PORTER-GAUD magazine Spring 2016
PORTER-GAUD magazine SPRING 2016
Publication Staff Art Direction/Photography/Layout
Brink Norton, Director of Digital Media and Publications Content Management
Jennifer Lorenz, Director of Strategic Communications Research and Development
Kathryn Sherrod, Director of Advancement
Contributors
Jeff Clark, photography (Sharkbanz) Julie Sessions, photography (Girls Empowered) Cross Tolliver ‘16 Caroline Tigner Traugott ‘87, Writer/Editor
ON THE COVER
Nathan Garrison ’05 & Davis Mersereau ’05
ON THE LEFT
With the Cyclones desperately needing points to secure the title, Freshman Nelle Alexander came from behind on the final leg in the 4x400 relay to win the girls’ state championship. (Photo: Justin Kahn ’84)
Porter-Gaud Magazine is published for the benefit of alumni, students, parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends of Porter-Gaud. All content, including articles and photographs, is property of Porter-Gaud School, unless otherwise stated. Any person or entity wanting to use or reproduce, in part or whole, any portion of this publication must do so with permission only.
300 Albemarle Road Charleston, SC 29407 843.556.3620 portergaud.edu
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Unstoppable: Allen Walters ’16
Walters ‘16 suffered excruciating injuries during his football career at Porter-Gaud, but through 4 Allen toughness, grit, and hard work, his dream of playing college football is realized, despite the odds.
Sharkbanz: Nathan Garrison ’05 & Davis Mersereau ’05
and all lovers of the ocean have always feared the threat of shark attacks. These two 6 Surfers inventors created Sharkbanz, a wearable device that sends sharks away using strong magnetic fields.
FEATURES Girls Empowered 14 The reNEWal Campaign 16 Projecting Change 18 Fine Arts Pics 19
Igniting an Idea: Ben Cotton ’97
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Ben Cotton ’97 has been all over the world promoting city planning, and has returned to Charleston to begin a shuttle service to Savannah, while sparking the conversation for mass transit in Charleston.
Not Your Average Yoyo: Cross Tolliver ’16
the essay Cross Tolliver wrote for admission to Brown University, examining how life is 22 Wea lotshare like yoyoing.
Dominate 26 Celebrating Heritage 28 Why We Give 30 Cyclone Notes 32 Alumni Weekend Pics 38
First Grade Superstar: Leigh Mendelsohn Wey ’96
Mendelsohn Wey’ 96 has been guiding the youngest students at Porter-Gaud since 2006. 24 Leigh As an alumna, teacher, and now the parent of a first grader, she has seen her alma mater from all angles.
Cyclones Highlight Reel 40
‘16
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ALLEN WALTERS
SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT, HERO, CHAMPION, ALL-STAR
The Long Road Back The arduous journey back from a season-ending injury tests you. Then, imagine having to do it a second time - the surgeries, the strength training, the doctors’ visits, the rehab. Most student-athletes would shelve their dreams to play collegiate sports. Not Allen Walters ‘16. Allen Walters was born to play football. “Football is my thing,” says Allen, who grew up playing with his brother and his father. “I just love to play the game.” Allen first learned about Porter-Gaud playing AAU football and basketball while at Buist Academy. Allen became fast friends with Porter-Gaud students David Silliman ‘16, Michael Barry ‘16, and Chappell Maddux ‘16, and they convinced him to come to PorterGaud. Allen enjoyed a strong freshman year on JV football with his new friends, now teammates. Over the summer before his sophomore year, Allen set his mind to become the Varsity team’s starting running back. “I set out to prove that I wanted to be here and that I could do the job, even as a rookie. I attended Steve Spurrier camp, trained hard and played my heart out. I even scored against Byrnes High School, who are AAAA state champs, during the summer Jamboree.” Allen was starting running back and was having an all-star sophomore year averaging two touchdowns, with 17 carries for 170 yards per game. College scouts from across the country were taking notice. Then - the hit. During the 2013 Heathwood Hall game, Porter-Gaud was in the red zone, on the 15 yard line, when the ball was handed off to Allen. He was hit by two players in opposite directions, clotheslined, and whipped around. “It was the worst hit I’ve seen in my career,” says Porter-Gaud athletic trainer, Laura Richins. “I was out on the field before the play even stopped.” Says Allen, “I was screaming. I have never been in so much pain. My first thought was that my femur was broken. Then, I started seeing everyone’s faces looking down at me on the ground. When I saw everyone crowded around, I knew it was bad.” The next morning, Allen’s doctor delivered the news. “Dr. Merrill told me I had torn my ACL, MCL, and my meniscus. He said he had never seen a sports injury like this before - my injuries looked more like they were from a car wreck. When I heard that, I just started crying.” Allen underwent five hours of surgery and doctors removed his unsalvageable meniscus and repaired the shredded MCL, but the torn ACL would require another surgery. Allen put all his energy into rehab. He was in a wheelchair for 6 weeks, then crutches. At the same time, he had to study, keep his grades up, and finish nightly homework. “It was grueling - the pain medicine and little sleep. It really tested me.”
“I’ve never spent so much time with another student-athlete. I have so much respect for him and all the hard work he put in to return against the odds,” adds Laura. Allen’s doctors thought he was a good candidate for a meniscus transplant when they repair the ACL, so the team secured Dr. Douglas Wyland in Greenville, SC, to perform the operation. “This doctor had worked with the Colorado Rockies and the Denver Broncos. He gave me a lot of confidence for surgery. He made me feel like I was going to get back to sports. I put a lot of trust in him, and in everyone. I was determined to come back. “ The surgery was a success and Allen spent the next five months of his junior year getting ready for his comeback, but his doctors held him out of the season until the last two games. His first game back, ironically, he just took a knee. His second game back, he played defense. “I felt slow. I didn’t come back as I had planned to. I wasn’t where I wanted to be. I wanted to play college ball. I had to push myself. “ By the spring, Coach Reetz was talking to Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of South Carolina, and North Carolina State University. Allen even went to training camps at Columbia and UPenn. If he had a good senior season, kept his grades up, college ball was still within reach. But lighting struck twice. During the Bishop England game, a player fell on top of Allen’s leg during a tackle. The pain was intense. Allen was so angry he was crying. Laura Richins was crying too as the players and his family circled around him. “I didn’t want to see anyone. I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to go home and be done with football. Then, less than a minute later, Turner, our other senior captain got hurt.” “It’s the moment Allen Walters became a man,“ says Laura Richins. ”He had to put himself second to his team. Even hurt, Allen and Turner still had to lead the team in a close game.“ The days and months that followed were Allen’s darkest days, he says, as he rehabilitated the fractured knee joint. “My season ended before it even began. At that moment, I didn’t think I would ever play college football. I didn’t want anything to do with football — practice, riding the bus, our senior dinners — but the voice returned; ‘never give up.’“ And he did not. Dickinson College offered Allen Walters a football scholarship this spring. At Dickinson, he will be able to play against his brother, Stuart, who plays for Johns Hopkins University. “If someone had told me this would be my story, I would never have believed it. I never would have believed in myself, to trust myself that I could do it, but I did.”
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NATHAN GARRISON ‘05 & DAVIS MERSEREAU ‘05 ADVENTURERS/INVENTORS
Invention is the business of failure. 95% of product concepts fail. Nathan Garrison '05 and Davis Mersereau '05 took Sharkbanz into the 5% with perseverance, grit, and passion. This is the unique and grueling journey of the entrepreneur.
THE MEN BEHIND
During his freshman year at Porter-Gaud in 2001, Nathan Garrison’s best friend, Nick Valiunas, was bitten by a shark while surfing off Folly Beach. “It was the moment I realized it doesn’t matter who you are, how experienced you are, or how good you are - it could happen to anyone. Now it was real, and I could imagine it happening to me,” says Nathan. Nick made a full recovery, and the two have remained the best of friends, moving to Santa Barbara together after college, and spending countless hours over the years surfing off the central California coast. But after a particularly spooky day on the water in 2011 with Nick,
Nathan credits his ability to navigate the rough waters to a foundation he says he built at Porter-Gaud. “Porter-Gaud taught me how to problem-solve, how to look at things analytically, and how to take on an insurmountable challenge. I never considered giving up at any moment in spite of pretty major obstacles at every turn.” Finally, a prototype was completed in China, and although it was more of a proof of concept, and you couldn’t functionally wear it, the team needed to prove that the tech specifications could effectively repel sharks. Their scientific partners were telling them “yes” based on 10 years of testing and research, but Nathan and David had to see it for themselves.
