The Kinkaid School Winter Magazine 2023-2024

A Message from Our Head of School

Dear Falcon Family,

Together through Kinkaid’s ALL IN campaign, we are experiencing one of the most dynamic, exciting, and transformational periods in our School’s history. Our plans will benefit today’s students, develop tomorrow’s leaders, and transform both our programs and our campus. As you know, Kinkaid never rests in our aspiration to be the best independent school in Houston and one of the best schools in the country. Two years ago, the Board launched the ALL IN Campaign and began asking themselves and others to support Kinkaid’s bold plans with generous support.

And, wow, our community has been generous, which has allowed us to start implementing some incredible new initiatives. This fall we launched the new Gordy Family Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Finance. A Center for Wellbeing and Success as well as a cutting edge STEM Center are on the way. The Upper School has temporarily relocated to our newest building on campus during construction which in two years will become an expansion of our Lower School as well as serve as an Administrative Building. Construction on an expanded athletic Field House and Gymnasium is complete and is already in use for the second semester of this school year. And as I write, the site preparation is under way for the construction of a new, best-in-class Upper School which will allow us to expand programming, as well as teaching, learning, and gathering spaces across all three divisions.

2023  2024 Student

Social Media Ambassadors

William Adeniyi *

Atiyah Adeshina

Hadley Burrow

Finley Colvin

Anna Consoli *

Payton Daly *

Ginny Filippone

Ava Golden

Helena Heath *

Kate Hyman

Emona Ji *

Lindsey Karkowsky

Avery Landry

Libby Liuzzi *

Merrilee MacMane

Saya Malek *

Maggie Marshall

Sydney Marshall

The current energy and immense school pride at Kinkaid is palpable. Even though a significant portion of our campus is under construction, the Kinkaid mission is being fully delivered every day. Mrs. Kinkaid’s vision of the “Three A’s” (academics, athletics, and arts), coupled with a fourth pillar of leadership development, is indeed alive and well at Kinkaid. A stroll through our campus on any given day will reveal sophisticated intellectual discourse, heroic athletic endeavors, creative artistic expression, and best of all, laughter, joy, and a strong sense of community.

Enjoy the pages of this latest edition of our Kinkaid school magazine for a glimpse into this thrilling time in our School’s history…or better yet, please come to campus to see us. I am confident you’ll burst with pride and excitement about the present and future of The Kinkaid School and all of our incredible student-artist-athlete Falcons.

Up,

Talons Up, Jonathan Eades

Head of School

20232024 Board of Trustees

Chair

Edwin H. Frank III ’68

Vice Chair

Steven P. Mach

Trustees

Brandt C. Bowden ’96

Jessica Kilbourne Brazelton

Dr. Annette E. Brissett

Stephanie Aliquo Cockrell

Kenneth D. Cowan

Wm. Leslie Doggett ’75

Jonathan E. Eades, Ex-Officio

Michael Hanson Jr. ’00

Ashley Morgan Hanna ’93

J. Boyd Heath III

Lisa N. Helfman ’93

Helena Papadopoulos Johnson ’82

Evan H. Katz

Charles B. Lawrence Jr. ’96

Alicia Diane Lee ’98

Cecil J. Looke III

Walter G. Mayfield ’81

Billy McCartney

Elisa Stude Pye

Bethel A. Quander

Carlos Solé III

Dr. Asha Jamal Virani

Darryl L. Wilson

Neil A. Wizel

Life Trustees

E. Staman Ogilvie

Tom Simmons

William M. Wheless III

Life Trustees Emeriti

Linda Andrews

John B. Beckworth

O. Holcombe Crosswell

Stewart Cureton Jr.

Frances Hopper Jeter ’74

Mary Nell Jeffers Lovett ’63

Dr. Stuart Yudofsky

Trustees Emeriti

J. B. Coskey

T. Dan Friedkin

C. Berdon Lawrence

Corbin J. Robertson Jr.

David M. Weekley

Eugene Werlin Jr.

Lindsey Morgan

Avery Nash

London Norris *

Victoria Oderich

Brisa Perkins

Irene Pletcher

Ayala Presley

Gayle Robertson

Beyli Shah *

Alex Shaw *

Margaret Smith *

Macyn Tannery *

Sahasra Thakkar

Chloe Wilson

Tiffany Zhang *

* Students photos have been featured in the

Winter Edition of The Kinkaid School Magazine

2023 Bocce Ball Tournament by Payton Daly

2023 SOK Week Set-Up by Libby Liuzzi

Madagascar Jr. Auditions by Saya Malek

2023 Homecoming Freshman Dinner by Macyn Tannery

2023 Lifer Lunch by Helena Heath

2023 Homecoming Game by William Adeniyi

2023 Faris Strong Giving by London Norris

2023 Sports for Special Needs Club by Alex Shaw

Mr. Eades Upper School Student for a Day by Margaret Smith

2023 Hauntcert by Tiffany Zhang

Astronomy Class by Emona Ji

SOK Week by Anna Consoli

Jonathan

Peter

Goldie

Krista

Charlie

Alex

Iris

Peggy

David

Tom

Mujidat

Mike

Megan

Photography

Design

Ed

Scott

A View from My Window New Office, New Role, New Perspective

Every fall and as we move into winter, there is a transformation. The summer heat gives way to cold fronts, and coats and sweaters appear outside (no longer relegated to the chill of the blasting air conditioning of the summer). Students return from summer break, and activities begin anew. Fall sports give way to winter sports, and arts shows begin to celebrate the holidays. These changes are cyclic, though each child and class brings their own personality and passion to make every year a bit different than the last. This year, however, the fall changes I have seen outside my office window are extraordinary.

My new office window looks south and once overlooked the historic Upper School’s glass-walled sophomore hallway and the physics and chemistry addition. The view was flanked by shrubs, a bucolic lawn, and a statue created by former faculty member and resident artist Pat Foley. Through this area, Upper School students navigated their way along the outdoor path to the Dining Center and destinations beyond. This scene continued until early October, but the changes since, thanks to the ALL IN campaign, have been nothing short of spectacular.

"As I continue developing my new role, the rebirth of the Upper School outside and the planning of centers inside my office window brings into focus the transformational nature of the ALL IN campaign."

In short, I had a front-row view of the deconstruction of the historic Upper School. Exterior walls were scraped of bricks and cinder blocks, supports and beams buckled, and crews sorted the remnants that were then hauled away for recycling and disposal. What was left behind is a new view, a view of promise, a view of new opportunities right around the corner — a view of progress. Visitors to my office are amazed by my proximity to and the pace of construction. We often gaze out the window together before arriving at our meeting’s purpose. In view was not just the beginnings of the work on the new Upper School; with the historic Upper School removed, I could clearly see the new facilities building to my left and the new Doggett Family Fieldhouse and Gymnasium to my right. Utilitarian and essential, our new physical plant is receiving (as of this writing) its final bricks, with the interior space being completed so our new expanded HVAC utilities can be brought online. The fieldhouse, with its double-sized gymnasium and elevated running track, opened this winter. The transformation of Kinkaid’s campus continues.

Inside my window, my office is alive with forward progress as well as with meetings with new teachers, collaborations with administrators, planning for the ISAS Self Study process, and the development and roll-out of the three Programs to Develop Leaders as part of the ALL IN campaign. As you will read in the pages that follow, the Gordy Family Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Finance is off to an extraordinary start this year, and the Center for Wellbeing and Success is well on its way for a 2024-2025 school year kickoff! The third center, the Center for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), will be outlined fully next school year with a rollout to coincide with the completed new Upper School and new Lower School spaces. As I continue developing my new role, the rebirth of the Upper School outside and the planning of centers inside my office window brings into focus the transformational nature of the ALL IN campaign. I appreciate having a front-row seat for the School’s redevelopment, and I could not be more excited by the expanded facilities and programmatic opportunities being created for our students.

Peter Behr Assistant Head of School

Welcoming New Families

New Family Support, chaired by Viviana Denechaud and Amy Ferber in Upper School, Nikki Pielop and Nevine Webster in Middle School, and Yuemi An-Grogan and Lucy Marquez Sheppard in Lower School, welcomed 175 new Falcons through exciting and engaging events beginning in May and extending through the start of the school year. Current students and entering Falcons were matched and grouped to create teams with diverse interests and backgrounds. The New Family Welcome Event at Pinstripes in early May filled Middle School and Upper School parents with helpful information while new students bowled with each other and Peer Mentors. Then, we launched into fun summer gatherings starting with a Sno-Cone Social on campus, a Bingo Night, and a Snack Time Social at Texadelphia. Lower School sponsored a Buddy Family Program where they matched new families with existing families and organized casual playdates over the summer. In the Upper and Middle Schools, small, informal gatherings were scattered through the summer, and by Freshman Orientation in August and the 6th Grade Trip in September, our newest Falcons confidently began Kinkaid surrounded by familiar faces. New parents were invited to a mixer at the Head of School’s home in September to meet other new parents and members of the Administrative Team. The stellar Falcon Friend teams continue to support our new families through GroupMe chats and text chains so they are kept informed of community events such as Homecoming, Kinkaid/St. John's, Book Fair, and upcoming performances in Fine Arts. Our new Falcons are flying high!

Starting a YearofExplorationOffStrong atCampOlympia!

The Camp Olympia experience is an integral part of the 6th Grade Year of Exploration. Each year, returning and new students get on buses and head to Trinity, TX for three days. Not only does this trip connect students to nature and the outdoors, but it also provides a wonderful opportunity to build new connections and create a unique class identity. The experience combines the team building goals of low-ropes challenges with the shared fun of traditional summer camp activities. New friendships are forged as students take both physical and mental risks tackling obstacles and sharing new ideas. Whether it is trust falls, archery, or swimming, each new event connects students amidst the beauty of the natural world. The Camp Olympia adventure helps build the sixth grade community as a place where everyone belongs.

A Week of Belonging at Kinkaid Upper School

By Erica Baker, Coordinator of Student Life and Engagement

Cambridge Dictionary defines belonging as a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome you and accept you. Belonging, according to Cornell University, means the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity.

"When a student feels valued and connected at school it directly correlates with greater wellbeing and higher academic engagement which, in turn, contributes positively to the school environment as a whole."

Belonging Week at Kinkaid was an event that brought these words into action. The idea of Belonging Week first came to me in the spring of 2023. The idea was to display all the ways that the Kinkaid Upper School supports a sense of belonging in its clubs, student leadership organizations and activities, and affinity groups. Each school day this week represented a different aspect of daily student life. It was important students had the opportunity to see

and believe they mattered and could find a space to which they belong.

Researchers have found that belonging is a fundamental human need. We search for a sense of connection with people and places in our lives. Students spend a significant portion of their time at school, which makes it important that their school environment fosters a sense of belonging - meaning the extent to which students feel personally accepted, included, and supported. Belonging can mean different things to different individuals. It can include feelings of understanding, respect, connectedness, membership, or mattering.

Dr. DeLeon Gray, associate professor of educational psychology and equity at North Carolina State University said “students who feel a sense of belonging at school are typically more energized, more likely to spend time on-task and return to activities, and more likely to choose to be in the school environment,” and “students who don’t feel a sense of belonging, however, often struggle to devote their full cognitive resources to tasks and experience issues with emotional wellness…students look for a way to avoid environments where they feel as though they don’t belong.”

A student’s emotional stability, personal characteristics, academic motivation, and achievement are just a few factors that are related

to a sense of belonging in school. When a student feels valued and connected at school it directly correlates with greater wellbeing and higher academic engagement which, in turn, contributes positively to the school environment as a whole.

This year's Belonging Week took place from August 28 to September 1 with events being held in the quad. Each day of the week highlighted different areas that the Upper School students could learn about and join.

Monday

A fun-filled Kickoff Celebration. Students were invited to enjoy a sweet treat, try their luck at the various yard games, and hang out and listen to music. Having activities like this provided an opportunity for students to connect with each other.

Tuesday

Student Activities and Leadership Organizations Showcase. Activities such as Quiz Bowl, Robotics, and FalconStem were present as well as leadership organizations like Governing Council, Fine Arts Leadership Board, and Community Service Leadership Council. Our mix of both traditional and innovative organizations allows Kinkaid to offer students a host of opportunities for fellowship, leadership, and pursuing individual interests.

Wednesday

Students explored over 50 student-led clubs. Students were able to visit each table to learn about the club's mission and planned

activities. Our focus on leading a balanced student life emphasizes the importance of getting involved.

Thursday

Students were invited to learn about our Affinity Groups through the Affinity Group Expo. There were 9 different groups that students viewed. The goals of all affinity groups are to build self-awareness and strength of character, strong relationships across similarities and differences, and more inclusive experiences for every student at Kinkaid.

Friday

Mix It Up Day - While enjoying an old-fashioned popsicle, students were encouraged to meet someone new and enjoy the sounds of a curated playlist that promoted kindness and belonging.

Throughout the week you could witness students enjoying all the wonderful programming the Kinkaid Upper School has to offer that encourages a sense of belonging. One could see students engaging in conversation, listening to different perspectives, and navigating the environment while observing cultural norms and values. Students were able to connect with others.

The purpose of this intentional week-long event was to showcase the many opportunities for the students to see how they can lead, serve, and contribute at Kinkaid. We did just that!

Kinkaid Where You Belong!

Authentic Connections: 9th Grade Retreat

August marks an exciting time at Kinkaid. It is the beginning of the school year and the beginning of Upper School for our 9th graders. To help ease this anxious time of year for some, 9th graders attend the 9th Grade Retreat. Students participate in a three-day retreat held on campus and at Stoney Creek Ranch in New Ulm, TX.

The purpose of this largely outdoor-education experience is to enable students to become better acquainted with their classmates, the senior Peer Mentors, the Deans, and with many of their 9th-grade Community Group Leaders to foster communication, teamwork, pride, and unity within the class. This experience is led by Kinkaid’s Peer Mentors, a select group of seniors whose mission is to welcome

9th-grade students into Kinkaid’s Upper School life. With the first year of high school being a time when many things are new, the Peer Mentors had meaningful discussions and led essential team building activities that helped the 9th graders have a smooth transition. Students also participated in a high ropes course and other outdoor activities.

The retreat was a great opportunity for students to just have fun! Students have viewed the 9th Grade Retreat as one of the highlights of their first year in Kinkaid’s Upper School. The retreat allows us to continue to provide the excellent programming that creates such a great sense of belonging for all of our 9th graders.

Becoming a Super Reader!

Every year, Lower School students are building and flexing their reading super powers. Strengthening strategies that readers use, such as knowledge of letter-sound correspondence, word chunking, reading pictures, and connecting to background knowledge, helps students grow into independent, thoughtful readers. This fall, in a surprise ceremony led by Head of School Jonathan Eades and Lower School Head Krista Babine, first graders earned their Super Reader

capes. Mr. Eades and Mrs. Babine shared with the first graders their love of reading, and how they continue to flex their reading muscles as adults – offering the students glimpses into their own reading diets. Together, Mr. Eades and Mrs. Babine then presented the students with their very own Super Reader capes. With wonder and total surprise, the first graders received their capes, proudly wearing them for the remainder of the day. Keep reading, Super Readers!

The 18th Annual Alumni Leadership Day

Friday, October 20, Kinkaid held the 18th Annual Alumni Leadership Day, an engaging and impactful day for our senior class thanks to the fifty young alumni from the Classes of 2001 to 2019 who came back to campus to participate on 12 different industry panels.

Keynote speaker Marcus Rolls '04, Executive Director and Greater Houston Area Market Leader at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, set the tone for the day with valuable insights for life in and after college. Alumni who are now doctors, engineers, nonprofit leaders, lawyers, marketing managers, real estate brokers, entrepreneurs, and more shared their personal and professional experiences with the Class of 2024. The seniors were able to learn how the alumni got to where they are today and ask questions about internships, the college

search and application process, selecting a major, securing that first job, interview advice, networking strategies, and much more. These panelists are a representation of our alumni network which is 7,497 members strong across 47 states and 17 countries. As one senior shared after the event, “I loved Alumni Leadership Day because it solidified my decision to follow the career track of medicine! It was very insightful to hear from all different perspectives of jobs and really analyze the specifics of what I want to do after learning about so many different professional factors.”

No Tricks! Just Treats!

Each year, dressed as superheroes, favorite pets, spooky creatures, storybook protagonists, and more – in celebration of Halloween and fall, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students parade through the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, passing administrative offices, dining services, and the facilities crew along the way. Students and teachers generously step outside of their classrooms and offices to cheer them on, giving their encouragement and sharing their excitement freely! Walking past the "big kids" is not just a special event for our early childhood students, but it is a highlight for the adults as they observe GIANT smiles grow on the faces of Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students, building memories that will last a lifetime!

Kinkaid Homecoming 2023

Mystery + Magic + Moonlight MASQUERADE

On September 30, the Homecoming Dance provided an early Halloween treat, when Upper School students bypassed the construction zone, crept into the totally transformed Fondren gym, and danced the night away in a haunted forest. Students were encouraged to wear masks to get in the festive spirit, and a 360 photo booth helped capture fun memories. Attendees enjoyed a DJ, feasted on an expansive candy buffet and popcorn, and were amazed by a talented magician and two face painters.

Prior to arriving on campus, the 9th-grade class began their evening together with their traditional dinner, held at the Forest Club. Chairs Laurel Shaper, Kate Walters, Kristin Nyveen, and Christian Winn worked with the Homecoming Student Planning Committee and Erica Baker to plan the event, and the Facilities team and a group of parent volunteers helped make it all happen.

The Homecoming dance capped off an incredible week of Falcon traditions!

Falcons Feast Towards Victory!

The annual Falcon Family Feast was held on Friday, October 27 before Kinakid played our hometown rival, St. John’s School, at the Rice University football stadium. The event was chaired by parent volunteers Candace Hoelscher and Anooshea Taghdisi There was tailgating, a DJ, inflatable football toss game, glow-in-the-dark swag, airbrushed tattoos, door raffle prizes, iFiesta 360 photo booth, Dippin Dots, and a variety of delicious meals by Demeris. The Falcon spirit was alive with dances and cheers from the Kinkaid Middle School cheerleaders!

The Falcon Family Feast was a great success and the night ended with a great W-I-N for the Falcons with a score of 35-22!

Thank you to Upper School Falcon Priyanka Nayar ’26 for designing the official logo for Falcon Family Feast!

The Spirit of Kinkaid Shines During

St. John’s Week!

From decorating the halls of the Upper School to leading their fellow Falcons on Dress Up Days, SOK helped bring school spirit as our fall athletes take on St. John’s School!

In 1974, Spirit of Kinkaid (SOK) created by Chaille Winston Hawkins ’75 and Kim Warren Zeren ’75, initially had 150 members. Today, SOK is one of the largest clubs that keeps the spirit of Kinkaid alive throughout the halls of the Upper School all year long.

Falcons Soar High with Books!

The 73rd annual Kinkaid Book Fair was held from November 5-7, 2023, in The Ogilvie Lobby of the Katz Performing Arts Center, and it was a best-selling success! Over 150 parent volunteers, along with Kinkaid librarians, and many other Kinkaid staff, came together to create this impressive, multi-day, pop-up bookstore and one-of-a-kind boutique.

Parents, grandparents, students, faculty, friends, and staff shopped over 10,000 specially curated books and school spirit merchandise. The Kinkaid community-wide event promoted literacy across all divisions and raised money for the three libraries.

All attendees enjoyed surprise appearances from Gurple, our beloved Book Fair mascot.

This year welcomed a fantastic line-up of spotlight authors: Kristen Bird, Johnny Carrabba, Katherine Howe ’95, Stacy McAnulty, Katrin Muir Lau ’90 and Judith Widener Muir

Past Book Fair Chairs were also invited to campus for a Past Chair Appreciation Coffee to celebrate their many contributions to Book Fair over the years, with service dating back to the 1970’s.

The 2nd annual “Fill the Shelves” Community Service project connected Kinkaid families with the 2024 opening of the Faris D. Virani Library at KIPP Climb Academy. Designated books were purchased by shoppers in memory of our forever falcon, Faris Virani ’24.

Chaired by alumnae and current parents: Hope Morales Young ’95, Casey Williams Hedges ’02, and Caren Schmulen Sweetland ’91, the 2023 Book Fair was one for the books! Many thanks to all the volunteers and supporters of this wonderful school tradition.

CENTER FOR WELLBEING AND SUCCESS

By Peter Behr, Assistant Head of School

The Center for Wellbeing and Success is in development for the 2024-2025 school year and is already positively impacting the coordination and enhancement of Kinkaid's wellness programming. This past fall, a faculty committee met to form the foundation of the Center. Through this work, we are confident that the Center will assist students, faculty, staff, and families to thrive at Kinakid.

