The Octet celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. Alumni of 17 classes returned to campus for the event.
Editor: Lisa Tedrick Prejean
Senior Contributor: Megan Mallory
Contributors: David Bell P ’17, ’18, Ivy Chan ’24, Debra Collins P ’14, Norah Copenhaver ’24, Amy Marathe P ’26, Tyler Miller, Cody Parks, Zally Price, Jamie Vulakh ’24
Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications: Amy Marathe P ’26
Design: Mid-Atlantic Media
Cover Art: Nadia Radici
Head of School: Quentin McDowell P ’25 Mercersburg Academy magazine is published twice a year by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications.
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Mercersburg is intentional in complementing rigorous academics with intriguing and invigorating activities and opportunities outside of the classroom.
lives—at meals, in class, on the athletic fields, on stage, in the dormitories, and everywhere in between. We have chances to connect with them in a multitude of ways and in a variety of arenas, which inevitably leads to the formation of deeper, more meaningful relationships.”
We spend a lot of time in the education realm talking about what students need to know, how they learn best, and how to measure their academic progress. There is no doubt that the “school” part of school is profoundly important. It is why independent schools in particular invest so much of our time and resources into hiring great teachers, building state-of-the-art facilities, researching effective pedagogies and teaching methodologies, and evolving our curricula to optimize the learning experience for our students. To say, however, that at places like Mercersburg Academy our students are only challenged to grow during the academic day would do an immense disservice to the transformational power of living and learning at a school like ours.
When I began teaching, an early mentor of mine said, “Never forget that there is every bit as much to learn from 3 to 11 p.m. as there is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.” It was a reminder that boarding schools like Mercersburg are uniquely positioned to serve more than just the intellectual development of our students. Because we get to see and care for our students 24/7, it allows us to develop the conditions and highly intentional programs necessary to meet the needs of the whole learner.
As educators at Mercersburg, we get to interact with the students we work with in all facets of their daily lives–at meals, in class, on the athletic fields, on stage, in the dormitories, and everywhere in between. We have chances to connect with them in a multitude of ways and in a variety of arenas, which inevitably leads to the formation of deeper, more meaningful relationships. It also provides a host of chances to mentor, guide, and develop students outside of the classroom. From exploring the nature of human existence or traveling abroad for community service to sharing a meal together in the dining hall or navigating conflict with a peer, the entire system is built to nurture the holistic development of the students in our care.
Educating the whole learner is something that Mercersburg Academy has been doing since we were founded in 1893. This school has always been a place that believes as much in cultivating character and instilling values as it does in developing academic skills and conveying knowledge. Over my 16 years in this community, I have heard as many stories about profound experiences with coaches, dorm parents, and program leaders as I have about powerful moments in the classroom. So, at a time when the world can feel a little uneven and tenuous, we must not forget that our bodies and souls often need as much nourishment as our minds.
Sincerely,
’25 Head of School
Quentin McDowell
P
“As educators at Mercersburg, we get to interact with the students we work with in all facets of their daily
Ethan Stiffler ’25 plays an improvised solo as part of the Jazz Band during the 2022 Fall Pops Concert.
In this section, we highlight individuals in our community—students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and friends—who are living Mercersburg’s core values. Read more about the individuals highlighted here on Mercersburg’s website. Want to nominate someone for possible inclusion in a future issue? Contact us at magazine@mercersburg.edu.
for more about these individuals
Dan Zagorii ’23 encourages peers to lead with curiosity, not judgment. “Be willing to try new things because they can lead you to a better place,” says Zagorii, who is in his third year at Mercersburg.
The theatre department drew him here, but he found a sense of place in other programs. Zagorii was attending a school in England on a soccer scholarship. At Mercersburg, he worked on the theatre tech crew before joining the soccer team. “When I came here, I dropped theatre to go to soccer, which is ironic, but it just made sense to do.”
Last year, Zagorii was a dorm prefect for 9th-grade boys. “This year I moved to Keil Hall, so now I’m with all seniors,” Zagorii says. “Last year I loved being an older brother for the 9th-grade boys. This year I love being a supportive friend to seniors.”
A licensed pilot who was accepted to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, Zagorii plans to advance in his career and experience flying as an undergraduate.
Being part of Mercersburg has been rewarding, Zagorii says. “The way it makes you think outside of the box, and the way it expands you as a person, as a human being, as a friend, as a student, as an athlete, as everything, as an artist. It just does wonders to who you are, and that’s really special.”
In her third year as a Mercersburg student, Emily Tan ’24 reflects on two aspects that brought her here—the people and the campus.
“When I first visited this place, I fell in love with the people immediately because they are so nice and friendly, and I could feel this energy around the campus,” Tan says. “The second thing is the campus because we have a gorgeous campus. We also have great facilities.”
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Tan’s first year as a Mercersburg student was online from her home in Beijing, China. Once on campus as a second-year student, Tan became fully
immersed in the community. She is in the Jazz Band, is an athlete, serves as a Blue Key tour guide and dorm prefect.
Tan plans to pursue environmental studies. If given the opportunity to talk to prospective students and their families, Tan would stress why Mercersburg was her first choice for a high school.
“I put it as my first choice because I felt the warmness and the friendliness of the people. The campus is gorgeous. Most importantly, this is such an inclusive campus. It’s really diverse, and sometimes people think diverse means exclusive, but that’s not true. Mercersburg is really inclusive, especially toward international students.”
Danielle Dahlstrom ’93 works in the field of international security but started her career with a dream to be in broadcasting. She gradually realized that “she wanted to be on the other side of the story, shaping it from the inside and on the ground.”
Dahlstrom has worked in many international contexts, largely within the United Nations system. Her most recent focus has been on nuclear terrorism and ways to counter it globally.
As a member of the Alumni Council and Reunion Committee, Dahlstrom looks forward to the reunion in June. Feeling a deep connection to her class, Dahlstrom organized virtual happy hours as a way to connect during COVID-19. “I hadn’t seen some of the faces in 10 or 15 years, and it felt like not a minute had passed. We grew up together, and we are the keepers of each other’s story still.”
Dahlstrom’s Mercersburg priorities are twofold. First, she hopes “to attract and engage current students, to learn from them as to how to advance an International Network so it has real utility and can deliver meaningful impact for our community worldwide.” Second, she wants to encourage as many people as possible to come back to the upcoming June reunion.
She concludes her message by saying, “Mercersburg Academy gives people roots and wings in equal measure, and that has been a very profound gift for me.”
Andy Brown knows what it takes to be a leader. Brown’s first year at Mercersburg–the 2019-2020 school year–was a big step for the football program as it was the first year transitioning from 11-man to 8-man football. As head coach, Brown was able to scope out talented young athletes around campus and build a championship team within three years.
“I really try to hold that when things go well, it’s because of other people.” What drives him as a coach is trying to put the kids in the best position possible to succeed.
Brown, who teaches Robotics, Maker’s Lab, and Application Design, is a major force behind the school’s current robotics program. One of the biggest changes for the program was its location. Brown saw potential in Irvine Hall’s Sheridan Gallery, which has increased visibility and space for competitive courses to be constructed.
“I try to be solution-oriented,” says Brown. One of the things that drew Brown to Mercersburg was that he had the ability to intertwine family and professional life. Once COVID-19 restrictions started to ease, he began planning activities for employee children. These activities have become a piece of Brown’s unofficial job responsibilities and have included athletics, Maker’s Lab projects, and even a bee farming display.
As creative technology director in Mercersburg’s Office of Marketing and Communications, Zally Price brings an indispensable set of skills to a position that may not be directly visible but that influences much of the public face of the school.
Price’s talents are a unique fusion of the technical and the artistic: he not only serves as primary caretaker of the Mercersburg Academy website but also as an in-house graphic designer. Nearly every print publication and much of the digital content that the school produces passes across his desk before making its way out to alumni, parents, and prospective families.
“In the same day, I may be writing HTML code, designing a postcard, editing a photo for a colleague, reviewing new school apparel, and setting up camera equipment to livestream an event,” says Price, who joined Mercersburg’s ranks in 2010. “The one constant in this job is the variety.”
Despite only being with Mercersburg for a postgraduate year before joining the Navy, Fleet White III ’08 was remarkably involved in the campus community as a student, and is now a practicing lawyer in Washington, D.C.
During his time at Mercersburg, White was involved in various extracurricular activities, as well as Mercersburg-exclusive events such as Irving-Marshall Week. Being new to Mercersburg and its traditions, White dove in and took a chance at Irving-Marshall Declamation. He was an Irving Society declaimer and “had a blast!” Giving credit to his name, White was also on the varsity track & field team, among other sports. In 2008, he was the 400-meter hurdle Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) champion in outdoor track.
Though he cherishes all that Mercersburg has to offer, he feels the teachers and friends
he met along the way hold a special place in his heart and have played a significant role in his life. Dave Holzwarth ’78, P ’11, ’13, a current science faculty member, is one of many individuals whom White recognizes as a mentor during his time on campus. “I appreciated all the time that every teacher put in to help me,” he says.
After Mercersburg, White spent seven years in the Navy. During those years, he served as a submarine officer, a secretary of the Navy White House liaison officer, and a Navy senate liaison officer, among others. Eventually, he decided his path needed to change course. After attending the University of Chicago Law School, he is now an associate at Covington & Burling LLP.
He assures others that there is not a singular path in life that you have to take: “There is some time in your life where you may need to make a seemingly big change that can really be scary at the time, but it’s worth just diving in and going for it.”
Current and returning members of the Octet and Magalia, Mercersburg’s a cappella groups, performed over Family and Alumni Weekend in celebration of the Octet’s 75th anniversary.
in LENFEST HALL
NUMBER OF BOOKS
34,000+ INCLUDING 3,600 FICTION TITLES AND 29,000 NONFICTION BOOKS
25+ databases
VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) LAB
14 stations OVER 3,770 SEARCHES RUN IN OUR MOST-USED
ACQUIRED 550+
new physical books during the ’21-’22 school year
30 NUMBER OF LIBRARIANS/STAFF
6
THE NUMBER OF NAMES SUBMITTED FOR THE LIBRARY’S SQUIRREL MASCOT. STUDENTS CHOSE THE NAME GILBERT. “GILLY,” AS HE IS AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN, HAS VISITED CALIFORNIA, ITALY, AND GERMANY.
Cricket Tatone ’24 displays a low lunge during the Fall Dance Concert at the Burgin Center for the Arts.
Mercersburg’s Convocation took place September 4 in the Irvine Memorial Chapel, officially marking the start of the 2022-2023 academic year and Mercersburg’s 130th year as a preparatory school. Language faculty member Heather Prescott, who has taught at Mercersburg since 1998, was the featured speaker.
Along with Prescott, other participants in the service included Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25; School Minister Rev. Dr. Will Whitmore; Student Council President Peter Rice ’23 of Martinsburg, West Virginia; Organist, Carillonneur, and faculty member Jim Brinson; and the Mercersburg Chorale under the direction of faculty member Bryan Morgan ’07.
During the service, McDowell presented Jasmine Zhu ’23 of Chengdu, China, with the Robert Michelet (1930) Prize and Reagan Houpt ’25 (pictured at right) of Mercersburg,
Pennsylvania, with the John Culbertson (1924) Prize. The Michelet Prize recognizes distinguished scholarship, character, and school spirit during the previous 11th-grade year, while the Culbertson Prize recognizes the exceptional promise and outstanding accomplishment of a student entering the 10th grade.
In keeping with tradition, each of Mercersburg’s four grades was represented by a flagbearer leading the faculty procession into the chapel: 12th-Grade Class President Minh Tran ’23 of Hanoi, Vietnam; 11th-Grade Class President Sihyeon Bae ’24 of Seoul, South Korea; 10th-Grade Class President Albert Park ’25 of Incheon, South Korea; and incoming 9th-grade class member Alli Caretti ’26 of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.
Mercersburg’s 2022-2023 student body is composed of 446 students, including residents of 32 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and 46 countries.
In keeping with tradition, each of Mercersburg’s four grades was represented by a flagbearer leading the faculty procession into the chapel.
Mercersburg Academy held a service of installation for Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25 September 16 in the Irvine Memorial Chapel.
McDowell was officially appointed in March 2022 and is only the eighth head of school in Mercersburg’s 130-year history. Before accepting the acting head of school position in June 2021, he was named Mercersburg’s associate head of school for external relations in 2019 after serving for three years as assistant head of school for enrollment.
Rev. Dr. Will Whitmore, school minister, welcomed students, faculty, staff, and guests to the ceremony, and Priscilla Lee ’23 and Johanna Lee ’25 played a moving violin duet titled “Tango.”
Tom Hadzor ’72, Board of Regents member and 2022 recipient of the Class of 1932 Distinguished Alumni Award, introduced the Hon. John Jones ’73, Dickinson College president and former Board of Regents vice president, who gave the address as a mentor and friend of McDowell’s. The Mercersburg Chorale performed the anthem “Look to This Day” before Stacie Rice Lissette ’85, P ’14, ’14, ’17, ’23, Board of Regents president, officially installed McDowell as head of school.
“Quentin and his family have been members of this community for 15 years, and he has proven himself as a leader in so many areas,” said Lissette. “His dedication to this place has been unwavering, and I think it’s fair to say that he is as ‘true blue’ as they come. He is constantly showing us that he has the ability to empower, inspire, and unite people with integrity, humility, empathy, and optimism.”
As part of the ceremony, a group of community members offered aspirations to McDowell as he takes on this new role. They included Kalwa Tembo ’23; Nikki Walker P ’19, ’23, faculty member; De-Enda Rotz P ’25, director of executive services; William Su ’88, P ’23, ’25, White Key Executive Council co-chair; the Hon. Shawn Meyers ’86, president judge of Pennsylvania’s 39th Judicial District Court; and Michael Pedersen ’95, mayor of Mercersburg.
“I am incredibly honored and deeply humbled to be named Mercersburg Academy’s eighth head of school,” said McDowell. “It is a responsibility I do not take lightly, but it is also a burden I do not carry alone. We are all charged with carrying this torch together: to honor our history and to keep alive the names that came before us and built the world we now enjoy; to do our best to selflessly serve the students, families, alumni, and friends of Mercersburg today; and to always work toward the brightest possible tomorrow for our beloved school.”
Soccer’s equivalent to the Olympic torch came to Mercersburg Academy in September. “The Ball,” Spirit of Football’s symbol to raise awareness for global issues, was presented at an all-school meeting honoring international students.
During the meeting, Miles Maggioncalda ’23 signed The Ball, demonstrated a header, and made a climate pledge. Maggioncalda, a member of the varsity soccer team, is focusing on global issues as part of his Springboard senior capstone project.
The Ball then circulated around campus during the afternoon, as students and faculty were invited to sign and head The Ball.
Karli Richards Stenger ’97 and her husband, Scott Stenger, serve as Spirit of Football ambassadors and assisted with bringing The Ball to Mercersburg.
In addition, the collaboration of the school and the Mercersburg Historical Society inspired “One World, One Ball,” the theme for the 2022 Nancy Horton Heefner Memorial Art Show. Local artists were encouraged to submit their work by contacting Syd Caretti P ’24, ’26, Mercersburg arts faculty member and director of galleries, and the show ran for approximately one month in the fall.
The Ball left Battersea Park in London on July 10, and is making several stops on its way to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. While The Ball typically travels to the FIFA Men’s World Cup, it is heading to the Women’s World Cup this year to acknowledge the contribution women bring to the sport of soccer, which is called football in most countries, except for the United States.
At the beginning of Mercersburg Academy’s 2022–2023 academic year, Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25 announced the recipients of two newly appointed endowed teaching chairs and this year’s recipients of the annual Ammerman Distinguished Teaching
Award and Zern Excellence in Teaching Award. Michelle Poacelli P ’24, ’26, head of the English department and director of the Writing Center, has been named the David F. Chapman Chair. Nikki Walker P ’19, ’23, head of the science department and head outdoor track & field
coach, was named the Douglas Hale Teaching Chair. Jo Wrzesinsky P ’26, dean of students, received the Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award for Religious and Interdisciplinary Studies. Grace Abel P ’17, language faculty, received the Zern Excellence in Teaching Award.