Each educational experience leads you down a road, and you hope the roads end up merging in a place where those skills come together. - Nathan Garrison ’05
Nathan was moved to take action. Over dinner with his father, David Garrison, they discussed what could be done to reduce the risk of shark attacks, and the concept for Sharkbanz was born.
And that meant getting in the water with the sharks.
David, a seasoned scuba diver, returned home to Charleston and set out in search of existing shark defense research. He discovered a group of scientists working on an interesting magnetic technology - an untapped resource in the consumer products market. David formed a partnership with chemist Dr. Eric Stroud and marine biologist Dr. Patrick Rice of Shark Defense - the leading researchers in shark repellent technology. Over several months, David pushed hard and secured worldwide licensing rights and patents for this technology.
Most shark bites occur in murky, shallow waters off the coast where there are a high number of swimmers and sharks sharing the same space. In this environment, sharks rely heavily on their electroreceptors instead of their eyes to “see” what’s around them or zero in on prey.
At the same time, Nathan was working at Teva, the outdoor lifestyle brand in Goleta, California. He was managing projects and visual content for the creative department, and working with the team taking Teva’s products from concept to the store shelf. It was an education in product development. Nathan says, “Each educational experience leads you down a road, and you hope the roads end up merging in a place where those skills come together. That’s what happened with Sharkbanz.” Every entrepreneur’s journey is unique, and all include the unpredictable ups and downs. Like surfing, the team had to ride through the chop and endure some wipeouts before catching their dream wave. Nathan and David experienced the most challenges in product development over the first 10-12 months. There were stumbling blocks and hurdles at every stage of design and manufacturing. Getting a crude prototype made overseas was becoming more and more daunting. Product development in Asia was full of pitfalls and unexpected problems to solve - from language barriers to quality control issues.
THE BAHAMAS TRIP
Sharks possess the most sensitive electro-magnetic sense in all the animal kingdom, and they use it to judge distance, shape, and even the heart rate of other animals near them. Most of the time, sharks get it right and leave people alone. Occasionally, they don’t. Sometimes, when relying on their electroreceptors, a curious shark may bite a person in order to figure out what he or she is. These unprovoked “hit and run” attacks are the most common type of attack. As the shark approaches a person wearing Sharkbanz, magnetic waves coming from the band disrupt its electro-receptors and it quickly turns away. For the shark, the experience is “like a person suddenly shining a very bright light in your eyes in a dark room.” Well, that’s how it was supposed to work. The first time Nathan and David went to the Bahamas for testing, they stayed for three days and conducted a few different demonstrations. Since the several hundred hours of research had already been done over the last 10 years, the plan was to conduct a few different demonstrations to show the effectiveness of Sharkbanz.
Buzzing with excitement about the Bahamas trip, Nathan drove down to Los Angeles to meet with Davis Mersereau, a fellow ‘05 grad. The two had been friends since the eighth grade at Porter-Gaud. “I had recently wrapped up a start-up and was working for Santa Monica Pier event activation and branding. Nathan’s excitement and his contained passion about taking an idea to reality were exhilarating, but the marketability was unknown,” says Davis. “My experience in shaping a young brand could be a good fit. “ By the time Nathan got home from LA, Davis texted he was interested in helping with the company’s next step - branding and marketing. From Day 1, Sharkbanz would set itself apart with three principles: simplicity, affordability, and style. Its mission was not to instill fear of sharks in people, but to provide people peace of mind and help them regain confidence in enjoying the water. “We worked 24/7. At this milestone in the journey it’s nothing but overtime. Nothing is real yet, no one knows about the product, so you’re up until two and three in the morning, three and four days a week. It’s full throttle. And then suddenly, you see the light at the end of the tunnel.” TIPPING POINT Nathan says, “One thing we quickly learned about the Bahamas is that nothing goes according to plan.” Day 1: Zero sharks. The scientists were skunked. Nathan and his dad were stressed. Day 2: The next morning (the last attempt), the boat broke down 300 yards from shore. The team eventually hired another boat with only 4 hours to spare before their flight. Then, the sharks showed up.
For Sharkbanz, it was a team of Porter-Gaud alums who would bring about that moment.
Nathan recalls that the first time he and his dad entered the water to test Sharkbanz, Nathan was filming, David was the safety diver, and Dr. Rice was wearing the product.
Davis reached out to fellow ‘05 grad and TV reporter Stefanie Bainum in Charleston. Nathan flew back to Charleston and they produced the first Sharkbanz news story. On September 30, 2014, the story aired locally and went out on the wire. By the end of the day, it had been picked up by more than 20 stations across the country.
“We were pretty nervous. But we had a funny moment where we were sitting on either side of the boat about to flip off and we looked at each other with the same expression, which meant, “Was this really a good idea?” Then we burst out laughing and went over the side.”
“Then, I remember getting the text,” says Nathan. “It was 4:00 a.m. and in all caps it said: THE STORY JUST WENT NATIONAL. I thought, “Oh man, I better get up. “
The sharks bounced off the Sharkbanz and Nathan captured the shots needed for the video apps. The team hustled to the airport.
ABC World News picked up the story. Twenty-four hours later it aired on FOX News, and calls came in from producers at the Australian Today Show and Weekend Sunrise in Australia.
“After the Bahamas, I had the confidence to go out and sell the thing, but how would we let everybody know? “ says Nathan.
Sharkbanz had gone global in less than 48 hours.
Nathan and David were going to need some help. BAND OF BROTHERS “The best friends I have in my life are the ones I made at Porter-Gaud. I went there for 12 years and those guys and girls are like my brothers and sisters. They are the most valuable personal connections I have outside of my family today, “ says Nathan.
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Malcolm Gladwell defines the tipping point as the magic moment when an idea, product, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate.
The team had agreed that the most cost-effective and most immediate solution would be to secure pre-orders to get the first production run. The strategy would be to market the product for Christmas and holiday sales. With people traveling to warm destinations, a couple of thousand pre-orders came in during the first two months. But once again, manufacturing hurdles in China caused delays. And the hard truth was they weren’t going to have orders delivered before
Christmas. It was a hurdle that could have taken them down. The team went over to the factory and resolved the issues. Sharkbanz’s first orders shipped on January 3, 2015 to customers across the U.S. and Canada. Today, orders have shipped to almost every state in the United States. “The viral experience and exposure we got was a great catalyst for distributor interest such as Australia, and national and international retailers,” adds Davis. By this past Christmas, Sharkbanz were on shelves in more than 50 locations across the country - Hawaii, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and up the East Coast. Coastal sales were to be expected, but orders also came in New York, Ohio, and Vermont. THE NEXT SWELL When the Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation episode on CBS premiered last summer, Nathan received a message of congratulations from Middle School science teacher Jane Settle, who happened to be watching while visiting her daughter Legare in New York. “The fact that she would instantly remember me after almost 20 years and reach out speaks volumes about the type of teachers at P-G and the longevity imparted from those relationships on both sides. I still remember her class; taking home the pets for the weekend, our trip to Camp St. Christopher. Mrs. Settle’s and Mrs. Molony’s enthusiasm provided the foundation for connecting science to the real world, which many others miss without the hands-on, out-of-classroom experience Porter-Gaud encouraged.“ As entrepreneurs, the team has their eyes on the horizon for the next swell. They expanded into Japan this spring, signing a distributor and additional international retailers. Currently, they are pursuing other applications for the magnetic technology, with the latest set to launch in June 2016. Says Nathan, “It’s surf specific, and industry leaders are calling it the most innovative product in over a decade!”
