SPARK Magazine // Spring 2022

SPRING

SPARK

2022

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

A LASTING RECORD

AFTER 35 YEARS OF SERVICE KAREN DOXEY RETIRES WITH AN ENDURING LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

COUGAR CONNECTIONS

LET TER FROM

T HE HE A D OF S CHOOL

Dear Collegiate School Community,

S

hortly after our Cougars returned from winter break, Upper School students in Rob Wedge’s economics class had the distinct privilege of hearing from Bryce Powell ’69. Mr. Powell kindly shares ideas and inspiration with me. When I asked him to join me and teach a class, he accepted with delight and humility. He shared 10 pieces of wisdom with the class — or, as he likes to call them, his “pearls for life.” He spoke about the importance of mindfulness, being a good citizen and the endless learning journeys we are all walking together. “Never stop being curious,” he told us. “Each of our lives is a journey, and we come to different discoveries at different times.”

To see a Collegiate alumnus and active member of our community engage in meaningful conversations with our leaders of the future serves as a great example of the lifelong connections that sustain our Collegiate spirit. Our School’s timeless values are present in the relationships we hold between each other. As I told Mr. Powell, I hope he went home and shared with his wonderful family that he is a teacher and that he came back to school to help me prepare children for life beyond Collegiate.

In many ways, his presence embodies our purpose — lifelong learning and intergenerational connections.

In this issue of Spark, we are pleased to share some of those points of connection — person-toperson connections as well as connections across the divisions, grade levels and disciplines — that foster, build and maintain community. When we partner as lifelong learners we strengthen both the community that defines Collegiate and the broader world we are committed to serving.

It is also timely, then, that we highlight the seven alumni who live out of state and serve as volunteers on our Alumni Board. Near and far, Cougars connect and create a network of people who care deeply about each other and the collective community. We prepare children for life beyond Collegiate and want them to have great affinity for

our School and a desire to give back as alumni. I look forward to furthering the ways our current students are able to grow familiarity with and leverage the assets of our alumni network.

A H A L L O F FA M E C A R E E R Collegiate represents many pillars of excellence — one of which is Athletics. Whether you have been a spectator, player, parent of a player or coach, it is likely that Collegiate Athletics are an experience you have enjoyed.

Although our Athletic programs are not about one person, sport or decade, there is one person who has nurtured, facilitated and grown Collegiate Athletics for 35 years. Always thinking about the students and the School’s bigger picture, Karen Doxey helped Cougar Athletics grow to what it is today. She is humble and legendary. She led during Collegiate’s expansion to the Robins Campus, which has provided preeminent facilities and transformational opportunities for our Cougars.

Overseeing all Athletics from Cub to Varsity sports, Karen is a role model for our more than 700 Cougar athletes in Grades 7 through 12 and all who enjoy Collegiate Athletics. Whether a student chooses to train to compete at the highest level, sees sports as a runway for lifetime fitness or somewhere in between, Karen is a key figure in providing avenues for all students to pursue personal bests and build lifelong connections through teamwork. She sees sports as a way to build relationships that create meaning, purpose and joy during one’s time at Collegiate and for decades thereafter. I hope you will enjoy the spotlight we cast upon her distinguished and selfless service to the School.

role of Director of Parent/Family Relations. Her work with the Parents’ Association will allow volunteers to maximize their time, talents and interests, and she is dedicated to helping our School flourish. We hope you will enjoy the Q&A with Jill and Katherine Adamson ’96, our current Parents’ Association President, in which they discuss the important impact our parents have in service to our School. Katherine proves to be a terrific partner and leader capable of maximizing connections — despite the ongoing pandemic.

Also in this edition, you will notice the new spotlight we shine on the Arts at Collegiate. Our students’ artistic expressions come in many forms — performing, visual and media arts — and it is important to celebrate their creative capabilities.

Mike Boyd, in his position of Director of the Arts, continues to maximize opportunities for our community to learn, benefit and explore possibilities for all our students to see themselves as artists.

From our JK students, who are no longer new to the Collegiate community, to the Seniors, who are savoring their last months on campus, it is a pleasure and privilege to be a part of our vibrant learning community. I hope that you will enjoy this issue of Spark and feel connected — no matter how far away you are. We look forward to hearing from you and keeping you apprised of how Collegiate’s flame continues to endure.

Warmly,

Penny B. Evins Head of School

T H E C O N N E C T I O N S O F O U R PA R E N T S Without volunteers and the generous support of our parents, we would not be the strong and vibrant community that we are. I am thrilled that Jill Mountcastle is our first person to fill the staff

SPRING 2022 1

C O L L E GI AT E S C H O O L A D M I N I S T R AT IO N Penny B. Evins, Head of School Courtney Martin, Associate Head of School Sara Boisvert, Director of Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship Mike Boyd, Director of the Arts Erica Coffey, Director of Inclusion and Global Engagement Karen S. Doxey, Athletic Director Louis Fierro II, Director of Information Technology Patrick E. Loach, Head of Upper School Deborah I. Miller, Head of Lower School Katherine Olson ’96, Director of Strategic Communications Phyllis Palmiero, Chief Financial and Chief Operating Officer Scott Smith, Director of Admission and Enrollment Management Tung Trinh, Head of Middle School Kristen O. Williams, Chief Development Officer

B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S 2 0 2 1-2 2 Carter M. Reid P ’16 ’18, Chair of the Board W. Hildebrandt Surgner Jr. P ’11 ’14 ’17 ’19, Vice Chair John W. Martin ’78 P ’10 ’11, Immediate Past Chair of the Board Penny B. Evins P ’22 ’23, President/Head of School Neelan A. Markel ’96 P ’27 ’30, Secretary Katherine T. Adamson ’96 P ’23 ’25 ’29** Ellen T. Bonbright ’86 P ’24 ’26 Callie Lacy Brackett ’95 P ’22 ’24 Mason T. Chapman ’84 P ’22 Mayme Donohue ’03 Eucharia N. Jackson P ’17 ’19 Peter E. Mahoney Sr. P ’15 ’19 ’26 ’26 Malcolm S. McDonald P ’87 ’88* Morenike K. Miles P ’24 ’25 Meera Pahuja ’97 P ’30 ’32 ’34

Sarah Paxton ’84 P ’19*** William S. Peebles IV J. Cheairs Porter Jr. P ’27 ’29 ’32 John H. Rivers Jr. P ’25 ’28 Kenneth P. Ruscio P ’08 Danielle D. Scott P ’25 ’25 Julious P. Smith III ’86 P ’20 ’22 ’25 L. Mark Stepanian ’89 P ’16 ’18 ’21 ’23 Wallace Stettinius P ’77 ’79 ’84* R. Gregory Williams ’69 P ’01 ’04*

* Life Trustee ** Parents’ Association President *** Alumni Association President

A L U M N I A S S O CI AT IO N B O A R D 2 0 2 1-2 2 Sarah Paxton ’84, President Jasmine Turner ’11, VP/President Elect Pettus LeCompte ’71, Past President Graham Mandle ’08, Recording Secretary Ginny Hofheimer ’96, Corresponding Secretary Wortie Ferrell ’88 and Peyton Jenkins ’00, Annual Fund Co-Chairs Beth Watlington Marchant ’72, Stewardship Chair Amrik Sahni ’06 and Harry Wilson ’01, Events Committee Chairs Lauren Cricchi ’10 and Dominick Meeks Gombe ’09, Young Alumni Chairs First Term Ben Adamson ’98 Elizabeth Wright ’01 Harrison Roday ’09 Luke Walker ’12 Helen Roddey ’16 Virginia Harris ’16

Second Term Leroy Vaughan ’64 Brink Brinkley ’76 Elisabeth Arnold Weiss ’86 Sagle Jones Purcell ’94 Lauren Siff ’02 Stuart Farrell ’03

Katherine Olson ’96 Director of Strategic Communications Jack McCarthy Writer/Editor Anne Gray Siebert ’97 Director of Alumni Engagement Jimmy Dickinson Creative Manager Weldon Bradshaw Keller Craig Brandon Fox ’82 Louise Ingold Ellie Lynch Contributors Mike Boyd Dan Corrier Taylor Dabney Jimmy Dickinson Jay Paul Anthony Rumley Photography Think (think804.com) Design

Thanks to all parents, students, alums and friends who generously share their information, photographs and archives. Please note that Spark magazine is posted on the School’s website and may be available on other online platforms accessible through Internet search engines.

Spark is published by Collegiate School. We welcome letters from readers, though we may not have room to publish them all.

Submissions may be edited for publication. Photographs deemed unsuitable in quality by Spark’s designers may not be included. We make every effort to return photographs shared with us — please send high-resolution (300dpi) digital images whenever possible (to: spark@collegiate-va.org).

Class Notes and Photographs Please send your news and photographs, and we will use them in an upcoming issue. Digital images must be high resolution (min. 300dpi).

Address Spark Editor Collegiate School/Communications Office 103 North Mooreland Road/Richmond, VA 23229 Email spark@collegiate-va.org Visit our website at www.collegiate-va.org Phone Spark: 804.754.0869/Alumni Office: 804.741.9757

103 North Mooreland Road/Richmond, VA 23229 804.740.7077 / Fax: 804.741.9797 Collegiate School admits qualified students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships and loans, and its educational, athletic and other programs.

SPARK

SPRING 2022

ON CAMPUS Highlights of Fall and Winter 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Arts at Collegiate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Fall Sports Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

FEATURES Karen Doxey’s Lasting Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Karen Doxey, Director of Athletics, will retire after 35 years of service.

Cougar Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 In more ways than one, Collegiate fosters connections that last a lifetime.

ALUMNI NEWS Alumni Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Cross-Country Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Chips Off the Old Cougar Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

CLASS NOTES News from Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

A TEACHER’S TAKE We hear from Upper School Science Teacher Stew Williamson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

SPRING 2022 3

ON CAMPUS Medical Professionals of the Future Aspiring young medical professionals have created a space to explore future professions.

F

or aspiring medical professionals in the Upper School, the potential professional avenues a student can pursue sometimes seem endless.

There’s cardiology and respiratory therapy, nursing and dermatology, dietitians and medical physicists. The list goes on, which is both daunting and encouraging.

That’s why, during the latter half of the 2020-21 school year, Senior Anju Natarajan founded the Future Medical Professionals Club, which, with the help of Collegiate alumni, parents and other practicing medical professionals, provides a space for interested students to explore the various careers within the medical field.

“I wanted to create a club that would give students real-world experience in the medical field and expose aspiring medical professionals to a range of career options,” says Anju, who, in addition to organizing the Future Medical Professionals Club, leads the Scientific Research Club and the Epicurean Club.

Through hands-on workshops and visits from guest speakers, the Future Medical Professionals Club both expands and specifies students’ focus. Guest speakers such as Dr. Paul Caldwell ’88, who spoke to students about his work as an orthopedic surgeon, and Dr. Christine Rausch P ’26, who taught students how to create stitches using suture practice kits, give students particular details about what their work involves while simultaneously showing them medical work they might have been unfamiliar with before. “There are so many different avenues in the medical profession,” says Dave Privasky, Upper School Science Teacher and supervisor of the Future Medical Professionals Club. “And the variety of speakers that collaborate with us provides a great spectrum to our students, who are really interested in pursuing all those different career paths

4 SPARK | On Campus

and exploring those opportunities they might not have known about.”

For students of the Club, working with guest speakers — many of whom, in one way or another, are members of the Collegiate community — personalizes the medical field; it offers a face to the sometimesdistant medical profession. “Working with and hearing from alumni is definitely an enlightening experience,” says Anju. “It’s very insightful to see where they ended up, and it’s a comfort to speak with them and learn of their own professional journey and the challenges they faced along the way.”

The Club also presents more immediate professional opportunities for students as well with regard to potential internships and job-shadowing work. “When we have an alumni or parent come in to share a piece of themselves — well, it’s a huge benefit,” says Mr. Privasky. “Often, the speakers will invite our student body to come and see them in their own place of work, which extends a student’s learning.

They’re so willing to share what they do, and I think that’s a great gift to give.”

For alumni, engaging with the students is an opportunity to share their expertise and connect with the current students of Collegiate, some of whom are sure to become future medical experts. “It goes without saying that our students’ education is enhanced by our alumni, who are committed to giving our Cougars every possible opportunity,” says Anne Gray Siebert ’97, Director of Alumni Engagement. “They want our students to reach the same level of success they have been fortunate to reach. They love this place, and we continue to be grateful for how much they give back.”

MODELING FOR THE FUTURE UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DAVID BANNARD’S MATH MODELING CLASS PARTICIPATE IN A MATHEMATICS COMPETITION WITH REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS. Math, though sometimes seemingly abstract, is deeply woven into

of time working on a specific problem,” Mr. Bannard explains. The

the fabric of the world.

project, he continues, converges on a range of course topics. “There’s

Eight teams of Collegiate Upper School students, all of whom are enrolled in Upper School Math Teacher David Bannard’s Math Modeling class, are learning this valuable lesson as they

a lot of interplay with the science courses, physics and calculus, and all students combine their skills.”

To evaluate their chosen problem, students conduct original

participate in the High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling

research, apply the necessary mathematics to approach the problem

(HiMCM), an international high school contest in which roughly

with diligence and rigor, integrate lessons they might have learned

1,000 teams participate.

from other classes such as biology and statistics, and, finally, write

“To me, math is not very useful unless it can be used,” Mr. Bannard says. “This contest gives students the chance to apply the mathematics that they’ve learned.”

an analysis detailing their research, which is then submitted to both Mr. Bannard and the contest director at COMAP. Interactive and integrative projects such as this heighten

The contest, organized by the Consortium for Mathematics

students’ awareness of national and global problems and show them

and its Applications (COMAP), presents students with real-world

that what their education gives them is the potential to become part

mathematical problems that challenge them to utilize the skills they’ve

of the solution, a citizen of the broader world. “Had we not worked

learned in the classroom to develop a solution to a selected problem.

on this project, I never would have known about the water shortage

The two problems proposed to the students are serious and relevant, and students have the choice of solving one of them. The first, “Tackling the Drought,” asks students to study Lake Mead, the

problem in Lake Mead” one student, who worked on the “Tackling the Drought” project, says.

Intellectually challenging, the project illuminates the value of

largest water reservoir in the United States, to evaluate drought

mathematics. “This is a unique opportunity students have,” Mr.

impact on water reservoirs and the possible solutions to abate

Bannard says. “They get to work in groups that allow them to share

additional water shortages. The second problem, “Storing the Sun,”

their knowledge, develop technological skills that will suit them well

challenges teams to plan the use of solar power to provide electricity

in the future and solve significant problems students around the

to a 1,600 square-foot home being built in a remote area.

world are working on.”

“For me, one of the main benefits of the project is this: Upper School students have the opportunity to spend a condensed period

SPRING 2022 5

Students Develop Valuable Skills Through Model UN Thirty-five Model UN students participated in Collegiate’s mock conference in September. The two committees selected fun themes for the low-stakes practice session, where students had the chance to build upon their public speaking, debating, teamwork, researching and critical thinking skills. These sharpened skills will prepare the students for upcoming virtual conferences at William & Mary and American University.

BATT L E O F T H E B R A I N S DEM O N S T R AT E S T H E B R I G H T YOU N G MI N D S AT C O L L E G I AT E When your intellect is strong, it is always fun to engage in a friendly test of academic skill. In January, Collegiate School’s Battle of the Brains team did just that, competing against Granby High School in the exciting quiz bowl format, which aired on WTVR CBS 6. This year’s competitors were Mason Chapman Jr. ’22, Max McManus ’22, Vivian Sievers ’23 and Braden Felts ’24.

FIRST ROBOTICS PROGRAM SUPPORTS M ENTOR- BASED EXPLORATIO N In January, Upper School students gathered to watch FIRST Robotics reveal the theme and rules for their 2022 international competition. The competition, as well as FIRST Robotics in general, supports the global robotics community and allows for mentor-based exploration of science, engineering and technology. Following the announcement of this year’s competition, our Cougars started working right away to brainstorm, design and prototype.

Team TORCH 5804 is getting ready for this first competition, which will be held in the spring.

Students Shine at Ethics Bowl

COL L E GIAT E ’ S E T HICS BOWL PROMOTES RE S PE CT F UL DIS CUSSI ON AMONG STUDENTS. To be a citizen of the world means to engage in the problems of both local and global communities. By encouraging students to participate in morally serious discourse concerning real-world issues, Collegiate’s Ethics Bowl teaches students to think clearly when discussing service to the community. In this year’s 13th annual Ethics Bowl, Collegiate School Seniors presented thoughtful responses to questions regarding the intersection of ethics with economics and public policy decision-making.

6 SPARK | On Campus

SHARING EXPERTISE

E R I C A C O F F EY

P EN N Y EVINS

Director of Global Engagement and Inclusion, Erica Coffey recently presented at the INDEX DEI conference in Austin, Texas and served on the conference’s planning committee.

Head of School Penny Evins served on a Women in Leadership Panel for Choate Rosemary Hall, her alma mater. She also serves on several boards.

Our faculty and staff are lifelong educators — both in the Collegiate community and beyond. We are proud of those who continue to further their love of learning and share excellence within their fields.

PHYL L IS PAL MIERO Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer, Phyllis Palmiero served as a guest speaker at S&P Global’s Credit Spotlight Series.

DAVID ROBIN SON David Robinson, a private music instructor at Collegiate and accomplished composer, recently performed in Virginia Commonwealth University’s guitar series with his wife, Kathy.

RVA SPORTS AWARDS DEL HARRI S, Head Boys’

K E L S E Y F E LT O N AN D A N N E H OG G E

Basketball Coach and Program Leader, serves on the executive board of 804 Coaches for Change. In February, at the inaugural RVA Sports Awards ceremony, Mr. Harris and his 804 Coaches for Change colleagues received the Courage Story Award for their leadership in Richmond’s athletic community.

Kelsey Felton and Anne Hogge, counselors in the Lower School, recently presented at the Virginia School Counselor Association conference.

WESLEY H EDG EP ETH Wesley Hedgepeth, Upper School History Teacher, serves as the Vice President of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Mr. Hedgepeth represented Collegiate and the NCSS at the Korean War Legacy World Congress in Washington, D.C.

BOBBY UKROP, former Trustee

and Cougar grandparent, was honored with the Community Champion Award at the same ceremony.

SPRING 2022 7

OUTDOOR EXPLORATION Learning happens everywhere. Nature and the outdoors are an important part of fostering the unique creative spirit and curiosity that exists in each of our Cougars. With the reintegration of field trips and out-of-classroom projects, students’ educational journeys are able to extend beyond North Mooreland Road, combining curriculum with adventure. From Outdoor Collegiate excursions and nature walks through Robins Campus to retreat days and inspiring trips to Shalom Farms, our students are immersing themselves in challenging learning environments that are connected to the broader world — one of abundant opportunities and possibilities.

