perfect way to kick off this year’s 8th Grade Career Day.

Nearly 30 Harpeth Hall alumnae shared personal experiences about their college pursuits, the journey through their career path, and the many lessons they learned along the way.

“Career Day inspires me because you can see how passionate each woman is for her job and her pure joy and love for it,” 8th grade student Liza Nelle Meltesen said. “It makes me excited for my future and finding something I love to do.”

After the “cool career quiz” and a short session sharing stories about some of Harpeth Hall’s successful alumnae, students joined classroom discussions based on their interests, skills, and talents. The small-group setting gave students the chance to have meaningful conversations with alumnae from a variety of professional backgrounds, including entrepreneurship, construction, finance, healthcare, law, counseling, and more.

This time, students got to give the quiz, asking alumnae about everything from how to decide what to do for a career to the challenges they face as a woman in their profession.

Offering engaging in-the-workplace stories and helpful advice, Harpeth Hall alumnae highlighted a future of opportunities for the students.

“Career Day really made me excited for the future,” 8th grade student Rollin Durrett said. “It is amazing hearing about all of these super hard things and classes the alumnae did. It makes me think that if they can do it, I can too. One of my favorite quotes was ‘It is hard, but you can do it.’”

Words of career wisdom from Harpeth Hall alumnae

When I think back to what my natural interests were as a young kid, I had all these ideas for what I wanted to do. What really caught my interest most in school were the science classes. The funny thing was that I was actually best at English and history — but science is what I loved. To me, that means, follow your passion. Just because you are great at something, doesn’t mean that is what you have to do. You can choose the thing that you just love and have the most interest and passion for. That is going to make the best career for you. You are naturally going to be good at the things that interest you the most.

— Dana Deaton Verner ’95, psychiatrist, medical director, and co-founder of Green Hills Family Psych

You are forming your core self right now, and through your experiences, like we all do moving forward, you will grow. We find new things that we are good at or that we are not good at. What we love and what we don’t love changes. Having some real honest conversations with yourself — even the scary ones such as, ‘I’ve spent my whole life wanting to do this and now I don’t really like it’ — just face that as your reality. Don’t keep chasing something that doesn’t bring that happiness for you.

Alissa

—

Swearingen ’97, general surgeon and chair in the department of surgery at Advanced Surgical Associates and TriStar Skyline Medical Center

I think a life in the arts is one where, if you are going to be successful, you have to hone your intuition. No one is going to teach you that in school, but it is what makes art connect with hearts. You have to learn how to listen to that voice. If you learn how to listen to it and how to hone it, it will guide you in ways that you can’t logically anticipate. But, sometimes your heart and your spirit know more than your brain and you have to trust that. That is ultimately how doors are going to open. If you are interested in a creative field, it is because you are creative. You have to learn how to apply that creativity to your career. So not only making art, but how to make your career work.

— Kimia Ferdowsi Kline ’03, painter, curator, and professor for Kimia Kline Paintings

There are always going to be challenges, because you are female, because you are young, because this is your first job, because you switched careers. Just because you are any of these things doesn’t mean your idea isn’t great or you don’t know what you are talking about. So have the confidence to raise your hand, say what you think, and find your support group.

— Angie Zambrano ’10, Americas regional compliance risk manager at Cat Financial Services Corporation

2022 8th Grade Career Day

Arts and Entertainment

Anna Kathryn Groom ’15, Brand Partnerships Coordinator, Wasserman Music

Kimia Ferdowsi Kline ’03, Painter/Curator/ Professor, Kimia Kline Paintings

Suzi Ragsdale ’82, Singer/Songwriter, Suzy Ragsdale/Ray Stevens Music (BMI)

Business and Finance

Lisa Shipp Kimbrough ’01, Senior Director — Salesforce, Corpay

Lexie Osgood ’13, Branch Manager/Assistant Vice President, Regions Bank

Beverly Hodgson Conley ’97, Vice President and Investment Operations Officer, Truxton Trust

Angie Zambrano ’10, Americas Regional Compliance Risk Manager, Cat Financial Services Corporation

Communications, Marketing, and Sales A.K. Dettwiller ’96, President, DET Distributing

Julia Brown Perry ’97, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

In college, you will run into folks from a lot of walks of life, and, at some point in time, it will dawn on you the depth of education you have been exposed to at Harpeth Hall because you will be so far ahead of others you are in class with. It’s a gift.

— Ashley Norton Gold ’88, attorney for Wood Stabell Law Group, PLLC

I always try to have a mentor no matter where I am. Having someone in my professional life who has a different perspective is a really big thing.

— Crockett Hale Rodriguez ’04, dean of curriculum and instruction at Battle Ground Academy It is okay to change paths, and it is okay to not know what you want to do. That is my biggest piece of advice. I still don’t know what I want to do. I am constantly wanting to learn and grow, and I think that is something that took me a while to get to. Be okay with making mistakes and learn from them. That is the biggest thing I have learned.

—Leslie Rolfe ’13, strategy and planning analyst for HCA Healthcare

Anne Hancock Toomey ’97, Founding Partner and Chief Development Officer, Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc.

Counseling and Therapy

Eleanor Ezell ’09, Owner and Clinical Director, Child & Family Therapy Collective

Dana Deaton Verner 95, Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatrist/Medical Director and Co-founder, Green Hills Family Psych

Design and Construction

Annie Baron Flanagin ’99, Chief Operating Officer, Baron Construction LLC

Katie Harwell Gibson ’07, Owner/Lead Designer, Katie Gibson Interiors

Ellen Fuson ’02, Architect, Gresham Smith

Education

Katie Sergent Cour ’90, President and CEO, Nashville Public Education Foundation

Crockett Hale Rodriguez ’04, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction, Battle Ground Academy (BGA)

Anne Clarke Pirkle Snyder ’06, 2nd Grade Teacher, Percy Priest Elementary School

When you are an entrepreneur, you can’t pick up the phone and call IT. You do it all. You quickly become versed in legal, and accounting, and marketing, and HR, and everything that has to do with running a business. It is hard work.

— Marcie Allen Van Mol ’92, owner and president of MAC Presents and Anzie Blue restaurant

In communications, there are so many areas of expertise, one brain can’t hold it all. So when we have big decisions to make, we meet and bring all perspectives together and decide from there. … Teamwork is part of life.

— Julia Brown Perry ’97, vice president of marketing communications for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Entrepreneur and Business Owner

Bonnie Brockman Cross ’97, Owner, Tenn Hens Design

Sara Morris Garner ’03, Owner and Manager, Jackson Durham Events and Nurse Practitioner, DeLozier Cosmetic Surgery Center

Marcie Allen Van Mol ’92, Owner, President, MAC Presents and Anzie Blue Restaurant

Healthcare

Leslie Rolfe ’13, Strategy and Planning Analyst, HCA Healthcare

Alissa Swearingen ’97, General Surgeon and Chair, Department of Surgery, Advanced Surgical Associates and TriStar Skyline Medical Center

Amanda Powell Smith ’04, Senior Director, Ankura

Legal

Ashley Norton Gold ’88, Attorney, Wood Stabell Law Group, PLLC

Abby Lipshie Regan ’04, Manager of Contracts Office, Sponsored Programs, Vanderbilt University

Parker Davis ’11, Associate Attorney, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

CHOIR

Visiting artists help the choir program grow

Two renowned composers and a rock star keyboardist brought culture and good vibes to Harpeth Hall as they taught and inspired students to create new musical works. In February, composer Kara Stacy worked with the 6th grade English classes to compose a piece of music using the students' poetry. She also worked with the 5th and 7th grade choirs as a guest clinician. In the spring, composer Mina Esary visited Harpeth Hall to work with the Chamber Choir on a new commissioned piece featuring a string quartet of Chamber Orchestra members. After taking part in the creation process, the choirs had the honor of premiering the compositions. In the 7th grade Music and Culture class, the students had the opportunity to work with John “JoJo” Hermann, keyboardist with the band Widespread Panic. As he visited around Mardi Gras, Mr. Hermann led a conversation and performed music centered around the music culture of New Orleans. We are so grateful to these wonderful guest artists who shared their expertise with our students!

THEATRE

Hall debut

There has been a murder at Mr. Body’s mansion, but who did it? Was it perhaps Colonel Mustard, in the conservatory, with a candlestick? In a hilarious adaptation of the movie “Clue,” based on the beloved Hasbro board game, the Upper School Playmakers had the audience laughing while trying to solve the mystery. This production marked the debut of Harpeth Hall’s newest theatre director, Lauren Bromfield. “Collaborating on our version of this whimsical whodunit with these dedicated young actors and technicians has been an absolute pleasure,” Ms. Bromfield said. “Their ideas and insights make this production what it is. I am eternally grateful for all the support and guidance I have received throughout my first production here at Harpeth Hall. I offer sincere thanks to the Harpeth Hall community for welcoming me.”

Ms. Bromfield’s next endeavor will be directing the 24th fall Harpeth Hall/MBA collaborative musical, “Into the Woods.”

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

On stage with . . . Lindsey Beatty ’22

Senior Lindsey Beatty started dancing in the fall of 5th grade when she joined Harpeth Hall as a new student. This fall, she is heading to Ohio State University where she will major in contemporary dance. Her goals are to join a professional dance company after college. She is confident that dance will always play a big role in her life.

What do you like most about being part of Harpeth Hall’s Dance Company? I love the dance company so much! The community is so supportive and loving, and I couldn't imagine a better group of people to be my dance sisters. I can always rely on others to be there for me whether it be dance or just life in general. I love the teachers and the training is really amazing. Dance Company has positively influenced my life in so many ways, and I don't know what I would do without it.

What are the most challenging aspects and most rewarding aspects of dance?

The most challenging and rewarding part of dance company is tech week — the week leading up to the dance concert. We are dancing for hours each day and while it is tiring, it is so much fun because the concert really starts coming together, and it is fun to see the costumes and lighting.

What is the best thing that Harpeth Hall has taught you?

Harpeth Hall has prepared me for the future by teaching me how to work with all types of people. I am also far more confident in my abilities as a student than I was before I went here.

Theatre director Lauren Bromfield makes her Harpeth

BEHIND the music stand…

Meet Lori McDermott

Orchestra director Lori McDermott loves watching her students grow as musicians. During Mrs. McDermott’s 11-year tenure at Harpeth Hall, the Upper School strings program has competed at the state level during concert festivals, developed Music and Culture Class curriculum, and spearheaded a string festival that collaborates with Montgomery Bell Academy. Beyond her work as a conductor, Mrs. McDermott has coached the rowing and cross country teams at Harpeth Hall. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Iowa and a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Emporia State University.

What drew you to teach at Harpeth Hall?

This is actually a funny story. My resume fell into the hands of someone at Harpeth Hall through one of my husband’s work acquaintances. I was really caught off guard when Mary Lea Bryant, former Middle School director, called me for an interview. We were moving from Kansas City to Nashville, living in a two-bedroom apartment with three kids and 110-pound lab. I was so frazzled when I picked up the phone that when she asked to speak to Lori McDermott, I replied, “Um, I will go get her.” After composing myself, I had a long wonderful conversation with Mary Lea and she invited me for an interview. I really had so much fun the two days I interviewed. I really felt this was meant to be.

What would you say you like the most about teaching at Harpeth Hall?

I love the excitement, curiosity, and love for learning I see in the girls each day.

As a teacher, what is the most important lesson you could impart on your students?

The most important lesson is to love what you do and enjoy the process no matter how painful. Meaning, the hard work is necessary and, yes, the product is important, but not near as important as what you will learn in the journey to get there.

What are you looking forward to exploring most in your classes next year?

I am looking forward to the orchestra working with a national clinician next year. I am also excited about new opportunities and getting involved in more performances now that we are opening back up after COVID-19.

If you could sit down to dinner with any three musicians in history, whom would you invite?

Beethoven, Dvorak, and Clara Schuman. I have so many questions for each of them. I love Beethoven and Dvorak's music, and I am intrigued by Clara and her struggles as one of the first female composers.

Harpeth Hall chamber choir makes beautiful music at Carnegie Hall with Fisk

Jubilee Singers

by Jessica Bliss

Ina rehearsal space in Fisk Jubilee Hall, Paul T. Kwami strikes piano keys with one hand and directs the chorus of singers seated in front of him with the other. As the strings vibrate under the piano lid, the room fills with voices resounding and resolute.

On this night, Chamber Choir members from Harpeth Hall and Montgomery Bell Academy join the Fisk Jubilee Singers for a rehearsal in preparation for the biggest performance of their singing careers thus far — an appearance at Carnegie Hall.

The collection of vocal keys blends harmoniously under the direction of Fisk’s music director, Dr. Kwami, and sheet music shuffles as the students stand for the next piece, “Good News!”

As she watches, Harpeth Hall’s lead choral teacher Esther Ting, smiles in anticipation of what is to come.

“Music-making not only enriches our lives but also brings comfort and joy to the community that we are in,” says Ms. Ting, who also sings professionally with Yale Camerata of the Institute of Sacred Music, Atlanta Chamber Choir, and BachFest Malaysia.

The opportunity to perform alongside the Jubilee Singers — both in the historic Jubilee Hall in Nashville and later onstage in the world-renowned venue Carnegie Hall in New York City — held a deep significance for the students and the Harpeth Hall program this school year.

That sentiment stretches back to the origin of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The original Jubilee Singers ensemble introduced the Negro spiritual to the world in 1871 as they traveled and raised money for Fisk University. Over the decades, they performed at The Kennedy Center, the White House, and in venues worldwide, earning an audience in front of U.S. presidents, royal families, diplomats, and dignitaries.

In its travels, the ensemble became known and respected for the performance and preservation of the Negro spiritual and celebrated as members of the Music City Walk of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, and the Academy of Country Music.

Under the leadership and musical direction of Dr. Kwami, the Fisk Jubilee Singers continue to honor that legacy.

The ensemble has collaborated with top artists like CeCe Winans, Keb’ Mo’, Shania Twain, India.Arie, The Fairfield Four, and Rodney Atkins. In 2008, they were awarded a National Medal of Arts by former President George W. Bush. Last year, the singers won their first GRAMMY award for Best Roots Gospel Album for “Celebrating Fisk! The 150th Anniversary Album.” The Singers had been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards previously and have won a Dove Award.

Fisk’s collaboration with Harpeth Hall and Montgomery Bell Academy marked a new achievement as the members of the ensemble performed on the main stage at Carnegie Hall for the first time. With its elegant, domed ceiling, five curved levels of red velvet seats, and high-caliber acoustics the venue has dazzled audiences

and performers for over a century. And nowhere is the view more remarkable than looking out beyond the spotlights from center stage. “It’s so much fun to get to explore New York with people who also love music,” Harpeth Hall junior Ruby Wolter said. “. . . And to be exposed to such an amazing performance space as a high schooler is just incredible.”

Into the spotlight

In a large rehearsal room backstage on the night of the show, the Harpeth Hall Chamber Choir and MBA’s Headmaster Singers formed a circle of folding chairs and reflected on what was to come.

In the next hour, the students would step on stage for the most significant moment of their singing careers — a performance with the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers in the esteemed Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.

As they prepared for the event, they gathered together dressed in their concert black attire and talked about what the moment meant to them and their journeys with music.

Leading up to the trip to New York, Harpeth Hall’s Chamber Choir won a superior rating at the Middle Tennessee Vocal Association’s High School Choral Festival, recognized for their tone, technique, interpretation, musical effect, and artistry. The March 19 performance in one of the country’s most storied venues showcased that hard work and dedication.

“Singing in Carnegie Hall is probably the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Harpeth Hall senior Cori Magsby said. “Every minute is breathtaking.”

When the moment came, the Harpeth Hall Chamber Choir soaked in the view from center stage alongside the Fisk Jubilee Singers, MBA’s Headmaster Singers, and others as the trio of Nashville choirs performed a setlist that included “Kekeli Tso Kekeli Me,” which means “Light is the source of light” and was composed by T.W. Kwami, the father of Dr. Kwami. The choirs also sang Negro spirituals such as “Listen to the Lambs” and “My God is a Rock.”

Through a lifetime of performance and music, Cori felt the importance of sharing those songs with the audience at Carnegie Hall. Music, no matter the genre, has the ability to soothe, inspire, energize, and connect, she said. That happens, whether it is the words of Kendrick Lamar, Etta James, Beyonce, or Garth Brooks. “Music influences and brings so many people together,” she said. “There are so many different bands and different music styles that unite people — even if those people are not on the same political field or of a shared perspective. And that’s what I really think is beautiful. Regardless of what has happened to us, music transforms itself into what we see today, and it helps us understand what we are going through — even when it’s a random song that some kid made up in her basement. It’s inspiring. I think that’s what music is all about. It means something to someone.”

BRINGING GLOBAL HYMNS HOME

After

appearing in Carnegie Hall, the Harpeth Hall Chamber Choir and the MBA Headmaster Singers hosted a home concert at the Covenant Presbyterian Church. The performance featured the spirituals they sang at Carnegie Hall with an introduction of the music by Dr. Kwami. The 7th grade choirs from Harpeth Hall and MBA opened the concert with two combined pieces.

Opening windows to the creative world

Every day, Harpeth Hall students open windows into unexplored creative worlds. It may be through a new turn of phrase, a shutter click at just the right moment, or a brushstroke of brilliant color perfectly placed on canvas.

In celebration of their talent, Harpeth Hall students each year submit their original works to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition, which started in 1923 and for nearly a century has “inspired bold ideas in creative teens” throughout the country.

In the art category, participants choose from comic art, film and animation, painting, photography, and other creative mediums. In writing, participant entries range from creative nonfiction in critical essays and journalism, to short story and novel writing. Students in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) may submit an unlimited number of creative works for judging at the regional and national levels. This year, in a showcase of drawing, painting, critical essays, short stories, and more, 60 Harpeth Hall students earned over 90 recognitions in the regional awards. We are very proud of our writers and artists.

• Critical Essays: 9

• Flash Fiction: 3

• Journalism: 1

Writing Excerpts

An intricate blend of confidence and poise, of love and encouragement.

— Riley McDaniel ‘23, Honorable Mention for “Perfume”

And because she is too busy

Making adults smile and failing geometry

And being so terribly

In love with the world she inherited.

— Betsy Rogers ‘23, Honorable Mention for “The Lamp”

My whole life can be read from these shelves and the items within.

— Miller Clark ‘23, Gold Key for “Book of Life”

Writings Awards by Category

• Personal Essays and Memoirs: 3 • Poetry: 16 • Science Fiction and Fantasy: 1

Art Award by Categories

• Painting: 12 • Drawing and Illustration: 13 • Comic Art: 1 • Printmaking: 4

• Short Story: 2

Dramatic Script: 1

Total Awards: 36 • Photography: 12 • Digital Art: 3 • Mixed Media: 4 • Art Portfolio: 1

• Ceramics and Glass: 4 • Total Awards: 54

HONEYBEAR ATHLETES IN 2022

Honeybears make history with five state titles

Behind the sprinting, jumping, strength, and perseverance of its track and field athletes, Harpeth Hall claimed the DII Class AA girls state championship.

The victory marked the TSSAA-record 17th team track and field title in Harpeth Hall school history, and the school’s first since 2016. The winning performance also made school history as Harpeth Hall’s fifth state championship of the school year. Track and field joined soccer, cross country, riflery, and lacrosse as the best girls teams in the state of Tennessee.

“If sports teaches us nothing else, it should teach us the value of teamwork,” Harpeth Hall Athletic Director Kylene Lee said. “History was made because of our community's ability to work as a team. From the athletes, student body, parents, coaches, and administration — all of us moved together in a direction that has put Harpeth Hall athletics on the map both for today and for years to come.”