Making space food? Exploring with Mercersburg’s telescope? Trying out virtual reality? These were just some of the 26 workshops students participated in during Community Reading Day in the fall. The goal of the day was to explore different facets of the all-school read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. To learn more about the book and the activities that were planned for the day, visit Mercersburg’s website to hear a podcast with Alexandra Patterson and Michele Poacelli P ’24, ’26, chairs of the Community Reading Day committee.
We enjoyed welcoming family members and alums to campus September 30-October 2, 2022, for an incredible Family and Alumni Weekend. We celebrated school traditions like Step Songs at Main Hall and a bonfire on Tippetts Beach, attended classes, enjoyed the talents of various performing arts groups, and cheered on our Blue Storm athletes. We attended college counseling sessions, a tailgate lunch, and special performances by current and returning members of the Octet and Magalia in celebration of the Octet’s 75th anniversary. We look forward to another great weekend in 2023!
Mercersburg Academy athletic records fell as fast as the leaves during the fall 2022 season. The golf team led the way with Argyle Downes ’24 shooting the lowest 18-hole score (in relation to par) in school history with a 4-under-par 69 at Chambersburg Country Club in a Centennial Cup contest against Kiski. The golfers tied the lowest 9-hole team total (151) in school history in a tri-match against Goretti and St. James, a record that was set one year ago. In the Lloyd Aquatic Center, Deniel Nankov ’23 broke both the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle school records with times of 20.12 and 44.50 seconds, respectively. Meanwhile, the girls’ varsity soccer team won the Commonwealth Cup division of the Pennsylvania Independent School Athletic Association (PAISAA) state tournament, and the football team hosted a thrilling Keystone State Football League semifinal game against Perkiomen, which came down to the final play before Perkiomen prevailed 42-36. The boys’ varsity soccer, boys’ cross country, and girls’ varsity volleyball teams also competed in postseason PAISAA events, and in the sub-varsity world, the JV volleyball squad ended its season on a nine-game winning streak.
Mercersburg is pleased to bring 23 new faculty members on board for the 2022-2023 academic year, including five Mercersburg alumni. Welcome to: Julia Campbell (music fellow), Brian Canida (fitness and performance coordinator), Tim Custer (associate director of admission), Jen Craig (interim associate head of school), Ken Craig (English and admission counselor), Brendan Daly (science), Marie Donahoe (learning specialist), Chris Duffy (director of Mercersburg Outdoor Education), Kacie England (English), Jamar Galbreath ’05 (assistant director of diversity, equity, and inclusion), Bethany Galey ’02 (counseling), Kaelyn Gardner (science fellow), Daniel Hulse (associate director of college counseling), Emily Miller Joyner ’99 (mathematics), Leah Long ’97 (languages), Grace Megaffin (associate director of athletics), Sarah O’Leary ’16 (arts), Iván Quezada (language), John Richardson (chief advancement officer), Evelyn Rodrigues Bonito (math fellow), Kelsey Rupp (interim director of dance), Will Slater (history fellow), and Vanessa Whitfield (associate director of admission).
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Mel Cort ’23 and Tyerra Rooffener ’23 perform a scene from “Gaslight” in the Hale Studio Theatre, which was transformed in the fall of 2022 into an arena venue (with seating on all four sides of the stage) for Stony Batter Players theatre program’s production of the Victorian thriller by Patrick Hamilton.
Ted Smith ’83 knew he wanted to sing with the Octet at the age of 5.
His father, the late music teacher Jim Smith, taught at Mercersburg Academy and introduced him to the Octet during Friday evening performances held on the ’88 slab outside of the dining hall.
“It was Bob and George’s group,” recalls Smith, referring to Robert “Bob” Bonham ’71 and George Alter III ’72. “They sang a great knockoff of a Beach Boys tune, ‘The Little Old Lady from Pasadena.’ I was so entranced listening to that solo that I said, ‘I’m gonna do that.’”
When Smith was in 9th grade, he auditioned for the Octet and was chosen. “I still have the posting from outside of the rehearsal room of that Octet,” he says. “I made the list, and it was one of the proudest days of my life.” He later had the chance to sing a solo when his group performed “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena.”
That day has stretched into many years of Mercersburg connections and Octet performances with like-minded alumni from across the decades. In fact, those who served as Smith’s incentive for joining the Octet when he was 5, Bonham and Alter, are now his close friends. During Family and Alumni Weekend in October, they returned to Mercersburg along with other a cappella group members to celebrate the Octet’s 75th anniversary. The
Magalia will mark 50 years in 2025.
Throughout the weekend, they rehearsed together and then joined current Octet and Magalia members on stage during a Saturday evening Arts Showcase in the Burgin Center for the Arts’ Simon Theatre.
Julie Kaufman Nussdorfer ’99, P ’26 came not only to sing but also to participate in Family and Alumni Weekend with her son, Jonathan.
“I enjoyed being able to observe my son in his classes and activities and see him interacting with his peers and the Mercersburg faculty and staff,” she says.
“Magalia was probably my favorite activity at Mercersburg and one of my most memorable. I loved having the opportunity to be a part of a select group of singers who not only performed music together but also became close as a group. This experience built my confidence as a musician and provided me with some of my best Mercersburg memories,” she says.
Jennifer Miller Smith ’97, P ’23, ’24, Mercersburg’s dean of academics, sang with
the Women’s Ensemble—later named Magalia—in 11th and 12th grades. The group was under the direction of Jim Smith, who she says “ended up being one of the most influential educators in my life.”
“We rehearsed in the Edwards Room, all gathered around a grand piano, and my best memories are the simple rehearsal nights together with the other girls,” she says.
The reunion reminded Catherine Stover ’07 that when she was a student, music and arts were where she felt at home. “There was a familial homecoming between all the different class years that I hadn’t felt at the reunions for my graduating class,” she says.
Nussdorfer credits Jim Brinson, arts
faculty and current director of Mercersburg’s Octet and Magalia groups, for going above and beyond in helping with practice before the Arts Showcase. “It made me remember how much I enjoy singing and brought back memories of some of my best experiences at Mercersburg,” she says about the reunion.
According to Brinson, the students really enjoyed singing with the alumni. “Having the extra voices was a great experience for our students. It changed how the music sounded,” he says.
The alumni sang some of their favorites, including Magalia’s “Build Me Up, Buttercup” and Octet’s “De Animals.” The Maget, all of the a cappella groups combined, brightened the Simon Theatre with “Mr. Blue Sky.” A surprise pop-up performance by the Octet alumni
delighted families and students during lunch on Saturday.
“Our students also seemed to enjoy and appreciate hearing alumni share their stories,” says Brinson. “I believe the entire experience was rewarding for all.”
Before the Showcase, several Octeters sat down to discuss what it means to be a member of the Octet, their love of music, the camaraderie they have developed with other alumni, and life lessons learned as Octet members.
While the members have many reasons for returning to Octet reunions, they all agree that harmony is the magic tie that binds their love of singing together.
Josh Bowling ’08 didn’t make the Octet as a freshman, but he tried again the next year and made the cut. After that, he says, “I kept trying to steal solos every year. Just because it was so
much fun. That sense of building harmony with a small group is hard to find anywhere else.”
Alter agrees. “The magic to me is the first time we’re in the room and we’re banging out something that’s four-part harmony, and then when we do it, and you just hear the four parts. We’re holding notes at the end just because the cord is so nice. We’re all four-part harmony junkies,” he says, drawing agreement and laughter from the group.
“When you get it and it’s perfect,” says Steve Cohen ’88, “there is a genuine sense of satisfaction. I don’t know that I’ve recaptured that same feeling in any other area of my life— that feeling of working in a tight cohesive group and just really, absolutely everyone is spot on. And then, when you’ve finished the song, you look at each other and you know that what you’ve done together is special.”
Mike Crump ’06 says he felt the magic
return during the Octet’s first rehearsal. “There were just a few moments when everything really clicked, and there was a sense of satisfaction and invigoration that you get when you hear it and you know it’s right,” he says.
The alumni enjoy performing, but it’s still about the music, according to Bowling. “There’s a sort of benign hooliganry that is at the heart of the Octet. As much as we love performing, and the audience loving it and the adulation,” he says, “we do it for the music. Not necessarily for the audience. That is just a very happy byproduct. Because we care so much, the audience gets to enjoy it, too.”
Octet members express deep feelings about the relationships they not only developed as students singing with other students but also
the camaraderie with other alumni that grows during every Octet reunion.
“There’s a real fellowship among Octet members, and it stretches across the decades,” says Cohn. “We’ve gotten to know each other from the reunions and built a bond through the music but also through a common experience.”
Throughout the years, there have been Octet groups and members with exceptional gifts. The group is particularly proud of those with outstanding talent who continued on to professional musical careers. Alter mentions 1969 classmates John Brink and Andrew Wentzel. Both an actor and musician, Brink has performed multiple roles in a variety of musical theaters and made solo appearances from Omaha to New York City. Wentzel has
made appearances at the Metropolitan Opera and with other opera groups. He has also been the official “Anthem Man’’ at Tennessee home football games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
Nicholas DiVirgilio ’77 points out that while each Octet group has a variety of talent, the challenge is to bring the group together. “You are going to get a diverse group of people who have to learn how to work with each other. And where is that more important than today?”
Listen to the Octet pop-up lunch performance and hear from the alums in their own words.
The Hon. John Jones III ’73 has been chosen to receive Mercersburg Academy’s highest honor, the Class of ’32 Distinguished Alumni Award. This prestigious award is presented annually to members of the alumni body who have most distinguished themselves through character, service, and achievement. Other recent award recipients include Tom Hadzor ’72, Gardner Dean Patterson Jr. ’71, Deborah Simon ’74, and Paul Mellott Jr. ’70.
“I cannot adequately express how thrilled I am to receive this honor,” says Jones. “Mercersburg truly changed my life, and whatever career successes that I have enjoyed are a direct result of the educational experiences and mentoring that I received there. My love for Mercersburg has only grown through the years, and I have been proud to give back to a school that gave me so much. I am entirely humbled by this award.”
Jones was officially named Dickinson College’s 30th president in February 2022. Prior to Dickinson, he was chief judge of the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania. Jones was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in July 2002. Before becoming a federal judge, he was a lawyer in private practice in his hometown of Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
Jones has earned numerous accolades during his career. He received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the Dickinson School of Law, as well as an honorary doctorate in law and public policy from Dickinson College, where he was recognized as one of the 25 most influential graduates in the college’s history.
In 2006, Jones was named by Time magazine as one of its 100 most influential people in the world. He also received a Rave
Award for Policy from Wired magazine and was the recipient of the first John Marshall Judicial Independence Award, given by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. In 2009, he was the recipient of the Geological Society of America’s President’s Medal, and in the same year he was inducted into the George Washington Spirit Society.
In 2013, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Jones to the Committee on Judicial Security, a standing committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States, and in 2018 Roberts appointed Jones to the Committee on Space and Facilities. Jones joined Dickinson College’s board of trustees in 2008 and served as chair of the board from 2017 to 2021. He has served as an adjunct professor of law at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law.
Jones has presided over hundreds of cases, but two notable cases include Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District in 2005, ruling that the teaching of intelligent design in public schools was unconstitutional, and in 2014’s case of Whitewood v. Wolf, which declared that Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
Jones has had many private and public affiliations, including serving as the Pennsylvania state attorney for D.A.R.E., as a member and president-elect of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association Board, and as chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. For his work in the area of alcohol education he received the Government Leadership Award from the National Commission Against Drunk Driving.
“We are so excited to present John with the Class of ’32 Award,” says Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25. “John is a tremendous example of what it means to be Mercersburg, which has been reflected in his stellar career
and in his unwavering commitment to his alma mater.”
As a Mercersburg student, Jones was a dorm prefect and played on the football, baseball, and basketball teams. He was also a chapel usher, a sports editor for The Mercersburg News, a member of the Marshall Society, and active in the Film Club and student government.
Jones also has a long history of service to Mercersburg. He was class agent for 12 years and served as a member of the Alumni Council from 1983 to 2012. He served on the Board of Regents from 2010 to 2020 and was honored as a Regent emeritus in 2021. Jones has been a thoughtful and powerful speaker at special events, including the 2006 Commencement ceremony and the 2009 Cum Laude induction ceremony. More recently, he gave the address at the head of school installation service for Quentin McDowell in September.
In addition to his volunteer work for Mercersburg, Jones has been a consistent donor to the Annual Fund and established the John E. Jones II ’44 Memorial Scholarship Fund. A leadership donor with more than 30 years of giving to Mercersburg, he is a member of the Marshall and Irving Alliance and the 1893 Club.
Born and raised in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Jones is a graduate of Dickinson College and Penn State Dickinson Law. Jones’ father, John Jones II ’44, and brothers, David Jones ’75 and James Jones ’77, also graduated from Mercersburg. Jones and his wife, Beth, have two children, Meghan and John ’11, and three grandchildren.
Jones, together with the 2023 Alumni Council Award recipients, will be saluted during Reunion Weekend 2023. Alumni from Jones’ Class of 1973, as well as all classes ending in 3 and 8, will celebrate reunions in June.
Dianna Lora ’00, a licensing production manager for Star Wars at Zynga, was the featured speaker for the Jacobs Residency Lecture on October 24 in the Burgin Center for the Arts’ Simon Theatre. She also met with students in small groups and one-on-one during her visit to campus.
Describing herself as “a Bronx, New York, chica at heart,” Lora currently resides in Austin, Texas. Before working in gaming, Lora was a performer who played a slew of interesting characters, learned how to fall out of buildings, and partook in the occasional swashbuckling battle. She has more than 14 years of experience in the gaming industry as a writer, host, producer, and licensing and partnership professional. She has produced
her own video game TV show, started a podcast “before it was cool,” and has worked at companies like Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft, Sony, Deep Silver, and ASTRO Gaming. In her current role as licensing production manager for the Star Wars property at Zynga, she manages the relationship between the studio, Lucasfilm, and external partners.
Lora also has the honor of being a part of The Game Awards: Future Class, the SXSW Game Advisory Board, as well as multiple appearances on gaming podcasts, events, and shows. She’s also been a union representative, a global leader for her company’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), a diversity and inclusion representative, a vocal supporter and self-proclaimed rabble-rouser, pushing for
accountability and change in her industry.
Driven by a passion for helping others, Lora makes it her mission to reach out and assist others by bringing people with her, elevating others’ voices, and fighting for impactful change in the gaming industry. She can be found on social media taking endless pictures of her pets, talking about space, history, and baking, or desperately dreaming of the perfect sandwich.
While at Mercersburg, Lora was president of the Black Student Union, captain of the volleyball team, and was involved in Stony Batter Players, Chorale, Magalia, Spanish Club, International Club, and the Student Activities Committee.
The Jacobs Residency Lecture is endowed
in memory of John Alfred Morefield, the father of John Morefield ’52 and Fred Morefield ’53, in recognition of Wilmarth I. Jacobs, the school’s former assistant headmaster and director of admission (1915 to 1962), who personified a strong quality of non-elitism.
In her recent podcast with Mercersburg communications intern Norah Copenhaver ’24, Lora shared much about her Mercersburg experience and how it shaped her future. When asked what her favorite thing about Mercersburg was, she shares, “You know, coming from the Bronx, it just provided an opportunity for me that I never really had.” She recalled her time at Mercersburg with a cheery tone, looking back on all that she was involved in with the school, remembering the moments she cherished. “I did a lot of extracurricular activities. I was in volleyball, I played lacrosse, I played softball. I did a lot of different things that I never thought I could do. That’s what I loved about Mercersburg.”
Being back on campus sparked a lot of emotion from Lora, and also opened her eyes to how the school has changed since her departure. “It’s wonderful to see the evolution of what is offered here,” she says, expressing her amazement toward the creation of classes such as Stage Combat.
Lora has had a long journey since her graduation from Mercersburg in 2000 to her current position in the gaming industry. She explored various careers, such as acting, but found that the gaming industry really lured her in and stood out from the rest: “There’s something wonderful about working with a group of people for a good amount of time and creating something, then putting it out into the world.” Though her love for acting was unconditional, she truly felt that the gaming industry brought more excitement to her life, and she ultimately chose that adventure.
