Holland Hall School Magazine - 2024

Spark Magic A of

A new tradition comes to Holland Hall

Teaching with a purpose

Upper School Chinese teacher Molly Cao leads her students in Taiji, a concept in philosophy and cosmology, during a unit on Chinese culture.

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE TEAM

JP Culley, Head of School

Ashley Parrish ’93, Director of Communications and Marketing

Brandon Fox, Marketing Manager – Graphic Design

Chris McConnell, Promotions and Digital

Marketing Manager

Greg Spencer ’99, Sports Information Director

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Neil Bergenroth, Upper School Director of Instructional Technology

Steve Dyer, Director of the Walter Arts Center and Fine Arts

Amy England, Chief Advancement Officer

Richard Hart, Director of Alumni and Family Engagement

Steve Heldebrand, Assistant Head for Athletics

Sydney May ’15, Engagement and Events Coordinator

Lindsay Nichols, Director of Advancement Services

Michael Overall

Diane Shen, Director of Development

Richard Spencer

Jimmie Tramel

Christy Utter ‘92, MS Chaplain and Field Hockey Coach

2023-24 Yearbook Staff

DESIGNER

Brandon Fox

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Chris McConnell

2023-24 Yearbook Staff

HAVE A STORY IDEA?

Send it to news@hollandhall.org UPDATE INFO

Want to update your email, phone number, or address, or have news to share in Class Notes? Send it to rhart@hollandhall.org

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MISSION

Holland Hall provides a challenging, comprehensive educational experience grounded in a rigorous liberal arts, college preparatory curriculum that promotes critical thinking and lifelong learning. A PreK-12 Episcopal school, we seek to foster in each student a strong moral foundation and a deep sense of social responsibility.

Holland Hall shall provide equal opportunity in education and employment for all persons without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, military status, sexual orientation or any other status or condition protected by applicable state or federal laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification applies.

FROM JP’S DESK

‘Embrace

excellence’

Students embodied theme in academics, athletics, arts

Dear Holland Hall Friends and Families,

With all of the successes of our 102nd academic year, I am reminded of our mission to foster an educational environment that values excellence, critical thinking, and lifelong learning in an Episcopal environment. This year, we have embodied our theme, "Embrace Excellence," in every facet of our community.

Our seniors have achieved extraordinary academic success. Twenty percent of our graduating class received national recognition through the College Board's National Merit Programs. Additionally, 31 students qualified as Oklahoma Academic Scholars, and 18 were honored with induction into the Cum Laude Society, the highest academic accolade a student can receive. They will attend 44 of the best colleges and universities in the world in 25 different states. Together, they amassed almost $12 million dollars in merit-based scholarships.

Athletically, our students have continued to demonstrate their prowess and dedication. Eight students were recognized as All-State athletes, and three will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. We celebrated two state championship teams, including a triumphant three-peat by our girls' soccer team. Furthermore, our Academic Bowl team clinched the 4A State Championship, showcasing the intellectual rigor that defines our student body.

In the words of Aristotle, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Our students' achievements are a testament to their hard work and the unwavering support of our faculty, families, and benefactors.

As we look forward to the coming year, let us continue to embrace excellence in all its forms.

Together, we will nurture the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and creators, committed to making a positive impact on the world.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to Holland Hall.

With gratitude and optimism,

JP Culley Head of School

Although the Holland Hall tradition doesn’t carry the Harry Potter theme as far as having a Sorting Hat, Emma Parker ’32 and Christy Utter ’92 have some fun illustrating the new tradition.

Camp”

Lim’s “Seriously Fun

amazed at what they create each day.

Chaplain Christy Utter ’92 and the Middle School faculty created a fun, new tradition that honors the past.

Mother Sarah Smith comes to Holland Hall after time spent in college athletics and at churches in Oklahoma City and Shawnee.

Braxton Redeagle ’08 updates us on the famous movie he worked on, and his journey from Holland Hall to leading the Osage Nation language department.

Campus Life

Elevating excellence

Three new projects unveiled on campus in 2023-24

New Turf Field

The lower playing field closest to the softball complex got a facelift this year. With fundraising efforts led by Field Hockey Coach Christy Utter ’92 and Assistant Head of School for Athletics Steve Heldebrand, both field hockey and soccer can now play and practice on an immaculate turf field.

Players had their first practice on the field in late May to test the surface.

“To say the new field is a dream come true and perfect would be an understatement,” Utter said. “It is better, faster and more beautiful than we could ever imagine.”

Until now, field hockey and soccer split time with other sports on the football field, able to use only half of it during a practice.

The project attracted many alumni and parent donors, and it will be dedicated in the fall, when the school hopes to also unveil a new scoreboard and maybe even seating.

See page 76 for a story from one of our Upper School students about the new field.

All Saints Chapel

Inspired by lead gifts from the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, the Stuart Family Foundation, and the Pauline McFarlin Walter Trust, the All Saints Chapel received an expansion and remodel this year. The chapel had become too tight to host an entire branch, but now features expanded seating, a foyer, new restrooms and a chaplain’s office.

The project is a culmination of years of effort to expand the chapel — which was designed by O’Neil Ford — the right way. King Architects, a local company with a good track record on preservation projects, came up with a design that pleased everyone and maintained the integrity of the architecture.

Stay tuned for news of an official dedication.

Self Family Welcome Center

If you’ve driven onto campus recently, you may have noticed the addition of the Family Welcome Center, a gatehouse at the main entrance to campus.

Safety officers staff the beautiful new facility designed by GH2 Architects, owned by Cara Shimkus Hall ’84 and her husband, Michael. The naming gift came from the Kristi and Doug Self Family, and the project has already been transformational for campus.

All visitors are directed to the center to check in and be pointed in the right direction of their destinations. Current Holland Hall families have a dedicated lane, and a new gate reader will let them go through without stopping to greet the safety officers. Not only does the center increase our campus safety, but it also provides needed direction to visitors on our 167-acre campus.

Primary School

music more than

PS teacher shares lessons beyond the classroom

By Ashley Parrish ’93 Director of Communications and Marketing

The “50 States Song” isn’t an easy one to learn, but Lori Swisher’s secondgraders had no problem remembering the words during their Veterans Day show at Covenant Living at Inverness. They had the choreography down, and “Massachusetts” had been practiced until it was as easy to say as Ohio.

But that wasn’t what impressed Norman Dilley, who sat in the audience wiping his eyes. It was that every student made their way around the room and shook hands with each veteran in the audience.

“It was wonderful, and it makes me choke up,” he said after answering questions from a curious 8-year-old about his time in the service.

Dilley served in the U.S. Army from 1957-

59, and that respect from someone so young shook him.

It was the same with Col. Shirley Shelper, who served in both Korea and Vietnam. Shelper, who may have had the longest line in the room, is beloved and maybe a little bit feared at Inverness. But the powerful colonel gave approving smiles to each student who took a turn to thank her, clasping their hands tightly.

“Students need to be taught about veterans and that this is a grand country,” she said.

Lori is doing both.

She has been teaching music since her first year out of college in 1988 and at Holland Hall since 2007.

She came by her love of music from her mother, who was a piano teacher, church organist and choir director.

“I have very much followed her footsteps with a similar path,” Lori said. “While

teaching music in the schools, I've found various opportunities to share my gifts with conducting choirs of both children and adults, most recently with our church choir/orchestra for the last four years. I also have been involved in the music ministry in a dozen ways. … My love for children has dominated my path though.”

And when both of Lori’s parents moved to Inverness, she took her love of kids and music to them.

Not only does she do a song service every Sunday for the residents, she brings different classes of students numerous times over the year.

“Singing at Inverness has given these two communities — senior adults and HH music students — an audience in which they both need each other. I've enjoyed witnessing the joy from the seniors but also our students as well!” H

PARENT PERSPECTIVE

Becoming Dutch

An outsider’s view of Holland Hall

By Vanessa Fox

As a lifelong public school student, my perception of private education was clouded by ideas of elitism and snobbery.

Life, however, had a different plan for us. When my husband, Brandon Fox, was offered a position as a graphic designer in the marketing office at Holland Hall, we were thrust into a world that was a far cry from our familiar educational landscape. I couldn't shake off the feeling of being an outsider, a misfit in this prestigious institution.

We familiarized ourselves with the excellent benefits offered to Holland Hall employees. Still, we were surprised in late winter when we were encouraged to schedule an early pre-k play date for our daughter.

Rhiannon turned 3 in February 2023, and we were concerned about how we would keep challenging her academically while working outside the home. The idea that she could attend such a respected school at a young age was thrilling.

She was accepted and enrolled to begin in the fall. Little did I know this decision would completely reshape my understanding of private education.

Every morning, I would watch with pride as she skipped into school, proudly donning her uniform. Her daily tales of newfound friendships and admiration for her teachers filled our hearts. We witnessed her acquiring new skills, from swinging on her own to using scissors. And the day she came home and wrote her name, we celebrated her triumph.

Beyond Rhiannon’s growth, we, as her parents, grew along with her. We witnessed the community and camaraderie among students and parents. We saw the love the teachers poured into the students, and we were and are deeply thankful for the mentorship provided by her teachers to us. We made new friends with

fellow parents who share our desire to provide an education and community for our children to become the best version of themselves.

Moreover, witnessing our daughter's growth and confidence affirmed our decision to embrace this new chapter. We couldn’t be more proud of how she blossomed academically, socially, and emotionally, thriving in an environment that prioritized individualized attention and nurturing personal growth.

Holland Hall has become more than just my husband’s employer. It has become our daughter’s and, hopefully, our sons’ future school, where we have all learned, become more confident, and forged bonds. We are thankful for the opportunities Holland Hall has provided us, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this community. Go Dutch! H

Norman Dilley, who served in the U.S. Army from 1957-59, talks to students from Holland Hall’s second grade, who visited veterans at Covenant Living at Inverness to sing patriotic songs and thank them for their service. “It was wonderful, and it makes me choke up,” he says.

Holland Hall second-grader Thomas Rogers shakes Col. Shirley Schelper’s hand after a special Veterans Day performance at Covenant Living at Inverness this week. Students “need to be taught about veterans and that this is a grand country,” she says. Schelper served in the U.S. Army in Korea and Vietnam.

(Top) Vanessa and Rhiannon Fox wait for Amber Graybill to walk Rhiannon down to the EPK classroom for her playdate in February 2023. (Bottom) Vanessa, Rhiannon and Brandon Fox pose for a picture after the first year of EPK.

Middle School

Housemagic

Creating a new Holland Hall tradition

Their names are etched on buildings, trophies and history books.

» Sandra Alexander

» Birmingham Campus

» Charlie Brown

» Bill Flint

» Margaret Kaboth

» Bert Moore

» Winnifred Schureman

» Pauline McFarlin Walter

Telling their stories is telling the story of Holland Hall.

The Middle School, in a quest to foster community and honor the past, chose these eight names to represent the school’s newest tradition.

Houses

Loosely based on the “Harry Potter” franchise and independent and private schools across the world, Holland Hall created new “Houses” for Middle School students this year.

With a lot of help from the Middle School faculty and administration, they were brought to life by Chaplain Christy Utter ’92

“Our mission and purpose for the houses was simple — to connect all grade levels together throughout their time in the Middle School, and to help establish leadership opportunities for the seventh- and eighthgraders,” Utter said.

The Houses complement the already established advisories that are similar to those in the Upper School.

“The Middle School advisory program is at the heart of the branch. Emphasizing relationships, hard work, kindness, continuous learning and growth, our small grade-level groups bond throughout the year,” said Assistant Head of School and Middle School Head Jennifer Whisenhunt White ’89. “The concept of Houses was to build on Advisory, fostering connections among students and teachers across different grades.

“Our goal is to instill team spirit, team identity, collaboration, tradition, and fun!”

After combing through the Holland Hall history books lovingly put together by the late Ron Palma, the school’s Latin teacher and historian, Utter and team solidified the House names.

“Each person and place played a vital role in the foundation, growth, and support of our school,” Utter said.

The House rules were hammered out over the summer of 2023.

» Siblings would be in the same house, and it would be a legacy system, just like Sakawa Wanata — one of Holland Hall’s oldest traditions.

» Each house would have a mix of all grades with three teachers acting as advisors.

» Points could be added for wins in competitions, acts of kindness and more. And points could be taken away.

» Each House adopts an outdoor space and can earn points throughout the year on surprise garden check days.

» Each House adopts one principle of Holland Hall’s Portrait of a Middle School Learner that

“The eight Houses are called Alexander, Birmingham, Brown, Flint, Kaboth, Moore, Schureman, and Walter. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding students. While you are at Holland Hall, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points.”

— Inspired by J.K. Rowling

would define them.

» Beginning in 2024-25, a House Cup will be awarded to the champion House at the end of the year.

The students spent the year researching their House’s namesake, developing a crest in their honor — with symbols and colors to represent them — perfecting secret handshakes and getting to know one another.

“We hope the Middle School students will be able to make lasting relationships throughout our hallways and continue those relationships in the Upper School.” Utter said. “Transitioning into ninth grade can prove to be daunting for some, so we are hoping time spent together in their Houses will provide familiar faces in the high school to ease the transition.

“Relationships are first and foremost in our campus community,” Utter said, and “the House

A crest for the Houses

system will be yet another avenue to establish and strengthen those budding relationships.”

Utter isn’t rejecting the Harry Potter references, she’s leaned all the way in.

“I always think of the students at Hogwarts as being creative and bright. That is how I feel about our students,” she said. “Hogwarts is also a very special school that accepts all types of students from all walks of life.

Holland Hall is the same. We have a certain level of diversity that makes this place work and that makes this place special. No two students are alike, not even the identical twins!” H

“When Christy Utter approached me about a project that she was working on and that she would need my help with new crests, I got excited. As she explained and described her grand ideas, I was moved to incorporate some styles that I had implemented earlier in the school year, hence the sketch to the right. The shield within the crest matches the Holland Hall crest, the names are all consistent in placement, and the elements inside the crests are all distinctive and clear to understand. I look forward to incorporating these shields and other design elements into their Houses.”

— Brandon Fox, Marketing Manager and Graphic Design

Colors

» Blue and gold Symbols

» Scales of justice, medal

PORTRAIT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER

Strategic Learners

I demonstrate understanding of myself as a learner by leveraging personal strengths and implementing effective strategies for lifelong learning.

The Alexander House is named after Holland Hall’s first African-American graduate, Sandra Alexander ’69. She bravely and famously said, “In order for there to be change, somebody has to be first.”

Alexander graduated from Holland Hall in 1969 and later served on the school’s Board of Trustees for 12 years. She loved New Math and was interested in computer programming.

She used her skills to work as an archivist at Gilcrease Museum for her senior intern project, and later received a full scholarship to Swarthmore College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, majoring in Political Science.

SAfter college graduation, Alexander graduated from the University of Tulsa Law School and solidified her place in Oklahoma history as the first African-American female in private practice. She served as a college professor, a municipal court judge, and served on countless civic and national boards.

Alexander was a staple at Holland Hall Trivia Nights where she has proudly served as a judge.

She was honored in 2023 as a Holland Hall Distinguished Alumna, and has served as a Holland Hall Trustee and is currently a Holland Hall Emeritus Trustee. H

PORTRAIT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER

Effective Communicators

I convey and receive information in a meaningful and effective way to achieve clarity and purpose.

The Birmingham House is named after Holland Hall’s former Birmingham Campus. The Birmingham Campus opened in 1938 and was the school’s home for the next 44 years. It was the first permanent location for the school that had been in the beautiful — but cramped — Riverside location that is now the Spotlight Theatre.

The middle school was the final building that housed students before its move to the current campus in 1982, 12 years after the Upper School made its move. The campus was located in the heart of midtown Tulsa at the 2700 block of South Lewis Avenue.

CStudents maintained valuable traditions and created new ones on this eight-acre site. Students developed independence, led assemblies, participated in political protests, and established themselves as leaders in the classroom and in the community. Holland Hall’s annual yearbook is named Eight Acres after its Birmingham location.

The small bronze Holland Hall sign that sits in front of the “Becoming and Belonging” statue on the way into our current campus is from the Birmingham Campus — a gift from the class of 1936. H

Colors » Red and Holland Hall blue

Symbols » Rose, infinity sign, book

Colors

» Rainbow, green

Symbols

» Four-leaf clover

PORTRAIT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER

Community Builders

I demonstrate care for our community and take action to make it better.

The Brown House is named after Holland Hall’s longest tenured faculty member, Charles H. Brown. Brown joined the Holland Hall community in 1965. For the next 57 years, Brown served the community in a variety of capacities, from Head Football Coach and teacher of Upper School Chemistry, to Athletic Director, Summer Programs Director, Director of Institutional Advancement, Director of Stewardship, and more. But his greatest gift to the school was his tireless effort to make Holland Hall a reality for students and families who could not otherwise afford to attend. He

Wbuilt a community filled with diverse students from the Tulsa area and is beloved by his students, athletes, and colleagues. He continues to give back to the school through his Charlie Brown Endowment for Financial Aid, and an annual golf tournament that supports the athletic program.

He retired for the final time in 2023, but still maintains an office on campus and is a regular presence at any Holland Hall sporting or alumni event.

His biography, “The Lucky One,” is available in each of the branch libraries. H

PORTRAIT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER

Creative Problem Solvers

I use resources, technology, curiosity, and flexibility to take creative risks and generate innovative ideas and solutions.

The Flint House is named after Charles W. “Bill” Flint Jr. Flint served as Holland Hall’s Chair of the Board of Trustees from 1965-1969, and was later named an Emeritus Trustee. He was instrumental in the vision of, and eventual purchase of, 80 acres of land on 81st street, where the current campus resides. The current Upper School Gymnasium was named after Flint and another Holland Hall benefactor, Charles P. Williams, who worked to make the new campus a reality. Flint is also credited with creating Holland Hall’s Fight Song. He proposed the idea of a

Pfight song in the 1970s, but it was not until 2006 that it came to fruition and became the tradition it is today. Flint’s hope of a student body joyously singing the fight song to generate school spirit will live on in past, present and future generations of students. His daughter, Robin Flint ’63 Ballenger, leads the Holland Hall Board of Trustees as its chair. His granddaughter just finished a term as president of the Parents’ Association. And two of his great-grandchildren are current students. H

Colors

» Green and purple

Symbols

» Arrowhead, fire

Colors

» Red and Holland Hall blue

Symbols

» Trophy, lightning bolt

PORTRAIT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER

Resilient

I understand that challenges arise and I can come back from them stronger, more confident, and wiser.

TRhe Kaboth House is named after Holland Hall’s Director of Girls’ Athletics from 1949-1975, Mrs. Margaret W. Kaboth. Kaboth was best known for her intensity, dedication to perfect posture, the creation and implementation of the physical education program for girls, and her insistence on the importance of athletics and competition for girls.

Kaboth oversaw the intramural competitions between the Sakawas and Wanatas, and kept the competitive tradition alive as long as she served. Kaboth was

progressive in her time. When girls were taught to be dainty, Kaboth instead gave them strength, confidence, and toughness.

Today, the award for the senior class’ top female athlete is named the Margaret W. Kaboth Award.

Although known for her “Stand tall!” refrain, Kaboth took women’s athletics at Holland Hall from “an emphasis on posture to competitive athletics,” with a move to the Southwest Preparatory Conference and the evolution of half-court basketball to full, and speedball to soccer, among the changes. H

PORTRAIT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER

Socially and Personally Responsible

I am responsible for taking care of myself, being dependable, meeting obligations and expectations, as well as being accountable for my words and actions.

TOhe Moore House is named after retired Head of School, Herbert B. “Bert” Moore. Moore served as Head of School from 1965-1974. During his nine-year tenure, he oversaw the life-changing move of Holland Hall’s Upper School to the campus where it currently resides. In a move only visionaries could comprehend, Moore supported and encouraged Holland Hall’s relocation, and is credited with the idea and establishment of the Upper School’s Barnard Commons.

Moore’s dream for developing relationships in a communal space (the Commons), encouraging communication and trust among

peers, emphasizing the individual student, and holding a philosophy of “freedom with responsibility” came true. He had the love and support of his faculty, his students, the Board of Trustees, and the parent community.

He is also known for creating the Upper School’s unique modular schedule, which is touted by alumni everywhere as Holland Hall’s biggest asset.

When asked what his most important contribution to the school was, Moore said, “We have succeeded in giving the children of all ages a feeling that they are involved to a considerable extent in their own education.” H

Colors » Blue, green and yellow

Symbols

» Dove, Tree

Colors

» Red, Holland Hall blue

Symbols

» Tulips, water

PORTRAIT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER

Critical Thinkers

I evaluate, interpret, and synthesize information gained from experience, observation, research, and reflection in order to make informed decisions.

The Schureman House is named after Holland Hall’s first Headmistress, Winnifred Schureman. Born in Illinois, Winnifred began her teaching career in 1886. In 1914, Winnifred served as an English teacher in a Minneapolis, Minnesota, public high school, and was a professor at the University of Minnesota. She created a local summer camp, which drew families from all over the United States, especially Tulsa. She was recruited by a group of 10 prominent Tulsa men who were concerned about their children’s educational preparation for admission into Eastern colleges. After some convincing, Schureman moved to Tulsa in the

Tsummer of 1922 to lead the new school. She suggested the name of the school be Holland Hall since she was of Dutch ancestry. Only five months into her tenure as headmistress, Winnifred died of a sudden illness.

She was known for her very white hair and keen eyes, according to the school’s history book, and was “severe until she laughed, a wonderful tinkling laugh.”

In addition to the name of the school, Schureman is credited with recruiting the school’s first teachers and helping create the Sakawa-Wanata tradition, a legacy of her camp days. H

PORTRAIT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER

Morally Courageous

I act with compassion, kindness, and integrity, and I respect the dignity of others.

The Walter House is named after Pauline McFarlin Walter. Walter was referred to as Holland Hall’s guardian angel for her more than 60 years of philanthropic support of the school. Pauline enrolled her daughter, Mary Frances Walter, as a kindergartener in Holland Hall’s opening year of 1922. She was one of the first three women to serve on the Board of Trustees, and holds the record for length of service by a woman to this day (18 nonconsecutive years).

Walter selflessly donated to Holland Hall. She helped fund the current Upper School Building, now known as the Walter Academic

MBuilding, and purchased the second 80 acres where our current 167-acre campus resides. She is also the namesake of the Walter Arts Center for her continual support of the school. Walter is one of Holland Hall’s largest and most vital benefactors. The Pauline McFarlin Walter Trust is at the heart of our school’s region-leading endowment.

After her passing in 1980, Head of School John Bird said, “For the duration of the school’s history, we will cherish the memory of her greatly, who gave so generously of herself while asking so little in return.” Her portrait hangs in the Upper School Library. H

Colors » Blue and yellow

Symbols

» Angel, all things art

Faculty & Staff

Upper School chaplain looks forward to first year at Holland Hall

By Ashley Parrish ’93 Director of Communications & Marketing

After Sarah Smith graduated from Notre Dame in 2008, she wasn’t sure she wanted to head straight for a graduate theology degree and a life of academia.

The only thing she loved more than the sacraments and liturgy she studied at Notre Dame was sports.

So, she took a detour through Colorado, getting a degree in sports administration while giving ski lessons, before returning to Notre Dame to work for her old softball coach and the office of Student Athlete Welfare and Development.

“Then I was like sneaking away to have lunch with the nuns and my old professors and talking theology,” Smith said. “So I just felt really called to go study it more. So I did my master's in theology at Vanderbilt, in Nashville, Tennessee.”

As she considered her career options, Smith — a sixth-generation Okie who graduated from Heritage Hall — came back to Oklahoma City and was substitute teaching and coaching at Heritage and Casady, before becoming the head softball coach at Casady for two years.

Her next job, at the Episcopal Diocese in Oklahoma City as the director of media, led her to another degree at seminary to focus on Anglican studies.

But she still thought she should do parish ministry, and did a year of curacy at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Oklahoma City and one year at Emmanuel Shawnee.

It was at a clergy conference last year that all of her history with education and the church came together. Holland Hall’s longtime chaplain Art Scrutchins had retired and was filling in at the school on an interim basis. Meanwhile Trustee and priest Everett Lees was teaching religion classes while the school looked for a permanent replacement. They both urged her to apply to Holland Hall for the position of Upper School chaplain.

“I grew up going to private schools in Oklahoma City, I've coached, so I've been around it. I love it, no doubt,” she said. Everything just clicked.

“You go to seminary and you go through

‘BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS’

the ordination process, and everyone’s kind of training you to be a parish priest. That’s what the majority of people do. But there’s these cool jobs like here and like at Casady. They just don’t come along that often.”

When offered the job at Holland Hall, she jumped. She even started early — working with the grounds crew pulling weeds this summer before school started.

As for what to expect from her Masses and chapels, she may surprise people.

“I think you'll see a blend of being contemporary and traditional,” she said. “I'm very used to high church, the last two churches, I've served very high church. So we would sing the Mass. I love to chant.

“I don't plan on doing that every day. But I do hope to incorporate a little bit of that just because I think it's really powerful and beautiful.”

She’s also looking forward to working with

the Upper School students.

“I know we have lots of different faiths here and that's awesome,” she said. “This is a place that should make people more of who they are. Whatever their culture, whatever their religion or background, we're interested in making healthy human beings who understand spirituality should be an integral part of the human experience. And that's my job.”

Her first priority? Building relationships.

“Pastoral care is a huge part of my job, so building relationships is everything, building trust, getting to know people and their backgrounds and what they're excited about,” she said. “And just learning from people — you know, I'm not, in any way, an expert on being a human. I might be an expert on Christian theology, because I've probably studied it more than everyone, but that doesn't mean I can't learn from other people. So that's, that's a big one. Just building relationships.” H

A BLOCKBUSTER MINISERIES!

By Caroline Crain and Fay Palma

Fay Palma and Caroline Crain have been around Holland Hall forever! Or does it just seem that way?

Fay came to Holland Hall as a faculty wife and parent of a lifer in 1973. That began decades of attachment to Holland Hall. Fay has the dubious distinction of working on the Birmingham Campus and in every building of the 81st Street Campus. She started the after school program and later worked in the Holland Hall Office of Development.

Caroline attended Holland Hall from Kindergarten through sixth grade. Both of her children were lifers and Caroline spent those years as a very active parent volunteer and on the Board of Trustees. She then became an employee working in the Development office in several different capacities. That’s when they became a formidable duo.

F.P.: Well Caroline, here we are again! Where should we start?

C.C.: Over 100 years of photographs and thousands — thousands — of pieces of paper! Oh look, a whole drawer of ancient uniforms.

Editors’ note: The archives were formally named the Ronald and Fay Palma Archives in 2023 in honor of the couple’s tireless efforts to preserve Holland Hall history — from the definitive history book to the current efforts.

F.P.: And even coffee mugs and china plates with the crest on them — in blue and white. Hey, did you know that the school colors were originally blue and white? Nifty bit of history in how that got changed.

March 2023 was the start of this new push to get the archives in usable shape. The ultimate goal is to create an easily searchable database of Holland Hall historic material. Alumni, teachers, and other interested people will have access to this resource.

We weren’t starting from scratch. History, like Rome, wasn’t built in a day. Several early alumni saved absolutely everything from their school days. The Boards of Trustees took volumes of minutes, recording decisions that shaped the school as it is today. Parent volunteers spent thousands of hours on fund raising and fun raising. They kept notebooks detailing the process and progress. And every decade or so a couple of hardy souls would work on organizing and preserving the evidence. Notably, Hanley Cox, alumni parent, took the initial steps to collect and organize an archive for the school.

Yearbooks from all years were collected and have been digitized. Photographs provided our logical starting point. We used every detective skill we had plus our combined decades of institutional memory to date and identify the subject matter and people. Then we created a nomenclature to name and date each photo and sent them off to be digitized. We did not quite hit 100% identification but came darn close.

Early this year we celebrated finishing that step of photographic preservation.

Now we are on phase two — the paper materials. These include 100 years of newspaper articles, school directories and student publications. Also all-school publications, advertising, event programs and more.

We are not surprised that over the years many people have saved important and trivial memorabilia that add to the school’s history. We have been pleasantly surprised by the willingness of others who have helped us identify many mystery photos. Those assistant detectives included Charlie Brown, Karen Holmes, Richard Hart, Richard Spencer, Nancy Swain, Susan Steinmeyer and numerous alumni who were texted a mystery photo and cheerfully helped us. We even used facial recognition software and posted mystery photos on social media.

We look forward to more work on the printed materials and to help get all the digitized items into a format easily accessible to everyone.

Stay tuned! H

‘Above and beyond’

Every year, Holland Hall has a chance to honor some of its faculty because of generous gifts made by our families.

The Craft Award for Excellence in Teaching

The Craft Award for Excellence in Teaching, established by Kathleen S. Craft in honor of her son, J.W. Craft, and his family, is awarded annually to an outstanding faculty member who goes above and beyond their classroom teaching responsibilities.

This year’s recipient was Neil Bergenroth, Upper School Technology.

The Collins Family Endowment for Faculty Excellence Award

The Collins Family Endowment for Faculty Excellence Award, funded by Francy and Roger Collins, is granted to outstanding teachers who demonstrate academic excellence, social responsibility, exude a passion and authenticity in teaching, and are collegial and collaborative with their colleagues.

This year, the Collins Awards went to:

» Christy Utter, MS chaplain

» Laurie Spencer, fine arts

Tempest Dulany Staff Award

New this year is an award for staff members. This award was developed by retiring faculty member Richard Spencer in honor of Tempest Dulany, the longtime assistant to the head of school, who also retired this year.

“Because of her extraordinary service to Holland Hall, the school decided to create the Tempest Dulany Staff Award,” Spencer said. “This award is bestowed annually on two staff members who most embody the qualities of this exceptional servant.” Those qualities include:

» A high level of professionalism

» A kind, welcoming demeanor

» One who contributes to a positive, enjoyable work environment

» A selfless advocate for the HH community as an active collaborator

» One who possesses the heart of a servant, adding quality to every endeavor of which s/he is a part.

This year’s recipients were:

» Primary School: Betty Dougall, teaching assistant

» Middle School: Kelly Danner, MS assistant

All of the Holland Hall faculty and staff awards are nominated by and voted on by the entire faculty and staff. H

Holland Hall faculty and staff are recognized by their peers

Christy Utter Middle School Chaplain

Neil Bergenroth Upper School Technology

Betty Dougall Teaching Assistant

Kelly Danner Middle School Assistant

Laurie Spencer Fine Arts

‘Calm in the storm’

Tempest Dulany will be remembered for her caring demeanor

Richard Spencer

On Dec. 14, 1992, a very special person began her memorable 32-year career here at Holland Hall. Of course, I’m referring to a young Tempest Dulany. She began working in Admissions, but folks at the top of the food chain soon recognized that she was destined for an even more significant role. On Nov. 1, 1999, Tempest became assistant to the Head of School, who at that time was Bob Graves. And so, she began her 25-year journey in serving seven heads of school in that role.