IT DAVIS “I think insecurity and exploration go handin-hand with our adolescence experience, so the more “safe environments” you have to challenge yourself and to discover your interests and develop your skills, the more confidence you will gain in yourself. For me, the impact of small classrooms and prompts to communicate my ideas (presentations, YIG, sports, student council, etc.) were immense. Once you realize that playgrounds will always exist within your education, the more exciting it all becomes.” NATHAN “From a very young age, we had to stand up in front of the class and give presentations. That teaches you a lot growing up; preparation, public speaking, and learning to deal with criticism (and compliments). The size of the school and classes allowed us to explore whatever goals we had, whether in academics or sports. If I had gone to a big school, I would’ve been too small to spend much time on the field in football or basketball, and those experiences were incredibly fun and also taught me many valuable life lessons. I would also say that the writing programs at P-G were incredible, and I really noticed this once I got to college at University of Miami.”
No matter the sport, they hope to bring peace of mind to water enthusiasts across the world. For Sharkbanz, it looks like another crest is on its way.
Sharkbanz feels a deep responsibility to preserve and restore the world’s oceans that have done so much for humanity. We also realize that we can’t do it ourselves. So, we’ve enlisted the help of ocean conservation groups by donating 3% of our profits to support their efforts to eradicate shark finning, prevent new offshore drilling, and aid in the restoration and protection of marine ecosystems. TO ORDER Visit sharkbanz.com or shop in a local retailer.
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‘97
BEN COTTON Igniting An Idea
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As a kid, Ben Cotton ‘97 was fascinated by urban landscapes - architecture, bridges, highways, trains, and all kinds of maps. On family trips along the East Coast, he would press his face against the car window in wonder of the tunnels through Baltimore or Charlotte’s growing skyline. Today, Ben is the owner of Alternative Transportation Group (ATG), which he founded in Charleston in late 2015. His first major project is a new bus service called the ACE Basin Express, which runs daily between Charleston and Savannah. ATG has a broader mission, however, to inspire and empower people to think differently about the way they get around. This allows Ben to exercise his creative side, which made its first impact when he designed a fantasy rapid transit map for the Charleston area that went viral on social media and was picked up by most local news outlets. Originally from Charleston, Ben has more than ten years of experience in urban planning and cartography. Most recently, he specialized in sustainable transportation with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ben has a B.A. in Studio Art from Kenyon College and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Clemson University. 1) Were you an art student at PG? I attended Porter-Gaud from 9-12th grade, but I actually didn’t take any visual art classes. I took a Thematic Studio art class during my freshman year at Kenyon College. The class was all about developing ideas and presenting them in a tangible way, with no painting or drawing or traditional skills required. I played around with my interest in maps and architecture, and somehow I was able to produce artwork in media that were very different from the norm. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up majoring in studio art and minoring in physics while at Kenyon. My experience in studio art has been a key differentiator in the workplace. I learned a lot about the value of craftsmanship, presenting ideas, taking and giving criticism, and incorporating changes into my work. 2) What was your first job after Kenyon College? I had a couple of internships - one at the Franklin Park Conservatory (basically an indoor botanical garden) in Columbus, OH, helping with exhibit design, and another at an outdoor botanical garden on an island called St. Eustatius in the Caribbean. I was headed in the direction of landscape architecture, but it was during my time on St. Eustatius that I became acquainted with Geographic Information Systems, the basis for digital mapping, which at that point was just coming into its own. I immediately knew it was going to develop into a powerful tool, but I don’t think I could have imagined the extent of its impact on everyday life for the average citizen. I then moved to Palm Springs, CA, where I became an assistant to a well-known cartographer, Bruce Daniel. Bruce became an important mentor for me in the mapping world as well as in small business management. 3) What made you decide to pursue a Master of City and Regional Planning at Clemson? While working with Bruce, I had the opportunity to design maps for transit agencies around the country. Mostly smaller towns like Ithaca, NY, Grand Junction, CO, and Spokane, WA. When you work on a local bus map, you become intimately familiar with everything about a city, even if you’ve never visited. While I enjoyed the mapping process, I began thinking about, and sometimes questioning, how these transit systems were developed. I began researching the city planning field and felt confident it would be a good fit. Clemson has a good program within the architecture school, and it was a good opportunity to get back to my home state. 4) What attracted you to the Volpe Center in Cambridge, MA? The Volpe Center is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, but its funding comes directly from the various DOT modal agencies. Many consider it to be a world-class transportation research institution, and I always thought it would be an exciting place to work. Even more exciting was the prospect of focusing on sustainable transportation projects and policy development. So many city planners who go into transportation end up spending most of their time on roads and highways, but it was never been a big interest of mine. I was hoping to focus on alternative transportation modes, such as transit, bicycle, and pedestrian planning. Again, I think it was my art background that helped me get the job. Not many planners come to an interview with a portfolio, but I had always prided myself on the visual quality of my maps, plans, and documents. My boss, Eric Plosky, was looking for someone with that kind of experience, so it was just lucky timing.
5) Describe some of the projects you worked on during your seven years at the Volpe Center. There was a lot of variety. One small project involved working with the City of Baltimore and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. Baltimore recently launched a new free downtown bus service called the Charm City Circulator. We helped Fort McHenry (part of the National Park Service) work with the city to establish a new Charm City Circulator line that connected the downtown area to the fort. One large project involved producing a report for the Federal Transit Administration on developments in online mapping and trip planning for public transit systems. Your readers are probably familiar with how to get driving directions on Google Maps, but they may not have clicked on the little bus symbol to get directions for taking the bus. Many of these tools were being developed and tested during my time at the Volpe Center, and now they are used by most transit systems across the country. Finally, I worked closely with the Federal Highway Administration to develop a new system for evaluating the sustainability of new and existing highway projects. Similar to the LEED program for sustainable buildings and neighborhoods, this program, called INVEST, focuses on highway design, construction, and maintenance. It is extremely comprehensive and takes into account everything from neighborhood impacts to wildlife management to paving materials to climate change resiliency. 6) Why did you return to Charleston last year? I had been thinking of the concept for the ACE Basin Express for a while. Charleston and Savannah are such popular cities to visit, and I had many friends and colleagues up north that came to me for travel advice. They would ask if there was an easy way to get from Charleston to Savannah, or vice versa, without a car, and unfortunately I was unable to suggest any good options. Though I loved my time at the Volpe Center, I was at a point personally where I could either put down roots in Massachusetts or move back home to be closer to friends and family. I had also wanted to try my hand at entrepreneurship, and I had this idea for a bus service between Charleston and Savannah that I’d been kicking around. So, I decided to come home and start ATG and the ACE Basin Express. I’ve been in business since October 2015, and the bus has been operating regularly since January of this year. Most passengers purchase tickets online at our website, www.basinbus.com. 7) How did your idea of the fantasy transit map for Charleston come about? During the final weeks of last fall’s mayoral race, all of the candidates were talking about transportation. All this talk about “fixing traffic” — it seemed like a good opportunity to think about how a true rapid transit system might look in Charleston. I never said: “We should build this”; rather, I wanted people to see this map and think: “How would my life be different if I had a reliable alternative to driving?” I had thought about this map as a way of exploring the admittedly nebulous creative side of ATG, and it seems to have worked as I had hoped. I’m interested in how municipalities and other urban organizations can build capacity through creative projects that communicate big ideas. City leaders, planners, and developers so frequently get mired in the details. We produce report after report, but I fear we sometimes lose sight of the big picture - that is to create vibrant, sustainable communities that support long life and happiness for all of its citizens and visitors. In my opinion, adding variety to our transportation system is an important step in achieving that goal. Certainly many words have been spoken and written about the topic, but sometimes a message is more powerful when the words are stripped away. That is what I wanted to explore with this map, and I hope ATG will have the opportunity to produce similarly motivated work in the future.
GIRLS EMPOWERED by CAROLINE TIGNER TRAUGOTT ’87
From Heian Japan to Renaissance England, women’s empowerment historically emerges at the blossoming of a culture. Porter-Gaud’s Girls In program heralds a new era at the school and reflects some great budding leadership on campus. Gretchen Tate and a group of female faculty have created a tremendous opportunity for our girls that is a great benefit to Porter-Gaud as a whole.