1

4

2

5

3

6

8 SPARK | On Campus

PHOTO CAPTIONS 1. S tudents explore The Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery Pavilion, a creative learning space made possible by a generous donation to Outdoor Collegiate.

2. A group of Kindergarteners explore Robins Campus.

4. Middle Schoolers in the Envision Richmond Capstone learn about Richmond’s environment and water system.

6. 6 th Graders visit Pocahontas State Park, where they participate in activities that inspire reflection, teamwork and class bonding.

5. During an Upper School retreat, students build community through environmental service work.

7. C ougars traverse the Stephen P. Adamson, Jr. ’92 Ropes Course.

3. 1 st Grade students bound through Shalom Farms learning about the fall harvest.

8. S tudents make discoveries on the outdoor learning trails around Robins Campus.

9. T he Envision Richmond Capstone takes students down the James River.

10. A n adventurous Upper Schooler mountain bikes through the trails at Robins Campus.

11. Students in Outdoor Collegiate rock climb at Triange Rock Club. In the spring, students in rockclimbing will practice outdoors.

9

7

8

10

11

SPRING 2022 9

Golf Brings the Community Together During the Tom Farrell Memorial Pro-Am

G

olf, for Tom Farrell, was everything. Not in the sense that golf took precedence over everything else in his life. That was certainly not the case.

Golf was everything for Farrell in the sense that everything he loved in life — his family, his friends, his job as chairman of Dominion Energy, and the Richmond community — could be gathered together in one place for a round of golf.

It’s the reason why, in 2016, Farrell helped begin the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, a Pro-Am PGA TOUR Champions event with a significant charitable impact.

Through Farrell’s vision, dedication and charitable spirit, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic has become a premiere event on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule. Since its debut, the event has helped generate more than $7 million for local charities.

After Farrell’s passing in April 2021, the PGA TOUR and Dominion Energy announced that the Dominion Energy Charity Classic would be renamed the Tom Farrell Memorial Pro-Am in Farrell’s memory. “Naming the Pro-Am in Tom’s memory was a fitting tribute,” says Carter M. Reid P ’16 ’18, Collegiate’s Board Chair, Dominion Energy executive vice president and longtime colleague of Tom Farrell. “He was the driving force behind the PGA TOUR bringing this playoff event to Richmond.”

The Farrell family has been active in the Collegiate community, too, ever since Farrell and his wife Anne sent their two sons Peter ’02 and Stuart ’03 to school here in 1992 — both of whom now have their own children at Collegiate. “Collegiate has been part of our lives for a long time now,” Farrell’s eldest son Peter says, “and we hope the School is part of our life for a lot longer.”

10 SPARK | On Campus

This year’s tournament was made particularly special, then, when Jere Williams, an Upper School Art Teacher at Collegiate, was chosen by Dominion and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond to design the trophy that would be awarded to the winner of the tournament. “It was a nice little God wink,” Peter says in reference to Mr. Williams’s involvement. “It just added another element to the family experience, because it meant a little more that somebody from Collegiate created the trophy.”

An elegant wood sculpture crafted from maple, weeping cherry and walnut, the trophy captures the movement of a swinging golf club. “The quality of a golf shot is directly related to the quality of a player’s swing plane,” Mr. Williams explains. “A well-aligned swing shapes the shot and affords a greater degree of ball control. This abstraction has an implied beginning and ending — a golf ball.”

The 2021 Tom Farrell Memorial Pro-Am was one of those moments in golf that Farrell used to cherish. Played between the contours of an expansive fairway, golf, as Farrell envisioned, had the capability of advancing and bringing together a community.

HO N O R I N G E X C E LLE NCE Collegiate congratulates the 13 Seniors that were recognized for academic excellence at a special Upper School assembly in November. These students will be inducted into the Collegiate chapter of Cum Laude at a ceremony in the spring. Those students are: Cassie Buxbaum, Joshua Chilmaid, Ty Colina, Olivia Fairlamb, Zehma Herring (not pictured), Catherine Horner, Christian Mayr, Anju Natarajan, Will Neuner, Teddy Pollard, Will Porter, Charlotte Smith and Eliza Stone.

TEDxYouth@RVA Gives Seniors the Opportunity to Learn About the Greater Richmond Community The eighth annual TEDxYouth@RVA event was held at Collegiate School’s Hershey Center for the Arts on Nov. 13, 2021. The innovative program, which serves as a hub of ideas for the Richmond community, featured Richmond-area speakers passionate about making a difference in the lives of others.

A group of Collegiate Seniors, as part of their Senior Capstone class, were challenged with planning the event, which was open to the public. The students sought sponsorships and other support from local business owners, pitched local media reporters for more event coverage, collaborated with peers to select speakers, managed marketing and coached speakers. Part of that promotional challenge connected the students with Jasmine Turner ’11, who works as a reporter for WWBT NBC12. Dylan Robinson ’22 and Lotti Stefanovich ’22 spoke with Turner before the event to discuss TEDxYouth@RVA and the importance of doing work that benefits the whole community. “It feels like we’re putting on something monumental,” Lotti said during her conversation with Turner. “It feels really great to be the ones to put this on. Our voices feel heard.”

SARAH PORTLOCK ’03 SPEAKER SERIES HOSTS PRIZE- WINNING JOURNALIST

David A. Fahrenthold, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist working as an investigative reporter for The New York Times, spoke to a group of Upper School students in Vlastik Svab’s Writing for Publication class as part of the Sarah Portlock ’03 Speaker Series. The speaker series, generously made possible by a gift from Sarah’s parents Bill Portlock and Nancy Raybin, was created to promote journalism and education.

During her time at Collegiate, Sarah served as co-editorin-chief for The Match, which marked the first step of her successful journalism career. Sarah passed away suddenly on Nov. 6, 2017. Her classmates from the Class of 2003 dedicated a campus garden to her, Sarah’s Garden (next to the Reeves Center), during Homecoming weekend in 2018. Raybin and Portlock expressed their gratitude that this program will continue to keep Sarah’s memory alive through mentorship and education.

SPRING 2022 11

Collegiate Hosts 20th Annual Application Workshop By spending time with admissions deans from across the country, Collegiate students are given an edge in the admission process.

A Collegiate School education prepares our Cougars for the future. Part of that preparation involves providing students with relationships that will set them on the path towards success.

In February, when the School hosted 12 college and university deans of admission from around the country, Juniors had the opportunity to make some of those impactful connections.

The deans began by holding a roundtable discussion with administrators and Trustees on preparing students for higher education and the professional world. Later that night, the 12 experts presented a special program to Upper School parents on the admission process.

The following day, Juniors met with the deans to convene the School’s 20th Annual Application Workshop, which gives student the opportunity to make more personal connections with the deans while learning how admission committees read applications.

“I think that the opportunity to meet with different college deans is invaluable,” says Lauryn Tolliver ’23. “Going in, I didn’t really have an idea of what a dean would be like, and they provided me with some really valuable insight that prepared me for the next steps.”

Gathered in small groups with the deans, students were able to ask questions and get tips on writing application essays, discuss how applications are evaluated and discovered ways to distinguish themselves as applicants. Lauryn, who met with University of Richmond’s Associate Vice President and Dean of Admission Gil Villanueva, says the experience personalizes the sometimes daunting admission process. “My dean talked a lot about how everything leads back to character and values,” she explains. “We talked about how colleges take into account thetrajectory of your high school career and how deans look for progress throughout your education. Making connections with the deans really makes me feel more comfortable about the process.”

Abby Dunn ’23, another Collegiate student that attended the Application Workshop, says that, after meeting with the deans to review mock applications, she is eager to begin writing some of her own. “Seeing some mock applications and discussing what deans are looking for has made me more confident,” she says. “I think the whole workshop gives us really good relationships with the deans. And it’s really nice to know that Collegiate offers this. It shows their commitment to our success.”

ST U D EN T S H O N O R VET ER A N S D AY

Collegiate saluted veterans during division assemblies that featured Major Brian Riva P ’30 ’32, Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth ’85 and James Bandy, a former U.S. Marine and the School’s Director of Campus Safety and Security. In addition, a slideshow was presented with photos of more than 200 veterans who are family members of Collegiate students.

12 SPARK | On Campus

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

STUDENTS SHOWCASE CHINESE LANGUAGE PROGRAM DURING CHINESE NEW YEAR

In October, during Hispanic Heritage Month, Upper Schoolers explored Hispanic cuisine and learned to salsa dance, Middle Schoolers hung posters and made slides for the TV in the common area and Lower Schoolers studied leaders such as Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go to space.

This year marks Collegiate School’s ninth annual celebration of the Chinese New Year and our second virtual presentation. We are proud to showcase our students’ progress in the Chinese language program, and we are thankful for all that our students contributed to creating this celebration.

We are so grateful to our Chinese language teachers — Xin-yi Fergusson, Yu Xiao, Daisy Hu, Zhangyi Shi and Dongmei Yuan — for their leadership and wonderful work with our students.

Students Participate in Poetry Out Loud In December, eight Collegiate students in the Upper School participated in the annual Poetry Out Loud competition. The event gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity by adding their own personality to poems they feel resonate with them.

First place went to Charlie Loach ’23 for his recitation of D. Gilson’s “Where the Wild Things Go.” First runner-up was awarded to Olivia Fairlamb ’22, who recited Suzanne Buffam’s poem “Enough.”

COLLEGIATE CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH In February, Collegiate students celebrated Black History Month in a number of engaging ways, including readings, art projects, assemblies and discussions. Lower Schoolers shared the legacies of famous Black leaders who have shown excellence and performed skits demonstrating that excellence in action; Middle Schoolers gathered for an assembly and presented their research on influential and impactful people throughout history from Black American communities; and Upper Schoolers discussed the importance of Black History Month and connected with members of the Virginia State University chapter of Phi Beta Sigma for a step show.

SPRING 2022 13

HOLIDAYS AT COLLEGIATE

14 SPARK | On Campus

SPRING 2022 15

ARTS Art gives us a space to ruminate, a place to explore our inner lives and our relationship to the world. For the arts department at Collegiate School, imparting formal skills of the craft is intended to give our Cougars the technologies necessary to create that space of contemplation — one where they can think about complex sensations that allow them to discover themselves, their peers and their community.

16 SPARK | On Campus

Art in Motion Students in the Lower School are using a special technology to bring their paintings to life.

Any work of art is invariably the creation of a new world, and so, in the manner of art making, the process is something like conjuring a breath, capturing the motion of a river or the way wind blows through a tree branch. With careful consideration to the formal elements of a painting, each brushstroke becomes a significant part of the world.

Our 1st Grade students, with guidance from Lower School Art Teacher Lisa Anderson, have been participating in this practice of world making, primarily through landscape paintings. Thinking about the technical elements of foreground and background, depth and horizon lines, texture and tone, students began creating pastoral scenes of autumn.

“The intention of the landscape paintings were to get students to think about space and how to create the illusion of depth and distance,” explains Mrs. Anderson. “Students had to think about foreground, middleground and background as well as the mixture of primary and secondary colors to create visual texture.”

To add an additional element to the textured reality of the students’ paintings, Mrs. Anderson collaborated with Melanie Gregory, Lower School Instructional Technology Integrator, to animate the paintings. Using Motionleap, an application that allows artists to animate elements of paintings, students were able elevate their creations.

The pieces were then uploaded to Motionleap, which allows the students to choose the features in the painting they would like to enliven with motion. A river cutting through a mountainside, for example, can be given an undulant current, and the trees dotting the foreground can shake from a gust of wind.

Heather Bruneau, who intends to integrate Motionleap into her own projects with students, says that having to consider the deeper life of a painting in the animation process makes the students connect more with their work. “The program reinforces concepts in their art while also adding another asset to their piece,” she says. “Students are doing that conceptual investigation of their own artworks about what each feature of the piece means, and that makes it more meaningful.”

The project, then, becomes a union of art and technology. “I think this is the perfect way to incorporate technology,” Mrs. Anderson says, “because when you have a student that has just learned all these concepts, and now you ask them to add animation to it — it enhances the piece, making it come alive.”

Scan to see more of our 1st Graders’ animated art.

SPRING 2022 17

STUDENTS EARN SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative students. This year, 27 Collegiate School students earned gold, silver and honorable mention honors in the art and writing categories.

Zehma Herring

Cate Riley

Diamond Lightfoot

Kaelyn Crosthwaite

18 SPARK | On Campus

Grace Hugo

Diamond Lightfoot

Cate Taylor

TH E FO LLO W IN G C OLLEGIATE S TU D EN TS R EC EIV E D HONORS IN 2 0 2 2

GOL D KEY Izzy Bartels ’22, ceramics & glass Syd Britt ’25, photography Kaelyn Crosthwaite ’25, drawing & illustration Jack Hill ’22, art portfolio, photography (2) Blake Ingold ’25, photography Diamond Lightfoot ’22, drawing & illustration Will Neuner ’22, photography Blake Ingold

Cate Riley ’23, painting

SILVER KEY Alexis Covington ’24, painting Kasey Cross ’22, painting Sydni Denton ’22, flash fiction Molly Hutchison ’23, short story Jack Hill ’22, photography Madeleine Hough ’25, painting Grace Hugo ’22, mixed media Diamond Lightfoot ’22, drawing & illustration Cate Taylor ’25, photography Alexander Trimmingham ’22, mixed media Jack Hill

HONORABL E MENTION Katherine Becker ’22, short story, mixed media (2) Amanda Tan ’22, critical essay, poetry Maggie Bowman ’23, photography Olivia Brownstein ’24, painting Gabby Chen ’23, ceramics & glass Zehma Herring ’22, sculpture Jack Hill ’22, photography (3) Eva Lareau ’23, photography (3) Ellie Leipheimer ’23, mixed media Diamond Lightfoot ’22, digital art, sculpture Anju Natarajan ’22, mixed media Will Neuner ’22, art portfolio Alexander Trimmingham ’22, mixed media Kate Turnbull ’23, ceramics & glass Lacey Word ’22, ceramics & glass

Izzy Bartels

SPRING 2022 19

Honors Art Pop-up Show Pam Sutherland’s Honors Art class held a one-day pop-up art show at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond in January. Six Seniors — Katherine Becker, Olivia Fairlamb, Zehma Herring, Grace Hugo, Diamond Lightfoot and Alexander Trimmingham — presented three collaborative projects along with independent works. Students also spoke about their work to open the show.

UPPER SCHOOL ENSEMBLE

PUTS ON SHOW The Upper School Small Ensemble concert, played in January, featured the Viridaur String Ensemble, Camerata, Jazz Band and members of the Guitar Ensemble. These groups showcased some of the Upper School’s most dedicated musicians.

20 SPARK | On Campus

Students Shine During Night of Light There are so many ways Collegiate School students can share their light. The Night of Light showcase, hosted by Studio Two and held by Collegiate, is one such way. In December, 2nd Grade students and their families gathered for the annual Night of Light showcase, where families were able to view the 2nd Grade Shadow Play and had the opportunity to shop students’ artistic creations — with proceeds benefiting JAMS Academy, Studio Two’s partner school in Cameroon.

UPPER SCHOOL WINTER PLAY HIGHLIGHTS THEMES OF CONNECTION The Honors Theater class presented Love and Information by Caryl Churchill on Friday, Jan. 21 and Saturday, Jan. 22. The show was a blend of over 50 stories that came together to explore passion, relationships and the role varying emotions play in every moment of our lives. Funny, tender, heartbreaking and more, Love and Information demonstrated the importance of connection in the modern world.

SPRING 2022 21

FALL SPORTS

22 SPARK | On Campus

ROUNDUP

“It is so educational to be part of something greater than oneself, and athletics certainly embody that experience,” Head of School Penny Evins remarked at the Fall Athletics Banquet. She’s right, of course: Collegiate Athletics fosters both personal and communal growth, teaching students the values of honor, respect and community through teamwork and competition. For our student-athletes, it is on the many fields of play that they discover the life lessons that are of equal measure as those lessons they learn in the classroom.

And to see our athletes play, especially this fall season, was something special worth celebrating. “To see you in person being active and engaged and joyful, giving such commitment to something beyond yourself, is inspiring,” Mrs. Evins told the athletes.

“And you have brought to your colleagues and to your peers that come out to watch you joy and purpose.”

Taking home three state championships, four league championships, two Coach of the Year awards and a handful of sportsmanship awards, Collegiate had a fall athletic season that reflected both the School’s competitive prowess and honorable character. “It was a tremendous fall,” Director of Athletics Karen Doxey said at the conclusion of the season. “Our athletes came back with a lot of ambition, desire, focus and dedication.”

Through skill, teamwork and determination, our athletes created a highly energetic atmosphere that reflected our bright green-and-gold spirit.

SPRING 2022 23

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY 2 ND IN PREP LEAGUE

2 ND IN VISAA

A LL- P R E P : S tan Craig ’23; Liam Harbour ’24; Ian Quindoza ’22; Jonathan Yackel ’22 A LL- S TAT E : Craig ’23; Will Edwards ’22; Harbour ’24; Yackel ’22

GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY 2 ND IN LIS

1 ST IN VISAA

A LL- LI S : M K Myers ’23; Giles Ferrell ’24; Gabriela Linkonis ’25; Kathryn Sutherland ’22 A LL- S TAT E : Myers ’23; Ferrell ’24; Linkonis ’25

FIELD HOCKEY 1 ST IN LIS

14-7

VISAA SEMIFINALIST

A LL- LI S : Madelyn Curtis ’22; Izzy Lee ’23; Callie Rogers ’24 A LL- S TAT E : C urtis ’22 (First Team); Lee ’23 (First Team); Rogers ’24 (First Team)

Madelyn Curtis ’22

24 SPARK | On Campus

Jonathan Yackel ’22

MK Myers ’23

SPRING 2022 25

Jalen Pierce ’22

FOOTBALL

5-5

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD A LL- P R E P : L .J. Booker Jr. ’24; Jalen Pierce ’22; Krystian Williams ’23; Hank Shield III ’23 A LL- M E T R O : B ooker Jr. ’24 (offense, Honorable Mention); Pierce ’22 (defense, Honorable Mention); Shield III ’23 (defense, Honorable Mention); K. Williams ’23 (offense and defense, Honorable Mention)

TENNIS 1 ST IN LIS

19-2 1 S T IN VISAA

A LL- LI S : E lizabeth Mendoza ’24 (Most Valuable Player); Rita Taylor ’26; Lucy Ottley ’23; Emma Eldridge ’23; Claiborne Dillard ’23; Jordan Gross ’23 Elizabeth Mendoza ’24

A LL- S TAT E : M endoza ’24 (First Team); Taylor ’26 (First Team); Ottley ’23 (Second Team) P LAY E R O F T H E Y E A R : Mendoza ’24 C O A C H O F T H E Y E A R : Allyson Brand

26 SPARK | On Campus

VOLLEYBALL 1 ST IN LIS

16-5

VISAA QUARTERFINALIST

ALL -LIS: Gabby Chen ’23; Taylor Domson ’23; Abby Mayr ’24; Eliza Stone ’22

SOCCER 1 ST IN PREP LEAGUE

21-0-1 1 ST IN VISAA

ALL -PR EP : M atthew Jenkins ’23; Will Neuner ’22; Charles Nolde ’24; Colin Ryan ’22; Porter Vaughan ’23; Robert Westermann ’22 ALL -STATE: J enkins ’23 (First Team); Ryan ’22 (First Team); Westermann ’22 (First Team); Neuner ’22 (Second Team); Vaughan ’23 (Second Team) ALL -SO UTH: Jenkins ’23; Ryan ’22 ALL -AMERIC AN: Ryan ’22 PREP LEAG UE PLAYER OF T HE YE AR: Ryan ’22 VI SAA PLAYER O F THE YE AR: Ryan ’22 COACH O F THE Y EA R: Rob Ukrop

Taylor Domson ’23

Colin Ryan ’22

SPRING 2022 27

LEADING VOICES

Our Cougars lead with compassion in their voice.