The first objective of the planning committee was to develop a purpose statement for the Center:

The Center for Wellbeing and Success is committed to ensuring a safe, inclusive, and enriching environment for the entire Kinkaid community. Consistent with Kinkaid’s Mission and Core Values, the Center encourages and nurtures children to develop strong character and to prepare them with personal and life skills to cultivate empathy, resiliency, and a growth mindset; identify their own strengths and challenges; teach them how to care for self, set boundaries, and find balance; and positively contribute to the wellbeing of society.

The Center advances its goals through:

• Intentional educational programming and training for students, parents, faculty, and staff;

• Curricular offerings where students at each grade level learn about and practice healthy decision-making and ways of being;

• Student support services that include learning specialists, counselors and psychologists, advisors, and health care professionals;

• Student-led programming; and

• Community events and programming for parents, faculty, and staff.

The committee also determined the components and explored the possibilities of this new center, and this winter, Kinkaid is beginning recruitment for a Director for the center who will join the school-wide Administrative Team in July of 2024. The Director will develop, plan, and coordinate all aspects of the center at Kinkaid.

We are thrilled to begin this journey to support the wellbeing and success of our entire Kinkaid family. As one of our faculty participants states, we hope the Center for Wellbeing and Success will become “a light for all of the Kinkaid Community.”

Committee Members:

Jennifer Arekiel

Erica Baker

Peter Behr

Jay Glynn

Eron Grant

Jennifer Haynes

Molly Higby

Angélique Jamail

Melisa Landry

Laura Lomax-Bream

Kinkaid Leaders: Todays and Tomorrows

The Gordy Family Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Finance Leadership Seminar Program is off to a fantastic start with more than 100 students participating by attending the seminars, writing reflection pieces, and incorporating what they learn into personal action plans. The Leadership Seminars connect Kinkaid students with leaders in the Kinkaid community who offer advice, provide examples, and instruct in the multiple pathways to successful leadership. All 11th and 12th graders are invited to attend seminars and reflect on their learning. 11th graders who participate for two years will be conferred Kinkaid's Distinction in Leadership. 12th graders who complete the Program this year will be conferred Kinkaid's Commendation in Leadership.

To start the seminar series, Anne Taylor shared insights from 40 years of business leadership experience as Deloitte’s Vice Chair and Managing Partner of the Mid-America Region and Houston office and offered invaluable advice about how students can prepare to lead in a radically changing business environment. Rob Famulare, Managing Director of Morgan Stanley’s Natural Gas Trading group, gave students a fascinating look inside the world of investment banking from his 25-year perspective and gave practical advice about what they can begin doing now to distinguish themselves from the crowd. Students learned about leading under pressure – both in the office and on the battlefield – with Enchanted Rock senior executive Ken Cowan and U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Naval Officer

Casey Cowen ’14 Heading into winter break, students learned about the challenges of leading in the quest for justice from one of the most respected jurists in the country, U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal, who has served as the Chief Judge of the Southern District of Texas. The series will continue in the spring semester following Interim Term.

Thanks to an amazing group of Kinkaid parents and alumni, our students are able to receive an elite professional-school education in personal development and leadership skills. A video library of the seminars is available on the School’s website and will be a valuable learning resource for years to come.

Cheryl Mitchell

Rita Morico

Quenby Mott

Amanda Nies

Haley Outon

Meredith Ramey

Tamara Sell

Mujidat Shotonwa

Shannon Terrill

From Classroom to Community: Kinkaid StudentsLearn Through Service

By Kacie Horton, Upper School Coordinator of Service Programs

In communities around the world, there exists a powerful force for good, a force fueled by compassion, empathy, and the desire to create positive change. It is evident in the classroom and at service events that we embody this spirit at Kinkaid.

Upper School students have volunteered at a wide range of events providing opportunities to engage with members of the community. Students have volunteered with organizations such as Combined Arms, Houston’s Asia Society, Urban Harvest, Plant it Forward, Compudopt, Special Olympics, Easter Seals of Greater Houston, SoleAna Stables, The Beacon, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and many more. By volunteering and gaining insights into various organizations and the causes they support, students experience the universal impact and transformative understanding that service learning provides for both volunteers and the communities they serve. Beyond the immediate impact on the community, the program serves as a profound educational tool. Students develop crucial life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving. For example, the Marine Science class travels to Galveston every semester to work on the oyster reefs and conduct valuable research used by the Galveston Bay Foundation. In addition, English classes have worked with younger children to teach them lessons on poetry, and there are many ways service learning is integrated into Interim Term. Sports teams and clubs organize volunteer projects throughout the year, such as the Field Hockey team partnering with Combined Arms to host a fun-filled day of field hockey for families, many of whom are refugees. The Community Service Leadership Council is composed of student leaders who organize and conduct volunteer opportunities throughout the year and oversee the program as a whole in the Upper School.

Middle School students participate in several service projects throughout the school year. 7th graders spent the days before Thanksgiving break creating hand-drawn holiday cards with personal messages showing gratitude to our deployed troops. The cards were sent to United Soldiers and Sailors of America, a non-profit organization that sends cards and care packages to active military personnel. 6th graders decorated and wrote kind messages on holiday cards that will be delivered to various retirement homes in the Houston area.

Lower School students engage in acts of kindness at an early age. In October, a group of 4th graders were tasked with planning, facilitating, advertising, and collecting socks as part of a “Socktober” sock drive. The students then took a visit to The Beacon, an agency that supports those who are experiencing homelessness, and distributed socks to those in need. 3rd graders collected gently used books from home to be donated to students and families at Panda Path Early Childhood Center. At Kinkaid, service learning enriches our curriculum, fosters a spirit of unity and kindness, and shapes our future leaders.

We are grateful for all of our Falcons who showcase our Core Values of Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, and Kindness outside of our gates.

We provide a collaborativeplatformwhereallvoicesofourcommunity,includingstudents,faculty, staff,parentsandalumni, are activelyencouraged to sharetheirperspectivesandexperiences.

202324DEICouncil

HEADOFSCHOOL

JonathanEades P ’24, ’25,’28;FS

COCHAIRS

MollyHigby P ’15,FS

ChristianStevensonWinn P ’24, ’26

MEMBERS

AdrienneAdeshina P ’27,’30

SuzanneTettAinsworth’92; P ’24

DavidAlviar ’04

DerekAranda P ’27,’31

KristaBabineFS

PeterBehr P ’21’23;FS

LaurieBieberFS

AnthonyBrissett P ’21, ’24

PrasanthChilukuri P ’36

VivianaDenechaud P ’24, ’27,’31

PeggyEnglandFS

NicoleNathanGibson’88; P ’18,’22,’26

CharlieGramatgesFS, P ’31,’34

J. PatrickHanley P ’33

JennyHowellFS

MarieKodama ’05

JenniferMoore P ’29,’31,’34,’35

ClaireOsborneFS

StephanieLemerOstrosky’88; P ’26,’29

Maya BuryakovskyPomroy’96, P ’26,’30

RyanPresley P ’35

CarrollRoberston Ray P ’99

ThanhRoettele P ’12,’31,’33

MujidatShotonwa P ’37;FS

LaurenTaylorFS

SaweenThompson P ’18,’20,’21,’25

KendraWilliams’15

To contact a member of the council please reach out at: deicouncil@kinkaid.org.

Spreading Holiday Cheer One Song At a Time

For over 30 years, the Kinkaid Lower School has welcomed wintertime holidays and kicked off winter break with Singing and Sharing, a celebratory musical performance for families and friends. In music class in the weeks leading up to the performances, students learn and practice songs that recognize various traditions and uplift the joy of the season. For the performances, students dress in festive attire – which adds to the special feeling of the morning – and excitedly take the stage by grade level – individual faces scanning the crowd for family members followed by excited waves of recognition are abundant. After each performance, students are dismissed to their families to begin their winter break together. During Singing and Sharing, our community is connected by the sweet voices of our students, and we are grateful for the opportunity to gather for this important annual tradition.

Kinkaid Lower School is Faris Strong

This winter, with the generous support of the broader Kinkaid community and in partnership with KIPP, Kinkaid Lower School coordinated another successful holiday gift drive as part of the Faris Strong Giving initiative. On the morning of December 14, students from across divisions carried bags filled with gifts to the Lower School for collection; gifts were then loaded for transport to KIPP Nexus Primary. A truck and trailer overflowing with over 350 sets of brightly colored packages was received by KIPP Nexus with gratitude and delight.

Faris Strong Giving is an important partnership between The Faris Foundation and The Kinkaid School. The Faris Foundation's primary

goals are to support childhood cancer research, provide creative arts programs at children's cancer centers, and engage the public to build awareness around childhood cancer. A forever Falcon, Faris Virani '24 passed away in January of 2017 after a courageous battle with Ewing sarcoma. One of his wishes was for his Kinkaid friends to help children in the broader Houston community. The Foundation places their values – Faris’ words – into action through their work.

Lower School is so grateful for the support and generosity of the Kinkaid community, and we look forward to our continued partnership with The Faris Foundation and KIPP.

Gingerbread HouseBuilding

Cultural Celebrations

Thank You VolunteerLeaders!

The Kinkaid School wishes to thank our volunteer leaders and all of our amazing volunteers for donating your time and talents. You create magic for our School each and every day!

Parents’Association2023  2024

Co-Presidents

Kristi Oldham

Kristen Weber

Co-VicePresidents

Ellen Camp

Kay Lobb

BoardMembers

Vivian Adeniyi

Elva Akin

Jodi Altsuler

Elizabeth Amelio

Yuemi An-Grogan

Huntley Anderson

Elle Anderson

Sheneq Aranda

Catherine Barrett

Julie Berman

Patty Bowen

Annette Brissett

Erin Brown

Karoline Carlson

Deirdre Carr

Suleima Cepeda

Kelly Cubbage

Shelley Daly

Caroline Dannenbaum

Renee Davis

Julie Dehan

Viviana Denechaud

Robin DeSimone

Nancy DeWalch

Leisa Dillon

Rebecca Doggett

Bevin Dubrowski

Tara English

Elana Evans

Stephanie Evans

Raine Falik

Amy Ferber

Dara Frankel

Elise Ghebremichael

Nicole Gibson

Kristen Golden

Robyn Goldstein

Teri Gordon

Debbey Guy

Jennifer Hanson

John Harper

Erin Heath

Casey Hedges

Candace Hoelscher

Melissa Holton

Katie Ingram

Melinda Jackson

Monica Jefferson

Elizabeth Karkowsky

Nicole Katz

Kim Klevenhagen

Theresa Le

Natalie Lea

Liz Leiman

Heather Lingle

Blair Loocke

Kristin MacMane

Asli Magid

Ava Markowitz

Lucy Marquez Sheppard

Lanie Massey

Jeryn Mayer

Kristen McMackin

Tracy McMullen

Helena Mendez

Mona Miles

Carrie Monzon

Jennifer Moore

Harper Morrow

Dee Muir

Shampa Mukerji

Alisha Murray

Kristin Nyveen

Brooke O’Neil

Anissa Paddock

Joslyn Paris

Ashley Pearce

Josie Pielop

Nikki Pielop

Lis Purdy

Emily Catherine Riggs

Ina Riley

Victoria Roca

Danielle Schmulen

Lindsay Schmulen

Laurel Shaper

Paige Simmons

Kate Skubisz

Meredith Smith

Jennifer St. Julian

Ann Staley

Sandy Sturm

Seba Suber

Courtney Swanson

Dawn Swanson

Caren Sweetland

Anooshea Taghdisi

Andrea Tellepsen

Rebecca Turner

Amy Urquhart

Kate Walters

Nevine Webster

Kim Wexler

Louise Wiggins Rios

Lindsey Wilson

Christian Winn

Allison Wise

Jennifer Wizel

Hope Young

Jennifer Zach

As the eclipse progressed, the temperature seemed to drop and the world took on a dark, ethereal quality, as if I was looking out the tinted windows of my car.

There's something undeniably captivating about watching the cosmos align in perfect harmony.

For centuries, humans have felt a charmingly peculiar sense of entertainment and awe from looking up at the sky and watching the mesmerizing dance of celestial bodies.

And it was with that feeling that I found myself at school at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday, sitting in the last row of a bus bound for St. Mary’s Hall, three hours away in San Antonio.

I was invited to join Upper School science teacher Ms. Lara Cross’ astronomy class on its Oct. 14 field trip to watch the 2023 annular solar eclipse from San Antonio, barely inside the path of totality.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the St. Mary’s Hall astronomy club, which had set up telescopes and viewing stations.

Despite traffic, we arrived about two hours early and when we stepped out the bus, the sky was cloudy.

SOLAR ECLIPSE SPECTACULAR Trip to San Antonio

‘mesmerizing’

By Shaan Dhutia ’25

Exhausted from the early ride, my peers and I convinced ourselves the clouds would clear, and we spent the morning enjoying games and refreshments that had been waiting for us on the front lawn of the school.

Noon approached and an air of eagerness fell over the campus.

As the eclipse began, Kinkaid and St. Mary’s Hall students alike donned eclipse glasses and struggled to catch a glimpse of the sun from behind the clouds. Finally, just when the moon passed halfway in front of the sun, the clouds began to clear.

Shadows became sharper and the sunlight filtering through the leaves of nearby trees created mesmerizing crescent-shaped patterns on the ground. About 20 minutes later, the eclipse reached its peak, creating a “ring of fire” in the sky.

After the eclipse, I boarded the bus to return to Kinkaid with a newfound enthusiasm and appreciation for astronomy.

This article first appeared in the October 23, 2023 edition of "The Falcon". Kinkaid's student magazine.

With the solar eclipse day on the verge, the engineering class made pinhole cameras for people to view the annular solar eclipse.

Dr. Adam Capitano, Upper School science teacher, came up with this project so that students could see that there is a lot more to the eclipse than just a change in the sun's shape.

“A lot is going on in an eclipse; you can see fire plumes and part of the sun's corona,” he said.

His engineering class was split into groups of four and went to work on either making one big camera that would stay at the school gathering or four smaller cameras that would go on the San Antonio trip. Students used geometric optics to be able to see reflections of the eclipse inside. They then showed younger kids — their clients — and got feedback on their projects, just like in the real world.

"It is not only making the pinhole camera, but it is the interaction component with the client that is significant to our curriculum,” Dr. Capitano said. “The client is the heart and soul of what engineering is."

He also said that students’ experience in other science classes, especially physics with ray tracing and optics, would come in handy in this project.

"Asking students to make a pinhole camera with no extra information about it causes kids to manufacture through trial and error and gives them confidence that they can solve problems, which is a life skill,” he said.

ENGINEERING THE BEST VIEW

By Richie Klosek ’24

This article first appeared in the October 23, 2023 edition of "The Falcon", Kinkaid's student magazine.

GAME CHANGING IN PROGRESS

A look at the construction underway on The Kinkaid School campus

Lower School students having PE during the grand opening of the Doggett Family Fieldhouse and Gymnasium Administration touring the new technology building

Aerial view of campus with skyline of downtown Houston in the background

Aerial view of the outline of the new Upper School

Construction crew laying the foundation of the new Upper School

Construction crew moving trees

ME, WHO AM I? A SEASON OF SEARCHING FOR IDENTITY

The 2023 Kinkaid Visual and Performing Arts season is off to a thrilling start!

By Scott Lambert, Director of Visual and Performing Arts

Our productions began in October 2023 with Kinkaid’s Upper School theatre students' dazzling performance of the fall mainstage play, Peter and the Starcatcher This entertaining, creative origin story of Peter Pan was brought to life by the largest fall cast in recent history, who portrayed pirates, mermaids, and lost boys. Complemented by an incredibly versatile stage set constructed by our technical theatre students, the show was a delightful family-friendly story.

Running concurrently, the KinkADE Underground brought to the audience an emotional and captivating production of Jane Eyre. With the largest cast ever used in the history of the Underground, the show was nothing short of incredible.

Our 7th-grade vocal ensemble was the first to perform this season, presenting several songs at the Arts Parent Coffee and Conversation event. This was followed by stellar performances from the Concert Choir, Encore, and the 8th Grade Choir at the concert New Beginnings towards the month's end. Directed by our new Choral Director, Charles Harrison, the performances were marked by soaring voices.

Our Band and Orchestra presented the annual Hauntcert in mid-October, performing tunes from The Godfather, The Pink Panther, and other spooky classics. The concert came to an exciting end with the Symphony Orchestra’s stirring rendition of the Mission Impossible Theme. The performance also highlighted the Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043, masterfully performed by mother-son duo, Rodica Gonzalez and Matthew Gonzalez ’24 The first major exhibit of the year was set up by Kinkaid Visual Arts, showcasing 168 diverse and exciting individual pieces from our photography, drawing and painting, printmaking and mixed media, graphic design, ceramics, and sculpture students. The exhibit was a testament to the colossal talent our students possess.

October saw several of our film students earn recognition for their works at The All-American High School Film Festival, where three of our films were nominated for Best Middle School Film. Moreover, our Middle School film students premiered their suspenseful movie trailers at a school

assembly in October, and in December our Upper School Film students showcased some notable works from 2023 alongside their creations from the semester.

November kicked off with our fall dance concert featuring the Kinkaid Dance Company. Titled Feel the Spirit, the concert presented a bouquet of cultural performances, ideas, and celebrations. Adding to the repertoire, a traditional Chinese Dance was choreographed by our guest artist, Lena Yeh.

Next was Children's Theatre with their performance of Arnie, The Doughnut, hitting a sweet spot with our Lower School audience and touring to KIPP Sharpstown. This adorable, heart-warming story was a crowd-pleaser for nearly 800 young people.

Creative Writing held its annual fall reading, where students showcased their talent in personal narratives, poems, and short stories. Highlighting the exceptional talent of our students, this event also marked the debut of our first Director of Creative Writing, Angélique Jamail, who has already created and named the institution's first Poet Laureates, student Helen Zhang ’25, and faculty member, Adam Holt November also marked the release of our second issue of The Falcon, Kinkaid’s student-produced magazine. Our journalism students truly exceeded expectations, featuring outstanding investigative journalism, opinion pieces, and interviews.

Not missing a beat, December began with our 9th and 10th graders' annual New Faces performance, bringing to life music from varied musicals. It was an absolute delight to witness these young talents dance and sing their way into our hearts.

Capping off the year with the always fantastic Margaret Kinkaid Holiday Celebrations of the Arts, we witnessed spectacular holiday music from all our bands, choirs, and orchestras. Additionally, this year added dance, creative writing, and theatre to the event. All in all, 537 performers participated in the event. The celebration showcased around 435 pieces of visual art by our students. The pieces representing photography, drawing and painting, ceramics, sculpture, graphic design, and printmaking and mixed media were exceptional. What a spectacular fall season it has been at Arts! We enthusiastically look forward to what the spring season holds.

FALCONS CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR GREATNESS!

By David Holm, Director of Athletics & Physical Education and The Monteleone Chair in Athletics

It’s hard to believe that we are already at the midpoint of the year and from an athletics standpoint half-way through our winter season. It doesn’t seem that long ago when we were coming out of our summer workouts and heading into an early August pre-season. One of the greatest parts of sponsoring and supporting an “education-based” athletic program is that you are afforded the opportunity to teach “life-lessons” and “life-skills'' through the lens of competitive sports competitions and preparations. Fields, courts, courses, and pools serve as laboratories for these experiences under the guidance of our teacher-coach-mentors.

We, as coaches, often highlight at the top of the list of characteristics to develop: how to deal with and overcome adversity. This fall we did this at an even greater rate than usual. Faced with major construction obstacles, we planned for this knowing that it would be a challenge for all. We stayed positive, focused on the tasks at hand, and simply refused to let that be an excuse for subpar expectations and performances. It was tough, but we endured. What we didn’t fully expect was the second major challenge to hit us, extremely high temperatures and heat-indexes for long periods of time. We know it is hot in Texas, and we typically deal with this and student welfare and safety for a couple of days, but the duration, scale, and intensity was very different from what we typically deal with.

We paused and, literally overnight, flipped our practices for both Middle and Upper School teams to early mornings before school. This was not easy and required so many people to pull it off including parents, families, facilities, maintenance and transportation staffs, trainers, coaches, teachers, and our incredible student-athletes. During this stretch, we had, at times, over three hundred students, scores of coaches, and support individuals practicing at sunrise. I could not be prouder of our community and their collaborative efforts to make all this work. Tremendous sacrifice, flexibility, and persistence allowed our fall student-athletes to continue at a high level without missing a beat. I am deeply indebted and grateful to you all for what you did this fall. Talk about dealing with and overcoming adversity.

“I could not be prouder of our community and their collaborative efforts to make all this work. Tremendous sacrifice, flexibility, and persistence allowed our fall studentathletes to continue at a high level without missing a beat.”