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Facing a teeming future, our high school girls are hungry for current, brass-tacks guidance from diverse sources of authority. Once a month, Girls In invites P-G alumnae at various points
along a career path to speak to the girls during the lunch period. Fifty girls packed our library on February 26th for Girls In: Medicine. Three alumnae spoke, each at a different moment in her medical career: Hannah Hollon ’11 (MUSC student), Morgan Headden Khawaja ’07 (MUSC pediatric resident), and Dr. Sinai Choi Zyblewski ’92 (MUSC Pediatric Cardiologist, ICU). The girls were captivated as each speaker offered a wealth of specific, real-world guidance, from information about new majors like Exercise Science to the pros and cons of taking a gap year. Each addressed the common fear that medicine is
“too hard” and that it leaves you with “no life,” offering tips and strategy. Hannah exhorted the girls to “take AP seriously,” citing three surprising ways AP credit helped in college. Dr. Sinai explained how team sports at Porter-Gaud prepared her to lead nurses and trainees—and withstand challenges from “stern” older male surgeons. Morgan urged girls to conquer shyness: “patients’ lives are on the line, and you have to speak up if you don’t agree on a certain treatment.” Dr. Sinai counseled, “take advantage of Porter-Gaud, and school in general, as a safe place to take risks.” All three speakers cited finding and energetically cultivating a passion outside medicine (like community service) as essential to building the strength of character needed to sustain the stresses of a medical career.
Porter-Gaud girls have long profited from what was always indeed a great educational opportunity. As an alumna and a parent of a first-grade girl, I am thrilled about how the Girls In program will benefit my daughter and the entire Porter-Gaud community. Whether you are a grad student or advanced in your career, our girls are eager to hear your story. If you would like to speak, or to read a transcript of the February 26th GirlsGOALKEEPER In: Medicine presentation, please reach out to GOAL-SETTER, Kathryn Sherrod in the Alumni Office: ksherrod@portergaud.edu.
and dig deeper into the subjects that shape their education and lives. Designed in the style of Colcock Hall at the Medical University of South Carolina, the original home of Porter Military Academy, the new Upper
www.portergaud.edu/reNEWal Last fall, Porter-Gaud embarked on a $25 million campaign for reNEWal. On June 1, we break ground on the new Upper School that will provide much-needed interactive classroom space with new library and computer science spaces to inspire collaboration and 21st-century learning. A new Upper School building promises both the collaborative and private spaces
School will honor Porter-Gaud’s strong academic roots and continue to elevate rigor and excellence for generations to come. Dr. Porter’s mission to help children discover their passions, seek truth, and find their voices is philanthropy in its purest form – and it is as inspiring and relevant today as it was in 1867. As Porter-Gaud grows, staying true to our mission to help and inspire others becomes ever more important.
teachers, students, and parents require to think, plan, learn, debate, study,
THE CHAPEL
16 UPPER SCHOOL THE
HELP US HONOR AN AMAZING MAN. In 1969, Ben Hutto ’64 came to Porter-Gaud and forever changed the school and the lives of hundreds of students. Ben spent years creating a choral program that would serve as the foundation for an array of performing arts. Today, we embark on a new era of the fine and performing arts with the construction of a Performing Arts Center, and we want every student to know the legacy of Ben Hutto. To do this, we challenge our alumni to help us raise $2 million to name the new Performing Arts Center after Ben to ensure his humor, grace, and talent are forever remembered.
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PROJECTING CHANGE Jason Fricker, former marine scientist, and now Middle School science educator, shares what happens when students are given the opportunity to dream big and influence change. 1) How did you launch your Project-Based Learning (PBL) this year? Seventh grade does a series of PBL assignments in each of the major courses and science was first up. It was a particularly good time because our unit looked at climate and weather, which can be intricately linked. Student teams were able to investigate how weather, pollutants, normal cycles, and everyday choices are interrelated. 2) What is the greatest value to the students? Students had to plan, interpret, strategize, and implement their final product in a creative manner alongside other group members. This takes dedication and assertiveness. The second aspect is critical to me as an educator. This project really enabled some students to internalize the role that they can play (now and in the future) and raised awareness for a few of the issues affecting the globe. 3) What do you enjoy most about Project-Based Learning? What I like most about PBL are the possibilities: the various routes the groups elect to take; the different ways in which they reach a larger audience (not just the 16 of us in a classroom); the decision making process that permits them to think beyond the typical confines of a test or similar assessment. I like the freedom it allows all of us and the WOW factor that can occur when you see their final art piece (globe), website, fund-raising campaign, or full-color brochure, for example.
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Lower School Performing Arts Presents
Lion King, Kids
For additional images from Lion King, Kids, visit PICTURES.PORTERGAUD.EDU.
Middle School Performing Arts Presents
Annie, Jr.
For additional images from Annie, Jr., visit PICTURES.PORTERGAUD.EDU.
Upper School Fine Arts Presents
Footloose
For additional images from Footloose, visit PICTURES.PORTERGAUD.EDU.
CROSS TOLLIVER 22
Yo-Yo Expert, Tennis Star, Future Brown Freshman
‘16
Senior Cross Tolliver submitted the following essay with his application to Brown University, where he will be a freshman next year. Cross is an avid Yo-Yo spinner, an exceptional tennis star, and a leader in the classroom. I’ve had a long day. Just this afternoon I got seasick, practiced cold fusion, skinned the gerbil—both sideways and horizontally (not the same thing)—and walked the dog. Let me explain. The truth of the matter is that my inner ear is doing just fine, I haven’t solved every country’s energy needs, I’m not a sociopath with a sadistic vendetta against rodents, and I don’t even own a dog. What I did do, however, was work on some yoyo tricks. Admittedly, being a yoyoer isn’t exactly the same as starting as the quarterback for your high school football team, but I’ve found some advantages tangled up in the string. After all, you don’t get into yoyoing for the money. In the perennial journey to express oneself that all nonconformist teenagers inevitably set off on, most turn to art, some to tattoos, others to deviance. However, I never really mastered making a bowl of fruit appear as if it weren’t run over by a two-dimensional truck, so I had to search elsewhere for a creative outlet. Luckily, an inspirational YouTube view of Hiroyuki Suzuki’s winning routine in the 2006 World Yoyo Contest, an order from yoyoexpert.com, and years of practice have led me to today, where my quest for expression has turned into a revelation of identity. I’m somebody who undulates between different spheres. Academically, I become captivated whenever faced with a demanding math, physics, or computer science problem that I need to solve, but I’ve also grown infatuated by the limitless range of open-ended interpretations and thoughts that language and the humanities offer. My practice sessions have varied between the tennis court, the piano bench, my school’s theater, my ordinary bedroom if I’m yoyoing, and an array of other venues. There are so many different aspects of life to explore and so little time to do it, but the yoyo has let me travel between the intrinsic values of my passions, existing as a bridge that links them together.
Like a fractal flower, yoyoing is part scientific explicitness and part art, and from this perspective, the essence of the yoyo is a microcosm of my identity. When seeking to create an original trick, I have to geometrically map out the string like an architect would design a structure, but also push the boundaries of creativity to add flair and discover something innovative. The best place to display my invented tricks is on stage, whether in front of my high school or in a professional yoyo contest. A contest routine is judged on two encompassing criteria: technical execution and performance evaluation, so it’s imperative that my tricks are precise and incorporate as many elements as possible in order to rack up points. But the best performances perfectly synchronize the body, yoyo, and music, effectively creating performance art. When in front of a sea of eyes that don’t register the subtle weaving in and out of string, yoyoers use the simple yet flamboyant tricks called “bangers” to electrify the audience. In these performances, where expression and showmanship run rampant, the yoyo becomes an appendage used in a dance just like an arm or a leg. Without a yoyo, I could never externalize my rhythm. I could go on and make a string of puns about how the yoyo has taught me that life has its ups and downs or that the earth is constantly revolving, but that would be as easy as walking the dog. The simple truth is that I yoyo because it’s fun, and it lets me explore myriad aspects of life. What started as a cheap chunk of wood wrapped in clamshell packaging has done so much more for me than I ever thought possible: I’ve met new people, simply relieved stress, and been invited to perform for crowds other than my cat. But I haven’t gotten a date with a yoyo yet, so perhaps that’s my next trick.