The day's track and field events felt like a marathon — even in the sprints. The state meet competition stretched from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the day in late May, but the persistence of the Harpeth Hall team never tapered. Nineteen athletes competed

to bring home a true team championship that saw the Bears score points in 16 out of 19 events.

Harpeth Hall’s senior captain Sabrina Russell paced the field scoring points for Harpeth Hall in five individual events — a feat accomplished for only the second time in the history of Harpeth Hall at the state track meet. Her appearances included secondplace finishes in the pentathlon and high jump, third place in the 300-meter hurdles, and fourth in both the shot put and 100-meter hurdles.

Junior Bella Guillamondegui was a two-event winner, crossing the finish line first in the 800- and 1,600-meter distance runs.

In the end, the Honeybears ran away with 121 points and the state title, besting second-place Ensworth which finished with 105.5 points. Baylor School was third with 80 points.

Harpeth Hall has won four state championships in a school year twice in school history. Never before this May had the Honeybears won five state championships in a single school year.

“We had 19 girls who started this process over five months ago and their hard work and consistency paid off,” Harpeth Hall Track and Field Coach Jim Romero said. “. . . This team is committed, young, and talented, and we are excited for what the future holds.”

State Championship History

Harpeth Hall has won four state championships in a school year twice in school history. The 2021-2022 season marks the first time the Honeybears have claimed five state championships in a single school year.

2001-2002: Cross country, volleyball, swimming and diving, and track and field 2003-2004: Cross country, swimming and diving, lacrosse, and track and field 2021-2022: Soccer, cross country, riflery, lacrosse, and track and field

Storied Track and Field Success

• Harpeth Hall formed its first track team in 1972 (the year Title IX became law)

• Track and field has won 17 state titles adding to its TSSAA record total: 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2022

Looking Ahead in Lacrosse

• Only once in the history of the Tennessee Girls Lacrosse Association has the state championship game not included either the Harpeth Hall Honeybears or the Hutchison Sting. This year — for the first time in more than a decade the Honeybears came out victorious, claiming a 14-7 win over the Sting and the 2022 TGLA state championship.

• Rising Junior Charlotte Myers scored her 100th goal of the season during the game, propelling the team to victory.

• Lacrosse has won five state titles competing in the Tennessee Girls Lacrosse Association: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2022

• The TSSAA will continue discussions this year about the possibility of adding girls lacrosse as an officially sanctioned sport for the 2023-2024 season

Riflery Rocks

• Riflery is the only sport that competes in coed competitions, which means that when Harpeth Hall won the state title it did so by defeating Montgomery Bell Academy’s all-boys team.

• Rising senior Isabella Baldwin won the individual state title and Class of 2022’s Kate Stewart won a silver medal. This year’s precision team state championship is the third title under Coach Jim Abernathy’s charge (2015, 2017, 2022).

Running at a Strong Pace

• Led by the pace-setting performance of Harpeth Hall rising senior Bella Guillamondegui, Harpeth Hall sprinted to the championship claiming the DII-AA state title. Bella posted a time of 18:22.80 in the 5,000-meter race to win the individual state championship, and all seven of the Harpeth Hall runners finished in the top 30 to secure the team win.

• The winning effort earned Harpeth Hall its first team cross country state title since 2014 and its 13th in school history. The 13 titles are a state record for the most won by any school, boys or girls, in the sport.

The Future is Bright

Kickin’ It

• Harpeth Hall defeated Baylor 2-0 in the state title game to claim the 2022 DII-AA state soccer championship.

• The title marked the second in school history and the second for Head Coach Meggie Lucas, who also led the team in 2013 when Harpeth Hall clinched its first Division II-AA state title by handing Father Ryan its only loss of the year.

Seven members of the Class of 2022 will continue their athletic careers in college this fall. Goaltender Mallory Thomas, who helped Harpeth Hall claim the 2022 DII-AA state soccer championship, signed a Division I college scholarship to play at Miami University in Ohio. Fellow title-winning teammate and star defender Ashley Tirrill will also compete at the university level, along with members of Harpeth Hall’s swimming and diving, rowing, and tennis teams. Go Honeybear Nation!

Swimming and Diving

• Caroline Johnson, Rhodes College

• Lexi Stewart, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Jordan Whitehouse, Birmingham-Southern College Soccer

• Mallory Thomas, Miami University in Ohio

• Ashley Tirrill, Carnegie Mellon University

Rowing

• Evelyn Trost, Clemson University Tennis

• Carlie Mitchell, Centre College

Often,

when Sarah Grace Vallejo travels, she reaches a point in the trip where she feels ready to go back home and sleep in her own bed. But during her Winterim 2022 trip to the American Southwest, she never felt that way.

“I never got to a point where I felt content with leaving,” she said. “My last few days in Phoenix were both wonderful and somber, and I felt saddened at the thought of leaving such an incredible place with all of the incredible people that I got to travel with. I tried so many new foods, met so many interesting people, and grew closer with my Winterim travel buddies. It was truly an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

For Harpeth Hall students, Winterim serves as a personally defining opportunity. Since 1973, the unique three-week experience each January has enabled students to develop wonder in learning, independence of thought, honor in action, and joy in community. Alumnae say again and again that Winterim set the path for their future passions and professional pursuits. This year was no exception. On campus, students in 9th and 10th grades pushed beyond the bounds of the traditional curriculum with classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, neuroscience, cinematic idealism, and more. Students in 11th and 12th grades forged their own paths by engaging in internships, independent study, or academic travel that took them from the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. to operating rooms of a local animal hospital, and on expedition to some of the nation’s most awe-inspiring and historic destinations. These experiences provided opportunities to develop new interests, visit unfamiliar places, explore potential careers, and create memories for a lifetime.

127

Student internships across the country and the globe from Austin to Uganda

71

On-campus course offerings

Winterim 2022 By the Numbers

18 Independent study projects, including sustainable fashion, video game development, and more

17

Adjunct teachers from Vanderbilt and Belmont universities, Cumberland River Compact, and Paducah School of Art & Design/Yeiser Art Center

Academic travel trips with more than 70 students experiencing the American Southwest, California life, Florida and the Keys, and an Outward Bound trip to Joshua Tree National Park

Winterim gave me the opportunity to start figuring out how to really handle myself in the world. I gained the humility to be okay not knowing exactly how to get where I needed to go and the confidence to figure it out. I reveled in the opportunity to meet new people, learn their stories, and empathize with them to understand more about the world.

— Sabrina Russell ’22, Crowley Cottrell landscape architecture intern

While I knew I was going to have a good experience, . . . I was surprised by how much the organizations we worked with cared about our learning and how much education I got from them. . . . I was also surprised to find how strong and tough I was. This gave me confidence in myself in going to college.

— Jordan Whitehouse ’22, Florida and the Keys trip

The three goals that I established for myself during this three-week period helped me develop into an intern who was well educated on both Tennessee policy as well as policy writing and who could talk to any person in the office without it being awkward or intimidated. . . . I was able to intelligently discuss issues with my coworkers and become a better listener as well. . . . This experience helped me realize my potential as a political science student to research and make change in our government, whether it be a think tank in downtown Nashville or on Capitol Hill.

— Ava Sjursen ’23, Sycamore Institute intern

Traveling to California was the best decision I could have made for myself this year. . . .This trip opened my eyes to a sector of the country I had never been to or learned about before, and I loved the experience I had. . . .There was such a vast amount of experiences for us to indulge in, and I feel like I really learned about myself and my values through this trip. . . . This particular trip helped me find value in myself and show me what I appreciate in life. I loved the constantly changing environment, the immense number of small businesses, and the unique people we so often saw in California.

—

Lilly

Nichols ’22, California Life trip

Student research opens doors to the world through SEEK and Global Scholars

by Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

For8th

grade student Asa Gibson, SEEK provided the opportunity to educate her peers on a topic close to her heart. “I was inspired by my fearless sister and her struggle with epilepsy,” Asa said. “I decided to create a website for children and teenagers who want to learn more about epilepsy. I spent time planning out my website and interviewing my sister to include a personal view of epilepsy. Through SEEK and creating my website, I learned more about the struggles my sister faces.”

For the past 17 years, Harpeth Hall has encouraged 7th and 8th grade students like Asa to further explore their academic curiosities through the Scholars Engaged in Extending Knowledge (SEEK) program. This year, a record 27 students participated in the program.

In SEEK, a student first enters the program with the desire to know more about a topic not covered in the Middle School curriculum. She works with a faculty mentor or an expert in the field who helps her formulate questions and guide her research. All scholars complete a final product such as a research paper, a publication, a performance, or an original composition that they present to the SEEK faculty committee as well as the Middle School student body. Seventh grade student Louisa Brown also found the inspiration for her SEEK project from her family. Her grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Louisa wanted to better understand his life experiences. Through research, writing, recording, and editing, she created a short documentary capturing her grandfather’s reality living with Alzheimer’s.

“My goal was to show his journey and to create a video that could be helpful to other adolescents if they have family members diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” Louisa said. “Because of my experience with SEEK, I have gained a deeper understanding of what Alzheimer’s really is and how it has impacted my grandfather and my family.”

For students in the SEEK program, everything around them offers questions to be answered. After playing soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse during her three years at Harpeth Hall, 7th grade student Charlotte Figler wanted to know the effects of participating in sports. Classmate Cora Meyer created her own teaching plan for a unit on Middle School astronomy after learning about dark matter — a hard to detect form of matter that does not absorb, reflect, or emit electromagnetic radiation.

As students presented their work during an April all-school assembly, they noted what they learned through the process. They learned the value of time management when pursuing an independent project, they developed practical skills through writing, editing, graphic design, and short-film and podcast production. They walked away with a better understanding about illness, stereotypes, body image, perfectionism, physical and mental health, the universe, and more.

Visit our SEEK website to learn more about the extraordinary work produced by the 27 scholars who completed the program this year.

7th and 8th grade students explore their academic curiosities through SEEK

students

Forsenior

Cate Frist, it started out as a question — “Does money buy happiness?”

Through over two years of research, Cate examined the meaning of happiness across the globe. She examined what influences — cultural or financial — the happiness of the citizens of a nation, opening her eyes to the lives of people around the world.

The Upper School Global Scholars program seeks to “develop responsible citizens who have global perspectives” and “promotes cultural understanding, environmental stewardship, and service to others.”

Global Scholars is a program of independent and group inquiry beyond the classroom curriculum. Beginning in the spring of the sophomore year, accepted students explore major themes to build global competence by engaging in activities such as student-directed conversations, presentations by expert speakers, and written reflection. The program culminates senior year with an independent-research project about a topic of particular interest to the individual student scholar. In addition to research and analysis, the capstone project requires the student to create an authentic product related to her topic that may be presented to the school community.

Elizabeth Allen

Blue Zones at HH

Ramsey Bottorff

Ocean Commotion: Marine Effects in Japan, South Africa, and New Zealand

Elizabeth Brown

How Global Innovation Affects Our Future

Miller Clark

Literacy Around the World: An Exploration of Global Literacy’s Most Disadvantaged Groups and Why Literacy Matters

Piper Dahir

Springing Into Change: The Successes and Failures of the Arab Spring

Scout Dahir

Iran Saudi Arabia Proxy Conflict

Lola Daniel

Family Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Cate Frist

A Study on Global Happiness

Michaela Hamman

"Great Goddess" of Teotihuacán: New Insights and Why It Matters

Olivia Hande

Efficient Agriculture

Evelyn Hare

Digital Healthcare

This year, over 30 seniors completed their capstone projects and presented them in the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab. Each project sought to answer a question or solve a global problem.

For senior Mary Husmann, it was “How are regions experiencing water scarcity affected relating to gender inequality and COVID and other diseases? What steps are being taken in an attempt to minimize water scarcity around the world?”

For senior Sabrina Russell, it was “How have global cities’ attempts at revitalizing urban landscapes affected the economic, social, and environmental aspects of their societies and cultures?”

For senior Ramsey Bottorff, it was “How did oceanic proximity affect the mythology, history, and biodiversity of Japan, South Africa, and New Zealand? How will it continue to affect these countries in the future?”

Regardless of the topic, the Global Scholars program allowed students to cultivate analytical skills necessary to synthesize, communicate, and collaborate to create solutions for the most pressing problems in our ever-changing world.

Visit our Global Scholars website to learn more about the groundbreaking projects completed by our students this year.

Maddie Hogan

An International Exploration of Hydropower

Katherine Hu

Live Action Ethics

Mary Husmann

Inequalities Surrounding Water Access

Miller Kress

Comparison of Global Health Care Prices

Sarah Lillard

Understanding the Motives of New Wave

Imperialism: Theories in Context

Brooke Lytle

Human Rights Abuses in China

Mackenzie Meyer

Cultural Barriers to Accessing Hydrocephalic Care

Carlie Mitchell

The Benefits of Microcredit

Emory Morgan

Authoritarian Leaders Throughout the World

Elisabeth Nelson

Examining Global Literacy

Annabelle Nolan

International Law and Immigration Rights

Anna Claire Pritchett

Atrocities Committed in the Name of Defending Democracy: American Involvement With El Salvador Under the Reagan Administration

Amelia Reddy

The True Price of Fast Fashion

Julia Rose

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion on Broadway

Sabrina Russell

Global Sustainable Pathways: How Communities Around the World Are Re-introducing the Natural Environment Into Their Urban Landscapes

Alexa Sheldon

A Walk Through CRISPR: An Exploration of Full Access to Gene Editing

Eleanor Taylor

The Urban Frontier: Using Animation to Highlight the Struggle Between the Environment and Natural Resource Overconsumption in Urban Settings

Mary Holine Van Mol

Uruguay: How Its History Has Affected Its Politics and Economics

Cora Elizabeth Williams

The Basics of Cryptocurrency

Kate Wojciechowski

Vaccine Scene: The Story of Rebuilding Post-Epidemic

Upper School

grow their global perspectives

Many ways to be a good leader

President of Harpeth Hall’s Cum Laude Society encrouaged her peers to seek a brand of leadership that leverages their personal strengths

by Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

Asyou walk across campus, the words “Think Critically, Lead Confidently, and Live Honorably” can be seen on banners, on the walls, and in classrooms.

“I think we can all agree that these are great life skills to possess, and they apply themselves well to Harpeth Hall,” Alexa Sheldon ’22 said in her opening remarks at Harpeth Hall’s annual Cum Laude assembly in April.

When she came to Harpeth Hall three years ago, Alexa felt secure in her ability to “think critically” and “lead confidently.” Still, as an introvert, she was unsure of her capabilities as a leader. Throughout her time at Harpeth Hall, though, she learned that the attributes of a leader can manifest in many different ways. Alexa encouraged her peers to seek out a style of leadership that leverages their personal strengths.

“For me, being a good leader is making a positive difference in the community in a subtle way,” Alexa, who served as the president of Harpeth Hall’s Cum Laude Society, said to the students and family members gathered in the Frances Bond Davis Theatre. “It’s making sure everyone is heard, it’s being a role model, it’s celebrating others’ successes, it’s knowing your strengths and others’ and taking those into account, it’s learning from others, it’s striving to do your best and inspiring others to do the same.”

At the assembly, Harpeth Hall honored student leaders of all kinds as the school’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society inducted 21 students. Since its inception in 1906, the primary purpose of the Cum Laude Society has been to recognize the academic achievement of students in secondary schools. The students honored achieved academic excellence and also displayed strength of character and leadership qualities. “Each day, I am in awe of the intellect, confidence, leadership, and the inspiration I see on this campus,” said Lori McDermott, the winner of the 2021 Lulu Hampton Owen Chair for Excellence in Teaching, who delivered the traditional Cum Laude address.

Ms. McDermott attributes her teaching success to the shoulders she stands on each day — those of her family, the educators who inspired her, and mentors who led the way. “They were the shoulders I stood upon when I couldn’t stand on my own,” she said, encouraging students to be a shoulder for others.

Reflecting on her 12 years at Harpeth Hall, Ms. McDermott recognized the shoulders she still stands on — those of great teachers, staff, and her students. “I learn through your eyes and your realities of the world. I hear your stories, your opinions. I value your input and you are the strength that allows me to come in each day and share my music with you.”

We are inspired by the leadership, drive, and academic success of the 21 new members of the Cum Laude Society and know they will serve as shoulders for the classes of inductees that will follow.

2022 INDUCTEES

Juniors

Clara Hodgens Ambrose

Katherine Maree Brewer

Priyanka Sara Chiguluri

Isabella Marisol Guillamondegui

Ann Atkins Linley

Mary Austin Meacham

Chekayli Watney Meyer

Madeline Leigh Meyer

Lena Qian Mary Evelyn Roper

Caroline Elizabeth Seehorn

Seniors

Elizabeth Boles Brown

Rosemary Ruth Frederiksen

Camille Pei-Ling Phillips Hu

Katherine Pei-Ning Phillips Hu

Mackenzie Elizabeth Meyer

Taylor Danielle Nisbet

Molly Elise Niswender

Alexi Rheault Stewart

Evelyn Willetta Trost

Cora Elizabeth Williams

MEMBERS IN COURSE

Students

Ramsey Jeanette Bottorff

Scout Simone Dahir

Cate Merriman Frist

Jordan Elise Knight

Brooke Burnett Lytle

Elisabeth Isabel Nelson

Sabrina Abigail Russell

Alexa Ruth Sheldon

Eleanor Purnell Taylor

Katharine Shannon Wojciechowski

Faculty

MarQuis LeBron Chappell

Arthur Reeves Echerd, Jr.

Ben Curtiss Fulwider

Jennifer Jean Jervis

Michele Lynn O’Brien

Jacqueline O’Keefe Powers

Legare Davis Vest

Robert English Womack

A Bright Idea: HH DEI Leadership Institute

by MarQuis Chappell, Director of Equity and Inclusion

WhenHarpeth Hall’s Upper School student diversity leadership group, BELONG, had its first meetings this school year, students challenged each other to think about what inclusion looks like not only within the school community but also without.

As an independent school, we charge our students to think more broadly about this city and the world. That takes intentionality. The greater Nashville area includes not only peer independent schools, but also neighboring public schools. Fostering relationships and joint programming with public schools continues to be a significant growth area for independent schools, but our girls have shown there are ways to make progress.

Through BELONG, student leaders have embraced the club programming as an opportune space for innovation and bright ideas — and they have already started identifying issues and generating meaningful ways to address them, including how to bring together a community of Nashville educators and students from all schools.

“I believe that the initiative Harpeth Hall is taking in this subject is admirable,” rising junior Eden Powell said. “While most school’s stay in their own lane and avoid difficult discussions, Harpeth Hall is using this opportunity to educate students not only how to be better humans at school, but also in our everyday lives.”

Led by a group of rising juniors and seniors, BELONG is in the early stages of designing a day-long DEI Leadership Institute for students from Nashville area independent and public schools. The institute will equip students from area private high schools with the tools to facilitate hard conversations and initiate strategic advancements within their schools.

Similarly, our conference will train students to use restorative practices for conflict resolution and equip them with practical inclusive leadership skills, such as planning a meeting agenda, including all attendees in the conversation, and considering voices who might not be included in the conversation.

Among other things, the partnership with public schools distinguishes the Harpeth Hall DEI Leadership Institute from similar programs.

“I think that having broader connections with different schools in the city, public and private, will be very beneficial,” rising junior Lauren Wynn said, “and allow our school to create better relationships in all settings within the community.”