Varsity Field Hockey, Photo by @cottiproductions

Middle School Cross Country at the Nike South Regional Race

Boys Varsity Volleyball Game vs Alumni

8th Grade HJPC Field Hockey Champions

This fall season was full of excitement and incredible performances and showcased how hard our student-athletes work in their pursuit of excellence. It is a journey, and what a fantastic journey it was. In the SPC Championships this fall our Field Hockey and Football teams made it to the championship games and finished second. Our boys and Girls Volleyball teams won two of their three matches up in Fort Worth, and both our Boys and Girls Cross-Country teams ran good races to finish sixth and third respectively. Our Varsity Cheer squad once again awed audiences with their half-time performances particularly at Rice Stadium and the University of Houston.

Our Middle School teams had a strong year. In HJPC we crowned our Field Hockey team champions. Our Football team finished in second place and our Cheer team was tops in all of their performances. At the HJPC Cross-Country Meet, David Dunwoody ’29 placed second overall, and Bella Heczey ’29 placed third overall in their races leading our Cross-Country teams. We look forward to watching our winter teams in action and more to come in the spring! It’s a great day to be a Falcon!

2032024 Athletics Booster Club

COPRESIDENTS

Kelly Cubbage

Kate Skubisz

COVICE PRESIDENTS

Melissa Holton

Elle Anderson

TEAM PARENT COORDINATOR

Anna Claire Hankamer

FALL TEAM PARENTS

Allison Wise

Amy Ferber

Amy Hefley

Andrea Tellepsen

Ashley Hanna

Cari Griggs

Caroline Billipp

Dee Muir

Elizabeth Eades

Elle Anderson

Ellie Bale

Ellie Skelton

Georgia Piazza

Heather Consoli

Heather Lingle

Huntley Anderson

Jennifer Brown

Jill King

Kara Vidal

Katherine Jones

Kim Hankamer

Lacy Price

Laura Whiteley

Lee Chen

Libbye Morrell

Lindsay Hyman

Lindsey Coleman

Liz Dinerstein

Margaret Gillentine

Mary Austin

Melinda Jackson

Melissa Massey

Melissa Suman

Mequet Werlin

Missy Pitts

Pei-Ching Tai

Rebecca Turner

Stephanie Deverka

Stephanie Ostrosky

Susie Tannery

Tennie Ott

Van Fadulu

Wendy Takeguchi

Whitney Hinton

Zhandong Liu

WINTER TEAM PARENTS

Alisa Absmeier

Allison Crosswell

Angela Shaw

Anjaly Thakkar

Ann Staley

Ashley Hanna

Asli Magid

Carolyn Tanner

Cuie Marie Qiu

Danielle Stewart

Deirdre Carr

Elisabeth Purdy

Elle Anderson

Hollie West

Hua Fang

Jennie Miller

Jennifer Hanson

Jennifer Leman

Jennifer Moore

Jessica Brazelton

Julie Berman

June Rabley

Kathaleen Walton

Kelly Cubbage

Kristen McMackin

Lacy Price

Laura Rocha

Lindsey Little

Mequet Werlin

Nadine Boutros

Sarah Wynne

Stacey Nguyen

Stephanie Evans

Stephanie Ostrosky

Susie Tannery

Viviana Denechaud

Varsity Football vs St. John's School

Upper School Cross Country

THE KINKAID SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

The purpose of Kinkaid’s Alumni Association shall be to act as a liaison between the School and its former students, to offer beneficial and stimulating activities for alumni, and to maintain and promote alumni participation in the development of the School. The Alumni Association Board meets quarterly and assists with various events and projects throughout the year, including the Alumni Holiday Party, Alumni Interim Term Night, the Distinguished Alumni Awards, the Alumni Taco Booth at Field Day, Senior Alumni Awards at Upper School Honor Day, KinkaidKonnect, and fundraising.

20232024 ALUMNIASSOCIATIONBOARD

President

Ben Brown ’01

VicePresident

Kathy McAnelly Schwartz ’79

Members

Rahul Agrawal ’05

Bruce Bilger ’01

Joe Branch ’94

Krystal Carter ’01

Carvana Hicks Cloud ’95

Allison Speed Crosswell ’92

Rod Crowl ’66

Courtney Domercq Daily ’94

Demetri Dale ’94

Nicole Nathan Gibson ’88

Laura Byrd Herring ’76

Palmer Letzerich ’90

Lance McMillan ’89

Chad Muir ’88

Michel Miller Mullett ’00

Brooke Bagby O’Neil ’02

Mary Sommers Burger Pyne ’95

Amy Ragan ’81

Frank Vandiver ’82

Mike Watson ’75

Ben Whitman ’92

FacultyRepresentative

Sonia Clayton

Ex-officio

Matt Gordon ’99

THE KINKAID YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ORGANIZATION KYPO

The Kinkaid Young Professionals Organization (KYPO) was created for alumni, up to 15 years from their date of high school graduation, to explore Houston’s diverse professional culture and create unique networking opportunities through Kinkaid connections. KYPO hosts various social events throughout the year and spearheads Kinkaid Alumni Leadership Day, designed to bring outstanding alumni to campus to spend time with Upper School students exploring aspects of leadership and life after Kinkaid. In 2023 - 24, KYPO is open to alumni from the Classes of 2009 - 2018.

20232024 YOUNGPROFESSIONALSORGANIZATION

President

Chinna O'Suji ’11

Members

Frances Andrews ’15

Rayan Bekhradi ’14

Ellie Bolin ’18

Thomas Deskin ’10

Brooks Elias ’15

Nick Fernandez ’16

Carter Guinn ’17

Lexie Heim ’17

Mary Labanowski ’16

Jennifer Orr ’11

Ricky Perusquia Jr. ’11

Anabelle Reade Ward ’12

Emily Sangalis Senchuk ’09

Benjamin Thomas ’13

Emily Robinson Walter ’13

Elizabeth Clark Waltrip ’14

Ex-officio

Kenner Smith Francis ’10

20232024 ALUMNICLASSCORRESPONDENTS

Jane Hoffert Moore ’46

Page Thomson Steele ’54

Lucy Lee Lamme ’58

John David Hagerman ’59

Allan Port ’60

Sassy English Stanton ’60

Adrian Turner Ross ’62

Claire Andreae Murray ’64

Tami Fox Brau ’65

Pat Kidson Fogle Cavanagh ’66

Ann Lents ’67

Annie Owen ’68

Elizabeth Topper Nash ’68

Bonnie German Chandler ’69

Malcolm Waddell ’70

Claudia Wilson Frost ’71

Lewis Luckenbach III ’72

Allan Tang ’72

Pam Dilworth Kissiah ’73

Madeleine Topper Sheehy ’74

Judy Levin ’75

Homoiselle Sadler Bujosa ’76

Jane Van De Mark ’77

Sarah Deal Frankenfeld ’78

Steven Arnold ’79

Evans Attwell ’79

Alice Berry ’79

John McReynolds ’81

Maria Semander Crawford ’82

Anthony Brown ’83

Jackie Fair ’84

Carolyn Lasater Hodges ’85

Julie Templin Berman ’86

Doug Rosenzweig ’87

John Semander ’88

Elizabeth Oxford Pagan ’89

Peter Tropoli ’90

Lane Alexander ’91

Billy Forney ’92

Amy Stuyck Watson ’92

Courtney Dreyer Beauchamp ’93

Wendie Seale Childress ’93

Ashley Morgan Hanna ’93

Courtney Domercq Daily ’94

Meredith Riddle Chastang ’95

Dejon Banks Hawthorne ’95

Erin Jones Brown ’96

Emily Mitchell Covey ’96

Christina Wilson Altenau ’97

Daniel Jenkins ’97

Amy Parker Beeson ’98

Elizabeth Evans Mann ’99

Spencer English ’00

Alyssa Gardner Kilpatrick ’00

Michel Miller Mullett ’00

Krystal Carter ’01

Stuart Pradia ’01

Ariana Nizza Chapman ’02

Leslie Roemer Labanowski ’02

Anne Tropoli Kahle ’03

Jordan Allison Boyce ’04

Emily Catherine Jeter Riggs ’04

Grace Lee Hofer ’05

Casson Wen ’06

Lauren Lestin Philipson ’07

Kirby Allison ’08

Mason Bashaw Clelland ’08

Alanna McAuley ’09

Evan Henke ’10

Avery Geisler ’11

Harry Hantel ’11

Kirby Gilbert Shaw ’12

Katie Shaffer Silver ’13

Haley Ebel O'Brien ’14

Emma Eggleston Goodwine ’15

Kate Hinnant ’16

Ellee Dukes ’17

Jake Reinbolt ’17

Katherine Berman ’18

TX Harris ’18

Isabel Stallings ’18

Elizabeth Baird ’19

Antonio Castro ’19

Ellie Lucke ’19

Seb Seager ’19

Sally Buck ’20

Daryn Mehling ’21

Skyler Swanson ’21

Alexandra Tropoli ’22

Protecting Campus & Community

Alexis Johnson  Class of 2017

By Jared Scott Tesler – Contributing Writer

The daughter of a retired Houston firefighter, Alexis Johnson ’17, who says she has always been interested in criminal justice, law enforcement, and public policy, was first exposed to the day-to-day life of a public servant as a young girl.

“What really sparked my interest was the fact that I have family and friends who have worked in the criminal justice field,” Johnson recalls. “Being able to speak with them and learn some of the ins and outs of the field really helped solidify my interest.”

That interest would later inspire Johnson to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science and government, with a minor in criminal justice, from Indiana University Bloomington and a master’s degree in terrorism and homeland security policy from American University. It would also inspire her desire to pursue her current post as a police officer with the Houston Police Department.

“The main thing that drives me in my work as a police officer is being able to help people who may be going through the worst day of their life,” Johnson explains. “Sometimes, police work can be a very thankless job, but what keeps me motivated is knowing that I’ve helped at least one person — whether saving someone from a domestic violence situation, filing a police report, or showing people the same respect that I’d want from a police officer.”

These days, members of The Kinkaid School community can expect to see a familiar face on campus: In September 2023, Johnson embraced the role of part-time security officer — which she learned about during a visit just one month earlier with Stacey Marshall P FS ’24, ’27, Assistant Athletic Director, Girls Basketball Program Head, and Tennis Program Head. The recipient of last year’s Edward M. Trusty Jr. Core Values Award and former co-chair of the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council,

Marshall’s dedicated mentorship has continued long after Johnson’s high school days on the basketball court.

“I would not be the woman I am today if it wasn’t for Coach Marshall. She taught me that some things in life may not go my way but to never give up. She taught me the value of hard work. She prepared me for life,” says Johnson, who would go on to play basketball at Indiana University Bloomington, where she was honored with Academic All-Big Ten distinction. “Coach Marshall believed in me at a time when I didn’t believe in myself. She will always hold a special place in my heart.”

As the newest member of Kinkaid’s Facilities Department, Johnson is responsible for maintaining a safe and secure school environment for all students, faculty, and staff by patrolling buildings and grounds and ensuring that all visitors show valid identification prior to entering the campus.

Returning to a place that has given her so much, she says, is what initially attracted her to the job, “It feels great to be able to help protect the Kinkaid community. As an alumna, I know just how special the community is. Once again, I’m surrounded by people who are genuine, kindhearted, and want to see me succeed.”

In addition to preparing her for college and graduate school, Johnson — who participated in several extracurricular activities related to her chosen field, including Fulbright and Jaworski Mock Trial and Social Issues Club — notes that her teachers modeled the importance of paying close attention to detail, not taking shortcuts, and never being afraid of asking questions — life lessons that she puts into practice each and every day, both personally and professionally.

“A Kinkaid education,” she says, “is truly one of a kind.”

Alexis and her family with Coach Stacey Marshall at Senior Night in 2017At work keeping campus safe

First Summer Interns Make Program Official

Contributed by Cami C ’25

Kinkaid rising seniors and alumni connected through internships that guided Falcons toward their desired careers this past summer.

For senior Camron Baldwin ’24, that meant interning with Vinson & Elkins — specifically alongside the firm’s event planning team. Baldwin sat in on meetings and participated in site-checks where he inspected the venues where the firm planned to host events.

For sophomore Lindsey Morgan ’26 and senior Wills Leighton ’24, that meant interning with Hines, a real estate company. For them, an average day included sitting in on meetings like Baldwin but also learning about different types of real estate, from office spaces to industrial sites to apartments.

The summer of 2023 was Kinkaid’s first time offering official internships to rising seniors in a program primarily organized by Kinkaid’s Alumni Board Committee.

Emily Dominque, Alumni Activities Manager, said the chair of the committee, Palmer Letzerich ’90, was one of the main drivers for the program.

Dominique said Mr. Letzerich and others had worked to connect students with internships on a less formal basis. For example, Morgan started her internship through a family connection. This year, Letzerich decided to take his idea for a widespread summer internship program for students to the Alumni Association Board.

“We have an active alumni community who wants to give back to our students,” Dominique said. “When I asked them what they wanted to do, the number one thing they told me was that they wanted to interact with students.”

Dominique explained that many alumni wished they had opportunities to get more hands-on experience because their internships during Interim Term were pivotal in their future careers. Students who participated in the new summer internships this past summer also shared the sentiment that gaining firsthand experience in the field informed them on their career choices.

“I’m still not exactly sure what I want to do in college, so I wanted to try something new…I think it’s a good chance to learn about different industries, which will probably help you when you’re looking to apply to college or when you’re looking to find a job in the future,” said Leighton, who worked for Hines.

Leighton and other students at Hines got the chance to learn about current developments in the real estate market and what they mean for the industry — topics that would not typically be covered in a classroom.

The internships typically lasted a week under the mentorship of a host.

“We hope that if they really enjoy the experience, they might be willing to take a longer internship in January. It’s really an entry point,” Dominique said.

If you are interested in learning more about hosting an intern for a week this summer, please contact Alumni Activities Manager Emily Dominique at emily.dominique@kinkaid.org.

2023 Summer Internship Hosts

Bek Builders Group

Cadence Bank

Chapoton Sanders

Scarborough, LLP

Cheniere

Compass

First Reserve

Forge Equity

Frankel Design Build

Hanover

Hines

Houston Food Bank

KJM Design Levcor

McDowell Hetherington

Houston Methodist Hospital

Milton Street Capital

Rice University - BRC Tao Lab

Sage Energy Holdings

Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton

Smart in the Kitchen

The King Ranch

Kinkaid Advancement Office

Title Houston Holdings

Transwestern

Vaughan Nelson

Vinson & Elkins

Women's OBGyn

KinkaidOpen GolfTournament

The 2023 Kinkaid Open Golf tournament was held on Monday, October 2 at The Westwood Golf Club.

This year, golfers gathered for a beautiful day on the links with former classmates, current parents, and friends of the Kinkaid community. Over 115 golfers participated in the tournament, and enjoyed lunch on the course, followed by a reception after play. The steering committee raised over $76,000 benefiting the John Germann Endowed Scholarship to support students on need-based financial aid. Special thanks to our tournament chairman, David Dunwoody ’02, and our co- chairman, Jim Thomson ’05, for their hard work in making the tournament such a success!

Garrett Thompson

John Germann, Tom Moore, David Dunwoody '02, and Jonathan Eades

Alumni HolidayParty

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Over 160 alumni gathered to reconnect with friends and kick off the holiday season at the Annual Alumni Holiday Party.

Lavannya Raman Pandit ’92, Rahul Pandit, Sara Reader, and Michael Reader ’96

Krystal Carter ’01, Dani Carter Olorunsola ’10, and Elizabeth Cannon Killary ’10

Mary Elizabeth Cox Merrill ’75, Elizabeth Robinson Kendrick ’07, and Corey Kendrick Lee and Glenn Seureau ’59

Michel Miller Mullett ’00, Maggie Warren Jones ’74, and Mary Sommers Burger Pyne ’95

ClassNotes & Alumni News

1950-1957

Page Thomson Steele ’54 23714 Cansfield Way Katy, Texas 77494 713-504-3792

Ned Earle ’56 writes, “Still here!! We have four children - one doctor, two lawyers, and a psych counselor. ten grandchildren, six girls and four boys. I retired from medicine 15 years ago and now play golf, duplicate bridge, and do watercolor painting. Life is good.”

1958

Lucy Lee Lamme

21 Briar Hollow Lane Unit 803 Houston, Texas 77027 lucylamme@att.net

Hope you all remember my Fats Domino graduation party (thanks, Ruth). In the vernacular, "It was a blast." So, stop slip sliding away and let us know what is going on in your life - Kay, Johnny, Jody, Sue, etc. I hope it's boring, but we are Here, not There.

Sally Eastham Chapoton and Buck were in from D.C. for Allegro, so a group of us got together - Tami Baird Dyer, Jane Jorns Van Santen, Klinka Garrett Lollar, Linda Lester Griffin, Jan Davis (wife of Tommy '55), and Lucy Carl (wife of Willie ’55 (fs)) It was great to catch up but then we never left off.

You probably know our "new school" is now behind us and work progresses on the new new KHS. Ready for happy days, the past is prologue and so are we.

1959

John David Hagerman

24800 I-45, Suite 100

The Woodlands, TX 77386 johndhagerman@hotmail.com

Glenn Seureau hosted the "Lunch Bunch" at Cleburne Cafeteria the first week of November where 14 classmates attended to catch up on the latest news on the class. The conversations were brisk and the food was wonderful.

Susan Graham Fifer moved some time ago to Austin from Kerrville.

1960

Sassy English Stanton 1404 Potomac Houston, Texas 77057

713-266-9919

sassy@stanton-pinckard.com

Allan Port Houston, Texas allan.port@att.net

1962

Adrian Turner Ross Houston, Texas adrian@rexross.com

Hello 1962 Classmates—

Congratulations for putting another decade in the rearview mirror! Once again, I am grateful to those of you who sent updates about your current goings on.

After a lot of years, I was happy to hear from Robert Watts. He and wife Jeanne are doing well. They have a home in Houston and a summer home in Steamboat Springs, CO. I probably can’t do his bio justice in a short summary, but I will try. Bob attended Columbia University, followed by four years in the Navy aboard a guided missile frigate. After graduating from UT School of Law, he joined Bracewell and Patterson where he practiced law for 22 years. After “retirement” he founded a flight school at Hooks airport. They have two children. Laura, a pilot for United Airlines, and Alan, an artist/engineer for Meow Wolf.

Bob is currently very involved with the Tomball Museum. His email address is rwatts1944@yahoo.com. I didn’t actually hear from her, but Bob reports that his twin sister Charlotte is also doing well.

Another classmate for whom we can be proud is Dr. William Blattner In June, he had the opportunity to participate in the dedication of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria headquarters. (The building houses state of the art laboratories and clinical and administrative space he cofounded with Nigerian colleagues.) In 2004, HIV-Aids work was begun there under the George W. Bush President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). His goal was to develop a center of excellence that would harness the capacity of the Nigerian people to address their most pressing health needs. Bill wrote “Their achievement in creating this center with funds that they raised in Nigeria far exceeds what I could have envisioned when we began this journey.”

Bette Plant Thomas reports in that she and Ralph have 15 grandchildren and a great grandchild on the way! She and Ralph are busy developing the Thomas Ranch near Austin.

Jim Hargrove, always succinct, tells us that all current information about him will all be posted online at Hargrove.org. Don’t forget to look him up!

Allan Klein reports that he and Alma are retired and living in Crockett, TX. They spend most of their time with their kids and grandkids plus traveling with friends.

Carolyn Ferguson Means weighed in that her educational consulting practice, School Solutions, will celebrate its 20th year in 2024. She and Hal have enjoyed a cruise on the Mediterranean, celebrating their 57th anniversary and are planning another trip along the European coast on the same ship in August.

I am very sad to report that Dr. George Schudy passed away on November 13. He coached high school basketball players, helping underprivileged players develop their skills. He was a successful, and beloved orthodontist, but primarily, George was just an allaround good guy. He will be missed. That wraps up the Winter 2024 report. Please send news as the year goes by and I will save it for the summer issue of Class notes.

Happy New Year, everyone.

1963

Need Volunteer

1964

Claire Andreae Murray Celebration, Florida claire.murray@verizon.net

As you read our Alumni News, start prepping for our 60th Reunion on April 6, 2024. Lose those extra pounds, book that nip and tuck you have always wanted, treat yourself to a new outfit and call every classmate you can get hold of to insure their attendance. We already have a headcount of 30 and we have yet to harass, cajole, or bribe our besties to attend, so it should be a turnout to be proud of. Our esteemed Reunion committee including Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter, David Bradshaw, JB Jones, Lorna Allen Sorley, Rocky McAshan, and myself scoured the culinary delights and venues of greater Houston to select the most impressive Ousie’s Table for our salubrious event. Between the libations, gourmand fare, and company of old souls we should have an evening to remember.