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LEIGH MENDELSOHN WEY
’96
Alumna, Current Parent, First Grade Superstar
Leigh Wey '96 got her first taste of teaching while a student at Porter-Gaud. In tenth grade, as part of her Porter-Gaud community service project, she taught once a week at Sanders-Clyde Elementary in downtown Charleston, assisting teachers in their classrooms. “I remember saying to myself, “This is what I want to do. I can do this,” says Leigh. Wey graduated from Porter-Gaud in 1996 and went on to Vanderbilt University’s prestigious Peabody College of Education and Human Development. Leigh began her teaching career in Atlanta, and then went on to teach in Charleston County and San Francisco. When Leigh and her husband, Deen, decided to move back to Charleston from San Francisco to be closer to their families, Leigh was hired to teach first grade in the Porter-Gaud Lower School. Leigh is now in her tenth year as a first grade teacher at Porter-Gaud. She is a dynamic force in the classroom, and has a fantastic rapport with both her students and their parents. She has the firm hand required to shepherd our youngest students as they get used to school life, but her caring heart is on full display as she works with her students. She is incredibly skilled, and helps our students achieve more than most think possible for students so young. "First grade is such an exciting milestone for children. They come to us as babies. They can't tie their shoes, they can't blow their noses, and then they are reading, making friends, and doing math from geometry to fractions. It's just so much fun and so rewarding to see and be a part of all they accomplish." In addition to alumna and teacher, Leigh is now also a Porter-Gaud parent. Her oldest son, Robert (7), is a first grader at Porter-Gaud. He’s in Summer Gerth’s homeroom, just across from Leigh’s room, but Leigh teaches him for reading and math. “He sometimes has a hard time separating ‘mom’ from ‘teacher’, but I love watching him soak everything up and take pride in his work.” Her other son, Daniel (4), is at the O' Quinn campus on James Island. For the Weys, Porter-Gaud is truly a family affair, as her husband, Deen, has been Lower School counselor since 2011. As an alumna, teacher, and now parent, Leigh can't imagine being anywhere else. "I loved being a student here," says Leigh. "It's such a well-rounded school from the arts to sports to strong academics and community service. To be able to come back and teach at such a fantastic school is a dream come true."
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DOMINATE
CYCLONES BASKETBALL WINS CHAMPIONSHIP (L to R) Abram Shannon, Shane McCravey, Harrison Whatley, Jack Nutley, Jake Lanford, James Nicklas, Mike Barry, Aaron Nesmith, Josiah James, Eric “EJ” Jackson, John Griffith, Parks Cochrane, Kean Balentine, Not pictured...Matt Naumoff 26
The Cyclones had an incredible year, finishing the season at 25-3 and winning the SCISA State Championship for the first time since 2005. Sophomore Aaron Nesmith was named Post & Courier Lowcountry Player of the Year and also SCISA Player of the Year, and was joined by sophomore Jake Lanford and freshman Josiah-Jordan James on the all-state team. Head 27 Coach John Pearson was named Lowcountry Coach of the Year.
CELEBRATING HERITAGE Porter Military Academy Alumni work to preserve the legacy of Dr. Porter through a lasting monument and a new tradition. On January 31, 2016, the members of the Porter Military Academy Alumni Association Board visited the grave site of the Reverend Doctor Anthony Toomer Porter at Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church in Georgetown, SC in honor of his birthday. The group paid tribute to Dr. Porter, founder of PMA, and honored his legacy of character development which is best summarized in the motto on the PMA crest: WATCH - Words, Actions, Thoughts, Character, and Habits.
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The PMAAA Chaplain Dr. Bobby R. Faulkner ‘49, delivered the homily and final prayer. Melvin H. Roberts ‘63, PMAAA Vice President, gave the welcome and closing. After the ceremony, the group laid a purple and gold wreath on Dr. Porter’s grave. The wreath was beautifully created by Cassandra Bradham, wife of former PMAAA President Mr. Larry K. Bradham, Jr. ‘65. PMAAA also recently commissioned a life-sized sculpture of Dr. Porter with local artist/sculptor Scott Penegar. The piece is temporarily in the lobby of the Science and Technology / Upper School building, but it’s permanent home will be in the courtyard
in front of the new Upper School, scheduled to be completed by 2017. A dedication of the statue will take place at that time as well. Tom Ilderton, PMAAA board member, managed the project. “I come up with these ideas - the plaques and monuments across Porter-Gaud and the city of Charleston - and PMAAA never hesitates. They always want to do it. I’m just the instigator.” Head of School D. DuBose Egleston, Jr. adds, “We are grateful to PMAAA. It is very important to see and understand our history, our past, and incorporate it in today’s Porter-Gaud.” PMAAA’s fingerprints can be found across campus. They left something tangible, something in which they participated in; something meaningful, not just to them, but to all of us.
DID YOU KNOW?
PORTER MILITARY ACADEMY ALUMNI EDITION 1) Nick Hart ‘50 is the past PMA alumni president. His dad was a general in the Marine Corps and was once the commander of the Marine Corps base at Parris Island. 2) The Porter Military Academy Alumni Association is 235 alumni strong! 3) Each year during reunion weekend PMA alums gather at St Luke’s Chapel, formerly St. Timothy’s, on MUSC’s campus for a chapel service dedicated to deceased classmates. St. Luke’s used to be a part of the old PMA campus before the school moved to its current location. 4) The cannon located near the Porter-Gaud Auditorium previously graced the campus of Porter Military Academy for 75 years. This bronze “Napoleon” is a lasting symbol of PorterGaud’s heritage and its founder the Reverend Dr. Anthony Toomer Porter. Weighing in at 1231 pounds, the cannon is a US 12-pounder and was manufactured in 1863.
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BELK DAUGHTRIDGE’71 & ANN BACOT IGOE DAUGHTRIDGE’76 WHY WE GIVE.
“To whom much is given, much is expected,” says Belk Daughtridge. He believes giving back is not only a core belief he shares with his wife, Ann Bacot Igoe Daughtridge ’76, but also an idea-centered heirloom they hope to pass down through their children. “We love education, so we knew we wanted to give to a school,” adds Ann Bacot. “We chose Porter-Gaud because of its first-rate teachers and excellent curriculum. You have to have teachers who will make the children want to learn—and this is what Porter-Gaud does so well.” They should know. The Daughtridge and Igoe families have long maintained strong family ties to Porter-Gaud. Although, neither Belk nor Ann Bacot are actually graduates, Belk began at the Gaud School and later went on to Porter-Gaud. Belk’s four children and one niece also went to Porter-Gaud. Ann Bacot began her tenure at Porter-Gaud in the first co-ed class. Her brother also attended Porter-Gaud, as well as her two children who both attended and graduated from Porter-Gaud; while her father attended the Gaud School and her grandfather attended Porter Military Academy. With this type of legacy spanning so many generations, it’s not surprising that they chose to benefit Porter-Gaud with an unrestricted planned gift funded through a charitable reminder trust. According to the couple, Porter-Gaud instills important ethical and educational values into every student that walks through the doors. Belk explains, “I admire Porter-Gaud. I admire what it does, what it stands for, and the values that it perpetuates. Porter-Gaud serves a great purpose.” “Quite frankly,” he continues, “our kids attended Porter-Gaud because it’s the best school to go to… however, the money we are giving is not for me or my children, but it is for someone’s grandchildren and likely someone we know’s grandchildren. Through this gift a child will get a better opportunity to succeed in life, and who knows, perhaps become a Sally Krawcheck.” And while they certainly put a lot of thought into what their gift could be used for at P-G, their decision to give and how to do so was ultimately a simple one. “When every gift is restricted you don’t have the funds to do much of anything- this can be problematic. We didn’t want to handcuff the school. We trust Porter-Gaud and that is why our gift is unrestricted,” says Belk. The Daughtridge family gift will carry on a legacy of education and philanthropy for future generations of P-G students and faculty. “Having the money allows the school to hire the best teachers and build the best facilities. These two things attract the best and brightest. It is self-perpetuating and we are honored to help carry on Porter-Gaud’s tradition of excellence.”
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CYCLONE NOTES
EXCITING NEWS FROM OUR ALUMNI
Class of 2015
Sarah and Jacob Salley ’15 welcomed William Titus Salley, class of 2034, into the world. He was born during a Porter-Gaud basketball game just like his dad was born during a P-G track meet.
Class of 2013
Michael Byrd ‘13 was recently honored at the South Carolina State Legislature as part of National Student-Athlete Day hosted by the University of South Carolina. Two student-athletes were selected from each South Carolina four-year institution to be honored based on academic excellence and service to school/community, along with playing their sport. Michael (pictured on the right) is a junior Biology major at Erskine College and has maintained a 4.0 GPA while serving as president of student body, playing basketball, and working as a student life assistant.