She has been described as an anchor who exudes patience, kindness, understanding, grace, and integrity. And let us not forget her sense of humor. One might enter her office as a grouchy old curmudgeon, but you would inevitably leave with a smile on your face. And while her virtues alone are enough to put her in the pantheon of caring people, her skills as an assistant and organizer are unparalleled. She operated daily with the highest level of professionalism. No detail was too small to overlook; each task was completed on time and with the highest level of precision and care.

Yet, one of Tempest’s greatest attributes was her ability to make everyone feel special. Fires might have been burning out

of control, and she was frantically trying to find extinguishers, but if you walked into her office, she was the epitome of calm and control. She would set everything aside that she was working on in that moment and ask how she could serve your needs. And that describes her best – a servant. She wasn’t the assistant to the head of school; she was your friend, the calm in the storm, the pulse that drives this place toward excellence, the heart of this community.

Because Tempest has inspired so many of us to become better versions of ourselves, and because her character and integrity are aiming points for all of us, this spring, the school established the Tempest Dulany Staff Award to be given annually to two deserving staff members of Holland Hall who exhibit the same high standards of professionalism and service as Tempest.

Tempest’s presence and contributions here at Holland Hall will no doubt be felt for decades, for she was without a doubt, a once-in-ageneration presence here in this community. She will be fondly remembered for her grace, dignity, humility, and for making everyone feel special. Tempest, you blessed us all by simply being yourself and for leaving Holland Hall a better place than you found it! H

Richard Spencer: The Original ‘Lifter’

By Ryan Myers Director of Counseling and Wellness

According to Richard Spencer, there are basically two types of people in the world: Lifters and Leaners. A Lifter is someone who pays attention to their surroundings and those around them. When someone needs help or work needs to be done, they get to lifting. In contrast, a Leaner is someone who tends to think of themselves and their own comfort first, watching as a passive bystander on the sidelines while others dive in and do the hard work that lies before them. From the day he arrived on campus and began his journey as a member of the Holland Hall community in 1983, Richard has been a living picture of what it means to be a Lifter.

Over the past 41 years, Richard has had many roles that are both diverse and impressive. But Richard's investment of time, energy, and effort has never been defined simply by whatever the particular job title or job description of the year or season. He only knows one way to be and exist — all in and kids first.

This became apparent to me very early when I began my time at Holland Hall 12 years ago, and Richard quickly became a mentor and friend to me. At that time, Richard served as the 12th grade Dean of Students and a member of the Upper School Math faculty. I will never forget the first time I heard him say, "Ryan, I don't teach math. I teach students, and math is simply my discipline." I could tell right away that he wasn't trying to be cute or creative by making this statement. This man truly meant what he said. No matter how full or stressful a particular day or week was for Richard, it was abundantly clear to students that his priority was meeting them where they were and doing everything in his power to help them learn whatever concepts or material in a way that would resonate with them. I cannot tell you the number of students and alumni through the years that have shared stories with me and others about how much they used to struggle with math in Middle School and Upper School until Mr. Spencer came along and lovingly and patiently showed them a different way. Not only is he incredibly skilled and effective

MS Math Teacher Teacher

Basketball Coach Math Teacher Coach

Baseball Coach Tutor & Track

Chaplain

in the math classroom, but the manner in which he teaches students creates a ripple effect that goes well beyond the discipline of math and leads to lessons learned about life in general. How to be a better human and exist in intentional relationships with others.

Richard has truly invested his whole life into Holland Hall. In addition to the wild and varied list of roles he's served in the past 41 years, Richard's wife, Millie, has been a valuable presence in our community for almost just as long. Since 1986, Millie has contributed many popular offerings in our Summer Programs, and since 1998, she has been a beloved Teaching Assistant in the Primary School. Greg Spencer, one of Richard and Millie's sons and a member of Holland Hall's Class of 1999, has been a vital member of faculty, having served for the past 20 years as the Communications Coordinator, Athletics Information Director, Head Cross Country Coach, and Assistant Upper School and Middle School Track Coach. (In addition to Greg, Richard and Millie are also the parents of four other Holland Hall alumni: Lee Spencer ’98, Leslie Spencer Haughey ’04, Adam Spencer ’05, and John Spencer ’07.) It is undeniable that Holland Hall is better in so many ways because of Richard Spencer and his family.

As far as I'm concerned, a Google search of "renaissance man" ought to lead to one of Coach Spencer's many ridiculous school photos as he is the epitome of a renaissance man. In addition to being an intelligent, multifaceted, well-read scholar, he is a lover and passionate

supporter of both the arts and athletics and a long-time Sunday school teacher at his church. Beyond being a truly gifted writer and orator, I believe that Richard is a sought-after teacher at his church because his Christian faith is one that is clearly rooted in the very attributes of Jesus Christ himself: love, humility, generosity, and faithfulness. In the Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Rome, the Bible says:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will." – Romans 12:1-2

Richard has never conformed to the patterns of this world, and he has given many good gifts to the Holland Hall community. I believe that one of the greatest is that he has e mbodied this notion that Paul is speaking of here in that our life is our worship. Genuine and humble love for God and people has clearly been evidenced for the past 41 years that Richard has been a member of our community, and I for one am grateful that despite the fact that his role may be changing yet again, he'll still be around the Holland Hall campus being a Lifter and doing what Lifters do. H

‘SWISS ARMY KNIFE’

Gary Sweeney has been many things to the school

By Steve Dyer Director of the Walter Arts Center and Fine Arts

The term "Swiss Army knife" has entered our popular culture as a metaphor for usefulness and adaptability. Gary Sweeney has certainly filled that capacity during his 27 years at Holland Hall. If you need someone to direct “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller, or for that fact play the part of Willy Loman — better call Gary. If you need someone to design and build a cruise liner for the musical “Anything Goes” — better call Gary. If you need someone who can teach Shakespeare and middle school stagecraft students how to use a hammer and saw while keeping all their fingers and thumbs intact — who do you call …. you better call Gary. This skillset is not found in the typical high school theater teacher. And you should be forewarned that if Gary ever comes to your home and pulls out his own swiss army knife, he sees something of yours that needs fixing and he's going to pick it apart. I know this from first hand experience with my fireplace mantel.

Gary's education, training and life experiences have led him to be an individual who is a consummate artist as an actor, an inspiring theater director, and an ingenious set designer who can also construct what he envisions.

Gary served our students for two years as the Technical Director of the Walter Arts Center, for 18 years as Upper School Theatre Director and Stagecraft instructor, and for the last seven years as a valued member of our maintenance team where, among other responsibilities, he has continued to be a contributing member of the the arts department by designing and building sets for Middle and Upper School productions.

Gary has designed and constructed

of Holland Hall

81 different theatrical sets for Middle and Upper School productions, directed 36 Upper School plays and musicals — encompassing the works of Molière, Thornton Wilder, Noel Coward, David Mamet, Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim, participated in 20 ISAS Arts Festivals and positively influenced and shaped the lives of countless theater students.

Born in Los Angeles, Gary's family moved to Tulsa where he attended East Central High School, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Drama from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah and went on to graduate from the University of California in Los Angeles with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Performance.

After completing his studies at UCLA, Gary worked in a variety of positions while continuing his career as an actor before making his way to Holland Hall in 1998. Performing with theatrical companies in Los Angeles, Fayetteville and Tulsa, Gary appeared in productions of “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “The Glass Menagerie” and “Pippin,” to name just a few. He

also worked in television and film in shows such as “General Hospital” and “Max Headroom.” In between his times on stage, Gary's knowledge of set design and construction provided him the opportunity to work as a carpenter for Showtime's production of “It's Garry Shandling's Show,” and as a supervisor and carpenter for Jack Reed Construction Company. He also held positions as an Adjunct Professor of Voice and Diction at Rogers State College and as an Instructor of Voice and Movement at the State Conservatory of Arts in Ankara, Turkey. Immediately prior to coming to Holland Hall, Sweeney served as Theatre Instructor for The Center for the Physically Limited in Tulsa. Gary's unique abilities have allowed him to provide Holland Hall audiences with many memorable moments on the Branch and Newman theater stages. For the 2006 production of “Godspell,” Gary's vision was to set the play in modern times at Holland Hall with Jesus being an exchange teacher from

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Israel. The Branch Theatre stage was transformed into an exact image of the upper school commons, complete with columns, benches and painted backdrop of the south wall. For “The Fantasticks” in 2007, the Newman Theatre was converted into a big top traveling tent setting with a painted floor. And for the 2015 production of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” audience members felt as if they were actually in the library of the Von Grossenknueten Mansion in Chappaqua, New York.

It was always important to Gary that his actors had the very best possible stage setting and technical effects to support the months of preparation they had invested in bringing a production to life. He credits Technical Director for the Walter Arts Center, Jody Ely, and Holland Hall scenic painter, Scott Spicer for their contributions in creating a look on stage that inspired the actors to elevate their level of performance.

Knowing Gary for 27 years and working alongside him for many productions, I can attest that he is not an individual who intentionally seeks the limelight. Gary is all about the work, the craft, finding the truth in the moment, and in his own words "the crux of the matter." His greatest joy was helping his students be vulnerable enough to find the honesty in every monologue, in every scene and in every play. When that occurred, true moments of magic happened in the classroom and on the stage.

Gary will be retiring from Holland Hall at the end of the summer. He will leave behind a legacy of "moments" shared with his students and audience members and take with him the well wishes and heartfelt gratitude of all his colleagues. One of Gary's most memorable productions was “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim in 2004. So, in the words of the Baker's wife "Oh, if life were made of moments, even now and then a bad one! But if life were only moments, then you'd never know you had one. Let the moment go, but don't forget it for a moment, though. Now I understand that it's time to leave the woods."

Best wishes for your retirement, dear friend, and hope you continue to discover life's moments! H

‘Doing things the right way’ Randy Mills was someone everyone on campus could always count on

By Richard Spencer

In 1991, a fresh face from Sand Springs showed up on the Holland Hall campus. Randy Mills reported for maintenance duty, primarily as a groundskeeper.

It was his first time to interact with then Maintenance Director Hubert Wickline. Those of you who knew Hubert know that he was not one to settle for mediocrity or foolishness in any form. The first few days that the 31-yearold Randy went out to work with Hubert, he figured he would simply wear him down because Randy himself was a strong young man, full of stamina and energy. He quickly came to realize that when Hubert started a project, you didn’t quit or slow down until long after the cows come home. Even though Hubert was 25 years older than Randy, he demonstrated what it meant to work tirelessly for many hours to get the job accomplished correctly.

Randy said that Hubert taught him many things about equipment, maintaining a strong work ethic, and doing things the right way. Randy also commented that Holland Hall didn’t have a mechanic because Hubert could fix every vehicle and device on the campus. And so young Randy Mills began his Holland Hall career under the watchful eye and tutelage of a strong mentor.

Early on, Randy was primarily tasked as a groundskeeper, but as time passed, his role evolved. And when I say that I’m not referring to physical tasks concerning these 167 acres.

I’m talking about his role as an ambassador

and conduit to the maintenance staff. Not only did he develop and cultivate strong personal relationships with the faculty, but he also bonded with faculty children as well.

Randy’s relationships and assistance didn’t stop at the front gate. Randy regularly offered his assistance at peoples’ homes after school, even on weekends. There was no money exchanged – just the goodwill and willingness on Randy’s part to be of service. He could be seen helping kids catch fish in the school’s pond, voluntarily changing a flat tire, helping momma goose out of the Middle School courtyard, or giving a big hug to any adult or child who asked for or needed one.

Hired primarily as a groundskeeper, Randy’s role would evolve, taking on new responsibilities.

As personnel came and left, Randy remained a staple and set a standard for the facilities staff. In December 2013 until January 2024, he was promoted to Associate Facilities Manager. During his remaining tenure, Randy retired with the title of Associate Director of Facilities. Yet, for all of us who really knew Randy, titles meant nothing to him. He understood and demonstrated every day that one didn’t need a title to make a difference. And, boy, did he ever make a difference — not just for this physical campus, but most of all for the people who come to practice their own artistry here in this community we call Holland Hall. Randy will always be a member of our Dutch family, and his legacy will live on in the lives he so richly touched. Well done, good and faithful servant! H

‘Speak truth’

Colleagues remember Mark Cyrus as being loyal, humble

By Becca Parker Middle School Science

For those of you who don't know Mark Cyrus — well, it's too late, because he's leaving. But, I'll give you a quick glimpse of his teaching timeline.

Mark began teaching in 1980, in a small city called Minco, Oklahoma, population 1,511.

He taught all of the high school math classes there along with coaching football, basketball and baseball.

From there he taught and coached in Cleveland, Oklahoma.

In 1990, he made the jump to the big leagues of Jenks. He taught math along with coaching football and basketball. Eighteen years later, he took a role as the principal at the Jenks Freshman Academy. In June of 2014, the Trojan family announced his retirement. Lucky for us, the next chapter in his teaching journey would bring him to South Tulsa.

In August 2014, Mark walked into a classroom in the upper hall of the Middle School, and he has been influencing our lives ever since.

I remember an early team meeting where we were discussing a heightened gum-chewing

issue. Mark had a puzzled look on his face. I think at first he thought we were messing with him. In previous assignments, he had dealt with illegal paraphernalia, armed teens, and a variety of "extracurricular" activities, so he couldn't tell if we really thought gum chewing ranked up there as an "issue."

I don't have the time to list all of the things Mark has accomplished — the championships, coach of the year awards, and more. He has influenced many athletes, both on and off the court.

Who knew that an amazing young lady at Jenks, who went on to play for the Sooners, would count on him again years later? Mark has worked with Crystal Lawson, Holland Hall’s girls basketball coach and a Middle School dean, both on and off the court. I know he's been able to experience pride as her coach as a teen, and now as her colleague and dear friend.

Mark and his wife Suzanne have raised three children, and those kids, Matt, Lauren, and Wes, have brought his next chapter into view. With six grandchildren arriving in his 10 years at Holland Hall, there are plenty of amazing adventures calling.

Mark, you walked in as a dad, and are

walking out a Paw Paw.

You walked in as a stranger, and you're leaving as a friend.

You are kind and encouraging.

You are Christ-centered and loyal. (Thanks for all the prayers you sent up on my behalf.)

You are a loving grandfather.

And you are a big part of what I love most about our community.

You speak truth, in love. You can be trusted, and you want what's best for everyone.

I've started to joke with you — and give you grief about leaving.

That's just because I'll miss you.

And you know why I can say that, right?

Because friends speak truth to one another.

I know I'm not the only one who can say, “Mark Cyrus, you are a very dear friend.”

You have made me a better parent and teacher.

You have modeled what it means to be humble, the importance of laughter, and making time for others.

I know you and Suzanne are going to spend days adventuring with your wonderful family.

Just be sure when you're in our neck of the woods, that you swing by and run in for a hug. H

Throughout my professional journey, I have had the privilege of learning from numerous individuals, each contributing in their unique way.

‘She made a difference’ Dee Laskey inspires students and faculty alike

However, Dee Laskey stands out as someone who not only imparted knowledge but also rekindled my passion for our shared work. She reminded me of a crucial question: "Do you want to make a point, or do you want to make a difference?" It's a simple yet powerful sentiment that captures Dee's approach to education and life.

Since taking on the role of learning specialist in our Upper School, Dee has created a welcoming and restorative environment for students. Her office is an oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of our school. Students find their way to Mrs. Laskey's office to take a test and listen to soft music, meet in small groups to study or collaborate, but mostly they end up there because Mrs. Laskey is there.

When asked, colleagues note that Dee has a way of encouraging and holding kids accountable as they navigate the upper school wilds. For that reason, students trust her, feel comfortable talking to her and seem to gravitate towards her empathetic guidance and unwavering encouragement.

Gina Johnson Program Director of Learning Support

Beyond her role as learning specialist, Dee also manages Senior Internships and requests for accommodations with college boards (SAT and ACT). She has also sponsored FCA, participated on the Student Life team, and served as a student advisor. To those that know her well, her ability to laugh at herself and to see the humor in all things makes her not only an outstanding professional, but a cherished friend. As a valued member of the Academic Support department, Dee has consistently supported our collective efforts, drawing upon her wealth of experience in education. So many Holland Hall students and their families have been blessed under her care and all she has endeavored to do for our community.

Deciding to step away from her full-time position at Holland Hall was a difficult one, but Dee looks forward to spending more time with her husband, her children and her grandchildren.

Without question, she will be greatly missed. Without question, she made a difference. H

‘Grace and commitment’

Amber Graybill’s influence still felt in Middle and Primary schools

In the heart of every thriving educational institution, there are individuals who not only contribute but also become the very essence of its spirit. Amber Graybill is undeniably one such person. As she embarks on her well-deserved retirement after many years of dedicated service, it's time to reflect on the impact she has had on our school community.

Amber's journey began in the Middle School, where she wasn't just a teacher, she was an inspiration. Jumping into a middle school classroom mid-year is a challenging assignment, yet Amber showed up with grace and commitment. She introduced a whole generation of fifth-graders to Bill Nye the Science Guy. Amber has been purposeful in maintaining relationships with many former students, quietly celebrating their lifeaccomplishments from behind the scenes.

Her transition from the classroom to the front door of our Primary School was seamless. Amber's role as the Associate Director of Primary School Admissions has been instrumental in shaping the lives of over 500 students and families who have joined our community over the years. Amber's warmth and genuine interest put families at ease as she helped them navigate the admissions process with such care that they felt like part of the school family from day one.

Amber's contributions to our school community extend far beyond her official responsibilities. She is not just a colleague; she is a friend to many. Always ready to lend a helping hand, she was the first to volunteer for car duty, and her legendary baking will be missed almost as much as she will be.

We will miss your warmth, dedication, and of course, those delicious strawberry cakes, Amber! Enjoy your well-deserved retirement and time with Luke and Mallory! H

Vanessa Jones Head of Primary School

PURE MASTERY

Cate Potter as a scientist, teacher and colleague

Pam Rogers Sixth Grade Science

Cate, I first met you when I interviewed for the sixth grade science position in the late spring of 2017. I remember thinking, “What a nice group of people, I especially would love to get to know the quiet woman in the room, the woman named Cate.” There was just something about you that exuded wisdom, thoughtfulness, and kindness. How lucky I now feel to have now spent the past seven years in your wise presence, as your colleague and as your friend.

I sometimes think that there should be introductory speeches that precede a new teacher’s first year, rather than waiting for the last moments of their presence in the community to learn how truly amazing their lives have been. So here, dear friends, I want you to know a little more about retiring teacher, Cate Potter, in three short mini-chapters.

Mini-Chapter 1: Cate the Scientist

For as long as she can remember, Cate dreamed of being a biologist. How lucky we are that Cate followed her dreams. She is a biologist. Holding a Master of Science degree in Radiation Ecology, Cate has worked in both academia and industry.

As a practicing scientist, Cate has studied the radioactive uptake of wintering waterfowl by a decommissioned nuclear power plant in Georgia, where she notes that she “got to drive an airboat around lakes that were full of

alligators and other wildlife.”

Cate worked as a research technician at the University of Minnesota running two large research projects:

One, studying the effects of mosquito control pesticide on mallard ducklings and a second, a study commissioned by the Air Force before installation of large radar screens, documenting spring and fall migration patterns in Minnesota and South Dakota on the Central Flyway.

Closer to home, Cate worked for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation on the Canada goose introduction program.

So, Cate, I guess we have you to thank for our annual nesting pair of Canada geese in the Middle School courtyard.

One of the beauties of independent schools is that our students are taught by trained subject specialists who bring the habits of the mind cultivated through their rigorous training in their fields to our students.

Cate, you are a Master Scientist.

Mini-Chapter 2: Cate the Teacher

You could say that Cate has teaching in her DNA. With a mother and grandmother who were both teachers, teaching runs in her family. Cate always loved school, and early on, she found she had a knack for helping her fellow classmates in ways that helped them understand concepts that challenged them.

From supervising science undergraduates during her graduate school years, to teaching and mentoring science students at the University School, Clinton Middle School, Jenks High School for 12 years, where she taught 9th grade Physical Science, Biology and Pre-AP Biology, to teaching 7th grade science for nine years here at Holland Hall, Cate has touched the hearts and minds of thousands of children.

Cate, as teachers, we often are unaware of the influence and lasting impact we have on our students. When I reached out to your former students here at Holland Hall, many noted how much they enjoyed you as a teacher and how much they remembered from your 7th grade life science class. It was consistently noted that the strong foundation you helped them build in Middle School science prepared them well for Upper School biology.

My favorite response came from a student who spoke of the genetics project you assigned over Thanksgiving Break, tracing the perception of a soapy taste from cilantro. He noted that you could easily have just given them readings and a packet to complete, but you assigned a project that required that they reach out to extended family. He found great joy in this assignment, in that it led to conversations with family members he had not talked to in years. Your creative teaching brought this family closer together.

Another student noted that your rigorous standards combined with the supportive culture in your classroom made her feel strong and confident in a subject area where she often struggled.

Cate, you are a Master Teacher.

Mini-Chapter 3: Cate the Colleague

Cate, the Middle School Science Department and the 7th grade team have grown stronger, wiser, sharper, and smarter with your quiet guidance and yes, your quiet leadership. And with good reason. You are a consummate collaborator. You listen with intent, you reflect with insight, clarity, and wisdom, and you speak your wisdom and heart with honesty and respect.

You are known for “keeping things real.” We all have benefited from your willingness to always go the extra mile, both for your students and your colleagues. You have been a steady hand and a role model in the midst of our professional storms and rough seas, as well as the often crazy and chaotic world of 7th grade-landia.

I can’t count the number of times I have sought your sage advice as I have worked to understand a student and to see all sides and potential solutions to pressing professional issues and challenges.

Cate, you are a Master Colleague.

Cate, when I asked you what you have enjoyed most about teaching at Holland Hall, you enthusiastically noted the amazing sense of community, terrific colleagues, small class sizes, and how much you always enjoy spending class time with your students.

You noted that, “Holland Hall is what education should be!”

Cate, you are what being a teacher should be and you are a master — a master scientist, a master teacher, and a master colleague.

Now! Off you go to the NorthEast Kingdom of Vermont. We all wish you the very, very best as you will finally have time to spend with that adorable grandson, enjoying your family and spending copious amounts of time outside, hiking, skiing and exploring. We have absolutely no doubt that you will master retirement!

Thank you, Cate, for all you are and all you have given our Holland Hall family. H

Sixth-grade science teacher Pam Rogers retires this year after 15 years of teaching. One of her lasting legacies will be the annual hot air balloon launch. Sixth-graders craft their own balloons and then launch them just after dawn on the football field. It’s just one of the many ways students and faculty will remember her. H

‘An indelible mark’

Reyes Mireles has been a Holland Hall constant since 2000

By Janice Moore ’72

Reyes Mireles has been a man behind the scenes working tirelessly day after day to keep Holland Hall’s grounds in amazing condition for 24 years. The meticulous care and attention he poured into ensuring that our environment was a source of pride for us all, is nothing short of extraordinary. When asked about his contributions to the Holland Hall community, Leslie Kelly said, “We would all have to say that Reyes is the hardest worker we have ever had.”

Reyes grew up in a small town near Durango, Mexico, and moved to California in 1979 with his wife, Irene Mireles, to start a new life. Reyes cares deeply about his family and decided to come to Tulsa to be near relatives in 1998. Irene started working for the food service at Holland Hall soon after, and he joined the grounds crew in 2000. His brother Jesús Mireles joined the maintenance staff a few years later, and his daughter

Monica Mireles ’11 was a lifer at Holland Hall. Holland Hall was a perfect fit for Reyes as he has always loved the outdoors and baseball. He admits that his favorite part of the job was caring for the athletic fields, especially baseball. If you've ever strolled onto our baseball field and marveled at the perfectly manicured grass, the precisely aligned bases, and the overall splendor of the setting, Reyes is the one to thank. He fell in love with baseball as a child and already played on adult teams by the age of 12. In the San Diego area, he played catcher in the HispanoAmerica league. When Reyes arrived in Tulsa, there were no local baseball teams at all, so he rounded up players to create the Tulsa Hispana League which has since grown to 12 teams. Reyes is now the proud coach of the Aguascalientes team, 2023 champions!

What was Reyes’ least favorite part of the job? He disliked anything that involved setting up for special events. The annual Holland Hall Book Fair topped that list. Reyes explained, “AY! Mover cantidades de mesas y

miles de libros fue pesado. Los aňos cuando hubo también mercado fueron los peores.” “Ay! Moving so many tables and thousands of books was overwhelming. The years of the Book Fair and Market were the worst.” Reyes much preferred working outside, and breathing fresh air. He could never imagine himself in a career working indoors.

What truly sets Reyes apart is not just his commitment to excellence and the impeccable work he's done with our grounds, but the way he approached it. He truly cared about the school and always had a smile on his face. Even in the face of challenges, tight deadlines, or adverse weather conditions, Reyes maintained his positive attitude with an unwavering politeness that became his trademark. Becca Parker spoke dearly of him at a retirement event stating that “Reyes has left an indelible mark on our grounds, our facilities, and our hearts.”

Richard Spencer said it all. “If there were more Reyes, then the world would be a better place!” H

Tag Gross’ influence felt on and off the football field

By Steve Heldebrand Assistant Head of School for Athletics

Coach Tag Gross ’87 leaves behind an incredible legacy at Holland Hall, not only in terms of victories on the field but also in the lasting impact he's had on the lives of players, families, and fans. His journey from being a student at Holland Hall to leading its football program for the past 24 years is a testament to his deep connection to the school and community.

Retired Holland Hall Primary School Teacher Darlene Hyden's pivotal role in bringing Tag Gross and his sister Leslie to Holland Hall speaks volumes about the impact educators can have on their students' lives. Mrs. Hyden was Tag’s teacher at Lindbergh Elementary School before coming to Holland Hall to teach in the new Primary School in 1976. It's remarkable how her encouragement set Tag on a path that would ultimately shape his future. Graduating in the class of 1987 after excelling in academics and sports, Tag received the prestigious Dutchman Award, now known as the Charles H. Brown Award, at Commencement.

He returned to Holland Hall in 2000 following a successful coaching and teaching stint as an assistant football coach at Jenks High School, demonstrating his deep connection to the school and a commitment to giving back to our community. Being inducted into the Holland Hall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 further solidified his status as a legendary figure within the school's athletic history.

Since the fall of 1959, the Dutch have had only three men lead the football program: Ed Hooker (1959-1965), Charlie Brown (1966-1999) and Tag Gross (2000-2023). Coach Gross has been an unwavering pillar of our community, leaving an indelible mark on many lives. His return to follow in the footsteps of his mentor and coach, Charlie Brown, demonstrates his great affection for our community.

Tag was not only the head football coach, but he taught English and history to Upper School students. In 2007, he and Jamie Reichard teamed up to teach Global Issues to the freshman, where over the next 17 years they delved into current issues and forged meaningful relationships with students, who often heard about Coach Gross’ love for shopping at Reasor’s, as well as his interest in cooking and keeping his lawn green

Building a legacy

Coach Gross's tenure as head football coach is characterized by extraordinary achievements, including 157 wins and a 76-23 OSSAA record since Holland Hall transitioned to the state association in 2016. He has led the Dutch to four district titles in football and eight consecutive playoff trips. Coach Gross's impact extends beyond the scoreboard, with 65 players advancing to play college football, a testament to his role in developing student-athletes on and off the field.

A few memories stand out to Coach Gross over his two and half decades leading the Dutch football program:

» The journey from a challenging 1-9 season in 2000 to claiming the SPC championship in football in 2005.

» The transition to OSSAA brought its own set of challenges and victories, including the memorable upset against Vian in the 2016 football playoffs, which not only showcased the team's talent but also brought the community together in support.

» The back-to-back 3A State football titles in 2020 and 2021 hold a special place in Coach Gross' heart, each with its own unique significance – the resilience shown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the overwhelming community support at the state finals game on a Friday afternoon December of 2021.

» Competing against future NFL players like the Acho brothers, Sam and Emmanuel, and Ty Montgomery at St. Marks in the mid-2000s. This may not have been fun at the time, but

it's a testament to the level of competition and talent that Coach Gross and his teams faced in his early years as the head coach.

Coaching his own children, Cooper and Hagan, was a deeply personal and fulfilling experience for Coach Gross. There's something uniquely special about being able to share your passion for a sport with your own children and to guide them through the ups and downs of competition. Winning the SPC championship with Hagan in basketball in 2016 was an incredibly proud moment for both father and daughter and for Holland Hall, as it was our last SPC championship before moving to the OSSAA. Not only did it represent the culmination of their hard work and dedication on the court, but it also symbolized the bond they shared through their shared love of the sport. These kinds of moments go beyond the scoreboard; they're about the connections forged, the lessons learned, and the memories created together.

Coach Gross’ retirement marks the end of an era, but his legacy will endure through the lives he has touched and the standard of excellence he has set for the Holland Hall football program. His dedication, leadership, and passion for the game will be remembered and celebrated for years to come. And his legacy extends far beyond the wins and losses on the field; it's about the values he instilled in his players, the bonds he formed with his coaching staff, and the sense of pride and unity he cultivated within the Holland Hall community.

Thank you, Coach Gross, for your time serving Holland Hall! We are better because of you! H

each summer.

Athletics

Dutch Football welcomes fourth coach in 65 years

Steve Heldebrand Assistant Head of School for Athletics

It is with immense pleasure and pride that we announce the appointment of our fourth head football coach in the last 65 years, Coach Brian “BT” Thompson.

Arriving at Holland Hall in 1997 as a newly hired assistant coach and teacher, BT has been an integral part of the Holland Hall community for nearly three decades. With a wealth of coaching experience and years of guiding middle school students as dean, Coach Thompson is well-positioned to continue the tradition of excellence established by his predecessors. He embraces the legacies of the coaches before him: Coach Ed Hooker, Coach Charlie Brown and Coach Tag Gross.

BT's journey from a student athlete at Tulsa Hale to the University of Tulsa, where he played football under Coach Dave Rader, laid the foundation for his career in coaching and education. His tenure at Holland Hall since 1997, initially as a middle school science teacher and coach, has been marked by his

commitment to nurturing both academic and athletic excellence among his students.

As the head track and field coach since 2011, Coach Thompson has demonstrated his ability to lead and inspire his athletes to achieve remarkable success, with 18 individual state titles and 14 athletes who went on to compete in track and field in college.

A proud parent, BT has had the honor of coaching all three of his children at Holland Hall: Denny '09, Tanner '16, and Summer '17. Coach Thompson's embodiment of the values of Holland Hall and his dedication to the holistic development of his students make him the perfect choice to lead the football program into its next chapter of success.