Partnering with neighboring public schools will be an enriching experience for all persons involved. It gives each school the opportunity to further engage in the work of teaching students to think critically, to lead confidently, and to live honorably.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging-focused leadership groups on campus provide a community for students, faculty, and parents to gather, celebrate, and support one another. In the 2021-2022 school year, Harpeth Hall students formed both the Better Together Middle School leadership group and BELONG, the Upper School leadership group. These groups are comprised of collaborative, thoughtful leaders from diverse social, religious, and cultural backgrounds who partner with Director of Equity and Inclusion MarQuis Chappell to help plan, design, and implement ongoing DEIB initiatives and learning opportunities for the school community.

Boldly Showing Up Engaging in Tough Conversations Listening More than I Speak Open to Learning Noticing My Assumptions Giving Second Chances

Thedetermination of Harpeth Hall’s new robotics team is fierce. From a starter kit of aluminum rods, flat bearings, green plastic gears, and hundreds of tiny nuts and screws, they built a robot worthy of competing against the best. And this year, the BearBots achieved milestones rare for a first-year competition team — first with an Excellence Award at a local tournament, then at state competition, and finally on the world stage.

In May, the team of juniors Sarah Joffrion, Kathleen Lowe, Lena Qian, Tiana Shah, and Nandu Govindaswamy showcased its engineering, design, and programming skills against the best of the best high school teams at the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas. More than 800 schools from across the globe attended. The trip marked the first time a Harpeth Hall robotics team has qualified for worlds.

“As a first-year team, it was super impressive simply to make it to state,” Robotics teacher Matthew Groves said. “I am sure a first-year team making it to Worlds has happened before, but I have never heard of it happening.” The future is bright. Not only do all five of the Worlds-qualifying team members return next year, but Harpeth Hall now boasts four middle school robotics teams with a record 30 participants last year.

I’m beyond grateful that Harpeth Hall decided to invest in us. This past year has proved that we, as women, can perform just as well in a competition like this as anyone else and that we can and should be curious, creative, and competitive when it comes to things that we love. — KATHLEEN

Robotics 101

1. Engineering design notebook: A log and drawings that document the robot build and design process. Students reference and update the notebook as they make changes to the robot throughout the year. The notebook is also part of the judging process for awards at tournaments. A strong notebook helped earn Harpeth Hall the Excellence Award (best in show) at Franklin Road Academy’s tournament in January.

2. Driver controller: Handheld device used to operate the robot, similar to a video game controller

3. Front claw: For lifting goals during the competition

4. Rear lift: For holding goals during the competition

5. Antenna: For letting the controller talk to the robot

6. License plate: Each school has a number, and each team at the school has a letter. Harpeth Hall was 991H (for Hobbs), 991E (for Estes), and 991X (for the X-factor!) this year.

7. Inertial sensor: A tool for the accurate measure of turning angles. Careful use of this sensor in the code by junior Sarah Joffrion led to Harpeth Hall qualifying for the world championships. Only a handful of robotics teams in the state use sensors well, robotics coach Matthew Groves said.

8. Motors that turn the axles (9), which turn the wheels (10) or gears, which are the primary source of motion on a robot. Each motor’s turning amount is coded precisely and mapped to a specific button configuration on the controller.

11. The brain: The motherboard of every robot, the brain runs programs, connects to the motors and sensors to share information and collect feedback, and receives inputs from the controller so it knows where a driver wants the robot to go.

Robotics Glossary

Alliances: For each two-minute match, two teams are randomly paired with each other to form an alliance. That alliance faces off against another set of two randomly paired teams.

Alliances are either red or blue. Alliances stay together for only one match. Each team gets a new set of partners for each round.

Balanced: Each alliance has a platform on its side of the field. If an alliance can get either the mobile goals — or, even better, their robot holding the mobile goals — to balance on the platform before the end of the match, additional points are earned.

Field: VEX Robotics Competition matches are played on a 12-foot by 12-foot square field. This year’s game, Tipping Point, uses taped lines to divide the field into thirds (or zones).

Home zone: The third of the field closest to your team. Points are scored by moving neutral or your colored goals into your third of the field.

Match: Each match is only two minutes long; the first 15 seconds of robot movement are pre-programmed ahead of time and the final 1:45 are controlled by the robot driver in real time.

Mobile goals: There are seven goals on a field — two red, two blue, and three yellow. Each has a post in the middle, and some have low and high branches stemming from those posts. To score, a team tries to get its colored goals (red team goes after red goals, blue team after blue goals) onto its third of the playing field (the home zone). It also tries to get as many yellow goals (which are neutral and fair game for each team) to their side of the field as possible.

Platform: A plastic seesaw located in an alliance’s home zone. Teams try to balance goals — and robots holding goals — on the platform, often in the final seconds of a match. If balance is achieved, an object is considered “elevated” and additional points are awarded.

The Game

VEX Robotics Competition Tipping Point is played on a 12-foot by 12-foot square field with lines dividing the field into thirds (or zones). In each round, two randomly assigned alliances — composed of two teams each — compete in two-minute-long matches.

During the first 15 seconds of a match, the robot moves using code pre-programmed ahead of time (Harpeth Hall’s Sarah Joffrion is the team’s clutch coder). The final 1:45 is controlled by the robot driver (for Harpeth Hall Lena Qian drove at Worlds) in real time.

The object of the game is to work together with your assigned team to outscore the opposing alliance. Points are scored by moving goals to your home zone and dropping rings into the goal. Additional points are awarded for elevating the goals on the platform.

Additional Awards

Excellence Award: Top all-around team (given based on robot performance and judged)

Tournament Champions Award: Given to the alliance (two teams) that wins the final championship match

Design Award: A judged award given to the team with the most effective and efficient robot design process

Robot Skills Champion Award: A robot performance award given to the team with the highest combined scores from the programming and driving skills challenges

Think Award: Team with impressive, consistent, and effective autonomous programming

Rings: There are 72 rings (4.125 inches in diameter) on a field for each match. Rings are scored by dropping them in the base of a mobile goal or slipping them onto a pole sticking up from the middle of a goal.

INFORMATION SOURCE: vexrobotics.com and Matthew Groves, Harpeth Hall robotics coach

Reese Witherspoon ’94 highlights bright ideas and curiosity in surprise all-school assembly visit

by Jessica Bliss

to be a part of a bigger story.

Drawn to books, she often wandered into Margaret Renkl’s classroom during lunch or after school. The Harpeth Hall English teacher, who would later become a New York Times columnist, helped Reese draw the parallels between what students read in school and what was happening in the world outside those walls.

Reese relished those conversations. She was endlessly curious. “I had a million questions,” she said. And through each new book or piece of literature, she sought answers to propel her forward. That search for knowledge continued as she began her acting career. Ms. Witherspoon made a name for herself on screen as an Academy Award-winning actress and producer, and she transformed her place in Hollywood from movie and television star to author and business leader. Just as she had as a student at Harpeth Hall, she continued to ask good questions.

Then, one day, she asked a question and didn’t get the answer she sought.

She wondered aloud why Hollywood didn’t make more movies about women. Writing about women wasn’t a fresh idea, she was told.

She disagreed. Maybe a man writing a woman’s perspective wasn’t new, but she knew that women had their own stories to tell. So, Ms. Witherspoon came up with an idea and took a bold step toward a solution. She founded her own media company called Hello Sunshine with the sole purpose to shift the narrative for women as they strive to claim an equal place in every conversation and endeavor. In a career built on creating her own opportunities, it was one of many bright ideas. Now, Ms. Witherspoon seeks to inspire more ideas in the very place where her own curiosity was cultivated — at Harpeth Hall.

The Class of 1994 graduate made a surprise appearance at an allschool assembly in March. As Ms. Witherspoon peeked out around the curtain on the theatre stage, students sprang out of their seats shrieking in excitement at seeing the on-screen icon in person.

Ms. Witherspoon met that enthusiasm with the authentic energy that makes her so relatable to the next generation of female leaders.

Reese Witherspoon always knew she wanted

“Remember: Your imagination is infinite. The possibilities are limitless. Go create a better world.”

— Reese Witherspoon ’94,

She told stories about her time at Harpeth Hall where she learned physics lessons about velocity from Dr. Heath Jones on the tennis courts, analyzed acting and directing in Mr. Peter Goodwin’s Film Studies class, and wrote the longest paper of her life in Dr. Art Echerd’s European History class. (A paper longer than any she would ever later write at Stanford University.)

“There was just so much to learn back then,” Ms. Witherspoon said. “And there is even more now.”

‘Push your own boundaries’

That, she said, is why it was important to her to support the creation of Harpeth Hall’s new Bullard Bright IDEA Lab. “We are living in an incredible time of acceleration. In technology, in medicine, in art — there’s just a massive amount of change,” Ms. Witherspoon said. “Life is moving very, very fast. . . . There are many possibilities out there, and it all just depends on one thing. Your curiosity.

“. . . So I encourage you to get curious, use this time at Harpeth Hall and in the Bright IDEA Lab to push your own boundaries, try to learn about something new even if you think you’re not good at it. Try to learn podcasting, or about robotics, or the culinary arts, or engineering. Make sure you share what you are learning with your friends. Encourage people to join you and really share your ideas.”

And, she said, don’t be afraid if you don’t succeed at everything. Though she was a solid student at Harpeth Hall, Ms. Witherspoon didn’t exactly excel in all subjects. Namely, she said with a laugh, calculus.

“One of the wonderful things about this school is I felt safe being able to fail,” she said. “You don’t have to be perfect at everything. Failure is actually a really good thing — especially when you are in a safe place.”

Ms. Witherspoon took what she learned about herself at Harpeth Hall and became a female role model. Renowned for her on-screen performances in Walk the Line, Legally Blonde, Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, The Morning Show, and more, Ms. Witherspoon’s ambitions have expanded to lift up other women across the globe by elevating their personal experiences. She didn’t let the response that telling women’s stories wasn’t a “fresh idea” stop her from trying.

In 2021, Time magazine named Hello Sunshine one of the 100 most influential companies in the world. The company not only discovers and creates content that celebrates women, it is also home to Reese’s Book Club and Reese’s YA Book Club, which elevate the voices and stories of women from all backgrounds.

Now, Ms. Witherspoon is what she believed she could be — part of the bigger story. And, at Harpeth Hall and beyond, she is encouraging the next generation to do the same.

“The world is only limited by what you let yourself believe about yourself,” she said. “Unless you know what you’re good at, you won’t know what you’re talented at. So don’t chase your dreams, chase your talents.”

Through curiosity and bright ideas, she said, “the possibilities are limitless.”

Students imagine their brightest futures in the

Notlong after the sun rose on a day in late January, a group of students stood in a hallway in the Upper School, their eyes trained on a set of doors that had been covered for the entire first semester.

What waited on the other side was a space for girls unlike any other in Nashville — the brand new Bullard Bright IDEA Lab.

At 7:15 a.m., the doors swung open and Harpeth Hall students saw the space for the very first time. With its soaring ceilings, light-filled collaboration spaces, and unique design touches, students marveled at the newest place on campus for creativity and collaboration.

“I give it 12 out of 10 stars,” junior Caroline Ford told senior Elizabeth Allen during a student Instagram story takeover to celebrate the event. “It’s an excellent space for students to be and the innovation and architecture behind it is unmatched.”

The location of the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab in the heart of the Hortense Bigelow Ingram Upper School makes it a truly ideal location for students to become inspired by the acronym IDEA, which stands for innovation, design, and education in action.

Every day, students experience something new. They see the robotics team in action or find themselves inspired by a project underway using the power tools in the maker space. Groups of girls gather in the teaching kitchen to create surprise “thank you treats” for teachers. Global Scholars fill the common spaces with knowledge and energy

by Jessica Bliss

as they present their capstone projects, and a little farther down the hall, Middle School students film video projects in front of the green screen for a history presentation.

“I don't think we can underestimate this idea of exposure,” Director of the Upper School Armistead Lemon said as the Bright IDEA Lab celebrated its grand opening. “Classrooms are wonderful incubators for ideas, but often we don't all have the chance to see what's happening inside them. The open, welcoming, and transparent nature of the lab's design is in some ways a pedagogical tool.

“The space itself is also a physical bridge between the STEM and the humanities buildings, helping students intuit connections between the disciplines. For me, it is a space for students to see possibilities and dream future ones. The sky’s the limit.”

It is everything Harpeth Hall’s founders could have hoped for and more.

Historic origins with a vision for the future

The legacy of the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab stretches back through the generations to the beginnings of The Harpeth Hall School.

In 1951, after the Ward-Belmont school for young women closed, local community leaders organized to ensure that college-preparatory, all-girls education continued in Nashville. Among those leaders was George N. Bullard, whose daughter, Betty, had attended the prestigious Ward-Belmont.

A businessman who grew up in Chicago, Mr. Bullard attended Vanderbilt University and helped establish a successful investment banking corporation in Nashville. Desiring a noteworthy education for his two daughters, he joined the group of parents in founding Harpeth Hall so that a school for girls was not lost to the community.

On Sept. 17, 1951, the new Harpeth Hall campus opened with 15 faculty members and 161 students in grades 9-12. Among the new students was George’s youngest daughter, Dede Bullard ’53, who would be named the school’s second Lady of the Hall. A welcome addition to the Nashville community, the school quickly became established as a respected institution founded on the bold idea that girls deserved a future filled with possibilities and purpose. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bullard spearheaded the fundraising efforts for a gymnasium that would provide an indoor space for physical education. That space, which opened in 1953, became central to growing an athletics program for girls in the Title IX era, and later as an invaluable community and learning space for students. In 2022, the George N. Bullard Gymnasium, the second-oldest building on Harpeth Hall’s campus, transformed into the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab — a vibrant hub for learning, experimenting, and dreaming.

“It’s on the cutting edge of where learning is going,” said Mr. Bullard’s grandson, Jack Wallace, whose family legacy at Harpeth Hall includes his three sisters, Anne Wallace Nesbit ’75, Elena Wallace Graves ’79, and Betsy Wallace Taylor ’80; his two daughters, Ansley Wallace Cire ’06 and Gray Wallace ’12; and his niece Dede Nesbitt Palmer ’06. “It will bring that space back to the center of the learning experience at Harpeth Hall.”

FEATURE BULLARD BRIGHT IDEA

‘A space to see possibilities’

Senior Kate Stewart may know more about the aesthetics of the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab than any other student at Harpeth Hall.

During her Winterim internship at architectural firm Orcutt | Winslow, she learned exactly what went into the detailed design of the school’s new space for student collaboration and innovation.

“The architects wanted to highlight the transition between STEM and humanities and combine them in the space,” Kate said. “So there’s a lot of geometric shapes and there’s also a lot of flowing shapes to combine both forms of study.”

From an orbiting art composition that increases its functionality by absorbing sound to the outlets built right into the couches, the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab features all the right touches to make the space welcoming and functional.

The Bullard Bright IDEA Lab also is a place for connection. The student commons and loft space provide places for students to come together for a group study session, a game of chess, a club meeting, or just to relax, be themselves, and laugh with friends.

And that community feeling extends to our faculty, our families, and our graduates. The large, light-filled meeting spaces have hosted Harpeth Hall Parent Association events, Winterim for Adults classes, alumnae board meetings, and so much more.

Visionary projects like this one move forward through the generosity of our community. The support of our donors helped bring the transformative $5.9 million project to fruition.

The Bullard Bright IDEA Lab is the next step in the bold vision set by Mr. Bullard and board of trustees when they founded The Harpeth Hall School 70 years ago. Today, Harpeth Hall continues to innovate for the global community our girls will enter.

The opening of the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab demonstrates the school’s commitment to be a place where every girl can imagine her brightest future.

“It’s exciting,” Mr. Wallace said. “I’m really glad my grandfather’s name will continue to be part of the school’s, and that we can support the vision that he started in some small way.”

The Bullard Bright IDEA Lab experience

Student Commons

The vibrant, light-filled area provides a vast space created for learning, experimenting, and dreaming, flanked by a beautiful art installation that ingeniously serves as a large acoustical piece.

Loft Space

Students and faculty gather for group study sessions or club meetings on the second floor, getting comfortable in the bright-colored couches or individual study carrels.

Murals

Designed and painted by Mary Stengel Bentley ’03, these creations in the student commons and rear stairwell inspire students to anticipate the mark they will leave on Harpeth Hall.

Project Rooms

With a green screen and podcast equipment, students in the Middle School and Upper School bring their school projects to life by producing podcasts and videos in the recording room.

Collaborative Learning Classrooms

With study tables and whiteboard walls, students can work out complicated equations and sketch big ideas with classmates in a collaborative learning experience.

Teaching Kitchen

Featuring a moveable island and rolling supply carts for demonstrations and hands-on learning, this space is the perfect place for a Winterim for Adults class to take a cooking class and for students to prepare a meal for a Public Purpose project or combine ingredients for a chemistry experiment.

Large Meeting Room

Whether it is a board of trustees meeting, 8th grade career day, or AP tests, this 125-person gathering space with walls of foldable glass and myriad presentation screens brings people together.

Robotics Lab

Home to the building, coding, driving, and strategizing of Harpeth Hall’s World Championship-qualifying robotics team, the coolest feature in this room (other than a few new trophies) is the retractable lift. Students can lift robotics projects up toward the ceiling on the 12’ x 12’ platform, and then view it from the window in the loft.

Maker Space

Walls of power tools and wide work benches invite students to transform ideas that incubate in the classroom into real-life objects through construction design.

Eighth grade Honor Day reveals the ‘unfolding awesomeness’ of the Class of 2026

Whenby Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

Louisa Brown began her journey at Harpeth Hall in the 5th grade, she was anxious to know who her new classmates and friends would be.

“Every middle school girl wants that question answered before they go anywhere or do anything, and before starting Harpeth Hall, I was no different. I didn’t care about the what until I knew the who, and not just a list of names, but actual people,” said Louisa, who was chosen by her peers to be the speaker at this year’s 8th Grade Honor Day celebration. “I can now tell you with great gratitude that the past four years of Middle School have been nothing but an unfolding awesomeness of the who of this class.”

The members of the class of 2026 are “loud, quiet, introverted, extroverted, social, shy, athletic, artistic, smart, bubbly, and everything in between,” Louisa said. They have led the Middle School with confidence and enthusiasm. Although the last few years have been full of twists and turns due to the pandemic, these students stepped up to the plate to meet every challenge.

The pandemic “brought out the strength of our class in the ways we discovered to make each day a little brighter in the midst of very unpredictable times,” Louisa said. “In situations where the what simply could not go as planned, the who was always what mattered, even more than before.” When talking about their classmates, 8th grade students would often refer to them as sisters. For Judi O’Brien, director of the Middle School, the power of community felt by the class was integral to who they are.

“One of the things that sisterhood means to me is that when something good is happening to your sister, you feel like it is happening to you . . . I have witnessed so many occasions where you have cheered each other on and reveled in each other’s successes,” Ms. O’Brien said.

While supporting and celebrating each other, Harpeth Hall’s 8th grade students marked the end of the year with Honor Day, one of the school’s enduring and beautiful traditions. Honor Day marks the passage from Middle School to Upper School, and this year celebrated the 90 members of the class of 2026 who successfully completed the Daugh W. Smith Middle School program. 7th grade student Liz Burnstein echoed Ms. O’Brien’s sentiments. “The Class of 2026 has influenced the Middle School in so many ways. They have served as incredible role models for so many others, including me. They have led the Middle School with passion, energy, and integrity. As much as the Middle School will miss them, the high school will be so lucky to have them,” Liz said. Next fall, the class of 2026 will transition across the lawn where they will begin their journeys in high school. But this time, Louisa is not worried.