Class of 2014
K. J. James ‘14 and the High Point University Basketball team recently won the Big South basketball conference.
Class of 2011
Connor P. Benton ‘11 recently graduated from College of Charleston in May with a degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice. He has recently become a licensed real estate agent in South Carolina and joined Keller Williams Realty in Mt. Pleasant. Benjamin Byrd ‘11 graduated with a degree in Computer Science from College of Charleston in May, 2016. Will Henry Lawrence ‘11 will be married to Ellie Farrell of Fort Thomas, KY on May 29th, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Will Henry and Ellie will reside in Charleston or Columbia where Will Henry will complete his undergraduate degree and Ellie will continue working as a pharmacist.
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Class of 2010
Amanda M. Jones ‘10 is in her final year of Physician Assistant School in Worcester, MA.
Class of 2008
Christopher W. Hernandez ‘08 was recently hired to be an elementary school assistant teacher. He will be helping to teach kids in underperforming schools in math, English, and writing! He is excited to be able to continue to work on his writing while serving his community and investing in the future of education in America. Ben Muller ‘08 and Morgan Milano were married in September, 2015 in Charleston, SC. Ben also recently matched in OBGYN at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, TX. PICTURE includes Tej Dhindsa ’08, Cameron Wilhoit ’08, Connor Danielowski ’08, Daisy Bainum ’08, Adam Stovall ’08.
Class of 2005
Amy B. Cheng ‘05 is currently living in Atlanta, GA with her fiancé, Chad Hume, where she is a business litigation attorney. Amy and Chad will be getting married in August 2016 at the Historic Rice Mill in Charleston, SC. Her bridesmaids will include some of her closest friends from Porter-Gaud including Brittany West ‘05, Marya Hannun ‘05, Reem Hannun ‘05, and Jenna Newman ‘05. Betsey Lupton ’05 recently started her own wedding planning firm in Charleston, and will serve as their day-of coordinator. Nicolaas Van Vliet ‘05 will be officiating the wedding. Amy is so excited and happy that through P-G she has made long lasting friends who will stand by her on the most important day of her life.
Class of 2007
Morgan Headden Khawaja ‘07 is in her first year as a Pediatric Resident with plans to go into General Pediatrics after residency. She spoke to Porter-Gaud upper school girls during the Girls In series on medicine.
Class of 2006
Erin Claire Finn ‘06 is finishing her M.A. in Applied Linguistics by taking her last class as a guest student at Eastern Michigan University. Francis H. Grimball ‘06 and Paige welcomed their second child, Nelson, who was born December 7, 2015. The photograph was taken by fellow P-G Alum, Anne Rhett ’05.
Class of 2004
Parker H. Lee ‘04 is a Content Creator for the Independent Journal Review. Parker served as Communications Manager for the Charleston Chamber after three years to pursue this opportunity to write. He also holds a degree in graphic and web design. Ruth M. Ravenel ‘04 was recently honored by the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors with the prestigious Realtor of Distinction Award. Ravenel was inducted into the top tier of this group, the exclusive Executive Circle. She sold over $18M of real estate in 2015. Ruthie is the Sales and Marketing Director for Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty, a local downtown firm specializing in luxury property sales.
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CYCLONE NOTES
EXCITING NEWS FROM OUR ALUMNI
Charles E. Staats III ‘04 earned a Ph.D in Math from the University of Chicago in 2014. He now works for Google in California.
Class of 2003
Scott and Jenny L. Eskildsen ‘03 welcomed a son, Connor Brand Eskildsen, on January 29, 2016.
Julia P. Hawkins ‘02 has joined Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International realty. She will be working P-G alums Daniel Ravenel ’02 and Ruthie Ravenel ‘04.
Class of 2001
Charles P. Darby ‘01 and his wife, Maria, welcomed a baby boy in February, 2016. Jarvis Darby joins his big brother, Quinn.
John L. Ripley III ‘03 and Corey Conrad Ripley ‘04 have moved to Sumter, SC. Rip has accepted a job at Wilson Hall where he is serving as an Assistant Athletic Director as well as teaching and coaching Volleyball, Track, and assisting with Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball. He is currently working on his M.B.A. through the University of Mississippi. Corey is teaching 1st grade at Pocalla Springs Elementary and will be completing her Masters in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina in May. Ashley Smith ‘03 owns two photography companies in Charleston specializing in wedding, family, and real estate photography. They are Ashley James Photography, LLC and Charleston Realty Pics, LLC.
Class of 2002
Lee Butler Bressan ‘02 and her husband, John, welcomed a baby boy, Jack, on February 5, 2016.
Jean M. McDowell ‘01 is engaged to be married to Patrick Martin. The wedding is planned for June 10, 2017. Mary Neill Hagood McKie ‘01 and her husband, Blake, are over the moon about their newest family member. Louisa Hagood McKie was born on January 6, 2016.
Anthony J. Del Porto ‘02 has joined Questis Inc. (located at 112 Bull St. in Charleston) as Director of Marketing. Questis, a startup focused on bringing financial wellness to the American workforce as an employee benefit, has created their flagship software products, Pension 2.0 and FinancialHR. Anthony will be responsible for getting the word out about the company and their products. www.myquestis.com Hallie Belk Daughtridge Harris ‘02 has been the Managing Director at Epic Signal since January 2016. Previously she was the Director of Social Strategy. The company grows brand communities and has clients such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, The Voice, Ralph Lauren, CNN, NFL, Starbucks, YouTube, Kind Snacks, and Nordstrom Rack.
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Jonathan Michael Zile ‘01 is the Director of Product Management Programmatic with comScore, Inc. He has first-hand experience leading both products through their development life cycle and personnel through their career advancement. He has succeeded in a variety of roles, from client facing to managerial and analytical to product management. He developed his analytical, programming and problem solving skills at Duke University’s Pratt Engineering School and has since applied these skills to extensive professional experience.
Class of 2000
Rebecca Key Johnson ‘00 and husband, Matthew, welcomed Lyndon Franklin (Frank) Johnson on February 2, 2016. He was 7 pounds, 3 ounces.
Katharine Robinson Corona ‘97 is a Talent Specialist at PhishLabs in Charleston, SC. Colleen Thompson Jones ‘97 and Chase Jones ’97 welcomed Caroline Willard “Willa” Jones on January 18, 2016. She joins big brother Callan, who is 3 1/2. Chase is a commercial real estate appraiser. Colleen earned her M.B.A. from the Citadel in May and has returned to the P-G Upper School classroom to teach math.
Holly Finnan Listman ‘00 and her husband, Braden, welcomed a baby girl in October of 2015.
Class of 1999
Sarah and Cary Hudgins ‘99 welcomed a baby girl, Vivienne Marie, born on December 9, 2015.
Class of 1996
Mark H. Mizell ‘96 has joined Birchin Lane Realty Advisors, LLC. Mark is a business graduate of College of Charleston and has been a commercial broker for over ten years. He specializes in the brokerage and leasing of Retail, Office & Investment properties. He is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) 2010 and Recipient of CTAR Realtor of Distinction Award - Commercial Circle. He is a multiple time recipient of the realtor of distinction award which recognizes the top 10% highest volume producing brokers. His work was recently featured in Commercial Investment Real Estate Magazine.
Alexander W. Ramsay, Jr. ‘99 is engaged to Rebecca Blackman. The wedding is set for the fall of 2016.
Class of 1997
Courtney E. Brown ‘97 is currently Assistant Professor of Voice and Acting at Kent State University. She is in the process of becoming a Lessac Certified Voice and Body Trainer, a highly specialized, holistic training approach that improves all aspects of expressiveness and communication. She has continued to act and vocal coach regionally, Off-Off Broadway, and internationally. She has worked at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Ensemble Studio Theatre in NYC, and Cleveland Public Theatre and Actors Express in Atlanta. Next up, Courtney will serve as dialect coach for Kent State’s production of Bus Stop, and act in Top Girls at Mamai Theatre in Cleveland.