With Coach Thompson at the helm, Holland Hall can look forward to continued growth, achievement, and a legacy of excellence on and off the field. We are excited about the continued success and growth of our football program under his leadership. H

2023-24 Athletics season in review

State Champions – Teams

» Girls Soccer

» Girls Tennis

State Champions – Individuals

» Blythe Confer

» Kennedy Cox

» Sophia Gillett

» Megan Kalapura (1)

» Sofia Parducci

» William Schenk (2)

Tennis (#1 Doubles)

Tennis (#2 Doubles)

Tennis (#1 Doubles)

Golf

Tennis (#2 Doubles)

Swimming (100 yard Freestyle, 500 yard Freestyle)

Oklahoma Coaches All State (Seniors)

» Riley Beeler

» Thomas Bennett

» Carter Benton

» Kennedy Cox

» Natalie Gillett

» Isabella Love

» William Schenk

» Berkley Zahn

College Athletes

» Porter Arens

» Carter Benton

» Max Hunt

Tennis

Southwestern University

Basketball University of the Pacific

Soccer

Hendrix College

» William Schenk Swimming

Valparaiso University

Regionals Champions – Teams

» Boys Basketball

» Girls Soccer

» Boys Tennis

» Girls Tennis

Regional Champions – Individuals

» Natali Aguila Track & Field (High Jump)

» Porter Arens

» Blythe Confer

» Kennedy Cox

» Natalie Gillett

» Sophia Gillett

» Lily Koontz

» Marshall Lehman

Tennis (#1 Singles)

Tennis (#1 Doubles)

Tennis (#2 Doubles)

Tennis (#1 Singles)

Tennis (#1 Doubles)

Tennis (#2 Singles)

Tennis (#1 Doubles)

» Nathan Liu Tennis (#1 Doubles)

» Sofia Parducci

Tennis (#2 Doubles)

» William Schenk Swimming (100 yard Freestyle, 500-yard Freestyle)

All-Conference/All-District

» Baseball – Luke Beeler, Trey Burleson, Dax Miller, Carson Ward

» Boys Basketball – Carter Benton, Ethan Taber, Julius Wilson

» Girls Basketball – Mia Adams, Ava Casper, Makayia Johnson

» Field Hockey – Sofia Parducci

» Football – Davis Knocke, Ben Korn, Parker Myers, Reese Myers, Charlie Ogle, Cruz Santiago

» Boys Golf – Beau Broermann, Tyler Johnson, Carson Yalch

» Girls Golf – Riley Beeler, Megan Kalapura

» Boys Soccer – Thomas Bennett, Max Hunt

» Girls Soccer – Lizzy Mundell, Julia Roark, Nicolle Torres, Berkley Zahn, Parker Zahn

» Boys Track & Field – Weston Brookhart, Blayze Buchanan, Kainon Gibson, Rhett Gibson, Michael Hughes, Ben Korn, Avi Kumar, Roman Lepak, Truett Meier

» Girls Track & Field – Natali Aguila, Karter Flournoy, Adison Hill, Kate Lehman, Ella Mahan, Candance Ranel, DeNiah Williams

Holland Hall Alumni in College to Win National Championships

» Magnus Lepak ’22 (4) Harding University (D2) Football

» Libby Rowland ’21 (3) Carleton College (D3) Cross Country

Girls Golf wins

Congratulations to the Holland Hall girls golf team on their 3A State runner-up finish. The girls golf program was resurrected in 2021 and has slowly added more girls to the program to have a fourth place finish in 2023. For the first time in school history, the Dutch had a full varsity and junior varsity team. The Dutch are led by Coach Matt Campbell '00, and varsity players were senior Riley Beeler, junior Allie Lowry, sophomore Megan Kalapura and freshmen Emily Little and Addy Oneal. H

CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM

THREE-PEAT

Arts

The art of success

Seniors lead the way in a year of performances, awards

Steve Dyer Director of the Walter Arts Center and Fine Arts

In a year full of great performances and visually stimulating art exhibits it was the seniors of 2024 who led the way. This graduating class was sent home due to COVID-19 before spring break of 2020 during their 8th grade year. Their first experience of the Upper School as 9th-graders was NOT with the historically traditional modular schedule, but something more along the lines of a modified block schedule — a first in a long time for Holland Hall. They endured the sixfoot apart social distancing rule in classroom settings, wore masks at all times, and missed out on Freshman Orientation. Other social

activities such as dances and gatherings had to be canceled or altered with many performances and school functions being held outdoors.

All of this resulted in a class that is extremely resilient, close-knit, passionate, and greatly appreciative of every aspect of the Holland Hall experience once everything started to trend back toward the normal routine. Having gone through COVID-19, they embraced every opportunity to take full advantage of what Holland Hall had to offer and were all the more thankful for being together in community. These seniors were welcoming, inclusive and provided much needed leadership for the rest of the school.

Band, choir, dance, drama and orchestra all benefited from a wealth of senior participation and experience, while the artistic talent present in our visual arts classes was evident in the senior portfolio gallery exhibit. The class of 2024 has truly left behind a legacy of excellence and commitment to the arts that will set the standard for years to come.

The Upper School production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” got the arts calendar year off to a great beginning by exploring concepts of greed, kindness, hope

and chaos, with the underlying theme that we will all in time experience the consequences of our actions. What followed was a busy slate of concerts, sharing programs, competitions and gallery openings.

The annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day assembly just before Thanksgiving break provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talents of our students with performances by 1st grade musicians, the 6th grade choir, and the Upper School Chamber Strings and Jazz Band. The first semester came to a close as Holland Hall alumni joined with the Upper School Concert Choir in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the annual Lessons and Carols Service at Trinity Episcopal Church.

The second semester started much like the first with a rousing production of “The SpongeBob Musical” by our Middle School students. Audience members were thrilled to see SpongeBob and his friends Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks save the town of Bikini Bottom from the eruption of the volcano Mount Humongous.

As usual, once the second semester got underway it seemed like an actual race to the end of the school year. Primary School music students, under the direction of Lori Swisher, gave several outreach performances at the Covenant Living Center at Inverness and performed with the Tulsa Symphony as part of the Carnegie Hall Link Up program. Middle school music students, having been prepared by Lauren Fogarty and Kelsey Rooney-Dorst, participated in the OKMEA Circle the State with Song program hosted in our own Branch Theatre this year. And Upper School music students achieved success in various OSSAA District and State competitions and honor organizations. All of this came in addition to the normal slate of sharing programs, concerts, plays and gallery exhibits.

Thanks to all of the students, teachers, and the senior class of 2024 for making this another memorable year in the arts at Holland Hall. H

Arts Awards And Achievements For 2023-24

Walter Commendation for Excellence in the Arts, which recognizes a senior who has excelled in visual or performing arts – Will Renner ’24 (A)

Upper School Faculty Book Award Presentations

» Dance – Kate Jones ’24 (B)

» David Moffett Outstanding Vocal Performer –Leif Abufadil ’24 (C)

» Jeffrey Byers Outstanding Instrumental Music Student – Thomas Bennett ’24 (D)

» Music – Nathan Luo ’24 (E)

» Theatre – Bodie Duvall ’24 (F)

» Carmack-Glenn-Rives Visual Art Award –Olufumilayo Isokariari ’24 & Reese Myers ’24 (G)

Other Senior Recognitions

» Bill Brown Memorial Jazz Band Award – Ian Studdbaker ’24

» David Rollo Award for Choral Excellence –Althea Ivins ’24

» John Phillip Sousa Award – Kate Jones ’24

» Most Valuable Band Musician Award – Will Renner ’24

Other Individual Accomplishments

» Selected to Oklahoma Arts Institute (OAI at Quartz Mountain Summer Program

» Opal Hobbs ’25 for dance

» Althea Ivens ’24 for acting

» Harper May ’26 for acting

» Sophia Parchuri ’25 for creative writing

» Will Renner ’24 for film

» Selected to attend the Kristin Chenowith Broadway Bootcamp

» Kingsley Craft ’25

» Harper May ’26

Scholastic Art Awards – Oklahoma Region

» Luke Beeler ’25 – Gold Key Award in Ceramics for “Oil Can”

» Brecklyn McFadden ’24 – Gold Key Award in Ceramics for “Augury and Accident”

» Reese Myers ’24 – Gold Key Award in Ceramics for “The Phoenix,” Silver Key Award for “The Gates of Heaven,” and Honorable Mention for “Fallen Angels”

» Ava Zetik ’24 – Gold Key Award in Ceramics for “Grad Party,” Silver Key Award for “Honey Pot”

» Jilliane Dunbar ’24 – Honorable Mention for “Palace”

» Olufumilayo Isokariari ’24 – Honorable Mention for “A Complete Sentence” and “Subtle Lines”

» All Gold Key Award winners will go on to compete in the Nationals Scholastics 2024.

OSSAA District and State Contest

» Allison Richardson ’24 – Superior Rating for String Solo at District and State

» String Ensemble – Superior Rating at District and State – Joaquin Barrera ’27, William Barron ’25, Audrey Bland ’26, Bodie Duvall ’24, Emily Jezek ’24, Jillian Lieberman ’27, Saron Moreno Olszowka ’27, John Myers ’25, Gavin Overall ’27, Libbie Peters ’27, Allison Richardson ’24

» Percussion Ensemble – Superior Rating at District and Excellent Rating at State – Andrew Fawcett ’24, Adison Hill ’27, Caleb Maddox ’24, Harper May ’26, Passion Pierre ’26, Will Renner ’24, Jack Rutherford ’26, Johnny White ’25

» Jazz Band – Excellent Rating at State – Thomas Bennett ’24, Jayda Cherry ’26, Asher Cole ’25, Dalton Ferrell ’26, Thomas Grayden ’25, Sam Houston ’24, Kate Jones ’24, Avi Kumar ’25, Mack Lane ’25, Nathan Lou ’24, Caleb Maddox ’24, Harper May ’26, Max McCall ’25, Passion Pierre ’26, Anson Pohl ’24, Andrik Ramirez ’26, Allison Richardson ’24, Ian Studebaker ’24, Jeremy Sullivan ’27

Honor Organizations

» North Central Band Directors Association All Region Jr. High Band – Jeremy Sullivan ’27: 1st Alternate Bassoon

» Oklahoma Music Educators (OKMEA) Circle the State with Song – Sam Barto ’29, Liv Bilyeu ’31, Molly Brotherton ’29, Colin Cross ’30, Meri Fawcett ’28, Anna Flynn ’30, Maddie Flynn ’30, Coco Grewal ’31, Lily Rane Hanna ’31, Katelyn Johnson ’31, Merrick Myers ’30, Madison Potts ’28, Reese Shadrick ’29, Julia Showalter ’31, Norah Silverstein ’30

» OKMEA All State Children’s Choir – Liv Bilyeu ’31

» Prestige Orchestra Members – Ayden Johns ’29, Rex Langley ’30, Dawson Long ’29, John Myers ’25

» Tulsa Youth Symphony – Audrey Bland ’26, Dawson Long ’29

» Southwest American Choral Director’s Association (SWACDA) Honor Choir Members –Lilly Anagnost ’24, Emily Bergenroth ’27, Bodie Duvall ’24, Sarah Myers ’27, Madison Watts ’27H)

» 3rd Grade Music Students – performed the National Anthem at a Tulsa Oilers Hockey Game and with the Tulsa Symphony at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center as part of the Carnegie Hall Link-up program. H

IN GOOD COMPANY

Partnership with Down syndrome organization continues to grow

Steve Dyer Director of the Walter Arts Center and Fine Arts

It was sometime during the spring of 2018 that a relatively new to Holland Hall Middle School theater director, Leslie Long, watched a video of a theater company in England partnering with a local Down syndrome organization to provide collaborative opportunities for individuals with intellectual differences. This video resonated with Long in such a powerful way due in part to her interest in community outreach, but even more so because of her own personal experience with a family member with Down syndrome. Long grew up with a cousin with Down syndrome who passed away at the age of 26 in 2003. So, her thoughts began to bubble up about the opportunities that might exist for some type of collaborative efforts with Holland Hall.

Long reached out to the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa (DSAT) to inquire about the type of programming that was available to families in the Tulsa area and to ask about the potential interest for a partnership with Holland Hall, in particular how she in her new role as Upper School drama director could provide additional educational experiences

and opportunities for interested families. The feedback from DSAT was overwhelmingly positive and supportive and led Long to bring her ideas to JP Culley, Head of School at Holland Hall.

Now, some six years later, it is evident that the Head of School was 100% behind the idea of developing programming and a partnership with DSAT that would form the foundation for what has become an integral part of our Holland Hall community. In the fall semester of 2018, Long began to offer a once-a-week class to families with children ranging from young teenagers to adults. The class, called “Company 21,” would focus on using the elements of performance and theater arts — movement, improvisation, vocalization, body awareness — to engage students and help them develop confidence to use these elements in their daily lives as a form of personal expression and communication.

Although Long is the driving force behind the Company 21 program, there are many hands that have contributed to making this endeavor a resounding success. Tyne Shillingford, director of dance, and

Lauren Fogarty, director of choral music, have both worked with Long and the Company 21 members to provide extended opportunities in both movement and vocal music. One of the most positive outcomes of this program has been the volunteer involvement and commitment made by the Holland Hall Upper School students. Long provides the curriculum and direction, but our Holland Hall students are hands-on partners with the Company 21 members for all activities and events, even to the point of volunteering to assist with DSAT events within the greater Tulsa community. The classes and productions are filled with energy, focus, humor and camaraderie. The bonds that have formed between Holland Hall students and the Company 21 members are genuine, heartfelt and will result in lifelong friendships.

In addition to the regular weekly curriculum, Company 21 members have performed theatrical scenes, plays, musical showcases, and performed at Holland Hall theater nights, choral concerts and Upper School morning meetings. Other traditions have also developed that include the yearly Christmas caroling outing and the weeklong summer camp as part of Holland Hall Summer Programs.

From its association with DSAT, Holland Hall has also become the host site for the annual Tulsa Buddy Walk bringing families, friends and sponsors together to raise awareness and resources for the Tulsa Down syndrome community. Long is a DSAT board member and serves as the chairperson for the Tulsa Buddy Walk. The Buddy Walk, which typically takes place on our campus in October, brings together more than 1,500 participants and up to 30 organizations and vendors from the Tulsa community. H

COMPANY 21

The name Leslie Long arrived upon for this new offering was Company 21. The National Down Syndrome Society provides "that in every cell in the human body there is a nucleus where genetic material is stored in genes. Genes carry the codes responsible for all of our inherited traits and are grouped along rod-like structures called chromosomes. Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or extra copy of chromosome 21." Thus the origin for the name Company 21.

DSAT

The Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa is a nonprofit organization that exists to enhance the lives of individuals with Down syndrome, their families and communities. This is accomplished by fostering positive attitudes and opportunities for people with Down syndrome via empowerment, inclusion, educational events and purposeful connections while celebrating their extraordinary lives.

BUDDY WALK

The Tulsa Buddy Walk is a 1/4-mile walk designed to promote the understanding and acceptance of people with Down syndrome. It is a family-friendly event where friends and family form teams to support their Buddy with Down syndrome. Ninetythree percent of all money raised stays in the local community and is used to provide scholarships for families and self-advocates to attend the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention, to provide new parent packets to doctors and hospitals, provide new education and inclusion programs and to support families and individuals with Down syndrome.

feed 150 people in a relatively short period of time. So, where was our next scheduled stop — the Golden Corral restaurant in Waco, Texas, for dinner. After the students had their fill of all the buffet and grill items, we loaded back on the buses for the rest of the trip to Austin to get a good night's rest for the days to follow.

head to Austin for three days

Festival fun Arts students

Steve Dyer Director of the Walter Arts Center and Fine Arts

On April 10th, 135 students of the Upper School Arts Department and 13 faculty members loaded into three charter buses and left Holland Hall to cross the Red River for the 54th ISAS Arts Festival at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. Sponsored by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, the ISAS Arts Festival is the largest Independent school arts festival in the country. This year Holland Hall joined with more that 3,000 students from 42 different independent schools from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.

The festival typically takes place over the course of three days, beginning at noon on a Thursday and concluding at noon on the following Saturday. Getting to Austin for a noon festival start is not an easy task and traveling with 135 teenagers is something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.

On the day of our departure students began showing up at school and leaving their luggage in the Holliman Gallery. All the while, faculty members were hoping that every necessary piece of performance uniforms and costumes were neatly packed somewhere within these piles — wishful thinking, right? Adding to the growing chaos in the gallery were boxes of photographs, paintings and ceramic creations visual art students had been carefully packing up for the past few days.

At 11 a.m. all students were released from classes to grab a quick bite of lunch and start loading the buses for a noon departure, which was actually achieved! One thing I know for certain is that hungry students are not always happy students. In planning festival travel it is always a challenge to find a location that can

Once the festival begins it takes on a life of its own with long days of performances, exhibits, adjudications and workshops. Events run through 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and begin again the following day at 8 a.m. Meals are served in what is possibly the largest food tent you will ever see, and students have the opportunity to attend performances and workshops with peer student artists from other ISAS schools. Holland Hall's first performance was the Concert Choir at 1 p.m. on Thursday, and concluded at the end of the Concert Band performance at 11 a.m. on Saturday. In between, Holland students participated in more than 15 different venues and completed over 50 ensemble and individual performances — quite an accomplishment.

There are a handful of schools, of which Holland Hall is one, who participate in the festival in almost every single category possible. Holland Hall is fortunate to have a great mix of experienced faculty who make their programs attractive to students, and students who are passionate about their chosen arts interests. All of which help to make Holland Hall one of the most comprehensive arts departments in the ISAS organization. The ISAS Arts Festival continues to be an intense learning experience, an incredible amount of fun, and at 54 years of participation, one of our longest-standing traditions. H

Upper School

2024 4A Academic Bowl State Champions

The 2023-24 Academic Team brought home the 4A State Championship in January, defeating Wagoner High School in the final.

Led by Coach Dan Bloom (left), team members are William Barron ’25, Nathan Luo ’24, Tucker Brown ’26, Aadya Kathuria ’24, Chase Wilson ’27, Nelson Liu ’25, Johnny Myers ’25, and Gray Thomas ’26

Students get national recognition

Sixteen Holland Hall students were honored through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, College Board National Recognition Program, Hispanic National Recognition Program, or National African American Recognition Program.

This year’s list included six National Merit Finalists, one National Merit Commended Scholar and eight College Board National Recognition Scholars.

Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients.

Among those honored were Ian Studebaker ’24 (from left), Luke Nowlin ’24, Victor Hernandez ’24, Nathan Luo ’24, Terra Butuc ’24 , Olufumilayo Isokariari ’24, Natalie Gillett ’24, Avery Dodson ’24, Amber Yu ’24, Sophia Parchuri ’25, Riley Beeler ’24, Asher Patel ’24, Addison Moore ’24

Creating a classroom

Shifting from points and grades to learning and growth

By Neil Bergenroth, US Technology

In the fall of 2021, 16 teachers started a journey to shift conversations with students from a focus on As and Bs to growth and learning.

With 20 years of experience teaching Chemistry and AP Chemistry, I felt confident in my teaching abilities. However, as a lifelong learner and someone who was about to start teaching technology, I knew the importance of staying current with best practices and innovations.

“Building a Culture of Feedback,” a professional development workshop facilitated by Global Online Academy, ignited something exciting in the faculty — the exact intention of the Jennifer and TomM Sharpe Faculty Development Fund at Holland Hall, which was set up to fund innovative thinking and opportunities.

The GOA workshop focused on improving feedback and practices that would shift conversations between students and teachers from points and grades to learning and growth.

One assignment during the workshop was to create a feedback tool that included competencies, skills, and learning outcomes instead of grades. Let’s define the terms:

A competency is a big-picture goal you want to achieve. It involves combining knowledge, skills, and abilities that enable you to do something specific.

A skill is the building block you need to reach the competency, and a learning outcome describes what students will be able to do to demonstrate their level of after mastery or proficiency of the competency and its related skills.

In my classroom, this feedback tool became learning progression rubrics — an evaluation tool with "I can" statements that clearly outline learning outcomes from beginner to mastery levels.

In a simple chart, I could name a skill — for example, “digital workflow” and provide a pathway to mastery — from the beginning “I can create new files or open files

in the appropriate software,” to advanced understanding with “I can manage and maintain a structured folder system.” (see examples on next page).

Ultimately, the GOA workshop gave me a deeper understanding of the skills and knowledge I was teaching, a clearer vision for student outcomes, and enhanced feedback methods. My students benefited from having clearly articulated targets, allowing them to aim for and demonstrate their competencies more effectively.

The journey was not easy

At first, changing to this new way of feedback and designing the learning progressions was exceptionally hard. Developing the learning progressions deepened my understanding of the foundational competencies students need to gain higher mastery of technology skills, but by November of that fall, I had hit a roadblock. I just couldn’t get my mind around creating my first progression, and I felt frustrated with my progress.

Thinking deeply about what I was teaching was challenging because the competencies and skills were second nature to me. As a result, I needed to become more metacognitive in my approach, slowing down to think about what a beginner must know, understand, and do to

create computer programs.

Luckily, help was available, and I could schedule a meeting with Jane Beckwith, our Director of Teaching and Learning. Jane asked me questions that helped me to break software development into different skills. I also found a few examples of learning progressions other teachers had created online. With the benefit of those experiences, I had five or six clear skills that are common to any software development cycle. I looked at previous examples of student work and my own experience to identify different stages of mastery when my students created programs. After completing this process, I created my first competency-based learning progression rubric. This process had taken a great deal of cognitive energy and focus. However, I was excited about what I had created and felt confident that I had taken a huge step forward in innovating my classroom.

Making grades meaningful

Over the past few years, I have continued developing learning progressions for my classes, such as AP Chemistry and Applied Technology Principles. I have witnessed firsthand how these frameworks can help drive conversations in class with an emphasis on the learning processes and quality of product

of feedback

Applied Technology Principles Rubric

I can articulate what the digitalization of a particular

I can describe an innovative technology (examples: AI, NFT, or Blockchain) and how it functions with a fundamental understanding of concepts.

I can articulate what a privacy policy is and why technology platforms must legally publish it.

rather than the grade.

I can identify a technology's benefits, harms, and impacts with a surface level of detail.

I can understand and learn what personal information data I am providing to a technology platform when I use its services.

I

1/2

I can provide general discussion and analysis of an emerging technology.

I can describe and articulate the intended or unintended consequences of a technology innovation reasonably well.

I

I

emerging technology.

I can support my position in regard to an emerging technology with supportive evidence.

Iterating forward!

One of the advantages of a competencybased learning rubric is that it makes the target very clear so that students know what to aim for; this helps students self-assess their work and take ownership of their learning. Another benefit of publishing this work on our Schoology platform is that parents can better understand what their children are learning in the course. Ultimately, with this level of transparency in feedback and assessment, what a grade represents in the class and what exactly a student must be able to demonstrate to achieve it becomes more clear.

It does take a little time for students to acclimate to this aspect of our classroom culture.

I remember one conversation I had with a student who wanted to understand what they needed to demonstrate to move from a beginning level of a particular skill to an advanced level. I provided effective feedback to help them take the next steps in their journey. The next time the student produced work related to planning and documenting his process, the level of performance was much higher, and they were better able to self-assess their growth. The learning progression allows for conversations about the learning process, which enhances communication between teachers and students.

This process has allowed me to understand what I am teaching more deeply. I can watch students at work and see clearly where they are with their present abilities and how to coach them to the next level. Competency-based feedback has facilitated a culture of feedback in my classrooms and is a focus of this work at Holland Hall. There is an iterative nature to this work. It has been my experience that my students always surprise me with their ways of thinking. As a result, competencybased frameworks are always inherently evolving. As a technology teacher working in an environment of constant change, it is important for me to stay present with my students but also have one eye on where the world is going.

As I reflect on my 25 years of classroom and coaching experience, competency-based learning has been the biggest game changer that I have experienced. The core principles are universal to any process: educational, athletic, entrepreneurial, or anywhere in between. Creating a rubric allows for a deeper level of metacognition and lets the unseen become seen in the learning environment. I look forward to continuing to hone my skills and am excited at the prospect of what my students will create next. H

— Jane Beckwith contributed to this story.

Changing how we talk about students’ learning and growth

By Jane Beckwith Director of Teaching and Learning

At Holland Hall, we are dedicated to improving how we communicate learning and growth with students and parents. This journey began in 2021 and is part of our commitment to using the latest mind, brain, and education (MBE) science, as well as our current strategic plan, which tasks us to:

» Better align the K-12 curriculum toward clear learning outcomes that will focus on college and career opportunities and realities.

» Develop a transcript and grading mechanism for internal and external use that communicates real skills and dispositions learned — not just grades.

Providing clear learning outcomes helps students better understand what they are learning and why, and helps teachers provide specific feedback on their progress towards their goals.

Examples of our efforts across school levels

» Primary School: Checklists continue to evolve with competencies and skills instead of grades. Parents can see what skills are expected at each grade level, and see which skills their child has mastered and which are progressing.

» Middle School: Progress reports include the "Middle School Criteria for Success." “I can” statements, such as “I can complete assignments on time” or “I can collaborate respectfully with classmates,” are filled out on a scale from “Not Yet” to “Exceeding Grade Level Expectations.” These statements emphasize important behaviors for learning, such as academic habits, community building, learning strategies, and perseverance.

» Upper School: We use learning progression rubrics regularly in certain classes, like Mr. Bergenroth’s technology courses and the American Studies course during junior year. These rubrics help students track their progress and understand the specific skills they are developing.

Through these initiatives, we aim to make learning goals clearer and provide better feedback, helping our students succeed both in school and beyond. H

Student Voices

Instead of publishing a spring supplement to the 2023-24 yearbook, this year’s students wrote stories for Holland Hall Magazine to give parents and alumni a chance to hear student voices, and also to give the staff the time and space to write longer, more in-depth pieces.

Isabella Barefoot ’24

Allie Lowry ’25

Sloan Meier ’27

Pari Patel ’27

Ashlyn Brown ’27

Maren Hettler ’25

Landry Nowlin ’26

Hallie Polson ‘27

Kate Chalkin ’27

Coco Cox ’27

Stella Hughes ’26

Rania Mahfooz ’27

Marley Wilkerson ’26

Karter Flournoy ’26

Sydney Felten ’26

Ella Mahan ’26

Maclean Meeks ’24

Westfall ’25

Woodard ’27

Gillingham ’27

CLOSING THE BOOK ON 2023-24

The yearbook staff captures a school’s worth of memories

By Marley Wilkerson ’26 and Hallie Polson ’27

On a Wednesday in May, students started lining up with Sharpies in hand for their first glimpse of “Embracing the Moment,” the 2023-24 yearbook.

An hour later, students were poring over their books, now full of signatures, remembering the year that was.

Work started in April of the previous year for this yearbook, and the staff was still busy writing stories and taking photos through March.

In those 11 months, the students produced 280 pages that included 653 photos of student life, wrote 152 stories, ordered a record number of 750 copies, and covered 56% of the student population three times or more.

That last statistic was very important to Natalie Westfall ’25, who enjoyed “managing the amount of times people were in the book, so we could include more people. Everyone wants to be in the book, and I loved getting to make this happen.”

This is a story about how they pulled it all off.

Yearbook Class

Yearbook teacher and advisor Shirley Sokolosky tries to instill a variety of important skills into her students that can be applied to life beyond creating the yearbook. Skills like multitasking, time management, and collaboration. Students must balance their regular academic coursework with the demands of creating a yearbook.

“When we had spreads and work to do for the yearbook, it didn’t mean that every other

class went on hold,” said Maclean Meeks ’24 “We had to learn to juggle all of our classes plus our yearbook work.

“This was super difficult at first and very time-consuming, I can remember so many nights where my team and I would be up super late trying to finish all of our work on time. We quickly learned how valuable both class time and free mods are, and when we worked at school together our process was much more efficient.”

There are many deadlines associated with the production of the yearbook, and students learn the importance of managing their time well.

How do we make the book?

After finishing the previous book in the spring, next year's staff begins brainstorming for the upcoming year's book. The initial planning process can be one of the most difficult parts of making a yearbook because the theme needs to be broad enough to apply to all ages of the student body, but also specific enough to be unique and different from years past. The brainstorming process

lasts through March until early June when the staff narrows it down to their top five favorite potential themes. After narrowing the options down, they begin to meet frequently over the summer about the remaining details — title, theme, and colors.

Closer to the beginning of school, “we do a workshop called 8 hours where we welcome the new staff,” said Yearbook Editor Ainsley Gardenhire ’24. “This is my favorite part of planning because we get to see all of our visions come together and it gets everyone excited about working together.”

“During the fall I made six different templates, each with a headline, main story, two subheads, and 10 photos, each with a caption,” she continued. “I decided I wanted the book to be chronological this year, so instead of having the spread be over a certain category, it would be over whatever was going on that week.”

Each day, the Eight Acres staff worked for an hour, in teams of three, to complete an assigned spread.

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How spreads are made

Making a spread for the yearbook has six main steps and generally takes four to five weeks from start to finish.

At the beginning of the year, the editor creates teams of three staff members — one team leader and two team members. Each team leader is given the list of spreads that their team will be responsible for throughout the whole year.

Since this year’s book was chronologically organized, the planning for a spread would start two weeks before the week that would be covered on the spread. During the planning process, the team would discuss the events, story ideas, dates, times, and details so they could prepare to take pictures of the event and capture the moments that would later become stories.

When the day of the events arrives, one member of the team will take the photos, and the other will take notes and ask questions to the people whose photos are being taken to capture the in-the-moment details. In a normal shoot, around 100-200 photos are taken, but

only three to four will be used on the spread.

After the team selects the three or four photos that are the best or fit best in the template, they identify who is in the photo and what exactly they are doing. Following the identification process, the main person in the photo is contacted for an interview, and detailed interview questions are written regarding the event. This process is called “coverage” and allows the team to collect stories about the event that are interesting and memorable.

The staff strives to tell the most captivating stories that will be the most fun to look back on.

After interviews, the team will divide up the work and begin writing their stories. The coverage and writing process is repeated seven to ten times depending on how many photos are on the spread. The teams also come up with fun headlines and subheads that briefly describe the week’s events.

Next the editor-In-chief, Ainsley Gardenhire, will edit the spread for grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors. After multiple rounds of edits and corrections, the spread is finally sent to the Jostens printing plant.

Yearbook staff roles

On the Holland Hall yearbook staff, there are many roles, and the staff works as a team. The editor-in-chief designs the book and is head of staff.

“My favorite part of being EIC was getting to lead so many amazing people in such a creative and encouraging environment to produce something that everyone loves and looks forward to,” Ainsley Gardenhire said.

Because there is so much going on and the yearbook is a lot to manage, the EIC can assign an assistant editor to help manage and oversee the entirety of the process.