They lead with character. Read some of our student-athletes’ reflections as they think back on their time at Collegiate. For more reflections from our student-athletes, please head to our Athletics Twitter account @cougarsrva.

The biggest lessons I have learned while playing tennis at Collegiate are those of patience, sportsmanship and perseverance. We all believe in each other, we never give up and we’ve grown strong friendships through the sport.”

- Lucy Barnes, Senior Captain of Varsity Tennis

28 SPARK | On Campus

“ The biggest lesson I learned through playing sports at Collegiate was that even the worst practice is better than the first day that you don’t get to practice with that team anymore.

Every afternoon with your teammates and coaches is a great one.”

- Colin Ryan, Senior Captain of Varsity Soccer

“ The biggest lesson I learned playing sports at Collegiate is to compete for a purpose larger than me and my sport. It requires me, my coaches, family, friends, mentors and teammates to push beyond our limits in order to achieve fulfillment.”

- Donovan Williams, Senior Captain of Varsity Football

“ I will miss the bonds and friendships I made with people through being on teams together. Without athletics at Collegiate, I would have never had the chance to form such strong relationships with so many of my closest friends.”

- Ian Quindoza, Senior Captain of Boys’ Varsity Cross Country

“ I’m going to miss the community that sports at Collegiate fosters. The volleyball team specifically has become a group of close friends. We challenge each other and compete against one another, but we can still joke with and support one another at the end of the day.”

- Parker Bradley, Senior Captain of Varsity Volleyball

I love playing sports at Collegiate because it gives me the opportunity to connect with people I don’t see every day in my classes. Through field hockey, I have been able to make new friendships and strengthen current ones. I am so grateful for all the relationships Collegiate sports has brought me.”

- Tucker Walker, Senior Captain of Varsity Field Hockey

SPRING 2022 29

50 YEARS of Summer Fun

In the summer, there is nothing so beautiful as a day that stretches on endlessly. The games with friends played under tree shadows, the miles traveled on bikes, the pruned fingers after a day at the pool, the countless books read — these are the marks of summer fun. For the past 50 years, Collegiate School’s Summer Quest has offered, through programs such as Discover Richmond and Hooked on Books, these cherished summer experiences for the entire Richmond community. “For 50 years, Collegiate’s Summer Quest has picked up where the school year ends by providing children of all ages the opportunity to grow and develop through educational, arts, enrichment and sports camps,” says Christine Branin, Collegiate’s Director of Auxiliary Services.

“Our campers’ parents know that when they drop off their children at Summer Quest, their children will be interacting with teachers and counselors who have a passion for learning and positive Please scan to view reinforcement. Summer Quest challenges the full list of Summer minds and creates memories that will last Quest 2022 Offerings. a lifetime.”

30 SPARK | On Campus

Five Questions on

PARENT INVOLVEMENT Parents play a pivotal role in the Collegiate School community. Through special events, teacher-appreciation initiatives, fundraising and countless hours of volunteer work, our parents make our School stronger. Leading that charge are Parents’ Association President Katherine Adamson ’96 P ’23 ’25 ’29 and Director of Parent/ Family Relations Jill Mountcastle P ’14 ’17 ’21. Mrs. Adamson, a former Collegiate student and current parent, has been an active volunteer at the School since her eldest daughter arrived on campus. Mrs. Mountcastle, who formerly served as PA president herself from 2015 to 2016, joined Collegiate as a parent, and in her newly established staff role is working to engage even more Cougar families. Mrs. Adamson and Mrs. Mountcastle sat down with Spark to talk about building community, the importance of parent volunteers at Collegiate and the goals of the Parents’ Association.

1

WHAT DOES THE PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION DO BEST AT COLLEGIATE?

their choices anytime throughout the year. Please feel free to contact me directly or anyone else on the PA Executive Committee with any questions or to let us know of your volunteer interest. We are more than happy to help you get connected and discover opportunities for parents with a variety of schedules and talents. Getting involved is a great way to get to know each other, learn more about the School and see your children in action.

Katherine Adamson:

One of the primary goals of the Parents’ Association is to build community while supporting the School. From faculty and staff appreciation luncheons and treat days to writing thank-you notes and distributing gifts of gratitude, the PA strives to make sure every employee at Collegiate feels valued by the parents. We also build community by gathering parents together to organize events such as Cougar Pawlooza, Cougar Holiday Express, Bingo Night and Village Green Fair. It takes a village to do all that we do, and we encourage all parents to get involved.

Jill Mountcastle:

JM: I am here as a resource as well. I absolutely encourage parents to consider getting involved in the PA. Our community is built by folks showing up, by intentionally being a part of it.

4

The PA is incomparable in its ability to display and communicate gratitude to the Collegiate faculty and staff. They do that with warmth, with grace and with sincerity. A teacher or staff member who feels valued, who feels appreciated, who feels supported can do their job more effectively.

Collegiate is known as a wonderful place to work and the parents’ efforts are part of the reason why.

2

KA: For me, my Collegiate volunteer career began with being asked to chair the

lollipop tree booth at VGF when my oldest daughter was in Kindergarten. I have always loved volunteering, meeting so many families and making new friends along the way as well as getting to know the amazing faculty and staff that care for our children every day. As an alumna, Collegiate has taught me so much, and to this day continues to help me grow. This is my way of giving back the School that has given so much to me and my family for many years.

HOW DOES THE PA HELP SUPPORT THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AT SCHOOL?

JM: When my children were very young, I wanted to support the School as a

KA: We help support parent education programs and organize a number of

volunteer positions — including roles such as library and fine arts volunteers, assisting with service learning and grade-level parent representatives. Last year, for instance, we gave in support of Outdoor Learning Spaces. We also assist with fundraising efforts as a result of community building events. In the past we have also supported capital projects, the Endowment for Faculty and Professional Development and the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.

JM: Another huge talent of the PA is fundraising for a specific purpose: to support

3

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH THE PA?

volunteer, and signing up for smaller jobs worked for me. I remember actively choosing to get involved because the benefits to me were obvious: meeting new people, connecting with others through volunteer work, being present at a place of great importance to my children and my family.

5

HOW IS OUR COMMUNITY STRENGTHENED BY THE BROAD INVOLVEMENT OF OUR FAMILIES?

those parent education programs Katherine mentioned. When you buy an item from Cougar Holiday Express or purchase a VGF T-shirt, know that you are helping support crucial parent education opportunities such as the substance abuse prevention program.

JM: Simply put, we are better together. Building community requires effort and

HOW CAN PARENTS GET INVOLVED IN THE PA AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR ALL PARENTS TO CONSIDER GETTING MORE INVOLVED?

KA: I remember Alex Smith ’65, former Chief Development Officer, once said that

KA: With our easy-to-use sign-up page located on our Resource Board in PawNet,

intention. It can be challenging to find time in a busy schedule, to put yourself out there and try something different. Collegiate is a central place for all of us.

Strengthening our community should be a top priority for all of us.

it is “the people at Collegiate that are the special sauce.” I wholeheartedly agree that it is the warmth of our community that makes the School the special place that it is. One of the goals of the PA is to exude and spread a sense of belonging.

We encourage every member of our community to get involved in a meaningful way, adding new flavors to the special sauce.

parents can browse the many volunteer opportunities available and review and edit

SPRING 2022 31

32 SPARK | Feature

Karen Doxey’s Lasting Record

Karen Doxey, Director of Athletics, will retire after 35 years of service. She leaves behind a record of excellence.

By Weldon Bradshaw

SPRING 2022 33

She’d slip out the back door quietly and without fanfare if she could.

Karen Doxey, you see, has

“Karen’s dedication to and advocacy for students, coaches and

never sought the spotlight. She’s

volunteers, building

always been much more comfortable

on Collegiate’s long-

giving credit than receiving it. As

standing emphasis on

successful as she’s been as a coach

sportsmanship and

and administrator, her reward has

character, is palpable,” says Penny

always been more the process than

Evins, Head of School. “Karen has

the results, although the results have

long understood that success is

been nonpareil.

measured more by the quality of

In her way of thinking, she’s

each athlete’s experience than by

simply upholding her end of the

simply tallying wins in a record

contract she was hired to fulfill as

book. She serves as an invaluable

well as honoring the sacred covenant

guide to her colleagues, embodying

of trust and respect between her

the teacher-coach-mentor model and

and the communities which she has

designing systems with excellence

served with all her heart.

and intelligence.”

So, no, when Collegiate’s Director

A native of Ridley Park, Pa., Karen

of Athletics and Varsity Field Hockey

Shisler was a hockey and lacrosse

Coach retires in June after 43 years

standout at Ridley High School. She

in education, the last 35 on North

would have run indoor track too, she

Mooreland and Blair Roads, she

said, but girls, to her amazement,

won’t step away unnoticed because

weren’t allowed to compete.

icons simply don’t have that luxury.

She went on to West Chester

Settle back, then, Dox, and

State College where she played both

allow your legion of admirers to

sports for the Golden Rams and also

celebrate you and your legacy of

(finally) ran indoor track, mostly as a

competitive spirit, loyalty, humility,

miler and the two-miler.

collegiality, equanimity and, in all that you do, integrity.

34 SPARK | Feature

aren has been K a constant. She’s always fought for the cause of our students to get out on that field and compete at the highest level. She’s also been a driving force behind holding them to a standard that meets our School’s mission, values and expectations. That commitment has never wavered.”

– Mark Palyo, Head Varsity Football Coach

Though teaching and coaching were always in her plan, she worked as a waitress after graduation, first in Wildwood, N.J. and later in Virginia Beach.

The move south (following a brief stint subbing at her old high school) would prove serendipitous. In the spring of 1979, John Tucker, the head of Norfolk Academy, called her out of the blue to gauge her interest in coaching the Bulldogs’ JV lacrosse team.

She jumped at the opportunity, and so began her long, productive and meaningful career.

She joined the NA faculty full time the following fall, coached field hockey and lacrosse, and taught physical education. Four years later, she became the girls athletic director and worked closely with Dave Trickler, who oversaw the boys program.

Along the way she met Jeff Doxey, who was in the commercial real estate business.

As their relationship was developing, he accepted a position in Richmond in 1987. In a planets-are-aligning-perfectly sequence of events, Collegiate was seeking a varsity field hockey and lacrosse coach and health and PE teacher at the same time, Karen interviewed and was hired, and she and Jeff married Dec. 18, 1988.

In 1990, Karen resumed her journey as an athletic administrator, this time partnering with Charlie McFall, first as assistant AD, later associate AD, and beginning in 1999 co-AD. When McFall retired in 2013, she assumed the mantle of leadership of the athletic department.

“Karen is a great coach and a great athletic director,” says McFall, who coached varsity football and baseball for long stints during his 43 years at Collegiate. “She knows field hockey and lacrosse as well as anybody.

I definitely learned a lot about coaching from

“ Karen, for me, has been a confidant. She’s been a great friend. Not only has she impacted Collegiate and the game of field hockey and the VPL, but Karen has impacted a lot of people’s lives: students, players, coaches and beyond. I’m just lucky that I’m one of those who’s been along her journey with her. She’s such a professional. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like without her in AD’s meetings.

I love the word culture, because culture is over time. Karen has impacted the VPL, the LIS, field hockey and lacrosse. She’s also impacted life in general.”

– Mary Blake, Associate Director of Athletics and Head Lacrosse Coach, St. Anne’s-Belfield “ Because we coached at the same time in the same season, I didn’t get a chance to see her teams play. Once we were out at Robins and had the turf field, a few times we ended up sharing that field because of weather. It was remarkable the thoroughness that she demonstrated as a coach. I knew she thought things out and planned meticulously and had specific things she wanted to address, but actually watching her go through a practice was really something. “ I was so impressed with how exacting she was and what she got out of those girls over the course of a practice. I learned a lot watching her: her thoughtfulness and thoroughness and the way she asked of her players to give a little bit more. o me, she honored the sport of field hockey. It was not an ego thing. Not about T her being in charge. It was about teaching this sport that she loved. There was something honorable and sacred in the conveying of how to work hard and learn and be a good teammate. All those things were expected from her. It was about the kids and the team and the sport…not about Karen Doxey being in charge or winning. “ She made all of us better coaches in the way she held herself accountable to the high standard of work ethic and the expectation around behavior. I never saw her get after a referee. It was almost like she wouldn’t consider something like that. No one ever worked harder at their job.”

– Charlie Blair, Head Varsity Boys Soccer Coach, 1981-2018 “ When an official is assigned a Collegiate field hockey game, we know it will be well played and well coached due to Karen Doxey. While she may not always agree with our whistles, there has been mutual respect on the field. Karen’s teams reflect her love and regard for field hockey and sportsmanship. Her teams never run up a score on an underdog opponent. I have always been impressed by players on the sideline engaged with the game and vocalizing their support with coordinated cheering, Under Karen, sideline players are just as important as those on the field, she presents a total team package. Karen, the epitome of coaching standards, has taught her many players well over the years, and our officials’ association will miss her.”

– Donna Davis, Vice Commissioner/Secretary, Central Virginia Field Hockey Officials Association

SPRING 2022 35

her. I was so fortunate to work with her (in administration) for 20plus years. Any time I had issues to deal with or questions, I could ask her, and she’d give me the right answer. She always did things

So how does one achieve such success? Talented athletes, she’ll humbly tell you, but there’s more. Much more.

Karen is the consummate teacher. She’s an excellent manager

the right way. She never cut corners. She always put the kids first.”

of both time and people. Her preparation is meticulous. Her

Doxey’s coaching achievements are extraordinary. Her field

practice plans, all kept in notebooks organized by years, are

hockey and lacrosse teams at Norfolk Academy and Collegiate amassed a record of 882-239-40.

Her 43-year field hockey record stands at 641-179-38,

detailed almost to the minute.

She stresses fundamental skills and cohesive team play.

She was never afraid to schedule the best teams in the state

including 544-137-24 at Collegiate. Her victory total is third

to challenge her athletes to be the best they could be. She’s an

on the National Federation of State High School Associations

intuitive motivator whose goal is to make each player, starter or

all-time list. During her tenure, the Cougars won 19 League of

backup, feel valued and empowered.

Independent Schools and eight Virginia Independent Schools

She conveys life lessons, not the least of which is to win with

Athletic Association championships. Her 19 lacrosse teams

humility and accept defeat with grace. As she expects players,

compiled a 241-60-2 ledger including 161-53-2 and three LIS titles

coaches and the Collegiate community to conduct themselves

from 1988-1999 and in 2007 at Collegiate. She was voted LIS

with poise and sportsmanship, she models those noble attributes

coach of the year multiple times and in 2018 earned induction

without exception.

into the VISAA Hall of Fame.

Times and methods change, of course, but sports as a revealer of character and a means to an end, not the end in itself, is a

36 SPARK | Feature

concept that endures. Indeed, Doxey, through her leadership and mentorship, has perpetuated a culture of excellence and humility that has been, from the beginning, the bedrock of Collegiate Athletics.

“I always had a safe harbor at Collegiate in the environment Coach Doxey created,” says Jamie Whitten Montgomery ’03, who went on to play at Wake Forest and later for the US National team and now coaches field hockey at the University of Richmond. “It was always competitive but always fun. She set the tone, and she did it with such ease. I’m so glad to have been witness to it.”

Doxey’s close friend M.H. Bartzen served as her assistant and sounding board for 25 years.

“Karen had this mission with every kid she coached,” Bartzen says. “They came out on the field and started at a certain level. At the end of their experience with her, she had made them better players. No matter what their role, they felt a connection and grew and accomplished things they never thought they could. She pushed kids to the brink to get better. All of them learned something about life from that experience. That’s probably the greatest gift she gave to the team every day.”

Through her level-headed, thoughtful demeanor, Doxey has commanded the respect of the people with whom she matched wits on playing fields around the state. Truly, she views them not just as opponents but as friends. The feeling is mutual.

“ A nybody who’s worked with Karen understands that she mixes drive and compassion in a way that’s unique. She’s incredibly competitive, incredibly organized and incredibly driven, but she also cares as deeply about the least experienced cub basketball team as she does about the varsity football team.

That is really unique and a testament to what we’ve all grown up here understanding to be the purpose of athletics at Collegiate.”

“Karen has always been the mentor to every coach who’s played against her,” says Mary Werkheiser, field hockey coach at Norfolk Academy. “She’s always the coach you want to beat, but you know when you don’t win, you’ve lost to a team with class. Sportsmanship is her first and foremost priority. Class is the one word I use to describe Karen.”

As Collegiate’s program evolved, Doxey played a pivotal role in the expansion of the on-field offerings at the Robins Campus. She assisted in facilities planning both on North Mooreland and Blair Roads. She championed continuing education for coaches. She created a master plan that allowed athletes to remain engaged during the spring 2020 COVID-19 shutdown, then return in person the following fall and flourish despite strict protocols.

And perhaps as a result of her high school indoor track revelation or simply because it was the right thing to do, she has unwaveringly advocated for equality among the boys and girls athletic programs both at Collegiate and throughout the Commonwealth.