“I look behind me at the last four years and I feel nothing but gratitude and joy. And I look ahead at the next four years and feel nothing but hype,” she said. “There’s no need for nervousness about the new who, because I already know the answer to the all-important question — who’s going to be there. We are, and that’s enough for me.”

AWARD RECIPIENTS

Carol Clark Elam History Award

Evelyn Claire Watlington

Daugh W. Smith English Award

Kelty Rayne Jones

Director’s Award

Taylor Gray Oliver

Elizabeth Hausman Community Service Award

Madison Riley Goodman Head’s Award

Lillian King Hare

Honor Day Speaker

Louisa Blackburn Brown

Lindy Sayers Award Sarah Heath Roper

Louise Wills Algebra I Award

Ishika Sri Alapati

Most Outstanding Athlete Award Olivia Anne Ricciardelli

Patty Chadwell Award Elizabeth Nelle Meltesen

Polly Fessey Award

Beatrice Reed Robbins

SPIRIT AWARDS

5th grade

Noelle Elise Allen

6th grade

Serafina Florence Welhoelter

7th grade

Rebecca Delaney Settle

8th grade Kennedy Maclear Conyers

STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICERS

Stewardship

Chair

Lillian King Hare

Student Activities Chair

Taylor Gray Oliver

Environmental Issues Chair

Amari Cecilia Schneider

Athletic Chair

Louisa Blackburn Brown

Honor Education Committee

Addison Helena Bowen

Stella Addison Corey

Leyton Elizabeth Dallas

Kelty Rayne Jones

Adelaide Colleen Nelson

Sophia Patterson O’Keefe

Nina Marie Puckett

Beatrice Reed Robbins

Evelyn Claire Watlington

INTRAMURAL CLUB CAPTAINS

Angkor

Claire Ann Meredith

Larkin Key Wilson

Ariston

Kennedy Maclear Conyers

Marjorie McAulay Vaughan

Eccowasin

Simmons Louise Bone

Sarah Elliott Porter

Triad

Lucy Elizabeth Davis

Hollis Sutherland Riddick

Harpeth Hall’s Lady of the Hall reflects on the lives grown ‘From Blossoms’

by Jessica Bliss

There is a poem by Li-Young Lee about peaches bought from a boy at the bend of a road.

In the poem, the writer contemplates the beginnings of the sweet fruit and how, as it is nurtured from blossoms, its growth reflects the joy, beauty, and love that we carry through life.

When Betsy Rogers ’22 read the piece in AP Literature class, she understood that its message was meant for her and her classmates. As she stood in front of those gathered on Souby Lawn — a crown of blossoms around her own head as this year’s Lady of the Hall — she shared how she felt the poem reflected the journey of the Class of 2022.

“As much as we celebrate our ultimate graduation from this place, there is a lot of work that we and the people around us put in to get to that point,” she said. “That’s what makes Harpeth Hall special.

“We have a community of teachers, classmates, parents, and friends pour into us. They give us room to grow, to laugh at ourselves, to celebrate each other well, and their care is the reason we are ready to go out into this world as young adults — because it wouldn’t do to stay in this orchard. We are ripe for reaping, for taking the goodness we have felt here out into the world, because the world needs a lot of goodness.”

In May, as part of the annual Step Singing tradition, Harpeth Hall’s seniors celebrated and shared that goodness with the classes that will now come after them. A special ceremony that has endured since the 1920s, each year, Harpeth Hall’s graduating class passes

leadership of the school to the juniors. The ceremony also honors the Lady of the Hall, the highest honor given to a member of the senior class.

As Betsy reflected on the days of precious joys, necessary life lessons, passionate teachers, and sweet, beautiful friends at Harpeth Hall, she asked those around her to do the same.

“Imagine that orchard within you,” she said. “Think of all the memories you have gathered from this beloved campus. The loving hands squeezes in the halls. The day the math lightbulb finally went off. The many frolics on Souby Lawn. The countless tears shed during assemblies — mostly by me. Consider these things and know we are lucky to have such rich orchards planted by Harpeth Hall.”

After Betsy spoke, her classmates joined her on the steps of the Ann Scott Carell Library to carry on a tradition started by the women of Ward-Belmont nearly a century ago. The Class of 2022 passed on its leadership of Harpeth Hall to the Class of 2023 by singing “Nobody Knows” by the Lumineers. Class President Kendall Burch announced that the seniors would be donating the remainder of their class funds to the Olivia Fund — which helps students and families at Harpeth Hall with expenses that are important to an inclusive school experience but are not covered in financial aid.

The juniors accepted the leadership of the school with their own song to the seniors, “I’ll Always Remember You” by Hannah Montana. Then the Class of 2023 pledged to transmit Harpeth Hall better, greater,

Lady of the Hall and the 2022 Court

Lady of the Hall

Elizabeth Evelyn Rogers

Senior Representative Cori Reese Magsby

Junior Representative Grace Lauren Moore

Sophomore Representative Anne Mason Hart

Freshman Representative Tara Elizabeth Hagerty

Eighth Grade Herald Madison Lucille Camp

Seventh Grade Herald Ruby Mae Russell

Sixth Grade Crownbearer Georgia Lynn Wolter

Fifth Grade Crownbearer Ilsa Grey Christopher

Flower Girls Charlotte Elizabeth Fayard and Sophie Elizabeth Jacques

and more beautiful than it was transmitted to them.

To close the ceremony, MarQuis Chappell, an English teacher and Harpeth Hall’s director of equity and inclusion, spoke about the opportunities that each class holds in its hands shaped by three elements of personal agency — truth, legacy, and listening.

“Contrary to what you see online, you do shape how others experience you,” he said. “. . . It doesn’t matter how fabulous you are or how fabulous you think you are. If you don’t know how to treat people, no one cares. How you show up in the world matters. The things you say about yourself and others matter — publicly and privately.”

Mr. Chappell's speech, in many ways, paid homage to the women writers and scholars who shaped him. As he uplifted those voices, he called on the words of author Toni Morrison, who said that the most lasting thing anyone will ever have is their legacy. “Ask yourself,” Mr. Chappell said, “what will it be?”

“Choose this day,” he said, “whether you will be regarded as an agent of honesty, unity, and hope, or as an agent of discord, ruthlessness, and self-preservation.”

In making that choice, Mr. Chappell asked the students to consider one more thing — the leadership that comes through listening.

“Do better than all the adults, myself included, have done,” he said. “Before responding, posting, asking, telling, agreeing, leading, following, TikToking, Snapchatting, pause and listen to those around you — but most importantly, listen to yourself. Listen to what comes up for you, and then move forward.

“The world doesn’t need more leaders who are loud, or popular, or charismatic, or good at small talk, or radical, or strategic. We need more leaders who understand the value of pausing.”

On Sunday night, Harpeth Hall paused for a moment on Souby Lawn. Together, students, families, and friends listened. And through that act, they blossomed a little brighter together.

Class of 2022 spreads energy and hope in each moment

by Jessica Bliss

Formost of their young lives, our girls want everything to happen faster. They want to be taller, smarter, more independent, more grown up. They look forward to the day when they can make their own choices and be in charge of themselves. They dream of what is to come.

As they get older, navigating their way through the grades and the years, time does fly by — just as they had hoped — and the moments they have been living for go by in a flash.

“As busy teenagers, and generally, as humans, we live in pursuit of happiness,” Lexie Fitzgerald ’22 said. “We rush to the weekend, and on Sunday night, we can’t wait for next Friday night to come around. My whole life I have lived pushing through weekdays, routine classes, sports practices, you name it, to get to the weekend or a big event.”

But then, when senior year arrives, they realize something. It has all gone by so fast. Each next big event becomes the last. The last game. The last performance. The last exam. The last day of high school.

In May, the Class of 2022 celebrated the final moments of their years at Harpeth Hall with a graduation ceremony on Souby Lawn. As Lexie stood at the podium on the steps of the Ann Scott Carell Library and addressed her classmates and all those there to take part in the special event, she didn’t wish for it to go faster. Instead, she invited everyone to fully experience the moment.

“Something will always be there — until it isn’t,” said Lexie, who was chosen by her class as the senior graduation speaker. “You can sit in math class staring at the clock, until you can’t. You can hurry to Friday at 3:10, until you can’t. You can hug your parents, eat with your siblings, walk your dog, until you can’t. So my advice to you is

don’t take that rain check and don’t push anything off. Take whatever chance you’ve been given, because soon independence will call, and what is familiar now will become your childhood.”

This year, the Class of 2022 showed what it looks like to soak up and live in each passing moment. The vibrancy of the seniors could be seen in every intense hacky sack game and rockin’ dance party on the senior patio. There were brilliant displays of confidence and leadership on the athletic fields, where seniors led the way to five state championships, and in the classroom with 32 global scholars exploring everything from global literacy to hydropower.

“I heard a rumor that many of you burst into tears when the last bell rang on your last day of classes,” Head of School Jess Hill said in her graduation address to the senior class. “Show me another high school where the students cry when the last bell rings.”

“You had a large portion of your high school experience disrupted by a pandemic and instead of bitterness, you gained perspective. You learned how to appreciate the small things as we slowly returned to normalcy.”

And, in doing so, Ms. Hill said, this year's senior class brought energy and hope to the year, holding on to every minute so that none of it slipped by too fast.

Senior Awards

Second Honors Eleanor Taylor

Katie Wray Valedictory Award

Brooke Lytle

Third Honors Alexa Sheldon

The CLASS OF 2O22 received offers of admission from 145 colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad. The graduates will attend 60 colleges and universities in 22 states plus Washington, D.C., England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Liz Allen

University of Southern California

Elizabeth Averbuch

The University of Alabama

Lindsey Beatty The Ohio State University

Clare Blackburn The University of Alabama

Anne Carlen Bone University of Mississippi

Ramsey Bottorff Tulane University of Louisiana

Ellie Bowles

Tulane University of Louisiana

Abby Brandau The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Ashley Browder Auburn University

Elizabeth Brown University of Colorado Boulder

Kendall Burch The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Emily Cashen Elon University

Camryn Chung Southern Methodist University Kaley Chung Southern Methodist University

Miller Clark

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Marion Cummings Auburn University

Piper Dahir University of St Andrews

Scout Dahir

Vanderbilt University

Evie Daniel University of Mississippi

Lola Daniel

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Mary Charlotte Dugan Samford University

Hannah Ericson

Southern Methodist University

Nina Fentriss University of Denver

Lindsey Ferrell Tulane University

Lexie Fitzgerald

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Sofia Folk Wake Forest University

Rebecca Fox Southern Methodist University

Rosemary Frederiksen University of Michigan

Cate Frist University of California, Los Angeles

Katalina Guma Duke University

Lizzie Hadley Samford University

Adeline Hall Oregon State University

Michaela Hamman

The University of Edinburgh

Olivia Hande University of South Carolina

Evelyn Hare Wake Forest University

Hadley Harrington Texas Christian University

Hannah Helfrich Texas Christian University

Raven Hinchey Middle Tennessee State University Maddie Hogan Tulane University

Brantley Holladay Pepperdine University

Maggie Hooper Tulane University

Camille Hu Tufts University

Katherine Hu University of Virginia

Audrey Hughes Baylor University

Mary Husmann Belmont University

Laura Marie Jeansonne

Richmond The American International College in London

Caroline Johnson Rhodes College

Ella Kinman Elon University

Jordan Knight

University of Michigan

Miller Kress

Fordham University

Zoe Krumwiede Lafayette College

Sarah Lillard University of South Carolina

Katherine Lindley Texas Christian University

Libby Loftin Chapman University

Brooke Lytle Vanderbilt University

Cori Magsby Pace University

Elizabeth Master University of Georgia

Caroline McGuire

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Bella McKay

Texas Christian University

Caroline McKnight Texas Christian University Mackenzie Meyer Boston College

Carlie Mitchell Centre College

Emory Morgan Drexel University

Madelyn Morgan Auburn University Autumn Nash University of Vermont

Elisabeth Nelson Georgetown University

Lilly Nichols College of Charleston

Taylor Nisbet

Wake Forest University

Molly Niswender

Chapman University

Annabelle Nolan University of St Andrews

Emma Pierce University of Vermont

Crissa Portis University of Kentucky

Holly Powell University of Puget Sound

Anna Claire Pritchett College of the Holy Cross

Amelia Reddy Tulane University

Betsy Rogers Furman University

Julia Rose Tulane University

Rachel Rushing Smith College

Sabrina Russell University of Georgia

Sarah Savage

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Alexa Sheldon Cornell University

Claire Slagle

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Larissa Smith

Savannah College of Art and Design

Kate Stewart Mississippi State University

Lexi Stewart Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Eleanor Taylor Duke University

Anna Terry University of Missouri, Columbia

Libby Thomas Texas Christian University

Mallory Thomas Miami University of Ohio

Olivia Thorngren University of Oregon

Ashley Tirrill

Carnegie Mellon University

Evelyn Trost Clemson University

Sarah Grace Vallejo Syracuse University

Mary Holine Van Mol

George Washington University

Nadia Vick University of Denver

Gabby Welhoelter

Trinity College Dublin

Jordan Whitehouse

Birmingham-Southern College

Cora Williams University of Colorado Boulder

Kate Wojciechowski Northwestern University

Upper School Awards Day

BOOK AWARDS

Hollins University Book Award Hallie Graham

Princeton University Book Award Priyanka Chiguluri

Rhodes College Book Award Anna LeMarbre

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal Chekayli Meyer

Tulane University Book Award Caroline Ford

University of Chicago Book Award Mary Meacham

University of Pennsylvania Book Award Olivia Majors

University of Rochester Science Award Kathleen Lowe

University of Virginia Jefferson Book Award Mary Virginia Sullivan

Washington & Lee University Book Award Vee Counter

Wesleyan College Book Award Shreya Priyadarshi

Yale University Book Award Annie Linley

ATHLETIC AWARDS

Emmons Woolwine Scholar–Athlete Award Cate Frist

Outstanding Athlete Award Mallory Thomas

Pat Moran Sportsmanship Award Miller Clark

Susan Russ Competitors Award Sabrina Russell

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

Chen Jiann Min Award Scout Dahir

Cindy Crist Art Purchase Award Caroline Johnson

Cum Laude Award Piper Dahir

English Award (academic award) Brooke Lytle

Harvard University Book Award Lena Qian

Helen Mullins Manning Mathematics Award Eleanor Taylor History Award Alexa Sheldon

Lucie L. Fountain French Award Camille Hu

Marnie Sheridan Art Award

Katherine Hu

Mary Varina Frazer Latin Award Kate Wojciechowski

Math Award Alexa Sheldon

Ottarson Latin Award Jordan Knight

Outstanding Choral Student Cori Magsby

Outstanding Instrumental Student Autumn Nash

Outstanding Theatre Student Larissa Smith

Pickens Science Award Alexi Stewart

Souby Hall Award Nadia Vick Spanish Award Gabby Welhoelter

Spirit of Science Award Mary Holine Van Mol

Susan Souby Spirit of English Award Sabrina Russell

CLASS SPIRIT AWARDS

9th grade Charlotte Bartholomew

10th grade Lauren Wynn

11th Grade Vee Counter

12th Grade Emily Cashen

ELIZABETH POPE EVANS AWARD

9th grade

Lily Bowen, Ariadne Vidalakis, Draper Witherspoon, Reagan Nisbet, Cailin Rork, Meg Winston, Sophia Baldwin, Lucy Farringer, Ava Rumsey, Goo Callen, Hallie Gibson, and Lily Wang

10th grade

Zina Vidalakis, Sarah Hinds, Madison Chung, Lilly Bartholomew, and Macon Fowler

11th grade

Lena Qian, Mary Roper, Caroline Seehorn, Bella Guillamondegui, Annie Linley, and Maddie Meyer

12th grade

Brooke Lytle, Alexa Sheldon, Eleanor Taylor, Cate Frist, Elisabeth Nelson, and Scout Dahir

Ifyou ask a Harpeth Hall student what makes the school special, without hesitation she would say it is the teachers.

In March, as Harpeth Hall celebrated its teachers at the annual faculty recognition assembly, that admiration felt electric.

In a packed theatre, school administrators recognized longtime faculty members with words that captured and reflected the impact each educator has had on Harpeth Hall. As every teacher or staff member’s name was called, groups of students spontaneously leapt to their feet. There were big smiles, enthusiastic shouts, and standing ovations — all which underscored how deeply Harpeth Hall students appreciate and adore their teachers.

“Over my seven years at Harpeth Hall, I have built incredible bonds with my teachers and learned so much more than facts and figures from them, and I know my all peers also recognize that our faculty excel in many ways,” said Emory Morgan ’22, who was chosen by her class to represent the students during this special assembly. “They are dedicated to what they do, they are constantly selfless with their time and resources, they are understanding and empathetic during challenging days and weeks, and they adapt to their students’ needs.”

Harpeth Hall is fortunate to have a dedicated community of educators who work tirelessly to make sure students are set up

10 years

Hannah Bond, Upper School science teacher

Garen Eadie, Middle School social studies teacher

Lauren Finney, Graphic designer

Clark Harwell, Middle School English teacher

Amy Miller, Upper School French teacher

Michele O’Brien, Middle School social studies teacher

Amy Mulron, Middle School math teacher

Emily Runzo, Bookstore and student account manager

Harpeth Hall faculty nurture a sense of wonder in their students

by Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

for success as they become leaders in and out of the classroom. During the assembly, Director of the Upper School Armistead Lemon, Director of the Middle School Judi O’Brien, and Jane Berry Jacques ’72, chair of the board of trustees, joined Head of School Jess Hill in honoring faculty and staff members who have been at Harpeth Hall for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years.

“Our core purpose is to nurture a sense of wonder, to cultivate a will and facility for learning, and to promote cultural understanding, environmental stewardship, and service to others. The pursuit of these goals will inspire students and faculty to combine knowledge with goodness and reflection with action,” Mrs. Jacques said. “That is what is done every day at this school. The love of learning instilled here is quite magical.”

Three Harpeth Hall teachers received recognition for their teaching excellence: Upper School science teacher Samantha O’Connor, Upper School science teacher Jennifer Perry, and Middle School social studies teacher Meggie Lucas.

“Our faculty and staff deserve endless praise,” Emory said. “You all truly embody the spirit of graciousness, humility, and integrity. Thank you all for being examples of the hardest-working people I know, and I can say with confidence that you try every day to leave our school better than you found it.”

15 years

Susan Moll, Director of Advancement

Pamela Carver, Upper School Dean of Students

Shane Roberts, Events coordinator

20 years

Martha Goodman, Middle School drama and speech teacher

Jennifer Hinds, Donor relations

Kristen Meltesen, Upper School English teacher

Liz Nelson, Middle School athletic director

Julie Waugh, Information services assistant

25 years

Joe Croker, Upper School English teacher

DJ Ranta, Theatre technical director 30 years

Legare Vest, Upper School science teacher 35 years

Tad Wert, Upper School math teacher

HARPETH HALL CONGRATULATES OUR FACULTY AND STAFF ON THESE CAREER MILESTONES

Lulu Hampton Owen Chair for Excellence in Teaching

Meggie Lucas, Middle School social studies teacher, received the Lulu Hampton Owen Chair for Excellence in Teaching. This recognition is awarded annually to an outstanding member of the Harpeth Hall faculty who demonstrates excellence in scholarship, an unusual ability to communicate with students, excitement about teaching and learning, a commitment to the moral and intellectual development of students, and dedication to the life of the school. The appointment is for one year and carries with it honor, remuneration, and a Harpeth Hall chair which serves as a symbol for this award.