“I contribute to the book by making spreads, I help Ainsley with writing and editing, I design the book, and I make deadlines for people’s spreads and coverage,” said Junior Assistant Editor Allie Lowry.

While those two are busy, each section of the spread-making process has a leader. For photography, sophomore Marley Wilkerson was the photo editor. Marley shot events, helped edit photos, and provided assistance when deciding which photos to display on a spread.

Junior Natalie Westfall was this year’s coverage editor, making sure a variety of

students were featured. For writing, junior Maren Hetler was this year’s copy editor.

“I revised all of the writing before it was put on the spread and sent to Ainsley for the next round of edits. My favorite part of my job this year was writing and editing the writing. I love to write and make the writing in the book the best it could be,” Maren said.

Aside from the normal weekly spreads, the book also contains a special section for seniors with their senior ads, their senior photo with a message from their family. Senior Mia Weinstein was the senior ad manager and was able to create a form to send to the parents where they could choose fonts, layout, and create their message.

“I also created templates on Jostens to make the process faster for me. Once I had the form and the picture from the parents I was able to get started on the ad. I would make a draft based on what they selected on the form and send a picture over to the parents. From there I would communicate with them about any edits they had until the ad was finished. In the end, it was super rewarding and I learned a lot about communicating with parents,” Mia said.

Continue on page 68 »

Continued from page 67

After publication

Once the book was printed, the yearbook staff had to unpack and distribute copies to the waiting students.

But what about the things that happen after March, when the book goes to the publisher?

Those events are already captured by the school magazine that publishes in the summer, said Shirley Sokolosky, the yearbook’s advisor. So, this year, the staff tried something new. They paired up and tackled a story and photos for the magazine — providing a space for some longer stories and more in-depth reporting. H

Lily Siemens ’20

Being part of the yearbook staff isn't just about capturing moments; it's about learning teamwork, organization, and creativity. Being a graduate from the University of Oklahoma, the experiences I had at Holland Hall equipped me for my success. I was the co editor-in-chief focusing on photography during my time at Holland Hall. I now own Lily Siemens Photography and I owe it all to Shirley Sokolosky for teaching me everything I know. Yearbook provided me with skills that pave the path towards entrepreneurship, where every detail matters and every story counts. H

Casey White ’17

The world we live in now places a heavy emphasis on social media. It is one of the main tools we utilize to put out information and help grow our businesses. Journalism helped me tremendously in being able to decipher the language of the text I was using. Formulating short, specific articles that are objective, precise, and deliver a clear message is something I believe every person needs to obtain in today's world. Journalism helped me prepare for a career that has become very reliant on spreading information and gaining attention in a short window of time. H

Laurel Salisbury ’17

I can’t say enough good things about my experience working alongside Mrs. Sokolosky during my time at HH and on the yearbook/Hallway staff. Mrs. Sokolosky cultivated a collaborative and creative space for me to create the magazine. I learned quickly that problemsolving skills, and adaptation are necessary skills in that environment; and those are skills I use daily in my current career. I’m thankful I am in a career that allows me to be creative and I wouldn’t have had the confidence to pursue that, had I not practiced them daily working for the yearbook. I am forever thankful for the experience and the lessons learned along the way. H

‘A better future for Holland Hall’

By:Isabella Barefoot ’24 and Rania Mahfooz ’27

Holland Hall strives to talk about difficult subjects because it is a way to connect and bring the community together. It’s the idea behind the student-led DEI Council.

“DEI Council is important to Holland Hall because it gives students the ability to have a voice and be in a position of leadership and to actively be able to make changes in the community related to diversity, belonging, and inclusion,” said Director of Belonging and Inclusion Bryan Burnham.

Throughout the year, the council gives presentations during Morning Meeting, and, this year, started an Instagram account.

The DEI Council created a presentation to educate the community on how to identify fake news. They focused on eye-opening facts about media literacy, which many in the community didn’t know before. Media literacy is the ability to dissect the information you're given through the media through logical and independent thinking.

“It's an incredibly valuable skill as we go out into the world. The ability to find the truth is really important, by the time we graduate high school, when most of us are voters, we will be making major decisions for our country,” Ronnie Arnold ’24 said.

The DEI Council picks topics that affect

DEI Council gives students a voice to make change

everyone in different ways. One of the topics was grief and how to cope with it.

“We picked grief and mourning and the difference between the two because it was a very broad topic that everyone can relate to or at one point will relate to. It doesn't just apply to one group, it applies to all,” said Zoe Abdalla ’24

Grief has been discussed in chapel because it’s important to remember that everyone will have to go through it, but that nobody will be alone in the process. The topic of grief is one of the more important subjects that affect everyone, but it often goes unmentioned.

Another subject that isn’t discussed enough is financial differences.

“As I've become a senior, extra costs have been more apparent, and how people can't

always go on privileges or senior spring break trips. We just felt like not a lot of people talked about it that often,” said Emily Jezek ’24. “At Holland Hall, seniors can leave for six mods every day. Many people either don’t have cars or can’t afford to just leave whenever they want. The normalization of leaving campus during free mods can create a barrier for students who lack access to transportation or financial resources.”

It’s exactly those kinds of realizations that the DEI Council was created to inspire.

“Each presentation from the DEI Council serves as a reminder of the power of education in creating a positive community,” Mr. Burnham said. “The DEI counsel members all play an important role in creating a better future for Holland Hall.” H

Scan the QR code to follow the Holland Hall DEI Council on Instagram.

Students of theater Upper School plays bring community together

By Maren Hettler ’25 and Sydney Felten ’26

When Upper School theater teacher

Leslie Long performed “You Can’t Take It With You” as her last college show, she had no idea that years later she would be directing it at Holland Hall.

The three-act show, set in the 1930s, follows an eccentric New York City family whose oldest daughter falls in love with a Wall Street man. When the new in-laws arrive at the wrong time, chaos breaks out. In the end, each character

accepts the others for who they are.

For many students, that’s exactly what happens in the Upper School theater community. Because each show takes eight weeks of daily rehearsals to prepare for, cast and crew members often become close friends.

“I've made some of my closest friends in the theater community and kept them,” Bodie Duvall ’24 said.

After acting in multiple shows during his Upper School years, he took on the role of assistant director of “You Can’t Take It With

You,” along with the role of Mac, a police officer. A scheduling conflict meant that he wouldn’t be able to take on a major part in the show, but he was grateful for the opportunity to be assistant director.

“It was nice being able to watch the process and see the cast members grow into their parts,” he said.

Even though Meica Sharp ’26 has been a crew member for six shows, she was worried about taking on new responsibilities as a stage manager.

“One of the most difficult parts of the show was doing sound cues while simultaneously making props. I would have to write notes in between all of that so it was a lot of work,” she said. “It was a lot different from being a regular crew member where I would only be

making props.”

The tight-knit community has kept Meica coming back to help with shows. Theater has served as a place for her to express her creativity.

“It's honestly been an escape for me, mainly because I just don't like sports,” she said. “It’s been a great avenue.”

“You Can’t Take It With You” was senior Anson Pohl’s first and last Upper School performance. He participated in shows in Middle School, but later decided to join the track team to prepare for football season. It was his Middle School drama teacher, Erin Scarberry, who inspired him to audition for the show.

“I promised Ms. Scarberry that I would do one play in high school,” he said. At first, he was worried about fitting in but soon realized how accepting the community was.

“The first few days it was a bit awkward and I felt a bit out of place,” Anson said. “I was worried about bringing everyone down. That all washed away after three days.”

His favorite part of being in the show was being able to develop close relationships with other cast members. He described acting in the show as “fulfilling” and said that theater made his senior year even more memorable.

Althea Ivins ’24 has been involved in seven shows since her freshman year. As a new student, the theater community helped her meet new people and make friends.

“When I did my first play, that's how I met the people that I would end up becoming friends with,” she said.

Theater takes up most of her free time during the school year because each show requires eight weeks of preparation for three performances.

“Rehearsal is what I look forward to every single day of school,” Althea said. “It's what I consider a defining high school experience.”

Long, who heads the Upper School theater department, believes that theater leaves students with a support system, not just acting skills.

“It's tough being a high school student,” she said. “Theater gives students a community and a sense of safety and a space where they feel loved and cared for and can be themselves without judgment.” H

A meaningful addition

Holland Hall’s Math Department opens a full-time space for students to receive help

By Natalie Westfall ’25 and Pari Patel ’27

The math lab, a space allocated for students to get math help, is located in the fishbowl in the upper school.

The math lab had been talked about on and off for years until the Head of Upper School David Parks gave Cathy Rose the thumbs up.

The English department also had a workspace, the writing center, so Mr. Parks thought it would be beneficial for math to also have a help center. The math lab ensures that students will always have a math teacher free to help them with their work instead of playing tag and trying to find their teacher during free mods.

“I spend my time in the math lab because I have made it my designated workspace for all of my classwork. The math lab has helped me when I struggle with material by helping me master the work right after my class,” Porter Arens ’24 said.

The math lab does not require students to make an appointment to meet with the teachers. The schedule is arranged so that math teachers have four classes as well as mods

in the math lab, except for Adura Meadows because of her obligations to the library. The mods are available for students to come in throughout the school day except for mods 9/10 and 17/18.

“I choose to work in the math lab because I learn better when working one-on-one with a teacher. The math lab inspires you to not procrastinate. The math lab is valuable to me because it helped me refresh my skills while learning new ones, helping me get ahead of my work,” Cole Muir ’25 said.

Since opening the math lab, Karen Holmes, a teacher who retired last year after 38 years of service, agreed to help out during all mods A and D days to make the transition smoother and lessen the pressure on the other math teachers. Students can make fixed appointments on the days she is here as well as meeting with her in the workspace.

“When I don’t understand something I go over in class I can check for reassurance in the math lab. The workspace makes me feel like teachers want to help me because of the great atmosphere it creates,” Candance Ranel ’25 said. H

Porter Arens ’24 works on a major statistics project over the winning statistics at the 2024 Australian Open in the math lab.

PENALTY OF success

Controversy sparks over reclassification of small schools in state association

By Maclean Meeks ’24 and Hunter Woodard ’27

From back-to-back-to-back girls' soccer state championships to four-time girls' tennis state champions, Holland Hall’s athletic programs have had years of success. This success is causing a small independent school of 346 high school students to come face-to-face with large public schools with more than 1,000 students in a class. Controversy is breaking out over the thought of some sports moving up quickly, and some already playing in the 6A class. There has been an ongoing discussion about whether this is fair for smaller schools, despite any current success.

Schools like Holland Hall that don’t meet the minimum enrollment requirements for 6A have a big disadvantage competing in the class, said Steve Heldebrand, the Assistant Head of

School for Athletics.

“This year, the smallest school in 6A has 1,313 students and the largest is 5,537. While one could argue there is a large gap between 1,313 to 5,537, the schools in this range have facilities and programs that support 6A programs,” he said.

Most 6A athletic programs have sub-varsity teams like JV, sophomore, and freshman.

Holland Hall’s enrollment doesn’t allow for multiple sub-varsity teams and most sports only have a JV team, if not only a varsity team. Because teams can only be reclassified every two out of three years, it would be a minimum of four to six years before Holland Hall’s teams could return to playing schools of a similar size.

“You are potentially penalizing players who were not even a part of the success a school had,” Heldebrand said.

The process of reclassification could penalize athletes in many ways including bigger public schools having a larger program for specific sports as well as a larger player pool to choose from. The rule that the boys and girls teams in the same sport both have to move up in classes together when only one of the teams has qualified to do so has been another setback for smaller schools. Some call this rule “unfair,” but others are excited to take on the challenge. After a successful few years with back-to-back state championship teams on the girls' end, the

two soccer teams moved up to 5A together.

Coach Richard Hart, the Upper School boys soccer coach, is happy that both the girls’ and the boys’ teams moved up to 5A.

“Soccer is not like American football, where it is dangerous to be playing bigger schools with 300-pound boys,” he said. “I am happy to have the challenge of playing against bigger schools, and I am excited to have moved up with the girls so that both teams can be challenged more.”

While there is excitement, there is also concern about moving up to classes where programs have larger pools of players.

Coach Troy Tokarchik is the high school girls' soccer coach. Though the girls’ soccer team has had success, Coach Troy Tokarchik is concerned for Holland Hall sports across the board.

“In an individual game that depth can be absorbed, but to sustain an entire season against programs with significantly more resources has tremendous long-term fatigue issues for the smaller program with less depth. My worry is injury,” Tokarchik said.

The student athletes tended to agree with their coaches about the pros and cons of moving up or staying in a lower class.

They agreed that there are many pros and cons to moving up or staying in a lower class. Through Sofia Parducci’s three years of playing high school tennis, she has experienced a class change once, from 4A to 5A.

“It would be more challenging to play 6A because of the bigger schools like Jenks and Bixby,” she said. “In 6A, every single team is good, which would be very hard for us.”

Sofia thinks that the boys' and girls' teams moving up to 6A together would be hard on everyone because of how different the teams are.

Leah Beakey ’25, a basketball player, feels the same way.

“From my perspective, it is hard to keep changing classes each year. The rivalry between teams grows when you stay with a class and brings more enthusiasm for the game, both from fans and players. Yet, new competition is always something to look forward to,” she said. H

MOD SQUADS

By Landry Nowlin ’26 and Ashlyn Brown ’27

Unscheduled time throughout the day — free mods — is something that separates Holland Hall from other schools. Students value it, teachers value it, but most importantly, alumni value it. The modular schedule mimics the college experience, because students choose how they spend their time outside of class. Learning how to manage time before stepping foot on a college campus sets everyone up for success and separates them from others, according to alumni.

Choosing where to spend their unscheduled time is one of the first things that students do after starting a year. Maybe the location is based on friend groups, sports teams, or clubs. But most students pick their spots by where they feel the most comfortable.

Some students choose to build stronger relationships with the teachers and are allowed to hang out in their offices with their friends. The office of Dee Laskey, academic support faculty member, is one example.

Ames Wheeler ’26 said, “I hang out in Mrs. Laskey’s office in my free time. I just hang out with whoever is in there. And I choose the place because everyone in there is super kind

and Mrs. Laskey has been a big part in making Holland Hall feel like home.”

Maybe the main social spot is the Barnard Commons. The commons is a big part of Holland Hall and has a corner for each grade level. The students that hang out in the commons can talk to friends in their grade or other grades. One of the challenges that comes with having unscheduled time is self-discipline.

“When I have a ton of homework I usually do that instead of talking,” said Hadlee Reynolds ’27. “However, when I have homework but it’s the end of the day, I choose to socialize instead of do my work because I know I can do it at home.”

While going through the Upper School, privileges are earned when becoming an upperclassman. Seniors get six mods every day — roughly two hours — to leave campus, and do as they wish. Juniors also have privileges. Second semester on Fridays, juniors get to leave for four mods.

“On Fridays, me and my friends always figure out which mods we have off all together. If they are in the morning we will go get coffee or if it is in the afternoon we will grab lunch. We always argue over who has to drive, but someone ends up driving all of us together,” said Ella O’Sullivan ’25 H

Students find many places to spend unscheduled time

The beginning of ‘Senior Season’

It was a lovely night as the senior class and their families gathered in the Upper School’s Barnard Commons to enjoy a buffet and the company of their class. The event highlighted the beginning of the senior season and celebrated each student individually.

After coming together in the Commons, the seniors and their families moved to the

Walter Arts Center for the second part of the celebration. Head of Upper School David Parks opened the night by recognizing each student by three adjectives that best describe them. The crowd heard from four students — Asia Griffin ’24, Gary Teal ’24, Terra Butuc ’24, and Bodie Duval ’24 — who spoke about what made their class special. They shared the highlights and the hardships the group experienced together. Good luck, Class of 2024! H

Photos and words by Stella Hughes ’26 and Nellie Gillingham ’27

Art of adventure

Holland Hall student spends a semester away

By Ella Mahan ’26 and Kate Chalkin ’27

When sophomore

Vivian Alderman ’26 learned that she’d been accepted into a semester-long art school in Napa, California, it was a lot to think about.

“I was incredibly nervous to leave Tulsa,” she said. “To be honest I tried to think of California as little as possible right before I left.”

“Even looking back on the experience it almost doesn’t feel real. I can’t believe I actually got on the plane to California and didn’t back out at the last minute.”

Oxbow provides opportunities for high school and gap-year students who are serious about art, but also want rigorous academics.

Vivian just returned to Tulsa, and she will be back at Holland Hall in the fall. But she took the time to answer some of our questions about her semester away.

Oxbow offers four core courses: printmaking and humanities, painting and new media, and sculpture and environmental science. Vivian’s favorite was sculpture and environmental science.

“In the morning I had environmental science. In a typical class period we would learn about a specific topic relating to the environment, and then for about the last hourand-a-half of class, we'd work in one of the

school's gardens. Oxbow has many beautiful gardens, including a medicinal herb garden and a vegetable garden. Best of all, the chefs at Oxbow turned our veggies and herbs into delicious food.

“In the afternoon I had sculpture. At the start of every week the sculpture teacher would give us an assignment using a material that she had selected. My favorite assignment was when she challenged us to make something special to us using clay and plaster. I used plaster strips to recreate one of my shoes that has lots of special memories associated with it.”

Students take one class at a time, and the classes rotate every three weeks. Vivian completed all three classes throughout the semester. And she stayed current with Algebra II and Chinese through tutoring.

Her final assignment was an art show, which her parents were able to attend.

“I love how tightly knit the community at Oxbow is,” Vivian said. “With just 31 students and six teachers it's very easy to get to know people.

“Twice a week we all get together and do an activity called Spread the Love. Spread the Love is always different but super fun. In the past we've done karaoke, Oxbow Prom, and even had galleries featuring our artwork.”

Getting the time to focus on art for so long was an inspiration, she said.

“Whether it's drawings on a page, a theater production, or any other kind of art, it makes us change the way we look at the world. I think that's the reason art is an incredibly powerful tool.” H

Field of

Dreams

Team that faced an uncertain future now has state-of-the-art turf

By Allie Lowry ’25 and Sloan Meier ’27

Eight years ago, when the field hockey program joined the OSSAA, Coach Christy Utter ’92 wasn't sure if there would even be a field hockey program anymore.

Today, she’s standing on a new turf field — one of the largest investments into women’s sports in school history.

In the Southwest Preparatory Conference, Holland Hall played other independent schools with strong field hockey programs. The OSSAA — while great for most other sports on campus — didn’t have any schools with varsity field hockey.

“I thought that in a couple of years, everyone might eventually quit without a true championship to play for,” Utter said of the field hockey program.

Instead of field hockey numbers going down, they went up. This allowed the team to compete in the state championship against Casady, and against SPC opponents who remained loyal to the Holland Hall program. The commitment level the field hockey players

gave was the same as the alums who had competed in the SPC.

“The girls deserved to have a standard of a field that matched the standard of their commitment. It would have been different if everybody came out to practice without much care for their level of play or commitment,” Utter said. “I might not have been so eager to get a new field.

“Our girls have always had a high commitment level and it would have continued to be a shame to not give them something that would make them better, and allow them to raise the bar personally and for our program.”

Field hockey player Sophia Parchuri ’25 is one of Coach Utter’s players.

“For me, the new field shows that the hard work of the field hockey program has not gone unnoticed,” Parchuri said. “I believe that being able to practice on this new field every day will better prepare us for playing on turf at out-of-town games. While I was sad to say goodbye to the grass field, I am very excited to play on the new turf. I hadn’t thought the new field would be installed until after my class had graduated, so I am just so thankful

for all the donors who made it a reality.”

Not only will this new field benefit the field hockey program, but it will also benefit other sports teams, such as soccer. Field hockey will be able to use the field in the fall and soccer will be able to use it in the spring. Currently, both boys' and girls’ soccer teams practice on the football field. The girls have one half, and the boys have the other half.

“Having another turf field will allow enough space for everyone to practice properly,” assistant soccer coach Jamie Reichard said.

To Coach Utter, who competed for Holland Hall during high school and went on to win two national championships with North Carolina, it means even more.

“This field is more than just an artificial surface. It was and is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and perseverance of every field hockey player and athlete who ever played, and to those who have yet to have the opportunity to compete in this special program. I will never take this gift of a field for granted and neither will the athletes in all the sports who get to train and compete on its surface.”

TIMELINE

Eight years ago: Field Hockey Head Coach Christy Utter started proposing the idea for a new turf field to the Holland Hall Advancement Office and the Building and Grounds Committee, which is a part of the Board of Trustees.

“Year after year, somewhat lightheartedly at first, I would continue to add a turf field to the Walter Trust budget, a budget for more expensive items such as uniforms or goals,” Utter said.

Two years ago: Utter brought the idea up yet again, and while she was not expecting a yes, the board finally agreed. “Getting the board to agree was just the first part of the process. The most difficult part had yet to come.” The school hadn’t budgeted for a new turf field. With that in mind, Utter needed to start fundraising.

“I knew going into the fundraising process that to get the money to build the field, I needed to brainstorm and contact families who would be excited about this project, understood its importance, and would have an affinity to give.”

After the approval of a new turf field was announced, four families came forward with a significant amount of money to seed the campaign.

“I couldn’t imagine a better kickoff for the fundraiser, and I knew this was just what we needed to reach out to other families.”

One year ago: The Building and Grounds committee put the new turf field on its priority list.

January 2024: A shovel was put into the ground with the hopes that the field would be done by the end of May.

February – March 2024: The construction team was way ahead of schedule. The plan was to have the carpet rolled out by April 11, and all of the other field pieces completed by May 5, but due to Oklahoma’s fortunate warm weather so early on in the year, the construction crew was able to work more often than originally planned.

March 30, 2024: The construction team was able to roll out the carpet three weeks ahead of schedule. “The idea that the field would be finished by the end of April was crazy exciting,” Utter said

End of April 2024: The new turf field was finally completed and ready for use.

Aug. 19, 2024: The new field will be officially dedicated

experience O, WHAT AN

Freshman Orientation continues to challenge students

By Karter Flournoy ’26 and Coco Cox ’27

Freshman Orientation, a three-day experience for incoming freshmen, takes place in the Wichita Mountains and aims to create and deepen bonds between students who wouldn't normally connect. Students are placed into groups and hike in the mountains. They sleep under a tarp that they put up themselves and stargaze. They cook their own food and play games by the campfire that they start. With no electronics on the trip, the students are fully immersed in their surroundings and the community of Holland Hall. “Freshman O” empowers students to venture out of their comfort zones and learn the skills to overcome challenges in all aspects of life.

Freshman O is primarily split into two groups. They each go on different days, and then further split into small groups. This is done to help relationships form. The drive takes about four hours from Tulsa, and during that time the upperclassmen lead fun games to pass the time. Once everyone arrives, they find out what their groups are and where they should start setting up their campground. The students, accompanied by their mentor and group leaders, set up a storage tent, and a tarp to sleep under. That first day each group goes on a hike and comes back to cook dinner and play games by the campfire with their big group. On the second day, there is a longer hike and a campfire again. On the last day, the students write a letter to themselves, that they will read their senior year, and take group pictures.

Being in a different environment helps students open their eyes to other possibilities and makes them relate to the other students who are going through the same challenges as them.

Grace Weber, the leader of Freshman O, said: “The purpose of it is to orient the kids, not to school life, but to the culture and the community of Holland Hall Upper school, and to kind of put them out of their comfort zone to empower them to tackle what they have to do here.”

The wilderness experience is also an opportunity for students to bond with their mentors. Going through this experience requires an adult in case of emergencies, even though it is led by upperclassmen. Because of this, the supervisors in the group are on the same level and doing the same things as the students. This helps the students see their teachers from different perspectives and can build respect and bonds between the two.

“It was fun to get to know my leader, Emily Lim, who I'd never met before,” Ava Zetik ’24 said. “Now she's one of my favorite teachers at the school and I don't

even take a class with her. I loved getting to know these people on a personal level.”

Many Holland Hall students have grown up attending this school, so they have seen their classmates grow up with them. Even though many of them have known their peers since they were 5 years old, they do not know all of them on a personal level. Seeing someone go through the same challenges, at the same time, next to you, can open your eyes to a new perspective. Each memory created deepens that connection leaving the majority with not a new friend, but a better one.

Freshman O helped Harrison White ’27 expand his comfort zone and interact with people he would not have usually.

“Even though I knew who the people in my group were, I did not know them on a personal level like I do my closest friends,” he said. “This was similar to how I felt when I clicked with people at summer camp. In the few days we were together, I was able to truly get to know some of the people in my group.”

Freshman O is something that Holland Hall students and alumni who attended remember as one of the best moments of high school. Everyone has at least one good memory. This event is a long beloved tradition remembered by all alumni and staff involved. It includes everyone and is a thing that all graduates can look back on and remember clearly.

Faculty member Nancy Baumann remembered when Justin Butler ’04, who is now Assistant Head of School for Enrollment, was on the trip as a student.

“My favorite memory is the year I had Justin as one of my senior leaders in my group, and they decided to do a skit about me and my love for rocks. Justin played me, and it's a memory that has stayed with me. It always makes me smile thinking about it, and I just loved watching him grow up in the Holland Hall community.”

The idea of Freshman Orientation is to teach students to overcome challenges they may face; not just in the upcoming years of high school, but in life. This is an experience that forces students out of their comfort zones, make critical choices, and have grit. As a college preparatory school, even the non-academic experiences at Holland Hall are done for a reason; to prepare kids for the rest of their lives.

Anna Silvestri ’23, a recent graduate of Holland Hall, said the most valuable thing she took away was the importance of building each other up and the importance of having a strong community. “When coming to college, you're surrounded by a new community and you want to make sure you surround yourself with people who encourage you as well as you being someone others can count on,” she said.

“Freshman O not only taught me leadership and how to look at things differently but to value everyone around me and show that everybody plays a role, whether it's big or small.” H

48

Will Attend College Public Private

By Bella Barefoot ’24

Holland Hall Senior

‘Strengths I never knew I had’

A graduating senior recounts experience as a lifer

For me, Holland Hall has been a privilege. I can’t imagine growing up anywhere else. All of the relationships I built, the insight I received, and the memories I made have been worthwhile. If I was ever down, I had my family and teachers there to help me get back up. I was able to ask for help if I didn't understand a subject. I will always be grateful for the opportunity of having access to the resources I had growing up. As my senior year comes to an end, I find myself ready to graduate, a tribute to the life-changing experience Holland Hall has woven into the core of who I am.

Preschool 3s – First year at Holland Hall

When my mom would drop me off, I never wanted to get out of the car. I would scream and kick and beg my mom to take me home, but I warmed up to it after a couple weeks. I started to really like school and discovered I wanted to be a leaf or a grape when I grew up … If only life was that easy now.

Jr. K and kindergarten

I met some of my lifelong friends in JK. I spent a whole month in kindergarten with a stomach virus and mono. I had to spend a few nights in the hospital and I remember that my classmates wrote me notes wishing me a quick recovery. My teachers, Mr. Narlock and Mrs. Gardenhire, truly made a lasting impression on me; I will never forget them. Another one of my favorite memories will be the field trip we took to the zoo.

Second grade

In second grade, I had my thumb surgery because I had a trigger thumb. I remember wearing a cast and bringing my panda pillow pet to lay my hand on. My classmates would always try to take my panda, but I pretended that my hand would hurt without it.

Middle School

Middle school was rough for me. I was in and out of friend groups, which was difficult because there were only 60 people in my grade. I faced the realities of fleeting middle school friendships. My self-esteem and confidence faltered. This taught me the impact of words and actions on others. As I went through middle school, I started to learn the importance of kindness and understanding.

Zoe Hadiyah Mohieldin Abdalla University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Leif Tanaka Abufadil Trinity University

Lillian Ruth Anagnost University of Arizona

James Porter Arens Southwestern University

Madeline Grace Arnold Tulsa Community College

Leonardo Andres Arroyave Oklahoma State University

Isabella Marie Barefoot University of Oklahoma

Riley Anne Ramey Beeler Tulane University

Thomas Edwin Bennett, IV Boston College

Carter Bryce Benton Undecided

Emily Kathryn Bigelow Bryn Mawr College

Ava Blair Breese University of Arkansas

Terra Dobrea Butuc University of Denver

Zaire Nicole Carter University of Tulsa

Elyse Rosemarie Clark Davidson College

Joshua Lakin Cox University of Colorado Boulder

Kennedy Elise Cox Hendrix College

Connor William Dickason Savannah College of Art and Design

Avery Kathryn Dodson Colorado School of Mines

Jillianne Francis Dunbar University of Oklahoma

Maddox David Dunham Clemson University

Bodie Xiang Duvall Northeastern University

Andrew Joseph Fawcett Oklahoma State University

Landrie Lynn Fields Furman University

Ainsley Stanton Gardenhire University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Natalie Jane Gillett University of Virginia

Jose Angel Gomez University of Tulsa

Brayden Keith Green University of Denver

Asialynn Marie Griffin University of Kansas

Alexander Michael Hall

Montana State University

Victor Abraham Hernandez Rice University

Samuel Douglas Houston University of Oklahoma

Maxwell Griffith Hunt Hendrix College

Natalie Anne Hurley Southern Methodist University

Olufumilayo Isokariari University of Southern California

Althea Genevieve Ivins Undecided

Emily Anne Jezek University of Tulsa

Kathryn McGeehon Jones Rhodes College

Aadya Shyla Kathuria

Georgetown University

Davis Will Knocke

Oklahoma State University

Benjamin Baker Korn University of Oklahoma

Marshall Hugh Lehman

High Point University

Isabella Mattie Levine Tulane University

Asher Patel ’24 accepts an award.

Calli Ann Lewis

Oklahoma State University

Isabel Raeann Love University of Kansas

Nathan Shanfeng Luo Rice University

Caleb Michael Baxter Maddox Undecided

Alexis Mahaley McDonie West Virginia University

Caroline Lee McKee University of Arkansas

Laura Maclean Meeks University of Arkansas

Maria Eleana Melega San Diego State University

Dax McCarter Miller Southern Methodist University

Addison Layne Moore Wellesley College

Caroline Grace Murphy Purdue University

Parker Thomas Myers University of Arkansas

Reese Steven Myers University of Arkansas

Luke Ryan Nowlin University of Arkansas

Charles Tristan Ogle Oklahoma State University

Helena Ryan Palomino University of Oklahoma

Andrew Garron Passley Missouri University of Science and Technology

Asher Anand Patel Brown University

Jenkin Anson Pohl University of Kansas

Avery Rampey ’24 flashes an “I Love You” sign from the stage.