“I never had the sense growing up that there was ever an inequity between women’s and men’s sports,” says Ellen Ashton Smith Jackson ’95, head field hockey coach at Towson University. “Once I hit the real world, I realized how much of a difference there is in other spaces between how women’s and men’s programs are treated. Coach Doxey had

– Andrew Stanley, Associate Director of Athletics Varsity Boys Lacrosse Coach

SPRING 2022 37

“ I’m just honored to call her my friend of 30 years. She’s very respected by all the Athletic Directors in the state and region. I was very impressed with how well she and her compadre, Charlie McFall, worked together and complemented each other. I can honestly say that Collegiate is the envy of all athletic programs in the state of Virginia. Karen was always someone I could call to seek advice. She would always give me very good counsel. She cared so much about the children. I sat in so many meetings with her, and it was always about the children. She always stuck up for the underdog. She worked hard for equality for female athletes. She’s one of the most professional Athletic Directors I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. It was never about her. It was always about the kids. She was a very humble leader, an extraordinary leader.”

– Chad Byler, Director of Athletics, Norfolk Academy “ I have always admired Karen’s willingness to lead. Being the AD is not easy, but Karen has consistently put the needs of the kids and a successful program in the forefront, and she has always encouraged us to be the best we can be. She is not afraid to have the hard conversation because she is doing what is best for the kids and the program. As a parent, I have loved the experience my three girls had playing for Dox. She has pushed them to be the best they could be and has cared for them as individuals. What a wonderful experience they have had playing for Dox, and what a great experience to help them prepare for the life they will be leading.”

– Rives Fleming ’83, Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach “ Karen had a voice I always liked to hear from because she had an opinion and if it was different from mine, she voiced it, and in most cases she was right and we made the right decision and did the right thing for our student-athletes. She always stood up for her principles and values and was compassionate with others. She did everything in a manner that she was out there to do what was best for students. She didn’t do it to be recognized. She did it because it was a passion and a desire to being the best out of the people under her charge. As a coach, she takes individuals and coaches them to become better people. She cared so much for the individual, not so much for being a member of her team but as a person.”

– D ick Kemper, Executive Director, Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association

this tremendous capacity for letting everyone feel and know that they were equally supported regardless of what sport they played or what gender they were. Coach Doxey is a very special person.”

Diplomatic and self-disciplined, Doxey has served on numerous league and state committees and, among many initiatives, advocated in the organization’s early years for an expanded slate of championship competitions in girls sports. Among her peers, she’s viewed as a voice of reason, moral compass and transformational thinker. Simply put, when Karen Doxey speaks, people listen.

“Karen is a very principled leader,” says Julie Dayton, Athletic Director at St. Catherine’s. “What does Karen

“ I am going to miss Karen. We are all going to miss Karen. When asked, she gave great advice (and I asked for it often), and she always did things the right way. She spoke with the studentathlete’s best interest at heart, and she never dodged a problem.

She faced issues head on and never hesitated to tell you the truth, whether it was what you wanted to hear or not. I love her passion for athletics, Collegiate School, and all the girls she coached. An amazing career for an amazing person! I hope she knows how much she means to so many.”

– Ren O’Ferrall, Director of Athletics, St. Christophers

38 SPARK | Feature

think? is almost a requirement for every important decision in athletic administration around the state. Her influence is far and wide and respected. She couldn’t be nicer or more humble or more ready to help. What an incredible legacy she leaves!”

“ The landscape of the LIS will immediately change because Karen has been such a force. Her presence is impactful. People respect her opinion because of her experience, because of her level-headedness and because of how rational she is. When she has the floor, we all listen. She’s been a mentor to me. She was never too busy to lend an ear or lend advice.

It was always very, very professional.

In the Mount Rushmore of Virginia female athletic administrators, Karen is at the top.”

– Anna Prillman, Director of Athletics, Trinity Episcopal

During her career at Collegiate, Doxey coached six athletes honored by the Richmond Times-Dispatch as the Central Virginia field hockey player of the year: Jamie Whitten (2001), Blair Northen (2003), Kate Hanley (2004), Tori O’Shea (2006, 2007), Hillary Zell (2008, 2009), and Brooks Doxey, her daughter, in 2013.

“I loved having my mom as my coach,” says Brooks, who went on to play at Wake Forest and now works as an ICU nurse at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. “Not everyone gets to experience that. She cares so much about Collegiate and every single player and every single team.

“When she told me about her retirement, she said, ‘I’m just really going to miss all the amazing people that I work with day in and day out.’ For her, it’s not really about wins and losses. It’s about all the lasting relationships she’s created during the years she’s been at Collegiate. I’m so proud of her.”

Editor’s Note: As of our press deadline for this magazine a national search for a new Director of Athletics was under way. A full list of our retirees will be celebrated in the next issue.

SPRING 2022 39

COUGAR Connections In more ways than one, Collegiate fosters connections that last a lifetime. Whether it is between Seniors and Kindergartners sharing stories or faculty members working together to promote the best education for our students, the way we sustain relationships keeps our community strong.

40 SPARK | Feature

SPRING 2022 41

The Lessons of Friendship The friendships between Seniors and their Kindergarten buddies serve as a representation of Collegiate’s strong community.

Angelo Parker ’22 looks out on a Grover Jones Field emblazoned in green and gold. It’s the day of Convocation, the School’s annual celebration that kicks off the year, and on top of Angelo’s shoulders is his Kindergarten buddy, Jack Jenkins ’34, who is wearing the smile of someone that has just made a new best friend. The two met earlier that week as part of Collegiate’s tradition of pairing each Senior with a Kindergarten buddy, and both of them immediately recognized the strength of their relationship.

For Angelo, who came to Collegiate as a 4th Grader, the friendship signified the culmination of his career as a Cougar. During previous Convocation ceremonies, Angelo remembers watching the Seniors bond with their buddies, waiting with eager anticipation for the day that he would get his own buddy. Then his Senior year came, and the moment to meet his buddy arrived.

“Convocation was a really special moment for me and Jack,” Angelo recalls. “I finally made it to this point in life where I could have my Kindergarten buddy on my shoulders, and to see Jack smiling and laughing made me smile and laugh. Jack looked as though he was on top of the world, and that almost brought tears to my eyes. It made me feel like a Cougar.”

The friendship grew from there. The two spend their time reading books together, talking about dinosaurs and robots (Jack, because of his fascination with dinosaurs, can’t bring himself to appreciate robots the same way Angelo does) and discussing classwork. Most importantly, though, having a Kindergarten buddy has given Angelo a leadership role. “Jack looks up to me a lot,” he says. “It’s really meaningful when a younger student looks up to you.

He sees me as a leader, which means I have to be the best version of myself as a mentor so that he can become the best version of himself.”

42 SPARK | Feature

A mentorship role can bear many responsibilities, but Angelo sees himself as a friend first and foremost — somebody for Jack to rely on and to trust. “I really feel like I am there for Jack as a friend,” Angelo says. “It’s good to know you have a friend in Kindergarten, because that makes me feel comfortable, and my role is to make him feel comfortable, too, as a new student at Collegiate.”

Like so many great friendships, the bond between Angelo and Jack has led to more connections, including between the students’ families. “Angelo has legitimately become one of Jack’s best friends, and through it we have developed such a wonderful friendship with Angelo’s family,” says Jack’s father Peyton Jenkins ’00. Like all great friendships, the relationship between Angelo and Jack has revealed things about their own character.

“Through Angelo’s actions,” he continues, “Jack is learning what it’s like to be in a position of influence. He’s learning how to be a gentleman, to be fun, to be gracious and how to be a light to someone else.”

Through friendship there are lessons. This philosophy, Angelo says, is an embodiment of the Collegiate spirit. The unique connection between Seniors and Kindergartners demonstrates the unity of the School. “Collegiate is just a really strong community because of connections like these,” Angelo explains. “It is because of the Senior and Kindergarten buddy pairings that relationships among other grade levels are so strong.”

Lifelong Pals The Cougar Pals program connects new students that have just been admitted to the School with a current student of the same age, and those connections often last a lifetime.

If you were stuck on an island, who would be the three people you’d choose to be stranded there with? Some time ago, Catherine Horner ’22 recalls being asked this unusual question. The first person that comes to her mind is her Cougar Pal, Lauren Watts ’22. Horner’s reasoning is simple: “Lauren is my best friend, and she’s going to be in my life forever.”

That friendship began when Lauren arrived at Collegiate as a Freshman and was paired with Catherine as her Cougal Pal. Collegiate School’s Cougar Pals program connects new students that have just been admitted to the School with a current student of the same age.

The relationship helps make the transition into a new educational environment easier. Who can I sit with at lunch? Where are my classes? Who will I play with at recess? With a Cougar Pal at a student’s side, the questions that might add unnecessary stress to the transition into a new school are alleviated. Students can then focus on their education and their relationships with classmates and teachers.

When Lauren enrolled at Collegiate, she recalls how smooth her first week of school went because of her Cougar Pal; she arrived at Collegiate with a new friend there to greet her. “I was so nervous that first week of school,” Lauren says. “I didn’t know what to do. But I had Catherine, and that made the entire experience a million times better.”

The friendship blossomed from there. Sometimes Catherine and Lauren spend hours talking to each other, as only friends who share the same appreciation for life and who hold the same values can. Sometimes the topics are frivolous — like Lauren’s insistence that Catherine

listen to more Taylor Swift — but other times their conversations reach depths that surprise them. “We go to the lake together often,” Catherine explains, “and we just stargaze, and both of us have such an appreciation for the multitude of stars and how beautiful it all is. It’s so special that I’ve found someone I can share that with.”

6th Grader Benjamin Lambert ’28 had a similar experience with his Cougar Pal Mercer Hutcheson ’28 when he came to Collegiate this year. “It made me feel really good to know someone before I even started classes,” Benjamin says. “Mercer was welcoming, and I knew I had someone I could play with at recess or just talk to whenever I wanted.”

Benjamin and Mercer have become a dynamic duo at quarterback and wide receiver during football games at recess. Mercer, who assumes the position of quarterback, says he enjoys having another friend around that loves football as much as he does. “I think it’s great because you always have that one friend that you can look to for help or if you just want to play something like football with a friend,” he explains. “Everyone needs to have a good day, and that’s what friends and Cougar Pals are there for.”

SPRING 2022 43

Writing Connections Into Existence Students in the Cougar Writing Center have found a space to share ideas through writing advice.

Writing is always a personal act. Each line is an articulation of thought, something internal made public and stamped on a piece of paper or screen. With each essay, story or poem a writer says, “Here’s what I think.”

The intimacy and boldness of putting thought to paper is a daunting task for some students to approach. But the process can also be a communal endeavor precisely because it requires the sharing of thoughts and the vocalization of what might be difficult to say in any other way, because the reason for writing is to think about situations that are so complex that you need a special space to think about them.

For students in the Middle School, the Cougar Writing Center, a peer-to-peer writing center that is staffed by trained student mentors and supervised by a teacher, offers that space. Each Wednesday during Activity Period in room 127 of Flippen Hall, students can come seek writing help from 8th Graders who were identified by their teachers as strong writers and exceptional communicators.

One of the only Middle School peer-to-peer writing centers in the country, the Cougar Writing Center is an excellent resource for writers with questions ranging from rules of syntactical composition to essay planning. However, because the center involves that intimate act of writing, the mentors often find themselves connecting with the students they are advising — even when discussing something as technical as grammar usage.

“As a writing mentor, you approach students as a peer,” explains Macy Boyer ’26. “It’s nice to be able to work with them and be their friend. I’ve found the mentorship process fun, especially when I work with little 5th Graders, because I remember when I was their age, and through writing I get to re-experience that again.”

44 SPARK | Feature

The mentors will never tell a student what to write, but through the advisory exercise they connect with the story a student is trying to tell. To best cultivate a student’s voice, the mentor must try to connect with the student on a deeper level.

Take, for example, one 5th Grader Macy worked with during one writing session. “I was helping this student with a personal essay he was working on,” she explains, “and I was able to relate to some of the personal experiences he was writing about. I usually try to subtly get to know them throughout the process. I ask things like, ‘What are some of your personal experiences that brought you to think about this in such a way?’ A lot of times writing is like a voice, and by relating to them on a personal note, I understand them better and help them write a bit better.”

Baxter Phillips ’26, another mentor in the Cougar Writing Center, appreciates the space the center creates because he feels it allows students to bond through their writing. “Writing is a form that allows you to put down your ideas and be creative,” he says, “and what you do share with others — well, it’s fun because you can share ideas that are difficult to say.”

Sometimes being a mentor is as simple as just being there with students as they read a sentence out loud, perfecting the musicality of a phrase. Just being there — that’s friendship.

“It’s exciting to hear other people’s stories,” Baxter says. “I meet students in the writing center and then I see them in the halls and I feel like I really know them. Only through the process of writing can you form a connection with that level of strength so quickly.”

Compassionate Mentorship To be a compassionate leader means being a supportive and encouraging teammate. This is why, when a new faculty member is hired at Collegiate, the School connects that new member of the team with a current team member, creating an environment with a sustained commitment to supporting the excellence of others.

When Rachael Rachau, Middle and Upper School Instructional Technology Coach, came to Collegiate in the summer of 2021, the first person she met was her mentor Elizabeth Kerr, Upper School Head Librarian, who supported her as she settled in. “Elizabeth helped me feel comfortable here before classes really got moving,” Mrs. Rachau says. “And it’s really nice to have someone to rely on and that I can come to with any questions I might have.”

Collegiate is a unique educational environment, and the faculty mentor helps new members of the Collegiate community integrate into that environment, which allows them to thrive. Mrs. Kerr, who has been at Collegiate for four years now, says it has been fun helping Mrs. Rachau connect with the School. “I can explain what Brunch is, for example, and I can explain what Feast of Juul is,” she says. “And then what I’ve really enjoyed is helping Rachael make connections with teachers, introducing her to those broader connections that will help her excel with the teachers she works with in the classroom.”

The pair work together as excellent teammates, collaborating to give the best educational experience to Collegiate’s students. Although Mrs. Rachau frequently visits other classrooms in her position, both she and Mrs. Kerr are stationed in the Upper School Library. “The fact that we’re both in these classroom support roles is really helpful,” Mrs. Rachau says. “So much of

By giving each new faculty member a mentor, Collegiate creates an environment with a sustained commitment to supporting the excellence of others.

our work is about building relationships, making connections and helping other teachers and students succeed, and since we have that in common in our work, Elizabeth has helped me figure out what that collaboration looks like here at Collegiate.”

Coming to Collegiate with more than a decade of work as an educator, Mrs. Rachau shares her own experiences and perspectives with Mrs. Kerr. “Rachael brings a wealth of knowledge to Collegiate,” Mrs. Kerr explains. “And with her expertise we can discuss best practices in the library and best practices to support technology usage in education.”

The two have worked closely to bring a team approach to the teaching of digital citizenship and technological literacy. Bringing awareness to how we use technology, how we engage with the digital world and how that might influence the way we perceive others is something both Mrs. Kerr and Mrs. Rachau are passionate about. “There are a number of digital citizenship and digital health and wellness learning opportunities happening across all three divisions,” Mrs. Rachau explains. “But we want to solidify what’s working well and we want to add intentionally to the practice. In our shared capacities as technology facilitator and librarian, our connection and shared passion of the subject helps improve our work.”

Ultimately, working in unison as a team helps strengthen the community, and in their relationship as mentor and mentee, Mrs. Kerr and Mrs. Rachau are collaborating to help the School excel. “We work well together as mentor and mentee,” Mrs. Kerr says. “Our goal is to help people — to help educate our students — and in that regard our connection has been a natural fit for us.”

SPRING 2022 45

Impactful Care Students working under the tutelage of Collegiate’s Head Athletic Trainer learn about the compassion involved in medical care.

The rehabilitation process for athletes can be long and arduous. And with the end goal of getting yourself back to the action as quickly as possible, the work required can be a series of frustrations. Compassionate Athletic Trainers (AT) who know the injured athletes — ATs that can connect with them in the process of caring for them — are crucial to the work of rehabilitation.

To work with an athlete that has just undergone knee surgery — and to shepherd them from crutches to walking to jogging and finally back to sprinting — requires the Athletic Trainer to have a special connection with the athlete. This is something that students Emily Deskevich ’22 and Kate Riopelle ’22 are learning under the tutelage of Shannon Winston, who has served as Collegiate’s Head Athletic Trainer since 1998.

Emily and Kate work as athletic training student aides to Ms. Winston. The role gives the students athletic credit and the opportunity to help with the daily operations in the training room. They learn to tend to sore aches and pains and pulls with the guidance from a consummate professional in her field of expertise. Emily and Kate, in this apprenticeship role, also learn how to connect with the athletes. They learn how to build trust with students that visit the training room every day. They learn the technical work of treating an injury while simultaneously learning to listen with care and respect.

This growth does not happen in an instant. But as the students work with Ms. Winston, they begin to learn how to function with independent confidence in the training room and on the field of play. “I love watching the growth of the students that work with me,” Ms. Winston says.

“By the end of the season the students have really grown. They can treat kids with confidence because they have developed confidence in their leadership and communication skills and in their ability to treat athletes.”

So much of that confidence comes from a student’s ability to connect with an athlete.

“When our athletic training student aides learn what an injured athlete is going through, they develop an understanding of the role an Athletic Trainer serves,” Ms. Winston says. “To develop

46 SPARK | Feature

that trust with a student-athlete as a student yourself is a really great relationship to see in the training room.”

For Emily and Kate, the opportunity to work with Ms. Winston allows them to think more concretely about their own medical careers. “I’ve always known I wanted to do something in the medical field,” Emily explains, “but I wasn’t fully aware of the possibilities. Working in the training room this season has helped me explore my options.” And it’s not only Ms. Winston the students are collaborating with; when working athletic events, Emily and Kate are constantly interacting with other medical professionals, such as EMTs and Dr. Paul Caldwell ’88, a professional orthopedic surgeon and Collegiate’s team doctor.

“It’s great to know that professionals like Dr. Caldwell are willing to teach me and willing to help me learn,” Emily says. “And I think the community support we’re given is really encouraging.”

That communal environment facilitated in the training room is something that excites both Emily and Kate. It is also something that makes them feel connected to Collegiate’s student-athletes. “Going to the training room is my favorite part of the day,” Kate says. “I feel like, in the training room, you’re part of every sports team. You feel connected. And to be able to help one of your classmates through an injury because of that connection is really exciting and special.”

Pictures in Conversation Students in the Inkpot Club collaborated with the Lower School for a special project.

What is the nature of the relationship between art and words, whether in books, paintings or any other form that brings them together? And what about the nature of collaboration between artists across mediums? Those questions have been explored many times before — the expressive result evident in everything from books to animated movies — and are now being explored by our very own Cougars.