In talking about her career, Lora explains how she was nominated by her peers for the
The Game Awards: Future Class and says, “That was an acknowledgment of the work I’ve done. People saw the work I was doing publicly in the industry. They saw me as the ‘future of the industry.’” Lora earned that title with the impactful amount of change and development she brought to the field, working with hightech companies from Ubisoft to Sony and most recently, Zynga.
Lora says, “I enjoy the work. I enjoy the things I get to do. I enjoy being in the moment.” Powerful words from such a powerful individual who has experienced an eventful journey: “I mean, look at me. I started in musical theater. My goal was to be on Broadway, but you know, the wind changed.”
Listen to the podcast on our website.
Since its founding in 1893, Mercersburg Academy has been intentional in serving the whole learner, complementing rigorous academics with intriguing and invigorating activities and opportunities outside of the classroom.
We asked those working with students to share what they hope is gained from interactions with their area of campus, how they measure success, their goals for the future, and their thoughts about learning.
The stories related to us point to a community where students are encouraged to explore their interests in a myriad of ways. As they investigate the how and why of an activity, they also learn who they are and how they best excel.
Director of Arts Programming Matt Maurer P ’18, ’20, ’22, ’23 relates, “We hope they gain confidence, feel camaraderie, a sense of purpose, a sense of safety and support.”
We are providing a foundation that prepares students for their futures, however varied those may be.
Margaret Maciulla P ’19, ’21, ’23, ’24, director of learning services at Mercersburg Academy, knows there are no easy answers for achieving success, only consistent and steady work toward students’ goals.
The learning services office supports students as they face obstacles, helping them develop positive coping skills to navigate future challenges.
“Sometimes students realize that they’re hitting that state of overwhelm. They need help, they come in, and I can help organize
their time,” says Maciulla. She helps students manage their tasks and responsibilities by asking valuable questions, such as “How can you schedule your work so you’re not thinking about all of it tonight? Some of it is due next week. What do you need to focus on tonight? How can you break it down and plan it out so that you can concentrate on small pieces of work a little at a time?”
A high schooler who excelled at daydreaming, Maciulla can relate. Her time management skills were not refined until her
sophomore year in college. She wants students to acquire those skills much earlier than she did.
“I somehow got into Georgetown, but I didn’t have the skill set to manage myself,” Maciulla says. “I started asking my roommate, who did really well academically, and other people, ‘What are you doing? How are you doing it?’” Her peers shared that they were reading, taking notes, and studying a little bit every single day. They used free time during the day effectively.
“That was really a turning point for me. I
realized how much time I had and how much of it I was wasting. I realized I had to buckle down and use whatever pocket of time I had. I was also working a full-time job (about 35 hours a week), so if I had any time between classes or between my classes and my job, I had to figure out what I could get done. I began to realize how much you can get done in an hour. Doing a little bit and then taking a break was actually really good for my brain. I realized that you don’t have to sit for hours in a library to be ultra-studious. In fact, I realized that libraries are not a good place for me. They are too quiet. I thrived studying outside or in ‘the Basement,’ an area on campus where lots of students gathered. You have to do what works for you.” From experience, Maciulla knows when students are avoiding, procrastinating, and making excuses: “Sometimes tough love is exactly what students need. While most students may not realize it in the moment, eventually they recognize and appreciate our guidance and hard work on their behalf.”
The learning services classroom is open during the class day, Monday through Friday. Evening resource centers, which are open Monday through Thursday for approximately 2.5 hours, include the Writing Center, for assistance in “all things writing” (English, history, college essays), the Language Media Center for foreign languages, and the Math and Science Center. Students who excel in those areas are available to help, either in small groups or one-on-one, and faculty members are also on duty in the resource centers each night.
“The resource centers are a key component
of the work we do in learning services because they are a continuation and extension of what we teach students during the day,” Maciulla says, noting that the centers also offer students an opportunity to learn from each other, which is a “powerful experience.”
The learning services office supports all students, not just those with a learning difference. “I have always focused on the whole learner and taken a holistic approach when working with students. If a student is struggling with something emotionally, then they are less likely to be engaged academically. It’s survival. It is important to understand the students, know what they are experiencing, and help them identify what is interfering with their goals. What I’m finding, especially postCOVID, is an increase in the number of students who are struggling as well as an increase in the significance of their challenges. Our job is to help students navigate some of the emotional pieces of what they’re experiencing right now so that they can get back on track academically.”
“Ultimately, we want all students to reach their goals and feel accomplished. Success can be measured by a student’s level of confidence and sense of control. Academically speaking, success can be measured by a student’s ability to plan, organize, initiate, and execute assignments and other tasks independently. By
independent, I do not mean that students must complete their work alone, necessarily. Rather, I mean they can motivate themselves and attain their goals without being coaxed by the adults around them,” says Maciulla, who has a master’s degree in special education. “Students should be able to plan ahead, block off work periods, set reminders, and complete designated tasks during those times. At Mercersburg, we offer students many opportunities to get help with adults and their peers, but it is up to the student to seek out that help when needed. When students reach that level of self-advocacy, I feel relieved and believe that they will find their way in college.”
Maciulla’s goal is for all students to leave Mercersburg Academy with a set of tools that will help them navigate the next phase of their education.
“I hope students gain the confidence to admit when they need help and have the selfadvocacy skills to seek that help,” Maciulla says. “I would also love for students to understand that all others have their own challenges, whether they are academic or non-academic. We offer support and a nurturing environment so students can take risks, learn from mistakes, and stay motivated to try again (and again).”
“Sometimes tough love is exactly what students need. While most students may not realize it in the moment, eventually they recognize and appreciate our guidance and hard work on their behalf ”
-Margaret Maciulla
“We need to allow ourselves the space to be great!”
Dr. Renata Williams, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, is known for her thoughtful, timely, and often, “ah-ha moment” comments. She instantly makes you feel seen and heard and it’s her passion to do the same with the school’s students.
When it comes to her important role in the DEI office and how students interact with the team, she wants students to feel an overwhelming sense of support. “I know that may sound obvious, but I think support in every facet of their Mercersburg experience–from dining to PGAs, to residential and in the classroom spaces, and beyond–is how we want to impact our students,” Williams says.
Williams hopes she and Jamar Galbreath ’05, assistant director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, help the students engage beyond the surface of their interactions. “I
want more of our students showing up fully,” says Williams. “That is what success looks like for me.”
Williams, who is in her second year at the school, is confident that student engagement will become more “automatic” in the next five years and that students will view the office, and the work Williams is developing, as a space that supports their holistic experience. “I don’t want our office to only be the place when things have gone awry or there is concern,” says Williams. “I want our office to be a place in which students can generate ideas for partnership and collaboration. I want students to stop in because they have been pondering this or that thing and want to discuss it more.”
A quote that inspires Williams’ approach to learning is from author Marianne Williamson’s book, A Return to Love: Reflections
reads, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”
Helping our students feel belonging and allowing them the space to be powerful beyond measure is, in Williams’ words–great!
As students assume leadership roles during Community Engagement outreach, Emily Parsons P ’21, P ’22, P ’26 knows the program is making a difference.
“When a student connects with a child at the elementary school and then I hear that the child can’t wait for our students to come back and play …. When a student reorganizes the food pantry warehouse to ‘get it right’ …. When a student visits the Conococheague Institute on her own time because of the connections she’s made with the staff and the place …. Those are the moments that show success for me,” says Parsons, Mercersburg Academy director of Community Engagement. “I find great success in the small moments when a student really takes on a leadership role at a partner site.”
Parsons views the act of guiding students through these experiences as rewarding for both the students and the faculty. She references a statement by Yale professor, Dr. James Comer: “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.”
“I have that quote by my desk, and I look at it a lot,” Parsons says. “When I think about my teaching career, my time as a dorm dean, and in the other roles I’ve had on campus, this is the quote I always come
back to. When I have a relationship with a student and when they know that I care about them, that’s when the learning really happens.”
A member of the history faculty, Parsons grew up in the borough of Mercersburg. Her father, Sonny Parsons ’59, was a Mercersburg graduate and owned a pharmacy in the borough for many years. Her goal is for students to have a sense of community, to “notice the commonalities in all of our struggles and that the best work happens when a relationship is reciprocal.”
She also wants students to understand the power of altruism, especially during a time in their lives when it’s easy to be introspective. “Reaching out, working with others, helping someone, and giving of your time and talents can be an incredibly empowering experience.”
Parsons is expanding the engagement opportunities outside of the Performance Group Activity (PGA) time.
“We’re working on substantive PGA programs, but I’m also really trying to expand our work so that engagement is a big part of what we do,” Parsons says.
“I hope the students are challenged and encouraged to reach beyond what feels comfortable.”
Paul Sipes P ’22 views playing fields and courts as laboratories for learning.
“Our hope is that students will learn the hard lessons of competition, without the severity that accompanies the other areas of life where those lessons are commonly learned, as well as provide a laboratory for learning how to approach those lessons,” says Sipes, Mercersburg’s co-director of athletics for operations and outreach.
While success in athletics is measured by the results on the scoreboard, the times on the watch and the improvement of skill, it is most importantly evidenced by the character and work ethic of athletes displayed in competitive environments, stresses Sipes, who also serves as Mercersburg’s head girls’ basketball coach.
Coaches play a key role in that development by the way they invest in their players. Likewise, players develop as they relate to their coaches.
“Students only get out of an interaction what both sides bring to that interaction,” notes Sipes, a former state coach of the year in both Maryland (2001) and Virginia (2013) as well as a nine-time conference coach of the year.
He hopes Mercersburg athletes view his department as a “place where they come to seek challenges, and experience teamwork, sacrifice, determination, and learn the value of hard work.”
Sipes favors author Rudyard Kipling’s law of the jungle approach to learning: “As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back, for the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
“I want our office to be a place in which students can generate ideas for partnership and collaboration I want students to stop in because they have been pondering this or that thing and want to discuss it more ”
-Dr. Renata WilliamsPaul Sipes works with Rachel Hull ’23.
As students interact with Global Initiatives programming at Mercersburg Academy, they gain perspective on a world outside of their own experiences.
“Students who are able to see from different viewpoints are able to then adapt,’’ says Director of Global Initiatives Justine O’Connell. “They’re curious and have compassion and empathy for those who might think or approach problems and situations in different ways.”
The transformation can be life-changing, says O’Connell, who references a student’s remark made to Columbia University professor Vishakha N. Desai, author of the book World as Family: “Once you open your eyes to the world, you can never shut them again.”
Perspective is gained not only through traveling, but also through daily life at Mercersburg, where students hail from 46 nations. Interactions and programs on campus provide students with exposure to perspectives that are different from their own.
“In terms of global initiatives, I measure success by offering students the ability to engage in conversations with peers and adults in our community that they might not normally talk to and have spaces and opportunities to discuss things going on in the world, in a way that allows us to understand root causes of things like food insecurity here in Franklin County and food insecurity around the world,” says O’Connell, noting that students experience continuity when conversations on campus are investigated firsthand through sustainable travel experiences.
“I hope our programming becomes successful by going back to the communities or cities or schools or organizations that we are partnering with year after year.”
Students travel the summer between 11th and 12th grades and share their experiences with the school community. The following summer, a new group of students returns to a destination and build on what was accomplished the year before.
“Maybe that’s longitudinal studies, maybe that’s specific projects that we’re working on, maybe it’s a partnership project that we’re doing with schools abroad, but again, that success to me in terms of our travel programming is those strong relationships that will be created and nurtured throughout the years,” says O’Connell, who traveled abroad when she was a student at the University of Arizona.
Ideally, the Global Initiatives program would be so successful that every student has an opportunity to travel before leaving Mercersburg, says O’Connell. “Not that we require it, but that there is that desire and almost an expectation that we travel, that it becomes part of our identity as Mercersburg Academy.”
Last year, the first year of program travel since 2019, 42 students traveled through the program. O’Connell would like to see at least 60 students participate this year.
Pre-COVID, 65 to 70 students would travel each year. An endowment provides financial support for the program.
“Global initiatives is taking that initial step into thinking about the world outside of your own world,” O’Connell says. “You could think of that as the world outside of the Mercersburg bubble, or the world outside of your immediate friends and family. I like the word ‘initiative’ because it’s starting something new.”
In terms of global initiatives, I measure success by offering students the ability to engage in conversations with peers and adults in our community that they might not normally talk to and have spaces and opportunities to discuss things going on in the world ”
-Justine O ’ConnellJustine O’Connell
Work hard, play hard. That’s Trini Hoffman’s approach to work and life. “I live my life this way, and I hope that it rubs off on the kids,” says Hoffman P ’00, ’06, Mercersburg’s director of student activities. “You work hard during the week, and then during the weekend, you play hard. You have fun. You let go.”
Hoffman plans anywhere from 150-170 weekend activities a year for the students. These events might include everything from bingo nights and dance parties on campus to offcampus trips to local Hagerstown, Maryland, and further destinations like New York City.
“I hope [students] have fun, and it’s like a release for them where they can just be themselves and they don’t have anything to think about,” Hoffman says. “Just having fun and spending time with friends.” For new students, she hopes her events are a way to meet others on campus and form new, lasting friendships.
“I try to have as much on campus as off campus so that it can reach the students who maybe aren’t comfortable going off campus
or don’t have permission to go off campus. Because of my experience, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t, and if the kids have a real experience, they’re more likely to keep attending and keep excited about it.”
The ideas for events often come from the students themselves: campus clubs, dorm prefects, the Student Activities Committee, the entrepreneurship Springboard class, and the Student Council. Hoffman estimates that over the course of the year, nearly half the student body is involved in offering ideas. Some of the events are designed for the whole school and others might only appeal to a small group, and Hoffman says that’s OK. The (Pennsylvania) Renaissance Faire is a perfect example of a small trip with big rewards. “I know that feeds into just a small audience, but the kids who go are just glowing when they come back,” says Hoffman. “I just hope that the variety of [events and options] continues.”
Hoffman measures the success of her activities in several ways: the smiles on the students’ faces, how they interact with one
another, whether they stay for the whole event. “I’m very fortunate because the kids really are very kind, and when they say, ‘Thank you, Trini, this was awesome. Can we have another?’–I know whether they’ve enjoyed it or not. I try to pay a lot of attention to that.” Hoffman also tries to ask the students regularly about what they like and don’t like.
“In my opinion, you can’t create a funfilled, full activity without passion,” she says, and she has brought this passion to her role since joining Mercersburg in 1994.
As Hoffman looks toward the future, she will retire at the end of this academic year, but she hopes the foundation she has established will continue: “I hope that in the future, the person who carries it on has the passion, true passion for just seeing kids having fun, and it’s not just a job to them. Because I think that shines through. I think kids pick up on that stuff very easily and quickly. I think if the kids know that you legitimately want them to have a great time and a good experience, I think they’ll buy in.”
The Mercersburg Outdoor Education (MOE) program connects students to each other and the natural environment.
“At MOE, students get a solid foundation in sports–skiing, biking, hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing–they can pursue for the rest of their lives,” says Chris Duffy P ’26, director of outdoor education.
Duffy’s aim is for students to develop a passionate interest in the outdoors, while unlocking hidden potential by confronting and moving beyond their fears.
“MOE sports are physically and sometimes psychologically challenging,” Duffy says. “This kind of experience unlocks something powerful in all of us, a kind of confidence, a knowledge that we are capable of more than we once thought.”
Through MOE activities, students have an opportunity to work as a team toward a shared goal, and learn lessons about themselves and others they can apply to various areas
actively seek new challenges.
“In the mountains, I look at their effort,” says Duffy, who has 20 years of experience using outdoor adventures to teach leadership skills, facilitate character development, and create lasting relationships. “Are they bringing their best selves to challenging group decisions? Are they putting in the work to master their outdoor skills so they can achieve their potential and serve the group? I look to see that they are actively seeking new challenges instead of staying in their comfort zones. When we are not in the mountains, I am looking for a transfer of learning. In MOE, students learn interpersonal skills, teamwork, self-discipline and confidence.”