On a sadder note, as you all know,

Kath Susman Howe passed away last May. After being such a loving caregiver, George went on an adventure over the summer, sharing “I was able to make a nice trip to New England to see longtime good friends, including Ruthie Rietz Barney in Springfield and Eugenia Dyess Collins ’67 (Booth's sister) and her husband in Amherst. I didn't get over to see Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter and Gary near Philadelphia, or Dr. David Bradshaw, or Dan Hedges with Marilee Herren in New Hampshire. Gonna have to plan a longer trip to get off of Bonnie's Bad List. As a side note, a number of my neighbor friends here at the Village of Southampton were in the same Rice class as Bonnie, David, and Rocky McAshan. Ah, the stories they could tell... I am still singing most of the scheduled concerts with Houston Symphony Chorus and also playing the lobby piano at the Methodist Outpatient Clinic for the Tuesday lunch crowd. Last, but definitely not least, daughter Kate '95 is concluding the year with the publication of her second book Astor with television journalist Anderson Cooper, and her sixth historical fiction book A True Account, Hannah Masury's sojourn amongst the 'pyrates written by herself. Kate’s second non-fiction research work for Penguin Classics, The Penguin Book of Pirates, is due out in April 2024.”

Betty Austin Henderson and "Mama Burke" Betty Burke Clyburn '63 with their husbands are still outside of Kerrville praying for rain...

Celebrating our 60th no doubt suggests we are at a revered age where transitions abound. My main squeeze and I closed our practices, sold our too spacious abode, hopped on the auto train and emigrated to Orlando to referee the mélange between Bob Igor for Disney and Ron DeSantis. No doubt others have unburdened themselves of history and begun a new adventure, tales to be told no doubt... Perhaps for the reunion and for the summer edition to be sure... Happy 60th

1965

Tami Fox Brau Austin, Texas tazmazan@gmail.com

I had a nice chat with Ann Cronin who was in France in September with brother Bobby for a wonderful bicycle trip. They started in Paris and rode first to Bordeaux and then ended in Toulouse. Ann says it was a great experience and she enjoyed sharing it with her brother and his wife. Ann is

looking forward to more trips in 2024, specifically to some of her favorite skiing destinations.

Barbara Moses Robertson reports, “Corby and I now have four grandchildren who have graduated from Kinkaid and are enrolled in The University of Texas at Austin! HOOK EM HORNS!! Our newest UT students are: Hunter Robertson ’23 who is in the School of Education and pledged SAE (like his dad Corby Robertson III ’89 and uncle Will Robertson ’94) and Hope Morenz ’23 who is living at Hardin House, where her mother Christine ’92 lived, and I did, too! Hope is in Plan II and McCombs Honors Business School. Hope pledged Pi Beta Phi, like her mom and older sister Lillie ’21… and grandmother Barbara Moses Robertson, also! I had the privilege of pinning my Pi Phi Arrow on Hope during her Initiation Ceremony, which was very exciting, but also very emotional! We still have five more grandchildren at Kinkaid: a freshman grandson, a junior granddaughter, plus two grandsons in 8th grade, and a granddaughter in 5th grade! Kinkaid is undergoing major construction!! The original HIGH SCHOOL, that we all attended, has been torn down and in a couple years Kinkaid will have all brand-new facilities for its Upper School students. It’s going to be amazing!! Needless to say, it is timely to finally have a brand-new high school!!

In addition to other major improvements for the Lower School! And the sports programs! Kinkaid is a fine private school, and we were all fortunate to have been students at Kinkaid. Hooray for THE CLASS OF 1965!”

Rick Sline says he and his lovely wife Annette are doing well and wish me good luck on my new adventure.

My news is that I am busy packing and buying warm clothes for my move to Michigan. That’s right. After spending decades in Texas, I’m taking the plunge and moving to cold country. I’m really looking forward to the move and will miss a lot of things about Texas, but not the long, hot summers.

Tami Fox Brau

Class of 1965

1966

Pat Kidson Fogle Cavanagh Houston, Texas plkfc@hotmail.com

Wonderful Class of ’66, With a heavy heart I write of the death of our dear classmate, Carol Peck Harper. Several of us attended her memorial service at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. The large crowd was a testament to Carol’s deep impact on our Houston community.

I wish you could all come to the Kinkaid campus to see the incredible construction site! The old Upper School buildings have come down, huge live oaks were moved, and the ground is being prepared for construction. A large “Learning Village” of temporary buildings is set up near the parking garage, the gorgeous new building on the site of Mr. Cooper’s home is now occupied by the Upper School, a very large Field House is near completion in the athletic complex, and an amazing Alumni Center is planned. Since I was on campus during admissions testing in October and November, I got to watch the progress every day.

It was wonderful to receive news from John Diffey, Bubba Koenig, Jim Tang, and David Boldrick

From John Diffey: Greetings fellow Falcons, it has been an exciting and deeply satisfying autumn in many ways. At the same time, this stage of life brings sadness too as family members, classmates, and other friends encounter health-challenges and pass away. Our recent happier moments have included a lot of travel, first to England to see our son and his family. Then, a ten-day land-tour of Portugal. Back to the U.S. for a thrice-postponed college reunion. That gathering was immediately followed by three weeks of spectacular fall color, four sets of family and close friends as houseguests, seven jazz and classical concerts—all here at our getaway spot in the Virginia mountains. Our visit to the mountains was topped off by a splashy Gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of, and a very successful capital campaign for, the beloved Garth Newel Music Center. All good and also a little much—away from seven of the past eight weeks. We will settle back in soon though to welcome our daughter and her husband home for Thanksgiving. Less travel ahead in ’24,

but maybe a spring trip to Houston with hopes of seeing Kinkaid ’66 classmates again, with thanks to Pat Kidson Fogle Cavanagh for keeping us all connected.

Jim Tang sent this happy news: Elizabeth and I are now grandparents of three: Kelly (4), daughter of our oldest son and his wife, James and Thy; Rayan (18 months) and Reiya (6 months), son and daughter of Jeff ’05 and wife Mehwish. Youngest son John and his wife have no children yet. We have been babysitting Rayan once a week since he was two months old and recently have been babysitting Reiya once a week. Our three grandchildren have been keeping us busy as we enjoy watching them grow. We enjoyed a nice family beach vacation together in September to Seaside, FL, which was delightful. I continue playing golf three or four times a week and help maintain the landscaping of my three sons’ homes in my spare time since they are too busy to maintain it themselves.

I’m also active in my church, the Texas Asian Republican Club, and the Chinese American Doctors Association. It’s always good to hear from Bubba Koenig: “Hi Pat- hope this finds you and all our classmates safe and healthy. Linda and I are fine - still trying to make it to Israel but current events obviously preclude such a trip in the foreseeable future. We have been trying to cope with the water situation up here at Lakeway, but the dry, hot weather has made this difficult. Just this week we had the first real rain since the beginning of summer and a long-awaited cool spell provided some relief. Hopefully this winter will see an increase in rainfall and the lakes will recover. Lake Travis is down over 50% from full pool and looks like the Grand Canyon. We are managing to keep the yard and plants green, but it’s a constant fight. I could not make Carol’s memorial service but have thought recently about what a wonderful, caring person she always was.

The Tang Family

David Boldrick '66, Rob Wilson '66 and Ernie Graham '66

Our most heartfelt best wishes to all. Bubba and Linda”

And from David Boldrick: “Sent a few pics this year: out clubbing in Houston with Killer Rob Wilson and Deadeye Ernie Graham. Great time! Came to the funeral for Carol, very sad but got to see a few old friends. Wow, got a Blue Ribbon, premium level at the State Fair of Texas for a photo I took of my friend John, a Meals on Wheels regular. He passed away before seeing our Blue Ribbon. I volunteered at the Big 12 baseball championships at the Ranger Stadium. Got my pic with the WV mascot! Now who would not have wanted to be with that guy! All for now. Question: do any of you have these body aches? I sure do!! Warmest regards, David B.”

I, Pat Kidson Fogle Cavanagh (do I have the most names in our class?), continue to work with many students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. Teachers teach, and I can’t seem tostop! Since my 2017 retirement, I have helped the Kinkaid Admission office with PreK and Kindergarten admissions. I love being with these little ones again. It will come as no surprise to you that I am the Social Chairman of my Chapelwood Chancel Choir (my 28th year in choir) and continue to ring handbells (my 40th year ringing). I can’t imagine life without music. My family is wonderful - children Elizabeth Fogle Sparks ’91(fs), Rebecca Fogle ’93(fs), and Will Fogle are all working productively. Their children are thriving in college, high school, and 5th grade. I had wonderful trips this year to Michigan to see son Will, San Miguel, San Francisco on a Chancel Choir tour, Denver, and NYC. I have been blessed abundantly!

1967

Ann Lents Houston, Texas alents@heaneyrosenthal.com

1968

Annie Owen Houston, Texas anniedowen@me.com

Elizabeth Topper Nash San Marcos, Texas enash@grandecom.net

1969

Bonnie German Chandler Harvard, Massachusetts bchandler1@charter.net

Many of our class members are enjoying retirement, although Rick Frachtman makes an exception for his second knee replacement this past June – but, he says, it “was worth doing. The surgery and rehab would have been more difficult to deal with prior to retirement.” The surgery limited travel for Rick and wife Anne but they plan to resume next spring. Their daughter Lindsey produced their fifth grandchild (and fourth grandson) this November. Rick commented wryly, “Boys tend to run in our family.”

Martin Dukler and wife Dianne continue to love living in Santa Fe. He is still doing consultant work for corporations and nonprofit organizations across the country to help transform their mission or their work force, but he has added a new interest: “I have also been creating large scale outdoor metal sculptures.

You can see the current items at www. sculpturality.com. We just completed a successful show in the gallery space we created.” Of course, I checked out the website, and the sculptures are most impressive – and sort of gently quirky, very like their sculptor! Marianne Tatum says, “I’m just grateful and over the moon that the SAG strike is over. Four months without work is about all I could handle. I’m diving back in via a little film under the auspices of NYU. I’m playing a -wait for it - wacky Texas mom who's gone over the edge! Wow. What a stretch! My precious daughter Mariden is 36 now - well, 36 going on seven. She’s the light of my life, always keeps me centered and grateful for her pure light. We will be taking our annual Caribbean cruise this holiday.” Marianne also brought news of Sheila Holloway: “Went to London to do some theatre and ancestry work, and stayed with our former classmate Sheila Holloway for a couple of days in her charming townhouse near Alexandra Palace. We had so much fun, just picked up as if we had never parted 54 years ago!”

Sheila Holloway also wrote about the visit: “The main news is that I’ve had visits from two Kinkaid friends this summer. First, my ‘AFS sister,’ Sandy Lorna Stebbins came to stay in July during a tour of Europe she was taking. Although we’re in touch, we hadn’t actually met up for 30 years, so there was a lot of catching up to do. Then in September, Marianne Tatum came to visit. She and I hadn’t seen one another since I left Houston in 1969, but it felt as though we were picking up where we'd left off! It was great to share musical memories with Sandy and Marianne; while at Kinkaid we were all in that amazing production of The King and I. It was wonderful to hear of Marianne’s illustrious career in opera and musical theatre and Sandy’s continuing love of folk music which she

still sings and plays.”

Peggy Whitmore Douglas has sad news: “I just lost my husband Jim from a massive heart attack in May. We were in Texas visiting friends and family. We were just leaving Crockett to go to the airport to fly home. I am so blessed to have my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandkids five minutes away here in Pittsburgh. My son is still in Florida but visits regularly. I stay busy with my therapy dog visits and luckily lots of great friends! Thanks for keeping us all in touch!”

Don Pickels wrote about the antics at his backyard bird feeder: “I've always loved birds because they're smart, entertaining, and cheap pets. I keep mine fed now with a 16-inch, six-perch tube feeder and about 80 cents a day in mixed birdseed. I installed a five-foot-high tray feeder about 40 feet from my window. It attracted loads of birds, from chickadees to cardinal families to blue jays, a red-headed woodpecker, and too many squirrels. One morning about 25 years ago, I looked out and saw a family of four green Monk parrots feeding, parents and young. The adults are big, about 14 inches tall with long tails added. They came off and on for three years, then moved on. Most experts say those green parrots are the descendants of escaped caged pets. Now I'm down to the one small feeder, but it hangs only 12 inches from my tinted window. I get to watch entire cardinal families, mockingbirds hopping around my patio, chickadees fighting fiercely for perches. It's fun bird theater. I love it. Maybe life is for the birds.”

“Life seems to be speeding up rather than slowing down,” Marcy West Beard says. “Still working to get the grassfed beef business off the ground – some incredible hits and a couple of disappointing misses. Our first crop from a registered Angus bull is just now hitting the ground and should

Rod Crowl '66, Pat Kidson Fogle Cavanagh, and Linda Crowl at Bingo

Shelia Holloway (AFS '69) and Sandy Lorna Stebbins '69

be a serious improvement. For some reason (perhaps 60 consecutive days of 100-plus degree temperatures?) the chickens went on strike over the summer, leaving our egg customers disappointed. However, the chickens seem to appreciate their new coop, complete with exhaust fans and higher ceiling, which David not-so-jokingly has dubbed the Taj Mahal of chicken houses. Daughter Kelley and son-inlaw Gabe are all in with building the farm and are moving their family to Fayette County in May, so we are really excited about having the grandkids living here and going to school in Fayetteville. Kelley has been taking Francesca and Eli to riding lessons in Houston, in addition to taking lessons herself, and has contracted Horse Show Fever.” Marcy has also been busy with dogs and dog shows: her Kangal dogs have had four litters of puppies this year, and one of them is now number one in the country for his breed. Her Australian Shepherd dogs are also doing well. She finally had to slow down a little this fall: She broke her right arm close to the shoulder and at the time of this writing had been impatiently waiting 90 days to be allowed to use it again.

As for me and my family, we’re all excited that son Cedric and wife Crystal are expecting our third grandchild in January. And I have carefully scheduled my goats’ spring kiddings to allow plenty of time for a trip to Houston, so I’m looking forward to seeing you all at reunion this spring!

1970

Malcolm Waddell Houston, Texas mwaddell@waddellinvestments.com mwaddell@sba-skincare.com

Happy New Year to all! I am writing as Suzanne and I wing our way to London and on to Paris in early December. Our first international trip in over a year due to my successful cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and recovery. It’s been quite a year. I am doing fine. Our most exciting news is the birth of our second grandchild/grandson, Noa Bruce Mori, to our daughter Amanda ’06 and her husband Yusuke Mori in late August.

Phil Salvador, as always, was one of my first friends to answer my update request. He shared, “Everything is ‘steady as she goes’ with me and my family. I continue with my kayaking activities. Wife Christiane and I did a Paddle Florida trip on the Santa Fe River in Florida in October, and I went with some friends in November to go to Rahal Bayou, out on the south shore of Espiritu Santo Bay, TX, for five days of camping, kayak exploring, and fishing. Christiane continues with her

Tai Chi and book club get-togethers. She is having fun with a bread-making machine. We are fostering a female miniature German Shepherd, hoping to find her a good home. Son Lucas continues to do well with ASML in Connecticut, though he has moved to New York City to be closer to friends and the type of fun he enjoys. Daughter Carla continues to make progress with her studies in Korea.”

Betsy Mickley Sheets shared what she’s been up to: “In October, John and I went to our yearly Denver Broncos game in Denver this year, not London like last year. While there, we went to the Eagles concert. It was a lot better than the game! We then had a long weekend in San Antonio entertaining 20 of John’s college friends from California. I went back to San Antonio to spend Thanksgiving with son Shawn and his family. I spend a lot of time enjoying my other son Kelly’s family, and I’m still substitute teaching when I’m home.”

Ed Neuhaus (fs) wrote next: “All is good on my front. The only noteworthy news is Graham and I were on a Holy Land trip in late September and early October. We were four hours into our flight home when the attack on Israel started. We were so fortunate to be out just in time and blessed to have had a great experience.”

Janet Lee Cohen checked in having a busy fall and planning an even busier 2024: “We went to Portugal in October; attended a conference in New Orleans after that; hosted some friends from Australia for a week; and had 18 for Thanksgiving. All within the last month. I’m retiring from all of that. We plan to spend December at home, maybe in bed! Just kidding. 2024 will be a big year for us as Rick and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary (Yikes!) in May and attend our 50th reunion at Penn. Our grand twins will observe their b’nai mitzvah (that’s times two), and then we’re taking everyone to

Lake Como for an anniversary bash. This is all predicated on the world having not blown itself up and Covid taking a breather next spring. We feel blessed and lucky to be safe and relatively healthy and have two of our kids now living in Massachusetts, one state away from us in New Hampshire. There’s still one holdout in Boulder, but we’re working on her. Rick’s mom is still ticking at 98-1/2, so we visit her in Florida when we can. We’re both playing tennis and a little pickleball (super fun) and trying to keep the pounds at bay. Life is good when we reflect on our blessings. We wish Malcolm and everyone another year of good health and peace. Sending love to all from New England!”

Erik Littlejohn also sent a great note: “It’s been a busy year. As the class member with the youngest child (now a young adult), I am enjoying every minute of my daughter’s exciting life. After spending two years as a recruited athlete on the Texas A&M Equestrian Team, Isabella transferred to The American University of Paris where she graduated cum laude in May with a degree in Global Communications. She and I then traveled through the South of France, attended the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix as guests of the McLaren Team, and then were back in Paris before returning home. This fall, I visited Madrid where Isabella is teaching for a year before returning to Houston next summer. Work has now been completed at my new home at The Huntingdon where many old friends are neighbors. I’m still working hard and enjoying my long-time client and business partnerships. Warren Buffett and the late Charlie Munger are my inspiration! All is great!”

Bonnie Robbins Coburn wrote her update from Cozumel on her fall/winter cruise that husband Mickey and she try to do every year: “Not much new in our neck of the woods (literally the woods), but we are enjoying life

to the fullest. We spend most of our free time watching grandsons playing their sports that now include soccer, basketball, and baseball and watching granddaughter dancing. She had her first on pointe solo this year. It’s new for me not to be watching girls volleyball/basketball/field hockey. [Editors note: Bonnie played all those sports in her Kinkaid days.] Everyone is doing well, and we just found out that we are to be blessed with two more grandkids (twins – boy and girl) in June/July. So, that will now be 11 grandchildren. We are so blessed, and everyone is healthy and happy.”

Robin Singer Mowrer checked in from Denver with: “I am happy to report that we stayed healthy all year, and Dale and I did all our traveling to be with our kids in 2023. I went back and forth from Colorado to California where daughter Briana and family (husband and two granddaughters, 6 and 4) live in San Diego. I also visited my youngest son and his wife, who live in Orange County. Then back and forth to Austin to play with my sisters. My middle son and his family are here in Denver, so we get to have the boys (9 and 7) spend the night on weekends. My kids, on the other hand, got to go with their families to Hawaii, Alaska, and Japan. This year I plan to go somewhere fun, exotic, and warm. Dale and I have really been enjoying life in Colorado, going to the mountains quite a bit. It was a beautiful fall, and I had a house to sell in the mountains. So, we really enjoyed doing open houses in the fall while the aspens were golden. The home sold just in time to beat the snow! Healthwise, I recently hired a personal trainer and am working on getting stronger. That coupled with our whole food, plant-based diet made me realize that my goal of living to a healthy 100 is attainable. I will keep you posted. Wishing you all the best year ever in 2024!”

Sam Collins shares: “We spent all of October at our second home in Asheville. Daughter Emily ’02, husband Lance, and our grandkids, Poppy and Bennett, stayed with us the first week, and two other couples came after. It was one of the most spectacular fall foliage since we’ve been here. Son Jordan ’00 and wife Samantha are expecting their first baby in February in San Juan which will be our third grandchild. In January we’re taking a Disney Cruise with Emily, Lance, and the grands. March is a cruise to New Zealand from Sydney. It’s all about travel and grandkids for us. Andi and I will have been married 44 years next year, and what a great ride it’s been. A healthy, happy New Year to the very special class of 1970. Thank you, Malcolm, for being the glue that keeps us connected.”

The Class of 1970's 25th reunion Saturday party in fall 2005

Bob Frachtman, who has been my unpaid, extremely helpful gastroenterologist in 2023 catches up on life in the Texas capital: “I’m still working full time in Austin Gastroenterology. Sherrie continues her non-profit work.

Son Julian (oldest kid) and wife Leah are parents of our two grandsons, Gabe and Levi, here in Austin. Brandon (middle kid) and wife Natalie (a St. John’s graduate) are parents of Lily and have one “in the oven,” also in Austin.

Adrienne (youngest kid) is now applying to dental school. My hope is UT Houston or UT San Antonio. I’m also busy training for the upcoming Austin 3M half marathon, skiing, etc. This fall Sherrie and I went on a Backroads trip to Portugal. It was great.”