In the case of Upper School students in the Inkpot Club, who for the last few months have been working with 4th Grade students to create a picture book that tells the stories of Collegiate School, the answer to such creative union is one of engaging and colorful collaboration. The project began when Junior Lauryn Tolliver ’23, founder and president of Inkpot, had the idea of writing a book for students in the Lower School. “I thought it would be a great idea to bring the Lower Schoolers in to help create the book themselves,” Lauryn explains.

“Because to have that collaborative engagement with students in another division is unique.”

Students in Inkpot, a creative writing club in the Upper School, began with writing the stories that comprise the The Collegiate Book of Stories, which contain lessons the writers wish they had learned when they were younger. After completing the stories, Inkpot brought their work to the Lower School to create the complementary illustrations, providing the Lower Schoolers with both creative freedom and loose guidelines to help channel and focus their work. “The Upper School students in the Inkpot Club wrote these stories with elementary-aged students in mind,” Lauryn says, “and the student illustrations really bring the stories to life.”

Creative sparks, though, were not the only things forged in this collaborative project. Lower and Upper School students found long-lasting bonds among their peers. The project, Lauryn explains, gives students the chance to interact and work with fellow students they don’t typically see on a day-to-day basis. Bright and captivating connections were discovered. “To find that you can connect with different grade levels is really quite amazing,” Lauryn says. “Honestly, this collaboration does a lot for both groups. I think that, for Upper School students, this gives us the opportunity to be in a mentorship role, and, for the Lower School students, the project gives them yet another role model within the School. These are truly meaningful connections.”

The Inkpot Club intends to be publish and distribute The Collegiate Book of Stories, which is a final piece of the project that demonstrates to students the work involved in the process of print publication. Students brainstormed as a group to create a page-by-page layout for the book, worked to meet deadlines and, of course, connected with the 4th Grade illustrators.

In more ways than one, the students discovered how to bring creative work to life, realizing the possible avenues of where to take their art. “Oftentimes, the challenges people have with doing a creative task are that they don’t have any guidance,” Lauryn says. “This process gives everyone the structure they need to write and draw, and, at the end of it, you’re able to say you’ve had your work published at a young age, which is very valuable.”

SPRING 2022 47

ALUMNI NEWS

Bryce Powell ’69 speaks to students in Rob Wedge’s economics class.

48 SPARK | Alumni News

Alumni Participation at Collegiate There are so many ways to engage with Collegiate. Whether it’s speaking to students, connecting with faculty or exploring programs, our alumni’s talents are a valuable resource to the School. The Alumni Association is here to help make these meaningful connections. “Giving back to Collegiate can take many forms,” says H. Pettus LeCompte ’71, former Alumni Association President. “The key for each alumni is to determine how we can best make a difference and then pursue those avenues with vigor.” The following are just a few examples of those avenues offered to alumni to participate in the School.

PARTICIPATE IN TRAILBLAZE 2022 Trailblaze aims to provide shadowing opportunities for

NOMINATE SOMEONE (OR EVEN YOURSELF!) FOR THE ALUMNI BOARD

Collegiate students the summer before their Senior year. This

The Alumni Board, which meets five times a year, serves

year, Trailblaze will be a virtual experience. The goal of this

as an advocate for all Collegiate graduates. Members of the

program will be to provide real life experience for our students

board connect with current students and alumni and serve as

with Collegiate alumni and friends already established in the

ambassadors of Collegiate to promote the School and help fulfill

workforce, giving our students meaningful connections with the

its mission.

professional world. Students will have the opportunity to explore their interests beyond the classroom and discover potential career paths. “Trailblaze was a great opportunity to connect with Collegiate students in ways that I haven’t before,” says Meera Pahuja ’97. “ To see their interest, capabilities and dedication to understanding professions on a practical level really speaks to their love of learning that is such a core to Collegiate’s philosophy.”

GIVE BACK TO THE ANNUAL FUND

CALLING ALL ALUMNI WITH CLASS YEARS THAT END IN TWOS AND SEVENS TO HELP US WITH HOMECOMING 2022 Help plan your upcoming reunion. Work with a committee to plan a night to remember while connecting with classmates. “I always knew our class was special, but the incredible turnout and enthusiasm around our 20th reunion was really something,” says Elizabeth Dolan Wright ’01. “Navigating event planning

“The Annual Fund is a critical piece of Collegiate’s rich history

through a pandemic was tricky, but with the help and support of

of giving back,” says alumnus Peyton Jenkins ’00. “The Fund is

the Alumni Association team and the 2001 Reunion Committee,

paramount to bridging the gap between the cost of tuition and

the event was both a great success and a rewarding volunteer

the cost of operations. As parents, students and alumni, each

experience. These are relationships that have endured through

of us has benefited from this fund and its donors. Every year

time, and it was so much fun to pick up where we left off.”

this fund helps to provide critical school services, staff support, learning experiences for our students and much more. Please consider giving a gift to the Annual Fund this year!”

CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS Engage with the Alumni Association as a class ambassador to find ways to provide opportunities for alumni to gather with friends,

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANNE GRAY SIEBERT ’97, COLLEGIATE’S DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT, AT: annegray_siebert@collegiate-va.org O R 804.741.9757

strengthen relationships and create new connections within the Collegiate community. “Having the opportunity to work with some of my classmates to organize our 21st reunion was a rewarding experience,” says Hunter Lansing ’00. “As I look back at my time at Collegiate, those relationships, memories and experiences have become even more meaningful to me over time. To play a small role in bringing my classmates together to remember and retell many of those cherished moments was a blast.”

SPRING 2022 49

Cross-Country Connections

International (57)

Number of Alumni <10

<25

<50

<100

<200

<500

>1000

The map above displays the number of alumni living in the United States and internationally, reflecting that although our Cougars are spread out all over the world, the strong bond they share keeps them close.

50 SPARK | Alumni News

OUT OF STATE ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS Our endless learning journeys are trodden on shared paths. Those paths, after graduating from Collegiate School, often take us to new places that lead to new discoveries. Yet even as our alumni travel far beyond North Mooreland Road, many of them remain devoted to the prosperity of the Cougar community. The seven out-of-state alumni serving on Collegiate’s Alumni Board are excellent examples of our alumni’s commitment to elevating the educational experiences of our students and sustaining the responsible and compassionate citizenship of the School.

ELISABETH ARNOLD WEISS ’86 LOS ANGELES, CALIF. Life is made vibrant by the people you share it with. This is only one of the many lessons that Elisabeth Arnold Weiss ’86 learned during her time at Collegiate School, but it is the one she tries to integrate into her work on the Alumni Board. “Life is all about people and personalities,” she says. “And our out-of-town alumni bring a diverse array of experiences, perspectives and professions that enrich Collegiate’s educational program.”

A professor of technical communication practice at the University of Southern California, Weiss says the teachers she looked up to at Collegiate helped develop her own approach to teaching. “I learned to be a professional at Collegiate,” she says. “The education I received was worth a lot. It has helped me get into college, find jobs and discover networking opportunities.”

Those intangibles are what compel her to help grow the next generation of leaders at Collegiate. “I feel invested in Collegiate and its success,” she says. “And I love being able to give back to the School that, through its top-quality education and unparalleled character development, helped shape me into who I am today.”

Ultimately, though, the lifelong connections are what excite her. And, even states away from North Mooreland Road, Weiss is still meeting Cougars. “Many relationships that started at Collegiate were fostered later,” she explains. “Ellen Bonbright and I, for example, have the most amazing continuity to our friendship, and I connected with Mike Henry when we were both living in LA. I’ve always thought of Collegiate as a big family — with a bunch of different people of different generations — and it’s wonderful to continue developing relationships.”

HARRY WILSON ’01 LOUISVILLE, KY. Sometimes, to be a leader, you must first be inspired to lead. Inspiration for Harry Wilson ’01 came in the form of the Collegiate School community. “I learned a lot about leadership when I was at Collegiate,” he says. “You have to zig when others zag, remain nimble when agility is required and share a vision so clear that others can’t help but follow. This is a foundation I learned while on campus on North Mooreland Road.”

As one of four co-founders and the president of the organization Limitless Minds, a company based out of Seattle, Wash., Wilson now shepherds countless people towards intellectual and personal growth. That sustained commitment to meeting high standards of character and the warm embrace of each individual that Collegiate gave Wilson is now being given to the broader world. “My belief in the power of mindset and the importance of building adversity tolerance as a competitive advantage is quite in sync with my experience built at Collegiate,” he says.

Part of that leadership is still focused on Collegiate, where Wilson first learned of responsible and compassionate citizenship. “I’m on the Alumni Board to give back to a community that invested in me for a better part of a decade,” he says. “I believe in the School, the community and the culture. Relationships and community are everything. I just want to be a part of it.”

SPRING 2022 51

AMRIK SINGH SAHNI ’06 LOS ANGELES, CALIF. At the conclusion of every class Amrik Singh Sahni ’06 (positioned right in photograph) attended at Collegiate School, he would leave the room only after thanking his teacher. He was grateful for their dedication to his growth. But he and his classmates knew it wasn’t just the teachers that contributed to the stimulating learning environment; Sahni, along with his classmates, thanked the custodians, technicians, bus drivers — everyone. It’s a practice he continues to this day, because he knows, as Collegiate taught him, that a community develops its character through respect. “In my daily life, whether it is leaving an office or a store or someone’s home, I remember to thank them for their time,” he says. “I learned the lesson of respecting others and their time at Collegiate.”

Another demonstration of that gratitude takes the form of Sahni’s work on the Alumni Board. “Collegiate taught me the difference between the lecture and the lesson,” he explains, “and I just think, out of sheer gratitude to the School, I want to offer my extra time, just as our teachers and coaches did for us.” The Alumni Board is also a way to engage more directly with the current life at the School.

“I joined the Alumni Board because I like to keep engaged with other alumni and current students, and I feel like I bring a very unique perspective to the role.”

GRAHAM MANDL ’08 NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. When Graham Mandl ’08 first stepped through Collegiate’s doors, opportunities for personal growth opened up. He began to discover values that he would carry with him going forward, and he met people who share those values. “Collegiate has always emphasized the importance of respect, problem solving and teamwork,” he says. “And those have served as the foundation of my career.”

Although Mandl now works in New York as Senior Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, he still feels deeply connected to the Collegiate community. This bond stays intact despite distance, and the enduring relationships with both teachers and peers are what make a Collegiate education so special. “Many of my friendships were formed at Collegiate,” he explains. “Despite living all across the country, my cohort continues to share a bond and find ways to connect.”

The work of the Alumni Board, he says, solidifies those connections through reunions and other gatherings. “I have remained close with many of my teachers and coaches at Collegiate,” he says. “I think this is one of the many reasons Collegiate is so special.”

Collegiate, Mandl says, is more than just a school. Sure, the energetic curiosity and lifelong friendships are sparked on campus, but those qualities endure after graduation. “Collegiate is a series of relationships that extend far beyond the Richmond footprint.”

LUKE WALKER ’12 ATLANTA, GA. Luke Walker ’12 has always had athletic aspirations. From the time he joined the Collegiate School community in 1999 as a Kindergartner, Walker, like so many young children, wanted to be a professional athlete. With resilience and great effort, the dream materialized — albeit in a slightly different form.

Working as a sales representative for the PGA TOUR, Walker credits the coaches he had at Collegiate for instilling in him a strong character. The compassion, respect and honor that coaches such as Alex Peavey taught him are traits, he says, that have allowed him to thrive in his professional life. “Alex Peavey taught so many people the right way to treat their peers — both in and out of athletics,” Walker says. “I’ve never been around somebody that exemplifies what it means to be a person of honor and dignity in every aspect of one’s life more than Coach Peavey.”

This same enthusiasm for Collegiate’s teachers gives Walker a sense of duty in his role on the Alumni Board. It’s a position he’s taken on, he says, because of the necessity to remain part of a community that helped him grow during a pivotal time in his life. “For me, it’s the idea of giving back and feeling in touch with a place that quite literally instilled countless characteristics and personality traits in me throughout my childhood. That seems to me really important.”

52 SPARK | Alumni News

HELEN RODDEY ’16 NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. In December, when Collegiate School livestreamed the Pageant for those unable to attend in person, Helen Roddey ’16 was at work in New York. But she still attended the event virtually. Those traditions, she says, remain special to her.

The traditions, the teachers, the coaches, the friendships — Roddey doesn’t take any of it for granted, and she wants to ensure the current students have those same fruitful opportunities. “I just feel so lucky to have Collegiate mean so much to me,” she explains, “and with the Alumni Board I want to continue to be involved.”

During her time on North Mooreland Road, Roddey, who now works in events for the NFL League Office, contributed to The Match and took a number of rigorous English and journalism classes. Her interest in storytelling and its ability to create a unified connection grew from her Collegiate education. “I figured I would want to end up working in media,” she says. “I always loved the meaningful impact that sports had on our Collegiate community. I feel like that was the beginning of my desire to work in sports.”

The teachers who gave her those beginnings still remain close to her, too. “When I’m home, I love seeing my old teachers and coaches,” she says. “Collegiate is the type of community that allows you to feel like you can pick up right where you left off — no matter how far away you live. We are all really lucky to have that kind of community, and it’s kept up by finding ways to remain connected.”

VIRGINIA HARRIS ’16 NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. “I think one thing that is really special about Collegiate is the lasting impact it has created,” Virginia Harris ’16 says. That lasting impact is cultivated from a number of different aspects at Collegiate School — the hands-on teaching, the athletics, the mentorship of countless educators — and all of it has contributed to Harris’s professional success.

As an analyst at Deloitte Commercial Consulting, where she works to help businesses meet their net-zero CO2 emissions goals, Harris relies on the insightful intuition and ceaseless curiosity she developed at Collegiate. “Collegiate did a fantastic job of making me more curious about the way problems are solved and how I could make an impact,” she says. “I have brought that curious mindset with me to my current position.”

The friendships have persisted, too. “Many of my most cherished friendships and valuable life experiences happened as a result of my time at Collegiate,” she explains. “Collegiate has invested not only in my learning in the classroom, but also in my ability to explore new cultures, give back to my community and learn how to be a team player.”

Harris believes that the Alumni Board ensures the continuity of connections across generations of Cougars, creating a world-wide network. “While a ton of Cougars have returned to Richmond, I think it is important to recognize and represent the alumni members who are out of state and make sure that they remain connected,” she says. “It is important to me to continue to keep those bonds that we were so lucky to have created at Collegiate intact.”

SPRING 2022 53

CHIPS OFF THE OLD COUGAR BLOCK Stephen Adamson Wyatt Alexander Payton Beeh Ellie Brennan Catherine Carter Ethan Chambers Ever Childs Watkins Cottrell Millie Cumbo William Cushnie Molly Dunnington Scott Edwards Ravenna Evarts Alastair Evarts Joy Ferry Xavier Forbes Pitt Friddell James Galgano Evie Hogan Libby Huber Jack Jenkins Pierce Lansing Hampton Lansing Henry Long Liza Marchant

JK JK K JK K K K K K JK JK JK 6th 1st JK K JK 9th K JK K K JK JK JK

Lucy McGehee Rory McGeorge Lila McLellan Elizabeth Myers Scout Nelson Hugh Nolde Jonathan Plucinski Mac Price Eleanor Qureshi Jeffrey Qureshi Gigi Saunders Shepherd Short Jacob Silverstein Hazel Stettinius George Stutts Dell Taliaferro Ellzey Thompson Sam Tinsley Wells Turner Nora Wallace Mikey Washo Josie Williamson Bo Woodard Connor Wright Graham Wright

JK JK JK 9th JK 6th K JK 8th 8th JK K K JK K K JK JK JK 9th K JK 6th JK JK

54 SPARK | Alumni News

THIS FALL W E W ELCOM ED THE F OLLOW I NG LEGACI ES OF COLLEGI ATE ALUM NI

Mr. Benjamin Kirkpatrick Adamson ’98, Mrs. Frances Shetter Adamson Reed ’63 Dr. Priscilla W. Powell ’01 Mrs. Shelley Daughtrey Beeh ’98 Dr. Kathryn Ansell Brennan ’03 Mr. W. Hall Carter Jr. ’01, Mrs. Helen Anderson Carter ’74, Mr. William H. Carter ’74 Mrs. Lara Tyler Chambers ’99 Mrs. Kimberly Frazier Childs ’03 Mrs. Caitlin Shalley Cottrell ’03 Mrs. Meredith Newbill Cumbo ’04 Mr. W. Ross Cushnie Sr. ’02 Mr. Jeffrey G. Dunnington ’01 Mrs. Peyton Cheely Edwards ’04 Ms. Jill Denise Witty ’94, Dr. William M. Gottwald ’66 Ms. Jill Denise Witty ’94, Dr. William M. Gottwald ’66 Mrs. Virginia Nuckols Ferry ’96 Mr. Graham Thomas Forbes ’03 Mr. Malcolm Pitt Friddell Jr. ’02, Mrs. Anne Day Friddell ’71 Dr. Kimberly Meyers Galgano ’86 Mrs. Kristina Tyler Hogan ’02 Mr. Hunter F. Huber ’02, Mrs. Samantha Price Huber ’03 Mr. C. Peyton Jenkins Sr. ’00 Mr. Theodore H. Lansing II ’98 Mr. James Hunter Lansing ’00 Mr. Henry P. Long III ’98 Mrs. Elizabeth Anne Marchant ’04, Mr. John Reilly Marchant ’03, Mrs. Beth Watlington Marchant ’72, Mr. William Reilly Marchant ’71 Mrs. Kristan Schaaf McGehee ’97, Mr. F. Behle Schaaf ’72 Mr. Gregory Edward McGeorge ’01, Mrs. Jeannie Costin McGeorge ’06 Mrs. Bane Williams McLellan ’02, Mr. R. L. Terrell Williams ’70 Mr. John Justice Myers ’82 Mrs. Jennifer Romer Nelson ’09 Mrs. Haley Whipple Nolde ’92, Mr. John Arthur Nolde III ’90 Mrs. Leslie Beach Plucinski ’99 Mrs. Sarah Bondurant Price ’01 Mr. Jeffrey Zafar Qureshi ’88 Mr. Jeffrey Zafar Qureshi ’88 Mrs. Alexandra Squire Saunders ’03, Mr. J. Brock Saunders ’02 Mrs. Estelle Munford Call ’64 Mrs. Christina Thalhimer Silverstein ’02, Mr. William B. Thalhimer III ’64 Mr. Gordon T. Stettinius ’84 Mr. Peter Johnson Stutts ’02, Dr. Barbara E. Kahn ’02 Mr. Michael Caulk Taliaferro ’00 Mr. Daniel Weldon Thompson ’02, Mr. Addison B. Thompson ’66 Mrs. Chelsea Renee Tinsley ’08 Mr. Perry Everett Turner III ’00 Mr. Christopher L. Wallace ’93, Mr. Alva Lawrence Wallace ’69 Mrs. Mary Catherine Williams Washo ’01, Mr. Richard Gregory Williams ’69 Mrs. Blair Northen Williamson ’04, Mr. Read M. Northen Jr. ’73 Ms. Ryland Witt ’93, Ms. Page Hancock Thurston ’65, Mrs. Alice Coleman Hancock ’39* Mrs. Elizabeth Dolan Wright ’01 Mrs. Whitney Smith Wright ’01, Mr. James Alvernon Smith III ’71

*Deceased

1

4

5

6

2

3

1. Junior Kindergartners (all ’35) from left to right, beginning from the back row: Hampton Lansing, Pitt Friddell, Stephen Adamson, William Cushnie, Rory McGeorge, Libby Huber, Lucy McGehee, Mac Price, Ellie Brennan, Hazel Stettinius, Liza Marchant, Joy Ferry, Lila McLellan, Scout Nelson, Graham Wright, Wyatt Alexander, Josie Williamson, Wells Turner, Connor Wright, Sam Tinsley, Molly Dunnington, Henry Long, Ellzey Thompson, Gigi Saunders (Not Pictured - Scott Edwards) 2. Kindergartners (all ’34) from left to right, beginning from the back row: George Stutts, Dell Taliaferro, Jack Jenkins, Shepherd Short, Ethan Chambers, Mikey Washo, Watkins Cottrell, Ever Childs, Payton Beeh, Jacob Silverstein, Pierce Lansing, Evie Hogan, Catherine Carter, Millie Cumbo, Xavier Forbes, Jonathan Plucinski 3. N ora Wallace ’25 (left), Elizabeth Myers ’25 (middle), James Galgano ’25 (right) 4. Alastair Evarts ’33 5. Eleanor ’26 and Jeffrey Qureshi ’26 (right) 6. H ugh Nolde ’28 (left), Ravenna Evarts ’28 (middle), Bo Woodard ’28 (right)

SPRING 2022 55

A Journey of Self-Discovery A L U M N U S JAC K S O N WATKIN S ’19 R E F L E C TS O N H IS ATH LETIC J OURNEY T H R O U G H CO LLEG IATE — AN D BEYOND. The dream began, as most hoop dreams often do, in the driveway.