A foremost task of education is “to ensure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial, and above all, compassion,” Duffy notes, quoting from a speech by Kurt Hahn, a German educator influential in the founding of several notable institutions, including the Gordonstoun School and Outward Bound.
The student demand for MOE programs exceeds the program’s capacity.
“I hope MOE serves as the hallmark of their Mercersburg experience, that students will regard their time with MOE as the most rewarding experience of their high school careers, a place where they learned valuable lessons about themselves and made true connections with their peers.”
This kind of experience unlocks something powerful in all of us, a kind of confidence, a knowledge that we are capable of more than we once thought ”
- Chris Duffy
Alexandra Patterson views Lenfest Hall and the library housed there as a campus hub for both academic and social life.
“When students are interacting with the library, I hope they feel a sense of belonging and safety and support,” says Patterson, Mercersburg’s director of library services. “I hope they are able to get their research needs met and get books that they would like to read.”
Patterson’s hope is that as students learn, they will grow. In light of that, she quotes astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson: “For me, I am driven by two main philosophies, know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and, along the way, lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.”
While libraries used to measure success by how many students came in or how many books were checked out, today that measurement looks quite different, says Patterson, who manages a five-person staff.
An information literacy program, previously run by former research librarian Suzanne Taylor, is embedded in the 9th-grade curriculum, with sessions offered for 10th, 11th, and 12th grades as well.
“The problem used to be, how do I find the information? How do I access it? Where do I get it? Now it’s about, I have all this information. How do I know whether it’s good information? How do I filter that information for my specific information need right now? How do I know if the person has the credentials to be writing on this subject? How do I know if it’s true or if maybe someone just made it up? And how do I know that I have enough sources to be able to support my claims? We think really broadly about that.”
To meet the needs of all students, the library offers three kinds of working spaces. Those working on group projects use classroom space. The main floor is open for studying and quiet conversation. A silent reading room provides an option for students who want a completely quiet area to work.
“We really are trying to get kids to think about community, and so, what does the community need? The community needs for everyone to be able to get their work done, which means a little push and pull, right? You may not be able to be as loud as you would like to be.” During the day, students have history classes in the library. In the evenings, students come to the library to study and work on homework.
“The way we have done research has changed completely, even since I was an undergrad, which was not all that long ago,” Patterson says. “As the nature of information is changing, and there’s so many things available online, I think the measure of success has changed. We’ve looked at our metrics for how often resources are used. How many database searches are run? How often are we in classrooms helping out with instruction?”
A new virtual reality (VR) lab will offer students and teachers options for learning that weren’t available previously. Nicole Brown, the library’s tech integration specialist, is overseeing the initiative.
Looking ahead, Patterson wants to continue offering traditional and online resources. “I hope that we’re still doing many of the things that we’re doing now,” Patterson says. “There’s a push in academic libraries, particularly at the collegiate level, to remove a lot of the books from the collection. I believe deeply in print, and as a library we believe deeply in print. I hope we are still able to provide both print and online resources to meet the needs of students in this ever-changing world.”
“I hope we continue to be on the cutting edge of what research looks like, and what libraries can look like, while still maintaining all of the beautiful, wonderful things about libraries, the space, the belonging, the books themselves.”
“
I believe deeply in print, and as a library we believe deeply in print I hope we are still able to provide both print and online resources to meet the needs of students in this everchanging world ”
- Alexandra Patterson
Sarah Music, who recently became Mercersburg’s director of dining services, hopes the students and faculty view the dining hall as their “third place of choice.”
Home should have first place, work/school should rank second, and where they congregate for meals should be viewed as a third haven.
“Growing up, the dining room table was where I did most of my schoolwork and most of my talking with my family, so I want to be able to create this space that’s their third place of choice,” says Music, who has a staff of 23 employees. “When they come in here, we’re giving them something that brings them together.”
Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, Music has been employed by Meriwether Godsey, the school’s dining services provider, for two years, starting as catering manager. Music views a successful meal as one where students clean their plates or when they come to the dining hall during times that they could go out for other food.
As dining hall staff members become familiar faces, students offer helping hands, especially during family dinners.
“It’s creating that relationship like you would at home, knowing your mom had a bad
day, you check in with her: ‘What can I do to help you with cleaning up from this dinner?’” Music says. “That to me is success–when we’re able to have the students come in to spend more quality time here and then us being able to have more interaction with them on that personal level, not just that transactional level.”
Meal planning is a multifaceted process, where nutrition, taste, quantity, and resourcefulness come into play. Considering the dining hall prepares an average of 9,300 meals per week, a home-like atmosphere is commendable.
“I want students to feel comfortable coming in with recipes and menu ideas,” Music says. “Some of us have not had the experience to travel to some of the countries the students are from, and it’s right here for us as a huge learning opportunity. I want it to be more culturally diverse, not just in the classrooms, but here in the dining hall as well. I would love to get a culinary club or program started to give them a chance to feature a meal that they’ve learned about or we’ve worked on together and then have that be a Monday night family dinner that’s presented by the culinary club, with talks about how we put this menu together for you.”
The experience could allow for cultural exchange and provide a sense of accomplishment for the students involved, Music says, noting that when it comes to learning, she agrees with Auggie, played by Jacob Tremblay, the lead character in the movie Wonder: “Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life.”
“For the students, for my staff, for anybody, you need that moment where it clicks and you know it,” Music says. “You just need that one moment where you’re like, you know what, that was me. I did that.”
Associate Dean of Students Coleman Weibley hopes students view the Office of Student Life as a safe place where they feel supported and receive guidance, whether it’s about school or life in general.
“A lot of people want to associate Jo (Wrzesinsky) and me as the dean and associate dean as being the disciplinarians of the school, and yes, behavior follow-up and consequences are a lot of what we do,” Weibley says. “We’re also here to help guide, support, and teach students, and help them understand why some of these rules or policies exist, and why communication is important–how to live amongst peers, so that everyone’s feeling comfortable and accepted in the same space. Those are all kinds of things we talk about and do on a daily basis.”
Weibley says there are obvious benchmarks his office can use, such as the number of behavior reports received, or students who meet certain behavior thresholds. “But I think our work actually goes above and beyond that,” and can be measured by “significant improvement and growth in students.”
A 9th grader might not handle situations as responsibly as a 10th or 11th grader, and that’s to be expected. “Finding and noticing different ways students grow and mature along their journey here is probably the best way of measuring success,” Weibley says, noting that success should not be measured in a lack of behavior reports, but in seeing negative behaviors decrease with time and increased maturity. “The way some students’ brains are wired, they may not be able to control impulses as well as others, so they may always get some sort of behavior reports, and that’s OK. It is what they do moving forward that can really show meaningful outcomes.”
As he builds relationships with students, his goal is to change how they perceive the Office of Student Life.
“I hope we will continue to build relationships and be a place where students feel they can come for anything and to not just assume
we’re here because of discipline and behaviors. Oftentimes, tour guides will come through and say, ‘This is the Office of Student Life. If you get in trouble, this is where you go.’ That’s hard to hear because we want it to be, and we are, so much more than that. We are a place where students can come, hang out, and find support for any of their needs. I think we’ve made some great progress in the last two or three years. We’re getting the students to want to work with us to find solutions for rules they don’t think are fair.” When asked about his approach to working with students, Weibley mentions the lyrics of Kenny Chesney’s song, “Never Wanted Nothing More”: “I live to love and laugh a lot, and that’s all I need.” He says the song speaks to his work in education and learning because if a student feels like they belong and are having fun, they will get the most out of their experience. “This also teaches students to be kind to each other and to enjoy life. Fun is going to look different depending on the class or the situation, but doing what you can to make the most of the experience for the student is important.”
While leading Mercersburg’s Summer Programs earlier in his time at the school, Weibley told counselors that his priorities in programming were that 1) kids were safe, 2) they were having fun, and 3) they felt welcomed. It’s the same now.
“We’re here to support the student. It’s not just behaviors; it’s their experience. It’s their residential life. It’s the meals. It’s helping them with their connections with adults and to help them navigate life at Mercersburg, but also to be able to navigate what it’s like living in the world as a teenager today. It is always an honor to be able to do that and to feel the fulfillment of helping these young people achieve their goals and to navigate life in a positive way.”
“We’re also here to help guide, support, and teach students, and help them understand why some of these rules or policies exist, and why communication is important
Rev. Dr. William Whitmore views the Irvine Memorial Chapel, the centerpiece of campus, as a place where he hopes students feel welcomed, and continue to feel welcomed and included, regardless of what they believe, what they don’t believe, or what they don’t know they believe. “I would love to see us have more consistent engagement as a larger community around what it means to have a spirit and to understand our spirit,” says Whitmore. “Historically, to be spiritual was to renounce everything about ourselves. Nowadays, we see being spiritual as fulfilling who we are.” How he continues to affirm others’ spirits, and the community spirit in that fulfillment, are conversations he is eager to have.
“I think what I hope that students gain when they interact with myself, or the chapel, is a recognition that they don’t have to perform, to be seen as worthy of attention, praise, or care,” says Whitmore. He shares that when students are performing well, they feel better about themselves, but that can be a dangerous way to live a full life. “I think so many of our students, and let’s be honest, all of us in general, live in a performance-based identity,” says Whitmore. “In fact, I would contend that
if all my relationships are based on how I’m performing, I will, at some point, dislike myself because of that. So my hope is to affirm our students, and to show them that there is value to them, including outside of what they can perform in life and how they are performing in class, athletics, socially, etc.”
Whitmore’s goal is to help students realize that they have value outside of their performance in class or extracurriculars, encouraging students to find meaning in their life at all times. “There is a wonderful world awaiting our students when they leave Mercersburg Academy, and so much of this goodness is not predicated on what we do, but who we are and who we journey with.”
Whitmore is currently invested in the five elements of emotional intelligence, which are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. “I talk with students about the five elements, and I am seeing some success in how we engage students. I want students to feel that they have value if they can start to conceptualize a place where they have value outside of what they do in this class, or in the field, or socially, or in a club.”
“My approach is what we would call a ministry of presence, which is a chaplaincy term. And ministry of presence is exactly what it sounds like, being there for an individual,” says Whitmore. “That is how I share love, care, and concern when investing in people.” For Whitmore, finding ways to prioritize presence is always crucial. He quotes the first sentence of author Thomas Merton’s book, No Man Is an Island. “A happiness that is sought for ourselves alone can never be found; for a happiness that is diminished by being shared is not big enough to make us happy.” Whitmore says, “Ultimately, as the spiritual leader of the school, I want our students to see that life in relationship is what we were created for, are made for, and where we thrive.”
As Mercersburg’s social emotional learning counselor, Amy Shaffer Post ’02 hopes students feel welcome to come to her office as they are.
“I hope they learn that there is goodness to come when we take the time to work on ourselves and that it also benefits those around us to do so,” Shaffer Post says, noting that each student defines their own success in the work they do with her. “The first part of success is simply walking through the door and being willing to accept help. The next step is learning to have self-compassion and to treat themselves with kindness and grace as we learn the skills they need. Our work together is nearing completion when a student is able to recognize what they need to be successful and then can advocate for those needs to be met.”
As they enter her office, students glance behind her desk and see the poem “Here’s to the Crazy Ones” by Rob Siltanen (often credited to Steve Jobs). “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebe troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they They push the human race forward. And while some may see them a ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to change the world, are the ones who do.”
“The reason I love this poem is that many of the students I wor round pegs in square holes,” Shaffer Post says. “They have grown infrastructure of a traditional school setting that isn’t designed for outside-thebox thinking, making it a challenging and sometimes unwelcoming place for them. I want students to learn that this ability to see the world diff we need from them. They will be the ones to solve our greatest reason I get excited to come to work every day.”
Shaffer Post hopes students will share with each other the suppo have received and the progress they have been able to make in w a counselor.
“This will normalize seeking mental health support and ensure t our student body knows there is a confidential and judgment-free our campus where they are always welcome,” Shaffer Post says, no she and her co-workers are working diligently to be present in campus, beyond the Rutherford Health and Wellness Center. “Wellness is an all-encompassing term that impacts every area of our lives, so we want students
“
The first part of success is simply walking through the door and being willing to accept help
The next step is learning to have self-compassion and to treat themselves with kindness and grace as we learn the skills they need ”
-Amy Shaffer PostAmy Shaffer Post
As interim associate head of school, Jen Craig views her role as a “coach of the coaches,” measuring student success indirectly, through the eyes and hearts of her colleagues.
“In an administrative team, our job is to maintain the long-term growth and success of everyone in the school, adults and students, and that’s a very different role from the student-oriented, individual interest in growth a teacher or a coach might have,” says Craig, who oversees the Office of Student Life and the Rutherford Health and Wellness Center, serves as a key liaison between the faculty and senior leadership, and manages some of the day-today internal school operations.
A trip to the associate head of school’s office might not top the list of favorites for students who associate the position with disciplinary actions, but Craig says her role encompasses much more than discipline. She views each interaction with students as an opportunity to further their long-term growth, and she has high expectations for every student’s internalized and personalized success.
Craig aims to create an atmosphere with established boundaries where students long to congregate because they are loved and accepted for who they are.
“I hope our offices are places where students ask to hang out, where love and fun are found, where the guardrails are clearly laid out to help form a wide path,” says Craig, who has three decades of experience as a teacher and administrator. “My job is to enable teachers to do the best job they can to build an environment that is student-centric, and to advocate and care deeply for the faculty, so they can best build that environment for student learning.”
Empowering students to discover and develop their own narrative as they experience growth is an important part of the education process.
“I hope we always get better at having students find and tell their own personal story through the learning of all types that happens at Mercersburg,” Craig says. “Students–in fact, all of us–are people, not fully formed, on
As students develop confidence through involvement in the arts at Mercersburg, Matt Maurer P ’18, ’20, ’22, ’23 and his colleagues feel like a significant part of their mission is accomplished.
“We hope they gain confidence, feel camaraderie, a sense of purpose, a sense of safety and support,” says Maurer, director of arts programming. “Skills matter, obviously. But we count on our expertise and the nature of the work to make that happen.”
“Of course we want to produce quality shows, concerts, and exhibits, but that’s not the be-all and end-all. We want it to be solid. We want the kids to be proud of their work. But we also want them to care more about each other than if they get everything exactly right.”
Maurer’s approach to learning focuses on the person first and the product second. He knows students have increased opportunities to reach their potential if they feel safe and accepted.
He shares author, poet, and activist Maya
Angelou’s insight, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
“One of the things we try to teach kids is that it doesn’t matter whether you have a line or a solo in a given moment or not,” says Maurer, who teaches English and theatre, and advises the Irving and Marshall declaimers.
“What you do is seen, and it matters.”
As a play is cast, for example, the players enter the experience with varied backgrounds, all of which contribute to the final product. “They may or may not know each other well. They may or may not know anything about the material, about that particular script, and they’re all coming from different places, starting at different points on their journey.”
One measure of success in the arts is how students feel about what they’ve created, Maurer says. “We want them to be proud of what they’ve done together. In the moments between all the work, it’s a really cool thing to see the kids goofing around, talking and laughing. It’s then
a journey. This is a thing to be honored and nurtured, not to be rushed.”
Jen CraigThis patient approach for learning, Craig says, is expressed in “Wait for It” from Hamilton: “Wait for it. I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable. I am an original. I’m not falling behind or running late. I’m not standing still. I am lying in wait.”
Her wish for students is to find their niche, even when the journey is unconventional.
that we know they’re taking care of each other. To see that fun and that spirit happen and know that they feel safe, that they’re OK, that’s a sign they’ve bonded, they’ve grown together, they’ve formed a team.”
Maurer would love to see more students try their hand at the arts before they graduate. “Even if it’s just a toe dip, they’ll always remember that one time they were on stage.”