Avery June Rampey University of Tulsa

William Davis Renner Savannah College of Art and Design

Allison Renee Richardson Oklahoma State University

Sarah Elizabeth Santee University of Kansas

Cruz Callaway Santiago University of Oklahoma

Miriam Erin Schaffer Auburn University

William Daniel Schenk Valparaiso University

Abram Benjamin Steele Oklahoma State University

Ian Patrick Studebaker University of Tulsa

Gerrit Paul Taylor University of Oklahoma

Gary Eugene Teal, Jr. University of Oklahoma

Hosanna Lucille Terrell-Causey Boston University

Casidy Noel Bailey Tunnell Rollins College

Mira Sophia Vaidya Texas Christian University

Adria Elizabeth Vega University of Oklahoma

Anna Rose Allene Weeks St. John’s College, Santa Fe

Mia Daniel Weinstein University of Arizona

Zachary Ethan Whitmore Oklahoma State University

Karsen Karis Williams University of Kansas

Claire Elizabeth Winton University of Arkansas

Carson Andrew Yalch Oklahoma State University

Amber Yu University of California, Berkeley

Berkley Elizabeth Zahn University of Oklahoma

Ava Elizabeth Grace Zetik Auburn University

8th Grade-Freshman year COVID

Oh, the drama. In my experience, this was the roughest year I’ve had at Holland Hall. My stress levels were high, with drama, COVID, and the transition into upper school being the main causes. My eighth grade second semester was a complete disaster. I remember the day everyone in the commons started yelling while I was shadowing an upper-schooler. When we returned to middle school, everyone said that school was canceled and that we had an extra week of spring break because of the coronavirus. Since we got an extra week of spring break, my friends and I decided we should celebrate. We spent the rest of the day together, not knowing it would be our last for a while. Our spring vacation was continually extended by the school until our teachers gave us online assignments, which no one completed. Freshman year was fun because my sister was a senior at the time.

Senior year

Senior year has been one of the busiest times in my 16 years at Holland Hall. This year, I’ve seen people's true colors. I will never forget this year because of all of the ups and downs I went through. At one point, I hit rock bottom, after that I told myself I had to move forward and enjoy the year. Through the challenges I faced, whether academic, personal, or social, I have found strengths I never knew I had. I never thought the day would come where I’m actually graduating. Everyone always told me it flies

From a senior mom

by, but I never listened because school has never flown by for me.

Tribute to Holland Hall

Over the years, I’ve met some people I’ll never forget. These people have made an impact on my experience at Holland Hall and I will forever be grateful for them. First I’d like to appreciate Mrs. Danner and Mrs. Alford, who have seen me at my worst. If I was leaving for school and not feeling well, they would always make sure I was all right. I’ve had a bad immune system growing up and they’ve always understood. Mrs. Schmidt has also had a huge impact on, not only my education, but my life. I had her as a teacher for three years and she has helped me learn to love reading and writing. She is someone who inspires me and motivates me to be the best version of myself. I’d like to thank my family, who provided me the opportunity to have a good education and supported me through the ups and downs. I also want to recognize every friendship I have experienced at Holland Hall. Every friendship I've had has given me life lessons that have helped in my personal growth. You truly don’t know your real friends until you make it to the finish line. They are the ones who root for you and will never leave your side. H

Bella started at Holland Hall in Preschool 3s with Mrs. Adams. She loved primary school; The bubbles and balloons party, the Q&U wedding, Pioneer Day, and then she crossed the bridge to the Middle School. She’s known some of her classmates and friends since they were 3, which is so special! She also loved trying different sports at Holland Hall; basketball, golf, and tennis, but especially loved playing volleyball.

Bella has had some great, influential teachers throughout the years that I know she will never forget. The small community has been great and made it feel so comfortable. I’m so grateful for her time at Holland Hall and the education she’s worked so hard for that will help to take her far in the future. H

Class of 2024 Lifers

» Leif Tanaka Abufadil (F)

» Isabella Marie Barefoot

» Riley Anne Ramey Beeler

» Carter Bryce Benton

» Elyse Rosemarie Clark (E)

» Connor William Dickason

» Avery Kathryn Dodson

» Maddox David Dunham

» Bodie Xiang Duvall (B)

» Andrew Joseph Fawcett

» Landrie Lynn Fields

» Asialynn Marie Griffin

» Alexander Michael Hall

» Maxwell Griffith Hunt (G)

» Natalie Anne Hurley

» Benjamin Baker Korn

» Isabel Raeann Love

» Caroline Lee McKee

» Charles Tristan Ogle (D)

» Helena Ryan Palomino (H)

» Asher Anand Patel (A)

» Jenkin Anson Pohl (I)

» William Davis Renner

» Miriam Erin Schaffer (F)

» William Daniel Schenk

» Casidy Noel Bailey Tunnell

» Mira Sophia Vaidya

» Mia Daniel Weinstein

» Carson Andrew Yalch

» Amber Yu

» Berkley Elizabeth Zahn (E)

Advancement

FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE

‘Embracing

excellence’

Thank you to everyone who made an impact on Holland Hall this year

Dear Dutch,

Thank you for Embracing Excellence alongside us this year – donors, volunteers and the entire Holland Hall community made an impact on our beloved school in many ways and we are indeed grateful.

The Parents’ Association, under the thoughtful leadership of Tobey Ballenger ’91, enhanced family engagement by offering a variety of activities across branches. Many of these are highlighted in the following pages, and our gratitude for the PA Council’s efforts to connect our community is neverending. Thank you for your service!

Love for Holland Hall was strong on March 6, 2024, our second annual Giving Day. After last year’s success on One Day, One Dutch we increased our goal from 100 donors in 24 hours to 250 donors. The day ended with 289 parents, alumni, alumni parents, faculty, grandparents, Trustees and more contributing $133,278 – more than double last year. Thank you!

A special shout out to these donors who initiated challenges and matches to inspire others: Kelly and Rick Wilkerson, Parent Association Leadership, Taylor and Robby Merrick ’99, Heather and Doug May, Darla Grenier, and Molly and Chico Seay ’80. The strongest class participation came from parents of the class of 2025 (rising seniors), and alumni classes of 2001 and 2002 tied for the most participation. Thank you for your leadership!

Please enjoy our Gratitude Report in the following pages, which demonstrates the importance of philanthropy in Holland Hall’s quest to pursue excellence. It also outlines Holland Hall’s financial structure, showcasing how the investment from both current donors and past benefactors contribute to providing opportunities for today’s students and faculty. Thank you to all of you who choose to invest your time and your philanthropic dollars in Holland Hall, and support us through participation in school activities and community events.

With gratitude,

Amy England Chief Advancement Officer Parent of Simon ’34 and Elliott ’37

Gratitude Report 2023-24

As an independent school, Holland Hall is empowered by a combination of tuition dollars, endowment income, and donations that benefit students, faculty, and the Dutch community. Philanthropy is a critical part of Holland Hall's excellence.

& Staff

Gezellig Online Auction, Gezellig InPerson, Trivia Night, ARTworks

3%

For the past six decades, multiple benefactors have invested in Holland Hall’s future through endowments. The School has benefited from investment growth because of the fiduciary management of the Board Investment Committee and Bank of Oklahoma, and investment and interest income made up 15% of the school’s total revenue in 2023-24. 1% Events

Food Services, Dutch Zone, Extended Day, etc.

Instructional, Arts, Athletics, & Library Classroom technology and books, visual and performing arts, athletics equipment <1%

Maintenance & Plant Classroom and campus maintenance, utilities

The difference between good and great is provided by contributions from people like you. Holland Hall excels because of the generosity of our dutch community. To the Trustees, faculty, alumni, parents, grandparents, parents of alumni, and the many friends who have demonstrated their belief in Holland Hall’s mission by making a gift to the school, thank you!

1027

NEW STUDENTS

STUDENT:TEACHER RATIO RETURNING STUDENTS

892 135 9:1

FAMILIES WITH MORE THAN ONE CHILD ENROLLED

300

TOTAL STUDENTS ENROLLED GIFTS RECEIVED FROM states + Washington DC for FY24

NUMBER OF FAMILIES

700+ 10 83

28% $4.4M STUDENTS RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID TOTAL FINANCIAL AID

3-GENERATION

2-GENERATION

37

Donor honors daughter and parents with a planned gift to Holland Hall

By Michael Overall For Holland Hall Magazine

As an Episcopal priest in the 1960s, Debbie Weston’s father served on a diocesan planning commission that helped find Holland Hall’s current property on 81st Street, replacing the school’s old campus on Birmingham Place.

“He was always very fond of Holland Hall,” Weston says.

She never attended the school, despite her father’s wishes, because she wanted to play basketball during an era when Holland Hall didn’t offer the sport. Weston’s daughter Hilary Harber, however, graduated from the Upper School in 1998.

In addition to the day-to-day opportunities that the school provided, Hilary got to spend three weeks in Russia and visited the Ecuadorian rainforest with her classmates. The trip to South America made parents nervous when they lost contact with the group for a short time, but it was an invaluable experience for the students, Weston says.

“She had a great group of kids that she went to school with,” Weston says. “They were respectful, they were funny. They were kind. I mean, they got into their own kind of funny situations, but they were good kids. They've all grown up to be very productive adults.”

Hilary even spent a year living with her grandparents so she could stay at Holland Hall while her mother spent time in Britain.

“Trust me, Hilary got the best education at Holland Hall,” Weston says, “and it gave her the foundation to go on and further her education.”

After high school, Hilary attended Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, and earned a master’s degree in social work. She later worked in the pediatric heart transplant unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and eventually became the social work program manager for Kids First in the state of Arkansas.

“She did a lot of good in her life,” Weston says. “She touched a lot of people.”

Weston’s father, after retiring from the Episcopal priesthood, spent 35 years working for Oklahoma Natural Gas and was an avid

art collector. Weston’s mother, meanwhile, ran an antique business. When James and Sunnie Dillinger died a week apart from each other in 2015, they left behind a large personal collection of art and antiques.

Hilary was the administrator of her grandparents’ estate, but she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 and died in April 2022 at the age of 42.

“I’ve ended up with all of my mom and dad’s stuff,” Weston says. “And I don’t have anybody else that I would want the property to go to.”

When the time comes, Weston’s life insurance and the sale of her home and belongings will benefit the schools that Hilary attended, including Holland Hall.

“Hopefully they can invest it so that it will last for many years,” she says.

The planned gift to Holland Hall will be an endowment fund designated for financial aid, Weston says, noting that her daughter received assistance all four years that she attended Holland Hall.

“I want other kids to have the opportunities that she had, and I think Hilary would have wanted that,” Weston says. “I don't have a lot, but what I've got is worth something and I want it to be put to good use.” H

Bequest Society

The James and Leta Chapman Bequest Society is a group of donors who have included Holland Hall in their estate plans. These donors have chosen to leave a legacy that ensures financial stability and supports the mission of Holland Hall beyond their lifetime. To join this esteemed group, contact Amy England, aengland@hollandhall.org, in the Advancement Office.

Judith Pape Adams ’57

Doug H. Allen ’83

Anonymous

Miriam Parrish Baird ’28 Trust

Horace G. Barnard, Jr.

Bill Bass ’69

Paulette and John Bennett ’70

Margery Mayo Feagin Bird ’33

Annie and Stephen Brady

Ashley N. Bray

Charles H. Brown

Genevieve Alcott Causse ’55

Leta and James Chapman

Ena B. Cochran

Mary and JP Culley

Peter and Margie Harned ’82 Diaz

Rod and Danette ’85 Elliott-Mullens

Karen and Bill Freudenrich

Audra Hewgley Gallegos

Charles Gregory Gephart ’71

Charlie Goddard ’21

Ellen Goddard ’17

Jackson Goddard ’15

Keith ’87 and Beth Lieser ’86 Goddard

Elizabeth Griot Hagans

Robert Hughes ’84

Alissa and JJ Hurley

Shelley Smith Jackson ’64

Jim Kincaid and Danica Bruce

Courtney Latta Knoblock

Patricia and Richard Lieser

Charles E. Locke, Jr. ’77

Victoria and Wayne MacNaughton ’75

Tammie and J. David Maloney

Eugene L. McCarthy ’77

Jack G. Morris

Lodie Naimeh-Saliba and K. Michael Saliba

Thomas D. Neal ’76

Mary Frances Walter O’Hornett ’35

Grace Porter

Dave Rossetti ’70 and Jan Avent

Sanford Roberds ’93

Hal and Tracy Lorton ’82 Salisbury

Shelby H. Scott

Nancy L. Seay

Leigh Ann Moss and Eric Sherburn

Katherine Q. Sinclair

Edward C. Sloan, Jr.

Joanne L. Farmer Suppes ’39

Ashwini and Atul Vaidya

Jay P. Walker Charitable Trust

Pauline McFarlin Walter Trust

Peter M. Walter

Deborah Weston

Elizabeth and William S. White

James Dillinger with granddaughter Hilary Harber ’98.

‘The little things matter’ A coach’s advice resonates decades after high school

By Michael Overall For Holland Hall Magazine

Bill Bass ’69 came to Holland Hall as a sophomore in 1967, when the campus was still on South Birmingham Place and Charlie Brown was a young football coach, not more than 15 years older than some of his players.

He seemed a lot older to Bass, not because Brown didn’t look young but because he quickly became a father figure, teaching his team more than football.

“It's the little things that count,” Brown would repeat like a mantra. If necessary, he could make the point loudly.

“He was a yeller,” Bass remembers. “He would get in somebody’s face and you could see the spittle coming out. He’d make hand gestures right in his face which would be right in front of your face too, because he would be that close. He was very passionate.”

Bass also played baseball, basketball and soccer for Holland Hall, but Brown was the coach who left a lifelong impression on him.

“I always think about 'it's the little things

that matter,’” Bass says. “Pay attention to details. I’ve tried to live by that.”

After graduating from Holland Hall in 1969, Bass worked as a roughneck on a drilling platform to help pay his way through Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After college he moved to New York City to become a ballet dancer, which he admits “was not a highincome profession.” Nonetheless, he gave back as much as he could to Holland Hall.

The school “challenged me to be more than just a good student, and to really become a critical thinker,” Bass says. “It was a good experience for me going through the academic system, and I couldn't have done it without the financial aid.”

While dancing, Bass also began appearing in TV commercials, which led him to focus on acting as a career. One national ad ran for two and a half years, paying Bass every time it appeared on-screen, which gave enough income to begin making significant investments.

His girlfriend, who would later become his wife, noticed how excited Bass got about exploring different investment strategies.

“You know,” she said, “I never heard you get this excited about acting.”

The comment “hit me between the eyes,” Bass says, and he changed careers to become a financial advisor.

The new line of work allowed him to make more significant gifts to Holland Hall over the years, but it wasn’t until his old football coach called that Bass found “the perfect way” to give back to the school.

Holland Hall launched the Charlie Brown Endowment for Financial Aid in 2022, and Bass has been a supporter ever since. Now 73, retired and living in Florida, Bass has even written Holland Hall into his will and continues to make other contributions to the school — including giving this year’s Cum Laude speech to the Upper School and making a pledge to support current capital projects. But financial aid initiatives and Coach Brown’s endowment remain a focus of his giving.

“As soon as I heard about it, I knew I had to be involved,” Bass says. Holland Hall was “something my parents could not have afforded on their own, so now I can make sure other kids have the same opportunities that I had.” H

Holland Hall Fund giving levels will change for 2024-25 school year

In honor of Holland Hall’s founding members and first Headmistress, Winnifred Schureman, Holland Hall’s Schureman Circle recognizes generous donors who give $1,000 or more annually to the Holland Hall Fund – the school's annual fund, and the Founders Guild recognizes generous donors who give $5,000 or more annually, ensuring operating excellence.

We are excited to announce the introduction of new gift levels to the Holland Hall Fund coming this fall. Designed to highlight the generosity of our community and reinforce the collective effort needed to drive our mission forward, these new tiers will better acknowledge the incredible kindness of our supporters and offer a diverse array of giving options to accommodate different capacities for contributions.

Whether you're making a first-time donation or increasing your commitment, there will be a level that aligns with your philanthropic goals and passion for Holland Hall. Together, we achieve an even greater impact on students and faculty and continue to transform lives in our community. Thank you to the following Founders Guild and Schureman Circle donors! H

Founders Guild – $5,000+

This list includes donors from June 1, 2023-May 31, 2024. Please contact Lindsay Nichols at lnichols@hollandhall.org if you have any questions about this list.

Acworth Foundation

Anonymous

Jan Avent and Dave Rossetti ’70

Robin Ballenger ’63

Annie and Stephen Brady

Deidra and Nick Breese

Cecil & Virgie Burton Foundation

Mollie and J.W. Craft

Mary and JP Culley

Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

George & Jennie Collins Foundation

Jean Ann and Tom Fausser

Amber and Scott Graybill

Beth Lieser ’86 and Keith ’87 Goddard

Kristin and Jim Gonders

Liz Hagans

Michael and Cara Shimkus ’84 Hall

Hank and Nancy Nolley ’62 Harbaugh

Cynthia and Ron Hoffman

Houston Family Foundation, Inc.

Robert Hughes ’84

Sally Hughes

Alissa and JJ Hurley

The Stephen E. and Shelley S. Jackson Family Foundation

Leslie and Keith Kelly

Ketchum Charitable Foundation

Leslie and Steve Lake

Dana and Jason Lee ’93

Linsey and D.J. Lees

Sarah Lees

Lesher Family Foundation

Betsy and Greg Little

Mahan Family Foundation

Tammie and David Maloney

Taylor and Robby Merrick ’99

Ruth Nelson Family Foundation

The Oneal Family Fund

D'Ann and Brett Riley

Dave Rubio

Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies

Brenda Self

Jen and TomM Sharpe

Kulsum and Jamal Siddiqui

Stone Family Foundation

Lynn Sprouse and Joe Hanson

A. R. & Marylouise Tandy Foundation Trust

David and Lynda Tippeconnic Family Foundation

Lisa and Dane Tucker

Pauline McFarlin Walter Trust

Waters Charitable Foundation

Kelly and Rick Wilkerson

Lorna Wood and Don Wehrs ’74

Bronya and Chad Zamarin

Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation

Schureman Circle – $1,000+

This list includes donors from June 1, 2023-May 31, 2024. Please contact Lindsay Nichols at lnichols@hollandhall.org if you have any questions about this list.

Annatina and Michael Aaronson ’93

Alicia and Ian Acrey

Jan and Roger Adams

Anonymous (3)

Chris and Tim Armstrong

Tonya and Richard Atkinson

Lucy and John Barker

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

Mary and Bill Bass ’69

Megan Rule Beck ’98

Caroline Berry

Nina and Alan Benson

Nancy and Jay Bird ’67

Canon and Luke Bomer

Bill Bowen ’82

Matthew and Lindsey Hawkins ’95 Bristow

Grant and Kara Beair ’02 Butler

Faye Hutcherson and Dennis Calkins

Mandi and Rick Campbell

Elizabeth and Brian Carson

Lori and Tim Carver

Kathie and John Coyle

Judy Critchfield

Tony and Samantha Weyrauch ’92 Davis

Peter and Margie Harned ’82 Diaz

Kalei and Hansen Dirani

Kimberlie Dullye ’83

Patti and Wes Dunbar

Renea and Rance Dyer

Jennifer and Mike Edwards

Susan McCready Edwards ’73

Amy and Andy England

Allan Evans ’99

Lindsay and Ron Fick

Kimberly and Brad Frank

Sarah and John Graves

Darla Grenier

Marc and Lynn Frazier ’86 Goldberg

Katrine and Ramez Hakim

Alvina and Richard Hart

Lori and Bob Hauge

Whitney and Steve Heldebrand

Tina and Zak Helmerich ’74

Betsy and Bryan Hendershot

Theresa Hill

Diane and Rick Hudson

Ellen and Eugene Ichinose

JaHannah and Edward Jamelarin

Anne and Chris Kappes

Callum Kerr ’00

Lisa and Dave Keylor

Kay and Mike Lacey

Patty and Bill Lawson

Kristin and Everett Lees

Janet and Ken Levit ’83

Vicki and Al Lewis

Caroline and Bryan Lieber ’02

John and Elizabeth Lawson ’83 Linehan

Leslie Daubenberger ’85 and Bobby ’87 Lorton

Ellen and Carlisle Mabrey

Julee and Scott Mabrey

Alexa and Jason Maloney ’07

Jason Martens

Anne Feighner McCarthy and Larry McCarthy

Cynthia and Tim McFerrin

Chris Murphy

Sally and Robert Nichols-Sharpe

Didi and Tim Noelker

Jody Parker

Lindsay Patterson, PhD

Laura and Steve Paul

Janelle and Nick Pavlis

Susan Stuart Peterson ’97

Cyndy and Michael Phillips

Alan Philoon ’73

Sandie and Donne Pitman

Shirley and Randall Pogue

Sarah Poston and Mark Sanders ’78

Joanna H. Potts Revocable Trust

Diana and Patrick Pugh ’91

Betty and Tom Rains

Will and Sam Allen ’04 Renner

Sandhya and E.P. Reddy

Sarah and Madhav Reddy ’03

Bishop Poulson Reed

Stephanie and Bruce Riddle

Mallory and Alan Roark

Sanford Roberds ’93

Ariel Balter and Roger Roberts ’83

Hannah and Joe Robson

Joe Rossetti ’73

Pam Russell

Amy and Stephen Santee

Leslie and Scott Savage

Amy and David Schaffer

Molly and Chico Seay ’80

Diane and Byron Shen

Chelsea and Anthony Showalter

Tom and Karin Crockett ’69 Smith

Georgia and Kenneth Snoke

Shirley and Dee Sokolosky

Sarah and Grant Stewart

Barbara Sturdivant

Julie Tate ’74 and Phil ’73 Allen

Ricky Thomas ’02 and Maureen Beasley

Dana Weber ’75

Kori and Dennis Weikle

Anne and Ty Westfield

Liz and Scott White

Sunni and Travis Wolff

Wanda Wolfkill

Brooke and James Woods

Ye Feng and Mengjiao Yu

Holland Hall Tribute Gifts — In Honor Of

Paying tribute is an especially caring and memorable way of giving. Whether the gift is in memory or honor of a loved one, friend, family member, teacher, or life event, we gratefully accept and recognize these gifts. This list includes tributes made June 1, 2023-June 17, 2024.

AVA ABBOTT ’33

Elizabeth and Brian Carson

STELLA ABBOTT ’35

Elizabeth and Brian Carson

MAZEN ABUFADIL

Clay and Caroline Lindemuth ’08 Chamberlain

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

GINGER ACEBO

Sarah Fox Broermann and Jeffrey Broermann

OLIVIA AGRAWAL ’33

Khanh and Neil Agrawal

JACOB AIZENMAN ’31

Judee and Leo Weinberg

MAX AIZENMAN ’33

Judee and Leo Weinberg

ALEX ALABBASI ’12

Kathleen and Bob Alabbasi

TOBEY BALLENGER ’91 AND JEFFREY ALDERMAN

Jeanne Hartley-Ballenger and Bob Ballenger

JUDE ALDERMAN ’29

Jeanne Hartley-Ballenger and Bob Ballenger

VIVIAN ALDERMAN ’26

Jeanne Hartley-Ballenger and Bob Ballenger

SANDRA ALEXANDER ’69

Jack and Judy Berry ’69 Ingraham

LESLIE BARNARD ARMSTRONG ’01

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

PAIGE ARNOLD

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

ARIELLE AUERBACH ’26

Elyse and Stuart Auerbach

COREY BABB ’00

Jannelle and Ray Babb

HALEY BABER ’21

Valerie and Gene Baber

TOBEY BALLENGER ’91

Leslie and Keith Kelly

ANNIE BARNARD ’36

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

Kay and Mike Lacey

CORA BARNARD ’38

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

Kay and Mike Lacey

JACK BARNARD ’34

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

Kay and Mike Lacey

MATT BARNARD ’99

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

ANNASTEN BASENER ’28

Amy Hurlburt and Clint Basener

DREW BASENER ’31

Amy Hurlburt and Clint Basener

MARY BAUER

Jill and Michael Grider

NANCY BAUMANN

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

HENRY BECK ’30

Pattie and Kirby Jarolim

PETER BECK ’32

Pattie and Kirby Jarolim

JANE BECKWITH

Pat and Gillian Ryan ’01 Cawiezell

JILLIAN BECKWITH ’25

Jane and Chris Beckwith ’88

PHOEBE BECKWITH ’22

Jane and Chris Beckwith ’88

SUTTON BEESON ’36

Sarah Beeson

EDGAR BENARROUS

Steve and Melissa Goodman ’80 Peterman

Monique and Blake Rollins ’96

CHRISTINE BENNER ’00

Jodie and Ben Benner

KATHRYN BENSON ’05

Nina and Alan Benson

BERT BIBENS

Kathleen and Bob Alabbasi

RAYMOND BIZJACK

Nick and Susan Bickel ’71 Scioli

JENSLEY BLACK ’27

Gina and Wes Black

STELLA BLACK ’32

Gina and Wes Black

DAN BLOOM

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

COLTON BOMER ’32

Canon and Luke Bomer

Jeri and Don Bomer

GRAHAM BOMER ’36

Canon and Luke Bomer

Jeri and Don Bomer

KENNY BRODY ’88

Kevinn Matthews ’88

MOLLY BROTHERTON ’29

Michelle and Larry Brotherton

CHARLIE BROWN

Brent Casey

Caroline Crain

Barbie Edwards Paige ’74

Fay Palma

Angie and Frank Smith ’70

Diane and Brian Thompson

ISLA BROWN ’32

Matt ’99 and Erica

Joseph ’99 Brown

TUCKER BROWN ’26

Matt ’99 and Erica

Joseph ’99 Brown

CARTER BUCHANAN ’27

Connie Williams

CLARIE BUTKIN ’23

Nina and Robert Butkin

JUSTIN BUTLER ’04

Phil and Jenn Muir

AURORA CAMPBELL ’35

Abi and Matt Campbell ’00

BETH CAMPBELL

Rion and Meredith Campbell ’02 Rogers

HENRY CAMPBELL ’36

Abi and Matt Campbell ’00

MATT CAMPBELL ’00

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

MOLLY CAO

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

GREG CAREY

MaryKate and Joe Hunt ’05

AMY CAUTHON

Amy Vargus

GILLIAN RYAN

CAWIEZELL ’01

Amy and Andy England

Meredith Wullkotte and Jeff Fisher

LAWRENCE CHEN ’33

Molly Cao and Zhou Chen

MELODY CHEN

Molly Cao and Zhou Chen

CLASS OF 1964

Gay Lyn Parrish ’64

CLASS OF 1978

Thom and Emily Watson ’78 Hillsman

CLASS OF 1988

Mark and Kelly Smith ’88 Bramlett

CLASS OF 1993

Ashley Parrish ’93 and Michael Overall

CLASS OF 2003

Joshua Guterman ’03

CLASS OF 2026

Kim and Scott Felten

CLASS OF 2027

Miranda Phillips and Paul Stafford

CLASS OF 2033

Madison and Garrett Graves

CLASS OF 2034

Madison and Garrett Graves

MADISON COCO ’36

Jackson and Erin Coco

Paula and Jack Coco

GARRETT CONNER ’23

Elayna and Mike Conner

JOHN CONNOR ’18

Susan Connor

RONDA COOPER

Brent Casey

Ashlee and Billy Lowry

JOSHUA COX ’24

Tracey Lakin and Grant Cox

KENNEDY COX ’24

Tracey Lakin and Grant Cox

SARAH COX

Kay Holt

CAROLINE CRAIN ’63

Ashley Parrish ’93 and Michael Overall

JP CULLEY

Kimberly and Brandon Schutz ’91

MARY AND JP CULLEY

Peter and Margie Harned ’82 Diaz

JAXON CURTIS

Norm Rosenberger

MARK CYRUS

Adrienne and Keith Cressman ’74

KELLY DANNER

Theresa and Mike Melega

Mary-Catherine Sacra

KATIE DARDEN ’18

Dana Darden

COLTON DAVIS ’37

Julie and Tom Ballard

EMMA DAVIS ’35

Julie and Tom Ballard

BARRETT DAY ’28

Karol and Glenn Day

TAMMY LASTER

DEISENROTH ’75

Christy Utter ’92 and Sarah Vizza

BETTY DOUGALL

Laurie Spencer

TEMPEST DULANY

Christy Utter ’92 and Sarah Vizza

MILES DUNMORE

Monique and Blake Rollins ’96

STEVE DYER

Grant and Kara Beair ’02 Butler

Pat and Gillian Ryan ’01 Cawiezell

PAM CRAWFORD

ELLIOTT ’81

Dick Crawford

JODY ELY

Grant and Kara Beair ’02 Butler

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

ELLIOTT ENGLAND ’37

Bonnie England

Lindsay Patterson, PhD

SIMON ENGLAND ’34

Bonnie England

Lindsay Patterson, PhD

KARTER EVANS ’34

Jean and Dick Evans

Janine and Rick Pence

SUMMER EVANS ’37

Jean and Dick Evans

Janine and Rick Pence

LAUREN FOGARTY

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

JOE FORD

Brent Casey

Adrienne and Keith Cressman ’74

RHIANNON FOX ’38

Vanessa and Brandon Fox

AINSLEY GARDENHIRE ’24

Nina Lipe

CARRIE LIPE GARDENHIRE ’94

Nina Lipe

EMILY GARDENHIRE ’22

Nina Lipe

MICHAEL GATES

Amy and Andy England

FOSTER GILLINGHAM ’29

Anne Darnell ’88

NELLIE GILLINGHAM ’27

Anne Darnell ’88

DECLAN GRAHAM ’32

Anne Graham

ABE GREEN ’37

Tammy and Matt Davidson

LAUREN GREWE

Jill and Terry Grewe

CASSIE AND TAG GROSS

Diane and Byron Shen

TAG GROSS ’87

Cassie Gross

Alison and Ryan Myers

Fay Palma

Dr. Trisha L. Parks

DEC GROVES ’31

John and Noel O’Haren ’94 Groves

FIA GROVES ’30

John and Noel O’Haren ’94 Groves

MARIN GROVES ’32

John and Noel O’Haren ’94 Groves

NEALY GROVES ’28

John and Noel O’Haren ’94 Groves

MARIANNE MCGREGOR GUELKER ’94

Ann and Robert McGregor

CAMPER GUIDRY ’35

Sharon Guidry

HARPER GUIDRY ’37

Sharon Guidry

RICHARD HART

Amy and Andy England

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

LAUREN HAUGE ’10

Lori and Bob Hauge

KRISTEN GREWE HEAD ’09

Jill and Terry Grewe

HATCHER HELDEBRAND ’31

Juanelle and Jim Heldebrand

Stephanie and Bruce Riddle

Whitney and Steve Heldebrand

HOLT HELDEBRAND ’22

Stephanie and Bruce Riddle

Whitney and Steve Heldebrand

HUNT HELDEBRAND ’22

Stephanie and Bruce Riddle

Whitney and Steve Heldebrand

TINA HELMERICH

Amy Hurlburt and Clint Basener

SHEPHERD HENDERSON ’37

Leslie and Al Higdon

MARY KAY HOBBS

Mary Bauer

HOLLAND HALL ADVANCEMENT TEAM

Amy and Andy England

HOLLAND HALL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Jessica and Grant Clary ’10