Jackson Watkins ’19 was just a kid, maybe six or seven years old, shooting on one of those portable, less-than-regulation-height baskets anchored by a base filled with sand.

It was a cool thing to do, he thought, and he reveled in the opportunity to throw up shot after shot on that paved stretch that looped off the street at his mom Jeanette Tyson’s home in Austin, Texas.

There was just one problem. The house sat on a steep incline. “If I missed badly,” the 2019 Collegiate graduate recalls, “the ball would bounce all the way down that hill, and I had to spend multiple minutes chasing after it. That’s where I learned to shoot. Or learned to not miss.”

He laughs when he recounts the story, for he’s come a very long way and launched a ton of shots — and done pretty much everything else on the basketball court — since that humble beginning.

56 SPARK | Alumni News

By Weldon Bradshaw

That said, basketball wasn’t always his athletic priority. “At that point in my life, I really loved baseball,” he says. “I’d beg my mom to stay awake and watch the games [on television]. I’d have a ping-pong ball and my baseball glove, and I’d throw the ball at the bottom of the TV stand and have it fly right back at me, and I’d make diving catches. All my attention was going toward baseball. Basketball was my fun hobby.

That totally changed when I got to Richmond.”

Before 2nd Grade, Jackson and his twin sister Maddy moved to Richmond with their mother and enrolled at Mary Munford School, where he spent recess and afterschool time playing knock-out and pickup games.

Though he was still playing baseball in the Richmond Little League, his interest was waning.

“Baseball had become slower to me,” he says. “Kids aren’t hitting every single pitch. You’re not active every single play unless you’re the pitcher or catcher.

Basketball was a more dynamic sport. You have physiques of all sizes, all speeds, all heights. The quicker pace and the back-and-forth were a lot more attractive to me as I got older and the competition increased.”

In the ensuing years, Jackson played basketball on teams at the Humphrey Calder Recreation Center and in the Upward Basketball and Rising Stars programs and also trained under the guidance of Matt Murrer, who was recently named head coach at Benedictine.

After he and Maddy transferred to Collegiate in 5th Grade, he availed himself of the Cougar Paws program, then Cub in 7th and 8th Grade, JV in 9th and Varsity for three years, the last two as a starter at either the point or two-guard spot.

He played, too, in the Team Richmond AAU program under Collegiate coach Del Harris and, as a Junior, competed for Murrer’s Team22 squad.

His Senior year at Collegiate, Jackson averaged 10 points per game, distributed the ball regularly to standout inside players Robbie Beran, Jack Wyatt and Cody Patterson, earned All-Prep honors and helped the Cougars win the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament and finish in a tie for the league title.

“Our program motto is ‘Culture Wins,’” Harris says. “Jackson has stayed true to the culture. He’s selfless. He’s always working hard. He’s passionate. He has a love for the game in his heart. A lot of people say that in words. He lives it.”

Regardless of the venue, level of competition or intensity of the moment, Jackson has remained the same eager, enthusiastic, wide-eyed kid that he was back in Austin when he was gleefully putting up shots in the anonymity of the driveway. He has an anything-it-takes commitment to excellence. He’s become the ultimate team guy.

Now, though, his court of choice isn’t some outdoor slap or high school gym.

It’s the Dean E. Smith Center — the Dean Dome — home of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

After playing on Carolina’s JV as well as the scout team that prepares the women’s squad for competition, Jackson, who is a Junior, has earned a spot on the varsity roster as a walk-on.

“I’m really excited about the addition of Jackson and Rob [Landry, another walkon],” says Tar Heels’ first-year coach Hubert Davis. “They’re great players and great kids. Their ability to help us in practice has been absolutely outstanding. I can’t tell you how excited I am for them to be on the team. They’re great to be around every day.”

For Jackson, a 6-0, 170-pound guard, making the UNC roster might seem a Rudy-like stretch. He had offers from several Division III signatories. All would provide the strong academics that he sought as well as a clearer path to continuing his basketball career.

Photography courtesy of Doug Watkins.

“My college process was sort of a two-lane road,” he says. “On one lane, I had the allure of going to a big university. I was really attracted to that because Collegiate is a smaller school and I wanted to experience a huge university. On the other hand, I did realize that with that big DI path, I would probably be sacrificing competitive basketball.

“Coach Harris definitely helped me through the process. It was a tough decision.

At the end of the day, I think it was legacy. My mom went to UNC. A lot of my extended family are in North Carolina. I’d grown up a UNC fan, my room was painted Carolina blue, I had [UNC basketball] posters, jerseys and T-shirts. I realized this was my calling. It just seemed right.”

His Freshman year on the JV team, he averaged 13 points per game.

“We tipped off three hours before the varsity tipped off,” he says. “Every time we went out to warm up, I remember thinking, This is awesome. I’m getting to play in the Dean Dome, on this floor, with ‘Carolina’ on my chest. It was a surreal experience.”

Then, COVID-19 changed everything. Well, almost everything, except Jackson’s dedication, zeal for the game, desire to return to some semblance of hoops normalcy and bucket-list hope of one day making the varsity roster. He bided his time in Richmond, worked out on his own, played pickup when he could, and, when the world opened up a bit, coached in Murrer’s youth program.

Back in Chapel Hill last fall, he rejoined the scout team and planned to continue this year. Then came an announcement in early October for open varsity tryouts.

He jumped at the opportunity, put heart and soul into the effort and learned of his promotion after practice Oct. 19, 2021.

Along the way, he received considerable support and encouragement from Armando Bacot, a rival when he starred for Trinity Episcopal and now a UNC teammate.

“We’ve known each other for a while,” Bacot says, “and I knew he wanted to try to make varsity. We talked, and I gave him a little advice that might help his chances. He

must’ve done it, because he made the team. It’ll be good to have another Richmond guy on the team.”

Besides a uniform — Jackson will wear number 30 — there’s no guarantee of playing time. Nevertheless, he’s living his dream and happy to pitch in as needed, make his teammates better and absorb the ambiance of a storied program.

“Throughout this process,” he says, “I’ve done a lot of self-reflection. When I initially got the call to try out, I was thinking, What am I getting myself into? These guys are levels above me. They’re quicker. They’re stronger. They’re faster. During that tryout period, there was definitely self-doubt. There was negative self-talk. I kept asking myself, What am I doing here?

“Looking back, you really don’t get anywhere in life by being comfortable. By having those thoughts, it shows that I cared deeply about what I was doing. And so for anyone out there who’s hearing this story — dreaming big about your passions will lead you to experiences that you could never have imagined. Not everyone gets to live out their dream, but if you really believe in yourself and have the drive, energy and passion to pursue it relentlessly, anything is possible.”

In early November, the Tar Heels played an exhibition against Elizabeth City State. It was Jackson’s first opportunity to run through the tunnel onto the Dean Dome floor, warm up and play any role asked of him as a member of the UNC men’s basketball team.

“It’s a blessing,” he says. “It’s an honor just to put on the practice uniform and walk on at the school I dreamed about growing up. Michael Jordan, the GOAT, went here. Just playing in the same program that some of the all-time greats went through, getting to experience what it means to be a Carolina basketball player, and just walking out on that hardwood every day is something to be incredibly grateful for.”

SPRING 2022 57

ALUMNI OFFER INSIGHTS ON COLLEGE APPLICATIONS Five Collegiate alumni currently studying at different colleges returned to campus in January to offer their advice and insights to 11th Graders, all of whom will soon begin the college application process.

Gathering to Commemorate Pageant The joy of the holidays is always made warmer when spent gathering with others, especially our Cougar alumni. Last December, Collegiate alumni were able to attend a commemorative Pageant video presentation in Oates Theater, where they had the opportunity to honor and celebrate a School tradition cherished since 1960.

Alumni heard from Penny Evins as she spoke with three students performing in the 2021 Pageant, and Nancy Archbell Bain, a guiding light in the music department during her 40 year career as a Cougar, made a special guest appearance. For those in attendance, it felt as if Nancy were still playing the organ alongside Pageant performers, the same way she did for so many Cougars.

SHOWCASING ALUMNI ART ON CAMPUS During Homecoming Weekend, Collegiate graduate Erin Cross ’14 opened “Styrocummulus,” their new exhibit, in the South Science building on our North Mooreland Road campus.

Expanding on concepts from their previous exhibit “Cloudwatching,” Cross, a transdisciplinary artist, uses recycled materials such as styrofoam and plastic bags to demonstrate humanity’s severance from the natural world. In “Styrocumulus,” Cross juxtaposes whimsical natural imagery with an artificially generated idyllic soundscape. The result is a stimulating look at our atmosphere recreated using materials that hurt that very atmosphere.

Collegiate School is committed to giving current and former students a space to pursue their creativity in all forms. “This is the third year we have showcased Collegiate alumni artists in this South Science space,” says Upper School Art Teacher Pam Sutherland. “This first and foremost gives young, emerging artists an exhibition opportunity they can put on their resume — not to mention a new set of eyes on their work — while also giving current students an opportunity to hear from someone who was once in their shoes. For those that are interested in pursuing an education or career in the visual arts, having an exhibition such as this one is a vote of confidence in that direction and serves as confirmation that they are not alone and need not be so anxious about what lies ahead as they navigate their unique creative path.”

58 SPARK | Alumni News

Photography courtesy of Clemson Athletics.

GILES THAXTER’S INDOMITABLE SPIRIT The resilient athletic devotion and honorable character Giles Thaxter ’17 embodies helped lead Clemson’s soccer team to a national championship title.

Joy. Pure joy. It-doesn’t-get-any-better-than-this joy. His-countenance-speaksvolumes joy.

How else could you describe the vision of Giles Thaxter ’17 gleefully hoisting the NCAA championship soccer trophy above his head just moments after the Clemson Tigers defeated the Washington Huskies 2-0 on Dec. 12 in Cary, N.C., to claim the coveted prize that had eluded them just months before?

“It was surreal,” the 2017 Collegiate School graduate says. “We went up 1-0 very early. Fifteen minutes in, we were up 2-0. A lot of the game, I was standing there reflecting, ‘I can’t believe this is actually going to happen.’”

It did, though, seven months after the top-seeded Tigers fell to Marshall, the eventual national champ, in penalty kicks in the Sweet 16 of the COVID-delayed 2020 tournament.

“I didn’t really know what I’d feel like when the final whistle went,” Thaxter says. “To be able to celebrate with everyone — it was special.”

The interesting part, though, was that Thaxter didn’t play even a second in the title game. In fact, his only career appearance was a span of 3:54 late in a 5-1 victory over Louisville on Oct. 29, the Tigers’ Senior Night.

So why, then, the joy? Easy. Thaxter “gets it.” That’s why. It’s not about him.

It’s about team. And, man, is Giles Thaxter proud of his team!

“I was so excited,” he says, “for all the guys who had grinded their whole life to get to this moment and put their blood, sweat and tears into the past four years.”

Though he’s much more comfortable praising others, Thaxter, too, had contributed considerable time and effort for the opportunity to reach the mountaintop.

As a youngster who had moved to Richmond from England when he was four years old, he split his time between travel baseball and soccer. He enrolled at Collegiate as a 5th Grader and played both sports through the Cub and JV level before directing his attention to soccer as a Sophomore.

Goalkeeping became his position of choice, but the Cougars already had a standout, Sawyer Gaffney, Class of 2016 and an All-Prep, All-State, All-Metro and All-Mid-Atlantic selection who would go on to a solid career at Davidson College.

“I had to be patient,” Thaxter says. “Sawyer was obviously one of the best goalies Collegiate had ever had. I learned a lot from him. I attribute a lot of my skills and success from training with him. It didn’t hurt not to play. I got to do what I loved with my best friends.

“When Sawyer graduated, I got my chance to apply everything I’d learned from him when I got in game situations. I loved it.”

In his only season as a regular, the Cougars finished 13-5, placed second in the Prep League and advanced to the VISAA quarterfinals.

“Giles is one of those guys who loved to play,” says Charlie Blair, Collegiate’s head boys soccer coach for 38 years until his retirement following the 2018 season. “It didn’t matter if it was pickup, in-season or out of season. He just became better and better.”

Thaxter’s positive presence and indomitable spirit were not lost on his coaches and teammates at Clemson either.

“Giles was happy whether he played one minute or didn’t play,” says Camilo Rodriguez, Clemson’s position coach. “He was happy whether he played or didn’t play.”

The time he did, though, was memorable for all involved. In fact, Thaxter referenced his Senior Night appearance as “the best four minutes of my life.”

Family and several high school friends made the trip. The stands at Historic Riggs Field were packed almost to capacity.

“Giles was a fan favorite,” Rodriguez says. “A lot of people knew his story.

When he came in, there was one of the biggest cheers I’ve ever heard for a player.

The bench and coaching staff were super happy for him. It was a sign for us about how important he was for the team and program. It was a special moment.”

T H I S I S A N A B R I D G E D V E R S I O N O F A R E FLE C TIO NS P IEC E W R I T T E N B Y W E LD O N B R A D S H AW.

SPRING 2022 59

CLASS NOTES 1937

life-care community ‘Brookhaven at Lexington’ in the town where American colonists first

Miriam Scott Apter ’37 died Aug. 21, 2021.

confronted British troops in 1775. “It is a big adjustment for us and the move was harrowing last fall, but now we are getting acclimated to a very nice place and new way of living,”

1951

Barbarra writes. “I find the security we now have comforting and the new lifestyle much

1969 Sidney Gunst ’69 died Oct. 22, 2021.

1970 The Class of 1970 gathered a year late at the Virginia House for their 50th reunion. What a great venue! The turnout was great, the flowers

Lucy Cabell Pyle

less stressful. Have any classmates made this

Summerell ’51 died

transition or are planning to do it? Please reach

Sept. 29, 2021.

out at bamccahill46@gmail.com.”

mood music was perfect. The alumni also enjoyed

1965

Collegiate faculty.

1954 Connie Booker Moe writes, “Carter, Elsie and I attended a lovely but cold luncheon at the School.”

Hal Barnes reports that after 25 years in Kailua, Hawaii, he has moved to the foothills of the Cascades, 20 miles from Seattle. “It’s good to see fall colors and snow again,” he says.

1966

were beautiful, the food was delicious and the a blast-from-the-past video put together by

Barrie Miller Sutton writes, “I had so much fun working with the reunion team. For over a year, we perfected our Zoom skills. Thanks to the whole team, we had a great reunion. It was nice to squeeze in a visit with Margot Keppel Fritts. Personally, I recently celebrated

Barbara Warriner Roehrich died

Melissa Lehigh wrote that 2020 was a tough

a monumental birthday with my kids. I also

Nov. 1, 2021.

year, and she nearly had to close the adoption

traveled to Nantucket for the first time and to

agency that she and John run. The nonprofit

the US Open for the umpteenth time. And I

was saved financially by a benefactor on Sept. 1,

started a new job helping out at Patient First

2021. They feel blessed to be able to go on with

a few hours a week as well, scrubs and all. My

their work.

sister, Lindsay Miller ’65, and I spend many

1962 “It’s been fun to reconnect with classmates now that we’ve moved towards retirement,” writes Marion Chenault. “Cabell and I live

hours on Zoom working on our family tree on

at Westminster-Canterbury where I see Libby

1968

Coleman Price and Nancy Bain regularly.

“I am grateful that I studied at Collegiate

Harriet Franklin ’61 lives across the hall from

during my first six years of school,” writes

friends, so I’ve remet her as well. I say moved

Arthur “Art” Thomas. “I am now a retired

‘towards’ retirement because I went to work at

United Methodist minister who lives at

held Novemver 2021, could not have been more

Dogwood Preschool in June. It’s been exciting

Westminster-Canterbury in Richmond, and I

perfect, due in large part to the planning and

to be part of starting a preschool. I was not a

teach part time church history and spirituality

hard work of Anne Gray Siebert ’97, Director

founder, but I am so grateful for the parents and

at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington,

of Alumni Engagement,” says Betsy Cockriel.

teachers from St. Stephen’s preschool who liked

D.C. and am writing historical books. Since

“On that Friday, Collegiate hosted a tour of

the model and created Dogwood.”

most of my pastorates were in Maryland, I did

the School followed by a delicious luncheon

not return to Virginia until 2017 and hope to

with entertainment from the 5th Grade and

one day tour Collegiate, which has expanded so

speeches from Penny Evins, Head of School,

much since I left in 1962.”

as well as four members of the Senior class.