⊲ Gussie Reilly ’08 married Greg Lewis October 16, 2021, in their hometown, Buck Hill Falls, Pennsylvania. Mercersburg alumni in attendance included: David Strider ’08, Nick Rowan ’08, Ben Eaton ’08, Lucia Rowe ’09, Nick Mellott ’04 (friend of the groom from Boston University–small world!), Jen Leahey Romey ’10, Anmargaret Warner ’10, Chris Freeland ’08, Josh Rosenblat ’08, Annie Birney ’09, Mary Lancaster Grywatch ’08 (bridesmaid), and Cameron Reilly ’10 (maid of honor).
Christian Binford ’11 married Erica Rothe August 26, 2022, in North Beach, Maryland.
⊲ Susie Klein ’11 married Axel Amar in Paris, France, September 18, 2022. Pictured left to right: Jack Moyle, Nikki Hyrkas Moyle ’11, Claire Sabol ’11, the bride and groom, Frederick Klein ’72, P ’11, and former faculty member Floyd Robinson.
⊲ Seth Noorbakhsh ’13 married Colleen Petillo June 4, 2022, in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Attendees included (front row, left to right) Mac Williams ’13, Harvey Gross ’13, Vini Nobrega ’12; (back row) Julius Everke ’13, Enrico Vincenzini ’12, Evan Moats ’12, Seth, Paul Kreifels ’12.
⊲ Several alumni were present for the August 6, 2022, wedding of Max Lissette ’14 to Krissy McGrory in Washington, D.C.: Alex York ’14, Ben Barrows ’14, Kenny Guerrero ’14, Justin Kyner ’14, Brad Wastler ’14, Trustin Riley ’14, Amara Onyewuchi ’14, Johnny Mancini ’14, Brooke Wastler ’17, Ava Mancini ’18, Madison Nordyke ’14, Brad McGhee ’14, Natalie Burkardt ’14, Walter McGhee ’78, Alex Lissette ’17, Jack Flanagan ’14, Payton Lissette ’14, Krissy, Dave Flanagan ’81, Max, and Stacie Lissette ’85.
Jess Miga Brauzer ’05 and her husband, Andrew, welcomed their son, Beauden Finn Brauzer, August 3, 2022. Big sis Josie is quite smitten with her little bro!
Lauren McCartney ’02 and her husband, Charles Hottle, welcomed a daughter, Harlan Dagny, August 10, 2022. Her big sisters, Finley and Rowan, are pretty excited about it, too!
Gussie
and her husband, Greg Lewis, welcomed a daughter, Eloise Elizabeth Lewis, October 14, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Gussie shares, “Can’t wait to visit Mercersburg with her! And eventually enroll her and come to all her field hockey games.”
Nick Mellott ’04 and his wife, Courtney, welcomed a son, David Louis Mellott, September 24, 2022. He shares, “We are adjusting back to the no-sleep life but loving every second!”
Whitney Pezza ’05 and her husband, Amir Bagherzadeh, welcomed a son, Henry, March 13, 2022. Photo by Lauren Dobish Rutherford ’08.
Submit class notes via email to classnotes@mercersburg.edu or online at mercersburg.edu/ classnotes. The submission deadline for the next issue is April 14, 2023. Submission does not guarantee publication.
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Paul Rolston ’52 says he regrets that he was unable to attend his 70th reunion. He says he spent two years at Mercersburg with “a wonderful roommate,” Dick Roschli ’52. Paul says the teachers were exceptional and caring, especially Mr. Smith and Mr. Szeckley. Paul recently celebrated his 88th birthday with a salute to his alma mater.
’48
John Hull shares, “I am about as healthy as a 92-year-old can expect to be (not traveling, however). Greetings to members of the Class of 1948!”
’49
Patricia Black, wife of Stephen P. Black, passed away July 11, 2022.
Jack Reilly wrote an account of his life in London in the 1960s and ’70s. His essay appeared in the literary magazine Kairos online and in print. It is a 10,000-word hybrid of memoir, history, and criticism. It explains how revolutionary sound equipment and film cameras directly impacted the politics of the United States during a time that was as polarized as today. There are quotes from Ronald Reagan, Timothy Leary, Spiro T. Agnew, and others. Jack also was involved in the British documentary film industry and worked with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Lee Haase writes, “I’m semi-retired. My firm does estimating for museums, trade shows, and themed retail stores. I am also a certified lay minister in the United Methodist Church.”
Richard McCauley shares, “I retired this year from Saks Fifth Avenue where I spent 22 years in sales and sales management. Since 1989, I have been active with the Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts (Dayton, Ohio) and have served as chairman since 1991. The Mercersburg Academy magazine is especially of interest to me wherein I learn about the students, faculty, and alumni. Can’t believe 2023 marks 60 years since graduation!”
Frank Shipper writes, “A book of which I was the lead author and editor won the William Foote Whyte and Kathleen King White Book Prize for providing a ‘distinguished literary achievement’ which made ‘a very significant contribution to the advancement of economic democracy.’ I did not know that when my
Donna Fisher ’72 shares, “Thought you might like to see that one of our very cool Mercersburg Academy Class of 1972 50th Reunion hats was on display at the 42nd USGA Senior Open final day held at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Yours truly had the privilege of modeling it. One friend who saw me at #18 on Golf Channel texted me during the event: ‘Your hat is nice.’”
colleagues and I started this work 30+ years ago, we were studying economic democracy, but if that is what some want to call it, that is OK with me. This work has taken me to the UK, Spain, China, and virtually to Mexico during the pandemic.”
’64
Craig Moyer writes, “It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since our 50th! Looking forward to reconnecting and catching up with you again.”
’69
Andy Wolf won first place in the Folk/ Americana category of the Great American Song Contest with the song “Painted Sky Cafe,” a tune about a fictional diner in West Texas. He says it’s actually about a defunct diner called Fat Freese’s in Mt. Wolf, but “Painted Sky Cafe” in West Texas sounds more romantic. Andy had a guitar/vocal demo produced at Beaird Music Group in Nashville a couple months ago. One of the singers on the demo is Adam Cunningham, a contestant on The Voice. Pat McGrath, a veteran Nashville studio session guitarist, played the acoustic guitar. ’70
Barbara Higley, mother of Frank Z. Higley Jr. and James W. Higley ’71, widow of the late Frank Z. Higley ’47, grandmother of Kyle E. Higley ’00, and aunt of Bruce S. Higley ’78 and Theodore N. Higley ’80, died March 31, 2022. ’71
Steven Schaufele writes, “For those of you
who don’t know, a few years ago I published a couple of novels that are available either via Amazon or Kindle. The Owl and the Pussycat is a romance spiced with a fair amount of explicit erotica. Another Think Coming is a mindexpanding science-fiction story.”
Former federal judge John Jones III was inaugurated as Dickinson College’s 30th president on September 24, 2022. The event featured appearances by dignitaries such as former Pennsylvania governors Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker and representatives from colleges and universities across the country. Jones recently spoke during the inauguration of Mercersburg Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25.
Ken Payne shares, “After spending over 20 years practicing law and 18 years as vice president of U.S. Bank’s Wealth Management Group, I decided to retire, leave Davenport, Iowa (where I spent over 25 years working and
I read with interest the article in the latest magazine regarding Mercersburg graduates who chose the Service Academies for their next level of education. As a career Coast Guard officer (retired), I noted no mention of the Coast Guard Academy. Is there a lack of exposure to this institution and the opportunities a Coast Guard career can offer?
The Coast Guard made news this past summer with the presidential appointment of Linda Fagan as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, the first female to lead an armed force. The Coast Guard has so much to offer in terms of careers and opportunities related to the sciences, engineering, aviation and, of course, leadership roles. While the service is expanding its military role with the Navy particularly in the western Pacific, the Coast Guard has a large humanitarian role enforcing environmental laws and responding to human and environmental emergencies. The pay, benefits, and flexible retirement plans are the same as the other services, and no congressional appointment is required. Prospective students compete for admission just like other civilian education institutions. You can ask anyone in the Coast Guard today, and they will tell you, “We are hiring!”
After serving 22 years in the Coast Guard, I landed my second career in software sales with SAP, leveraging my last Coast Guard assignment designing and managing data warehouses. After 20 years with SAP, I retired to Wilmington, North Carolina, and eventually joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary to keep in touch with my past. In my current role with the Auxiliary, I am offering my knowledge and leadership experience to more than 50 volunteers in the area. I stand a communications watch on a weekly basis with a local search and Coast Guard search and rescue station and participate with the Coast Guard regional emergency management team.
Offhand, I don’t have much to offer in terms of how to promote the Coast Guard to the Mercersburg student body. I suspect some contact with the appropriate offices at either Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington or the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, would be a good starting place. I was an Officer Candidate School graduate and don’t have much knowledge of the Coast Guard Academy. I do have contacts locally with very senior active duty Coast Guard officers who attended the Academy who could provide me some insights on how one would proceed.
Feel free to contact me if you need further information or if I can assist. Thanks for taking the time.
Sincerely,
Lou Stanton ’68 LCDR, USCG Retiredraising my two sons, Spencer and Marshall), and move back ‘home’ to Virginia. Fortunately, things worked out fairly well (despite the pandemic), and in February 2021, I purchased a townhouse in Waynesboro, Virginia (a small city located in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley). I am now enjoying life in Waynesboro and spending my time visiting family and friends, volunteering in the community, and working on my golf game. I hope everyone is doing well, and I look forward to seeing my classmates at our upcoming 50th reunion!”
Bruce Thompson shares, “In 2020, I retired and moved to Boulder, Colorado. In May 2022, I finished second in the men’s 65-69 category at the Ironman World Championship in St. George, Utah.”
Thomas Robinson moved after 38 years in one home. He is looking forward to traveling more and enjoying retirement.
Ceci Bennett writes, “I’m still living in Boise, Idaho (almost 25 years here and continue to love the west). My husband and I retired from Idaho real estate sales this past year; now we get to travel more and visit family (three married kids and six grandkids), catch up with friends, continue lots of volunteerism, and focus on fitness and fly-fishing. We traveled to Patagonia, Arizona, this past winter (such wonderful people, gorgeous landscapes, and beautiful rivers). I can’t believe I graduated 45 years ago this June 2023! So many incredible memories, unique experiences, and lifelong friends. Priceless. I hope to get back to the ’Burg for that gathering.”
Scott Jamison shares, “I have worked for Aetna, a CVS Health company, overseeing the administration of several health plans for federal employees that together cover 330,000 people. After nearly 60 years of living in Maryland, at the start of 2021, I relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I work from home.”
Brian Rich Jr., son of Brian Rich, died September 25, 2022.
1979 classmates Judy Russell Purman, Ruth Quinn, Jennifer Ruffolo, and Gretchen Decker Jones visited together in The Sea Ranch, California, in May. Much reminiscing, a long ride up Highway 101 in a cool silver convertible, hikes in the redwood forest, visits to Jen’s horse stables, local farms and community gardens, and shared meals prepared by chef extraordinaire Jen were some highlights of the trip. The ladies agreed that their Mercersburg memories are fond ones and the bonds formed there grow even stronger as time flies by.
Albert C. Homans, spouse of Lois Findlay, passed away March 16, 2018. ’82
Jean McCullough, mother of Charles L. McCullough, Carol J. McCullough Dupont ’85, Harold L. McCullough ’91; and grandmother to Maxwell W. McCullough ’21, passed away on May 16, 2022. She also was the motherin-law of Elizabeth Bryant McCullough ’84, Lori Ruohomaki McCullough ’91, and David Dupont ’80
’86
Katherine Ricciuti, mother of J. Bruce Ricciuti, died October 1, 2022.
In March, Shawn Meyers and his wife, Nancy, traveled to Sun Valley, Idaho, for some spring skiing. While there, they met up with Joseph Schultz ’93 and his friend, Emily McKenzie. Joe has resided in Ketchum, Idaho, for five years, where he runs Innerflo Bodywork and
Mark Pyper ’83 (pictured at left) took an epic cross-country bike trip. He started on August 17 in Astoria, Oregon, and continued through the beginning of October as he biked to Portland, Maine. This trip averaged 95 miles each day, totaled 3,814 miles, and 157,456 in “vert” or vertical gain. Stops along his route included Walla Walla, Washington; Bozeman, Montana; Rapid City, South Dakota; Madison, Wisconsin; Corning, New York; and Hanover, New Hampshire. Mark looks forward to being back on campus for Alumni Council meetings as well as his 40th reunion in June!
Movement Studio, combining Eastern and Western massage, meditation and movement modalities. Joe and Shawn shared reflections on their time at Mercersburg and life since then. Shawn’s mother, Helen L. Meyers, passed away May 3, 2022.
The sons of Margaret O’Brien have pursued non-typical college educations. One son is in his final year at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The other son is doing everything
possible to complete a four-year program in two years at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to become a professional pilot. She is happy to talk with anyone considering these educational paths.
John Brubaker, a Maine author, is set to release his new children’s book, Roody Kangaroo Moves Forward
Steve Cohn just completed his master of social work at PennWest University. He is starting a new job at Lower Merion Counseling and Mobile Services, where he interned with the clinical staff last year. His wife, Aleta, completed her PsyD and is also a therapist. Both Steve and Aleta specialize in trauma therapy, as well as a range of mental health issues. They have a 5-year-old, Ariel, who recently started first grade.
Douglas Eddy sold his previous company and started his own company dedicated to mentoring teens.
Eric Reed shares an update about his son, Quinton Reed ’19: “Quinton, a senior at the College of William & Mary, was selected into the Beckman Scholars Program. This national program, founded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, is a 15-month mentored research award for exceptional undergrads in biology and chemistry. Quinton is performing research in biology.”
Jane MacKinlay Himes died July 15, 2022. She was the mother of Ashley Himes Kranich, Bower S. Himes ’91, and MacKinlay S. Himes ’94, grandmother of Caroline E. Kranich ’20, and sister of Edgar H. MacKinlay Jr., ’54
Jenna Heller was promoted to head of communications and marketing for AgResearch, an agricultural science research institute in New Zealand. The institute’s research includes low methane-emitting sheep breeding programs. She also became a grandma in September to her daughter’s daughter, Charlotte. At the start of 2022, she thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting virtually with her sophomore year roommate, Tanja Chute “I think of my time at Mercersburg often–from singing in the choir and madrigals to starting up the girls’ lacrosse program in 1986-87 to sitting at the head waiters table to writing
poetry and reading great literature to learning how to think critically and create space for differing views and perspectives. Although I was only there for two years, my time at Mercersburg was truly life-shaping for me.”
John Barnes has been named office managing partner in Cleveland after 18 years of successive leadership roles within Grant Thornton. He most recently served as the leader of the firm’s Advisory Services practice in Ohio, Michigan, and Western Pennsylvania, and his extensive industry experience includes many engagements with multinational manufacturing firms, technology companies, retailers, and not-for-profit organizations. John is a CPA in Ohio and Maryland, a certified internal auditor, and a member of both the AICPA and the Institute of Internal Auditors. He earned a bachelor’s in accounting and international business from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s of business administration with a concentration in finance from the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
Peggy Burns is the editor and publisher of the best-selling graphic novel in fall of 2022,
Janelle Cwik ’91 writes: “My husband, Krzysztof, and I visited Bermuda for a week in September 2022. We plan to visit Paris for a week in February 2023 to celebrate my 50th birthday, attending the ballet at The Parisian Opera House. Our tickets are also booked for Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, staying with Krzysztof’s best friend in Steckborn September 2023. MSC Europa Cruise booked for Spain, France, Italy, and Malta in February 2024. Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao weeklong cruise booked for January 2025. It’s an exciting time for the Cwiks! Out west in Colorado, my daughter is enjoying the fall with my grandson, Ramsay, who is 2 years old. Perhaps he will be in the Mercersburg Class of 2038! We bought land next to Shenandoah National Park where I will have an Airbnb log cabin in retirement.” She visited Mercersburg in the fall of 2022 for a two-night stay at the Mercersburg Inn and to say hello to the Simars.