Irene Moody Riviere, who also lives in Austin, sent this update: “Rob and I are having the best time with our kids and grandkids. Son Ryan and Annie’s daughter Vivi (9) is our little artist. We just discovered that her portrait of her great grandmother is featured in the December issue of Highlights for Children! She is self-taught, and all we can figure is that she inherited this talent from my dad and my brother Carl. Our other son Rhett and Dana’s oldest is Leyton, and a senior. He was the varsity football captain and quarterback. This year he played nine games passing for 3,348 yards and 41 touchdowns. Leyton was also chosen as Ford’s Player of the Week in week eight! He was also Dave Campell’s Texas Football Private School Player of the week in week two. Then, there is Nolan, who is a freshman. He was the JV quarterback and beat out another senior to be Leyton’s backup on the varsity. Nolan and his team were undefeated. Next up is Colton (11). He was the quarterback on his flag football team until he fell and tore all the ligaments in his throwing thumb. Last but certainly not least is Keagan (7), who also played quarterback on a not-so-very-good flag football team, but she had fun. Anyway, we have seen a lot of football games; now it’s on to baseball!”

Bill Blomdahl was also on the road in 2023: “Nancy and I have been traveling some. We went to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs in the fall, and then we were babysitting our four grandkids at various times. Also in the fall, we took another trip to the Omni Hotel PGA in Frisco for a golf and spa outing and some major rest and relaxation. We needed it after all the babysitting! I have been working on my new ranch that I bought just outside of Tyler. I even purchased a tractor to do some mowing, so call me Rancher Bill! Ha ha! Anyway, everyone is doing well in the Blomdahl clan. Greetings to all our classmates from us!”

Sally Weld Frost (fs) writes: “All is beautiful up here in the North Carolina

mountains as we wait for our first snowfall of the season. Carl and I head to the Cancun/Playa del Carmen area in a week to celebrate our 48th wedding anniversary. Both kids are doing well, Andy (42) in Houston and Sarah (38) with four kids in California! Info on the rest of my siblings in the Weld family: Leigh ’63 is struggling with a bout of bone cancer. He spent a month at MD Anderson Hospital and is now undergoing physical therapy to get his strength back. Connie Weld Trevillion ’65 (fs) is in Austin with her husband. Their youngest granddaughter (13) dealt with a very rare cancer diagnosis this year, and the doctors at MD Anderson were able to make her tumor disappear. Thank God! Margaret Weld Meyer ’73 (fs) retired from 30 years as Director of Social Work at MD Anderson and moved with her family to College Station. Two of her children (both Kinkaid graduates) are getting married, one this fall and one in March 2024.”

Ted Barrow has moved: “I'm now a Tennessee resident with a house in Andersonville. After traveling to visit potential places to live in Idaho, Colorado, and Tennessee, I settled on a secluded place outside of Knoxville. I've been spending most of my time traveling between Tennessee and San Diego with stops in Texas and Colorado. We still have our house in La Jolla, as my wife Clare will never be able to be moved. She continues to hang in – one tough lady! After 19 months, she was kicked off hospice as she was still alive. So, I will be back and forth for the foreseeable future. She has a great team of nurses and others that take great care of her. Our daughter Jane had identical twin boys in November – premature and still in NICU as I write this. Both are now over five pounds and developing normally. Jane and her husband are remodeling their house in San Jose, so they are in a rental house for a year. Their daughter (3) seems to be taking things well. Our son and family continue to love Boerne – other than the drought and heat over the last two years.”

Trey Lander, our other gentleman rancher in this issue, started his note with a question for me: “Has what little hair you still have fallen out? You must be doing pretty good if you’re headed to Paris! As I think most know, Vicki and I moved to Hallettsville and are hunkered down living in the country with our cows, goats, and donkey. All our chickens and guinea hens got ‘eat up’ by hawks or owls or foxes. I’m at the tail end of rehab after surgery to reattach my biceps tendon at the elbow. I ripped it off the bone. Bull riding at 72 ain’t for sissies! I would come to Houston to see friends, but I don’t think I have enough guns and ammo to drive into the city!”

Selby Schwend was recovering from shoulder surgery when he wrote: "Kathie and I are enjoying our retirement at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. We are traveling to see our children and grandchildren from the east coast to Nashville. This past September I had a family reunion with my brother and three sisters at our parent's old cabin in Green Mountain Falls, CO. We can't believe that we are still alive as I am the youngest of five. Then my bride and I headed west for a few weeks exploring the national parks in Utah and Northern AZ. This included hikes in Moab, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Antelope canyons in Page, AZ. They were beyond spectacular! Our five children are all doing well, and we are expecting our ninth grandchild in May. Wishing all my classmates a healthy and happy 2024!”

I want to close the news portion of this column with my sincere thanks to all my 1970 classmates and other friends from Kinkaid for all the emails and calls checking on me and how my recovery was going. Your support in 2023 means so much to me. It truly helped me. Finally, to answer Trey’s question: “No, I didn’t lose any more hair. I needed what little God has left me.”

Remembering Cecilia

This past fall we lost Cecilia (“Chita”) Haas Barnes to the rare sarcoma cancer. She was diagnosed in January, put up a brave fight, including enrollment in a clinical trial, but by September the cancer took our precious classmate, my friend. I asked her fellow Kinkaidians to share their memories. Here they are:

Phil: “I remember Cecilia Haas Barnes very well from my Kinkaid days. She asked me to be her date for the junior prom. I had never been to a prom before, but I learned that getting a corsage was part of the drill. I got a corsage, but to keep it fresh before the big event I put it in the freezer instead of the fridge. This did not end well for

the corsage, but Cecilia reacted to my screw-up with enormous grace and good humor that I will not forget. I was not finished distinguishing myself that evening. I also dropped a rear wheel of the car that I was using into a ditch in front of Cecilia's house with the rest of the car resting on a concrete driveway by its axle. Using the spare tire as support, we managed to jack it back up and get on the road again without any apparent damage. It was my mom's 1966 Ford Econoline - one tough car.”

Betsy: “About Chita, my funniest memory was either from 8th or 9th grade – I don’t remember! Chita, Ellen, Janet, and maybe Irene, were trying out for cheerleader when we roller-skated down the aisle of the auditorium on to the stage, and BAM! Chita and I ran into each other and fell down, embarrassing but funny!”

Ellen: “Chita was incredibly kind and smart. She was such a great athlete. She was lots of fun, and she was someone you could trust and depend upon.”

Malcolm: “I count Chita as one of my best friends during our Kinkaid years. Over the years before she moved back to Houston with her family for Scott’s job and to help her mom in her final years, we would talk periodically about her Midwest life, Scott, and of course their two girls. Chita was a private person, and when I would ask for news for the column, I’d always run a draft copy by her for her okay. When she and Scott moved back here, I had hoped that I’d hear from and see her again. Unfortunately, other than an initial conversation about her mom’s moving to a retirement community and one brief encounter, I never was able to communicate with her again. I have always been saddened by that fact, but I have come to understand that like other private classmates of our Kinkaid years, some have moved on with their lives and don’t have a desire to look back. I respect that. Still, I will miss Cecilia terribly.”

1971 Classmates Frank Pardue, Danny Carroll, and Darrell Bock when they got together recently

Irene: “Anyone that knew Chita and me knows how close we were. We had so many adventures and laughs. When we received our senior yearbooks, we exchanged them and that night we both wrote two pages in the back of one another’s books about our adventures. The next day after reading one another’s manuscripts, we decided to staple the pages together, so that no one else could read them, especially Mrs. Haas! Anyone that knew her mom knows how strict she was! So, I will take our adventures, as Chita did, to my grave. I just pray that her husband Scott and their daughters, Jennifer and Kristin, know how much we love them.”

1971

Claudia

Wilson Frost Houston, Texas Cfrost@orrick.com

Happy New Year to All!

Please enjoy the great shot of classmates Frank Pardue, Danny Carroll,

and Darrell Bock when they got together recently. Darrell also noted that it was “great to see the plans for All In. I continue to trot across the globe teaching theology and ran into the son of Frank Pardue in the Philippines in August and then Danny Carroll-Rodas and Frank at professional meetings in San Antonio in November.

Finally, I love animals, as most of you know. So, I hope you also enjoy the pictures of my close encounter with a pachyderm recently, which is a new one for me, and of an evening Ford and I had with Bevo (and others) in Austin at the Governor’s Mansion before the Kansas game. Hook Em’

1972

Lewis Luckenbach III Sugar Land, Texas lluckfam@aol.com

Allan Tang Houston, Texas allantang@earthlink.net

From Jon Trick: “I think I am the oldest relic of our class…? My dear mother (Jane) wanted to give me the very best shot at succeeding as I entered the schooling process. Thank goodness she held me back. Lord knows I needed time to figure things out! My update is as follows: 2023 has been a challenge. Prostate cancer, the loss of my 17-year-old Jack Russel Terrier, Coz, along with the loss of a special friend to a fast-developing brain cancer. I have come to believe that the events in one’s life offer the next step for perfecting us to where we are meant to grow and who we were meant to become. All said, I have been giving things my best. Had a big summer of cycling and focused my efforts on raising money for the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project as part of my participation in a Cancer

Journeys Foundation cycling event in September in Harrisonburg, VA. Thanks to many friends and in large part to my very dear friend and our classmate George Duke I was the # 1 fundraiser for this very worthy cause! On the home front, I am amazed at what we can learn from our children as they step up and fulfill their role as responsible adults. My daughter Brennan and son-in-law Jake are making my head spin as they parent Hammond (2) and Margaret (9 months). As for my actual seven oh launch date (12/02), I was in Houston with my brother Jeff. In any case, I say that it’s time to live as fully as one can and with intention to leave some type of legacy for those that follow. Sending my best to the crew of ’72.”

From David Hessel, our class contemporary jazz musician reports: “Laura and I are finishing up staying at our summer/fall digs in Wilmington, NC and will be settling back into our New Orleans home early December through the end of May with hopefully a good number of jaunts around the US to see friends and maybe some European sites. Finally got to meet some jazz musicians here in Wilmington and grab a few gigs here and in Southport. That was great and hope to continue that in NOLA. Max is doing fantastic in Hoboken as a fin/opp analyst for cloud-based services and got a nice promotion his first year. New terrific girlfriend and snowboarding everywhere with his buddies. Laura is fine as always and her nephew and godson, Tommy Devito, is a starting rookie QB for the NY Giants! A huge opportunity for a great kid. Looking forward to seen some of you in January at Fran’s B-Day party.”

From Catherine Penn Williams: “This is my first class update ever but, hey, 50 years went by in a flash! Lewis, just want to say that I have fond memories of running into you at Griff's in Montrose back in the late ’70s when

I was in graduate school. It seems like yesterday. Best to both of you, Catherine.”

From Kate Petley with artsy photo: “After living in Colorado for 25 years, I moved to New York at the end of 2022. Husband Mark Purvis and I decided that we were ready to make a big change and indeed it has been one. Following an exhaustive (and exhausting) search for a house with room for my studio, we ended up in Peekskill, on the Hudson River with a one-hour train to NYC. The train runs along the Hudson and I love going to the city. As an artist, easy access to the city is a dream. The past year has been spent remodeling the house, creating a studio, and adjusting to a very different environment. The upstate area of New York is vast and beautiful, with much to discover. We both work full-time and enjoy cycling and hiking… when it isn’t raining, which happens much more often here than in Colorado.”

From Lewis Luckenbach: “My 8th grandchild was born on November 28. Her name is Hazel Marie Fields. Still taking my two oldest grandchildren to soccer practices. I am lucky they all live in the Houston area and four live in my neighborhood, Sugar Creek. Makes the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday time very easy. No travel issues. I just celebrated my 42nd year of having my own bookkeeping and tax service. My other milestone in 2023 was my 40th wedding anniversary to wife Kathy. We were introduced on a blind date in January 1983 and got married July 1983. No plans to retire. All is well with everyone in my family. Everyone, have a happy new year.”

Pam Dilworth Kissiah Berkeley, California pkissiah@gmail.com

Claudia and the elephant

Jon Trick '72 and his brother out for birthday joy ride through George Bush Park

Kate Petley '72

Claudia Wilson Frost and Ford Frost with Bevo

1974

Madeleine Topper Sheehy Houston, Texas madtop05@gmail.com

1975

Judy Levin Houston, Texas jude118@aol.com

1976

Homoiselle Sadler Bujosa Houston, Texas hbujosa@att.net

1977

Jane Van De Mark Houston, Texas janevandemark@yahoo.com

Kathy (who we knew as Katherine at Kinkaid) Kirby Bravo and husband Fred live on beautiful Amelia Island in Florida. Kathy has three children and three grandchildren. Her children include daughter Blythe, son Cameron, and son Rocko. The sons live in Florida with their families and Blythe and family live in Brandon, MS. Kathy has three grandchildren, Kenzie, Camden, and Riley. Kathy and Fred have a second home in Mississippi so that they can spend plenty of time with Blythe, her husband, Camden (2), and Kenzie (5). Kathy shared that Fred retired four years ago, and they are loving life traveling and spending lots of time with the grandchildren.

Dayna O’Toole Turney had lots of wedding bells ringing in her family in the last couple of years. Dayna and her husband live in Nashville. Daughter Megan married Jonathon Clark of Fort Worth in Rosemary Beach, FL. The young couple lives in Dallas. Son Matt married Kaylin of New York in a Nashville wedding. Kaylin is from New York where the couple live and met. Dayna says she is glad to have a break from wedding planning this year!

Allison Marich and family spent a fun Thanksgiving in Fort Worth with Patty Potter and her family. A good time was had by all and Allison raved about Patty’s beautiful home.

Until next time, enjoy life and make great memories.

1978

Sarah Deal Frankenfeld Austin, Texas sarahf422@me.com

Greetings Classmates of ’78! Winter is here and those of us in Austin are hoping for a February without snow and ice! Thank you to those who have submitted something for this update. Would love to hear from everyone! It is nice to share news and learn how classmates are doing.

Jon Finger and wife Karen are happy to report that they are the proud grandparents of a little boy, Callum Finger, born in June.

Mimi Topper Stinson and Bob are still loving life in NYC and just celebrated their 9th Christmas there. Mimi never thought that she would be living in NYC, but it continues to be a great adventure. Most people just experience the city as a visitor but as a resident it is quite different. It's all about the neighborhood and the community you create. They have fun neighbors and enjoy their Sutton Place area. They are involved in their church and with other groups of amazing friends who have embraced them from the start. The city is home to quite a cast of characters and it makes life exciting. Mimi works with Bob on his architectural projects which can range from educational to residential to anything in between. This year he completed an upscale bar on Park Ave, and they are in the midst of a home remodel in Amagansett. It is never a dull moment and they have met some very interesting people in the process. This fall Mimi has been taking classes at Parsons in Interior Lighting Design and will be certified by year end. It has been fascinating to study the science of light and she is happy to say that "you can teach an old dog new tricks." Her plan is to offer lighting design services to their architectural clients and have an independent design service. They continue to have a steady stream of friends and family who come to visit. There is always something new to see and experience. Although Mimi says if you ask Allison Margrave, she will tell you that Mimi is not a good tour guide, as she got them trapped on a subway train that shut down. Luckily the conductor was just going on break! Mimi loves when friends and classmates reach out when they come to town as many have over the years. She has even had a few repeat visitors. As for her family, Mimi’s sisters are still in Texas and Georgia and keeping busy with their children and grandchildren. Mimi and Bob’s daughter, son-in-law, and grandson (6) moved from New York City to Reno, NV in 2021 and they see them when they come for visits or business. They plan to move to Milan, Italy next year so Mimi and Bob are thrilled about that. Mimi wants to also thank the Reunion committee for doing an amazing job of herding everyone to Houston for the weekend! She feels so blessed to be a part of this class and special group of individuals. “The love

and caring for each other is rare. Being a "Lifer" and growing up with you all, it seems as if we are all siblings. Thank you to those who came to be together.” Susan Medora Jackson says that things are changing in her world. As they say, “If you want to know if God has a sense of humor, just make plans.” Lol. Long story short. Susan had turned in notice at her complex with the plan being to move onto the kid’s land, but then her son-in-law received a job offer that he couldn’t turn down so…. they are all moved to Louisiana in December. This was not on her bucket list, but she is looking at it as an adventure! Three adults, three kids, three dogs, and a cat. Haha. Hope all is well with everyone!

Heather Fichter Cassidy asks for prayers for her granddaughter, Heidi Cassidy (2), who underwent brain surgery in November and will be having chemo for months to come. The more thoughts for her, the better! Also, we are thinking about Heather who had a Tokotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Broken Heart syndrome) which is a heart attack brought on by an event of severe stress – which happened the day after her granddaughter’s surgery. Thankfully, the damage it did to her heart will repair itself within a few months. Her thoughts from all of this: remind those around you that you love them!

Jennifer Tuttle Arnold recently celebrated an early retirement. Congrats, Jennifer, on your retirement and on celebrating the end of your breast cancer journey!!!

Clayton Chambers has had a great year with travel, grandkids, etc. However, the highlight for him personally was completing the New York City Marathon. It was his eighth (and probably last) marathon in the last four years. Note from Sarah: IMPRESSIVE!!!

Thanks again to those who wrote in. We look forward to hearing from more of you in the next magazine. Blessings to each of you in 2024!

1979

Steven Arnold Houston, Texas sda@3lmc.com

Evans Attwell Houston, Texas eattwell@gmail.com

Alice Berry

Houston, Texas missformicadinette@yahoo.com

1980

Need Volunteer

1981

John McReynolds Houston, Texas j-mcr@comcast.net

1982

Maria Semander Crawford Redondo Beach, California msemander@yahoo.com

Let’s hear it for the boys!

This time around I received emails from Nelson Murray (fs), David Frame, Mike Curran, Vince Elliott, Frank (Bubba) Vandiver, and Cole Thompson. Thank y’all for responding to my last minute “oops I forgot” request for news and giving me something to write!

Bubba Vandiver emailed to ask how I was doing. To which I replied, “Thank you, I am great but I need to know everything YOU are doing…before Friday!” He never got back to me so I am going to assume he is very busy and enjoying life to the fullest.

Cole Thompson emailed me in July and felt inspired to send his updates after reading about everyone else. He is a gastroenterologist in Houston, married to Cheryl Ursin, who he met when he was living in New York years ago. Cole has two children Cole Jr. (25) and Diana (28). He is an avid cyclist and bikes all over town, particularly in the Heights where he currently resides. Like me, Cole can't believe we are all turning 60 and he is at retirement age, but not ready to retire!

Nelson Murray is excited and proud to report oldest daughter Daphne ’25 is a junior at Kinkaid and the only Murray descendant to be a full “Lifer” from kindergarten to graduation. Nelson noted that the two prior Murray generations all got an early ticket from Kinkaid to boarding school; including Nelson, who actually graduated high

Clayton Chambers '78 at the New York Marathon

school from South Kent School in Connecticut. Even though he did not graduate with us, he has always felt like a true part of our 1982 graduating class. Nelson also went on to graduate college from UVA in 1986 so boarding school must have not only been the early ticket but the right ticket! It was great to hear from Nelson, who (or is it whom?) I remember as one of the most sincere and nicest people around. He shared with me how my dad was always supportive and encouraging to him in math. It reminded me how important our kid’s (and now grandkid’s) teachers are and what an impact they can make on their students for a lifetime.

As we all continue to ring in the sixth decade of our lives, classmates are celebrating the big 6-0 in many ways. David Frame celebrated his 60th this past summer with about 50 close friends and family. He shared the occasion with one of his sons who turned 30 five days after his birthday. I heard through the class grapevine (Michelle) that Emily Wynne Bolin received a perfect gift just in time for her (and Laura Wynne Cale’s) 60th birthday. Her daughter Allison ’12 had a baby girl, Grace Catherine Gould, so Emily is now officially a grandmother. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Vince Elliott received a fantastic 60th birthday gift from wife Patti, when she agreed to go on an epic world adventure together. You can read all about it on his Facebook page (it is AMAZING) but here are the cliff notes. Vince is a pilot and he and Patti set off on their trip in his private plane, N13VE. In total, they flew for 64 hours spread over 27 flights. They flew over some of the most beautiful countries and the aerial shots were breathtaking. Vince landed his plane safely on runways on four continents; North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. They visited 21 countries; America, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Slovakia, Austria, Romania, Ukraine, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, The Netherlands, England, Wales, and Scotland. Patti and Vince experienced so many cool adventures; including riding camels in the sands of the Sahara, boating down the Danube River, and hot air ballooning (is that a word?) over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, Turkey…just to name a few. They also saw many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In case you do not know what UNESCO is (I didn’t), it is The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO identifies, protects, and preserves cultural and natural sites around the world, like the Great Barrier Reef. And finally, Vince learned how to say thank you in a bunch of different

languages…which I will save for later in this column. Vince, it was great following your adventures on Facebook, so glad you shared your trip on social media.