1964 Barbarra Ann Kemp McCahill and Michael have reluctantly left Cambridge, Mass. for a

60 SPARK | Class Notes

the Ancestry website.”

1971 “Our 50th reunion on Homecoming Weekend,

We were joined by the class of 1970 as they

had been unable to have these festivities last

did not seem to matter; we picked up right

States International University in Nairobi

year. Some of us attended the Oyster Roast

where we had left off. Will the circle remain

and researching with the Truth Justice and

on campus Friday night and the Homecoming

unbroken? I have to say ‘yes!’ Remember when

Reconciliation Commission (TJRC).

game on Saturday.

Kate Fleming Parthemos’s family finally welcomed a baby boy into this world? This

“The jewel in the crown was the 50th reunion

year, that baby boy, Rives Fleming ’83, is my

party, graciously hosted by Tommy and Teri

grandson’s 5th Grade teacher! Here’s to the

Pruitt at their lovely and spacious home, which

class of 1971! May we celebrate heartily, more

comfortably accommodated 75 alumni, spouses

frequently and give thanks for our wonderful

and guests. The food was out of this world, and

shared history!”

the libations were flowing! We were honored music teacher, celebrate with us. After 50 years,

David Williams is enjoying a real estate brokerage position with Commonwealth Commercial and is focused now on helping clients in a consultative and transaction role.

His son, Preston Williams ’11, is happily

1973

to have Nancy Archbell Bain, Girls’ School

1974

living and working in New York.

Jeffrey L. Galston,

and especially after the very challenging last

son of Dr. Herbert and

James “Jimmie”

two years, we were thrilled and blessed to be

Rosamond Galston,

Lyne ’74 died Dec.

able to gather in person, hug one another and

brother of Wendy

1, 2021.

reminisce about our shared time at Collegiate.

Galston Gold ’68, father

Our stories are still fresh in our minds. The

of Cynthia Galston

laughter echoed throughout the evening.

Lang ’08 and Arielle Galston ’12, died Nov. 14, 2021. His love for the Collegiate School will live

“We would like to recognize those who made the

on through the Galston Family Foundation.

extra effort to travel from out of state, especially Max Clough from Seattle, Wash., and Janet Pace Kerr from Lakeside, Mont. Some of us

Kenya from June through December 2021,

had not seen each other since graduation. That

1

Lyn Graybill was a Fulbright scholar in teaching political science courses at United

2

1975 Karen Pauli Wells writes that the Class of 1975 met at Vince Dalton’s home for an evening of laughs, catching up and yummy hors d’oeuvres.

The group that gathered was smaller than usual, but they had two classmates who had not attended a reunion since the fifth year — they both agreed they would be back for the 50th!

4

3

5

1. Barrie Miller Sutton ’70 had so much fun working with the reunion team.

2/3. T he Class of 1971 celebrated their 50th reunion during Homecoming Weekend.

4. Lyn Graybill ’73 was a Fulbright scholar in Kenya from June through December 2021, where she taught political science courses.

5. The Class of 1975 met at Vince Dalton’s ’75 home for an evening of laughs, catching up and yummy hors d’oeuvres.

SPRING 2022 61

1

2

4

3

5

6

8

1. The class of 1976 had a great time getting together for their 45th reunion.

2. Ginny Parker ’76 enjoyed catching up with fellow Cougars at the Class of 1976’s 45th reunion.

3. In July, Bobby Call ’76, Bill Day ’76, Gary Cosby ’76 and Steve Ash ’76 fished in the Dare County Boat Builders Tournament held out of Pirates Cove in Manteo, N.C. 4. Mary Burruss ’81 is back in Richmond for the time being and started Re-Think Fitness with business partner Al Conde.

7

9

5. Patricia Twohy Sharpley ’82, Jacqueline Whitmore ’82 and John Haisley ’82 gathered for a wonderful evening together in Atlanta, Ga. 6. Wes Atiyeh ’84 was promoted to managing broker at Joyner Fine Properties.

7. Some of the men from the Class of 1984 enjoyed a nice mini reunion. (Sitting: Eddie Berling, Brad Nott, Chip Joseph. Standing: Mike Henry, Chris Brennan, Wes Atiyeh, John ‘Smitty’ Smithson, Sean Campbell, Charles Johnson.)

8. The Class of 1986 celebrated its 35th reunion at Parterre on the historic grounds of the Linden Row Inn. 9. Gregory Gresko ’88 continues his Christian missionary work around the globe.

62 SPARK | Class Notes

1976 “The Class of 1976 had a great time getting together for our 45th reunion,” writes Ginny Parker. “Classmates traveled from far and wide. It was fun to see everyone together after having to postpone almost all activities over the previous 18 months. We missed those who were unable to join.”

she says, they have created a new concept in

their better halves) gathered, reminisced and

rehabilitative fitness. “Sara Massie-Grattan

celebrated 35 years of friendship,” she says.

’83 recovered with the team’s help from

“Highlights included a surprise appearance

debilitating sciatica so that she could continue

by Scott Brooks all the way from Texas

equestrian competitions and fox hunting,”

(garnering him the ‘traveled the farthest’

Mary says.

honor), Jane Saunders Fortune’s return after a decade and first-time attendee Shas

1982 On a cool January night in Atlanta, Ga.,

Steve Ash says, “In July, Bobby Call, Bill

Patricia Twohy Sharpley, Jacqueline

Day, Gary Cosby and I fished in the Dare

Whitmore and John Haisley gathered for a

County Boat Builders Tournament held out of

wonderful evening together. Jacqueline has

Pirates Cove in Manteo, N.C. Over the course

recently retired from 30-plus years as a Delta

of three fishing days, Bobby, Bill and Gary each

flight attendant. John was furloughed from

caught their first blue marlin. Our boat and

his job at Air Canada and is seeking new

team, Carolina Girl, finished the tournament

opportunities. Patricia meanwhile was rated

in second place. We hope to make this an

the number one mortgage broker in the entire

annual event.”

southeast at Wells Fargo. When asked how long she will continue working, she responded as

1980 “The Class of 1980 had a fantastic reunion,” Patricia Hunter writes. “We had a beautiful venue at the home of Custis and Karen Coleman, great food provided by Jay Devoe and a fun turnout. Jon Scher and Greg Berman traveled from New York; Sara Maynard Sommers, Anne Ratcliffe Chamblee and Hap Royster came from North Carolina; and Betsey Edmunds Johnston and Lee Wimbish traveled from Northern Virginia.

only Patricia can: “Until the day I die!” In years past, Anne Overton would have also joined the group, but she has returned to Richmond and has landed a human resources job with Dominion Energy. Anne was missed but many laughs and tales were shared. Does anyone remember the Clover Room? Hopefully many of our classmates will come together at the reunion this fall where we can share stories and catch up with one another.

Das. So much fun to reconnect for the first time since graduation!

“Despite the ongoing pandemic, a change of venue and a smaller number of Cougars, a great time was had by all. Many thanks to fellow planning committee members Marsh Cuttino, Scott Halloran, Rich Oprison, Missy Roane Reynolds and Sarah Morris Walker — with extra special thanks to Scott, who singlehandedly kept the celebration on by hosting us at his wonderful restaurant. Liz looks forward to seeing everyone in 2026 (and hopefully sooner), especially those who couldn’t make it this time. Cheers to 35 years!”

Shelly Cox is currently living anywhere her AirStream takes her. Just over two years ago, she retired early, remarried and renovated an AirStream — not necessarily in that order. The plan was to take off in 2020, which they still did, but they had to change their plans a little because of COVID-19. She started a blog in January 2020

We had a lively turnout from the Richmond

1984

to track it: goingdowntheroadfeelinggrand.com.

crew as well. The spouses also seemed to be

Randy Reynolds Jr. was named the honorary

enjoying hearing stories for the umpteenth

chairman of Heart of Virginia’s Friends of

1987

time. Updates and many fun stories were

Scouting Dinner to be held at the Richmond

shared. Even with a year’s postponement and

Center this coming May. Blue Ridge Bank is

COVID-19 issues, we had a special night. As

the title sponsor, and Randy sits on their board

classmate Tyler Negus Snidow shared, ‘The

of directors. He also serves on the FinTech

reunion felt like a big hug from the past.’”

committee and governance committee of the bank.

1981

The Class of ’84 guys enjoyed a nice mini reunion.

Doug and Patti Massey have two soldiers currently serving overseas. Capt. Ben Massey is stationed in Germany with the 2nd Cavalry.

1st Lt. Julia Massey is stationed in Kuwait with the 29th Infantry Division. Also, many thanks to Col. Lee Wimbish ’80 for his continuing wise counsel.

Amy Derian Hamilton, daughter of Margaret Reynolds Mackell ’63, sister of Maggie Derian Cohen ’85, David Derian ’91, and aunt of Allis Derian ’26 and Amanda Derian ’29, died Jan. 7, 2022.

1988 “I continue in Christian missionary work

Wes Atiyeh was promoted to managing broker

around the globe,” writes Gregory Gresko,

at Joyner Fine Properties at its newest office,

“including significant work in educational

located in Westhampton Commons in the

consultancy in South Korea spanning

Libbie/Patterson area.

kindergarten through doctoral students. Life continues to be an amazing adventure, and I

1986 Liz Everett Cherkis writes that the Class of

Mary Burruss is back in Richmond for the

1986 celebrated its 35th reunion at Parterre

time being and started Re-Think Fitness

on the historic grounds of the Linden Row

with business partner Al Conde. Together,

Inn. “More than 25 alumni (plus a handful of

am excited about many Korean-U.S. educational partnerships that are unfolding!”

SPRING 2022 63

1989 Christie Dunnavant Reed writes, “My husband, three children and I are

1995

still living outside of Philadelphia. I am in my second year as the Director

The Class of 1995 enjoyed gathering for their reunion.

of Upper School at the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Penn. Prior to this move, I taught biology at Baldwin for 22 years. My two daughters are both students at the school — one in 6th Grade and one in 11th Grade.

(They love that I am in the role I am — after I swore I would never do this to my own children, having grown up under the watch of my mother at Collegiate!) My son is currently a Sophomore at Washington & Lee where

1996 The Class of 1996 gathered for their reunion.

1997

he is a member of the men’s lacrosse team.”

Bo Middleton welcomed his second child, Chloe Middleton, in January.

1990

Catey White has another addition to her family: Samuel Cory White, born

Julie Fiedler has written a charming children’s book about kindness.

Oct. 12, 2021.

Her book, The Littlest Frenchie, is available on Amazon.

2000

1990 and 1991

Lee Dickinson writes, “The Class of 2000 gathered at Sonora Rooftop

COVID-19 did not slow down the Class of ’90 and ’91 from gathering with other special guests at Tang & Biscuit for their 30th reunion. Great food, drinks and our very own Collegiate Alumni Band, Ford’s Cellar (Patrick Ford ’91, guitar and vocals; Clark Coulbourn ’93; Andy Mathews ’94, ukulele and vocals; Wink Ewing, mandolin and guitar; Jimmy Shannon, bass and vocals; Andrew LeVasseur, drums) that played through the night.

for their 20+1 reunion. It was truly a class production, with the Campbells providing catering, the Shahs providing the venue, the Dickinsons supplying some audio-visual needs and the Jenkins tying it all together to make it happen. We had a great time catching up with friends in person, with others joining to say hi on Zoom. We assembled a remembrance of our lost classmates; it was great to spend some time thinking about them, and the photos gathered brought back memories for all of us, from Lower School forward. After closing down the bar at

1994

Sonora, many of us set off to crash other reunions, visiting with the

“I did some pet-sitting in Denver for Astrid Liverman and had a nice

Class of 2001 and another class or two — the details of such visits

visit with her and her family when they returned from France,” writes

being predictably blurry.”

Anya Schwender. “We were joined by Brian Gregory ’95, who happened to be in town! I found a lot of Collegiate faces at Lickinghole Creek Craft

Remington Grace was born Nov. 14, 2021 to Sarah Holt Power and Andy

Brewery when Jeremy Hilliard ’95 was in town from New York to play a

Power and was welcomed by big sister, two-year-old Madison.

show with his band, Peak.”

1. The Class of 1990 and 1991 enjoyed gathering at Tang & Biscuit for their 30th reunion.

2. Julie Fiedler ’90 wrote a children’s book about kindness.

3/4. Anya Schwender ’94 spent some quality time with Cougar classmates recently.

5.

The Class of 1995 enjoyed gathering for their reunion.

6. The Class of 1996 gathered for their reunion.

7. Catey White ’97 has another addition to her family: Samuel Cory White, born Oct. 12, 2021.

8. Sarah Holt Power ’00 and Andy Power and welcomed Remington Grace, who was born Nov. 14, 2021.

9. The Class of 2000 gathered at Sonora Rooftop for their reunion.

64 SPARK | Class Notes

1

2

4

6

3

5

7

9

8

SPRING 2022 65

1

3

2

5

6

4 7

66 SPARK | Class Notes

2001

8

Elizabeth Dolan Wright writes that the Class of 2001 had an incredible turnout at their 20th reunion on Nov. 6, 2021 during Homecoming weekend. “More than 90 class members and their guests celebrated at Bingo Beer Co. The group looks forward to reconvening later this year on campus to celebrate its recordsetting alumni participation for Collegiate Giving Day last April.

Special thanks to the 2001 reunion committee and to all our classmates who joined us! Please be on the lookout for future gatherings — five years is just too long to wait for the next one!”

Tommy Robertson and Catie Finley were married at Indian Creek in Kilmarnock on Sept. 25, 2021. John Robertson ’65 was best man, and Jamie Robertson ’04 was best man in memoriam.

The outdoor ceremony and reception were attended by many Cougars, including groomsmen and ushers: Grahame Burke ’00, Robbie Burke ’03, Rust Bartholomew ’04, Reed Blair ’04, Kemper Blair, Michael Taliaferro ’00, Eric Breeden, Ben Holland ’00, Jimmy Sismanis and Taylor Waller ’02. They were also joined by many other special Cougars and teachers. It was a beautiful weekend and time for all.

2003 Morgan Cheatham says, “Caitlin Dillon ’03 and I have been hard at work on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caitlin is a primary care physician at Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center, and I am a hospitalist physician at Johnston-Willis Hospital. We have the great fortune of being neighbors, and we are literally living out our childhood dreams of raising our families together! We’d like to send a reminder out to everyone to get vaccinated and wear a mask!”

2005 Ajaydeep Sidhu and Deep welcomed Saacha Singh Sidhu, born Oct. 27, 2021. His three-year old big sister Arza is excited to 1. The Class of 2001 had an incredible turnout at their 20th reunion at Bingo Beer Co. 2. Tommy Robertson ’01 and Catie Finley were married at Indian Creek in Kilmarnock on Sept. 25, 2021, with a number of Cougars in attendance.

3. Morgan Cheatham ’03 and Caitlin Dillon ’03 have been hard at work on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have the great fortune of being neighbors.

4. Members of the Class of 2005 gathered at Hardywood West Creek in November to celebrate their 15 year reunion.

5/6. Tori Christmas Marks ’05 and husband David welcomed their son Boone Christmas Marks on Oct. 21, 2021.

7. A jaydeep Sidhu ’05 and Deep welcomed Saacha Singh Sidhu, born Oct. 27, 2021.

8. Alice Derry Innes ’05 and husband Tom welcomed their daughter, Anne Barrett, on Nov. 4, 2020.

have a new best friend.

Tori Christmas Marks writes, “My husband David and I joyfully welcomed our son Boone Christmas Marks on Oct. 21, 2021. He joins big sister Merrylou (almost three years old). To add to the happy chaos, we moved from Chattanooga, Tenn. to Richmond in mid December, just in time for Christmas. We are thrilled to be here and excited to reconnect with old friends.” She adds, “Dolly Williams Hoskins and her husband Mark hosted fellow Cougars Elizabeth Garson Koteles, Maura McGroarty Robinson and myself, plus our families, for a fun holiday gathering in December 2021.”

Alice Derry Innes writes that she and husband Tom welcomed their daughter, Anne Barrett, on Nov. 4, 2020.

Members of the Class of 2005 gathered at Hardywood West Creek in November to celebrate their 15 year reunion.

SPRING 2022 67

2006 Amy Hedgepeth Civetti welcomed Rollins Neil Civetti on July 19, 2021.

2007 Grace Zell writes, “After five years as a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library, I have moved to Baltimore, Md. to take on a new challenge as the Lower School librarian at the Calvert School. In addition to my big move, I will also be taking a big step forward with my partner, Jonathan. We are looking forward to celebrating

gynecology residency at Ohio State University in June 2022 and plan to stay on as faculty at OSU after graduation.”

2011 Madeline Jecklin married Tyler Brownell in Miami Beach, Fl. on Dec. 11, 2021. The two met while attending college at the University of Virginia. They currently live in New York City with their mini-goldendoodle, Dingo.

The Class of 2011 came together for their 10 year reunion.

our March wedding in Richmond with friends and family

2012

in attendance. I’d love to connect with any other Cougars

Cole Phillips is in Jordan working for the World Bank. He

in Baltimore!”

came home for a month to apply for his United Kingdom visa. He will be getting his master’s degree at the London

Max Comess, along with wife Ashley and daughters

School of Economics and Science this fall.

Caroline and Collins, have returned to Richmond from South Florida to focus full time on Levco, the apartment company Max co-founded in 2013. Levco launched its first private equity fund last year and has been actively acquiring and renovating apartment complexes throughout Virginia.

Virginia Layfield McAndrew and husband Sean welcomed

2013 Mason Brown writes, “In August of 2021, I left the admission office at Rhodes College to be the assistant director of college counseling at St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis, Tenn.”

Thomas Patrick McAndrew in July 2021.

2014

Catherine Barnett married Peter Carey Jr. Dec. 4, 2021.

Colorado Rockies game in Denver.

Her wedding party included bridesmaids Steffi Ross West, Meredith Ascari, Melinda Sisk Koonce, Caroline Terry Turner and groomsmen Hunter Gallalee ’08.

Caroline Steadman Ashby and Conor Ashby were married August 2021 in Lexington, Va. with many fellow Cougars present, including Susan Heiner Steadman ’71, Brooks Steadman ’02, Grant Steadman ’04, Frank

Tori Spivey caught up with Cougars over the summer at a

Meagan Justice writes, “In December 2021, I earned my master’s of teaching from the University of Richmond. I am endorsed in K-12 theater arts and 6-12 English.”

2015 Cate Sorensen Miller and Kyle Miller were married June 18, 2021 in the Provo City Center Temple.

Heiner ’66, John Heiner ’04, Julie Heiner Culp ’01, Sally Peck Ashby ’00, Jamie Bokinsky ’05, Ranni

The Class of 2015 had a blast coming together for

Tashjian Corbin, Janet Gibson, Jordan Farmer,

their reunion.