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton, which was selected Best of the Year by the New Yorker ; and featured in The New York Times Magazine and New York Magazine. She has traveled back to campus twice in 2022, once for her 30th Reunion with classmate and fellow Montrealer Allison Felley Jacquemont, and once for Family and Alumni Weekend to see her daughter, Gigi ’24
Danielle Dahlstrom continues to live in Vienna, Austria, with her husband, Robert, and two children, Oscar and Ella, and works on nuclear issues. She recently was invited to join the Alumni Council and, in this capacity, hopes to launch an international initiative that connects Mercersburg community members from around the world. Danielle is already counting the days until the 30th reunion in 2023 and looks forward to hosting more virtual happy hours for the Class of 1993 in the meantime!
Robert Hanvey shares, “After nearly 30 years, I retired from the Navy in February 2022. We have moved back to Greensboro, North Carolina, and our 10- and 6-year-olds are now back in school. Any Class of ’93 alums coming through the Greensboro/Triad area of North Carolina, I’d love to reconnect over coffee or lunch.”
Sarah Smith writes, “After teaching AP psychology for 21 years at North Broward Prep School in Coconut Creek, Florida, I made a major change to a different school. I am currently teaching IB psychology at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton. My daughter, Chelsea, is in PreK and the Class of 2036!”
Sean Doherty ’02 graduated from Villanova University’s School of Business with an Executive Master of Business Administration in May 2022. Sean recently moved from San Francisco to Philadelphia’s Main Line in Haverford Township along with his wife, Katia, and sons Jamie (4) and Rory (2). Peter Banzhaf ’02 and Joe Ambrose ’03 attended Doherty’s MBA graduation.
On June 22, 2022, Shawn Meyers ’86, president judge for the 39th Judicial District, administered the oath of bar admission to the State of Missouri for Neha Sukerkar ’03 at the Franklin County Courthouse, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Neha, whose family lives in Chambersburg, recently applied for a transfer of bar admission from Massachusetts to Missouri where she plans on working in public interest law in the state. Neha and Judge Meyers enjoyed connecting and sharing experiences from their respective years at Mercersburg.
Zak Zielezinski recently was featured on two podcasts talking about his professional journey. Zak also won an industry award for innovation in technology platform development.
Sonia Hyojin Byun is working on her own startup, Pomcare, which helps female teenagers take control of their health. It offers educational content, ongoing support through an app, and virtual clinical services (e.g., athome testing for STIs) to assure students get relevant education and care around sexual and reproductive health.
Jamie
’03 and
Risa Fujita serves as second secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. As a member of the Public Affairs section, she primarily focuses on culture and performing arts programs.
Laura Willwerth Dunbar moved to Fayetteville with her husband and daughter and currently works as a Project Architect at Noelker and Hull Associates in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
visited campus with their family to recognize the 20-year anniversary of when Victoria first stepped on campus as part of the Summer ESL program. They are looking forward to seeing everyone in June for their reunion. Their children are Zoe (9), Jay (7), and Sasha (5).
Magdalena Kala was featured in the Skimm newsletter as part of the virtual session, Future-Proofed: Closing the Crypto Gender Gap. The Skimm’s Alex Carr sat down with crypto experts Laura Shin, Maggie Love, and Magdalena to decipher how blockchain will impact the future of money and how women can get involved in crypto investments.
Andrew Buehler launched Urban Smokehouse, an online barbecue delivery service, in September.
Leigh Saner, a national board-certified
coach
owner
Define YOU, LLC, was interviewed for an article on journaling and mindfulness for Authority Magazine
health & wellness and the of Pam Aquino ’06 and Carlos Campos ‘04 connected at the Salesforce office in New York City. Faculty member Bryan Morgan ’07 met up with classmate Colin Jones ’07 and their Duke teammate Josh Trezvant at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Elliot Van Ness ’05 participated in Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte in February in Charlotte, North Carolina. All proceeds benefited Carolina Breast Friends and the Go Jen Go Foundation.James Firestein shares, “I launched a luxury accessories resale startup on September 27, 2022, named OpenLuxury, where users can sell, find, and authenticate their luxury handbags and accessories. Our mission is to provide users with digestible quotes from various resale companies so they can get the most money for their item, offer a flexible concierge service so they can find what they’re looking for, and provide an accurate authentication service so they know they have the real thing. We are striving to make luxury resale safe, accessible, and convenient!”
Joseph Blanchard, father of J. Katherine Blanchard Whittle, passed away July 14, 2022.
Over the summer, Grace Caroline Wiener ’14 accidentally became an internet sensation with @ironicboatandtote, making L.L. Bean Boat and Tote bags the new it-bags. She was featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, and many other publications. In October, she launched an exclusive collaboration collection with L.L. Bean.
Patty Krisan ’17 was quite surprised to see a Mercersburg van at the New River Gorge in West Virginia recently. Patty graduated from the Naval Academy in 2021, is currently stationed in Virginia Beach, and ran into faculty members Pete Gunkleman P ’25 and Emily Joyner ’99, who brought students to climb at the New River Gorge through the Mercersburg Outdoor Education program. Patty was a postgraduate in 2017 and climbed in the endeavor program with faculty emerita Sue Malone P ’01, ’03. She said the endeavor program helped prepare her for the Naval Academy.
Rebekah Samuels lives in Kentucky with her fiancé, two cats, and their very spoiled dog, Bella. She is looking forward to returning to the ’Burg in June!
Joe Barrett just recently concluded a fouryear tour serving as the training officer and visit board search and seizure officer aboard USS San Diego stationed out of San Diego, California. Joe and his wife, Caroline, currently reside in Annapolis, Maryland, where Joe is an adjunct professor of seamanship and navigation at the U.S. Naval Academy, while Caroline works for Coinbase.
Over the last two years, William A. York started and built York Realty Group into a real estate support network, helping clients into their first real estate investment in the DMV and providing the education to help them grow their portfolio in the multifamily space. He said he would love to support the alumni
This group of Mercersburg young alums (and parents) formed a soccer team to compete last fall in a local Washington, D.C., area adult soccer league. They were 5-0 in their season at the time of photo submission. Alums and parents on the team include Reed Widdoes ’15, Ryan Klaff ’16, Colin Klaff ’18, Thomas Vickery ’18, Payton Stauffer ’18, Stuart Vickery P ’18, ’22, and Andy Klaff P ’16, ’18, ’20 (not pictured).
community for those interested in owning part of our nation’s capital.
Rachael Ditzler is working on a new technique of synthesizing vinyl polymers at UNC Chapel Hill.
Abby Henne graduated from Tufts University, and is moving to begin law school at Loyola University. She plans to specialize in child and family law. ’18
In the summer of 2022, Jayvien Sandridge pitched in his first full professional season since 2019 with the Daytona Tortugas, a Single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
August Wadlington began work and relocated to southern Maine at the end of October.
Mercersburg was well represented at faculty emeritus Bo Burbank’s celebration of life service. Back row, from left: Dean Hill ’84, Peggy Raley Ward ’85, Steve Flanagan ’74, Barbara Burgin, Walter Burgin ’53 (former head of school), Chris Kelaher ’88, Charlotte Burbank Florentino ’80, Don Hill, Sally Anne Epstein ’81, Sarah Burbank ’95, Doug Burbank ’81. Front row, from left: Tim Burbank ’83, Eloise Burbank, Amy Burbank Kelaher ’89. Greg “Harpo” Morris ’75 relates: “Sad news to read about Bo Burbank passing away. I send my sympathies to his loving family and all who knew and appreciated Bo. He was a great tennis and squash coach. He was a very influential, artistic, kind, and fun person. Bo was one of the coolest faculty members that made Mercersburg two of the best years of my lifetime. Going to his off-campus farm house and having a great time with Bo and his family was always so enjoyable. Thank you, Bo, and to you, Brad, and your entire family for helping make many of our Mercersburg memories so wonderful.”
Aicher Hearon ’19 and his mom Christy Coyne P ’16, ’19 attended a Real Madrid game vs. Manchester City on May 4; Thomas Vickery ’18 and his parents, Kristin ’88 and Stuart Vickery P ’18, ’22, were watching the game on television and spotted Aicher in the crowd. They proceeded to text each other throughout the game, which was one of the more exciting wins for Real Madrid. In a further twist, Real Madrid’s best player, Karim Benzema, posted this picture on his Instagram account, where Aicher can be seen at middle right!
Michael Betkowski is in his senior year of college at Franklin & Marshall, and is the captain of the squash team, despite starting as a walk-on to the team.
Hunter Roberts is studying at Washington & Lee. In November, he traveled with press credentials from the Washington Times to Qatar to write about the World Cup. He also worked on an independent photojournalism project, focusing on the perspectives and lives of workers, locals, fans, and players.
Davis Anderson is in his junior year at Case Western University as a business management major.
Karen Hunka P ’02, ’03, ’07, ’09, former director of transportation at Mercersburg (1997 to 2008), is in her fifth year as a lay mission helper, serving in Damongo, Ghana, West Africa.
In November, Steve Fowler (pictured front, center), Mercersburg’s assistant dean of academics, a member of the mathematics faculty, and assistant swimming coach, was inducted into Elizabethtown College Hall of Fame, along with five other former Blue Jay student-athletes and one former head coach. Fowler, a 1994 graduate of Elizabethtown, was a three-time individual MAC champion, still holds the school record in the 50 freestyle, and held eight school records at one time during his career. Fowler was a six-time all-conference selection and set the conference record in the 100 backstroke during his senior season. The three-time team captain was selected as team MVP during the 1993-94 season.
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Frank C. Whitesell of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, October 17, 2021. Frank and his wife, Ann (Snyder), were married for 41 years. Frank worked for 30 years at the former Raub Supply Co., retiring in 1980 as vice president of marketing for the industrial division. In retirement, he was a partner in Lancaster Ad Specialties, later becoming president. He is survived by a son and two grandchildren.
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John Marshall Rose Ayres, February 5, 2018. After Mercersburg, John served in World War II, graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, and started his own law firm. In his civic life, he was CEO of Citizens Cemetery Association, a founding member of Penn Wood Players, president of Johnstown Kiwanis Club, and lieutenant governor of Kiwanis Club International. John is survived by his wife of 35 years, Marian (Berriman) Trexler, one daughter, two sons, a stepson, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Neal Fenimore McBride, March 16, 2022. Neal attended Mercersburg and graduated from Rayen High School. He received a B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College, a B.S. in education from Youngstown State, and a master’s in counseling from Westminster College. He taught English, drama, and social studies in Warren city schools in Ohio for 31 years. He is preceded in death by a cousin, John McComb ’41 Neal is survived by four children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
Frederick W. McKee of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, Dec. 21, 2006. Frederick graduated from New Castle High in 1941 and from Mercersburg in 1942. In World War II, he served as an ambulance driver. He was married to the former Joan Ringer for nearly 53 years. An accountant with both United Engineering and Mesta, Frederick also owned Belknap’s Isaly’s in New Castle. He is survived by two daughters, one son-in-law, a son, and two grandchildren.
Robert Dale Billhimer of Largo, Florida, February 15, 2014. Born in Pennsylvania, he moved to Florida in 1987 after living for 30 years in Huntington, New York. He was married to his wife, Leila Jane, for 58 years. He is survived by two sons.
David Lee Brooks of Baltimore, Maryland, and North Palm Beach, Florida, November 19, 2018. David served in the Navy during World War II, then moved back to Maryland to begin his career in automobile sales. He later became the proud owner of Brooks Buick/BMW of Towson. Dave is survived by his wife, Stephanie Hucht Brooks, his sister, his son, two daughters, three stepdaughters, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
William Warwick Coons, USN-RET, November 17, 2016. Bill earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from George Washington University. His 31 years of naval service included commanding the Naval Supply Center in Charleston and creating the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. He was later an associate professor of engineering
at the University of Florida. Bill is survived by his wife, May Gold Coons, two sons, two daughters-in-law, four grandchildren and spouses; and two great-granddaughters.
Donald P. Tanner, of Bethel Park, May 21, 2015. Don was a World War II veteran, the husband of the late Ruth (Rehrer) Tanner, a retired woodshop teacher for Pittsburgh Public Schools, and an avid golfer. He is survived by two daughters, three granddaughters, and a brother and sister, in addition to numerous nieces and nephews and his faithful companion, Ozzie.
Charles (Sandy) Tippetts, Jr., September 9, 2022. At Mercersburg, Sandy played soccer, was head of the camera club, and a member of the Karux board. His undergraduate career at Princeton was interrupted by service in the Army Corps of Engineers in World War II. Graduating from Princeton in 1949, he pursued premedical studies at the University of Pittsburgh, and received an M.D. from Jefferson Medical College in 1954—the same year he married Marion Hamer in the Mercersburg Chapel (Marion’s parents taught there and Sandy’s father was headmaster). The couple settled in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Sandy’s career, which continued until he was 91, included group practices in internal and family medicine; teaching community medicine at three schools; significant roles at Salem Hospital; and, after he and Marion retired to Amelia Island in 1987, work in medical practices in Georgia and Fernandina Beach. Sandy was the son of the late Charles Tippetts (1912); brother-in-law of the late Thomas Steiger ’35; nephew of the late William Tippetts (1910); uncle of Thomas Steiger ’66, Victoria Steiger
Olin ’68, and Susan Steiger Klann ’71; and great-uncle of Thomas Steiger ’11 and Helen Steiger ’13. Survivors include his wife of 68 years and two daughters, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and their children.
Robert W. Tosh of Claremont, California, July 7, 2022. He was the son of the late Aaron Tosh (1911) and a cousin of the late Franklin Tosh ’36.
Richard D. Bleznak of Birmingham, Michigan, December 28, 2019. Husband of the late Phyllis Bleznak, he is survived by a brother (Alan Bleznak ’49), a daughter, a son and daughter-in-law, five grandchildren and spouses, and four greatgrandchildren.
John W. Brandon, III, February 16, 2021. A long-time supporter of the YMCA, John was the son of the late J. Campbell Brandon (1902). He is survived by a son, a daughter, a sonin-law, a daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.
James W. Cowan, Jr. of Vineland, New Jersey, July 28, 2013. He was a land surveyor for the City of Vineland for 30 years and a self-employed land surveyor after retirement. James served in the U.S. Navy in World War II in the Pacific. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Elaine (Bergamo) Cowan, two sons, one daughter-in-law, a daughter and son-in-law, two grandchildren, a sister, and many nieces and nephews.
Raymond Childs Adler, II, June 29, 2019, in San Diego.
Allan W. Neustadt, July 9, 2022. Allan earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma. During his career, he was vice president of engineering at Westheimer-Neustadt Corporation and president of Pilgrim Drilling Company. In 1968, he married Marilyn Leaman; they were married 44 years. Allan’s civic involvement included Ardmore United Way (chairman and later president), Memorial Hospital of Southern Oklahoma (board member), and Mercersburg’s Board of Regents. Allan was predeceased by his wife, Marilyn; and two brothers, Walter Neustadt ’36 and Jean G. Neustadt ’40 Survivors include his daughter; two granddaughters; his stepdaughter, her husband, and their two children, including Mary Merrick ’97; nephew Bruce Neustadt ’70; and four greatgrandchildren.
Edmund F. Truter, Jr. of Matthews, North Carolina, July 21, 2022. Ed graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and served in the Army during the Korean War. He had a distinguished career as an elementary school principal, school district supervisor, and assistant superintendent. He was also a docent and diver/shark feeder at the National Aquarium in Baltimore for 25 years. At age 61, he made it to the U.S. Masters Nationals swimming competition. Survivors include his two daughters, one son-in-law, and a granddaughter, as well as his wife of 26 years, Katherine (“Kitti”) and her children and grandchildren.
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John Willison “Will” Allen of La Quinta, California, April 5, 2022. Will received an A.B. from Stanford, then an M.D. from the University of California-San Francisco. While serving in the U.S. Army from 1955-1963, he delivered the 19th child of the Beardsley family, made famous in the book and movie Yours, Mine and Ours. He delivered thousands of babies in his solo Sacramento OB/GYN practice from 1963 until he retired in 2000. Survivors include his wife, Marlys; his sister and her family; his daughter and son and their spouses; three grandchildren and their partners; one great-granddaughter; and his puppies, Charlotte and Gigi.