Faith and David Helmerich ’10

Chandler Hicks ’10

Hunter Holmes ’10

Julie Yeabower ’77

HOLLAND HALL ARTS FACULTY

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Lauren Fogarty

HOLLAND HALL COACHES

Cathy and Dave Rowland

HOLLAND HALL FACULTY

Diana Beebe

Grant and Kara Beair ’02 Butler

John and Noel O’Haren ’94 Groves

Chitralekha and Pranay Kathuria

HOLLAND HALL

TECHNOLOGY FACULTY

Leslie and Keith Kelly

HOLLAND HALL

VARSITY FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF

Alison and Ryan Myers

KAREN HOLMES

Cathy Rose-Bergenroth and Neil Bergenroth

Brent Casey

Caroline Crain

Peyton and Jeannie

Bromley ’91 Lindley

Liz Hagans

Ashley Parrish ’93 and Michael Overall

Christy and Jeff Utter ’92

KATE HOOK ’23

Kristin and Kevin Hook

KYLE HOOK ’20

Kristin and Kevin Hook

JULIA HOWELL

Chris and Tim Armstrong

NASH HOWELL ’27

Chris and Tim Armstrong

LEVI HUDSON ’28

Linda and Mickey Ellis

Diane and Rick Hudson

OLIVIA HUDSON ’28

Linda and Mickey Ellis

Diane and Rick Hudson

DARBY HUGHES ’35

Ashley and Josh Hughes

FINLEY HUGHES ’37

Ashley and Josh Hughes

NATALIE HURLEY ’24

Lindsay and Ron Fick

WILL HURLEY ’27

Lindsay and Ron Fick

MAE JENKINS

Deborah Jenkins ’75

BRYCE JENNINGS

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

ABBY JOHNSON ’22

Randa and Mike Johnson

KATELYN JOHNSON ’31

Miranda and Stephen Johnson

KEVIN JOHNSON ’08

Adair and Jay Johnson

AMANDA JOSSERAND ’98

Becca and Johnathan Parker

SARAH JOYCE-DYER

Grant and Kara Beair ’02 Butler

Pat and Gillian Ryan ’01 Cawiezell

ELI KALIKA ’08

Adi Kalika Schaeffer

ANNE AND CHRIS KAPPES

Susan Morrison

COLIN KAPPES ’28

Susan Morrison

ELIZABETH KAPPES ’30

Susan Morrison

CECILIA KEITH ’32

Diane and Richard Angleton

VINCENT KEYAN ’25

Bonnie and Masoud Keyan

CAMERON KEYLOR ’11

Lisa and Dave Keylor

KAMDEN KHALAF ’37

Donna and Vernon Pinkey

LAITH KHALAF ’36

Donna and Vernon Pinkey

ZACHARY KING ’14

Lea and Mark King

COURTNEY LATTA KNOBLOCK

Mary and JP Culley

BISHOP ED KONIECZNEY

Kristin and Everett Lees

BEN KORN ’24

Phil Snyder

ZACHARY KRANZ ’05

Cathy and Bob Kranz

JENNIFER LAMAR

Reetu and Dushyant Singh

DAPHNE LAND ’33

Katie and Matt Land

NINA LAND ’31

Katie and Matt Land

ANNALEE LANGLEY ’35

Fred Polizzi

REX LANGLEY ’30

Fred Polizzi

STEPHANIE LIPE LANSING ’96

Nina Lipe

ELLA KATE LEES ’29

Linsey and D.J. Lees

FRANCIE LEES ’32

Linsey and D.J. Lees

SCARLETT LEES ’31

Linsey and D.J. Lees

TREY LEES ’27

Linsey and D.J. Lees

EVERETT LEES

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

BELLA LEVINE ’24

Laura and Martin Levine

RYAN LEVINE ’25

Laura and Martin Levine

LESLIE LONG

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

ASHLEE LOWRY

Brent Casey

MARY PARKER

MALOTTE ’83

Barbara Parker

ANNA MARTENS ’23

Jason Martens

DREW MARTENS ’29

Jason Martens

JAKE MARTENS ’20

Jason Martens

OLIVIA MARTIN ’33

Monica Lind Martin ’01

JANE MASLANKA

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

ANDY MATSON ’02

Laurie Matson

SYDNEY MAY ’15

Amy and Andy England

SCOTT MCCRARY ’36

Stephanie and Eric McCrary

Sue and Bill McCrary

STEPHANIE MCCRARY

Jill and Michael Grider

JADEN MCGHEE ’29

Cindy and Jon McGhee

LJ MCGHEE ’26

Cindy and Jon McGhee

CAROLINE MCKEE ’24

Piper and Jonathan Nida

LAURA MCNEESE

Brent Casey

ESTES MCNUTT ’30

Margie Murphy-McNutt and Brad McNutt

SLOAN MEIER ’27

Robert Meier

TRUETT MEIER ’25

Robert Meier

ANNE PARKER

MELENDEZ ’79

Barbara Parker

EZRA MEYERS ’37

Marsha Decker

Maggie and Brandon Meyers

ISLA MEYERS ’37

Marsha Decker

Maggie and Brandon Meyers

ANNA MILLIGAN

Anthony Clay

Laura and John Vance

RANDY MILLS

Karen and Olin Holmes

Meredith Wullkotte and Jeff Fisher

SUMMER MOLLOY

Jill and Michael Grider

Rachel and George Monks

ADDISON MOORE ’24

Angela and Ryan Moore

BAILEY MOORE ’22

Angela and Ryan Moore

ANNE MARIE MOORE

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

ELIZABETH MORGAN

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

FORESTER MORGAN ’33

Abby Kurin ’03

MIA MORGAN ’37

Abby Kurin ’03

JESSICA MORTON

Meredith Wullkotte and Jeff Fisher

JEFFREY MOSELEY ’09

Toni Moseley

JACKSON MOSEMAN ’23

Joan and Joe Sizemore

LILY MOSEMAN ’26

Joan and Joe Sizemore

PHIL MUIR

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

Millie and Richard Spencer

CAROLINE MURPHY ’24

Chris Murphy

MARGIE MURPHY-MCNUTT

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

JOHNNY MYERS ’25

Anne Feighner McCarthy and Larry McCarthy

RYAN MYERS

Asialynn Griffin and Jerry Griffin

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

SARAH MYERS ’27

Anne Feighner McCarthy and Larry McCarthy

JENNIFER NECHAI

Jill and Rod Coulter

AARON NICHOLS ’29

Lindsay and Jacob Nichols

LINDSAY NICHOLS

Amy and Andy England

DAVID NONWEILER ’78

Lisa and Jim Mansfield

BRAXTON NORMAN ’30

Kristi and Bryan Norman

HARRIET O’CONNOR ’37

Kim and Kevin O’Connor

KIM O’CONNOR

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

GUNNER ONKST ’22

Yvette and Johnny Onkst

JAYME OSTROSKI

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

LAYTON OWENS ’29

Ashley and Teddy Owens

NASH OWENS ’34

Ashley and Teddy Owens

FAY PALMA

Ashley Parrish ’93 and Michael Overall

BECCA PARKER

Pat and Gillian Ryan ’01 Cawiezell

Hermien Terpstra

JOHN PARKER ’90

Barbara Parker

KATHLEEN PARKER ’89

Barbara Parker

ASHLEY PARRISH ’93

Fay Palma

LIDDY PATTERSON ’19

Vanessa and Chris Jones

MASON PATTERSON ’23

Vanessa and Chris Jones

JUSTIN PEARSE

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

MADISON PFEIFER ’36

Whitney and Matt Pfeifer

SOPHIA PFEIFER ’33

Whitney and Matt Pfeifer

MADDIE PHILLIPS ’25

Lynett and Hershel Martin

CARTER PICKERING ’35

Kate and Chauncey Pickering ’02

CRANDALL PICKERING ’35

Kate and Chauncey Pickering ’02

AARON POHL ’15

Georgia and Kenneth Snoke

AIDEN POHL ’19

Georgia and Kenneth Snoke

ANSON POHL ’24

B. J. ’89 and Heather Snoke ’89 Pohl

Georgia and Kenneth Snoke

ASHTON POHL ’22

Georgia and Kenneth Snoke

HEATHER POHL ’89

Georgia and Kenneth Snoke

HALLIE POLSON ’27

Maxie and Robert Polson

MADISON POTTS ’28

Jennifer and Joe Potts ’98

TYLER POTTS ’33

Jennifer and Joe Potts ’98

AUDREY PYLE ’36

Tara and Tyler Pyle

MARY LOUISE RAMSEY

David Ramsey ’76

RODGER RANDLE

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

E.P. AND SANDHYA REDDY

Maile and Chai Reddy ’97

KISHEN REDDY ’32

Sandhya and E.P. Reddy

LEELA REDDY ’37

Sandhya and E.P. Reddy

MEENA REDDY ’34

Sandhya and E.P. Reddy

JAMIE REICHARD

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

DANA RENKEN

Meredith Wullkotte and Jeff Fisher

SARAH RICHARDSON

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

JULIA ROARK ’25

Jennifer and Bill Roark

MADISON ROBERTS ’37

Laurie and Jeff Roberts

AXEL ROBSON ’34

Hannah and Joe Robson

WHITNEY ROBSON ’29

Hannah and Joe Robson

CAMPBELL ROGERS ’32

Martha and Raylon Rogers

LILLIAN ROGERS ’36

Martha and Raylon Rogers

THEA ROGERS ’36

Martha and Raylon Rogers

THOMAS ROGERS ’34

Martha and Raylon Rogers

PAM ROGERS

Karen and Olin Holmes

KELSEY ROONEY-DORST

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

JENNY YORK ROPER ’98

Donna Roberts Godkins ’64

David York ’64

ALICE SACRA ’30

Nancy Sacra

MARY-CATHERINE SACRA

Robin Ballenger ’63

LIAM SAGE ’35

Christa Sage

Ron Sage

ERIN SCARBERRY

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

ABBY SCHREIER ’30

Jennifer and Larry Schreier

NOAH SCHREIER ’30

Jennifer and Larry Schreier

ART SCRUTCHINS

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

Karen and Olin Holmes

CADEN SHARPE ’31

Robert and Sally Sharpe

OWEN SHARPE ’31

Robert and Sally Sharpe

BYRON SHEN

Pat and Gillian Ryan ’01 Cawiezell

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

Amber and Scott Graybill

Cassie and Tag Gross ’87

Diane Shen

DIANE SHEN

Amy and Andy England

KY R. SHEN ’08

Diane and Byron Shen

TYNE SHILLINGFORD ’03

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

KERI SHINGLETON

Laura and Tim Fawcett

JULIA SHOWALTER ’31

Shirley and Stuart Showalter

OWEN SHOWALTER ’29

Shirley and Stuart Showalter

LILAH SIDDIQUI ’32

Kulsum and Jamal Siddiqui

SERENA SIDDIQUI ’30

Kulsum and Jamal Siddiqui

HARPER SIEMENS ’22

Melissa and Chris Siemens

LILY SIEMENS ’20

Melissa and Chris Siemens

STAFFORD SIGMON ’33

Dana and Steve Sigmon

AMANDA SOLIVAN

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

SAM SPANIER ’23

Mandy and Mike Spanier

GREG SPENCER ’99

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

LAURIE SPENCER

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Diane and Byron Shen

RICHARD SPENCER

Amber and Scott Graybill

Jeremy and Amanda Campbell ’98 Josserand Linsey and D.J. Lees

SHERYL SPRINGER

Erin and Chad Henderson

JASON STARR ’78

Sarah Poston and Mark Sanders ’78

MICHELLE STEARNSJOHNSON

Sean Boles and Sherry Boles ’83

JAYDEN STEYL

Leo and Judee Weinberg

REGAN STEYL

Leo and Judee Weinberg

SAWYER STONE ’28

Amanda and Patrick Stone

ASHLEY BABB STUDDARD ’01

Jannelle and Ray Babb

TAMMY TRACY SUFI ’90

Peggy and Ken Tracy

GARY SWEENEY

Jessica Beustring ’07

Grant and Kara Beair ’02 Butler

PHIL SWEENEY

MaryKate and Joe Hunt ’05

JAN OWEN ’68 SWETENBURG

Christy Utter ’92 and Sarah Vizza

LORI SWISHER

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

BRANDY SYNAR

Michelle and Daniel Miller

JAYA TARVER ’25

Eunice and De’Juan Tarver

JEAN NEWTON ’47 TATE

Will and Sam Allen ’04 Renner

GRAY THOMAS ’25

Laura and Robert Thomas

TANYA TIPPECONIC-SHAW

Peter Walter

TORIE TRACY ’92

Peggy and Ken Tracy

KNOX TUCKER ’29

Linda Ingram

WHITNEY UDWIN ’01

Amy Vargus

BRIAN UNDERWOOD

Pat and Gillian Ryan ’01 Cawiezell

Jennifer and Brad White ’95

FATHER URMSON-TAYLOR

Maile and Chai Reddy ’97

CHRISTY UTTER ’92

Roux and Jennifer Jones ’93 Carroll

Cara Crain ’92

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

Jennifer and Brad White ’95

Anna Wise ’17

LAURA VANCE

Brent Casey

AMY VARGUS

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

NANCY VAUGHN

Shirley and Stuart Showalter

JAMES VEASEY

Tucky Rhees Hazen ’63

VICKI VROOMAN

Jill and Michael Grider

WESTON VROOMAN ’13

Vicki Vrooman

FRANK B. WARD

Alvina and Richard Hart

Lorna Wood and Don Wehrs ’74

HAILEY WATTS ’32

Kelly and Andy Watts ’94

MADISON WATTS ’27

Kelly and Andy Watts ’94

PEYTON WATTS ’32

Kelly and Andy Watts ’94

CAMRON WAUGH ’09

Nina Jackson

NICK WEAVER ’13

Jenny Feighner and Rob Myers

MAX WEIKLE ’34

Kori and Dennis Weikle

RYAN WEIKLE ’31

Kori and Dennis Weikle

SHELBY WESOLOWSKI

Jill and Rod Coulter

GRACIE WESTFIELD ’15

Anne and Ty Westfield

CAROLINE WHEELER ’21

Kari and Jerry Wheeler

ANNABELLE WHITE ’22

Adam and Jen Whisenhunt ’89 White

BEN WHITE ’20

Adam and Jen Whisenhunt ’89 White

KROSBY WINTERS ’34

Sarah and Mike Cox

STEVIE WINTERS ’37

Sarah and Mike Cox

JADE YANCY ’34

JW Lorett

BRYAN YORK ’01

Donna Roberts Godkins ’64

David York ’64

DAVID YORK ’64

Donna Roberts Godkins ’64

Frank B. Ward

MACY YOUNG ’30

Audrey Sevenoaks

POPPY YOUNG ’32

Audrey Sevenoaks

KENSIE ZAMARIN ’30

Kate and Ron Zamarin

LOGAN ZAMARIN ’26

Kate and Ron Zamarin

AVA ZETIK ’24

Ruth Zetik

Sponsors

Eagle Sponsor

Birdie Sponsors

Cart Sponsors

» Crossland Construction

» GH2 Architects

Hole Sponsors

» A-Best Roofing

» Arvest Community Bank

» Barbara Sturdivant

» Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

Par Sponsors

» Advanced Neuro Solutions

» Burton Oil & Gas

» Capital Advisors

» Holland Hall Class of ‘81

» In the Raw on the Hill

» King Architectural Solutions

» Metro Tulsa Foot & Ankle Specialist

» MerrGib Worldwide

ConsumerAffairs.com

» Leanor Financial Services

» Gorospe Law Group

» HW Allen Co. LLC Venture Properties

» MapleMark Bank

» Team Professional Services

» Monterey Production Company

» NextGenRX

» NPI, Inc.

» Oath Law

» Southwestern Payroll Service, Inc.

» Triad Bank

The Leanor Financial Services team won the morning session with a -15 score at the Holland Hall Golf Tournament.

Golf tournament benefiting turf is record success

Charlie Brown

The 30th annual Holland Hall Golf Tournament held at Meadowbrook Country Club this past May 20th proved to be the most successful fundraising golf tournament in school history.

Thanks to our generous corporate sponsors, along with the record number of players, aided by gorgeous weather, this beautiful one day golf outing provided a net gift of $65,000 that will help fund the newly installed all-weather girls field hockey and soccer field.

Thanks to Bill Knight Auto Group, players enjoyed shots at a Hole-in-One for a beautiful SUV sitting on hole #4. Players stayed hydrated thanks to cold beer from In The Raw restaurants and water from OK Bottling Company. A record number of 34 corporate sponsors supported the tournament.

Miller Tippens Construction Company served as the lead sponsor with their $5,000 Eagle sponsorship. Caps off to them! The athletics department and Tournament Manager Charlie Brown are grateful and wish to say thank you for the support demonstrated by the individuals heading up each corporate sponsor. This year's golf tournament proves once again, great things can be accomplished with a little bit of fun and a lot of cooperation. Thank you to the Holland Hall golfing community.

We ended the year with the 30th annual Golf Tournament. Thank you to our corporate sponsors and individuals who got out on the greens to support our school! H

The Oath Law team won the afternoon session with a -17 score.

Celebrating a year of excellence and generosity

By Diane Shen and Sydney May ’15

Our theme of “Embrace Excellence” was exemplified through our many events this year. With over 200 parent, grandparent, alumni, and friend volunteers, dozens of on and off-campus events, and (spoiler-alert!) exceeding all of our fundraising event goals, this year was a perfect example of the excellence that permeates Holland Hall.

Following another successful year, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who contributed to the success of all of our events. These opportunities to foster community and support to our beloved school are such a wonderful reminder of the special place Holland Hall is. Whether you attended, sponsored, volunteered, or supported from afar, your dedication and generosity have made a significant impact. We are truly humbled by the outpouring of support we receive year after year. Your enthusiasm and commitment inspire us to continue striving for excellence.

Events

Multiple activities and events throughout the year provide opportunities to celebrate, support, and build community at Holland Hall.

The Parents Association started the year off strong with the Primary School Back to School Bash and Primary School Night at the Football Game. Both of these events gave Primary School families the perfect chance to foster friendships while engaging with the

broader Holland Hall community. Thanks to Tiffany Wright, Tamra Hodge, and Cristen Ocepek for your leadership.

October brought Alumni Weekend, bringing nearly 200 alumni back to our beautiful campus for a weekend of celebration. This was followed shortly by the 46th annual ARTworks, featuring local Tulsa artist Mark Lewis. His vibrant and creative pieces inspired amazing self portraits made by students across campus. This week-long experience culminated with a larger-than-life collage of our students' works compiled by Lewis. This is now proudly on display in the Walter Arts Center. Thank you to our ARTworks chairs, John and Sherri Duvall, and our ARTworks Patrons for their support of this wonderful program.

» Dutch Masters

» Francy and Roger Collins

» John and Sherri Duvall

» Masters

» Holbrook Lawson ’82 and Rick Holder

» Leigh Ann Moss and Eric Sherburn

» Benefactors

» Robin Ballenger ’63

» Jean Ann and Tom Fausser

» Doug and Heather May

» Larry and Joanna Holliman ’70 Potts

» Gail and Kip Richards

» Dane and Lisa Tucker

» Liz and Scott White

» Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation

» Friends

» Annatina and Michael Aaronson ’93

» Bailey and Chris Bird ’02

» Britani Bowman

» Kim and Steve Brilz

» Ken Busby ’85

» Jinny and Stephen Confer

» Michelle and Chris Dickason ’89

» John and Marnie Flegler

» Andy and Stacey Helmerich ’06 Dunn

» Keith ’87 and Beth Lieser ’86 Goddard

» Marc and Lynn Frazier ’86 Goldberg

» Jay Lawson

» Tom and Karin Crockett ’69 Smith Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day is one of our most beloved events. The program is filled with activities for our campus visitors including a special welcome from Head of

School JP Culley, performances, classroom tours, and more! Students love this chance to show off the school that means so much to them. Being one of our busiest days on campus means we depend on volunteers to keep everything running smoothly. A special thank you to the parents who gave their time this year! Thank you as well to our keynote speaker, Trustee Emeritus, Alumni Parent, and Current Grandparent, Tammie Maloney, for her presentation.

Our faculty and staff felt the love throughout the year from our parent volunteers who kept the lounges stocked with healthy snacks and sweet treats! This effort, partnered with special meals and Teacher Appreciation Week, showed a true commitment to honor and support our teachers. To Lauren Newman (PS), Allison Liang (PS), Tracy Todd (PS), Cynthia Isaacson (MS), Kulsum Siddqui (MS), Mindy Jones (MS), Ilka Scheferhoff (US), Jinny Confer (US), Amber Reynolds (US), and Amy Koontz (US), your hard work and kindness were greatly appreciated!

Spring semester brought favorites like Giving Day, Celebrating Seniors, and a sold-

PA President Tobey Ballenger ’91

PA President Elect

Liz White

Vice President Primary School

Jennifer Lindsay

Vice President Elect Primary School

Camille Fazel

Vice President Middle School

Leigh Johnson

Vice President Elect Middle School

Betsy Hendershot

Vice President Upper School

Sarah Jane Gillett

Vice President Elect Upper School

Rachel Monks

DutchZone

Jolie Fredieu

Dutch Exchange

Sarah Reddy

EPK Class Coordinator

Laura Hawkins Johnson ’98

Pre K Class Coordinator

Ashley Hughes

Pre K Class Coordinator

Rian Guidry

JK Class Coordinator

Katy Whisenhunt Townsend ’05

Kindergarten Class Coordinator

Brittney Stephens

1st Grade Class Coordinator

Christa Sage

out Trivia Night! A special thanks goes to our Trivia Night Sponsors:

» Arvest Bank

» Carter & Higgins Orthodontics

» Christ Church Episcopal

» Hopper Dental

» Little Design Co.

» Oath Law

» Rooker-Goldberg Families

» The Weikle Family

» Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation Schureman Circle and Founders Guild

Each semester, we set aside an evening to express gratitude and commemorate the kindness and generosity of contributors to the Holland Hall Annual Fund. Donations to the Holland Hall Fund offer unrestricted funds that contribute to all facets of education at Holland Hall and uphold a standard of daily excellence. Thank you to Trustee and Alumni Parents

Annie and Stephen Brady for opening up your beautiful home for our Schureman Circle members. We hosted our Founders Guild members at the stunning rooftop restaurant, Soma at Brut Hotel. We are thankful we get to celebrate these amazing donors! H

Parents’ Association Council ’23-’24

2nd Grade Class Coordinator

Umang Sood ’01

3rd Grade Class Coordinator

Karen Smith

PS Hospitality

Madison Graves

PS Hospitality

Tracy Todd

PS Stock the Lounge

Lauren Taylor Newman ’01

PS Stock the Lounge

Allison Liang

New Parent Liaison EPK and PK

Sarah Reddy

New Parent Liaison K and JK

Taylor Merrick

New Parent Liaison 1-3

Jessica McNeal

PS Community Garden

Ashley Hughes

PS Back to School Party

Tiffany Wright

PS Back to School Party

Tamra Hodge

PS Night at the Football Game

Cristen Ocepek

Kids Heart Challenge

Stacy Parks

Halloween Parade

Amy McKinnell

Visiting Author Illustrator

Canon Bomer

Lunchroom Coordinator

Sunni Wolff

4th Grade Coordinator

Taylor Merrick

4th Grade Coordinator

Canon Bomer

5th Grade Coordinator

Jessica McNeal

5th Grade Coordinator

Hayden Bosworth

6th Grade Coordinator

Kim Dyce

7th Grade Coordinator

Chelsea Showalter

7th Grade Coordinator

Mindy Jones

8th Grade Coordinator

Laura Fawcett

8th Grade Dinner Dance

Shana Mahan

8th Grade Dinner Dance

Krista Herman

8th Grade Dinner Dance

Sarah Broermann

8th Grade Graduation

Noel O’Haren Groves ’94

New Family Liaison 4th and 5th

Brady Carlson

New Family Liaison 6th

Ashley Bray

New Family Liaison 7th and 8th

Jennifer Edwards

MS Teacher Appreciation

Cynthia Isaacson

MS Fall Hospitality

Kulsum Siddiqui

MS Spring Hospitality

Mindy Jones

US Fall Hospitality Coordinator

Ilka Scheferhoff

US Spring Hospitality Coordinator

Jinny Confer

US Spring Hospitality Coordinator

Amber Reynolds

US Teacher Appreciation Week

Amy Koontz

Student Social Activities Coordinator

Jinny Confer

Student Social Activities Coordinator

Amber Reynolds

US New Family Liaison

Teresa Nowlin

12th Grade Coordinator

Kathleen Jones

12th Grade Coordinator

Laura Fawcett

11th Grade Coordinator

Stephanie Meier

11th Grade Coordinator

Patti Chalkin

10th Grade Coordinator

Erica Joseph Brown ’99

9th Grade Coordinator

Kim Schutz

Gezellig stuns with new look, VIP treatment

Gezellig 2024 was a resounding success, and we owe this achievement to the unwavering support and collective efforts of our dedicated community.

Inspired by Annie Brady/Annie Brady Design, Holland Hall’s biannual fundraiser, Gezellig, was back with a whole new look! This year we experienced the darker, moodier, and mysterious side of Gezellig: Club G, celebrating the change makers, dreamers, explorers, and doers of our past and present. The Upper School was transformed into an iconic and glamorous club where everyone was a VIP. We indulged in an evening of luxury and innovation, sharing a sense of joy in spending time together with friends.

Special thanks to Gezellig co-chairs, Kulsum Siddiqui and Bronya Zamarin, and the Gezellig committee, whose meticulous planning and hard work were crucial to the event's success. From securing sponsorships, curating auction items and coordinating

volunteers, their efforts demonstrated exemplary teamwork. The creativity and innovation displayed in organizing unique items for the silent auction followed by the evening event that featured multiple raffle items and a spectacular live auction selection raised significant funds.

The impact of the Gezellig fundraising achievement enhances innovative learning resources, extracurricular programs, and faculty development supporting an environment where students can thrive. It is heartwarming to see how the united efforts and dedication of our Dutch community can achieve remarkable outcomes. Involvement in Gezellig is an investment in the change makers, dreamers, explorers, and doers of the future who attend Holland Hall. Thank you to our Gezellig Patrons, Sponsors and everyone who contributed in any way – your support and generosity are deeply appreciated. H

— Diane Shen, Director of Development

Gezellig Patrons

Dreamers

» Annie and Stephen Brady

Change Makers

» Michelle and Justin Briggs ’01, Kali and Scott Cole, John and Aimee Serio ’02 Hopper, Kate and Chauncey Pickering ’02, Kimberly and Brandon Schutz ’91, & Stephanie and Paul Zito

The Beatniks

» Bailey and Chris Bird ’02 & Jennifer and Joe Potts ’98

» Brian and Patti Shaw Chalkin, Shana and Trase Mahan, Cyndy and Michael Phillips, Amy and Stephen

The Wanderers*

» Carter & Higgins Orthodontics*

The Explorers

» Annatina and Michael Aaronson ’93, Jeffrey Broermann and Sarah Fox Broermann, Mollie Craft, & Jinny and Stephen Confer

The Doers*

» Einstein Bagels and Skyzone*

» FC Tulsa*

The Out of the Box Thinkers

» Mary and JP Culley

» Kalei and Hansen Dirani

» Jahannah and Edward Jamelarin

» Bronya and Chad Zamarin

» Little Design Co.*

» Kulsum and Jamal Siddiqui

» Tulsa Modern Dental*

» Kori and Dennis Weikle

» Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation

Santee, & Kristi and Doug Self

» Autumn and Daniel Love, Ailee and Ryan Nowlin ’93, Timothy and Kristen Graves ’96 Schenk, & Kelly and Rick Wilkerson

» James Hodge Auto Group*

» Robin Flint Ballenger ’63

» FlintCo*

» Linsey and D.J. Lees

» Lisa and Dane Tucker

» Flik*

» Platinum Mechanical*

» Justin and Meredith Lesher

» Brooke and James Woods

The Ones Who See Things Differently

» Clint Basener and Amy Hurlburt

» Megan Rule Beck ’98 and Marcus Huck

» Matthew and Lindsey Hawkins ’95 Bristow

» Andrea and Brad Brown

» Ashley and Connor Cross

» Kinsey and Jake Freudenrich ’10

» Hilary and Brian Green

» Gorospe Law Group*

» Alissa and JJ Hurley

» Madhuri and Chandan Lad

» Katie and Matt Land

» Heather and Doug May

» Michelle and Daniel Miller

» Jana and Kamran Momeni

» Chelsea and Anthony Showalter

» Chelsea and Kane Smith

» Megan and Don Zetik

A special thanks to the Gezellig Committee members:

» Gezellig Co-Chairs - Kulsum Siddiqui and Bronya Zamarin

» Sarah Abbott

» Alison Barto

» Megan Rule Beck ’98

» Sarah Beeson

» Deidra Breese

» Ashley Cross

» Jennifer Coburn

» Camille Fazel

» Sarah Fox Broermann

» Madison Graves

» Dathel Golden ’87

» Betsy Hendershot

* Corporate Sponsor Recognition

» Tamra Hodge

» Britni Houser

» Amelia Hutsell

» Alexa Maloney

» Jana Momeni

» Ellie Morris

» Lauren Taylor Newman ’01

» Kate Pickering

» Jennifer Potts

» Christa Sage

» Robbie Stafira

» Larry Schreier

» Courtney Wilson

» Neely Wynn

Alumni

FROM THE ALUMNI OFFICE Connective tissue

School tries to strengthen bonds between alumni, teachers and school

The beginning of the fall semester at Holland Hall is a whirlwind of activities for families new and old — from New Family Orientation to College Application Boot Camp, Picture Day to pep rallies. Having been through it 30 times, there is always something unexpected and exciting. One of the most pleasant shifts in the last decade becomes apparent when the different branches of the school host their Back-to-School Night events on Thursday evenings in September. The shift is a result of the increasing number of legacy students attending Holland Hall, which turns the Back-to-School Nights into smaller versions of Alumni Weekend.

At the customary Back-to-School night gathering, the parents are usually rushing to a part of the building to meet their child’s teacher or they’re scanning a map of the building in an attempt to locate the next class meeting space. Regularly, when we have a chance to talk, current alumni parents make two comments — first, they comment on how the buildings have changed (generally appearing to be smaller than they had remembered) and second, they ask if it’s possible to come back to attend classes again! Considering all the factors, it’s rejuvenating to see the legacy students interacting with the teachers of their parents. For decades, we’ve been talking about the importance of the “connective tissue” of the Holland Hall community. When I was associate head of school for academics, the term alluded to the need to maintain curricular coordination between the branches. As director of alumni and family engagement, I’m concerned about strengthening the connection between the school and different constituents in the community. The construction of the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Wellness and Dining Center played a significant role in moving the school in the right direction

with the dining space that’s shared by Middle and Upper school students, and a fitness center utilized by many throughout all the branches. Alumni Weekend will be occurring on Friday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, and, for the first time in many years, we are planning a five-year reunion for the Class of ’19. Simultaneously, conversations are taking place related to how best to recognize graduating classes who are beyond their 50th class reunion. This year, the 1964 group is excited about the opportunity to convene for their 60th.