Ms. Lucas “believes in the power of the student-teacher relationship as the central and essential component in learning,” Head of School Jess Hill said. “She believes deeply in the endless potential of every one of her students, and they excel in her class because of the confidence she instills. Her students look forward to her class and consistently highlight her ability to make learning engaging, challenging, and fun.” Whether it is the variety of seating options and configurations designed to create optimal focus and learning or the positive energy she brings to the space, Ms. Lucas’ classroom reflects her dedication to creating a supportive learning environment for all students. Ms. Lucas “is masterful at setting high expectations for her students and providing the feedback, support, and encouragement they need to meet them.”

For me, teaching is rewarding because of the lasting relationships and connections that are built with students. I feel honored and humbled to occupy a space in their lives as they continue to grow into strong young women who have an amazing impact on this world.

— Meggie Lucas, Middle School social studies department chair

Ellen Bowers Hofstead Chair in STEM Education

Jennifer Perry, Upper School science teacher, received the Ellen Bowers Hofstead Chair, an award established by James W. Hofstead in loving memory of his wife. Mrs. Hofstead graduated from Ward-Belmont Preparatory School in 1934 and Ward-Belmont Junior College in 1935. This recognition is awarded for a period of three years. Recipients of the Ellen Bowers Hofstead Chair demonstrate a high level of distinction in learning and teaching, have earned an advanced degree, and have made a full-time commitment to Harpeth Hall for a minimum of five years.

As the 2022 award recipient, Ms. Perry “cares deeply about how girls learn best, and she scaffolds her lessons, labs, notes, and assessments so that every student has the opportunity to be both challenged and to succeed in her classes,” Ms. Hill said. For over a decade, Ms. Perry has inspired her students to pursue careers in STEM, while also producing the school yearbook, Milestones, and serving as part of the bowling coaching team. “A hallmark of her teaching style is that her students feel seen, known, and cared for,” Ms. Hill said. “She intuitively knows when a student needs extra support or a gentle nudge, and she helps them feel a part of our Upper School community. Her students adore her because she manages to hold high expectations of them and to bring fun into the classroom.”

I love teaching at Harpeth Hall. Where else do you have students who are eager to learn, an amazing faculty, and such a beautiful campus. It is truly a dream job.

— Jennifer Perry, Upper School science teacher

Heath Jones

Prize for the Promise of Excellence in Teaching

Samantha O’Connor, Upper School science teacher, received the Heath Jones Prize for the Promise of Excellence in Teaching. This prize is dedicated to A. Heath Jones, a teacher and academic dean at Harpeth Hall from 1984 to 1996. Harpeth Hall awards this prize annually to a full-time teacher who has had five years or less of classroom experience and who has taught at Harpeth Hall for two years or more.

"This year’s Heath Jones Award recipient emulates the love of teaching and learning that Heath Jones modeled for our community,” Ms. Hill said “She is beloved by her students, who describe her as energetic, spirited, passionate, and fun. She inspires her students to see themselves as scientists.” Ms.O’Connor has made a significant impact on her students by teaching that learning does not happen in a bubble. She collaborates with her peers and experts in the field to expand her students’ education beyond the classroom. “Ms. O’Connor is a leader in her field,” Ms. Hill said. “ . . . She has already been recognized nationally for her potential as a teacher and scholar.”

The students at Harpeth Hall make teaching a truly meaningful, challenging, comedic, and creative experience. They push me to grow into the best teacher I can be. Whether it’s TikTok, weekend plans, or seeing the innovative ways my students experience science, they keep me up to date and come up with ideas that I could never have imagined!

— Samantha O’Connor, Upper School science teacher

Almost Alumnae LUNCHEON

Seniors and their Alumnae Mothers and Grandmothers

Ms. Lemon, the opportunity which calls you away is most well-deserved and, for this, we also celebrate with you. Your departure here leaves a void that the Harpeth Hall community will feel immediately, and for years to come. Among other things, we will miss your exuberant smile while walking down Bullard Corridor, your consistently positive attitude, your contagious uplifting spirit, and more personally, your big hugs. The Class of ’22 and I thank you for all that you have taught us as you led by example. There truly aren’t enough words to fully express how much you mean to each of us, but please leave here knowing that your impact on the student body and the Harpeth Hall community is profound and enduring.

— Hannah Ericson ’22, closing reflections at Graduation

Ms. Lemon’s Parting Words of Wisdom

InAugust 2005, a bright young teacher began her career in education at Harpeth Hall. She quickly earned the admiration of students and colleagues through her natural rapport and inspiration in the classroom, and the school community took notice of her hard work and engagement outside of the classroom. After teaching for over a decade, she became chair of the English department before being named director of the Upper School in 2017.

Armistead Lemon has been a force for good and a bright light at Harpeth Hall. It is no surprise then, that her alma mater, North Cross School, in her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia, chose her as its new Head of School. She will join her new school this fall.

“Though it is hard to say goodbye,” Head of School Jess Hill said, “there is much to celebrate for Ms. Lemon and for Harpeth Hall. Our school focuses on developing strong leaders, and Ms. Lemon will become the first female Head of School at North Cross. She will bring to them the fresh energy, insight, and vision she has shared with us, and she will set the path for more female leaders to follow — just as we do at Harpeth Hall.”

Ms. Lemon has always been a role model for our students. She is authentic, thoughtful, approachable, smart, and never afraid to roll up her sleeves and work alongside students, teachers, families, and administrators. She is quick to solve a problem at hand or to focus on the long view of making our school greater, better, and more beautiful for the next generation. As Ms. Lemon addressed the senior class at the 2022 Almost Alumnae Luncheon, she left a special piece of herself with everyone there.

“It occurs to me that you and I are in similar situations this spring,” she said. “We are heading off on a new adventure, to new communities who don’t yet know us, and we will — each of us — undertake the work of discovering a new place and creating community within it. Short of finding a way to bottle up the bright spirit you’ve created this year to send along with you, I’ve tried to think about advice to give you, and in turn, to give myself. So here we go — Lemon’s Words of Wisdom, and just know I will be living these out in Roanoke, Virginia, so they had better be good!”

Here are words to live by, courtesy of a beautiful goodbye from Ms. Lemon to Harpeth Hall. Be patient with your life, if you can. “In my experience, it takes three years to feel really at home in a new place. Don’t foreclose or pick up and move too soon, even when it is tempting. Instead, find a cozy corner in the library, a good coffee shop, and a way to give back to your community when you feel siloed or stuck in your own head. Be curious about your future with the patience to understand that you can't see or predict all that lies ahead.”

Embrace the bumps, the struggles, the outright failures. “No avoiding them, and the good news is that we know that experiencing struggle and failure ultimately helps us to build confidence. This is coming from someone who earned a D on her first college English essay and who went on to pursue a graduate degree in English. That D made me better.” Be yourself. “Don’t make yourself smaller, quieter, less visible. Seek out situations and people who allow you to be expansive. … You are exceptional — be fully and unapologetically you. I hope that is what you have learned to do at Harpeth Hall.”

Good Wishes and Fond Farewells

Goodbyes are always hard, and this year Harpeth Hall must wish fond farewells to several beloved faculty members as they head on to retirement. They will be remembered for their sparkle, creativity, and commitment to making our students and school the very best they can be.

Alice Bryant

If Ms. Frizzle and the magic school bus had a librarian counterpart, it would be Harpeth Hall librarian Alice Bryant. Always that person with a twinkle in her eye whenever a student walked into her space, Ms. Bryant represented everything special that reading and libraries promote. In her 16 years at Harpeth Hall, she intuitively knew when a student might need a little extra time to chat or might need a little guidance in finding a book of interest. She was a mind-reader — or as one student put it a “palm reader” — when it comes to finding the right book for a student.

As Molly Rumsey, director of technology, said, “She is an incredibly gifted and knowledgeable librarian, an enthusiastic, patient, and engaging teacher, and a loyal and dedicated colleague. I see that as a triple crown and it is no wonder that she won our Owen Chair for Excellence in teaching in 2015.” Now, Ms. Bryant looks forward to spending more time with her husband, children, and granddaughter.

Peter Goodwin

An art and photography teacher at Harpeth Hall for 41 years and a masterful artist himself, Peter Goodwin provided the foundation for numerous Harpeth Hall alumnae who have gone on to establish careers in the arts. He created the school’s photography program and helped establish the state-of-the-art darkroom. His natural ability to teach across genres helped expand our Upper School elective program, both within and beyond the visual arts. A wordsmith of the highest caliber, he played an instrumental role in writing our Faculty Core Purpose statement. Throughout his time in the Upper

School, he raised essential questions about the future of education, school culture, and the student experience.

As Upper School Director Armistead Lemon remarked, “Receiving an email from Peter Goodwin was an event. He didn’t write often, but when he did, it was important and I paid attention. His missives were characterized by perceptive questioning, razor-sharp insight, and wry humor, always getting to the heart of what we aspired to do best as teachers and leaders.”

Stephanie Hamilton

Although her work involves a stage, Stephanie Hamilton has never been one for drama. As a dance teacher at Harpeth Hall for 42 years, her keys to success for herself and for her students have simply been hard work and resilience. Ms. Hamilton embodied loyalty and dedication in her time at Harpeth Hall, and she never expected more from her students than she did of herself.

One part of her magic has always been the way she built a family of dancers of all age groups. She began each school year by greeting her newest students with enthusiasm and joy and performing cartwheels down the walkway to McMurry. She received Harpeth Hall’s Owen Chair for Excellence in Teaching in 2010 and touched the lives of so many Harpeth Hall dancers. Equally inspiring is the grace with which she led our faculty procession down Souby Lawn each spring at Graduation. Ms. Hamilton will begin a new chapter in Minneapolis with her family.

Helen Berry Holland ’82

Anyone who has ever been a math teacher knows that part of the instruction takes place in a group setting — and just as much of it happens in the form of one-on-one tutoring outside of the classroom. Helen Berry Holland ’82 joined the Harpeth Hall faculty more than 13 years ago as a 5th grade math teacher and golf coach. Throughout her teaching career, Mrs. Holland was always available during those “extra” hours to help each individual student get to the next level of understanding. Afternoons, mornings, and even weekend phone calls, she was there to help. In much the same way, she was there as a colleague. She offered to teach any level of math that the Middle School needed each year, and she did it with a happy attitude and bright spirit. Low drama and steadiness were her M.O. and behind that steadiness, she cared deeply about Harpeth Hall as an institution, as her alma mater, and her daughter’s alma mater. She will always want Harpeth Hall to be the very best — and she did her part to help the school get there. Although this will be her last year teaching math at Harpeth Hall, she will continue as a coach and substitute teacher.

2022 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA

hen she was on the faculty at Harpeth Hall, Merrie Morrissey Clark Alexander Ph.D. ’69 was “known for teaching U.S. History in a dynamic and approachable manner.”

In May, Dr. Alexander returned to Harpeth Hall and again stood in front of students — this time in an assembly honoring her as Harpeth Hall’s 2022 Distinguished Alumna. She began, as she does so well, with a history lesson.

Five months after the Civil War, and decades before women had the right to vote, she told students, Ward Seminary — a school for young women — opened in Nashville.

The year was 1865, and only a handful of institutions in the country existed to provide a serious education to prepare women for college.

Ward Seminary’s founding came before both Montgomery Bell Academy and Vanderbilt University were established, making the women’s school a pace setter in education. Nashville itself was just establishing its reputation as the Athens of the South.

for students at Harpeth Hall, in the Metro Nashville school system, and beyond.

When she was a student at Harpeth Hall more than 50 years ago, Dr. Alexander went to classes in Souby Hall, played intramural volleyball in Bullard Gym (third string for the Angkors), and traveled to MBA to take physics.

The annual Distinguished Alumna Award seeks to honor a Harpeth Hall or Ward-Belmont alumna who has had an indelible impact on her profession, her community, and the futures of the women who follow in her footsteps.

From Ward Seminary school came Ward-Belmont College in 1913. And, when Ward-Belmont closed in 1951, Harpeth Hall became Nashville’s leading location for an all-girls education.

In the first years, Souby Hall and the Senior House were the two original buildings on campus. The school would grow, and so would its legacy, as it developed leaders who would go on to excel as CEOs, Olympians, court justices, authors, surgeons, and community difference makers of all kinds.

Dr. Alexander is among them. She has devoted her life and career to education and the improvement of the educational experience

“Some things have changed,” she said. “Great teaching, solid friendships, and encouragement to be bold have been here all along. From the beginning, Ward Seminary, Ward-Belmont, and Harpeth Hall figured out how to teach girls most effectively in an all-girls setting, produce confident leaders, and prepare students for future roles.”

Dr. Alexander began her career in education as a student at Harpeth Hall, graduating in the class of 1969. She went on to graduate Vanderbilt University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a master’s degree in social studies education in 1978. Dr. Alexander served on the Harpeth Hall faculty from 1975 to 1986 and again from 1992 to 2009.

As a teacher, she impacted girls at a critically impressionable age by bringing significant history lessons to life for 12- and 13-year-old students, including the George Washington Celebration, which she coordinated annually. She also served as the history and social sciences department chair. While at Harpeth Hall, she helped research, develop, and launch the Scholars Engaged in Extending Knowledge (SEEK) independent study program, and served as its program coordinator.

The

Dr. Merrie Morrissey Clark Alexander ’69

by Sara Mason Bovender ’99, chair of the Distinguished Alumna Selection Committee

SEEK program provides unique opportunities to students who wish to pursue learning beyond the regular curriculum.

(left) Merrie with her husband Robert.

(above) Merrie at her Vanderbilt graduation with classmates and friends.

When she returned to Harpeth Hall in the spring of 2022 to speak to students as the Distinguished Alumna honoree, Dr. Alexander reflected on one of the tenets taught to students and encouraged in faculty — lifelong learning.

“The world is changing fast,” she told students. “Stay nimble, be open to new opportunities, stay curious, talk to everyone, and combine your passions to move you forward. This is my motto and it has served me well.”

Nothing exemplifies that better than Dr. Alexander’s own educational path. At age 50 — after three decades of teaching at Harpeth Hall — she returned to school as a student and completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership in Policy (2008) at Vanderbilt University. Through the pursuit, she utilized her passion and dedication to coordinate and implement programs to improve the educational experience for students across Tennessee.

Rising 9th grade students and faculty went to Switzerland and France as part of a cultural immersion program. They attended an international school in Geneva and met with World Health Organization (W.H.O,) and United Nations officials.

implementation of numerous multimillion-dollar education grants, such as the District Priority School Improvement Grant and the Education, Innovation and Research (EIR) Grant, among many others. Additionally, Dr. Alexander has presented to, and her work has been published in, national educational forums.

Through this critical role, she utilized her dedication and expertise to effectively spearhead improvements in education for all children. Since her retirement, she has continued to assist with state and federal grants, including the federal COVID-19 Relief Funds aimed at addressing the pandemic’s impact on schools.

In the Nashville community, Dr. Alexander has served on the boards of Travellers Rest Historic House Museum, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Harding Academy, and the Junior League of Nashville, where she received the Paragon Award for Outstanding Service.

In 2009, the State of Tennessee Department of Education recruited Dr. Alexander as a data and research manager in the Office of Federal Programs. In this leadership role, she led Tennessee to win the Race to the Top Fund. The Obama administration awarded the $500 million fund to the state that demonstrated the most successful creation of optimal conditions for education innovation and reform.

Under this fund, Dr. Alexander chaired three Race to the Top projects. First, she produced the 2009-2010 Tennessee Teacher Equity Plan, which ensured that disadvantaged children are educated by teachers of the same caliber as advantaged cohorts. Second, she coordinated the Competitive Supplemental Fund, which distributed grant funding to school districts needing assistance with alternative salary schedules in order to improve low performing schools. Third, she led the Innovation/Acceleration Fund which administered grants to school districts to develop performance-based compensation plans. Also, in this management role, Dr. Alexander served as the interim director for Tennessee Charter Schools in which she utilized the U.S. Department of Education Charter Schools Program Grant to provide financial and legal assistance to new and existing charter schools in Tennessee. In 2010, she was appointed to the position of grants management coordinator in the Office of Federal Programs for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, from which she retired in 2019. In this role, Dr. Alexander ensured that Metro Nashville schools are compliant with state and federal laws and that federal funds and grants are being properly administered. Dr. Alexander oversaw the distribution and

Dr. Alexander’s daughter, Dr. Emily Clark King ’02, and son, Cotton Clark, expressed their family’s love and admiration for their mother and her distinguished career.

“Harpeth Hall has certainly been our mom's second home for most of her life, ever since she was a young girl,” Emily said. “I know my mother feels forever indebted to both Harpeth Hall School and Vanderbilt University for her lifelong interest in education.

“When she was on the faculty at Harpeth Hall, she was known for teaching U.S. History in a very dynamic and approachable manner and was an advocate for and supporter of her students both inside and outside the classroom. Children are her passion, and I believe she was truly in her element when she was teaching seventh graders at Harpeth Hall for all those years.

“However, she transitioned seamlessly into multiple leadership positions in education at the state and local level and has enjoyed pushing herself in this work over the past several years. Now that she is retired, she enjoys traveling and fishing with her husband, Robert, playing bridge with her friends, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She has always been such a fun and energetic mom and grandmother, and I think this is in part due to the natural teacher in her.”

Above all, Dr. Alexander is a devoted, kind, and passionate educator who has consistently placed the needs of students of all ages and backgrounds as her central focus. It is with profound gratitude and pride that Harpeth Hall honors Dr. Alexander as the 2022 Harpeth Hall Distinguished Alumna recipient.

Harpeth Hall faculty traveled to China as part of a cultural exchange program.

From a young age,

Ginna Maxwell Rauls ’92 loved to climb up into the saddle of a horse and feel the wind on her face as she connected with the empowerment, joy, and security she felt guiding the strong animal. Riding horses was her passion. She dreamed one day of turning that passion into a purpose.

As a teenager, inspired by a television commercial she saw featuring a boy with Down syndrome, she began to envision how. She envisioned starting an equine therapy program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, where busses of children would pull up to her farm to ride. Even at that early age, it was clear that her gift would be connecting with and supporting young people with disabilities.

It was during Winterim at Harpeth Hall that Mrs. Rauls began the lifelong commitment to serving the special needs community. As a student, she completed an internship at Harris Hillman, a school serving students age 3 to 22, many of who had multiple disabilities and dual diagnoses.

“I am not sure who lit up with excitement more during those weeks — the children or Ginna,” friend and Harpeth Hall classmate Mari-Kate Hopper Miller '92 recalled.

Years later, in a newspaper article recognizing her volunteer service, Mrs. Rauls would reflect on that Winterim experience saying she simply wanted “to help special needs children with activities that make them feel just like any other kid.” Her strong foundation for service to the community led to the founding of two organizations that would become her life’s work — the Southern Reins Center for Equine Therapy and Memphis Joy Prom. Through that work, she has made a difference in the lives of children and families across Tennessee, earning her the worthy recognition as Harpeth Hall’s 2022 Spirit of Service honoree.

Ginna Maxwell Rauls ’92

In 2014, Ms. Rauls founded the Memphis Joy Prom. For many with special needs, they are never able to pick out a dress, ride in a limo, and attend their own prom. Joy Prom, a full-scale prom for special needs friends ages 16 and up, brings this special event to life. The first Memphis Joy Prom welcomed 100 special friends ages 17 and up to a walk down the red carpet lined with paparazzi. After months of planning and signing up more than 350 volunteers, a beautiful evening emerged. Ice sculptures, live music, corsages, long dresses, and tuxedos were all part of the magical night. Each guest received a host who made sure every detail was considered, including a photo, a limousine ride, shoeshines, manicures, hair styling, make up — the star treatment. The prom concluded with many parents joining their children on the dance floor with tears of joy.