Mike Curran will also be celebrating his 60th birthday with a once in a lifetime trip. Two weeks after his June birthday, he will be competing in an Ironman 70.3 race in Nice, France. If that is not exciting enough…. Steve Magers is racing with him too! This will be Mike’s third Ironman 70.3 and for those of you who do not know what that race entails (I didn’t), it’s 1.2 miles swimming, 56 miles (yes 56) biking and 13.1 miles running! I looked up the details and it is incredible. The swim will take place in the blue waters of the Mediterranean from the Plage des Ponchettes beach. The one-loop bike course rides through picturesque villages but also has an ascent of Col de Vence that is a challenge. And finally, the two-loop run course goes through the Promenade de Anglais, a historic place that has hosted athletes from all corners of the globe. Mike told me not to be impressed until he completes it but I was impressed that he even signed up and is training for it. I mean, I am seriously sweating and wanting a long, hot bath for my sore muscles just THINKING about it. If anyone else is planning to compete in a half Ironman for their 60th, let me know.

I have not decided how I will celebrate 60 years of life but I am confident it will not be an Ironman or a trip around the world. A good ole fashion birthday bash sounds fun…and a nice quiet dinner sounds good too. Ha! And speaking of birthday bashes, I have high hopes that Michelle Rogers Rogers will throw another doozy like her 50th. It will be hard to top but if anyone can do it Michelle can…. of course, a nice quiet dinner sounds good too. I’ll be warming up my vocal cords for the Diana Ross sing-a-long…just in case.

My final bit of news for this column is an update on our family’s short film about Elena ’79’s death called The Empty Chair. The Hollywood actor/ writer strikes paused things for a while but I am happy to report that the wheels are again in motion. The last screening we had was in Houston at the Houston Greek Film Festival and that one was very near and dear to us. The Greek Community was as much an integral part of our family’s fight for justice as the Kinkaid community was. Thank you to Helena Papadopolous Johnson for coming out and supporting the film. (Your family belongs to both communities!) My brother, John Semander ’88, who wrote the film, and the Director have a new management/ rep team and we are super excited to see where this all goes. I was not able to be at the actual filming a year ago, but we have kept in touch with all

the actors/actresses and I get to meet two of them in person this month for lunch in LA. If you want to keep up to date with news of the film, we have a quarterly newsletter, so just email me if you want to receive one. We are also happy to announce that the short film is available to all friends and family so if you want a link to see it on your computer, email me as well. So very grateful for everyone’s support and prayers along the way!

THANK YOU… or in the words of Vince’s many world languages… gracias, takk, tack, kiitos, aitaäh, ðakujem, buna ziua, tessekur ederim, shukran, dyakuyu, or efharisto!

1983

Anthony Brown

The Woodlands, Texas abrowntex@gmail.com

1984

Jackie Fair Houston, Texas jfair36900@aol.com

1985

Carolyn Lasater Hodges Dripping Springs, Texas carolynhodges@marykay.com

1986

Julie Templin Berman Houston, Texas julie@thelimogeslady.com

1987

Doug Rosenzweig Houston, Texas dougrosez@aol.com

1988

John Semander Redondo Beach, California cperiod@hotmail.com

And yet another deadline sneaketh up on me unawares! Although in my defense, I swear to God these mid-holiday updates were discontinued years ago. Then again, maybe I was just doing a better job of ignoring them. Okay, so I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve had a pretty crazy 2023, and since I’m the one tasked with writing about it, I may as well put myself front and

center. Oh, who am I kidding… we all know I always do that, anyway.

Therefore, thank you to the following classmates who attended the Gulf Coast premiere of my family’s production of The Empty Chair on November 18 at the Houston Greek Film Festival, where we landed “Best Short Film” and sold out the (modest-sized) theater. So, in no particular order... thanks to Daniel Schein, Tripp Piper, Nicole Nathan Gibson, Matthew Ledbetter, Nick Neblett, John Johnson, Todd Litton, Tina Papadopoulos Papandreau, and Jill Peterson Spieldenner (and their assorted better halves) for sharing the “big screen” experience with me. The only thing more shocking than the overwhelming support we received was the shocking number of times I said “um” during the Q&A session, which I was loathe to watch the next day with my mom on a bootleg cell phone recording. (Oh, and also a quick special thanks to Nick Phillips for attending the World Premiere of the film in Denver earlier this year at SeriesFest.)

All of which brings us to the section of our class update where I was going to try and pivot away from myself, but with the deadline looming in less than 20 minutes, and sleep looming even sooner, I must report that there is no more news fit to print at this time. I mean, it’s not like I’m supposed to actually be reaching out and probing into your personal lives, is it? Wait, it is? Or, rather... I am?

Funny how I always thought this column was reserved for the sole express use of updating everybody on just me.

1989

Elizabeth Oxford Pagan Houston, Texas elizabethpagan@me.com

1990

Peter Tropoli Houston, Texas ptropoli@gmail.com

1991

Lane Alexander Danville, California lanealexander@yahoo.com

1992

Billy Forney Houston, Texas billy@f4interests.com

Amy Stuyck Watson Houston, Texas amyswatson@hotmail.com

Need Additional Volunteer

1993

Courtney Dreyer Beauchamp San Antonio, Texas courtbeauch@gmail.com

Wendie Seale Childress Houston, Texas wendiechildress@gmail.com

Ashley Morgan Hanna Houston, Texas ashleymhanna@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who responded to our email! It was great to hear from you and hear your responses to our “prompt questions” – where do you live, what do you do with your time, any kids, favorite Kinkaid memory, and favorite Kinkaid teachers…we look forward to hearing from you all next year!

Noa Tal Ashman is still living in Bethesda, MD with husband David and boys Aidan (15) and Luca (11). She continues to work as a psychotherapist in private practice treating individuals, couples, and families. Last summer she started co-teaching psychoanalytic couples therapy (theory, technique, and clinical practice) over Zoom to psychologists and clinical social workers living in Ukraine and working with displaced couples and families through the war. Now they meet monthly with this dedicated group of clinicians, and she writes that it has been a very moving and rewarding experience. David leads the technology division for Interfolio, an Elsevier company, focusing on solutions that support faculty at higher education institutions. On the home front, they like to say, "Music is our sport!" Both boys stay busy in myriad musical endeavors: they sing in multiple choirs and an acapella group, and together they play guitar, euphonium, piano, drums, and saxophone. They also swim year-round and are begging for a dog. Mom isn't ready yet!!

Beverly Barrett is a foreign service officer with the US Department of State. Currently she is assigned to the US Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica as a consular officer through early 2025. She invites all classmates to come visit! In recent years she hosted the podcast Global Bridges: Changing Flows of People and Trade while she was a professor in International Economics. As they say in Jamaica, like the Bob Marley song, "One Love" everyone.

Kimberly Harvin Bryant and family live in beautiful Danville, CA. She

writes: “We love the area! Husband Todd is still the rector at St Timothy's Episcopal Church. We have three kids - Lauren is a senior and is almost finished with her college applications! Carter is a sophomore, and our baby Andrew is in 8th grade. I just finished my last year as co-chair of our annual Basket Brigade at the middle school. With the help of donations from the school families, students put together 325 baskets of food (a complete Thanksgiving meal for four people). Those baskets get delivered to six different charities. The kids feel incredible knowing they helped feed 1,300 people! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!”

Peter Creath and wife Bethany still live in the Boston area, where he divides his time between work and parenting, and Bethany divides her time between homeschooling and sanity. They have four kids: 14, 11, 6, and 1(!) – “all different stages, so they keep us busy.” Peter writes that he does not have family in Houston anymore, so it's been years since he has been back, but that looks to change in the near future with an upcoming work trip. He’s looking forward to some real Tex-Mex!

Stanley Jones lives in Houston about half a mile from where he grew up. This spring will mark his 17th year working at Camden Property Trust. Outside of work, he does a little bit of parenting and plays golf from time to time. He has identical twin daughters (13) who are 7th grade cheerleaders at Kinkaid. His favorite Kinkaid memory was Kinkaid in Spain. Duh. And his favorite Kinkaid teacher was Mr. Semander. Math teacher and golf coach extraordinaire.

Briton Kolber is still living in Seattle and enjoying the Pacific Northwest where, “It’s great to see amazing mountains and a Bald Eagle every now and then instead of just seeing pictures of them. In addition to working as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I also became a published author this year. My hybrid children’s book and self-help manual came out in December. I have two boys (11 and 13). One is very likely going to be some kind of mechanical engineer as long as he gets to blow things up along the way, and the other one is very excited about Space Camp this summer.” His favorite Kinkaid memory is elementary school, “it was some kind of art class. Wendie Seale Childress and possibly Sarah Parker Broyles were singing along to “I Wanna Be a Cowboy” and making up their own words to go with it. That song came on recently and I was immediately transported to that oddly fun memory. I like thinking of Mr. Peden and his stories of his oddly dim Dalmatian. He brought a lot of passion to that class… except when he was staring out the window, trying

to figure out what airplane was in the sky. Please check out my book on Amazon and other distributors. It’s like watching Looney Tunes or a Pixar movie. There’s a little something for all ages. It’s called Not Fishy Enough: A Ridiculous Parable About Finding Worth Through Self-Acceptance.”

Anne Kennedy lives and works in Houston in the “Communist Republic of the Heights”. She is a divorce and immigration lawyer. She has one daughter, Mattie Jensen ’36, who is a proud Falcon kindergartener currently living her best life! Her favorite Kinkaid memory was Book Fair and the KHS / SJS game. It was awesome to experience both again through the eyes of a five-year-old Falcon! Her favorite teacher was Mrs. Crowel; she writes that she can still snap those facts! She writes that she had a really great time at our 30th Reunion and would love to catch up with former classmates.

Brian McMackin is living in Houston working and enjoying his kids’ Kinkaid activities. Son Will (18) is a senior, Lauren (16) is a junior and Jay (12) is in the sixth grade. His favorite Kinkaid memory is, “ritas and fajitas, that we still have not had, by Dreyer’s pool.” His favorite Kinkaid teachers were, J. Barry Moss, Herman Keith, Michael Viscak. I hope everyone is doing well!” And, thank you Brian and Kristen for hosting our 30th in your beautiful home!

Alexandra Smoots lives in Houston with her parents and kids. She is retired from judge and lawyer life and started Smoots Consulting, LLC three years ago. She is a litigation and trial strategist/consultant for personal injury lawyers. She writes that her clientele and caseload has really grown this year. She has two side huddles, as well – she teaches yoga and is a pastor at a small church in town. Her oldest, Aedan Hogan ’23, graduated from Kinkaid in May. He is playing football at Delta State in Cleveland, MS. He is a pre-law business major. Her youngest, Dhani Hogan ’27, started his freshman year at Kinkaid. He is focused on theater and football. While his brother is an offensive lineman, Dhani is excelling on defensive line. She is happily single and traveling with friends in her spare time.

Stephen Plauche and family left Manhattan and moved to Rye, NY in July 2021. His wife works at Warner Bros Discovery and he is now working at Wells Fargo covering transportation and logistics but also covering the equipment rental and auto retail sectors. Daughter Scarlett (13) plays soccer and tennis and is an accomplished singer/songwriter. She did her first paid gig last month! Daughter Mackenzie (11) he says is a very Type-A child. She is an elite swimmer and also does gymnastics, soccer, and tennis. She aspires to be

the next Katie Ledecky!! And finally, son Parker (9) is the most over-scheduled boy in Westchester County. He swims year-round, plays flag football and soccer in the fall; plays basketball in the winter; plays baseball in the spring, and loves his new Xbox machine. His favorite Kinkaid memory was graduation day senior year.

Michelle Smulders Van de Braak lives in San Francisco where she coaches field hockey at St. Ignatius High School. She founded a youth field hockey club in San Francisco (the Hawks) and is a coach manager for USA Field Hockey Association helping to develop and identify top talent in the western region. Michelle has three kids - Luke is a sophomore and plays football and baseball, Olivia is in 8th grade plays field hockey, volleyball, soccer, and basketball, and Abigail is in 4th grade and plays field hockey, volleyball, soccer, and basketball. She is married to Freek. Her favorite Kinkaid memory is winning the SPC field hockey championship senior year, and freshman year running the 4x 800 relay with her sister who was a senior. As for us, Courtney Dreyer Beauchamp and husband John still live in San Antonio and just celebrated 20 years of marriage! “I don't feel that old! Our oldest Emily is a senior and just finished her college applications, so we are excited about what's in her store for her! Grace is a sophomore and now driving. John still works as CEO at Hixon and I sold my business this year and trying to figure out what I want to do next but, in the meantime, I'm enjoying being with my family and friends! My favorite Kinkaid memory was hanging out in the Student Center in high school and the chocolate chip cookies in the cafeteria!”

Wendie Seale Childress lives in Houston where she is Managing Director and Counsel for Westfleet Advisors, a litigation finance advisory firm that helps lawyers and their clients who are considering litigation finance to navigate that process more successfully. She now has 20+ years’ experience as a lawyer and 5+ years’ experience in the litigation finance industry. Wendie and Matthew have two kids - Chloe (17) who is a junior at Kinkaid and Jack (13) who is in 8th grade at Kinkaid. Her favorite Kinkaid memory is winning the Little Brown Jug contest all three years in middle school and the Interim Term trip to Spain junior year. Her favorite Kinkaid teachers were Ms. Wiley and Ms. Alsup.

Ashley Morgan Hanna lives in Houston, too, and spends her days doing about the same as Wendie (usually with Wendie!). Ashley has her own firm focusing on corporate and transactional matters which keeps her busy. And when she is not doing that, she volunteers at Kinkaid and is

very involved with the current Capital Campaign to build the new Upper School. You would not believe all the construction happening on campus!! She and Michael have two children –William is in 8th grade and Catherine is in 7th grade – both at Kinkaid and loving it. Her favorite Kinkaid teachers were Ms. Leathem and Ms. Woodhams and her favorite Kinkaid memory was “discovering” the back yard in Interim Term with Ms. Leathem.

We loved seeing you at the 30th reunion!

1994

Courtney Domercq Daily Houston, Texas cdomercq@hotmail.com

Aaaaaannnnd we’re back. Just a brief four years since the last update. But because little has changed in the world since January of 2020, I figured there was not much for me to report. Everyone still goes to an office for work, masks are for Halloween, and social distancing is when you avoid people at a party who you don’t like. Right? When I last checked in with you, we were coming off of our 25-year reunion at Miller’s house from the year before. Now we have our 30-year approaching on April 6th. Can someone please make the time stop for a little bit? I know I’m always saying in these class notes that we are so old because first it was everyone getting married, then it was the babies coming along. Now, we have kids who are in high school and college. I mean, this time next year, Patrick Elkins will have already turned 50. We’re talking some serious oldness. Again, can someone please make the time stop for just a bit? Anyway, here is some news while we are still in our 40’s.

The great thing about an intraclass marriage is that two updates can be killed with one stone. Caroline McGaughy Alexander reported from Austin on behalf of herself and Steven Alexander: “Steven and I have gotten older as have our kids - the boys are 13 and 15 now. We are adjusting to life with teenagers, who are giving us even more gray hair. Steven still works at D&B and I still work as a consultant, but we are spending as much time as possible pursuing our hobbies/obsessions - golf (mostly Steven), tennis (mostly me), and mountain biking (both).” Huntley Anderson works in development for the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation, and has three children, all of whom attend Kinkaid. Parker ’24 is a senior and excitedly awaiting college decisions. Caroline ’26 is a sophomore and busy with soccer and cheer. Huntley loved getting to watch both Parker (KVFB)

and Caroline (KVC) “under the Friday night lights at Segal Field this year.” Her youngest, Kent ’28, is in 8th grade and looking forward to being in high school and the new Upper School building.

After many years living in Arkansas, Allyson Sikes Bartlett and family have returned to Austin. Husband Dan continues to work for Walmart, commuting back and forth between Bentonville, AR and Austin. Allyson has four boys. Twins Jake and Sutton are sophomores at UT, Whit is in 11th grade, and Wynn is in 6th grade, both in Westlake.

Lisa Bassili moved from Portland, OR “because they tried to burn the city down during COVID.” She and her two boys Levi (8) and Logan (4) now live in Dallas where she continues to work as an anesthesiologist. Lisa has also opened a couple of IV Ketamine clinics in Dallas and Austin. But the big news is that Lisa got married this past October, and I can confirm from the picture she sent to me that she looked stunning at her wedding. Congratulations!

Joe Branch emailed me to say, “Will send something for sure” and then proceeded not to. No worries, he’s a busy man. He is the Head of On-Court Basketball Strategy & Business Development at William Morris Endeavor agency (or at least that’s what LinkedIn says). I’m looking forward to getting that follow up email with the rest of his info.

Bernie Gallagher Chance and family moved from Chicago to Texas three years ago and are living in Fort Worth. Husband Scott works at the FAA overseeing the safety of Southwest Airlines. Son Logan (13) is “rocking as a football guard, rolling in jiu jitsu, and playing saxophone.” Daughter Hayley (12) has a beautiful new horse, Thor, that she is very excited to ride in the coming season of barrel racing. Bernie has stepped back into direct patient care at a value-based care company she describes as “wonderful” called Oak Street Health, providing care to indigent Medicare patients. Bernie says, “It’s been a pleasure to truly work to change people’s lives!” She is looking forward to what 2024 brings.

Demetri Dale informed me that the Dales are all doing well. His two boys are in 6th and 8th grades and busy with sports and Boy Scouts. His oldest is a drummer in a band and has regular gigs now. Every time Demetri sees them play, he has flashbacks of Will Fogle’s band playing at Zelda’s. I bet y’all didn’t have a Zelda’s shout out on your Class of ’94 Class Notes bingo card!

Bart Dillashaw reports: “I’m now living with two teenage boys and a pre-teen girl, so I have entered a new

stage of humility and would like to make a public apology to my parents and the parents of any other friends for anything I might have said/done/ thought as a teenager. Otherwise, I’m still in Nebraska living the “Good Life” and secretly rooting on the Longhorns to regain football dominance. Still a startup lawyer and having fun building up a law firm I founded a few years ago that specialized in working with venture backed startups.”

Mark Donnelly provided a very interesting update: “The last few years have seen a big change for me. Thankfully that hasn’t involved family as my wonderful wife, high school junior, and sixth grader are all doing well. My son hopes to play college golf and I’ve had a blast hanging with him on the course. Most notably, however, after 20 years of public service I left the US Attorney’s Office (eight years at DA and 12 years with Feds) in 2021 and have entered private practice. My firm, Parker, Sanchez & Donnelly, handles civil litigation, internal investigations, and some white-collar criminal matters. One of my partners and I go back to high school lacrosse days - Andy Parker played at Lamar, and we had several matchups on the field. It’s been quite an adjustment, but I’ve had opportunities to work on cases I wouldn’t have been able to help with while a prosecutor. The most visible of those opportunities was my work on the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Paxton. I was part of the team that conducted the investigation on behalf of the House of Representatives General Investigations Committee. I was then asked to stay on as trial counsel for the case as we presented it to the Texas Senate. Working with some of

my former colleagues who had left public service as well as Rusty Hardin, his firm, and Dick DeGuerin was an incredible experience. Even more so when I was handling witnesses on the senate floor in what was only the third impeachment trial in the history of the State of Texas. Despite the outcome, I was proud to have served the House of Representatives in trying to shine light on what we viewed as malfeasance by a public official. I attached some gratuitous pics, including one of me and fellow Falcon Johnny Sutton ’79 on the senate floor. I’ve had a pretty cool career and hope to achieve a lot more, but I can’t think of anything that will match that experience from a historical perspective. Anyway, back on earth I’m plugging away at the office. I hope none of my classmates ever need my help, but I’m now able to say that I am here if they do!”

Don Edwards still lives in Ireland working at Amazon Web Services in a global leadership role related to cybersecurity. His oldest two children are in college studying microbiology and art while his youngest “appears to be heading for some kind of game development course of study after high school.” His wife has returned to school for a combined literature and history degree.

Stephanie Friedman Evans has three kids at Kinkaid, Henry ’28 in 8th grade, Eloise ’31 in 5th grade, and Frances ’32 in 4th grade. She has spent the last four years, among other things, traveling, mahjonging, and devoting a lot of volunteer time at Kinkaid. This summer, Stephanie will be competing in Paris at the 2024 Olympics on the US high jump and pole-vaulting teams. Fingers crossed for the gold, Steph!!