Jim Ivins, Emma Follansbee Burgess, Madison Carl Early, Claire McGowan ’08, Sarah Lisk and Sarah Stirling (White) Wiltshire.

2008

2017 Justin Schruijer, Barry Burgess and Ginx Williams at the University of South Carolina, Darla Moore School of Business, graduated on May 7, 2021.

Ashley Hunter Ross married James Christian Gottwald in Goochland on Oct. 16, 2021.

Cynthia Galston married Jonathan Langon on July 4, 2021. Collegiate alumni were in attendance — her sister Arielle Galston ’12 and Brian Bostwick.

2010 Kate Byron writes, “I will finish my obstetrics and

68 SPARK | Class Notes

2018 In October 2021, Helen Boyd, chairman of the student life council, was inducted into the Order of the Gavel at Virginia Tech. This prestigious honor society recognizes 20 student leaders each year and is one of the highest honors bestowed upon students at the university.

1

2

4

5

3

1. A my Hedgepeth Civetti ’06 welcomed Rollins Neil Civetti on July 19, 2021.

3. Caroline Steadman Ashby ’07 and Conor Ashby married August 2021 in Lexington, Va. with many fellow Cougars present.

2. Virginia Layfield McAndrew ’07 and husband Sean welcomed Thomas Patrick McAndrew in July 2021.

4. Grace Zell ’07 moved to Baltimore, Md. as the Lower School librarian at the Calvert School and will celebrate a March wedding with her partner Jonathan.

5. C atherine Barnett ’07 married Peter Carey Jr. Dec. 4, 2021.

SPRING 2022 69

1

2

6

5

70 SPARK | Class Notes

3

4

7

1. Ashley Hunter Ross ’08 married James Christian Gottwald in Goochland on Oct. 16, 2021.

2. C ynthia Galston ’08 married Jonathan Langon on July 4, 2021.

3. M adeline Jecklin ’11 married Tyler Brownell in Miami Beach, Fl. on Dec. 11, 2021.

4. The Class of 2011 came together for their 10 year reunion.

5. T ori Spivey ’14 caught up with Cougars over the summer at a Colorado Rockies game in Denver. (From left: Spivey, Noah Dziedzic, Emily Cyr, Harrison Geho.)

8

9

6. Cate Sorensen Miller ’15 and Kyle Miller were married June 18, 2021.

7. T he Class of 2015 had a blast coming together for their reunion.

8. J ustin Schruijer ’17, Barry Burgess ’17 and Ginx Williams ’17 graduated from the University of South Carolina in May. 9. H elen Boyd ’18 was inducted into the Order of the Gavel at Virginia Tech.

SPRING 2022 71

IN MEMORIAM PLEASE NOTE: These notices were received as of Jan. 8, 2022.

This In Memoriam section is taken from printed obituaries, which may be edited for space. Please contact our office if the information is incomplete.

The information included is compiled from our database, which is continually updated. To submit a condolence, email spark@collegiate-va.org.

William Joel II, father of Dana Joel Gattuso

Clayton Cheatham ’17, died Oct. 6, 2021.

’80, Wendy Joel Bosley ’83 and Holly Joel Mudd ’86, died Feb. 6, 2021.

“Wilson” Davis III ’88, died Oct. 27, 2021.

James Eley, former member of the physical plant department, died Oct. 7, 2021.

Charles L. Cuttino III, father of Marsh

Clark Stephen Donley, former Upper School science teacher, died Oct. 27, 2021.

Cuttino ’86 and David Cuttino ’90, and

Alexandre Fabiato, father of Denys Fabiato

grandfather of Sam Cuttino ’17, Elka

’92 and Helene Fabiato ’93, died Oct. 13, 2021.

Cuttino ’19, Charlie Cuttino ’22 and Harper Cuttino ’25, died June 26, 2021.

John Wilson Davis Jr., father of John

William Wardlow “Wardy” Thompson, father of Elizabeth Childrey ’68, Mike Thompson,

Thomas Rosser, father of parent and faculty

Litt Thompson and Tommy Thompson, and

member Karen Cribbs, and grandfather of

grandfather of Jackie Koenig ’03, Mikey

James Hughes, father of Susan Hughes

Eleanor Cribbs ’24 and Elizabeth Cribbs

Thompson ’06, John Thompson ’11, Chris

Grymes ’77 and Barbara Hughes Earp

’27, died Oct. 14, 2021.

Thompson ’11, Alex Thompson ’13, Kate Childrey ’04 (deceased) and Perrin Hall ’08

’86, died Sept.12, 2021.

Claire Shaffner, mother of Amalie Derdeyn

(deceased), Gavin Thompson, Parker Thompson

Michael James Viener, brother of Betsy Jo

’90 and Walker Fonville ’88, and mother-in-

and Litt Thompson, died Oct. 31, 2021.

Viener Spence ’60 and Mary Ellen Viener

law of Mahood Fonville ’88, died Oct. 20, 2021.

Peggy Regan, mother of Rebecca Keever

’63, died Sept. 14, 2021.

Carlisle Morrissett Branch, mother-in-law of

Tolerton ’73, died Nov. 2, 2021.

Sibyl Thalhimer, stepmother of Harry

Tricia Bullock Branch ’74, and grandmother

Thalhimer ’71 and Ellen Holland ’69, and

of Reed Barton ’08 and Margaret Barton

Philip Grymes, son of former Middle School

step-grandmother of Michael Thalhimer ’01,

’09, died Oct. 22, 2021.

English teacher Anita Grymes Towell, died

Andrew Thalhimer ’05, Chas Thalhimer ’97 and Meg Thalhimer ’99, died Sept. 26, 2021.

Nov. 10, 2021.

Marthalea Thompson Osburn, former Lower School teacher, died Oct. 24, 2021.

Norruth Graham, grandfather of Betsy Graham ’27, died Oct. 2, 2021.

Stuart Andrews, grandfather of Stuart Hall ’24 and Graham Andrews ’30, died Nov. 11, 2021.

James A. Shield Jr., father of James A. Shield III ’89, died Oct. 24, 2021.

Martin “Deane” Cheatham, father of Deane

Henry Willett Jr., father of Rodney Willett ’81, and grandfather of Turner Willett ’12,

Cheatham ’84 and father-in-law of Cindy

Frances Hurst, grandmother of Meredith

Winston Willett ’16 and Nora Willett ’21,

Cheatham ‘85, and grandfather of Deane

Hurst Marschke ’02 and Lauren Hurst

died Nov. 11, 2021.

Cheatham ’11, Caroline Cheatham ’12 and

Glazier ’04, died Oct. 26, 2021.

72 SPARK |

Our condolences are offered to these members of the Collegiate family.

Jeffrey Thomas, father of Jeffrey Thomas

Carolyn Jones, mother of Scott Jones ’86 and

’03, died Nov. 17, 2021.

wife of former trustee W.O. “Bill” Jones, died

DOT KANNARD

Dec. 13, 2021.

Peter Bance, father of Peter Bance ’70 and Teddy Bance ’72, and grandfather of Molly

John D. O’Neill, father of former board

Bance Shepherd ’06, Tosh Bance ’07 and

chairman John O’Neill, and grandfather of

Hayley Bance ’01, died Nov. 19, 2021.

Frankie O’Neill ’13, Jed O’Neill ’16, Libby O’Neill ’17 and Buck O’Neill ’21, died Dec.

Wayne Sawyer, grandfather of Roxanne

16, 2021.

Sawyer ’20, died Nov. 19, 2021.

Nina Pryor, life partner of Elizabeth Reid Irene Owen, former Trustee and mother of

Northen ’70, died December 2021.

Duncan Owen III ’86, Robert Owen ’90 and Lower School math specialist Frances

John Barbieri, grandfather of Rachel

Owen Coleman ’92; mother-in-law of Junior

Barbieri ’13 and Matthew Barbieri ’19, died

Kindergarten Teacher Tia Owen and Clay

Dec. 24, 2021.

Coleman ’89; grandmother of Duncan Owen IV ’18, Carter Owen ’20, Catherine Owen

Eugene Rilee, father of former Middle School

’24, Clay Coleman ’19, Reid Coleman ’22,

history teacher Robb Rilee, and grandfather

Ben Owen, Cooper Owen and Campbell Owen,

of Ellis Harman ’01 and Rilee Harman ’06,

died Nov. 20, 2021.

died Dec. 25, 2021.

John Stuart Thornton, father of Stuart

Gilbert Earle, father-inlaw of faculty member

Thornton ’91 and Allen Thornton ’93;

Jenn Earle, died Dec. 26, 2021.

brother-in-law of George Richardson ’70, Ward Richardson ’73 (deceased) and Crit

Betty Sue LePage, mother of Matt LePage ’98

Richardson ’75; uncle of Taylor Richardson

and Tommy LePage ’01, died Dec. 26, 2021.

’05, Matthew Richardson ’07, Robert Richardson ’11 and Sarah Richardson ’13,

John Billingsly Jr., father of John Billingsly III

died Nov. 22, 2021.

’76, Paula Billingsly Harrison ’78 and Linnea Billingsly Rieland ’84, died on Jan. 2, 2022.

William R. Shands, grandfather of Stuart Ferguson ’09 and Peter Ferguson ’13, died

William Morrison Flippen III, brother of

Dec. 1, 2021.

Cameron Flippen ’75 (deceased) and stepgrandson of former headmistress Catharine

Richard Zinkham, father of faculty member

Flippen, died Jan. 3, 2022.

Amy Merchant, and grandfather of Emily Merchant ’21 and Abby Merchant ’24, died Dec. 1, 2021.

Donald Nelson, grandfather of Nelson Sharps ’13 and Nick Morrison ’13, died Dec. 2, 2021.

Elizabeth Lindsey Halsey, grandmother of Sam Corey ’04, died Dec. 8, 2021.

A LUMNI Miriam Scott Apter ’37 Lucy Cabell Pyle Summerell ’51 Barbara Warriner Roehrich ’54 Sidney Gunst ’69 Jeffrey Galston ’73 James “Jimmie” Lyne ’74

This following is an abridged version of a Reflections piece written by Weldon Bradshaw in memoriam of Dot Kannard.

Dot Kannard is a Collegiate School icon, a humble, understated icon, but an icon nonetheless.

How else could you describe a woman who served the School from 1959 through 2008 as a trusted and valued member of the Lower School cafeteria staff and from 2008 until she retired for good in 2010 as a compassionate caregiver in Cougar Care?

It wasn’t her longevity, though, that earned her respect bordering on reverence from those who knew her. It was her dedication, not just to her job but to the children and adults to whom she ministered. It was her work ethic, caring nature, unwavering positivity and unflappable demeanor (among many other attributes) that endeared her to others.

Clichéd as it might sound, to know Dot Kannard was to love her. Serving Collegiate was important to her, that’s for sure, but her greatest accomplishment was much more personal.

When her grandsons, R.T. and Ryan Taylor, were very young, Kannard and her husband Arthur became their legal guardians. Well into their 40s, they took the into their home, raised them, provided love and discipline, and taught them to be self-sufficient, upstanding citizens.

On Aug. 29, 2021, Kannard slipped peacefully away after a period of declining health. She was 89 years old.

Amy Derian Hamilton ’87

SPRING 2022 73

A TEACHER’S TAKE Spark Talks with Collegiate Upper School Science Teacher Stew Williamson Stew Williamson, who is now in his eighth year at Collegiate as an Upper School Science Teacher, knows that a stimulating education is all about continuous discovery. What Collegiate offers, he says, are the tools necessary for a life of learning. “The idea that students I teach will go on to make more discoveries — and that the growth started in my classroom — is something really special,” he says. Mr. Williamson sat down with the Spark to talk about the persistent curiosity of Collegiate students, what makes teaching here so special and what he hopes students will take from his classes.

74 SPARK | A Teacher's Take

WHAT MAKES TEACHING AT COLLEGIATE SO SPECIAL?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I love when alumni come back to campus or reach out to you and

Teaching for me is about connections. I find that kids are really

they say something like “I’m taking physics in college and what

open to making those connections between classroom content

you taught us in the Upper School we’re now learning at the next

and real-world application. There are times for students to think

level.” That’s the piece I love: When we sew the seeds of further

about what I’m instructing and there are also times when they can

exploration. As the Science Department Chair, I have seen student

make discoveries about why this is important in the real world.

research and application really take off over the years. Many

Collegiate does a terrific job of fostering those connections between

of my colleagues go the extra mile to engage with students on

the classroom and the broader community.

the Robotics team or help them with research or environmental practices. I’ve been able to see science clubs grow over the years,

WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO TEACHING?

and when I hear that alumni are really pushing forward in engineering, medicine or AI — it’s exciting.

My approach to teaching is centered around lifelong learning, figuring things out as you go, encouraging students to ask difficult

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT COLLEGIATE?

questions and encouraging them to think critically. I love teaching chemistry and physics for that reason. In a science lab, for example,

I love that at Collegiate a lot of faculty are involved in other things

students get to do the science, apply what they’ve learned, come up

besides teaching. Many teachers are also coaches or club mentors.

with their own conclusions and test their hypotheses. Recently, I

In so many ways, our teachers go far beyond teaching just the

had students package and ship Pringles. Although they likely won’t

textbook. I think that makes us a stronger community — that a

be sending anyone fragile chips in real life, they will hopefully

student also interacts with teachers in their roles as coaches or

learn why we use bubble wrap to mail delicate items. In this way

instructors or mentors. When my colleagues work with kids outside

they learn the real-world application of momentum, force and

the classroom it just strengthens everything we do.

time. These are discoveries that have value in their lives. This is a real connection to the world around them, and I try to make those connections as often as I can.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR STUDENTS TAKE WITH THEM WHEN THEY LEAVE YOUR CLASSROOM?

HOW HAS COLLEGIATE EVOLVED DURING YOUR TIME ON NORTH MOORELAND ROAD? I wouldn’t say that this has changed over my eight years here, but I have come to see that students really love being at Collegiate.

The kids do really enjoy learning here. And they appreciate all of

Definitely lifelong learning. If they think that they’re done

the teachers. They say “thank you” at the end of every class, and

learning science when they’re done with their requirements here,

they appreciate that we challenge them to think.

then I haven’t done my job. I want them to have science literacy.

I want them to pick up The New York Times and read it and say, “I understand what this means.” I want them to be curious about the world around them. I want to foster that curiosity, because when students are curious they are open to further exploration.

And at Collegiate, we give students the structure that allows them to be curious.

SPRING 2022 75

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST: FOR THE THALHIMERS, IT’S THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING

C

ollegiate connections run deep for Sallie and Billy Thalhimer ’64. Mr. Thalhimer has fond memories of the lasting friendships he forged with the 18 other members of his graduating class. The times spent in the library, the bus rides that took him from Windsor Farms down the then-gravel path of River Road to the campus, the various sporting events — all of it gave Mr. Thalhimer an indelible impression of what an educational community should be.

When it came time to educate their three children — Elizabeth ’94, Katherine ’96 and Christie ’02 — Collegiate was the only choice. The family’s connection with the School only grew from there. The entire Thalhimer family, for the last few decades, has given their time and commitment to Collegiate: Mr. Thalhimer served on the Board of Trustees for 17 years; Mrs. Thalhimer worked as an Upper School Spanish Teacher for a number of years, organized a summer camp through Summer Quest and took on volunteer positions such as VGF co-chair; and their daughters, who now have children of their own at Collegiate, continue to serve in volunteer roles at the School.

“Collegiate has been a common thread through everything we’ve done,” Mr. Thalhimer says, “and one of the great things about Collegiate is that you are always a part of the School.”

For the Thalhimers, being part of the School begins with a strong academic foundation and then extends to the importance of continuing to foster a strong community. “When we talk about Collegiate as a community,” Mrs. Thalhimer says,

“we’re not just talking about helping our kids and our family. We’re talking about helping each student. That means being involved in volunteer capacities, doing whatever it was.”

With the Collegiate community as one of their passions, the Thalhimers created a charitable remainder trust (CRT). With a CRT, which can be established during or after a lifetime, the donor receives a number of benefits, including: the donor(s) will pay lower taxes; the donor(s) will lower their concentrated risk through diversification; the donor(s) will receive a charitable tax deduction for about 33% of the value of their gift; the donor(s) will not incur capital gains tax upon the sale of their asset; and the donor(s) can consider the CRT as a philanthropic asset in their investment portfolio.

“Charitable remainder trusts provide many benefits for both the donor and the organization,” says Kristen Williams, Chief Development Officer. “We are incredibly grateful to the Thalhimer family for their ongoing partnership and support of Collegiate in so many ways.”

The benefit of a Collegiate education is something the Thalhimers hope to pass on. “This is a way to continue supporting Collegiate forever,” says Mr. Thalhimer. “I started as a student. Sallie and I have seen our children and grandchildren grow through the School, and now it feels like we’re continuing that process of giving.”

IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTION INCOME FOR LIFE

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST (CRT)

NO CAPITAL GAINS TAX

AT CONCLUSION OF CRT

GIFT TO COLLEGIATE

76 SPARK

ASSETS

At Collegiate School, we inspire and lift each other up to be our best. Giving to the Annual Fund is an important way to support each student and teacher every year.

WHEN DOES THE ANNUAL FUND BEGIN AND END?

HOW CAN I MAKE A GIFT TO THE ANNUAL FUND?

Collegiate’s Annual Fund (our fiscal year) begins July 1 each year and ends June 30.

Credit Card Collegiate’s website has a Giving Page (collegiate-va.org/giving/make-a-gift) that is a secure site where you can make a credit card donation or call our Development Office at 804.741.9706 and we’d be happy to help you.

WHO PARTICIPATES IN THE ANNUAL FUND?

Stock We accept gifts of appreciated securities. Please call the Development Office: 804.741.9706.

Mail Make checks payable to: “Collegiate School” Collegiate School Development Office 103 N. Mooreland Road Richmond, VA 23229 Phone Call our Main Development Office line: 804.741.9706.

The entire Collegiate community — parents, alumni, current and former faculty and staff, grandparents, parents of alumni and other friends.

Giving Form:

Venmo: @CollegiateRVA

WHAT DOES THE ANNUAL FUND SUPPORT? All aspects of School life. From books and subscriptions in each of our three libraries to petri dishes in the science lab, your investment allows Collegiate to prepare our students to become responsible citizens, inquisitive thinkers and compassionate leaders.

Scan QR code for payment

103 North Mooreland Road Richmond, Virginia 23229

For Collegiate School students, education extends well beyond the classroom. Here, students in 1st Grade roam the gardens of Shalom Farms.