Joy Prom has gained popularity over the years. Registration for the 2022 event filled up in 48 minutes, and now more than 750 volunteers ranging from age 14 through senior adults help make the night a success. Joy Prom now also includes a “dress fest,” held one month before the dance. Hundreds of dresses are donated throughout the year from the Memphis community. Volunteers set up a one-day store and prom attendees try on and select a free dress, complimentary minor alterations, donated jewelry, and handbags. The prom shopping experience has become a very exciting highlight for the shoppers and builds excitement about the culminating event.

Seeing the joy on the faces of the prom attendees at the Memphis Joy Prom inspires Mrs. Rauls every day. So, too, does her work with Southern Reins Center for Equine Therapy.

After Harpeth Hall, Mrs. Rauls went on to graduate from Rhodes College with a business degree, married her college boyfriend, Jason Rauls, and settled in Memphis. Through her Memphis church, Mrs. Rauls got involved with the special friends ministry and she and Jason, called by the mission, began introducing new activities for the group including a Special Friends Parent Nights Out, which was designed to let parents go to dinner, run an errand, or take a nap. Then, she dreamed bigger.

At age 40, Ginna teamed up with an Oak Hill School friend and fellow Nashville pony rider, Courtney Vlahos Smith, to launch a therapeutic riding program in Memphis. In 2015, they, along with several other women founded Southern Reins Center with five horses, 14 special needs riders, one certified instructor, an open arena, and a tiny office. Through the work, Mrs. Rauls began to witness “miracles.” She watched as a student who had never spoken a word in his life loudly said “whoa” to his horse, shocking and delighting those around him. She marveled as a child with autism — stimulated from a week of activity — took two or three laps around the ring on horseback and became completely calm. She saw her dream of bringing the joy of horseback riding to children with disabilities become a reality.

On April 19, 2022, Harpeth Hall presented the 2022 Spirit of Service Award to Ginna Maxwell Rauls ’92 for her devotion to serving children with special needs in the Memphis area and for her volunteer service assisting Memphis hospitals during the COVID pandemic.

2022 Alumnae Spirit of Service Award

Ginna was one of my first friends at Oak Hill kindergarten. She has always been a fun compassionate friend who exudes confidence and raises the level of joy. She is a true leader and she has carried a wonderful devotion to help others her entire life. — Langford Barksdale ’92

The work has taken dedication. Each rider requires up to three volunteers. In the beginning, being sure there were enough trained helpers each hour was a tough responsibility for Mrs. Rauls to tackle. She accepted the challenge as essential for the safety of the riders and offered training sessions on Saturdays, showering the volunteers with support and gratitude. In 2018, with the strong support of the Memphis community, new property was purchased with a large, covered arena, 12 stalls, and administrative offices for a director and staff.

Mrs. Rauls’ gift was nurturing the riders, encouraging the volunteers, and supporting the parents. A sell-out Derby Day party called Jockeys and Juleps funds a large portion of the budget for the expansion of Southern Reins. Jockeys and Juleps is held on the beautiful Southern Reins equine campus and is strongly supported by Memphis business underwriters and generous individual donors.

“Whatever your passion is,” she told students, “Harpeth Hall is great at preparing you academically — the school also helps you find what fills your heart.”

Ms. Rauls hasn’t stopped seeking those opportunities for fulfillment. In her personal life, Mrs. Rauls went through a life-threatening health experience in 2018 when she was diagnosed with Von Willebrand blood disorder. She was bedridden for several months. Her volunteer energy was sapped for a period. Raising two teenage daughters absorbed much of her time and strength.

Still, when COVID-19 hit, Mrs. Rauls unsurprisingly jumped into action to help her community. A friend who was an ER doctor at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital asked Mrs. Rauls to please make masks for her and other doctors. In the wake of her own unexpected health struggles and recovery, Mrs. Rauls felt called to address the medical needs of her community as the pandemic overwhelmed the profession.

Once again starting small, and not able to be within 6 feet of fellow seamstresses, Mrs. Rauls organized drop-off stations on her front porch. Everyone wanted to help, so friends and strangers pulled through the circular drive dropping off supplies in labeled stations. Fabric here, elastic here, if you can’t sew please cut fabric using this pattern, return cut fabric here, return finished masks here.

Many doctors and front-line workers would pick up the masks from the porch. This went on for months, grew to an unknown number of helpers, and was covered on the local news. Then, a phone call from Baptist Hospital to Mrs. Rauls and a sewing friend changed the project overnight. The hospital found 27,000 N95 protective face masks in a basement, but the elastic had dry-rotted.

At that time, N95 masks were scarce and desperately needed in overcrowded hospitals. Could Mrs. Rauls and her friend organize the replacement of the 27,000 elastic straps?

They agreed to take 6,000 and began organizing a pyramid of 20 teams offering training on Zoom. Elastic needed for masks was in short supply world-wide. The order was delayed. By the time the elastic came, 410 volunteers had joined the pyramid and all 27,000 masks were repaired and delivered back in three days. CNN and local stations covered the story as they searched for happy news.

Today, as friends speak with Mrs. Rauls by phone, she is still often looking for an address to deliver a “happy” to someone having a hard time. When she was a little girl, her artwork usually had a sunshine in the upper left corner. To those who know her, Mrs. Rauls is sunshine.

Currently, she is busy planning another Memphis Joy Prom and she has returned to helping the Sunday School class for special needs kids, now called SHINE. She continues to recruit her husband, her daughters, and their friends to dedicate a Friday night to fill slots at Joy Prom or a Saturday to lead a horse.

Her tireless work and dedication to others inspires those around her of all ages. She has been a catalyst for powerful and positive change in her communities. She remains humble about her role in the dreams she has helped come true — dreams that began years ago in the halls of Harpeth Hall.

TRIBUTE TO Jane Berry Jacques ’72

Sheis unassuming, but do not be fooled.

Jane Berry Jacques ’72 has been an agent of growth and progress at Harpeth Hall for years. Make that decades. The fruits of her 40+ years of labor on behalf of the school have yielded significant impacts, including the Athletic Wellness Center and Bullard Bright IDEA Lab as well as the installation of two Heads of School, Stephanie Balmer and Jess Hill. There is little on campus, or in the school’s culture, that Mrs. Jacques has not in some way touched.

As a girl, Jane grew up within walking distance of Harpeth Hall, but she was born an ocean away in Yorkshire, England. Both of her parents were British: her father a physician and her mother a nurse. The family moved to Nashville when little Jane was 18 months old to allow her father to complete his residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and — save for a two-year return to their homeland when Jane was 5 — the Berrys have remained in Nashville ever since.

That Jane and her younger sister, Helen, would attend Harpeth Hall was a given, not merely because the family settled nearby on Esteswood but because education was of critical importance to all of them. At one point in time, Mrs. Jacques fully expected to pursue a career as an educator. Having earned a Bachelor of Arts and subsequently a Master of Science from Vanderbilt University, she returned to Harpeth Hall to serve as the college counselor and dean of students from 1982 to 1985. Incoming Board Chair Crissy Wieck ’96 notes that one of Mrs. Jacques’ advisees was her own sister-in-law, Amy Welhoelter ’87, who credits Mrs. Jacques with helping her find Colgate University, a somewhat outlier choice for the times, which proved to be the perfect fit.

Mrs. Jacques relished working with students and faculty alike and could envision herself becoming a head of school one day, but her family life took priority. She had met and married Jack Jacques and become mother to Lindsay (who went on to graduate Harpeth Hall in 2006) and Matthew (later the husband of Harpeth Hall alumna, Anna Mayo Jacques ’03). Mr. Jacques’ work called for intensive travel and so Mrs. Jacques readily assumed responsibility for managing the affairs of family and home.

Though Mrs. Jacques never returned to education as a career, she did return to it robustly as a passion. To say that her devotion to Harpeth Hall has been tireless

by Varina Buntin Willse

Jane's connection to Harpeth Hall has endured across the decades from her time as a student to her role as chair of the board of trustees, and her love of this place has only grown stronger. It shows in every interaction. — Jess Hill, Head of School

is a colossal understatement. Mrs. Jacques began her first term as a trustee nearly 20 years ago and twice served as vice chair. She has chaired several fundraising campaigns, including the alumnae committee for The Campaign for Harpeth Hall and the major gifts committee for The Annual Fund in 2006-07 and again in 2007-08 alongside her husband Jack, himself a past Harpeth Hall trustee. Mrs. Jacques co-chaired The Next Step Campaign, which spanned six years and raised $35.6 million for the construction of the new Athletic Wellness Center. When she assumed the role of chair and president of the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees on July 1, 2018, her leadership would be tested, needed, and stretched in ways no one could have foreseen.

As Ms. Hill explains, “In the past four years, there have been a lot of meetings and phone calls that called for her fortitude — through a search for a new head of school, through social unrest, through COVID, and through the loss of her father and mother in the midst of the thousands of hours she has given to Harpeth Hall. I don’t think there is another person who could have given unceasingly in the way she has given to us during this time.”

Mrs. Jacques’ leadership style has always been characterized by this level of devotion, stamina, and resolve. She is a keen listener and a consensus builder who is unafraid to make decisions. She is also gracious and known for her warm and ready smile. Ms. Hill notes how well these qualities have served Harpeth Hall, especially during the challenges of the past four years, and how much she personally appreciates them. “I am grateful to Jane for listening, clarifying,

standing firm when she needed to, and being open to new ideas on how to navigate the challenges that neither of us expected,” Ms. Hill said.

Incoming Board Chair Ms. Wieck echoes those sentiments: “Jane took the reins of board chair at a difficult time for our school and our board and worked diligently to lead us gently out of tragedy and into a new era, with a new head of school and a unified vision for the future.”

The next step in fulfilling that vision is a new capital campaign, which Mrs. Jacques helped formulate and gain approval by the Board of Trustees. It focuses on spaces for STEM and envisions a “bright tomorrow” that Mrs. Jacques has helped articulate. To get there will require a trifecta of core qualities — willingness of spirit, commitment to bold ideas, and a drive to act upon a vision — the very qualities that Mrs. Jacques herself embodies. This year has been an especially poignant year for Mrs. Jacques, not only because it is her last as board chair. A graduate of the class of 1972, she and her classmates just celebrated their 50th reunion. Mrs. Jacques missed the actual festivities because of COVID-19. After she devoted so much of her tenure as chair to navigating pandemic-related challenges, some could view it as a harsh irony, but Mrs. Jacques doesn’t see it that way. The occasion was meaningful well beyond the confines of the gathering itself. Of all the gifts that Harpeth Hall bestows upon its graduates, its faculty and staff, its parents and volunteers, the connections forged and friendships made might well be the most valuable of all. “It’s all about the connections,” she emphasizes.

Mrs. Jacques makes one final point: a small but revealing one. “Most people don’t put their high school on their resumes, but Harpeth Hall graduates do,” she says. She is right. As she moves on from her role as board chair, Mrs. Jacques has no need of a resume — she is ready to fill her time with jogging and grandchildren. But, were she to compile one, along with her litany of leadership positions at Harpeth Hall, her commitments to the Nashville community at large, including serving as president of the Junior League of Nashville and of the Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, and with the degrees she earned from Vanderbilt University, her resume would undoubtedly and proudly read Harpeth Hall School, Class of 1972.

Likewise our roster of board chairs will proudly read Jane Berry Jacques 2018-2022.

Jane Berry Jacques at a Glance

• 23 years as a trustee

• 2 Head of School searches

• 3 years as the Harpeth Hall college counselor

• 35.6 million dollars raised as co-chair of Next Step Campaign

• 4 years as chair of the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees

• 13 total committees served (at least!)

• 1 Bullard Bright IDEA Lab overseen

• 1 global pandemic navigated

• 12 years as vice chair of the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees

• 1 sister, Helen Berry Holland ’82, retiring as a teacher

• 6 alumna relatives (sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, niece, stepgranddaughters)

• 54 years of active engagement with Harpeth Hall

Classof 1996 alumna Crissy Wieck assumed the role of Harpeth Hall board chair and president on July 1, 2022. Ms. Wieck has been actively involved in the life of the school for the past 16 years in a variety of roles as an alumna volunteer leader and as the mother of Gabby Welhoelter ’22 and Fina Welhoelter ’28. She has served on the Head’s Young Alumnae Council and has chaired the Alumnae Association Board, the Alumnae Annual Fund, and the Annual Fund Major Gifts Committee. Following her service as an ex officio member of the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees from 2013 to 2015, Ms. Wieck joined the board as a trustee in 2018 and has chaired the Campaign Steering Committee for the past three years. A frequent presenter at Harpeth Hall career days, Ms. Wieck is the chief sales officer for Western Express, Inc., a large tier industry truckload carrier with terminals stretching from Pennsylvania to California. Ms. Wieck’s niece Ava Cupit, daughter of Rachel Wieck Cupit ’00, will join Harpeth Hall’s Class of 2030 in the fall. Ms. Wieck is hopeful that her youngest daughter, Maria Wiltshire, will follow in her family’s footsteps and join the Class of 2036 in the years to come. Ms. Wieck has a son, Wyatt Welhoelter, who is a rising 9th grader at Montgomery Bell Academy, and her husband, Matt Wiltshire, has two sons, Alex and John. She is a passionate advocate of educational excellence for girls and considers her Harpeth Hall experience one of the most formative experiences of her life. She is also a huge fan of the Nashville Soccer Club having played soccer all four years for Maryville College, where she majored in business and history.

New Trustees 2022-2023

Harpeth Hall salutes trustees whose terms concluded at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Thank you Jon Meacham, Matt Miller, Rachel Reeves Settle '94, Jack Wallace, and Mandy Haynes Young '85 for your years of trustee service. We welcome the following new trustees beginning in 2022-2023 and congratulate two new honorary trustees.

New Trustee: Shani Dowell

Shani is the CEO and founder of the app Possip and is the first African American woman to raise $1 million for a start-up in Tennessee. Her app, which is a combination of the words positive and gossip, is a parent engagement platform that provides a measurable feedback loop between parents and schools and is founded on trust, learning, and transparency. Possip is used in over 350 schools in 17 states, including Metro Nashville Public Schools. A native of Houston, Shani went to Howard University in Washington, D.C. and then to business school in California. She joined the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), where she met her husband Randy, who is the executive director of KIPP Nashville. Shani and Randy are current Harpeth Hall parents of Selah, a rising 7th grade student at Harpeth Hall, and a son at Nashville Classical School.

New Trustee: Benjamin S. Gambill III

Ben is a 1997 graduate of Montgomery Bell Academy and a member of the school’s board of trustees. He earned his undergraduate degree in business administration and history with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001. Ben is the founder, CEO, and managing partner of Tiger Eye Capital in New York City, an investment management firm established in 2009. Ben’s mother, Katie Gambill, served as a Harpeth Hall trustee from 1998 to 2004, and his sister Scottie Gambill Ryan graduated in 2002. Ben and his wife, Mary Carlisle, who is the co-founder of Next Peak Global, moved from Manhattan to Nashville in 2020. Ben and Mary Carlisle are parents of Carlisle, a rising 8th grade student. They have three other children, son, Drake, and daughters Harrison and Emmeline. Ben also serves on the board of trustees for the Tiger Foundation in New York City and previously served on the board of the honors program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

New Trustee: John Morris, M.D.

John is the associate chief of staff of Vanderbilt Health System. He is professor of surgery and biomedical informatics at Vanderbilt and adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. He began his career at Vanderbilt in 1984. Dr. Morris has founded multiple Vanderbilt programs: LifeFlight, the Level 1 trauma center, and Acute Care Surgery. He has published over 150 medical articles and supervised multiple scientific grants. He previously served on the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2002 and has served as a vital member of the school's medical advisory team as Harpeth Hall navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his wife Julia, who is the deputy general counsel for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, have three daughters, two of whom are graduates: Jessie Morris Adams, Ph.D. ’00 and Sarah Morris Garner, MSN ’03. Miller Morris Robinette, MPH, attended Harpeth Hall’s Middle School and graduated from Ensworth in 2012. Jessie serves as Harpeth Hall’s public purpose director.

New Trustee: Reid Patton ’14

Reid is a 2014 graduate of Harpeth Hall and received the Katie Wray Valedictorian Award at commencement. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship and graduated magna cum laude from Duke University before beginning her career at Facebook, now Meta. Currently, she is a product manager at Meta, helping to build the metaverse and is primarily focused on digital fashion and creators. She previously built and scaled Facebook Neighborhoods. Reid served on Harpeth Hall’s National Advisory Council from 2019 to 2022. Her mother, Robin Ingram Patton ’84 served on the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2014, and her grandmother, Martha Ingram, serves as a Harpeth Hall honorary trustee. Reid’s grandmother, Hortense Bigelow Ingram, for whom the Upper School is named, was a founding Harpeth Hall trustee. Her aunt is Stephanie Currey Ingram ’82, and her Harpeth Hall cousins are Christina Chapman ’10, Martha Ingram ’15, and Virginia Ingram ’15. Reid lives in San Francisco.

New Trustee:

Barbara Keith Brown Payne ’85 Barbara Keith graduated from Harpeth Hall in 1985. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Vanderbilt University in 1989. After a six-year stint in international insurance brokering in New York and London with Marsh, Barbara Keith has been a full-time Nashville realtor since 1995, specializing in residential

real estate with Pilkerton Realtors. She served as an ex officio trustee from 2019 to 2021 during her term as president and president-elect of the Harpeth Hall Parents Association. She has also served on the Head’s Young Alumnae Council, the Distinguished Alumna Selection Committee, and has been an Annual Fund leader and reunion class chair for multiple years. Barbara Keith and her husband, Richard, who owns The Wine Chap, are parents of Susanna Payne ’23. They also have two sons, Jamie Payne and Brown Payne, who graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 2016 and in 2020, respectively. Barbara Keith’s grandmothers, Harriet (Happy) Hoffman Brown ’32 and Bobbie Leake Glasgow ’36 were graduates of Ward-Belmont. Barbara Keith’s mother is Susie Glasgow Brown ’60. Her aunts are Elizabeth (Lee) Russell Brown ’60, Emily Glasgow Bruno ’64, Jane Wallace Brown ’64, Candace Floyd Glasgow ’71, and former Harpeth Hall faculty member Hilrie Brown. Her Harpeth Hall niece is Liza Brown ’24.

New Trustee: Amy Richards

Amy earned a Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University in 1997, and she earned a J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2001. She was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2001 and worked in the labor and employment litigation group at Bass Berry and Sims. She currently serves as co-chair of the Explore! Community School and East End Preparatory School boards of directors, which are affiliated with the Martha O’Bryan Center. She also serves on the boards of directors for both the Tennessee Innocence Project and Friends Life Community. She and her husband, Clay, who is the founder and former CEO of NaviHealth, are parents of Kennedy, a rising 9th grade student. Their son, Claiborne, is a junior at Montgomery Bell Academy and their son James attends Oak Hill School.