Alumni Weekend is designed for ALL graduates, not only those celebrating at a reunion. We are making efforts to take a similar approach to alerting alumni, alumni parents and retired teachers about all the exciting events regularly taking place on campus, including art openings, athletic contests, musical concerts or theatrical productions. Understanding that there are times when life can be busy and stressful, the opportunity to stroll around the campus with old friends while watching Holland Hall in action is always an uplifting experience.

If you need more information about the happenings around school, feel free to contact me for more information at Richard Hart rhart@hollandhall.org, (539) 476-8148. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you around campus during the school year.

Go Dutch! H

With gratitude,

Richard P. Hart Director of Alumni and Family Engagement

Alumni share in special tradition

Holland Hall celebrated the 60th anniversary of Lessons and Carols Service at Trinity episcopal Church in december. Alumni and retired faculty were invited to perform two pieces with the Concert Choir for the occasion.

Father Ralph Urmson-Taylor and Music director Thomas Matthews started the service of Nine Lessons and Carols, one of the longest standing traditions of Holland Hall, in the early 1960s. It has been directed by david Rollo (1967-1995), Steve dyer (1996-2018), and Lauren Harper-Forgarty (2019-present).

The tradition of alumni participation began in 2013 in celebration of the 50th anniversary. The response was so overwhelmingly positive that alumni are now invited to sing every five years.

Dutch legacy

Alumni Weekend 2023 kicked off with an eventful, welcoming Morning Meeting in the Upper School Commons, followed by campus tours led by current Student Ambassadors. The tours concluded in the Stuart-Lawson Conference Room of the Tandy for a coffee with current and retired faculty, where alums reconnected with faculty greats Dennis Calkins, Fay Palma, Joe Ford, Charlie Brown, Karen Holmes and more. Alumni back for the event included TaMarco Davis ’12, Chuck Davis ’78, Jack Harkreader ’03, Chuck Carmack ’78, Kevinn Matthews ’88, Stephen Newby ’03 and a trio of ’93s — Trent Tucker ’93, Ryan Nowlin ’93 and Rob Greer ’93

Afternoon activities included the first of many Alumni Games. The Sarah Adams Memorial Field Hockey contest took place on the lower field — special thanks to Jan and Roger Adams for supporting the gathering. It was especially fun to see Carrie Lipe Gardenhire ’94 get to play with daughters Ainsley ’24 and Emma ’22, and Jeremy Coman ’09, who jumped into the fun. The barbecue dinner on the southern end of Hardesty Field as the football team thumped

Alumni attended events throughout the school year

the Dewey Bulldoggers with the Class of 2013 presenting the O’Halloran Award to Neil Bergenroth during a halftime ceremony, and, after the game, a party for all alumni in the Upper School Commons. The following day, Holland Hall ’3 and ’8 classes held reunion events at various locations around town.

Later that same month in the morning on Oct. 18, sixteen alumni met the seniors in the Tandy for the Career Panel discussions. Topics covered included law, medicine, education and the arts. After the event, as the Upper

School students prepared for the annual Field Day madness, the seniors stopped by my office and shared stories of their appreciation for the time and expertise shared by the alumni panelists. Thanks to Clark Plost ’08, Allyson Berklacy Domian ’09, Jason Deck ’02, Kevinn Matthews ’88, Spencer Pittman ’06, Madison Holder Shockley ’08, Barron Ryan ’05, Nicholas Foster ’10, Lily Swab ’12, Jennifer Whisenhunt White ’89, Matthew Campbell ’00 and Corey Taylor ’15 for presenting!

The Lessons and Carols service at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Tulsa remains a milestone in the experience of all upper school students. With this year’s ceremony on December 3, 2023, being the 60th gathering, alumni singers were invited to join in the celebration. Afterwards, the alumni in attendance strolled down Cincinnati Avenue to the Vault for a small, lively gathering in the upstairs dining area. The response was overwhelmingly positive and, as a result, plans are being made to host an alumni gathering at the Vault after every Lessons and Carols, whether alumni are joining the singing or not. Alumni spotted at L&C included Aaron Dyer ’03,

Nan Hawkins Winton ’91, Monica Martin ’01, Lauren Taylor Newman ’01, Patricia Rojas McClurg ’01, Gillian Ryan Cawiezell ’01, Sarah Regan Hutcherson ’01, Robin Vest ’93, and Sam Embry ’07, Ken Busby ’85, and Cathy Herrin ’76

The holidays were upon us, but the Holland Hall campus was reopened for the annual Alumni Basketball and Soccer games on Saturday, December 23. The contests in the Middle School gym and on the upper field were heated, but, after the opportunity to exercise, all participants gathered in the Tandy dining space for a big lunch accompanied by lively reminiscing. More than 60 soccer alumni showed up ready to play and,

as is the norm, the group of “Old Timers” were victorious in the final. “Old Timers” included 1st Row (left to right): Lane Norris ’17, Grayson Norris ’16, Abraham Arredondo ’15, Justin Meade ’94, Andrew Watts ’94, Meredith Campbell Rogers ’02, 2nd Row (left to right): Denny Mask ’09, Chris Cameron ’07, Zach Hawkins ’04, Austin Stember ’09, Patrick O’Sullivan ’08, Nate Stewart ’13, Jordan Sexton ’13, Scott Allen ’05, RK Mitchell ’05. Some basketball alums included Keaton Sterling ’23, Steven Smith ’08, Alan Santos ’09, Brock Davis ’20, Jadon Cool ’23, Billy LaFortune ’11, Bailey Miles ’11, and assorted Heldebrand boys from the Class of ’22

Soon after, the Alumni Board organized the annual Trivia Night party in the Middle School gym on Groundhog’s Day — Feb. 2, 2024. After seven rounds of questions covering topics ranging from dog breeds to Jimmy Buffett, Team NOT LAST PLACE won this year’s event, followed by Basil GANG-Lea and Team Kaboom. There were too many alumni to name, but special thanks to Henry Finch ’76 for helping with the new electronic format!

The upcoming year promises more of the same action with Alumni Weekend taking place Oct. 25-26, Trivia Night slated for Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, and Dutch Divine on Thursday, April 24. If questions arise about any matters related to Alumni events, feel free to contact Richard Hart, rhart@hollandhall.org; (539) 476-8148.

Go Dutch! H

Aaron Dyer '03, Lauren Taylor Newman '01, Patricia Rojas McClurg '01, Sarah Regan Hutcherson '01, Steve Dyer, and Gillian Ryan Cawiezell '01 catch up during the 60th anniversary of Lessons and Carols.

Holland Hall recognizes distinguished alumni with dinner

Richard Hart Director of Alumni Engagement and Family Engagement

Traditionally, the Distinguished Alumni dinner and ceremony occurs on the Thursday evening before Alumni Weekend. On Oct. 5, 2023, Jeremy Coman ’09 received Young Alumni Award recognition for his tremendous work in the film industry. Mat Brainerd ’78, who directs the operations of world-leading Brainerd Chemical Company, and Sandra Alexander ’69, successful lawyer and the first Black student to graduate from Holland Hall, received Distinguished Alumni recognition from the Holland Hall Alumni Board.

In the Fall of 2024, the schedule for significant events was affected by late changes in the school’s OSSAA classification as it relates to fall sports. While Alumni Weekend will be taking place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-26, the upcoming Distinguished Alumni Weekend will be taking place on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Dining and Wellness Center.

This year the Alumni Board will be honoring four individuals for their remarkable achievements. Richard Feldman ’68, a Grammy award winning musician, songwriter and producer, and Karra Duncan ’92, who recently attracted national attention with the Oprah Winfrey Network’s “Rebuilding Black Wall Street,” will receive Distinguished Alumni recognition. Corey Taylor ’15, who’s playing a significant role in the local music scene through his involvement in the University of Tulsa’s expanded music program and in the new music venue called “The Dome,” will be honored with Young Alumni Achievement recognition, and Braxton Redeagle ’08, who has been instrumental in reviving the Osage language across the state and beyond, will be receiving the Service Award.

Friday, Sept. 20, 5:30 p.m. in the Tandy promises to be an memorable gathering. Further details about the event will be available through the school’s website later this summer. H

Icon status

Sandra Alexander becomes Distinguished Alumna, inspires

Middle School House

Sandra Alexander didn’t forget about Holland Hall when she graduated in 1969.

Her legacy had been cemented as Holland Hall’s first Black graduate — she’d been recruited by school officials at a time when segregationists in Tulsa were trying to prevent integration. Holland Hall, instead, preemptively looked for students to enroll.

The school decided “we’re going to stop doing things this way,” she has said. “The status quo will not be the future.”

After earning a full scholarship to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and graduating from the University of Tulsa Law School, she made Tulsa home again. And she stayed involved in her alma mater.

Alexander served on Holland Hall’s Board of Trustees for 12 years (1988-92 and 1996-2002) and was its first Black member.

She was a longtime member of the Holland Hall Alumni Board, has mentored students and board members alike, and still serves as an active Emeritus Trustee today.

“In order for there to be change, somebody has to be first.”

— Sandra Jeane Alexander ’69

You’ll often see Alexander at board meetings, which she isn’t required to attend with her Emeritus status, and she’s at every alumni and school event she can attend.

In 2023, she was officially named a Distinguished Alumna, giving a stirring

The impact of Holland Hall

Librarian

changes course of distinguished alum’s life

When Mathew Brainerd ’78 was a new 4th grade student at Holland Hall, he already considered himself a “poor student.”

His experiences in the classroom had been “less than positive,” and he didn’t expect this school to be any different.

Then he met Eleanor Heavey, who had been Holland Hall’s Headmistress and Principal for many years. She closed out her service to the school as a reading specialist from 1962 to 1973.

Growing up at a time when dyslexia and ADD weren’t well recognized, Brainerd had made it through elementary school — and twice through 3rd grade — at public schools without learning to read.

But Heavey “had machines that ‘reprogrammed’ my brain by putting letters on a screen from a projector. Over time, the letters flashed quicker and eventually turned into words. Words eventually turned into streaming

sentences,” he said.

“To this day, I speak of Ms. Heavy as the quintessential teacher who had the labor of love to teach me to read. Not at the time, but during my lifetime, I realized she was a saint for her patience and personal time spent working with me.”

But it wasn’t just Ms. Heavey, who is quoted as saying, “Watching students develop is the great thrill," that changed the course of his life. He also cites former chemistry teacher and Coach Charlie Brown as an influence and “a man with great integrity and someone I would

acceptance speech that spoke to her struggles and triumphs during her years at Holland Hall and beyond.

“Holland Hall totally changed the course of my life. I was the first,” she told school historian Ron Palma for the school’s history books. Her firsts continued as she became the first Black woman in Oklahoma to go into private practice as an attorney, and she was the first Black woman to be a municipal judge in Tulsa — in fact, she was the first in any court in eastern Oklahoma.

Much of her distinguished bio can be found on page 18 of this magazine. It’s the bio that every Alexander House student reads upon entering the Middle School.

Sandra is one of only two living community members who had a Middle School House named after them for being such a pivotal part of the Holland Hall experience. The other is Coach Charlie Brown, the longest tenured faculty member in school history.

“Her courage and determination forged pathways for generations of Holland Hall students,” said Head of School JP Culley. “And she always finds time to give back to her alma mater. She is one of our most cherished Emeritus Trustees, and continues to attend meetings to ensure our mission is vibrant and we remain at our best for all of the students in our care.“ H

not want to disappoint.”

“The impact of Holland Hall was learning that there were people in the world who not only cared for others but also had resources, experiences, and knowledge to make a difference in education,” he said. “I’ve made a career of learning something every day of my business life.

“Because I had to work hard to learn, I learned perseverance. Because I made many, many mistakes during my early education, I learned the entrepreneurial spirit must make mistakes before success is accomplished or achieved.”

Brainerd has had a successful career as chairman of the Brainerd Chemical Co., and has served as a founding board member of the International Chemical Trade Association, and a board member of the Surface Transportation Board and STB Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council (RSTAC), serving as the latter’s chairman in 2021.

“Anyone who struggles to learn should be aware that it can be done with the right professors and the right tools,” he added. “It does take hard work and perseverance on the part of the individual, but isn’t that how leaders are formed?” H

Alum makes a career of reining in chaos

By Ashley Parrish Director of Communications and Marketing

At 18 years old, Jeremy Coman ’09 was all but told that a student couldn’t create a serious film.

“That drove me to prove that sense wrong, and that's definitely the mentality that carried with me in my career,” the 2023 Young Alumni Award Winner said by phone recently.

With the help of Dr. Michael Berglund and some Holland Hall students, Coman finished a “pretty grounded and maybe morally complex story about somebody who commits a crime of self-defense and tries to wrestle with the complicated feelings of wanting to be a good person but also feeling very guilty about the actions they caused.”

The film was titled “Entropy,” and it launched Coman’s career, which has spanned stints with such popular shows as “Stranger Things,” movies like “Free Guy,” and the start of his own 2nd Law Studios.

His studio was named after the second law of thermodynamics — “Entropy, the concept of irreversibility, the measurement of growing chaos in our universe.”

“Basically, entropy is all around us. It’s always spreading. There’s no way to keep things under control forever,” he said. “And that theme is very much important to not just film but producing in general. There’s always this hurricane of chaos on the horizon that threatens your film or your project.

“Producing is really all about the art of taming that beast, of finding a way to put those things in order.”

One of those ways of finding order in life is coming back to Tulsa, and to Holland Hall to pick up his award.

“My home is Tulsa. My home is Holland Hall,” he said, “so it felt grounding. I felt right back at home as if not a day had passed.”

Not only did he get back in touch with Dr. Berglund, who is now the head of upper school at Riverfield, but he got to see Sharon Irvine, Bob Butler and Sarah Cox, his cheer coach when he was the school’s first male cheerleader.

Coman and wifeBrooke, Brooke, welcomed a baby girl, August May, in January, and he’s taking a little bit of time to be Dad.

But he has big plans for his new studio. He’s currently developing two original feature films.

“It's asking me to take steps forward in places that

are new and uncomfortable. I worked for about a year on two video game projects, video game series that I'd grown up playing — ‘Silent Hill’ and ‘Borderlands.’ That was the toughest job I had ever been a part of.

“What I really wanted was to be able to have a better handle of the creative and help lead a project with empathy. And I felt like my near 10-year experience working in the film industry, and now games, really showed me that there's a lot left to be desired about leading a project with empathy.”

It’s a lesson he learned from some of his most successful projects.

“That first season of ‘Stranger Things,’ that was completely made out of love, and everybody felt it, everybody knew it,” he said. “And when you see all the gags in the Easter eggs that are in the film ‘Free Guy,’ that's because the production team listened to the passionate gamers. It wasn't my official title, but I was assigned the role of, like, video game advocate. Basically, I was the go-to person on the production to say, ‘Hey, is this right? Is this wrong?’ If Ryan Reynolds is making a joke, it's my job to kind of raise my hand and say, ‘Hey, you know, this wouldn't necessarily happen this way, it would happen this way.’ And that

way, extra hardcore fans in the audience feel really more connected to the picture.

“So if there's anything I want folks to really understand is that these projects that you love, they are made with the love of the people who make them and that's not just something that you can pay for. That's passion for the art.”

His film “Entropy” is available to check out in the library, which he hopes some students will do.

“Trust yourself,” he said. “Don't ever let age or experience hold you back. Be willing to take the courage and be willing to say no if the opportunity doesn't sit right with you.”

And, on a practical note, “I would suggest that anybody reach out cold to professionals. In the industry, plenty of resources like IMDb have all the credits of folks that work on your favorite television films and games. If students reach out, those professionals generally will be happy to spend some time to talk about their experience. I'm one of those folks that will happily work with students and offer experience. That's the heart of networking. And that's the heart of filmmaking. It's not really a dry process of interviewing. It really is about making connections and sharing passions.” H

OSAGE ROOTS

Braxton Redeagle shares his journey from Holland Hall to Hollywood

By Ashley Parrish ’93 Holland Hall Director of Marketing and Communications

When the Holland Hall gates opened early in the morning, Braxton Redeagle ’08 would be driving through shortly after.

He’d make his way down to the football locker room and try to get some rest before Morning Meeting. Maybe grab a shower if he needed it.

Home was in Pawhuska for most of Braxton’s time at Holland Hall, and his father worked at sites in the Tulsa area or along the way.

Getting to school meant taking Dad to work in the earliest hours of the day, then sometimes sleeping in the car in the parking lot before making the remainder of the trip.

A three-sport athlete all four years at Holland Hall, Braxton didn’t have a lot of time for anything but school, sports, and navigating the logistics of the two on top of family life.

“There were many times my grandpa would drive me in the beginning. I cherished that time with him, hearing him retell stories, everything from his time in boarding schools to working for Phillips 66,” Braxton remembers. “Other times I would stay with friends, and we had an apartment for a short period. It took a lot of help and sacrifice to make it happen. There were multiple families in the Holland Hall community that helped me tremendously.”

After graduating in 2008, he went to Sewanee: The University of the South, where he continued his football career. But despite a personally successful season, he decided it was time to let his body heal and make time for other areas of interest.

Some family hardships had him moving closer to home after his freshman year, and over the course of the following year and a half, he attended Oklahoma City Community College while living in Norman, then Tulsa Community College. He earned an associate’s degree from TCC before heading back to Norman to attend the University of Oklahoma.

“I had to fight for the education that I got,” he said. “At some points all I can remember was going to class and working, trying to make ends meet, keep moving forward and avoiding

the obstacles surrounding me. I spent most of my free time coaching basketball, going to colleges, and learning the ins and outs of the recruiting process.”

But, after his winding path led him to OU, he found his way back home — to his Osage roots.

He took an internship with his tribe — in the Osage National Language Department, a tribally funded initiative to preserve the native language.

That experience took him right back to lessons he learned at Holland Hall.

Braxton had always loved Latin classes.

“The teacher who made the most impact in general on my life was Ron Palma,” he said. “I’m kind of a language person, it’s where I’ve naturally had a strong inclination. But it wasn’t just what he was teaching. A lot of the skills he taught me, the way he was as a person, how approachable he was, he helped contextualize the things I was interested in and the things I was going through.”

The language itself spoke to Braxton.

“Latin promotes a lot of the skills needed for language revitalization and reconstruction,” skills that help him in his work with the Osage language, which lost its last native speaker in 2005. Braxton experienced the native language some while growing up in Pawhuska, the headquarters of the Osage Nation, but it was primarily present in ceremonial spaces.

That internship “introduced me to some of the resources I didn’t even know about, I discovered so much documentation of the Osage language was out there. When I went to OU, I was able to get access to one of the biggest Osage language archives — the Carolyn Quintero collection at Sam Noble. That really

kick-started my independent learning. Most of my education was self-guided using old tapes and digitized resources. I picked up some basic linguistic skills and began my language work.”

After graduating from OU, he eventually made his way back to the Osage Nation Language Department, where life would get very exciting.

The movie

In 2017, a book subtitled “The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” was published.

As the subtitle suggests, “Killers of the Flower Moon” focused on the Federal Bureau of Investigation but was set amid a dark period of Osage history, when members of the tribe, who had become rich from the oil on their properties, were being systematically killed off for their wealth.

Wildly successful, the book soon caught the interest of Hollywood and director Martin Scorcese, who traveled to Pawhuska and the small community of Gray Horse, where many of the victims’ descendants still live.

“They came in and talked to our leaders, talked to our communities,” Redeagle said.

And the movie morphed — slowly incorporating more and more Osage efforts and perspectives.

The Osage Nation offered the film crew resources, including the services of the Language Department where Redeagle worked as a certified teacher and now as its director — a position he took in 2022.

“They incorporated many of our community members in the production,” he said. “We had people who worked in payroll, helped facilitate production day things, made

the clothing and objects. They put people in some key roles and many as extras. About the only thing we didn’t have any part in was writing scenes, though some of the input did influence elements of the movie.”

What emerged was a detail-rich depiction of life in Osage County in the 1920s, with stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone.

“It’s surreal, the recreation of this time period. They spent so much time and money and effort to research and include details. The language part was kind of the same way. They were using the language and making it alive in that space.”

The effect was mind-blowing, Braxton said.

“I don’t even have the words for it. We, as language workers, are focused on revitalization … having the community immersed in the language, where it is living. Working with the movie, it really put us on the spot to do that in a very controlled sense. We had this Osage world that was being created. We made it alive again.”

While offered a chance at an on-screen part, Redeagle declined and focused instead on getting the language right with his fellow teachers.

“We have a solid team at the Language Department. Only a small group worked on the language for the movie, but we have many capable people doing incredible work each day. Many of them had parts in the movie.”

He helped translate the lines and worked with actors on saying them. Then he helped in post production reviewing voiceovers and subtitles.

The result has been an increased and renewed interest in the customs and the language of the tribe.

“But there is a darker side of that,” Braxton said. “The story in itself is a hard one to portray, and means reliving family trauma. Many people were seeing for the first time stories they have heard being played out on screen. Hearing their family members’ names in the movie, seeing them murdered. It was good to hear the language, but difficult to see it surround those scenes.”

Braxton was among those with the tribe to travel to the movie’s premiere.

Although the movie isn’t perfect, Braxton is pleased with what it’s meant for advancing different voices in Hollywood and beyond.

“Hollywood is going to make a movie that will sell or win awards. They’re not coming in to tell our story for us,” he said. But the community support, and the lengths the crew went to incorporate the Osage Nation, could be “a kind of a blueprint for the way people should do things.” H

Richard Feldman honored for ‘distinguished’ career

Richard Hart Director of Alumni Engagement and Family Engagement

The Holland Hall Alumni Association is delighted to recognize Richard Feldman ’68, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer, with a Distinguished Alumni Award.

While growing up in Tulsa, Richard attended Paul Revere Elementary School at 51st and Lewis before transferring to Holland Hall for 5th grade on the 8 Acre Campus. Initially intimidated by the academic environment, he grew to appreciate the challenges he encountered in his new surroundings. He also remembers enjoying the challenges presented by Upper School teachers Don Rieder (English and Spanish) and Mary Yeakey (Latin), adding that he felt supported and encouraged by all the educators he encountered in the school community.

After graduating from Holland Hall in 1968, Richard attended Antioch University in Ohio before heading to Geneva, Switzerland, where he continued his study of developmental psychology. When he returned home in 1973, he was employed as a social worker for a local organization in town before getting wrapped up in the local music scene. Richard worked at Leon Russell’s Church Studio and his band, GUAVA, played locally for two years before he decided to head out to Los Angeles, where he experienced early success as a songwriter. Since his move west, Richard has written and produced 40 gold and platinum albums, recorded more than 200 songs, earned four Grammy nominations and won a Grammy for

Best Reggae album in 2004 for Toots and the Maytals, “True Love.” He’s had a chance to work with the Pointer Sisters, Don Williams, Joe Cocker, Belinda Carlisle, Eric Clapton, Shakespeares Sister and Midge Ure. He was president of the Association of Independent Music Publishers from 2009-2012, creating the Nashville chapter during his term and he remains CEO of Artists First Music. Since his “retirement” from the world of music, Richard has acted as the managing director of the RIJO Investment Group in Encino, California, investing in a variety of assets including real estate, private credit, private equity, venture capital and publicly traded equities. H

‘Unshakable spirit’

Karra Duncan tells the story of ‘Rebuilding Black Wall Street’

By Christy Utter ’92

While on a recent hiatus, writer, producer, and director Karra Duncan ’92 reflected on her career, her work on the Tulsa Race Massacre and its aftermath, and shared advice for young talent in the entertainment industry.

Karra, recently named a Holland Hall Distinguished Alumna, has dedicated much of her life to advocating for, storytelling about, and illuminating the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Her deep understanding of the events of 1921 comes from her grandfather, who witnessed the massacre firsthand. He was at a hotel in Greenwood when the massacre broke out, and when lives and buildings began to fall. Growing up, Karra absorbed these stories, and they deeply influenced her.

Even as a 7th-grader at Holland Hall, Karra was passionate about history. For an Oklahoma history class project, Karra recalls, “We could do anything we wanted as long as it had to do with Oklahoma history. Some kids did the Land Run and some kids had talked about the scissortail flycatcher. I built a little model elevator and then told the story of what happened that night in 1921.”

That alleged elevator incident between Dick Rowland, a 19-year-old black man, and Sarah Page, a 17-year-old white woman, sparked racial tensions and an event that left an estimated 300 dead and 1,200 homes destroyed.

Karra tackled the topic with the honest and straightforward approach that has characterized her career and life, emphasizing resilience and the unshakable spirit of the Greenwood community.

Karra has consistently pursued truth and justice, often challenging authority when she encountered injustice. This determination sometimes slowed her career progression, but regret is not part of her vocabulary.

"I advocate for the crew if corners are being cut. Just because we can do it, does not mean we should do it," she asserts. She is particularly

committed to ensuring fair treatment and pay for crew members in smaller markets like Tulsa, where she champions industry standards.

During the production of "Rebuilding Black Wall Street," capturing the spirit of entrepreneurship and resilience was crucial. The docu-series, presented on the Oprah Winfrey Network, featured descendants of the massacre, bringing a positive light to Tulsa's history over the past century. Her ability to finally return to her hometown, and provide the same opportunities and wisdom to its locals that she received from her early days working for film and television producer Aaron Spelling, meant a great deal to Karra, who always acknowledges the time and effort others have invested in her.

Karra describes herself as a "possibility shepherd," a role she defines as guiding and protecting her team through the complexities of production.

"Shepherds withstand the elements, protect their flock, make sure everyone is fed, pay attention to their health and spirits, and safely usher them along with care," she explains.

This philosophy extends to ensuring her crew's well-being, from providing personal space and financial advice to ensuring they are wellfed, cultivating a loyal and hardworking team. Her path leading to the entertainment

industry began with a conversation with Holland Hall College Counselor Michael Sweetman, ultimately steering her to Hampton University, and eventually New York University and UCLA. Her career has fulfilled her early and continued desire to meet people, see the world, and experience new adventures daily.

Karra's impressive resume includes roles as a producer, writer, and/or director on shows like "The Great American Baking Show," "Master and Apprentice: Gunsmiths," "Singapore Social," "Rebuilding Wall Street," "Airline," "Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies," and “G-Trification,” a film she wrote, directed, and produced.

Karra's dedication to truth, justice, and the well-being of her team has defined her career and life, making her a distinguished alumna and a respected figure in the entertainment industry.

A lifelong learner, Karra seizes every opportunity to expand her knowledge and personal growth. She’s currently enjoying Dave Grohl’s autobiography on audiobook, the book "Rich AF" by Vivian Tu, a monthly MasterClass (currently Melody Hobson), the TV show "The Brother's Son" on Netflix, and the documentaries "Luther" and "Daughters" from Sundance. And lately, she enjoys listening to Pink, Bruno Mars, and Garth Brooks. H

1. Directing Morris Chestnut. 2. In the edit for Rebuilding Black Wall Street 3. Press interview in Tulsa.

Corey Taylor returns to Tulsa to contribute in a new arena

By Richard Hart and Kaelyn Case ’21

As the younger brother of two dynamic older sisters, Corey Taylor II ’15 found his own path to success at Holland Hall. Contributing significantly on the field, court and track came naturally to him, and, from an early age, Corey’s athletic abilities were accompanied by exceptional talents in another field — music.

Now, less than 10 years after he graduated from Holland Hall, he is back in Tulsa, helping take the local music scene to new heights.

Corey teamed with Holland Hall parent Eric Sherburn to create an all-in-one facility to be a launching pad for artist careers, and they bought a historic downtown church to be its home. The Dome, at 924 S. Boulder Ave. and known for its distinctive green

Photo Credit: The University of Tulsa

roof, is under construction now. As the 2024 Holland Hall Young Alumni Award winner, Corey will be honored on Sept. 20, at Holland Hall’s Distinguished Alumni Awards. Visit hollandhall.org for more information.

Corey’s passion for music started at an early age. He was introduced to the power of music through his parents and his community at church. As the son of two Christian pastors, Corey often witnessed how music can be inspirational as it brings people together. He watched as his dad supported and helped local Christian musicians, going far and above expectations as he created a recording studio and offered assistance when it came to managing their tours.

While putting in the time and effort to excel in the athletic world, Corey maintained his interest in music in the Upper School, playing percussion in the band and taking his first steps at learning music theory. After high school, Corey earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at the University of Tulsa before he signed with the Cleveland Browns as a running back. In the

midst of his career as a student-athlete at TU, Corey created a record label named Resonant Sound, and, as a result, when his football career ended, he quickly and easily transitioned to a new line of work.

Currently, as the resident music industry professional at TU, Corey and a team of creators help aspiring local musicians jump-start their careers. His team assists musicians through each step of the music-making process from songwriting and producing to marketing and advertising.

“I always try to surround myself with people who have figured out more than I have in certain areas. I don’t want to become stagnant,” Corey said. Corey adopts a growth mindset that pushes him to bigger and better heights, as he creates an environment that encourages him to improve continuously.

As in his earlier career on the athletic field, the driving force behind Corey’s current role in the Tulsa music scene is the power of teamwork. He thrives on collaboration and enjoys working with talented individuals who work together on a shared goal. H

‘Another 100 years’

Credit Phil Clarkin Photography

The Rodgers brothers celebrate centennial of beloved ballroom

By Michael Overall For Holland Hall Magazine

Flipping channels on a Sunday night in early September 2002, Chad Rodgers ’96 came across a local newscast reporting that the historic Cain’s Ballroom was for sale in downtown Tulsa.

Chad’s father, coincidentally watching the same channel, called as soon as the report ended.

“Did you see that Cain’s Ballroom is for sale?” he said. “Have you ever been there?”

“Only twice,” Chad told his father. His first visit to the famous music venue came during his high school days in the mid 1990s, when he went to a performance by Holland Hall schoolmate David Terry.

“Maybe we should go look at it,” Chad’s father said.

After graduating from Holland Hall in 1996, he began his career as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter here in Tulsa. After a year and a half there, he opened and ran the Hardwood Sports Bar and Grill across the street from the Reynolds Center. But the restaurant’s lease was about to expire and the buildings’ owner wouldn't sell the building. So Chad was

planning to open a new place in downtown with his father, a local neurosurgeon, as an investor.

“We had had plans drawn up to do something similar to Cain’s with live music and a bar,” Chad says. “We were supposed to sign papers on the location in less than a week, then we saw the news about Cain’s.”