Class of 1995
Kirsten Rabe Smolensky ‘95 is the owner of Minerva Appraisal, LLC. They assist with your appraisal needs in the Nashville, TN area and beyond. Find out more at http://www.minervaappraisal.com/
Class of 1993
Jeffrey S. Fitzharris ‘93 is working as a Controller for a North Charleston company called CodeLynx, LLC since June of 2015. He is responsible for the traditional accounting functions such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, treasury, debt management, month-end close, financial reporting, and financial planning and analysis. He also works on process improvements, standardization, cost savings and simplification, while overseeing human resources, payroll, insurance, employee benefits and the employee retirement plan.
Class of 1992
Ari M. Kurtz ‘92 is the head of industry and retail at Google, Inc.
Sinai Choi Zyblewski ‘92 is a Pediatric Cardiologist who works in the MUSC Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. She spoke to PorterGaud upper school girls during the Girls In series on medicine.
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CYCLONE NOTES
EXCITING NEWS FROM OUR ALUMNI
Class of 1989
Paul T. Cantey ‘89 has accepted the position of focal person for river blindness elimination at the World Health Organization. He will be moving to Geneva, Switzerland in the late spring and will be there for 2 years.
Julia DeWolf Pinckney ‘84 recently published a book “Am I Big Enough?”. It is a fun little book on manners and can be found on Amazon.com.
Class of 1988
Elizabeth Ann Williams ‘88 has her own photography business, Libby Williams Photographs, that caters to lifestyle and portraits. She has photographed all over the world but her studio is based in Charleston, SC.
Class of 1987
Bonnie Brittain Geer ‘87 and Wendy Thrower, two of Charleston Preferred Properties’ sales associates, have joined forces to work as a team so they can best serve their clients’ real estate needs. Bonnie, a born and raised Charlestonian, has in-depth knowledge of the Charleston community and an extensive network of lifelong connections to help buyers find the right home quickly. Together, Team Geer & Thrower is ready to help you succeed in your Charleston real estate goals, whether it’s buying a new property or selling your current Lowcountry home.
Class of 1985
William D. Anderson III ‘85 recently was announced as the Chief Medical Officer for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine’s integrated medical group combining over 500 Palmetto Health and USC providers. (PH-USC Medical Group). He will remain the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs for the USC SOM. He will graduate from the Harvard School of Public Health with a Masters in Healthcare Management degree (MHCM) in May. Paul Bissell Graves, Jr. ‘85 is back in the lowcountry after twentyfive years in Raleigh, NC. He has been getting divine payback teaching middle school for the last 22 years. Randy Clark and Maj. Richardson would be so proud! He is currently teaching 6th grade Social Studies at Laing Middle in Mt. Pleasant. His wife of 28 years, Kelly, is teaching at Memminger(my grandmother’s alma mater) in downtown Charleston. They have four children: Savannah(22) who works at Cisco Systems in Raleigh, Lily(19) a sophomore at Appalachian State University, Hugh(17) and Mary Emma (15) who both attend Wando High School. They currently reside on Sullivan’s Island and are glad to be back home!
Class of 1984
Jennifaye V. Brown ‘84 has accepted a new job as Clinical Assistant Professor Coordinator for the Physical Therapy Neurology Residency Program at Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences Physical Therapy Program. She started on March 21, 2016.
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Paul S. Oberman ‘84 is Head of the Upper School at the Atlanta Jewish Academy. He has been in this position since June of 2014.
Tami Welborn Yancone ‘84 and her husband, John, welcomed a baby boy, Sully Bennett Yancone, on November 11, 2015. He joins his sister, Mary Bess (3), and they live in Grand Haven, Michigan.
Class of 1983
Stafford N. Green, Jr. ‘83 retired from Coca-Cola and is living full time at Lake Oconee. He is now working on a Sci-Fi Adventure film (shooting trailer in June), a Startup that optimizes friends and events, and doing some MLB (baseball) TV & digital marketing.
Class of 1982
Karl F. Weckel ‘82 joined Nobel Upstream as the Head of Corporate Affairs and Board Secretary in January, 2014. He has broad experience in corporate governance, investor relations, marketing, communications, and finance. Immediately prior to joining Nobel Upstream, Mr. Weckel worked at Oerlikon, where he was Advisor to the Chairman and Board Secretary, and BP where he held a variety of positions in Houston and London.
Frank D. Wells ‘82 has been named executive director of Renew IV Spa.
Class of 1976
Class of 1975
The Class of 1976 celebrated their 40th reunion on Sullivan’s Island during Alumni Weekend.
James M. Mahaffey ‘75 and his wife Kathryn, along with their two young sons, Jameson (6) and John Carlisle (4), have recently relocated from Mauldin, SC, to Surfside Beach, SC. James is teaching 1st grade, and Kathryn is a speech therapist at Socastee Elementary School, Horry County Schools. This is his 34th year teaching elementary school, mainly first grade. He feels very fortunate to be the father of 9 children, 5 girls and 4 boys, ages 4-34. His sixth child, Sarah Margaret, is expecting her first child this spring, who will be James’ first grandchild. James still enjoys long distance swimming, biking, and running. He completed his 27th Ironman Triathlon at Ironman Florida, Panama City Beach, in November 2015, and is planning to participate in Ironman Lake Placid, in July 2016 and Ironman North Carolina, in October 2016. He remains thankful for his Porter-Gaud education and the friends that he made as a student at P-G.
Class of 1974
Mark W. Allen ‘74 is a volunteer pointman for Trail Life USA - Walk Worthy. It is a Christian adventure, character, and leadership program for young men.
Class of 1967
Chester D. Palmer III ‘67 is a retired high school teacher and part time college professor with the University of South Carolina.
Have you gotten married or engaged? Did you have a baby? Did you write a book, play, or screenplay? Have you landed your dream job? Have you retired after a fulfilling career? Did you invent something revolutionary? Are you working on changing the boundaries of medicine? We are always looking for news about the amazing things our alumni accomplish. If you have news to share, please drop us a note. We will publish it to the Porter-Gaud Family so they can share in your excitement. We might even tell your story in a feature article. We are proud of the way our alumni lead progress throughout the world, so let us know what you have been up to! Visit portergaud.edu/alumni to submit a news note.
The 24th Annual
Swing into
SUMMER Saturday, June 11, 2016 Osprey Point Golf Course, Kiawah Island
Alumni Weekend 2016 On April 16-18, more than 150 alumni returned to Porter-Gaud to celebrate Alumni Weekend 2016. Friday night's festivities were held at Grimball House where alums had drinks, hors d'oeuvres, music from P-G alumnus Seth G. ‘08, and a great time reminiscing with old friends. Head of School DuBose Egleston '93 and Tucker Branham briefed the crowd on the reNEWal fundraising campaign that will have a transformative impact on the campus and our students. On Saturday, alumni and boys varsity soccer players clashed on Singleton Field for the 5th Annual Soccer Showdown. Alums continued to celebrate throughout Charleston on Saturday evening at their individual parties for classes ending in ‘1s and ‘6s. Porter Military Academy alumni concluded the weekend with a moving chapel service at Old St. Timothy’s Chapel at MUSC.
For additional images from the weekend, visit pictures.portergaud.edu/Alumni-Events.
HIGHLIGHTREEL Girls Basketball: Anchored by a class of six seniors—Bailey Allen, Beau Faith, Maggie Cochrane, Sissy Freshley, Garis Grant, and Kaylee Kemp—the Cyclones produced one of the all-time best seasons in program history. Beau and Garis were both named to the all-state team, and Head Coach Kevin Ziman was named SCISA Coach of the Year for leading the Cyclones to the state finals for the first time since 2004. They finished as state runners-up.
Bowling: The brand-new Cyclone bowling team takes a “leisure sport” very seriously. Although SCISA has had bowling as a championship sport for years, no other Charleston schools field a team. First-year Head Coach Al Wilson pulled together a group of athletes with championship-level skills and experience in other sports like football, soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse and paired them with interested newcomers to introduce the sport at P-G. Their efforts paid off, with the girls’ team placing third and the boys fifth in the SCISA state championships in their very first year of competition.