Mark Donnelly '94 and Johnny Sutton '79

Dr. George Gayle IV, DDS kept it brief: “Same Ol’ [Stuff], different mouth. Nothing has really changed over here. Kids getting older. All of them are enjoying Kinkaid [George ’27 is in 9th grade and Pierce ’30 and Kate ’30 are in 6th]. Looking forward to catching up with everybody at the 30th!”

And even more succinct from Doug George who reports that “all is well.” He and wife Katherine are enjoying life in Houston with their three Kinkaid kids – a junior, a freshman, and a 5th grader.

David Hornsby is still acting and writing. He is currently working on the fourth season of an AppleTV series Mythic Quest and he is co-writing the book for a musical adaptation of the movie The Lost Boys, which is a new and different type of creative endeavor for him. David has two boys, one of whom is in middle school, so he is getting to that age where David is starting to have Kinkaid middle school flashbacks.

Elizabeth Sheedy Johnson and family are loving life in Shreveport, LA. Her oldest child of three is starting high school in the fall. Time has flown! Lizzy has been enjoying her new part-time job as a substitute teacher at the school where her children attend. She’s excited to see lots of Class of ’94 friends at the reunion.

Casey Kaplan’s last three years in a nutshell: “Back in 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, we up and moved as a family to Singapore for an assignment with Nike. Lived there for a year and a half and between work and holiday travel, made it to Cambodia, Malaysia, Australia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, and Japan. We moved back last December and are living in Portland again. The three kids - Crawford (10), Isla (8), and Belle (6) - are all well and very involved in various kid activities like piano, soccer, basketball, and gymnastics. Living the dream.

Lara Muir Laitala provided her first update since 2007: “Chris and I have lived in Greenwich since 2006 (NYC, Park City, Boston, and Miami before that) and have four kids (19, 17, 15 (boys), and 9(girl!)). Locke is a freshman Phi Delt at UNC Chapel Hill in the Honors program, the rest are at Greenwich Country Day School. I am a G.G. (gemologist) working with private clients designing and creating special one-off pieces or reimagining inherited jewels. I have a heritage line coming out in the spring and I am working on a series of jewelry guides that will be published shortly. Allllll my nieces and nephews have graduated or are about to graduate from Kinkaid, and there are many overlaps with last names I recognize in their grades! I recently reconnected with Joe Branch, who is hosting my middle son as his intern in January. So fun to catch up,

and he has a gorgeously adorable new baby, Brooklyn!!! I am the designated babysitter on the East Coast. We are building a house in Park City, so I’ve been able to see Dabney on some dog walks and had lunch with Emily Witt who moved back from Morocco to Park City a few years ago. And Kat Ordway Reishman and I have had some fun visits in various parts of the country! Old friends are the best friends, and it is a true joy to share middle age (hate that term) together.”

Ashraf Lakhani reports: “I feel my age with a high school freshman and one starting middle school - both at Kinkaid. Our family is all Falcons all the time these days, even if they knock down all of the buildings where our class made its memories. I can only hope that they are able to replicate the smell of sweaty gym socks in the fancy new hallways - some traditions at our school should never end.”

Meg Malone is still in Houston and loves entertaining in her new house, playing mahjong with Stephanie Evans and Elise Dale (Demetri’s wife), and spending time with her niece and nephews. Making up for lost time, Meg travels often and claims “the runaway favorite so far has been ten days in Jordan.” Professionally she serves on the boards of the Blaffer Art Museum and the UVA College Foundation, and she continues to consult for Post Oak Energy. Meg spent Thanksgiving with Katharine McFall Perrow in Lynchburg, VA with Katharine’s family and in-laws.

From Julie Herman Meyer: “Two and a half years ago, we traded our puffy jackets in San Francisco for bigger puffy jackets in Sun Valley, ID. Life in the mountains has been treating us well! Who knew that our children love ski racing and figure skating? If you pass through to ski or summer, drop a line. We mix up killer hot toddies in winter and aperol spritzs in summer.”

From the “well I didn’t see this one coming” files, Mike Minns filled me in on his usual routine living in Austin including going to the lake once a week all year long, pickleball at least once a week and sometimes up to seven days, and “still racing the Miata in the dirt”. Naturally my follow up question was, “what are you talking about with racing the Miata?” because, you know, it’s been four years, and I also don’t think he’s ever mentioned once that he races cars unless it’s something on facegram or instabook that I don’t know about because I don’t partake in social media. He races under the name Buck Dandy in a black Miata with a gold gargoyle looking bird painted on the hood and the name Buck Dandy emblazoned on the side. But the best part is that Mike races this car dressed like Joe Dirt meets the 1984 US Olympic teams’ opening ceremonies wardrobe. His life

is like the mullet he wears – he is Mr. Dream Home business in the front of the week and Buck Dandy racing party on the back end. I’m speculating that he’s got Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby on his top five movies list. Mike has a daughter who recently turned 16, and he has been married for 22 years.

Dabney Moriniere Moxham and family moved from Austin to Park City, UT in August of 2020. They are looking forward to another season of good snow. Dabney is still working for Muse Showroom (NYC) and husband Eric just launched an online software platform called Hence Creative. Check it out!

From Joel Page: "Joel Page is living pretty much exactly the same life: same place in Dallas, same fly spouse, same job at the Public Defender’s Office, twins are now eight, and cats are now 13. He added, however, that he keeps having that anxiety dream where he is back at Kinkaid, about to take a math test he hasn’t studied for. If anyone else ever has that dream and runs into him in the hall, please remind him that he no longer goes to school. He’ll do the same for you and y’all can cut class and get some coffee." And that last part made about as much sense as the plot of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4. I love this – Evy “Most Likely to be Late to Graduation” Pappas was the very first person to answer my request for updates. Right on time! (Sorry Casey, after years as the reigning champ, you’ve lost the title of first to respond. I know you’re broken up about it.) Back to Evy. She is the Design Director for Pappas with a team that includes architectural, interior, kitchen, and lighting designers. After COVID, Pappas decided to convert Little Pappas Seafood House on West Alabama, which had been around forever, into Little’s Oyster Bar with Evy guiding the design and construction teams on the remodel. The result was a design that has been a major departure from any other Pappas restaurant. I can attest

that it is swanky and cool and beautiful and the food was amazing. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when the Design Director for Pappas is ordering all the food for the table! In other news, and I quote, Evy is “happily divorced. Learning to use the apps and open to being set up.” She has four kids and the oldest is a freshman at Kinkaid.

From Joslyn Welch Paris: “All is well in our house, still super busy and having fun along the way. Both kids are at Kinkaid, Jack ’25 is a junior and Evan ’26 is a sophomore. Jack has committed to play baseball at Texas A&M as a pitcher starting in 2025. We are excited and I will be super supportive in my white or gray, no maroon for me! Evan is grinding away on school work, plays varsity tennis, and still loves dance. She gets a driver’s license in December which means my existence as their Uber driver will officially come to an end. David and I are still working away and enjoy traveling whenever we can find the time.”

Multiple emails exchanged with Sameer Sheth and not one of them provided an update on what he has been up to. We all know that he is a neurosurgeon, but he is also doing all kinds of interesting research regarding curing depression that I am not about to try to describe without a verbatim explanation from him, lest I make a total fool of myself. He did, however, have this to share: “Many of us had our 25th college reunion this year. There was a session at mine that really made me think. It was called “Life at Midlife” or something like that. I thought it would be super cheesy at best or actively painful at worst, but it was actually extremely thought-provoking. The main theme was the need to reflect on what’s important as we approach this midpoint stage in our lives. I have no interest in or credibility for preaching to our esteemed Class of ’94, but I’d encourage all of us to ruminate on this question a bit. We’ve all been working hard and pushing ourselves

'94 Ladies at Evy Pappas's family's new restaurant, Little's. Anjali, Evy, Leslie, Courtney, Jamie, Ellie, and Stephanie

towards achievement, and rightfully so. We should use the privileges that we have been given to make some positive change in the world. But when is enough, enough? When do we hand over the reins to the next generation of eager achievers? When do we start to simplify rather than increasingly complicate? I don’t know, but I think I need to start considering these questions and thinking about how I want the second half to look. Good luck to all of us.” We now return to our regularly scheduled programming of levity and my attempts at snark.

Michael Silva has three kids, David (10), Michael ’29 (12) a Kinkaid 7th grader, and Mary ’27 (15) a Kinkaid freshman. Mary started driving with a permit which has caused Michael to ask that we pray for him. He has worked at Rackspace Technology for the last two years as Client Partner. Michael and family traveled to Portugal last year on vacation where they visited many castles, monasteries, and palaces as well as Nazare to view the biggest waves in the world.

Scott Smitherman and wife Sheila still reside in Olympia, WA with their four children, Gabriella, Zoe, James, and Sophia. Scott is working as Chief Medical Information Officer for the Providence Clinical Network where he gets to help physicians better use the electronic medical record and play with new and exciting uses of AI in healthcare.

Leslie Ladin Strauss reports: “After being a Kinkaid parent for 17 years, our youngest, Ladin ’24, is graduating in May from Kinkaid (exactly 30 years after us). He will be attending TCU in the Fall. Lexie (21) is living in Nashville and will graduate from Belmont in December of 2024 with a degree in Music Business. I am officially OLD! I’m keeping myself busy doing interior design and pretending to be excited to become an “Empty Nester”. The house sans kiddos is not something I have ever looked forward to!!![My husband,] Adam, is ready to move to a high-rise... hope that works out well for him! I have decided that we will get another puppy (or two) and travel between Fort Worth and Nashville!”

From Charlotte Gregory Sullivan: “I feel like I’m stuck in a time warp, as suddenly I’m the shortest person in my family. Olivia is a sophomore at Wake Forest University and Preston is a junior at Episcopal High School. Steven and I had our 23rd wedding anniversary in October. I have loved reconnecting with former classmates and friends in the past few years by way of my kids’ connections with their kids. (Six degrees of separation is indeed a r eal thing.)”

Another succinct report which makes me happy since it’s now 12:48am, and I’m still writing. From Ryan Taylor:

“After a long time in NYC, we moved to Austin in 2020 to be closer to Miller and George.”

Irene Tieh has been working from home since before work from home was a thing (in other words, around the time I wrote my last set of Class Notes for this magazine). Her career path has gone from global marketing for beauty companies, to the education industry, and now to cybersecurity where she is currently a Cybersecurity Risk Analyst who assesses potential cyber IT risks for critical infrastructure within companies on the West Coast. Irene lives in San Francisco, and her daughter attends SF Waldorf. No word on whether she has her own poop map. Susan Thompson Turcotte and family live in Nashville and are “still in love with Tennessee after 13 years!”

Sarah (14) is in 8th grade and Will (17) is a junior. Husband Brad works in the music business (and I heard, may know a certain person whose name rhymes with Maylor Wift).

When I asked everyone to send in their updates, I also asked you to name songs from our middle school and high school days that you would like included on the playlist for the reunion. Amy Heatherly Walton wanted to make sure that the song title written on Lisa Bassili’s campaign posters for governing council representative (or was it class president?) was included. I quickly responded that the song is in fact on the playlist from the 25-year reunion. (What is the song? I can't really touch upon that myself right now because the title is too risqué for this magazine.) She then sent me a great recent picture of her with Mercedes, I’m guessing in Austin since last I checked they both live there. After that, Amy never sent me an update. Her interest in the playlist leads me to believe she will be making an appearance at the reunion, so I’ll have to wait until then for her update.

Like the Alexanders, here is our second intraclass marriage, knocking out two updates at once. From Patrick Willcox: Patrick Willcox is still married to Meredith Mitchell, and they have two daughters (Scarlett (12) and Eloise (7)). “The tooth fairy is making a small fortune off of us as one or the other seems to be losing a tooth every other week. We live in Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburbs). Patrick is working as a product manager for a supply chain software company. Meredith is working on her fourth degree (Master in Nursing) to become a Nurse Practitioner while also working full time. Scarlett is going to The Walker School which reminds us of Kinkaid. Great teachers who are very engaged. Eloise will join her at Walker in middle school. Patrick sold his motorcycles during covid (big mistake). He is under the delusion that he is going to make

the two crappy 1973 MGB-GTs into one functioning car, and Meredith believes she will one day be able to park in the garage. Patrick has started playing tennis again after a 20-year hiatus and is about to start pickleball for the first time in January. We are down to one dog, two grandmothers, and a Ukrainian refugee family living in our basement.”

Liana Hawes Young and family moved from New York to Nashville in the summer of 2021. She continues to work remotely for an interior design company based in New York which allows her to get her NY fix! Her kids love living in Nashville with a yard and neighbor playmates. Bess (9) and Will (7) are in 4th grade and 1st grade at a school that reminds Liana so much of Kinkaid but with orange and black standing in for purple and gold. Her family recently adopted a golden retriever puppy named Birdie who they all absolutely adore.

My son Charlie ’32 is in 4th grade at Kinkaid, and on his first day of this school year, I cried a little during morning carpool because it would be the last first day of Lower School. I’m not ready for the middle school years. I still have some PTSD from my own. Going back to the theme of “we are old,” you know you are old when you are rocking out to the music pumping through the HEB while grocery shopping. How great is it when you have to grab a couple things on a Tuesday night and Def Leppard is jamming Hysteria? One day, they were streaming in R&B hits circa 1988/89 with a little Madonna True Blue sprinkled in. I had to keep stopping myself from singing out loud as if the store was my personal karaoke bar. I felt compelled to get on my high school group text to let the others know just how good the music was. There was a general consensus that the music is always stellar, and Ellie then informed us she has created an HEB playlist of all the songs she hears while she is there. It is pure 80’s gold, and I have been adding contributions to it ever since. There are certainly other things that have happened in my life since January 2020 besides shopping for groceries, but it is now 2:00am and grocery store music is what is on my mind. See you at the reunion Class of ’94!

1995

Meredith Riddle Chastang Houston, Texas meredithchastang@gmail.com

Dejon Banks Hawthorne Pearland, Texas dejonbanks@gmail.com

Meredith Riddle Chastang: “Mac is in Kindergarten at Kinkaid and he

is loving it. We both have fun in the carpool line waving at his friends AND my friends! Patrick coached Mac’s flag football team — the Falcons — and they went undefeated this season to end up playing in the Tully Bowl. Such a fun and exciting experience for all of us. As for me, I chaired the Arboretum Gala and the University of Houston’s Hall of Honor Gala this past year. Both were rewarding experiences and they are both great causes.”

Carvana Hicks Cloud: “My days remain full and fulfilling as I experience my children thrive and engage in serving our community. My dedication to the well-being of survivors has led me to advocate for others by creating The Empowered Survivor and actively engaging with organizations like the Girl Scouts of America and LEAD. Through my experience as a prosecutor and my leadership role in the Special Victims Bureau, I have implemented groundbreaking initiatives to combat domestic violence. Firmly rooted in my unwavering commitment to justice and community empowerment, I am determined to contribute to the establishment of a truly fair and impartial society. Next steps - I am running for Judge in the 488th District Court!”

Aisha Crumbine: “I'm writing this from my kitchen in Lisbon, Portugal since I moved abroad in October with my family. I'm exploring more of the world while expanding my business helping high-achieving women and teams hustle less, so they can lead and live well. What's on deck for 2024?

More keynote speaking, providing leadership development for teams around the world, and my first book.”

Leisa Ladin Dillon: “Husband Andy and I are looking forward to the holidays with a full house! Sam ’23 is loving her freshman year at Duke and Cameron ’26, our sophomore at Kinkaid, is very excited to be the first senior class in the new building in 2025!”

Dejon Banks Hawthorne is learning, exploring, serving others, and savoring life. As a lifelong learner, she recently attained her doctorate and continues to apply, research, publish, and share her findings with others. Impacting the lives of youth by improving their social determinants of health remains her passion. She is able to live her joy and use a wealth of creativity as the Executive Director of LEAD, a nonprofit that prepares youth for success.

Laughing daily, reading good books, spending quality time with family and forever friends add to her days.

Niels Jensen: “We are doing great and still loving the island life. Eldest son Erik made the National Sailing Team this year and our youngest Luke is becoming quite the soccer star. Yep he’s a goalie. We have spent our off time competing in IGFA International Fishing Tournaments and traveling to

Texas, Virginia, Vermont, England, and Denmark. This year we look forward to exploring Alaska.

J.J. Johnston and wife Lindsay have been happily married for nine months now. They just purchased their first home in the Independence Heights neighborhood of Houston, and are eagerly looking forward to a beachside honeymoon in the new year.

1996

Erin Jones Brown Houston, Texas erinjonesbrown@gmail.com

Emily Mitchell Covey Houston, Texas emily.covey@gmail.com

1997

Christina Wilson Altenau Houston, Texas Christina.altenau@gmail.com

Daniel Jenkins Houston, Texas Danieljenkinsiv@gmail.com

1998

Amy Parker Beeson Houston, Texas amyparkerbeeson@gmail.com

Liz Riddle Anders and husband David ’97 are living in Houston and staying busy with their two children, Oliver (11) and Franny (7). Both kids are happy at Kinkaid in the 5th and 2nd grades. Liz celebrated her tenth year as a business owner this year and is enjoying working with her clients at her art advising and appraisal business, Liz Anders & Associates. Liz and David recently got a vizsla puppy!

Meredith Hopson Beaupre is still with J.P. Morgan Chase as the Region Manager for South Texas / New Mexico Commercial Banking (and incidentally she hit her 21-year anniversary with J.P. Morgan in 2023!). Meredith and husband Andy celebrated their ten-year wedding anniversary this year and also ten years of being in Houston as a family. Their daughters Lauren (3rd grade) and Brooke (2nd grade) are loving Kinkaid.

Karen Blankfeld lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two boys (3 and 5). When she’s not writing or chasing after her boys, she is teaching at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. This January you can find her new book, Lovers in Auschwitz: A True Story, in bookstores everywhere; it is being translated to more than ten

languages and in development for film. Justin Campbell reports that the Campbells are doing well! Sidney (14) has started high school this fall at Highland Park HS in Dallas and is loving it. Her sister Colette (9) is following in Sidney’s footsteps and is spending all of her time in dance classes with her team and playing volleyball. Marvin (8) is loving his club soccer team and flag football. Vicky and Justin are happy to be settled in the new home they’ve built in Dallas.

Jonathan Carl continues to enjoy rural life with his wife and four daughters (16,13, 11, and 11) in central Kentucky. He recently survived serious blood clots in his legs and lungs, and wife Brittney survived multiple artery blockages to her brain…they are grateful to Jesus for every day of life! He pastors, teaches, and recently published over a dozen books to help people with life and spiritual questions.

Leighton Carl and wife Jenny are still living in Waco and busy raising their six children! Jenny has recently started working with Leighton in family medicine. Working together has been something they have dreamed about since medical school, so it has been a joy to see it come to fruition. They are also busy building a new home in Crawford and hope to move sometime in 2024.

Michelle Cho continues to live in Los Angeles with husband Zachary Wood. She is the CEO of Gladeo, Inc., an education and workforce tech company she co-founded with her sister, Grace. The company is a spinoff of a non-profit Grace and Michelle started a few years prior. Michelle is excited to report that Gladeo recently won the U.S. Department of Education’s Future Finder Challenge, a challenge to find the best career navigation platform for adult learners. The accolade is a big milestone for the company and will allow Michelle and her team to expand the company internationally next year.

Alex Curlet and family are doing well in D.C. Catherine and Alex are staying busy with their three daughters, Maggie, Ellie, and Lucy. They have had a great year including a fun summer trip to Italy.

Heather Heidemann Deiss is still at Chevron working with their Renewable Fuels joint ventures and learning a lot about dairy and soybean feedstocks, which keeps things interesting. A few new fun hobbies include playing pickleball with Anne Marie Vallero Thompson ’96, mahjong with Elana and friends, and lastly, yoga teacher training. Looking forward to seeing what the new year brings.

Mark Dinerstein, wife Stacy, and their son Ryder (8) are still living in Los Angeles. They built a home in Redondo Beach, CA and are enjoying beach

life. Mark departed from his long-time entertainment company after 13 years and he is how a founder/partner at LiveCo, a new live entertainment company that produces everything from concerts to festivals, Broadway events, and beyond.

Charlie Escher will be retiring from the Navy in the summer as he wraps up his job leading the Operational Test effort for the F-35. Charlie and wife Leah have enjoyed living in Las Vegas with their two young kids, and they’re eager to see what’s next as Charlie begins his second career in the civilian sector.

Katherine Harper recently got engaged to Alex Holmes. They are busy renovating their new home in Dallas and are planning to tie the knot next November. Katherine’s film, The Unknown Country, did a 40-city theatrical run late summer and is nominated for a Cinema Eye Award. One of the film’s actors, Lily Gladstone, just won The Gotham Award for Best Lead Performance. Her in-progress documentary The Photographer was presented at IDFA in Amsterdam, and she is excited about a top-secret new partner joining the project. She is working on a few other film projects too and of course - dog shows.