Honorary Trustee: Reese Witherspoon ’94

Reese Witherspoon, a member of the Class of 1994, received Harpeth Hall’s Distinguished Alumna Award in 2016. Witherspoon is an award-winning actress, founder, producer, and bestselling author. She won an  Academy Award for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in “Walk the Line” and was later

nominated for her performance in “Wild,” which she also produced. Reese starred in beloved films “Sweet Home Alabama, Legally Blonde”, and “Election” as well as award-winning television series “Big Little Lies,” “The Morning Show,” and “Little Fires Everywhere.” In 2018, Reese released her first book, “Whiskey in a Teacup,” which was an instant New York Times bestseller. She will release her highly anticipated children’s book “Busy Betty” on October 4, 2022. Reese continues to utilize her platform to drive the production of female-centric content with Hello Sunshine, a cross-platform media brand and content company, which she founded. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese’s Book Club and the newly launched RBC App. Hello Sunshine is part of Candle Media, an independent, creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, high-quality, categorydefining brands and franchises. Reese is an advocate and activist for women’s issues across the globe. Reese’s Harpeth Hall nieces are Abby James Witherspoon ’24 and Draper Witherspoon ’25.

Honorary Trustee: Amy Grant ’78

Amy Grant is a member of the Class of 1978, a former Lady of the Hall, and a 1996 Distinguished Alumna. She began her career in Christian music while she was a student at Harpeth Hall and was recently described by CBS as “Christian music royalty.” She has earned six Grammy Awards and numerous Gospel Music Association Dove Awards and has had three multi-platinum albums, six platinum albums, and four gold albums. In recognition of her extraordinary success in both pop and Christian music, Amy has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as the Music City Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2021. Amy previously served on the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2000 and has performed at numerous school events, including the school’s Milestones Gala in 2000 and 150th Anniversary in 2016. Amy and her husband, Vince Gill, who is a renowned musician, are champions of worthy causes and well-known philanthropists in Nashville. Amy has four children Matt Chapman, Millie Chapman Long, Sarah Chapman Besenius, and Corrina Gill. Amy’s sisters all attended Harpeth Hall: Kathy Grant Harrell ’70, Mimi Grant Verner ’72, and Carol Grant Nuismer ’77. Her Harpeth Hall nieces include Grace Verner Woods ’97, Caroline Harrell Epps ’98, Mimi Verner Stricker ’99, Katie Harrell Murphy ’01, Claire Nuismer ’06, and Sally Anne Harrell ’07.

Milestones Society

Harpeth Hall Today

2002

Class Parties

50th Brunch 1971

50th Brunch 1972

Cocktails on Campus

Class Notes

Four members of the Class of 1952 were recognized as part of Harpeth Hall’s first 70th reunion class at the Milestones Luncheon during Reunion 2022. We salute Georgeanna White Payne ’52, Jean Johnson Rippy ’52, DeLacy Phinizy Sarantos ’52, and Virginia Patton Saunders ’52.

Anne Byrn Whitaker ’74 released her highly anticipated followup book to “The Cake Mix Doctor” entitled, “A New Take on Cake.” She revisits 50 favorites from “The Cake Mix Doctor” and introduces 125 new recipes utilizing all her favorite new ingredients, pans, styling techniques, and more. She writes, “There’s definitely something for everybody. I really wanted to update some of the classic recipes and make them work today with the cake mixes that are on the shelf. I think they’ll love seeing the breadth of things that you can do with cake mix. It’s very DIY.”

Mimi Wallace ’75 was named to Forbes magazine’s list of America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors and Best-in-State Wealth Advisors for 2022. She is senior vice president wealth management at UBS Financial Services in Nashville.

Tracy Caulkins Stockwell ’81 was appointed as the new president of Swimming Australia in February. She is the second ever female president of the organization, and she commented, “Swimming has played such an important role in my life, and I feel privileged to take on a role that will empower me to give something back to the sport that has provided me with so many opportunities.”

Mary Laird Warner Stewart ’82 is the president-elect of the Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Association. She is a physician administrator, medical staff leader, and

critical care and pulmonary medicine specialist in Denver, Colorado. She is the associate chief medical officer at Swedish Medical Center, a two-year training program designed to prepare her to become a chief medical officer.

Amanda Oldham Slack ’84 was named as the first head of the lower school at Jackson Preparatory School, an independent, coeducational day school in Jackson, Mississippi. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Baylor University and her master’s degree in early childhood education from Vanderbilt University.

Jacqueline Saturn Dakar ’86 was named to Billboard’s 2022 Women in Music Top Executives. Jacqueline is president of Virgin Music Label and Artists Services — the distribution services arm of Universal’s Capitol Music Group, which partners with independent labels and artists.

Karen Doochin Vingelen ’88 was named as one of Nashville Business Journal’s Women of Influence. Karen serves as president and COO of American Paper & Twine.

Anjali Upadhyaya Lewis ’91 was a featured alumna panelist at Harpeth Hall’s Asian Pacific American Heritage month all-school assembly on May 2. Fellow panelists included Shirley Li ’02 and Emily Tseng ’10. The program, hosted by Harpeth Hall senior Camille Hu ’22 and themed “Celebrating Culture, Elevating Tradition,” included a presentation by Better Together, the Middle School DEI leadership group.

Holly Whetsell Coltea ’94 is celebrating her eighth year of owning barre3 Nashville. She opened barre3 Nashville on a mission to teach people to be balanced and bodyempowered with the vision of redefining what success in fitness means. What Holly loves about barre3 is how, together, this community is rediscovering the joy in movement and is building a community founded on body positivity and inclusivity.

Holly can’t wait to welcome Harpeth Hall alumnae into this growing international community. If you have questions about barre3, email Holly at nashville@barre3.com.

Reese Witherspoon ’94 and Hello Sunshine, the company she founded, are adapting Dolly Parton and James Patterson’s book “Run Rose Run” into a movie. Dolly will star in and produce the film. Reese also recently penned her own children’s book, “Busy Betty,” a picture book that encourages young readers to “celebrate what makes them unique and realize that anything is possible.”

Vadie Turner ’95 returned to the Vanderbilt University’s art department as the Hamblet Artist in Residence. She worked with senior art majors as they developed their work for their thesis exhibition at the end of the

semester. Vadie’s solo exhibition, “Window Treatments,” was on display at Zeitgeist Gallery in Nashville this past February and March. The show was made possible with the support of a grant from the current art fund at Tri-Star Arts. Vadie’s textile megaliths were also featured at OZ Arts in collaboration with spoken word artists, choreographers, musicians, and media artists.

Beth Waltemath ’95 wrote a touching article for Chapter 16 and the Nashville Scene in anticipation of fellow alumna Tallu Schuyler Quinn’s posthumous memoir “What We Wish Were True: Reflections on Nurturing Life and Facing Death.”

Beth Sherrard Fernandes ’97 has been named associate director of advancement at Harpeth Hall. Beth worked for more than a decade at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. She returned to Nashville in 2013 and worked in fundraising for the Frist Museum for three years. For the past six years, she served as the campaign manager and major gifts officer for Nashville Public Radio.

Amber Worrell Vermeesch ’97 became a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine and was inducted in June after a long pandemic delay. Additionally, she was inducted as a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow in the National Academies of Practice. She has accepted the position of department chair of family and community nursing at University of North Carolina Greensboro so her family will make the journey back to the South after spending the past 14 living in Florida, Michigan, and Oregon.

Grace Verner Woods ’97 earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Lipscomb University. She opened a private practice, Journey of Healing Counseling, in September of last year. Grace says, “It is an honor to hold my clients’ stories with dignity and respect, helping them navigate their struggles to find healing and freedom.” She thanks Harpeth Hall for instilling hope that Honeybears can go far with dedication, discipline, and belief in themselves.

Amanda Brown ’99 will be the new elementary school principal at Lincoln School, Costa Rica, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year.

Scottie Gambill Ryan ’02 has accepted a new role at Google as a senior product manager in Santa Monica, California. She will be focused on building out Google’s suite of customer success tools, utilizing AI, and machine learning.

Artist Mary Stengel Bentley ’03 has entered a new dimension in the art world that is helping women shape the future of the metaverse and Web3. She is already known for her art that interacts with its environment and has brought her work alive in the form of NFTs. She has released her first project in this space called “Expressions”. Made intuitively, each drawing expresses emotive forces illustrated by shapes and forms found in nature. Mary’s artwork explores the themes of play, balance and connection, and she deploys these in ways that emphasize the exclusive

nature of the sites where her work appears. Her work can now be seen using Web3 technology.

Kendra Abkowitz Brooks ’03 received her Master of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University in May 2020. She is the chief sustainability and resilience officer for Metro Nashville/ Davidson County. Kendra was a featured panelist for Harpeth Hall’s virtual panel, “The Plaid Truth — Caring for Our Planet,” where she and fellow alumnae Jeanie Nelson ’65, Caroline Prince ’08, and Angela Park ’09 discussed their viewpoints on how to best take care of the Earth.

s Six members of the class of 2004 held a mini reunion over winter break in Nashville. Pictured left to right are classmates Jennifer Burn from Carbondale, Colorado, Sally Sawyer Myatt from Atlanta, Georgia, Meg Wright Hathaway from Phoenix, Arizona, Melinda Higgins Louden from San Antonio, Texas, plus Caroline Ramsey Rossini and Elizabeth Conrad from Nashville.

Mary Stengel Bentley ’03

Class Notes

Ryan McLaughlin Wood ’05 has been named market head for UBS Financial Services South Central Market in Nashville. She joined UBS in 2009 as a member of the company’s graduate training program. She then worked for UBS in New York City in a variety of roles, including as a strategic analyst, lead for the premier marketing team, and head of client experience and business development. In 2018, Ryan was named branch manager for UBS in Greenville, South Carolina.

Murray Benson ’07 earned her national board certification. She teaches kindergarten at Percy Priest School in Nashville. Principal Russell Young said of the certification, “This accomplishment is a reflection of the high and rigorous standards Ms. Benson has for herself and her students. She is a reflective educator, always looking to improve her practice in order to best meet the needs of her students and our school.”

Allison Dowdle Janeway ’07 was promoted to director of financial reporting at Nashville’s Silicon Ranch, a company focused on the renewable energy source of solar power.

Claire Moll Juneau ’07 has been elected as the 2023-2024 president of the Junior League of Denver. She began her president-elect term on June 1, 2022.

Laurie Spradley ’07 hosted “Make Your Own Goo Goo Chocolate Experience” for a Winterim in May class during reunion weekend. The class took place in Bullard Bright IDEA Lab’s teaching kitchen. It was a total chocolate-covered experience that included making candy bars, tasting a Goo Goo confection, and learning the science of how the bean becomes a bar.

Caroline Prince ’08 is a senior philanthropy writer for the World Wildlife Foundation. She was a featured panelist for Harpeth Hall’s virtual panel, “The Plaid Truth — Caring for Our Planet,” where she and fellow alumnae Jeanie Nelson ’65, Kendra Abkowitz Brooks ’03, and Angela Park ’09 discussed their viewpoints on how to take care of the Earth.

Samantha Williams ’08 is a new board member for Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSSNY). She is most excited about working with the LSSNY community to best support current programs and find creative ways to engage the at-large New York community about the organization’s mission and services. Currently serving as commercial counsel at ColgatePalmolive in New York, Samantha formerly practiced at two large law firms in Washington, D.C., and Houston, Texas. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Brown University and her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Sabin Nettles ’09 received the Washington University Society for Neuroscience’s Pre/Postdoctoral Next Generation Award. She was a graduate student in the lab of Harrison Gabel, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This honor recognizes the outstanding efforts of individuals who have introduced neuroscience to young students through outreach or communication efforts. Sabin led the Brain Discovery initiative, which brings scientists from Washington University into 4th to 6th grade classrooms for a six-week, hands-on course in neuroscience. On May 16, 2022, Sabin successfully defended her dissertation entitled “Elucidating molecular mechanisms governing neuronal transcriptome,” earning her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Washington University in St. Louis Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences.

Angela Park ’09 is the sustainability manager for Lendlease. She was a featured panelist for Harpeth Hall’s virtual panel, “The Plaid Truth — Caring for Our Planet,” where she and fellow alumnae Jeanie Nelson ’65, Kendra Abkowitz Brooks ’03, and Caroline Prince ’08 discussed their viewpoints on how to take care of the Earth.

Junie Welsh ’09 graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University in May with a master’s in clinical mental health and has opened a private practice in Tennessee where she will specialize in young women, trauma, and substance abuse.

Lexi Zager ’09 started a new job as the vice president of financial planning and analysis at Belmont Village Senior Living’s corporate office in Houston, Texas. In the spirit of service, she also recently accepted a leadership role within the Junior League of Houston, as the Sing Along With Seniors placement project voordinator for 2022-2023.

Christina Currey Chapman ’10 co-founded Brownlee, a company featuring a line of elevated leisurewear, that was recently profiled in Style Blueprint. Brownlee is named for Christina’s grandfather and grandmother who were the inspiration for the brand and, as she describes them, “the best-dressed people she ever knew.”

Madison Longmire Fisher ’11 graduated from Wake Forest University in December 2021 with a Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is working as a therapist at Evolve Counseling Associates, LLC, a private practice that provides services to women and girls in the Nashville area.

Anne Elise Cain ’13 recently graduated with a Master of Education from Lipscomb University and will begin teaching kindergarten at Julia Green Elementary in the fall.

Aidan Nettles ’13 was the featured speaker at Harpeth Hall’s all-school assembly recognizing the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Her focus was leadership and how important it is in today’s world. “Leaders get to choose

how they handle fear. Leaders can either forget everything and run or they can face everything and rise. Dr. King is celebrated and remembered because of his leadership, because of his service, because of his advocacy,” she said, “and this is something to be cherished.”

Emily Martin Terry ’13 joined the YP Board for The Next Door, Inc. in Nashville. TND is a nonprofit organization that has been successfully empowering women for lifetime recovery by providing evidence-based substance abuse and mental health services for 17 years. Emily is also the new CEO at Elevation Search Solutions, a Nashville-based search consulting firm specializing in organizational build-outs and critical leadership acquisition for early stage, high growth, and expanding companies.

Kristen Barrett ’16 completed her second master’s degree in literature, film, and the arts in dialogue at the University of Edinburgh. Her first master’s degree is from the University of Oxford in English literature. Kristen has committed to Stanford University’s Ph.D. program in English literature this fall as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. She says, “The Knight-Hennessy will empower me to chase my ambitions both inside and outside of academia. As a Ph.D. candidate in English literature, I will investigate Black science fiction in novels and contemporary film.”

Keely Hendricks ’16 will join Harpeth Hall as a Middle School math teacher next year. She has been teaching 5th grade math at The Jewish Middle School of Nashville. Keely was Lady of the Hall, president of the Cum Laude Society, and an Elizabeth Pope Evans Award recipient. In addition, she was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina and is currently completing her Master of Arts at Bread Loaf School of English.

Bailey McCarthy ’16 accepted a new position as an analyst at Bank of America in the Global Corporate Investment Bank. She joins the gaming, media, technology, and telecom team in Dallas, Texas.

Vivian Herzog ’17 will be returning from Spain after completing the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program in Huelva, Spain. She will be moving to New York to pursue her interest in book publishing.

Sophia Howard ’17 received the Distinguished Leadership and Service Award from the Bonner Office of Civic Engagement at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a recipient of the 2022 Marshall-Motley Scholars Program. This groundbreaking pipeline program of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), will endow the South with the next generation of civil rights lawyers trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence in the pursuit of racial justice. In exchange for a full law school scholarship and professional development, Sophia and other scholars commit to devoting the first eight years of their careers to practicing civil rights law in service of Black communities in the South. The program is named in honor of LDF founder Thurgood Marshall, a Supreme Court Justice and legendary civil rights attorney, as well as iconic civil rights litigator Constance Baker Motley, a former LDF attorney and the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge.

Kat Trotman ’17 is a teaching assistant in Madrid, Spain. Her work in the classroom includes teaching about American culture and the English language.

Rachel Brown ’18 started a new club at Auburn University called Advocates for Disabilities at Auburn and served as the treasurer and public relations manager. The club focuses on advocating for students at Auburn with any sort

Class Notes

of disability while also spreading awareness and educating others with a goal of improving accessibility on Auburn’s campus. After graduating from Auburn, Rachel will be working with fellow alumna Marcie Allen Van Mol ’92 as a coordinator at MAC Presents in Nashville.

Elizabeth Carpenter ’18 earned dual degrees — a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology — summa cum laude at the University of Alabama. She will be attending Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Sydney Clayton ’18 earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and art history, with a minor in French, magna cum laude at Tulane University. After graduation she will be spending seven months with a teaching assistant program in Paris, France, teaching English to French students and working on her French language skills.

Marguerite Coombs ’18 is a cum laude graduate from Miami University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in speech pathology with a minor in dance. She will continue her studies in speech pathology this fall in graduate school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Emma Farrington ’18 earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. Following graduation, she will work as an associate district manager at ADP in Austin, Texas.

Jennie Gaw ’18 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in architecture and a minor in art and architectural history from Miami University. She has accepted a full-time position at CSO Architects as an architectural graduate in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Margaret Gaw ’18 will be joining Massachusetts General Hospital as a clinical research coordinator at the Center for Women’s Mental Health following her graduation from Duke University. She is looking forward to moving to Boston for two years to contribute to the team’s impactful work at the intersection of reproductive health and mental health.

Tricia Glenn ’18 graduated summa cum laude and with distinction from Syracuse University earning degrees in both public relations and rhetoric and composition/writing studies.

Adele Grohovsky ’18 was a civil and environmental engineering major and dance minor at the University of South Carolina earning a Bachelor of Science degree. She choreographed a performance at the USC Student Showcase and also served on the board of directors for the USC Dance marathon, the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the state of South Carolina, which supports the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. Adele will be joining Skanska as a project engineer in Seattle, Washington.

Mary Johnson ’18 earned a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder in environmental studies and will be joining Kimley-Horn as a civil analyst in the Denver technology center office.

Caroline Kiesling ’18 received her Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, engineering management, and mathematics from Vanderbilt University and started a new position as software engineer at Warner Bros. Discovery.

Helen Rieke ’18 received a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Christian University, having completed a double major in strategic communication and sociology and a minor in psychology, summa cum laude. She will be joining Fidelity Investments as a part of its Human Resources Associate Rotation Program in North Carolina.

Aubrey Robinson ’18 earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and French and Francophone studies from the University of Tennessee and will be continuing her education at the University of Tennessee College of Law pursuing her J.D. this fall.

Ashley Zhu ’18 will be moving to the Washington D.C.-area to join Capital One as a UX Designer within the Design Development Program (DDP). She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in digital communication and media/multimedia.

Caleigh Dennis ’19 is majoring in Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and will complete a 12-week software development internship at Amazon in Washington, D.C., in their Amazon Web Services division over the summer of 2022.

Holland Strang ’19 will join Caleigh in D.C. this summer as she studies Mandarin with the Chinese Language Academy. Holland is a history major with a minor in religion at Trinity College in Dublin and is planning to concentrate on modern Chinese history.

Congratulations to Anne Earthman ’19 who was elected Miss Auburn at Auburn University in February 2022. Anne ran on a “Down to Earthman“ campaign of improving accessibility on campus for students with disabilities and expanding the University’s mental health programs. Anne will represent Auburn throughout the 2022-2023 school year.

Ella Nelson ’19, Alex Walsh ’20, and Gretchen Walsh ’21 are members of the University of Virginia’s award-winning swimming and diving team that won the 2021 NCAA 800-freestyle relay, which included Ella and Alex. The victory marked the first NCAA Championship win in a relay in program history.

Ella is also the first athlete in UVA Swimming program history to achieve the “black cap“ in all four categories. These categories include being team captain, a U.S. National Team member, a

CALL for NOMINATIONS!

NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR HARPETH HALL’S 2023 ALUMNAE AWARDS

Harpeth Hall strives to recognize the extraordinary achievements of our alumnae with a variety of awards. From leadership and serving as an example for other women to outstanding service to excellence in athletics, these recipients deserve recognition from their alma mater.

Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Distinguished Alumna Award

The Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Distinguished Alumna Award recognizes graduates who have achieved wide recognition for professional excellence and leadership. Candidates for this award are women who are trailblazers, display extraordinary gifts of leadership and organizational ability, are moving spirits in health, welfare, cultural, or civic affairs, have achieved wide recognition for professional excellence and leadership, serve as an example for other women, and have attained unusual success in highly competitive fields. Distinguished Alumna Award candidates may also be women who have been nationally recognized for vision, skill, and commitment to make things happen.

Alumna Spirit of Service Award

The Alumna Spirit of Service Award recognizes and celebrates outstanding service by a Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont alumna. The recipient of the award is a woman who has gone above and beyond the call to serve and who embodies Harpeth Hall’s mission to “develop responsible citizens who have global perspectives and make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world.” Award candidates are women who demonstrate an innovative approach to solving a problem or meeting a need, show a high level of commitment to their project, make a meaningful impact on the people or community they serve, inspire others through outreach and education, exhibit visionary and empowering leadership, and teach and mentor others interested in making a difference through service.

Athletic Hall of Fame (Awarded every four to five years)

Established in 2013, the Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame honors notable alumnae athletes, coaches, and administrators who have demonstrated outstanding athletic ability by competing or coaching at the state, national, or international level. Through their good sportsmanship, citizenship, and character, these outstanding women left a lasting impression of achievement and excelled within the school’s athletic family. For more information and to find nomination forms visit HarpethHall.org/alumnae/awards

NCAA 1st Team All-American in an individual event, and having a GPA above 3.75. In addition, Alex won gold in the 200 IM at the World Championships in Budapest in June. Congratulations to all three former Bearacudas!

Kate Pittman ’19 graduated summa cum laude from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English language and a minor in journalism. She is the new extended day coordinator and middle school cheerleading coach at Harpeth Hall.

STAY CONNECTED!

More than 14,500 Reasons to Stay in Touch

Harpeth Hall’s social media sites have more than 14,500 participating members. Join us and stay connected with alumnae from around the globe.

Natasha Taylor ’92 daughter, Betty Rock-n-Roll “Rocky” Williams, on March 6, 2022

Mimi Mayo Beaver ’01 daughter, Ellen Diana “Edie” Beaver, on December 15, 2021

Leah High ’01 son, Andrew Skye Hilgenkamp, on November 26, 2021

Lizzie Smith Keller ’01 daughter, Madison Aria Evelyn Keller, on February 15, 2021

Kendra Abkowitz Brooks ’03 daughter, Madeleine Rose Brooks, on March 15, 2022

Raleigh Anne Blank Gray ’03 son, Edward Wylie Gray, on December 24, 2021

Anna Mayo Jacques ’03 daughter, Katherine Scarlett Jacques, on November 1, 2021

Ashton Alexander ’04 son, William Brooks Kline, on August 13, 2021

Lindsay Towry Hawkins ’04 son, Nolan Burton Hawkins, on January 29, 2022

Elizabeth Bradbury McAlpin ’04 daughter, Anne Murphree McAlpin, on November 5, 2021

Emily Williard Nardone ’04 daughter, Frances Reid Nardone, on November 24, 2021

Anna Gernert Carr ’05 daughter, Caroline Leigh Carr, on February 28, 2022

Sarah Baker Daugherty ’05 son, Noah Neel Daugherty, on December 2, 2021

Liz Anderson Rudisill ’05 daughter, Polly Elizabeth Rudisill, on October 29, 2021

Ryan McLaughlin Wood ’05 daughter, Simmons Annette Wood, on December 9, 2021

Ansley Wallace Cire ’06 daughter, Kathryn Scott “Scottie” Cire, on January 11, 2022

Margaret Walker Clair ’06 daughter, Isora Gray Clair, on April 12, 2022

Molly Campbell Downing ’06 son, Brooks Stuart Downing, on May 9, 2022

Sarah Zimmerman Jordan ’07 daughter, Margaret “Maggie” Morel Jordan, on August 18, 2020 and daughter, Mackenzie Elizabeth Jordan, on February 8, 2022

Allie Kirkpatrick Long-Innes ’07 daughter, Lucy Hill Long-Innes, on November 30, 2021

Emily Johnson Mitchell ’07 son, Hugh Banks Mitchell, on January 26, 2022

Lauren Quinn Barnacastle ’08 daughter, Lavinia Ruth Barnacastle, on May 17, 2022

Mary Julia Bressman Hannon ’08 son, Lee William Hannon, on November 30, 2021

Macy Hughart Johnson ’08 daughter, Mary Blair Johnson, on April 8, 2022

Bethea Patterson Schoenfeld ’08 daughter, Caroline Caldwell Schoenfeld, on August 11, 2021

Lindsay Turner Trammell ’08 son, Sebastian Baird Trammell, on January 30, 2022

Deidre Zimmerman Walsh ’09 daughter, Emory Rhoads Walsh, on March 13, 2022

Paige Cahill Yastrzemski ’09 daughter, Quinley Mae Yastrzemski, on December 3, 2021

Amy Bowers Myers ’10 daughter, Mills Lively Myers, on May 3, 2022

Allison Stark Walker ’10 daughter, Eleanor Gray Walker, on November 28, 2021

Meg Stark Conaty ’12 daughter, Anne “Annie” Katherine Conaty, on May 26, 2022

We welcome photos in our Class Notes, Marriages and Births sections. We prefer high resolution, 300 dpi jpegs. Email your digital photos to Alumnae Relations Manager Tonja Russo at tonja.russo@harpethhall.org.

Noah Neel Daugherty

Mackenzie Elizabeth Jordan

Lucy Hill Long-Innes

Andrew Skye Hilgenkamp Mary Blair Johnson

Maggie Morel Jordan

Mills Lively Myers

Polly Elizabeth Rudisill

Anne Katherine Conaty

Sebastian Baird Trammell

Betty Rock-n-Roll “Rocky” Williams

Lavinia Ruth Barnacastle

Joanna McIntosh ’80 to Brian Swain on September 12, 2021

Carolyn Smith ’97 to Andrew Amonette on May 8, 2021

Avery Graham ’06 to Jim Browne on November 13, 2021

Anne Walker Harrison ’06 to Bob Wilson on May 21, 2022

Blair Carter ’07 to Russell Long on November 21, 2020

Sophie Sanders ’07 to Grant Geertsma on August 7, 2021

Whitney Edwards ’07 to Thomas McDonald on December 31, 2021

Glory Beveridge ’08 to Jordan Herring on October 23, 2021

Stephanie Rothenberg ’08 to Matthew Harnisch on April 30, 2022

Meredith Lawrence ’09 to Patrick Scully on November 6, 2021

Kathleen Riley ’09 to William Clay Timmons on November 6, 2021

Suzanne Howell ’10 to Eric Mack on June 11, 2022

Leslie Kimball ’10 to Esco Keith Satchfield on December 4, 2021

Lexi Gregg ’10 to Connor Sestak on February 11, 2022

Cristine Osteen ’10 to Yusuke Terasaki on February 22, 2022

Kendall Waddey ’10 to Thomas Hilpert on February 12, 2022

Terah Kimbrell ’10 to Madison Arlington Wenzler on October 23, 2021

Margaret Anne Pendleton ’12 to Alan Chester Betz III on December 19, 2021

Kat Caire ’12 to Doug McWilliams on February 5, 2022

Noni Hill ’12 to John Fisher on June 11, 2022

Ugo Ananaba ’13 to Moses Anoh on November 14, 2021

Emily Blumenthal ’13 to Colin Atwater on April 9, 2022

McCall Hagler ’13 to Zachary Matarazzo on October 16, 2021

Meggie Hill ’13 to Jasmin Bridgeforth on May 28, 2022

Emily Martin ’13 to Zack Terry on April 9, 2022

Katie Warne ’13 to Rhett Johnson on October 2, 2021

Betsy Buzhardt ’14 to Nathan Thompson on September 25, 2021

Brennan Frazier ’14 to John Jacobs on April 23, 2022

Emily Patterson ’14 to Stringer Vogtle on May 7, 2022

Reagan Jernigan ’15 to Eric Speer on May 21, 2022

Maggie Johnson ’15 to Kevin Higgins on May 14, 2022

Elise Lagrone ’15 to Crater Swayze on April 23, 2022

Kelly Short ’16 to Tyler Findlater on April 30, 2022

Alaina Baird ’17 to Leo Rule on June 15, 2021

Joanna McIntosh ’80

Sophie Sanders Geertsma ’07

Stephanie Rothenberg Harnisch ’08 Kathleen Riley Timmons ’09

Leslie Kimball ’10 and Harpeth Hall classmates

Terah Kimbrell Wenzler ’10 Kat Caire McWilliams ’12

Glory Beveridge Herring ’08

Katie Warne Johnson ’13

Meggie Hill Bridgeforth ’13 and classmates

Anne Caldwell Parsons WB ’48

Anne Caldwell Parsons WB ’48 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away April 26, 2022. Anne’s uncle, H.G. Hill, was a Harpeth Hall founding trustee after Ward-Belmont closed in 1951, and Anne followed in his footsteps as a Harpeth Hall trustee from 1980-1983. She was the granddaughter and great granddaughter respectively of two long-standing Nashville family patriarchs — the late H.G. Hill, Sr., founder of the H.G. Hill Company, and James E. Caldwell, a prominent Nashville citizen. She attended Ward-Belmont Preparatory School, Pine Manor Junior College, and Vanderbilt University. Anne was abundantly generous and a lifelong volunteer. She served on the boards of the H.G. Hill Company, Cheekwood, West End Home for Ladies, and the Cumberland Science Museum. She was a lifelong Episcopalian and a member of St. George's Episcopal Church. She is survived by her brother, three sons, her daughter, Elizabeth Granbery Dingess ’81, daughter-in-law, Cornelia McDonald Granbery ’75, 13 grandchildren including Marion Granbery Floyd ’03, Emmie Granbery Chen ’03, Anne Granbery Barnes ’05, and Cornelia Granbery ’07, as well as 15 great-grandchildren. Anne’s sisters were also Ward-Belmont graduates: May Caldwell Brown ’44 and Frances Caldwell Jackson ’51, who served as a Harpeth Hall trustee and honorary trustee.

Helen Lanier Porter ’58

Helen Lanier Porter ’58 of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away June 7, 2022. Helen was a loyal Harpeth Hall alumna and served as a Harpeth Hall trustee from 1995-1996. She was a ferocious advocate for others and was passionate about supporting efforts to improve mental health, the plight of the homeless, women prisoners, and refugees. Helen attended Vanderbilt University and she later served as a Vanderbilt trustee. She also was a trustee of St. George’s School in Newport, Rhode Island. She was beloved by friends and the community everywhere she lived, from Palm Beach, Florida, to Northeast Harbor, Maine. She was a passionate gardener and believed in the healing powers of nature leading her to serve the Little Rock Garden Club, where she was past president, and become a member of the Palm Beach Garden Club. Helen also was past president of the Junior League of Little Rock, and she backed up her commitment to mental health with unwavering support of the Psychiatric Research Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is survived by four sons, seven grandchildren, one brother and two sisters-in-law including Missy Crump Porter ’78, and nieces and nephews including her niece Liz Porter Veyhl ’02.

Sarah Goodpasture Little ’36 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away March 4, 2021. She is survived by one son, two daughters, eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

Beatrice Kimsey Davis C’37* of Waco, Texas, passed away April 8, 2022. Bea was an English teacher until her retirement. She is survived by two daughters, three granddaughters, one grandson, and one great-granddaughter.

Dakie Caldwell Cowan C’46* of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away December 9, 2021. She was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and was a community volunteer. Dakie is survived by five daughters, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Louise Armistead Martin ’47 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away November 18, 2021. Louise enjoyed traveling, hiking, and playing bridge. She was the Harpeth Hall Parents Association president from 1972-1973. Louise is survived by two daughters, Louise Martin Baird ’71 and Katie Martin Schumacher ’73, one son, six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Mary Elizabeth Rensford Watts ’47 of West Palm Beach, Florida, passed away January 22, 2022. Mary Elizabeth taught special education for over 20 years. She is survived by her son, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren.

Lucy Lane Lambert Mitchell C’49* of Winter Park, Florida passed away November 26, 2021. She is survived by three sons, her daughter, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Sue Dickenson Swensson ’49 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away on December 31, 2021. Sue had a degree in voice and was a lifelong supporter of the performing arts community. She is survived by one daughter, one son, daughter-in-law Frances Diefendorf Swensson ’77, her sister Evelyn Dickenson Swensson ’45, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Anne White Connell ’50 of Memphis, Tennessee, passed away November 8, 2021. She taught French, was an artist, and enjoyed travel. Anne is survived by two sons, one daughter, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a sister.

Martha Jane VanTuyle Brauburger C’51* of Bellaire, Michigan, passed away April 19, 2022. Jane taught piano and was active in her community. She is survived by one son, one daughter, one stepson, two stepdaughters, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Carole Long Thompson ’51 of Muskogee, Oklahoma, passed away March 24, 2022. Carole was an avid world traveler and devoted community volunteer. She is survived by one daughter, three sons, 10 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren.

Ceacy Henderson Hailey ’52 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away March 6, 2022. She was a member of the first graduating class of Harpeth Hall and was an accomplished equestrian and artist. Ceacy is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.

Norma Davis Owen ’52 of Memphis, Tennessee passed away December 28, 2021. She was a member of Harpeth Hall’s first graduating class. Norma is survived by two sons, one daughter, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and one brother.

Marie “Ree” Duncan Robinson ’52 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away March 11, 2022. She was a member of Harpeth Hall’s first graduating class. Ree was an avid tennis player and bridge player. She is survived by her husband, a daughter, two sons, and one brother.

Irene Jackson Wills ’56 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away May 14, 2022. Irene was a French scholar who briefly taught at Harpeth Hall, a community volunteer, passionate about gardening, children’s health, historic preservation, and a member of Downtown Presbyterian Church. She is survived by her husband, three sons, sister-in-law Ellen Wills Martin ’54, and eight grandchildren including Meade Wills ’12 and Jessie Wills ’20.

Cecelia "Celie" Burns Travis ’63 of Georgetown, South Carolina, passed away in March of 2022. Celie was active in the community and a member of All Saints Church. She is survived by her son, daughter, sister, and four grandchildren.

Brenda Magruder Carpenter ’64 of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, passed away November 16, 2021. She was a longtime member of Calvary Baptist Church, involved in many community organizations, and was a master gardener. Brenda is survived by her husband, four daughters, two sons, 18 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Helen “Tootie” Haskins ’64 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away November 14, 2021. She served the State of Tennessee as a professional staff member to the State Senate from 1971-2004. Additionally, she was a docent at the Governor’s residence and was an appointed member of the State Capitol Commission.

Mary Weaver Scudder ’65 of Carrollton, Georgia, passed away February 16, 2022. She is survived by two stepdaughters, one sister, one brother, and two grandchildren.

Margaret Sharp Howell ’66 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away March 14, 2022. She taught Italian and directed the language lab at Belmont University for 17 years and was honored with the Presidential Faculty Achievement Award for service to students in and out of the classroom. She also enjoyed traveling and spending time in Beersheba. Margaret is survived by her husband, two daughters, and her sister Gertrude Sharp Caldwell ’54.

Tallu Schuyler Quinn ’98 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away February 17, 2022. She was the founder of The Nashville Food Project “bringing people together to grow, cook, and share nourishing food with the goals of cultivating community and alleviating hunger in our city.” She served on Harpeth Hall’s Head’s Young Alumnae Council and received the 2020 Spirit of Service Award. Her memoir, “What We Wish Were True: Reflections on Nurturing Life and Facing Death,” was published in April. Tallu is survived by her husband, daughter, son, parents, and two brothers.

Where ambitions become achievements

Join us for Preview Day on Sunday, Nov. 6

Bring the girls in your life to see Harpeth Hall. Campus tours and student visits begin late September for students applying for the 2023-2024 school year.

For more information: admission@harpethhall.org

Harpeth Hall educates young women to think critically, to lead confidently, and to live honorably.

The Annual Fund 2021 – 2022

Whitney Haley Kalb ’05

Anne Wallace Nesbitt ’76

Lauren Trent Pollard ’01

Keeley Wamp Powell ’04

Marnie Reasor ’91

Leslie Rolfe ’13

Katie Sloan ’95

Sarah Lodge Tally ’99

Elizabeth Triggs Tipton ’04

Anne Hightower Trainer ’89

Becky White Trimble ’73

Mimi Wallace ’75

Anne Nicholas Weiss ’98

Kristine West ’96

Emily Whitson ’10

Emily Perkins Zerfoss ’75

Reunion Chair

Capell Teas Simmons ’82

Major Gifts Chairs

Charles Robert and Sacha Engel Bone ’93

Major Gifts Committee

Kennon and Marc Dennis

Itis gratifying to witness the positive impact of nearly 3,000 donors to The Annual Fund on the quality of the educational experience for girls at Harpeth Hall. Thank you for your gifts that led to a new record of over $2.3 million in funds raised. We are especially grateful to the volunteers who worked all year long on behalf of the school, the faculty, and the students. It has been our distinct honor to lead this great team and to see Harpeth Hall reach new heights. We also want to welcome and thank our successors, Barbara and Greg Hagood, for agreeing to serve as 2022-23 Chairs for The Annual Fund. You have our support!

Sincere thanks, Alberta and David Fitzgerald Parents of Lexie ’22 and Lilly ’24

Annual Fund Chairs

Alberta and David Fitzgerald Parent Chairs

Rowanne and Jay McKnight

Parent Committee

Barbara and Fielding Logan, 5th Grade

Elizabeth and John Moore, 6th Grade

Kate and Todd Figler, 7th Grade

Nancy and Bill McKnight, 8th Grade

Mary and Tal Lefler, 9th Grade

Laura and David Braam, 10th Grade

Alyce and Michael Ory, 11th Grade

Jessica and Chip Clark, 12th Grade

Alumnae Gifts Chair

Ellen Green Hoffman ’04

Alumnae Gifts Committee

Louise Riley Beasley ’00

Grace Clayton ’01

Jane Buchanan Corcoran ’69

Whitney Daane ’83

Adelaide Grace Davis ’79

Florence Stumb Davis ’55

Sally Tanner Goodrich ’74

Katie Best Hardy ’08

Risa Klein Herzog ’84

Paula Hughey ’66

Barbara Sewell Jones ’61

Roxana and James Hare

Anne and Steven Puricelli

Amy and Clay Richards

Michele and Jeff Sonsino Baylor and Ryan Swindell

Parents of Alumnae Chairs

Laura and Hayne Hamilton Jr.

Parents of Alumnae Committee

Donna and Webb Campbell Pamela and Mark Carver Ann and Tom Curtis

Sue and Bob Fisher

Nancy and Harry Johnson

Debbie Mathews and Shannon LeRoy Beth and Bill Meador

Emily and Lee Noel Anne and Scott Riegle

Jim Smith Dayna and Brad Turney

Grandparent Chairs

Katie and Tom Steele

Faculty Chairs

Buffy Baker ’87

Grace Stumb Barbieri ’10

Support the 2022-23 Annual Fund online at HarpethHall.org/Giving. Questions? Please contact Tracy Campbell, Director of Annual Giving, 615-346-0083.

The Harpeth Hall School 3801 Hobbs Road Nashville, Tennessee 37215