Soccer: The Cyclone varsity boys’ soccer team has appeared in three of the last four SCISA state championship games, including a runner-up finish in penalty kicks last year with a team that included no seniors. This year, Coach Juan Roncancio has senior leadership all over the field, with TEN seniors, most of whom have high-level championship experience. The veteran team competed well against the biggest and best public schools in the Lowcountry and ran undefeated through SCISA play, winning the SCISA AAA State Championship with a 3-0 victory over Heathwood Hall. Varsity Cyclone Girls’ Coach Hope Atkinson entered SCISA soccer playoffs with high expectations. A team with only two seniors— veteran Lillie Bradshaw and rookie MacKenzie Leinbach—the young squad has turned a challenging preseason schedule against public school AAAA competition into an undefeated 8-0 run through a tough region and a #1 seed and home-field advantage entering the postseason. The girls advanced to the semis, but fell to Ashley Hall 5-4 in a penalty kick finish.
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Track: Coach Hugh Knight’s track and field team turned in a performance for the ages, winning both the boys’ and girls’ state championships on May 7th. The boys’ team continued a tradition of excellence, winning a sixth consecutive state title. With seniors Carson Marr and Eddie Nesmith winning both hurdles, senior David Silliman winning the pole vault, and junior Gray Eubank winning the discus, as well as solid depth in multiple events, the veteran squad overcame multiple injuries and setbacks as they found a way to win and kept the streak alive. The Cyclone girls track program won the SCISA state championship for the first time in fifteen years, coming from behind to edge Heathwood Hall by a single point. Senior Garis Grant won the 100 and 200 meter dashes and the discus throw, while the Cyclone relay teams swept both sprint relays to seal the dramatic victory.
Sporting Clays: A new offering in Cyclone athletics this year, the Sporting Clays team, under the leadership of first-year Coach Dan Hydrick, got off to a great start. They were recognized as the runner-up among all new teams in SC DNR competition for the year.
Boys Tennis: The rallying cry for Coach Jonathan Barth’s defending state champion squad was, “fill the banner!” When the Cyclones defeated Wilson Hall for the SCISA State Championship on May 6th, they became the first team since the construction of the Wendell Center in 1999 to run out of space to embroider a new championship year. With only senior Cross Tolliver graduating from a talented and hard-working squad, the next several seasons look to be “banner years.”
Equestrian: In the first year of Equestrian competition for the Cyclones, a team of five riders—Grace Baranowski, Murray McLoud, Caroline McShane, Caroline Nagrodsky, and Michelle Norton—made their SCISA debut by placing 4th in the Hunt Seat State Championships. Coach Colleen Jones is excited to have this nucleus of underclassmen “back in the saddle” as we continue to build the program. Baseball: Following the graduation of one of the strongest classes in recent P-G baseball history, including three now playing collegiate baseball, Coach Ricky Tillman led the 2016 Cyclones on a course of steady improvement throughout the year that resulted in peaking at the season’s end and winning their first-round playoff series over Hammond. The Cyclones’ only two seniors, Matt Naumoff and Collin Smith, platooned with junior Joe Rosso on the mound as the Cyclones have played hard and gotten better every week.
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PORTER MILITARY ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (PMAAA)
VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP Porter-Gaud would like to thank the following people for giving of their valuable time and energy to help continue the mission of the School. PORTER-GAUD BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dr. Thomas C. Appleby ’77 Mrs. Wanda M. Boyd Mr. James T. H. Buxton ’91 Mr. Henry M. Cheves, Jr. ’87, Chair Mr. J. Walker Coleman IV ’82, Secretary Mr. Paul A. Kohlheim The Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence Dr. John M. McCardell, Jr. The Rev. J. Haden McCormick Mr. Ford P. Menefee ’79 Mr. Doug A. Snyder, Treasurer Mr. James M. Stelling ’68 Mrs. Elizabeth F. Vingi Mr. Jonathan P. Weitz ’87 Dr. R. Preston Wendell ’97 The Rev. John Zahl EX-OFFICIO
Mr. D. DuBose Egleston, Jr. ’93, Head of School PORTER-GAUD FOUNDATION BOARD Mr. Luther P. Cochrane, Chair Mrs. Donna M. Friedman Mrs. Adriane Z. McAvoy, Secretary Mrs. Linda P. Porter Mr. R. Keith Sauls Mr. James A. Scully, Jr. Mr. Martin O. Skelly Mrs. Lisa D. Weitz EX-OFFICIO
Mr. Henry M. Cheves, Jr. ’87 Mr. Doug A. Snyder, Treasurer Mr. D. DuBose Egleston, Jr. ’93, Head of School Ms. Tucker J. Branham, Executive Director of the Porter-Gaud Foundation 1867 SOCIETY PARENT VOLUNTEERS Jennifer Black Wanda Boyd Faith Lewis Ellen Lucas Deidre Menefee Cynthia Nirenblatt Linda Porter Sue Schady
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OFFICERS President: Mr. Melvin H. Roberts ’63 Vice President: Mr. Carl Beckman, Jr. ’65 Secretary: Mr. Arthur H. Brouthers III ’63 Treasurer: Mr. James P. Demetre ’54 Archivist: Mr. J. W. Allen, Jr. ’63 Chaplain: Dr. Bobby R. Faulkner ’49 BOARD MEMBERS Mr. Larry K. Bradham, Jr. ’65 Col. Franklin A. “Nick” Hart, Jr., USMC, RET ’50 Mr. Thomas L. Ilderton ’57 Mr. William C. Kennerty ’41 Mr. Elmore L. Marlow ’63 Mr. John McAlister, Jr. ’52 Colonel L. Russell Rawls, USA-RET ’44 Mr. Joseph M. Roberts III ’64
PORTER-GAUD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (PGAA) OFFICERS President: Greer Shilling Polansky ’88 President-Elect: Charles Cole ’94 Secretary: Chris Osborne ’95 Treasurer: Ashley Thiem ’98 Past President: Rob Gamble ’91 BOARD MEMBERS Mr. Matthew Cochrane-Logan ’97 Mr. Justin Craig ’96 Mr. Tim Ford ’80 Mr. Jack Gumb ’93 Mrs. Kathleen Stelling Hodgson ’99 Mr. Carter C. Hudgins ’96 Mrs. Cate Morse Leatherman ’04 Dr. Maxwell Mowry, Gaud ’62 Mr. Ed Royall ’01 Mr. Paul Sperry ’92 Ms. Caroline Tigner Traugott ’87 Mr. Barney Vaughan ’78 Mr. Charlton Wieters ’93 PORTER-GAUD YOUNG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (YAA) OFFICERS President: Julia Mallard ‘11 Co-Vice Presidents: Hutson Dodds ’06 and Adam Stovall ‘08 BOARD MEMBERS Jack Gilchrist ‘15 Chelsea McKelvey ‘15 Moe Rama ‘15 Hannah Clarke ’14 John Bozeman ’14 Julia McAvoy ’13 Bobby Faith ’13 Robert Scott ’12 Leah Guest ’12 Charlie Baker ’11 Julia Mallard ’11 Josephine Appleby ’10: Anna Caroline Worthy ’10 Carson Parker ’09
Meg Hickey ’09 Tej Dhindsa ’08 Adam Stovall ’08 Steven Bailey ’07 Grace Perry Daughtridge ’07 Hudson Dodds ’06 Legare Settle ’06 Jeffrey Zucker ’06 John Beam ’05 Henry Laurens ’05 Anna Perkins McCubrey ’05 Alden Knowlton ’04 Cate Morse Leatherman ’04
BECAUSE THEY GAVE SO MUCH TO OUR ALUMNI,
WE GIVE BACK TO THEM. 2015-2016 GIVING by the
NUMBERS as of May 17, 2016
$535,179 Endowment
$62,071
PARTICIPATION LEVELS Parents
47%
Top Parent Class - 2027 (69%)
Alumni
9%
Top Class - 1971 (22%)
Capital/reNEWal
Faculty
TOTAL
Past Parents Grandparents
$9,710,000 $10,307,250
100% 23%
Staff
99% 28%
You can still give! Make a gift at portergaud.edu/give on or before June 30!
NON-PROFIT US Postage PAID Permit # 1297 Charleston, SC
300 Albemarle Road Charleston, SC 29407
THE 24TH ANNUAL
Saturday, June 11, 2016 Osprey Point Golf Club, Kiawah Island
Visit PORTERGAUD.edu/GOLF to register Proceeds benefit the Porter-Gaud Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.