Chad and his mother and father toured the venue on a Tuesday in early September 2002. They decided to buy it that Thursday.

Of course, Cain’s is not just a building. And it’s more than a business. It’s an icon.

“You can’t really own a place like this,” Chad says. “We are just custodians. It belongs to Tulsa.”

‘Feel the history’

Tate Brady, an early settler who became one of Tulsa’s first real estate developers, built Cain’s as a private garage for his extensive car collection, but apparently never used it as intended. Instead, the Louvre Ballroom opened at 423 N. Main on Oct. 13, 1924, when more than 1,700 people crowded onto the largest dance floor in Oklahoma.

“The big crowd was orderly and goodnatured despite the crush,” according to the Tulsa Tribune’s report at the time. “And hundreds remarked on the beauty of the interior decorations and the enthusiastic rhythmic melodies provided by Hunt’s Imperial orchestra.”

Madison “Daddy” Cain bought the location in 1930 and advertised dance lessons from “attractive young ladies” for 10 cents a turn. He remains the namesake to this day.

Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, however, get credit for making Cain’s famous. From 1935 to 1942, Wills had a daily half-hour radio show that originated in Tulsa but could be heard nationwide and even in Europe. When the live

audiences grew too big for the KVOO studios, Wills moved the broadcasts to the Cain’s, giving the ballroom international publicity.

Playing Cain’s soon became a milestone in a musician’s career, first for country artists, then for almost every genre. The stage has welcomed everyone from Tennessee Ernie Ford and Dwight Yoakam to The Police, the Ramones and U2.

In 2020, the Los Angeles named Cain's Ballroom as one of the Best Places for Live Music in North America, along with Royal Street in New Orleans and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

“All the artists that come through here say, ‘Man, when we walk on stage, you can feel all the people that have come before you.’” Chad says. “You feel the history.”

‘Bolster

Tulsa’s image’

Chad came to Holland Hall in sixth-grade while his brother Hunter was in second grade. Hunter went somewhere else for middle school but came back to Holland Hall for Upper School to benefit from the modular schedule.

“It teaches you time management,” Hunter says, a critical skill for managing an historic music venue.

Hunter was studying audio engineering in Florida when his mother called in 2002.

“We bought Cain’s,” she told him.

“What is Cain’s?” Hunter asked.

He came back to Tulsa to run the sound system and to help his brother manage the venue. Before buying the venue, the Rodgers family knew that the historical music venue was in major disarray and needed lots of care, restoration (which involved a major monetary investment) and management.

The Cain’s closed in May 2003 for this extensive renovation. Helping do some of the work themselves, local contractor

The Happy Hammer replaced the rickety wooden dance floor, installed a new sound system and updated the lighting. They added fire sprinklers, air conditioning and larger restrooms. And, after buying the building next door, they broke through a wall to create space for a bar, a second stage and a kitchen that allowed Cain’s to serve food.

The Cain’s closed in May 2003 for an extensive renovation. Doing much of the work themselves, Chad and Hunter replaced the rickety wooden dance floor, installed a new sound system and updated the lighting. They added fire sprinklers, air conditioning and larger restrooms. And, after buying the building next door, they broke through a wall to create space for a bar, a second stage and a kitchen that allowed Cain’s to serve food.

The venue reopened in October 2003. Since then Cain’s has hosted some of the biggest names in rock, including Bob Dylan, Beck, OneRepublic, Green Day, Robert Plant, Chris Stapleton and The National.

“It has turned out better than I ever thought it would,” Chad says. “If anything, we’ve improved the national recognition of the venue.”

Cain’s is marking its 100th anniversary this year with special merchandise and an exclusive offering from Marshall Brewing, Cain's Centennial Ale. Meanwhile, the Rodgers brothers are planning to announce free shows as “a way to give back to the community.”

Other centennial shows, while not free, will bring back some of the biggest stars that have played at the Cain’s over the years. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, for example, performed June 2, with Cain’s being by far the smallest venue on their current tour.

That’s the case with many artists who come here, Chad says. They could sell a lot more than 1,700 tickets, which is the maximum capacity for Cain’s. But other venues just aren’t the same.

“We hope it's around for another 100 years,” Chad says. “And we hope that what we’re doing here helps bolster the city of Tulsa's image around the country, even around the world.” H

From Hallway to Hollywood

Jessica Buzzard ’92 is still telling stories

By Jimmie Tramel For Holland Hall Magazine

It’s a great idea, really.

People in the entertainment industry may get weary of talking about “their” projects.

Instead, what if those same people were invited to chat about someone else’s work — maybe a movie they love?

“The Film That Blew My Mind” is a podcast that provides people in entertainment with a platform to riff about, as the title suggests, the films that blew their minds. For audiences, it’s a chance to learn more about what inspires directors, writers, and actors behind their

favorite movies and shows.

For instance: Robert Altman’s 1973 film “The Long Goodbye” blew Tulsa-based filmmaker Sterlin Harjo’s mind. You can listen to the Harjo episode of the podcast for details. Or you can listen to Ethan Hawke, Eva Longoria, Willem Dafoe, Jon Hamm, and others talk about films that blew their minds.

The co-creator and executive producer of “The Film That Blew My Mind” podcast is 1992 Holland Hall graduate Jessica Buzzard.

“The Film That Blew My Mind,” which can be accessed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts, is a collaboration between Buzzard and co-hosts John Cooper and Tabitha Jackson, former heads of the

Sundance Film Festival.

If you were wondering how the podcast had the connections to reel in big-name guests, Sundance is the answer. Like Cooper and Jackson, Buzzard has Sundance on her resume. She spent 12-plus years at Sundance Institute as head of brand, creative and content, which is about how long she spent in the Holland Hall system.

Almost a lifer

Buzzard joked that she was a “latecomer” to Holland Hall. She didn’t arrive until second grade, after a first-grade year at Patrick Henry.

“I loved Holland Hall. I still love it. It’s a great community. It was a great place for me. And I’m a big fan.”

Buzzard again referenced community when talking about the benefits of attending Holland Hall.

“All the teachers were excellent, ” she said. “It felt like everyone was there to help you learn. And the values of the community were there. Academics, athletics, the arts, friendship — it was about learning to live a full life.”

Buzzard’s curiosity was rewarded at Holland Hall, where she was able to explore her interests. She has a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Colorado. She got a head start because she took her first art history class at Holland Hall.

The variety of classes, “really sparked my curiosity and my interest in creativity, arts and artists, and that has really stayed with me.”

Buzzard participated in sports, including field hockey, track and cross country, at Holland Hall. She said she was not a “superstar” athlete.

“During finals or a really intense academic project, I would always feel like I needed to study or ‘I can’t spend time doing sports right now.’ But the coaches would always say, ‘Well, this is the time that you need the stress relief.’ And I think about that all the time when I’m busy with work or life things and I know that taking time to exercise or to be outside helps me stay focused.”

Buzzard had a lot of fun in school, had a great group of friends — and she tried to be friends with a lot of people. But everything she did, she took seriously. She served as the editor of the campus newspaper.

Did she always know what she wanted to “be?”

“No. Well, you know what? That’s not 100% true,” she said.

“I feel like I am still, in some ways, publishing a high school newspaper. I work in media and I love storytelling and I am so curious about our world and what’s going on in it and I think it’s important that people participate actively and exercise their voice when they have something to say. I loved working on The Hallway (the school newspaper), which I did for all four years of high school and then I was editor my senior year. I thought I wanted to study journalism, but I quickly redirected when I discovered

art history, which felt like a way to really dive into storytelling on a visual level and what the art of a certain time and place can tell us about the people living in that environment. And also just the craft of all of that — how you make something beautiful was and still is fascinating to me.”

After Holland Hall

Pre-Sundance (and after some “really weird, bad jobs, but that’s a whole other story”), Buzzard took her art history degree and was employed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, where she lived with Holland Hall friends. This was the 1990s, also known as the era when museums began having cocktail parties.

“So that was the biggest part of my job. Once a month, we had First Fridays and invited people into the galleries for cocktails and art experiences. I ran the guest list and I held the drink tickets, which made it the job of my 24-year-old dreams.”

In talking about that job, she was reminded that it was another combination of creativity and community and art and an audience coming together.

“That’s always been what I love doing is introducing audiences to work that might make you think differently or feel something

that you didn’t expect to,” she said. “It’s kind of magic.”

A museum background led Buzzard to Sundance, which was another one of those wonderful synchronicities. She was one of the first people hired in the communications department and was able to build a marketing department on her own.

“By the time that I left, we had a full-time, year-round marketing staff of 13 people and about 50 freelancers that came on for the festival,” she said.

“I built a little mini media empire there that came to include written stories, video, social media, photography, graphics and branding so it was a big job, but it was of my own making. And during that time, the Institute also grew — its operating budget more than doubled. So I was able to steward the brand faithfully through a time of massive growth, which felt like a meaningful contribution. It was also a place and an idea that really spoke to my core values again — the importance of curiosity, artistic process, and a creative community.”

This is a good place for a Robert Redford story. Redford, an Academy Award-winning actor and director, is Sundance’s founder.

“I was fortunate because Mr. Redford was deeply involved in the brand work, specifically in the graphics, and, every year, the film festival has a new set of graphics, so we reinvented it visually every year. I was able to work quite closely with him on that branding for the Festival and for the Institute. The Institute branding is still used today, and I feel like we were able to really take what was true to him about the spirit of Sundance and bring it into a bit more of a contemporary place — out of the ’80s and ’90s and into the 21st century.”

The Sundance experiences of Buzzard (essentially the showrunner), Cooper and Jackson made “The Film That Blew My Mind” possible. Call it a podcast, if you want, but, for Buzzard, it’s an adventure.

“I love jumping into something that’s new — if I’m not 100% sure how to do it, and can figure it out as I go, I am happy,” Buzzard said near the end of the podcast’s inaugural season.

Maybe that brings her story back to Holland Hall.

“It continues to be sort of foundational to how I approach everything I do in work for sure — building relationships that are longterm, looking to really meet people where they are instead of trying to get others to come to wherever I may be, finding those organic connections is a thrill,” she said. H

Alumni Class Notes

Want to update your email, phone number, or address, or have news to share in Class Notes? Send an email to rhart@hollandhall.org.

1977

Alumni from the Class of 1977 got together with Coach Charlie Brown on the course recently. Pictured are John Brechin ’77, Brown, David Brown ’77, Noell Michaels ’77 and Greg Meyer ’77.

1980 LeAnne Taylor ’80, a longtime anchor at Tulsa’s News On 6 was honored by the Tulsa Press Club in September and was named a “Media Icon.” She was named a Holland Hall Distinguished Alumnus in 2021.

1981

Susan Pedrick ’81 Simpson and her husband recently became empty nesters, and are finally building a home on a lake in East Texas. She has seven children and 13 grandchildren.

1982

J.B. Bird ’82 and Lisa Nienhuis ’82 recently met up with former headmaster John Bird and his wife, Mary Alice, in Maine. J.B. reports that his parents are doing well. “My mother is in recovery from a stroke she suffered in January this year, and I’m happy to report she is doing very well, back in the garden, keeping my dad on his toes, and as able as ever to detect the misbehavior of adolescents.”

1983

Ken Levit ’83 was recently named to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. “Ken has dedicated his career to uplifting Oklahoman communities in countless ways, and he’s passionate about making a difference,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a press release.

1985

The Class of 1985 had a get-together in February. Pictured are Ken Umezawa ’85 (left), Elizabeth Beebe ’85, Greg Reynolds ’85, Linda Strong ’85, Phillip Kaiser ’85, Anne Vhhnal ’85 Frame, Jennifer Clark ’85, Patrick Coates ’85, Adria Benner ’85, Eric Mills ’85. Greg and Jenn are celebrating 39 years together, 34 of marriage.

1988 Kevinn Matthews ’88 recently joined the law firm of Moyers Martin. “We are thrilled to have Kevinn join our firm,” said Scott Morgan, partner at Moyers Martin. “His depth of experience, client development, and leadership skills will be invaluable additions to the firm.” Kevinn was also recognized with a President’s Award from the Tulsa County Bar Association in 2023.

2001

Mary Chandler ’01 was recently voted Nurse of the Year at the Good Shepherd Hospice in Grove.

Ambar Malik ’01 received the Randy Barnard Memorial Leave the Ladder Down award at Williams. The selection committee noted Malik’s support of Williams’ diverse supplier program, participation as a founding member of the D&I Council and participation in many Employee Resources Groups, including the Working Parents ERG she leads. “She leads by example, actively investing in helping others succeed,” one of her nominees noted. “In her work, she drives process improvements and also takes time to advocate for others.” Ambar "started down this path at HH," she said.

2003

Beth Knight ’03 debuted her show “Who Told You To Be Small” at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe — the world’s largest performance arts festival — in Scotland. She currently lives in Glasgow.

Beth used nude self-portraits to overcome the shame she held about her body. She started small, painting herself in an unflattering light crying, and showing that painting to the world. Piece by piece, she put her shame about her looks on blast, with each painting becoming larger and more intimate. It culminated in a pop-up gallery using wall-sized advertisement space in the London Underground, with her painted nude portrait standing 5 and a half meters tall for the world to see. She tackled the misogyny around the standards of beauty that kept her hiding her body for decades by diving into the fear with art and laughter.” You can see her works at bethknight.com.

2006 Spencer Pittman ’06 was named to the 2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America list. He is a shareholder at Winters & King. Since graduating from the University of Tulsa College of Law, he’s served the communities of Bixby and Jenks in various capacities and has been awarded the highest federally recognized community service achievement, the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for his contribution to the state’s drug court program.

2010

Alumni Board President Jake Freudenrich ’10 and wife Kinsey just welcomed baby No. 2 in June. Blair joins brother Theo, who starts EPK at Holland Hall this fall. In other news, Jake recently joined Carson Roberds Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley as a financial advisor. He now works alongside fellow alum Sanford Roberds ’93

2014 Kristen Graybill Brumbaugh ’14 welcomed her second child, Mallory Ann, on April 2. She joins brother Luke.

2020 Jake Martens ’20 and Sophia Lepak ’20 were recently married. They are pictured here with Ty Tetrick ’20 and Abie Koch ’20

In Loving Memory

ALUMNI

MORRIS L. “BRAD” BRADFORD ’66

October 16, 2022, Tulsa, OK

BEVERLY MCKEE RODOLF DALE ’41

September 4, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Great grandmother of Lia Shipley ’36

MARGARET "SUSIE"

WIRICK GARDNER ’64

May 6, 2024, Siloam Springs, AR

Sister of Ruth Wirick Landsaw ’62

DAVID LUGER ’89

March 17, 2023, Nokomis, FL

JAMES C. “JIM” MEEHAN, JR. ’83

June 15, 2024, Tulsa, OK

PATRICIA DELANEY SNIDER ’50

October 28, 2023, Dallas, TX

MAXYM YEROHKIN ’16

July 30, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Brother of Vadim Yerohkin ’07

FRIENDS

ELLEN ANDERSON

February 12, 2024

Mother of Dan Anderson ’86, Emily Anderson ’93

PATRICIA BARNARD

June 5, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Wife of retired faculty member David Barnard

RAYMOND BARNUM

January 28, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Father of Olivia Barnum ’15

JOHN BECKWITH

January 21, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Father of Chris Beckwith ’88, father-inlaw of Jane Beckwith, and Grandfather of Jillian ’25 and Phoebe ’22 Beckwith

DACK BENNETT

May 3, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Father of Salem Bennett ’21 and Scarlett Bennett ’25

JACKIE BLOCKER

July 27, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Mother of Jacqueline L. Blocker ’88 and Michelle I. Blocker ’96

JUSTINE BOOTS

January 27, 2024, Detroit Lakes, MN

Mother of Mary-Catherine Sacra and Jennifer Boots-Marshall, Grandmother of Alice Sacra ’30, Joel Boots-Marshall and Owen Boots-Marshall ’25

JACQUIE CARR-LONIAN

April 21, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Former Latin teacher and mother of Trippe ’02 and Jonathan ’05

JEAN COCHRAN

June 12, 2024, Pauls Valley, OK

Mother of Angie Stolper, grandmother of Nathan Stolper ’17 and Matthew Stolper ’19

JOSHUA DEAN

December 2, 2023, Little Rock, AR Grandson of Betty Dougall

FRED DIEDRICH

March 1, 2024

Grandfather of Andrea Reese, faculty; great-grandfather to CeCe ’29, Henry ’32, and Charlie ’35

JAN DUNKELBERG

July 5, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Mother of Ian Dunkelberg ’00, Megan Dunkelberg Tsambias ’03

WILLIAM “BILL”

BENJAMIN EMMER

May 17, 2024, Tulsa, OK

MARY EPSTEIN

March 29, 2024, Virginia Beach, VA

Mother of Susan Connor, Grandmother of Morgan and John Connor ’18

LINDA FISHER

March 23, 2024, Houston, TX

Mother of Krista Herman, grandmother of Caroline ’25, Jackson ’28, and Elizabeth Herman ’29

JD FRANK

Febuary 7, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Grandfather of Lindsay Frank ’06 and Rachel Frank Ethridge ’09; Great Grandfather of Peyton ’36 and Allison ’38 Ethridge

DEBBIE FREEMAN

Grandmother of Morgan ’38 and Elliott ’36 McConnell, motherin-law of Chris McConnell

JUDITH GORDON

June 17, 2023, Melbourne Beach, FL

Grandmother of Andrew Gordon ’02

JAMES LEONARD HARRIS

May 2, 2024, Oklahoma City, OK

Father of Michael ’03 and Amanda Harris Winge ’05

NANCY HAWKINS

September 23, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Spouse of Emeritus Trustee John Hawkins; Mother of Scott Hawkins ’93, Chris Hawkins ’93, Laura Hawkins Johnson ’98; Grandmother of Katherine ’34, Caroline ’35 and Luke ’38 Johnson

MARIE HERRIN

March 7, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Mother of Steve Herrin ’76, grandmother of Sam ’05 and Catie Herrin ’08

RAYMOND ARTHUR HOLDER

September 15, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Grandfather of Madison Holder Shockley ’08, Father-in-law of Holbrook Lawson ’82

THOMAS JEFFERSON HUGHES, III

October 1, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Emeritus Trustee; Father of Jeff Hughes ’81, Robert Hughes ’84, Holly A. Lehman ’87; Grandfather of Robert L. Hughes, Jr. ’18 and Maggie Hughes and Step-grandfather of William L. Secrist ’12

BRIAN KELLER

October 3, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Brother of Chris Keller ’91

LUCILLE R. HASS KEMBEL

October 1, 2023

Grandmother of Jake Freudenrich ’10 and Sarah Roberts; great grandmother of Madison Roberts ’37

CLAUDIA MATNEY KING

October 17, 1942 - June 22, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Mother of Kyle Brown ’99, Randy Brown ’96

ROBERT J. LAFORTUNE

March 27, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Grandfather of Johnny LaFortune ’19 and Gracie LaFortune ’21

ANTHONY LOEHR

January 28, 2024, Bixby, OK

Father of Allison Loehr ’94

JAMES HOWARD LIEBER, JR.

August 16, 2023, Checotah, OK

Father-in-law of Pam Lieber, Grandfather of Katie Grinberg ’99, Bryan ’02 and Kevin Lieber ’06

CHERYL MATTERN

June 17, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Mother of Keith Mattern ’01

GEORGE MAUERMAN

October 1, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Father of Heidi Wendland ’86 and Heather Paris ’90

JOSEPH MAY

March 12, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Grandfather of Sydney May ’15, Erin May ’17, and Harper May ’26

BARBARA MEIER

October 1, 2023, Spring Hill, FL Grandparent of Truett ’24 and Sloan Meier ’27

STEVEN O'CONNOR

November 23, 2023, Charlotte, NC

Donor dad of Chris McConnell, grandfather of Morgan ’38 and Elliott ’36 McConnell

NANCY OVERALL

December 2, 2023, Owasso, OK

Mother of Tonya Ward, mother-in-law to Ashley Parrish ’93 and grandmother to Gavin ’27 and Thatcher Overall ’35

PHILLIP B. PARRISH

December 11, 2023, Sperry, OK

Father of Ashley Parrish ’93, grandfather to Gavin ’27 and Thatcher Overall ’35

FRANCES L. PATTERSON

November 2, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Grandparent of Amy England, Great Grandparent of Simon ’34 and Elliott ’37

FREDRICK STANLEY PEARCE, JR.

June 9, 2024, Metairie, LA

Father of Justin Pearse

ROGER J. PHILLIPS

June 30, 2023, Bixby, OK

Grandfather of Piper Meade ’26

ALBERT W. PRESSLAUER

July 29, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Father of Alex ’08 and Johnny Presslauer ’13

KENNETH WATERMAN RAGLAND

September 1, 2023, Madison, WI

Father of Emily Reichard, Father-in-law of Jaime Reichard, Grandfather of Zach ’23 and Nicholas Reichard ’26

LOUISE RAMSEY

July 1, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Mother of David Ramsey ’76

BRYAN SELF

November 1, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Parent to Tate ’35, Ava, Haley, Ethan, Brady

JOHN SHILLINGFORD

October 2, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Father of Tyne Shillingford ’03, Grandfather of Bishop Parsons ’33

KENNETH L. SHINGLETON

Grandfather of Liam ’18, Alex ’20, Josie Shingleton ’22, Fatherin-law of Keri Shingleton

THOMAS W. SOWELL

November 2, 2023, Bixby, OK

Father of Shannon McFadden, Grandparent of Callan ’19 and Brecklyn McFadden ’24

SANDY STAVA

December 2, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Grandmother of Nelson ’23 and Michael Stewart ’27

GERRI STELTJES

February 6, 2024, Franklin, TN

Grandmother of Robert ’22 and Thomas Sharpe ’22

MORRIS DEAN STROM

October 1, 2023, Bixby, OK

Father of Gabriel ’01 and Emilie Strom ’06 Wright, Father-in-law of Bryant Wright ’06

C. CONLEY TUNNELL

October 3, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Father of Adison ’22 and Casidy ’24 Tunnell

JUDY GAYLE WATERS

November 9, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Supporter of Holland Hall students

DAVID BARNARD WHITEHILL

July 20, 2023, Afton, OK

Father of Nora Whitehill Percy ’89 and Ann Whitehill Kohler ’90, cousin of Keenan Barnard ’64

SUZY VERNON

July 24, 2023, United Kingdom

Grandmother of Lyle ’27, Eden ’29, and Isla Bristow ’33

MARCI UTTER

July 24, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Mother of Brinkli Utter ’29

JANE C. WALTER

August 8, 2023, Tulsa, OK

Mother of Peter Walter

BECKY YORK

January 31, 2024, Tulsa, OK

Wife of David York ’64, mother of Jenny ’98 and Bryan ’01

Holland Hall Tribute Gifts — In Memory

SARAH ADAMS ’99

Jan and Roger Adams

Sean Allen and Laura Adams-Allen ’03

Nancy Baumann

Jill and Rod Coulter

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Ilan and Katie Lieber ’99 Grinberg

Tina and Zak Helmerich ’74

Vanessa and Chris Jones

Callum Kerr ’00

Susan Maycrink ’99

Lisa and Tony Silvestri

FRANCES BLOW ALLEN ’36

Ashley Allen ’72 and Brad Wegner

H. G. BARNARD

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

CRAIG BENTON

Amy and Doug Allen ’83

Anne Marie and Paul Moore

GUY BERRY

Caroline Berry

MILDRED AND JACKIE BLOCKER

Christy Utter ’92 and Sarah Vizza

DOTTIE AND JIM BOSWELL

Oleeta and James Boswell ’81

BILL BROWN

Grant and Kara Beair ’02 Butler

Maile and Chai Reddy ’97

Emily and Jamie Reichard

SANDRA BROWN

Erik and Sarah Tollett ’92 Grohmann

Sharon and Peter Irvine

Barbara Reavis

Rion and Meredith Campbell ’02 Rogers

Shirley and Dee Sokolosky

Angie and Jon Stolper

Christy Utter ’92 and Sarah Vizza

TRACY BRUNE ’87

Frank B. Ward

KAREN WOLFKILL BUFFINGTON

Wanda Wolfkill

JEFF BYERS ’84

Chris and Marcy Frazier ’84 Rooker

JANIS CHAMPION

Melissa and Steve Champion ’89

DOUGLAS COX

Hanley Cox

RICHARD DE FABIO

Yvonne and Bryan De Fabio

LANCE DULLYE

Kimberlie Dullye ’83

PATTY DULLYE

Kimberlie Dullye ’83

MARGERY MAYO FEAGIN BIRD ’33

Nancy and Jay Bird ’67

LINDA FISHER

Lary Fisher

BILL FLINT

Frank B. Ward

MARC FRAZIER

Marc and Lynn Frazier ’86 Goldberg

PAUL GARDNER

Sydney Snyder

GREG GEPHART ’71

Triangle Community Foundation

JUDITH GORDON

Ann Dombroski

Joanne and Joseph Dombrosky

Robyn Sommer

NANCY HAWKINS

Starre and Keenan Barnard ’64

Andrea Nielsen Bartlett and Gary Bartlett

Bedford Farms

Deila Bethell

Cherry Bost

Cheryl and Larry Chambers

Fulton & Susie Collins Foundation

Kathy and Ron Collins

Hanley Cox

Kathie and John Coyle

Mollie and J.W. Craft

Marnie and John Flegler

Katrine and Ramez Hakim

Diane and Curtis Hawkins

Carol and Jerry Hill

Shelley Smith Jackson ’64

Katie and David Johnson

Lucia and Brent Laughlin

Holbrook Lawson ’82 and Rick Holder

Jay Lawson

Michael and Katie York ’67 May

Patricia McKinley

Nancy Moore

New Dominion LLC

Olistico Wealth LLC

Jerry and Susan Wynn Park

Anne Quiggle

Gail and Kip Richards

Beverly and Rick Schafer

Cameron Smith

Don Smith

Dee Dee ’67 and Jon Stuart ’67

Barbara Sturdivant

Tim Thomas

Lisa and Dane Tucker

Nancy and Fred Utter

Peter Walter

Ann and Chris White

Marydith and Paul Williams

Janice and Phil Wilner ’65

David York ’64

ROBIN HAWKINS

Matthew and Lindsey Hawkins ’95 Bristow

JIM HEWGLEY ’66

Phil Kates ’66

Steven and Gayle Babcock ’57 Smith

JAMES M. HEWGLEY, JR.

Frank B. Ward

ALEC HILL ’77

Lawrence and Kimberly Ho ’77 Schoelen

CHUCK HILL

Christy Utter ’92 and Sarah Vizza

ED HOOKER

Fay Palma

TOM HUGHES

Susan and Samuel Stone

RON JACKSON

Krista and Tim Childress

DAVE KRAMER

Kimberlie Dullye ’83

JOAN AND JOHN KUESER

April and Jack Kueser

T.C. LANE ’00

Nanette and Tom Lane

ROBERT LIM

Emily Lim

DELORES ANN LORETT

JW Lorett

JOE LOWERY

Sarah Joyce-Dyer and Steve Dyer

Carol Lowery

Christy Utter ’92 and Sarah Vizza

ANDRE LUCAS

J.J. Johnson ’03

GEORGE MAUERMAN

Charlie Brown

CINDY MENN ’73

Alan Philoon ’73

NANCY OVERALL

George Overall

RON PALMA

Erik and Sarah Tollett ’92 Grohmann

Thom and Emily Watson ’78 Hillsman

Fay Palma

Ashley Parrish ’93 and Michael Overall

Ariel Balter and Roger Roberts ’83

JOAN PASSMAN

Gretchen and Owen Pugh

GEOFF PATTERSON

Leslie Rutherford

AFROZ RAHMAN

Shahna and Parvez Zahir

DAVID ROLLO

Melissa and Steve Champion ’89

HEIDI SCHMALTZ

Kathy and Greg Carey

RAMONA SCRUTCHINS

Art Scrutchins

EVELYN SHARP

Celia Nesbitt Hasbrook ’48

NANCY SIEMERS

Janice Green and Paul Patton

KATHRYN SMITH

Judee and Leo Weinberg

KARL SNIDERMAN

Meg and Noell Michaels ’77

MARGARET EVANS STEWART ’47

Jean Newton Tate ’47

ROBERT TEW ’87

Anne Coates ’90

GENE THOMPSON

Diane and Brian Thompson

JEANNINE TOMASINO

Luc Tomasino ’81

MARK VANN ’03

J.J. Johnson ’03

JESSE LYNN WEEKS

Jasmine and Jonathan Weeks

JAYSON WILLIAMSON ’07

Glenda and Tom Carlile

AMANDA HARRIS WINGE ’05

Anita Harris

Diane and Byron Shen

Board of Trustees

Robin F. Ballenger ’63 Board Chair

Lori A. Carver Vice Chair

Matthew J. Bristow Treasurer

Amy M. Santee Secretary

Annatina B. Aaronson Past Parents’ Association President 2021-2022

Tobey Ballenger ’91 Parents’ Association President

Megan M. Beck ’98

Annie Brady

Ashley Bray

Milford J. Carter

J.W. Craft

Past Board Chair 2017-2022

William J. (Jake) Freudenrich ’10 Alumni Association President

Lynn Frazier Goldberg ’86

Ronald L. Hoffman

JJ Hurley

Stephen W. Lake

William C. Lawson ’81

The Rev. Dr. Everett C. Lees

Amy H. Oneal ’99

Sarah W. Poston

Elizabeth B. Rains

The Rt. Rev. Poulson C. Reed Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

Shannon L. Richards ’02

David J. Schaffer

Thomas A. Sharpe

Kulsum Siddiqui

Tyrone D. Sterling

Joseph R. Wignarajah ’00

Chad J. Zamarin

Emeritus Board of Trustees

Sandra J. Alexander ’69

Philip B. Allen ’73

Katherine G. Coyle

John B. Hawkins

David A. Johnson

Tammie L. Maloney

Susan C. Stone

Barbara D. Sturdivant

HOLLAND HALL ADMINISTRATION

JP Culley Head of School

Jane Beckwith Director of Teaching and Learning

Bryan Burnham Director of Belonging and Inclusion

Justin Butler ’04

Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management

Steve Dyer

Director of the Walter Arts Center and Fine Arts

Amy England Chief Advancement Officer

Henry Finch ’76 Chief Technology Officer

Steve Heldebrand

Assistant Head of School for Athletics

Vanessa Jones Head of Primary School

Leslie Kelly

Associate Head of School for Finance and Operations

David Parks Head of Upper School

Ashley Parrish ’93

Director of Marketing and Communication

Jennifer Whisenhunt White ’89

Assistant Head of School and Middle School Head

Getting with the spirit

Harrison Renner, an EPK student, high-fives Dutch while the Holland Hall mascot was making holiday deliveries in the Primary School.