Thomas “Tom” Bailey, September 21, 2022. Tom attended Franklin & Marshall College, then went on to receive a D.D.S. from Temple University Dental School in 1954. After serving in the U.S. Navy as a dentist, Tom joined his father’s practice, where he worked for many years. Tom is survived by his wife, Hannelore Wolcott-Bailey; three children and spouses; four grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren; and two stepdaughters.
Douglas Kensley Brooks of Annandale, Virginia, May 9, 2020. Douglas graduated from Beaver Falls High, then attended Mercersburg for a year. He married Marian D. Gilchrist in 1950, graduated from Denison University in 1951, and served in the U. S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. He was the owner of John H. Brooks & Sons and D. & T. Brooks, industrial excavation and construction companies in Beaver Falls. He is survived by his wife, Marian; two
daughters, one son, two sons-inlaw, and one daughter-in-law; five grandchildren; two sisters-in-law; and many nieces and nephews.
James Smith Higgins, June 19, 2018. He was the brother of the late Judiah Higgins ’47
Charles “Mack” White, Jr. of Auburn, New York, May 21, 2014. After Mercersburg, he graduated from Lehigh University and served in the Navy during World War II. He moved to Auburn in 1978 and worked as an outside salesman for Austeel, retiring as vice president of sales. Mack is survived by his son; two daughters and one son-in-law; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; his brother; and his companion, Irene Sellman.
William Dudson Bacon of Everett, Washington, March 27, 2018. He earned an M.D. and served in the U.S. Navy. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, his former wife, and her three children and their families.
Frank Moran Shappert, June 14, 2022. After high school, Frank spent a year at Mercersburg, studied engineering at Cornell, then transferred to the University of Illinois in ChampaignUrbana to study business administration. During a summer term at the University of Wisconsin, Frank met Margaret Mae “Margie” Wiseman, whom he subsequently married. Graduating third in his class at the University of Illinois, Frank then served as a second lieutenant in the Korean War. For much of his career, he was president of Shappert Engineering. Frank is survived by his three children, six grandchildren and spouses, and
eight great-grandchildren.
David Horton Staley of Delaware, Ohio, August 30, 2019. After graduating from Columbus North in 1948, he attended Mercersburg and received a B.A. from Oberlin College, an M.A. from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Ohio State in 1963. During this time, he taught at OU, OSU, Oberlin, and Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan, where he met his wife, Patricia. They were married for 61 years. In 1961, Dave began teaching mathematics at Ohio Wesleyan, where he later established a computer science award for promising juniors. Dave is survived by his wife, two daughters and one son, a sonin-law and daughter-in-law, eight grandchildren, a great-grandson, and his sister.
Carl S. Weiser of New Hope, Minnesota, March 28, 2022. He graduated from Bucknell University after attending Mercersburg and served in the 25th Infantry in Korea (1953–1954). His career in HR included stints with New York Trust in New York City, Northwestern Bank in Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Survivors include his wife, Lorna Tjaden; three daughters, one son, two sons-in-law, and one daughter-in-law; two stepsons, one stepdaughter, and spouses; numerous grandchildren, step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and step-greatgrandchildren; and a great-greatgrandchild.
Charles Herbert Wineholt Jr., February 14, 2019. He is survived by two sons, one daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.
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Walter Daniel Foster, October 4, 2022. He earned a B.S. and M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, completed his residency in radiology at Allegheny General Hospital, then served in the U.S. Navy in Key West. Dan married Marian Ruth Johnson in 1957. He was director of Westmoreland Hospital’s radiology department for many years. In retirement, he served as elder, deacon, and lay pastor at his church; went on mission trips to Sudan; and enrolled at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Dan is survived by a sister, his daughter and two sons, including Thomas D. Foster ’76, one son-inlaw and two daughters-in-law, seven grandchildren and spouses, and nine great-grandchildren.
James Thomas Lile of Lancaster, July 4, 2022. Jim earned an architecture degree in 1954 from the University of Pennsylvania, then served two years in the U.S. Army, including a year in Germany as part of a border unit. In 1958, he married the former Judith P. Hippel. Jim joined the Philadelphia architecture firm of Alexander Ewing & Associates in the early 1960s, was made partner in 1973, and remained with the firm until he retired in 1994. Survivors include his two daughters, his son, two sons-in-law, two grandsons, and his former wife, Judith Lile-Hynes.
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John “Jack” Calandra of Cresson, Pennsylvania, September 20, 2022. Jack graduated from Cresson High before attending Mercersburg. He received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1954, then served in the Army National Guard for two
years. In 1955, he married Genevieve “Jenny” (Hart); they were married until her death last year. In his career, Jack was president and owner of Cresson Steel Co., president of Frank Calandra, Inc., and cofounder, with his brother, Frank, of Jennmar Corp. An unofficial recruiter for the U. S. Naval Academy’s football team, Jack was honored with a trustee position at the Naval Academy Foundation for his efforts, and he served there for more than 25 years. Jack was preceded in death by his brother, Frank Calandra, Jr. ’55. He is survived by his three daughters and three sons, including Carol Calandra Lawrence ’87 and Anthony Calandra ’84; two sons-in-law and three daughtersin-law; 10 grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren.
Osborne Francis Wachter Jr. of Middletown, Maryland, September 3, 2022. He attended Mercersburg after graduating from Frederick High School in 1948. He owned and operated Wachter Insurance Agency in Middletown from 1969 until his retirement. He is survived by Betty Smith Wachter, his wife of nearly 71 years, a daughter, two sons, one daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and spouses, three great-grandchildren, three sisters-in-law, and three brothersin-law.
David Robert Lenington, November 9, 2018.
Edmund Bruce Partridge, April 23, 2022. Ed was an Episcopal priest for 60 years and had a knack for revitalizing distressed parishes. He
attended Lehigh and the University of Pittsburgh, earning degrees in business administration and physics. He then enlisted in the Army during the Korean War, serving stateside. Ed met and married Carolyn Ehni in 1959. In 1962, he received an M.Div. from General Theological Seminary and was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood. Ed served parishes in Kansas, New Jersey (where he was dean of Trinity & St. Philip’s Cathedral in Newark), and Virginia. He was a member of the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council, and taught homiletics at the College of Preachers. He also wrote three books, including The New Spirituality for Laymen. The London Institute awarded him an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 1973. Because the congregations he served often had financial limitations, he worked as a plant engineer during the day and met his pastoral requirements at night and on weekends. For this work, thenBishop John Shelby Spong named him an Honorary Life Canon. He is survived by his wife, Lynn Freeburger, whom he married in 2014, eight nieces and nephews, and his dog, Chappy.
F. Robert Witmer, Sr. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, October 23, 2022. While at Mercersburg, Robert excelled in sports and was captain of the football team. A skilled carpenter, he founded the F. Robert Witmer Construction Co., at the age of 25, and provided quality building services to the area for 40 years until his retirement. A 32nd degree Mason, Robert was a member of the Robert Burns Lodge #464, Scottish Rite Valley of Harrisburg and the Zembo Shrine. He had also been a member of 29th Street United Methodist Church for 60 years. Robert was a dedicated outdoorsman. He was
an avid hunter and fisherman, enjoyed camping upstate and had a deep respect and love for animals. Robert is survived by his soulmate of 35 years, Brenda J. Rex, his son and daughter, a sister, four grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.
Gordon Hawthorne Arey, Sr., October 1, 2022. Gordon graduated from Bethesda Chevy Chase High before attending Mercersburg Academy. His extensive community service included being a volunteer fireman, an elder at his church, and president of the Bethesda (Marland) Kiwanis Club. He also spent many hours with the Silver Spring Boys Club. Survivors include his wife, Virginia; a sister-in-law; a daughter and son-in-law; two sons and two daughters-in-law; in addition to several grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
John D. “Jack” Bream, February 23, 2022. After graduating from Gettysburg College, Jack stayed on for several years to be an assistant men’s basketball coach and support various other sports. For this service, he was named to the college’s Athletic Department Hall of Fame. He was also a teacher, administrator, and coach in the Littlestown School District for 35 years. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Carol (Burchfield) Bream; his two daughters, one son, two sons-in-law, and one daughter-inlaw; four grandchildren; and a greatgranddaughter.
Henry “Hank” Arnold Burhans, Jr. of Syracuse, and more recently of Corrales, New Mexico, July 8, 2022. After Mercersburg, Hank attended Colgate University, then transferred to
Syracuse University, where he received both a B.S. and an M.S. in social work. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1966 with the rank of captain. Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Miriam; one son and one daughter, in addition to a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law; and a grandson.
Frank K. Leyshon, December 6, 2017. Frank graduated from Cambridge High, Mercersburg, and Muskingum University; he received an LLD from Ohio Northern University School of Law. He served in the U.S. Army in Japan from 1955-1957. Returning home, he met and married his wife of 59 years, Judith “Judy” Mitchell. He practiced law in Cambridge, Ohio, for 30 years. With his father, Frank co-authored three supplements of Leyshons’ Ohio Practice Manual Survivors include three sons and one daughter, in addition to one daughterin-law; three granddaughters, including Roxanne Leyshon White ’06; and several nieces and nephews.
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Richard W. Taylor, July 14, 2022.
Dick attended Kennett schools in Pennsylvania through his junior year and graduated from Mercersburg. After earning a B.S. in mechanical engineering at MIT, he worked in the engineering departments of DuPont and Hercules, then joined his father in the printing business in Kennett Square. After retiring in 1999, Dick designed and created more than 25 pieces of furniture and carvings for family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Janice B. Taylor, a son and daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren.
Theodore O. Wohlsen, Jr. of Philadelphia, January 26, 2022. He was the beloved husband of Grace (Zahn) Wohlsen. After Mercersburg, Ted earned a bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshall College and later a master’s in library science from Drexel. He worked at the Philadelphia Free Library, where he met his wife, and later at the Connecticut State Library. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, son and daughter-in-law, a grandson, and a brother and sister-in-law.
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Frank Calandra, Jr., September 16, 2022. He is the brother of the late John “Jack” Calandra ’50. After Mercersburg, Frank studied metallurgy at Carnegie Tech, majored in accounting at St. Francis University, served in the National Guard, and worked for five years as an accountant. In 1972, Frank and his brother Jack founded Jennmar and began to reshape production and safety methods in underground mining. Frank served as Jennmar’s president from 1972 until 2018; he was inducted into the National Coal Mining Hall of Fame in 2019. Predeceased by his son Frank III, Frank is survived by his wife, Rosemarie; two daughters and one son; two sons-in-law and one daughter-inlaw; nephew Anthony Calandra ’84 and niece Carol Calandra Lawrence ’87; and several grandchildren.
John J. Murray, December 21, 2019.
Richard Westbrook Stever Jr., March 1, 2022. Affectionately known as “Doc,” he graduated from Tyrone High School, then attended Mercersburg and Swarthmore, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Dental
School. He served in the Army Dental Corps from 1961 to 1964. Returning home to Tyrone, Pennsylvania, he joined his father’s family dentistry practice and worked there for 44 years. He never forgot a patient, usually recalling the tooth number and procedure. Doc was first married to Mary Ellen (Rorabaugh) Jones and later to Barbara (Hendricks) Narehood, who preceded him in death. Doc is survived by a son and a daughter, a daughter-inlaw and a son-in-law, a granddaughter, three grandsons, a great-granddaughter and a great-grandson, and a greatgreat-granddaughter, as well as a brother, Dr. Robert C. Stever ’53, and a sister. He is also survived by his wife Barbara’s two sons, one daughter, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, four granddaughters, three grandsons and their spouses, and five greatgrandchildren.
Jon Carl Slesinger, Sr., February 23, 2022. After graduating from Mercersburg and earning a degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh, Carl served in the Air National Guard for six years, during the Berlin Blockade and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He later joined his father as the second-generation owner of Larrimor’s, a fashion retailer and tailor. Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Carol, a daughter, a son, a sonin-law, a daughter-in-law, a sister, and a granddaughter.
Anthony Francis Thomas, May 17, 2022. Tony attended Meyers High and Mercersburg before earning an engineering degree from Penn State and later graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of
Business. During his career, he was both an engineer and a businessman. He married Mary P. Sellars in 1965; together they raised two sons. He is survived by his wife; two sons, including G. Lester Thomas ’85; two daughters-in-law; three grandchildren; and other relatives, including nephew Samuel L. Jones ’79.
William H. Archer, III of Mesa, Arizona, December 31, 2020. Bill’s service in the U.S. Marine Corps included two tours in Vietnam, where he was wounded in action and received a Purple Heart for bravery. Bill is survived by Betty Louise Workinger Archer, his wife of 45 years, three stepsons, and one stepdaughterin-law.
Walter F. Deming, III of Palm Harbor, Florida, December 11, 2019.
Hilary Peter Donegan, November 18, 2017. Hilary graduated from Farmingdale High; after Mercersburg, he went to C. W. Post College. He took great pride in his service in the U.S. Army. His career in wealth management began in 1964 at Bankers Trust Company and continued until he retired as a managing director of Deutsche Bank in 2005. Hilary is survived by Carol, his wife of 42 years; his sons Denis, Brian, and Colin; and also his two brothers and sister.
Jon Milne Peterson, October 7, 2022. The Boy Scouts of America offered Jon his first business and conservation opportunity when he and fellow Scouts founded the Snowald Corporation, which continues to this day. After Mercersburg, Jon studied political science at the University of Delaware and Cal State-Long Beach. He received
a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. His 26-year military career included piloting a helicopter during two tours in Vietnam. He also taught at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and volunteered at Second Harvest and Junior Achievement. Jon is survived by his wife, Frances (Sunny) Peterson; brother R. Lee Peterson ’60 and his wife; three daughters and one son-inlaw; four granddaughters, one grandson; three great-grandchildren; and niece Sandra L. Peterson ’84.
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David Jonathan Bromer, November 25, 2021. After Mercersburg, David earned a Sc.D. in metallurgy from MIT. While in Boston, he met Anne Epstein, who became his wife in 1962, and remained the center of his world for the next 59 years. After working at Raytheon and Gillette, David found his true calling when he and Anne entered the world of rare books, launching Bromer Booksellers out of their home; it has been located in Copley Square (Boston) since 1980. Survivors include his wife, his daughter, her husband, two grandchildren, his sister, and his brother.
Peter J. Winkelman, July 23, 2019, of Southern Pines, North Carolina.
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Emmett Van Buskirk, March 1, 2022. A lifelong artist and teacher, Emmett received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Middlebury and an M.A. in teaching from Oberlin. He taught art in Ohio and Indiana public schools before becoming a professor of art at Upper Iowa University. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2000, the year he retired to Bristol, Vermont.
Emmett is survived by his wife, Jo; two sons and a daughter-in-law; one grandson, one stepson and spouse; one granddaughter; and a sister and a brother, George L. Van Buskirk ’65
David Arthur Nuss, October 17, 2022, in Colorado Springs. After graduating from Mercersburg, David received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering (he later earned a master’s in civil engineering from Arizona State). David’s Air Force career included a tour in Vietnam and two assignments at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska; he retired with the rank of colonel. David married his first wife, Ella Murray, in 1965; together they had four children. In 1990, he married Carol Glancy; they moved to Colorado Springs in 1994, and David became a project and construction manager, overseeing commercial and government building projects. He also taught engineering classes at Colorado Technical College. David was preceded in death by his daughter. Survivors include his wife, Carol, three sons and their spouses, his sister and her husband, two nephews, and seven grandchildren.
David (Dave) F. Pippin of Lexington, Massachusetts, October 1, 2022. Dave played football and ran track at Mercersburg, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and became a CPA at Arthur Andersen. He co-owned Pippin Enterprises with his brothers and was an executive at BASF Corporation for 25 years. Dave was preceded in death by a brother and a daughter-in-law.
Dave is survived by his wife, Judy Freitas Pippin, three sons, one daughter, one
son-in-law, one daughter-in-law, a brother and his wife, a sister-in-law, as well as three grandsons and spouse, one great-granddaughter, and several nieces and nephews.