Charles Houssiere and family are pretty busy these days between both of their boys in the Tully Bowl, Elle adorably mastering 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' Lisa's partnership at Baker Hostetler, and Charles's company's launch of the first laparoscopic cleaning system in the US. And somehow, they managed to eke in some sun burning time in the islands this Thanksgiving. They can't wait for Little League baseball in 2024!

Brooke McGuyer Hutson reports that life is good! She continues to work as a residential interior designer at Brooke McGuyer Interiors and is currently working on her most fun project to date, a lake house! Brooke and Scott are busy parents as well to children Caroline (9) and Parker (13). Ran Jones is living in Austin with his wife and two daughters where he continues to work in unscripted television. Wylie Garcia’s professional artist studio practice is going strong with paintings represented by the Portland Art Gallery in Maine and a new product line partnership with Skida sportswear. She also recently accepted a full-time position at Champlain College as the Director and Curator of their art gallery!

Alicia Lee recently graduated from the University of Houston-Clear Lake with a Master's in Healthcare Administration. She continues to work for the March of Dimes and spends volunteer time at Kinkaid, Child Advocates, and the Junior League of Houston.

Jamie Smith Luff and husband Martin

are now splitting their time between London and Essex where Martin’s family lives. Their son James started Year 7 (the equivalent of 6th grade) in September, and they are enjoying spending time in the English countryside—especially James who loves playing cricket!

Jed and Erica Palmer Mandel have been busy growing Creative Blinds and working toward their goal to become one of Houston’s top ten employers in the next three years. On the home front, they are now raising some chickens in the backyard, and it’s been really fun for them and the kids! The Mandel family is extra grateful this holiday season for family and friends, and to have three kids at the same school (Jack/4th, Max/3rd and Sonny/Kinder)

Stuart Rench, wife Tricia, and their children Joseph and Piper moved to northern Portugal at the end of the summer. They are settled into life and schools overseas and are enjoying being immersed in the amazing culture and history of Portugal. They are looking forward to continuing to explore their surroundings and the rest of the continent.

Colleen Sheedy lives in Houston where she continues to work for Shell. Her latest role has been on the Low Carbon Solutions team where she leads global marketing to help hard-to-abate sectors decarbonize. She has enjoyed learning a different side of the business and gaining expertise in biofuels, carbon capture technologies, and electrification.

Lindsay Green Wallace is still at SLB (formerly known as Schlumberger) running Sales and Operations Planning for Well Construction Equipment. Back in March, she and Sam celebrated their tenth anniversary and loved getting to catch up with so many of you at our 25th reunion! Their son Miller ’34 is a 2nd grader at Kinkaid, and, among other things, loves sports, so the Wallaces spend lots of time in yards, fields, and batting cages.

Laura Kamas Wheeler and husband Erik are still enjoying life in Houston. Last year, Laura accepted a position handling Procurement & Logistics for Marie Flanigan Interiors. Mason is currently in 2nd grade and Sutton is in 1st grade at Annunciation Orthodox School, while Gabby is a junior at Clear Lake High School.

Carson Wilson and wife Lindsey still live in Houston together with their sons Bobby ’32, a 4th grader at Kinkaid, and Price ’33, a 3rd grader at Kinkaid. Carson is having a great time being back up at Kinkaid, seeing the school through a different lens as a parent. He reports that he is even more grateful for Kinkaid now as a parent than ever before!

And as for me, Amy Parker Beeson, I

am busy practicing law at Beck Redden LLP and chasing after our three wild little boys, Teddy (8), Georgie (7), and Jack (7). Teddy and Georgie are happy at AOS, and Mr. Jack is making lots of big strides at Roberts Elementary. We’re looking forward to little league season and getting back to our home away from home in Chicago this summer. Mr. Jack spends about six weeks out of the year there in intensive therapy at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, and it has become a special place for all of us. Hope everyone has a wonderful start to the new year!

1999

Elizabeth Evans Mann Houston, Texas elizabeth.e.mann@gmail.com

Kristin Meyer writes, “Greetings Kinkaid classmates - Checking in to say hello and that I am still enjoying living in New York City on the Upper East Side. Take care and hope to catch up with as many of you as possible soon.”

2000

Spencer English Houston, Texas spencer.english@gmail.com

Alyssa Gardner Kilpatrick Houston, Texas alyssakilpatrick@hotmail.com

Michel Miller Mullett Houston, Texas michelmullett@hotmail.com

2001

Krystal Carter Houston, Texas krystaldcarter@gmail.com

Stuart Pradia Camden, New Jersey stuart31@gmail.com

2002

Ariana Nizza Chapman New York, New York

Ariananizzachapman@gmail.com

Leslie Roemer Labanowski Houston, Texas leslielabanowski@gmail.com

Grace Kim Taylor writes, “I’m a mother of two children, a nurse in a cardiac/medical ICU, and we live in San Francisco. When I occasionally wear my Kinkaid shirts to run or sleep in, I wonder what everyone else from our class is doing, where they are, and how things are going.”

2003

Anne Tropoli Kahle Houston, Texas anne.tropoli@gmail.com

Nikki Barnes and husband Chéo welcomed daughter Nia Texada Jackson Scott on September 7. Her big sister Nova (3) is over the moon. They live in Vienna, VA.

Martin Simchowitz and wife Meghan celebrated the arrival of their first child, Joshua Eli, on August 29. They live in the Heights, and Martin is still working as an inhouse counsel at Plains All American Pipeline.

Robert Wooten and wife Jennifer welcomed a little boy, Ryan James Wooten, into the world on February 9, 2023. Big sister Davey (9) and big brother Reid (6) are very excited about their new baby brother!

Max Barrett reports, “Lauren and I

welcomed our daughter, Marion Hayes Barrett, on March 26, 2023. Her big brother Wright and big sister Arden are loving having a new baby sister.”

Adelaide Zimmerman Emanuele recently had a third son, Kelly. He’s enjoying his big brothers Max (6) and Gene (4). Adelaide is still working at a biotech company in Los Angeles on the medical side.

Wakeford Thompson shared, “Elizabeth and I welcomed our third child, Charlie, into the world on February 15, 2023. We are so grateful he is here and his two big sisters are already coaching him up. We still reside in West U, and our lives revolve mostly around the kids' schedules.”

Cole Stephenson is living in Los Feliz in Los Angeles with wife Rachel and two boys Owen (5) and Keats (1). He can't believe they have a kindergartener already! Cole is working as a paralegal for Ziffren Brittenham, an entertainment law firm he's been with for six years now, and Rachel is a business

affairs executive at Paramount Television Studios.

Frank Vargas lives in Washington, DC with wife Rachael and their children Felix (8) and Penelope (5). Frank is a civilian employee of the U.S. Navy. This past summer Allison Poarch Coleman and husband Thomas welcomed their daughter, Julianna Margot Coleman, on June 14. Several months later she returned to work at the VA hospital where she is a PA in Gastroenterology.

Stephen Brewer and wife Linden moved to Memorial at the end of 2021. Son Tucker is in 1st grade and daughter Cameron is in kindergarten, both at Bunker Hill. Their youngest Holden is in PK4 at Holy Spirit. Stephen and Linden love to spend their time traveling, seeing friends and trying new hobbies, but unfortunately the children do not allow for this. However, they did travel to San Diego last summer and visited Doug Constantiner and his brewery Societe Brewing.

Kelly Meyer Ransdell and husband Dan moved their family to Brenham, TX in 2022. They and their children Annabelle (4) and Eli (3) are enjoying being out of big city Houston. Dan has started his own custom furniture company, and Kelly is working with Hope Mommies.

And I, Anne Tropoli Kahle, and husband Walker still live in Houston with our three children, Augie (8), Teddy (6), and Claiborne (3). I retired from my paying job a little over a year ago and now schlep kids to three different schools and have gotten back into many hobbies like needlepoint, embroidery, painting, etc. My daughter Teddy broke her femur last fall and in the small world that is Houston, her orthopedic surgeon is Rachel Marom Gladstein’s husband Ari at Texas Children’s Hospital!

Grace Kim Taylor '02 and her children

Nellie Hoppe Reed '04 and her family

2004

Jordan Allison Boyce Houston, Texas jordan.boyce67@gmail.com

Emily Catherine Jeter Riggs Houston, Texas ecjriggs@gmail.com

Nellie Hoppe Reed writes, “Hey y’all! I’m living in Houston in the Heights with husband Marshall and daughters Kaylee and Kate. Kaylee is in 6th grade at Hogg Middle School and Kate is in 2nd grade at Harvard Elementary. We are just trying to keep up with the girls’ sports schedules, school stuff, and their busy social lives!”

2005

Grace Lee Hofer Houston, Texas graceleehofer@gmail.com

Abby Lestin is thrilled to have accepted a new position with France Media (based out of Atlanta) as a conference sales coordinator. She loves working with her clients in the commercial real estate industry. Abby works in both sales and event coordination throughout Texas and across the country. In the fall, she participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s National Visionary of the Year campaign and raised over $70,000 and joined the leadership team. Abby lives in Houston.

Grace Lee Hofer and husband Evan welcomed their second child, Lee, in June. Grace works as the Senior Business Development Specialist for Visual Comfort & Co and enjoys working on residential projects in Houston.

2006

Casson Wen Missouri City, Texas cassonwen@gmail.com

John Barrere and wife Kate recently welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Martha, last April.

Audrey Spalding Dunlap and husband Carter welcomed baby boy George Carter Dunlap IV on August 17. Big sisters Adele (6) and Collins (3) are loving their baby brother!

Amanda Fox had a baby born July 4th (25 weeks!), and he just came home at the end of November. His name is Rhodes Fox Shifrin.

Andrew Gautier and family welcomed a baby boy into the family recently. Pierre Wayne Gautier-Winther was born November 11.

Holly Blalock Guthneck and family welcomed Griffin Robert Guthneck, Jr. on September 19. His big sisters are obsessed with him, and they are so excited to add some blue to their home.

James McCormick and wife Lauren had a baby boy, Ian McCormick, born on May 10.

2007

Lauren Lestin Philipson Atlanta, Georgia

Laurenphilipson3@gmail.com

2008

Kirby Allison Los Angeles, California kallison22@gmail.com

Mason Bashaw Clelland Houston, Texas mason.clelland@gmail.com

2009

Alanna McAuley London, England armcauley75@gmail.com

Rashi Agrawal is about to complete two years of owning her physical therapy clinic in Houston –KR Neuro Physical Therapy. She loves helping others heal and is loving all the fun (and not so fun) challenges of business ownership. When she's not working, she's often found playing with her 11-month-old daughter Raya with her husband and enjoying a front-row seat for watching her daughter go from sweet baby to crazy toddler!

Jeanie Arnold is in her tenth year in the nation's capital and is still loving every moment. She is an account director for a small public health communications firm where her main clients are the CDC and NIH. When not trapped in endless meetings, she and her dog Rogue like to roam their neighborhood or venture out to the many breweries and wineries in the Virginia/Maryland area.

Michael Atmar serves as the Pastor of Family & Care at a church in Houston called Seven Mile Road, where he has been for the past six years. He and his wife recently celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary and they have four children: Case (7), Declan (5), Tate (3), and their precious daughter Ellis (1).

SzeHui Chai is a finance manager at crypto technology company, Coinbase. She works remotely and spends her time between NYC, Houston, and Singapore. In her spare time, she predominantly spends time outdoors playing polo (with the hopes of one day maybe going pro) or attending fashion and FinTech events with friends.

Matt Johnson is a software engineer at SpaceX, focused on making Starlink more performant and reliable. He has lived in Seattle, WA with fiancée Erin

for the last seven years and is hoping to stay many more. When not walking to yoga or thinking about computer networks, you can find him hiking in the Cascades or reading by a lake!

Liz Furlow Malpass is a litigation associate at Baker Botts LLP in Houston, focusing her practice on securities matters, industrial incidents, and energy disputes. This year, she is also the Editor in Chief of The Houston Lawyer, the Houston Bar Association's bimonthly publication. Outside of work, Liz loves spending time with husband Mason and son Tommy (2). She is expecting her second child, another boy, in February.

Drew Masterson recently moved to Charlottesville to take a new role as Co-Director of Undergraduate Ministries at the Center for Christian Studies serving UVA students. He along with wife Ginny and son Owen have very much enjoyed this new chapter and were thrilled to welcome a baby girl into the family in December!

Alanna McAuley is a Knowledge Manager at a management consulting firm in London, where she has been living for the last five years. In her spare time, she has been sewing, knitting, and exploring London and the UK with husband Tim and mini poodle Duncan.

Ali Tucker Rapisarda is a public defender and doula in NYC. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and their two kids, ages two and one.

Jarrett Wadler and wife Anna have been together for seven years and married for one. They currently live in Denver, and Jarrett works in software as a Principal Product Manager for Blackbaud, the largest software company dedicated to the social good space. Jarrett and Anna love catching live music (especially Phish), traveling around Colorado, spending time outdoors, and skiing.

John Barrere '06 daughter Martha Andrew Gautier '06 son Pierre The McCormick Family

The Dunlap Family

2010

Evan Henke New York, New York henke.evan@gmail.com

2011

Avery Geisler St. Louis, Missouri aag459@gmail.com

Harry Hantel Los Angeles, California hhantel@gmail.com

2012

Kirby Gilbert Shaw Houston, Texas kirbygshaw@gmail.com

2013

Katie Shaffer Silver Houston, TX katiershaffer@gmail.com

Ellen Thanheiser has lived in Denver, CO for the past six and a half years. She works as a nurse in an outpatient infusion center for patients with various blood cancers and blood disorders at the University of Colorado Hospital. She enjoys spending time with fiancé Tim and their dog Murphy. They are looking forward to skiing in Colorado and France this winter.

Hunter Hartwell and wife Caroline live in the Heights with their two labs, Bear and Lucy.

Julia Shaffer Mentz and husband James got married in October in Houston. They currently live in West U.

2014

Haley Ebel O'Brien Edgecombe County, NC hbeobrien@gmail.com

2015

Emma Eggleston Goodwine Houston, TX egceggleston@gmail.com

2016

Kate Hinnant Houston, Texas kathrynhinnant97@gmail.com

Leah Jacobs started a job with Oak Ridge National Lab and finished a Masters in mechanical engineering. She is also working towards a PhD.

2017

Ellee Dukes New York, New York elleedukes@mac.com

Jake Reinbolt Houston, Texas jakereinbolt@gmail.com

2018

Katherine Berman Lexington, Virginia katherine@katherineberman.com

TX Harris Houston, Texas txharris92@gmail.com

Isabel Stallings Los Angeles, California isabel.stallings@gmail.com

2019

Elizabeth Baird Houston, Texas elizabethbaird2000@gmail.com

Antonio Castro Dallas, Texas antonio.castro0@yahoo.com

Ellie Lucke Dallas, Texas ellielucke15@gmail.com

Seb Seager New Haven, Connecticut seb.seager@gmail.com

2020

Sally Buck Nashville, Tennessee sallyhbuck@gmail.com

Eliza Moldawer is working at the Austin Film Festival. She is producing her own short film that is set to come out in March. Following graduation, she is moving to Los Angeles for a program called UTLA where students take night

classes and work in the entertainment industry.

This summer Haylie Sims had the opportunity to study abroad and complete an internship in London, England. She worked for a company called Mobilus Labs, that specializes in creating bone-conduction headsets for high-noise environments. She also enjoyed a few weekend trips to Brighton, Greece, Hungary, and so much more! Haylie also attended Wimbledon with friends. She says, “It was truly the summer of a lifetime.”

2021

Daryn Mehling Ithaca, NY darynkmehling@gmail.com

Skyler Swanson Austin, TX skylerswanson@icloud.com

2022

Alexandra Tropoli Houston, TX alexandratropoli3@gmail.com

2023

Need volunteer

Haylie Sims '20 at her internship

Eliza Moldawer '20 (right) on the set of the short film “Marla & Darla” to be released in 2024 with her co-producer.

Meg McGuire-Jensen ’05 and husband Lars Jensen

Anna Nichols '12 and Samuel Kalk May 13, 2023

Melanie Knight and Lovett Shaper '15 May 13, 2023

Catherine Frank '12 & Weldon Martin June 3, 2023

Meg McGuire '05 & Lars Jensen June 10, 2023

Sarah Kate Cone '16 & Alex Fronterhouse July 14, 2023

Nicole Alexander & Andrew Stoler '09 October 7, 2023

Grace Notestine '15 & Ryan Hoeffner October 14, 2023

Julia Shaffer '13 & James Mentz '13 October 21, 2023

Catherine Frank Martin ’12 and husband Weldon

Grace Notestine Hoeffner ’15 and husband Ryan

Sarah Kate Cone Fronterhouse ’16 and husband Alex

Julia Shaffer Mentz ’13 and husband James ’13

Anna Nichols ’12 and husband Samuel Kalk

Andrew Stoler ’09 and wife Nichole

Birth Announcements

Patrick Ryan Sanders

February 21, 2023

James Sanders ’05 and wife Ryan

Finley Caldwell Doherty

March 24, 2023

Christina Scharar Doherty ’04 and husband James

Cameron Holly Cain

April 11, 2023

Walker Cain ’06 and wife Anne-Marie

Charlotte Beth Love

May 1, 2023

Benton Love ’99 and wife Ashlee

David "Reeves" Kendrick

May 9, 2023

Elizabeth Robinson Kendrick ’07 and husband Corey

Wesley Travis Marek

May 11, 2023

Lexi Sakowitz Marek ’07 and husband Mike

Mary Grace Howey

June 5, 2023

Gracey Winters Howey ’07 and husband Chris

Nash Dylan Bellinger

June 5, 2023

Ramsay Bellinger ’07 and wife Carey

Reese Parker Gill

June 27, 2023

Ryan Gill ’08 and wife Whitney

Foster Franklin Harrell

July 4, 2023

Connor Harrell ’09 and wife Sydney

Johnathan Andrew "Jack" Schnitzer Jr.

July 9, 2023

Johnathan Schnitzer ’09 and wife Lily

John West Bradley

July 12, 2023

Hannah Fred Bradley ’12 and husband Bryant

Wake William Francis

July 14, 2023

Kenner Smith Francis ’10 and husband Richard

Abigail Hope Goodwine

July 22, 2023

Emma Eggleston Goodwine ’15 and husband Zach

Thomas Mayfield Navarro

August 4, 2023

Walt Mayfield ’11 and wife Lulis Mayfield Navarro

Kathryn Lucile Tompkins

August 2, 2023

Jenny Sangalis Tompkins ’07 and husband Rich

Noa Bruce Mori

August 27, 2023

Amanda Waddell ’06 and husband Yusuke Mori

Hallie Elizabeth Tausend

August 15, 2023

Kelly Putterman Tausend ’08 and husband Alan

Heidi Lynne Soltis

September 2, 2023

Keri Tiner Soltis ’06 and husband Dan

Gerald William "GW" Miller

September 19, 2023

Jenny van Keppel Miller ’07 and husband Beck

Griffin Robert Guthneck, Jr.

September 19, 2023

Holly Blalock Guthneck ’06 and husband Griffin

Anthony Clinton King

September 20, 2023

Collin King ’07 and wife Michele

James Cary Gray II

September 19, 2023

Will Gray ’09 and wife Anna

Berkeley Kyle Christensen

October 7, 2023

Kyrsti Harris Christensen ’10 and husband Mason

Mackenzie Michael Fondren

October 9, 2023

Jenna McGaw Fondren ’13 and husband Ryan ’12

Jonathan McLean Goossen, Jr.

October 10, 2023

Catherine Murphy Goossen ’07 and husband Jay

In Memoriam

John A. Davis III ’72 June 10, 2023

Carol Peck Harper ’66 September 21, 2023

Stephen Dale Brown ’85 June 29, 2023

Andrea Gaedcke "Andy" Stefanick ’86 (fs) July 27, 2023

Louise "Wease" Smith Neuhaus ’41 (fs)

September 25, 2023

James Philip Janse ’58 October 22, 2023

Vernon Frost ’55 August 2, 2023

Russell Bender Thorstenberg Jr. ’67 November 10, 2023

Jane Heyck Gaucher Montgomery ’53 August 14, 2023

George F. Schudy ’62

November 13, 2023

Cecelia Haas Barnes ’70 September 7, 2023

Jack Hastings Mayfield Jr. Former Board Chair

November 19, 2023

Patrick Blake Frede ’74 September 8, 2023

Listings through December 13, 2023

Donald Wilson "Will" Short Jr. ’13

January 21, 2024

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KinkaidWelcomesRetiredFaculty andStaffatAnnualHolidayLuncheon