Robert Watkins, February 20, 2022. Born in Buffalo, New York, to Doris Hipwell, Bob was adopted and reared by his parents, Dr. William and Janet Watkins. The family moved to Virginia and then to Pennsylvania where Bob attended Swarthmore High. He graduated from Mercersburg, and completed some studies at Ohio Wesleyan before enlisting in the U.S. Army; he was stationed in Eritrea until 1963. His career across four firms in the construction industry included sales positions and managing a concrete drilling company. Bob met his wife, Laura, on a blind date; they were married in 1985 and had just recently celebrated their 37th anniversary. Bob was predeceased by his parents, his sister, his birth parents, a brother, and his cousin, Thomas Rauscher ’58 He is survived by his wife, their son and his fiancée, in addition to two other children, his former wife, three grandchildren, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins, including David Rauscher ’60 and Robert Rauscher ’63
Michael F. Neidorff, April 7, 2022. CEO of Centene Corporation in St. Louis for more than 25 years, Michael made diversity and inclusion a central focus of his leadership. He took the company from a single health plan to a $125 billion enterprise with 76,000 employees serving 25 million members. In his civic life, Michael served as board chair for both the National Urban League and his alma mater, Trinity
University, which named its business school in his honor. He was also on the board of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and served as treasurer of the Kennedy Center’s board. He and his wife, Noemi, a trustee of the Manhattan School of Music, made possible the renovation of the school’s principal performance space, Neidorff-Karpati Hall (renamed in their honor). Michael was predeceased by a daughter. He is survived by his wife, a son, a sister, and a brother, Robert M. Neidorff ’61
Robert Jesse Andrews, September 16, 2020. Bob grew up in Venezuela, returned to the U.S. in the 1960s, attended Mercersburg, then Southern Methodist University, and graduated from Southern Polytechnic State University with a degree in construction and engineering. As a Marine in Vietnam, he sustained injuries from a booby trap that led to the loss of his sight. Bob took this as a challenge: within two years he had learned and perfected his skills at blind golf. Over the next 40 years, he won many national and international tournaments, served as United States Blind Golf Association’s president for 10 years, and helped establish the World Blind Golf Championships. In 1997, the International Network of Golf honored Bob with the Dennis Walters Courage Award. Bob was married to Tina Beall for 52 years. He is survived by his three sons, their wives, and six grandchildren.
Lawrence Orme, September 26, 2022. After Mercersburg, Larry studied at Washington & Lee University and Georgetown University Dental School. In 1978, he opened his own dental practice in Leesburg, and ran it for
nearly 20 years. In semi-retirement, he worked at a community clinic and was a professor at the University of New England’s and Boston University’s dental schools. After fully retiring in 2011, Larry and his wife, Connie, moved to Lexington, Virginia. Larry was predeceased by his parents and his brother. Survivors include his wife, to whom he was married for 56 years; two daughters and one son-in-law; five grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; his sister and her husband; a sister-in-law and brotherin-law; as well as several nieces and nephews.
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Gary D. Marshall, October 22, 2020, of Palo Alto, California.
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Fredrick Martin Collison of Gainesville, Florida, August 7, 2021. After Mercersburg, Fred studied naval architecture and marine engineering at the University of Michigan, where he met his first wife, Jeanne McGinn. After graduation, they moved to Delaware, where Fred earned a master’s in marketing from the University of Delaware and worked at Sun Ship as a naval ship architect. After earning a Ph.D. in marketing and transportation from Michigan State University, Fred landed his dream job at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s School of Travel Industry Management. Fred was preceded in death by his first wife, his parents, and his brother. He is survived by his wife, Vickie; his daughter and son-in-law; his granddaughter; his sister and sister-in-law; and his stepchildren and their spouses, as well as numerous step-grandchildren.
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Brian Kimberly Watson, April 24, 2015. He graduated from Boston University with a degree in philosophy and comparative religion. Brian was predeceased by his father and mother and his brother. He is survived by two daughters and two sons-in-law, a brother and sister-in-law, one nephew and two nieces, and his long-time companion, Sarolta de Faltay.
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Raul Alfredo Corzo, June 20, 2018.
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Paul Brenton Murray, July 5, 2022. He passed away unexpectedly while on vacation in Naples, Florida, and had recently celebrated his 50th reunion at Mercersburg. After graduating from Boston University, Paul had a successful five-decade career in insurance and real estate with three different firms. He is survived by two daughters, one son, one son-in-law, four grandchildren, his three sisters and three brothers-inlaw, an aunt and uncle, and a cousin, in addition to nieces and nephews.
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Dennis Roberts of Hollister, Florida, June 26, 2021. Dennis was predeceased by his parents and his brother James. He is survived by his wife, Donelle; a daughter and son-in-law; brothers Ed Hohnstein and Paul Babcock; his grandson; and his cousin.
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Robert Portmess, April 10, 2016.
After Mercersburg, Bob graduated from Syracuse University’s College
of Engineering, then worked for Alcoa before moving into telecommunications sales. After earning a master’s degree in horticulture from Cornell in 2009, Bob worked at Cornell Turf Science, promoting the reduced use of chemicals on golf courses to protect the environment. The brother of the late Michael Portmess ’80, he is survived by Melinda, his wife of nearly 40 years; his brother Stuart Portmess ’81; three daughters and a son-in-law, two grandchildren, and two nephews.
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Robert H. “Bobby” Tinkham, July 18, 2022. Bobby graduated from Liberty High and then attended Mercersburg. After a yearlong stint at Ohio State, he completed the Bobby Isaac Motorsports Program at Catawba Valley Community College. He joined Sharon Speedway at the age of 19, working first as a crew member, then joining the American Speed Association Series himself at age 24. Between that time and his last race in 1992, Bobby owned two auto shops. Preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents, Bobby is survived by his mother and father; his wife, Debby; a daughter and a sister; a niece and nephew; and many stepchildren and grandchildren.
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Donald Eric Little of Hollywood, Maryland, May 1, 2022. After graduating from Mercersburg, Eric owned and operated the iconic Washington, D.C., tavern, J.R.’s Bar & Grill, for 26 years, in addition to several bars and restaurants in D.C. and Denver. In 1986, he started the nationally famous 17th Street High Heel Race, which still draws thousands
of spectators and runners every Halloween. Predeceased by his parents, Eric is survived by Barry Spencer, his partner of 20 years; his three brothers, including Rick L. Little ’79; four nieces and nephews; as well as many extended family members and friends.
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Jon A. Hoppe of West Hartford, Connecticut, April 21, 2022. He was a son of Margaret A. Hoppe and the late William James Hoppe, and the brother of Neil S. Hoppe ’75, Steven J. Hoppe ’75, and Louise C. Hoppe Green ’78. An Eagle Scout, after Mercersburg Jon received a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, then continued his education at the University of Pittsburgh, graduating with a law degree. He practiced law for more than 35 years in Washington, D.C., as a partner with Maddox, Hoppe, Hoofnagle & Hafey, and later in private practice. He served many of his clients on a pro-bono basis because of his huge heart for the disadvantaged. He is survived by his mother, two sisters and two brothers, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Michael James Portmess, March 26, 2019. The brother of the late Robert Portmess ’74 and Stuart R. Portmess ’81, Michael was a very artistic and creative person. He is survived by Kay, his wife of 32 years, and two sons.
Keith A. Dietel, November 30, 2021. Keith’s favorite pastimes included kayaking and sailing on the Chesapeake Bay in his boat, Spindrift. After Mercersburg, he graduated from Franklin & Marshall College, then
worked for several financial firms, including SEI Investments, where he spent the last 18 years of his career. Keith was predeceased by his father. Survivors include his partner, Michele Jacob, his mother, his brother and sister-in-law, and two nieces.
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Raeanne Shilling Crum of Grove City, Ohio, April 17, 2022.
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Sara Catherine Deal Temple, April 3, 2005, in Chicago. After Mercersburg, Sara graduated from Wake Forest University and earned a master’s degree in education from Appalachian State. She taught in the Title I reading program at three elementary schools. In her spare time, she taught at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and served on the board of the local Habitat for Humanity. Survivors include her husband, Earl Jackson “Jack” Temple III; son, Jack Edward; her parents; a brother and sister-in-law and a sister and brother-in-law; her mother-inlaw and father-in-law; as well as two nephews and three nieces.
Tim Rockwell P ’80, ’86, faculty emeritus and former dean of students and history teacher at Mercersburg Academy, passed away September 12, 2022, at the age of 83.
Rockwell grew up in the town of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and the school was a constant presence in his life. Before arriving at Mercersburg Academy, he earned an undergraduate degree from Shippensburg University and advanced degrees from Pennsylvania State University and George Washington University. He was also a United States Navy veteran.
In 1970, Rockwell joined the Mercersburg faculty as a history teacher; in 1979, he began a 17-year career as dean of students. A trained and experienced historical archeologist, Rockwell participated in field work for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Historic Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Park Service. He was a fellow in the Explorers Club of New York (which boasts names like Buzz Aldrin, Carl Sagan, and Thor Heyerdahl), and for five years he served as editor and publisher of The Explorers Journal, which gave him the opportunity to lecture on board the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov in 1993.
Rockwell’s most notable adventure was in 1983, when he led a group of faculty and students to the Canadian Arctic. The group was armed with heavy equipment and flags representing the United States, Canada, the National Geographic Society, and Mercersburg Academy. The group traveled in honor of the centennial anniversary of the First International Polar Year and Greely expedition, and in remembrance of Ross Marvin, a Mercersburg math teacher who died on an expedition to the North Pole in 1909. In an interview in the Winter 2010-2011 school magazine, Rockwell was quoted as saying that the expedition changed his life.
As a teacher, Rockwell was known for bringing history to life. He would often act out scenes and moments to give the subject direction and connection. Before he retired as dean of students, he offered his successor, fellow faculty member Tom Rahauser ’74, P ’05, ’07, ’12, some advice that was passed down from Bill Howard (dean of students, 1961-1977): “You have to have a sense of humor, you have to have a sense of purpose, and you have to always try to be fair.”
In the Summer 2017 school magazine, Rahauser recalled, “Tim Rockwell was just phenomenal in the position at a very difficult time. He [handled] the position in such a sensitive, appropriate, and thoughtful way. I thought I knew what Tim did because I’d watched him for 17 years. The reality was that I knew superficially what Tim did, but actually, I had no idea what he did, which is humorous because it’s not until you get into the position that you realize the many various things you will deal with that are challenging and thought-provoking.”
Rockwell retired from Mercersburg in 1996 but remained a fixture at the school. He attended arts performances, sporting events, and reunions. His regular visits across campus to say “hello” to staff and faculty were a welcome occasion by all.
Rockwell is survived by his wife, Bonnie; their two daughters, Shawn Hardy ’80 and Beth Willander ’86; and two granddaughters, Electa Willander ’18 (Mercersburg’s admission visit coordinator) and Anika Willander ’21.
Trevor Anthony Budny, July 3, 2022. Born to Martha Pelaez and Edward R. Budny ’62, Trevor was adopted after their passing by John (“Jef”) and Carol Corson. At Mercersburg, he was the life of the party. As a chef, he was the “best number-two guy” in some of the top restaurants in New York City and Philadelphia. Following his June 2019 cancer diagnosis, Trevor married the love of his life, Laura Dewey. In addition to his mother and father, Trevor was predeceased by his stepmother, Ginger Budny. He is survived by his wife, Laura, and his adoptive family; two brothers, including Philip “Flynn” Corson ’99; four sisters, including Mary C. Corson ’00; two sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law; two soon-to-be brothers-in-law; six nephews and two nieces, one niece/ goddaughter, in-laws and his best friend.
Margaret Ann Waggoner, Board of Regents member emeritus, September 20, 2021.
David H. Ibbeken, history faculty member and football coach (19651966), June 27, 2022.
Felix Alonson-Alonso, husband of current faculty member Wendy Valenteen, July 1, 2022.
Jan Devlin, assistant to the director of athletics (1986-2015), July 4, 2022.
Jake Crouthamel, football coach (1964-1965), Nov. 7, 2022.
Nathaniel “Nate” Jacklin ’96, who served as a Mercersburg Academy faculty member and coach from 2008 to 2021, passed away November 15 in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was 45.
Born July 10, 1977, Jacklin came to Mercersburg as a postgraduate student after graduating from Mount Vernon High School in Ohio. As a student, he played varsity soccer, captained the wrestling team, and was a member of the Irving Society.
Jacklin earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University, where he wrestled for four years, and went to work for a New York brokerage. In the 2015 spring issue of Mercersburg magazine, Jacklin reflected, “I found that Wall Street wasn’t the world I had envisioned or hoped it would be. I felt like I wasn’t really making an impact on anyone. When I was at Columbia, I had worked with inner-city kids through a program called Athletes in Action, where we’d take them to sporting events or the zoo. It was a lot of fun, and I noticed how the kids responded when somebody took an interest in them.”
After completing his master’s degree at Columbia, Jacklin spent the next six years teaching history and coaching wrestling and soccer at high schools in Stafford County in northern Virginia. In 2008, Mercersburg had an opening for a wrestling coach when Rick Hendrickson P ’03, ’06, ’19 moved into the athletic director role. At the same time, Quentin McDowell P ’25 (now Mercersburg’s head of school) moved from teaching history to overseeing the Office of Summer and External Programs. Both of those moves allowed Jacklin the opportunity to return to Mercersburg to coach wrestling and teach history. Jacklin later recalled that it was a “fortunate turn of events.”
One of Jacklin’s proudest achievements at Mercersburg was working with faculty member Todd McGuire P ’24, ’26 to introduce a Springboard course that would examine elements of history, economics, business, and marketing. Combining McGuire’s experience as a smallbusiness owner and Jacklin’s interest in business (and his time working on Wall Street), the duo settled on a proposal for an Entrepreneurship course, which has become a popular selection since Springboard was introduced.
In the 2015 spring issue of Mercersburg magazine, Jacklin remarked, “Mercersburg has affected everything I’ve done since [attending]. Instead of Columbia, I probably would have gone to a small college in Ohio had I not come here. I might not have ever left Ohio, and I don’t know if I would have had the world experiences I’ve had. Mercersburg opened up Columbia, which opened the world to me.”
Nate is survived by his wife Lindsay Beers Jacklin and their three children, Hailey, Ella, and Matthew, who were all active members of the Mercersburg community.
We woke up with a bunch of blue and white paint splattered across the entrance to campus. Turns out it was the Class of 2023 painting the numbers!
It has been 30 years since the “Lenfest Shuffle,” when students, staff, and faculty moved 43,000 books and other library materials from the library in Keil Hall to the newly built Lenfest Hall. The shuffle took just two and a half hours—an hour and a half shorter than the previous relocation of the library from Irvine to Kiel. There were 458 students and faculty who participated, using 600 cardboard boxes and 75 rolls of packaging tape in the move. #MburgAlumni
Koko Chen ’23 and Boa
’25 took over our Instagram account to bring you the SO Glow action live!
When you ask Trini if there’s anything going on this weekend …. #BoardingSchool #StudentActivitiesCommittee
Tearl Bradley ’91 and faculty member Jim Malone P ’01, ’03 had some fun before a meeting of the Black Alumni Association (BAA) and Black Student Union (BSU) during Family and Alumni Weekend. Jim is a longtime adviser of the BSU, and Tearl is a member and leader of the BAA. The meeting provided information about the BAA to students and their families and alumni. #MburgFamily #MburgAlumni
Be sure to check out all of Mercersburg’s Instagram accounts!
@mburgburgin
@mburgsac
@mburggreenteam
@mburgglobal
@mburgsummer
@lenfestlibrary
@mburgathletics
Seven students were recognized for their PSAT scores.
/mercersburg1893
Get to know Associate Dean of Students Coleman Weibley while also taking a tour of the Simon Student Center.
IT’S WELLKNOWN THAT ACTOR
Jimmy Stewart ’28 is a Mercersburg alum, but an acting contemporary of Stewart’s also attended the Academy. They were in fact in the same 1928 Stony Batter production of “The Wolves” and are seated in the front row of a picture featured in the Karux yearbook that year.
Stewart’s contemporary, John Nicholas “Dick” Foran ’29, has 163 film credits to his name. Between the two of them, they have 260 film credits, according to school archivist Doug Smith P ’23, ’24.
