THERE’S A POWER WITHIN YOU.
Invite a friend to the next open house! March 24 April 28 June 2
July 14
Learn more at rma.edu/open-house or call 540-636-5484.
From the President’s Desk
Ladies and Gentlemen, I write these words from the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) Head of School Conference in Charlottesville. My surroundings and the company of my peers from across the state make me so proud of R-MA! The achievements of our students, faculty and staff presented in this issue of The Sabre are worthy of the storied history of our Academy and I love to tell my friends at other schools about what we are doing in Front Royal. Many Virginia private schools are smaller this year and that’s the case for R-MA as well. With the number of American students of school age declining for the past ten years, our effort to raise enrollment is all the more challenging, but the students we have are the strongest I’ve seen in my tenure. Their morale is higher (as many of you saw at Homecoming) and their performance is stronger in several ways—we sang at the Governor’s R-MA President Brig Gen David C. Wesley, USAF, Retired, on right, talks with Mansion at Christmas and we’re headed to the national Ethan Mayo ’21 (left) and Jacob Gehly ’20 during the Alumni Celebration Dinner championship for drill in April! We had two National Merit during Homecoming Weekend. The cadets were there to accompany the quartet known as “The Stingers.” Scholarship Qualifying Test Commended Students, one of whom also earned a perfect score on the ACT exam. We sent 12 R-MA wrestlers to the State Championships this year, and both our girls’ and boys’ middle school basketball teams claimed championship titles in the Valley Middle School Conference. Our Upper School cadets are thoroughly enjoying the new Hadeed Innovation Wing. These exciting accomplishments, combined with the excellent work by our admission team, led to the strongest mid-year enrollment we have seen in recent years. In this issue, you’ll see the character of our students, as a member of the Corps won the Gold Medal for Valor, AFJROTC’s highest award, when he saved the lives of two of his classmates. Mr. Chris Peter was selected as Teacher of the Year by Washington Family Magazine and, for those who’ve not seen it, please see the wonderful support shown in the Gratitude Report, which is now available on our website (www.RMA.edu/GR2017-18). As we turn toward Graduation for the Class of 2019, we’ll say goodbye to two important staff members who’ve powerfully driven R-MA and helped us chart our path forward. Col Frank Link, our Commandant of Cadets for the past three years, will retire to Texas in March and Mr. Jonathan Ezell, our long-standing Dean, Middle School Principal, and teacher, will retire from his current post as Vice President at the end of the school year. I speak for the entire R-MA community when I say that we will miss these fine men, their families, and their commitment to the success of our Academy. Col Link’s post will be filled by a member of the Class of 1988, Lt Col Mike Starling, USMC (Ret), who is also the parent of three R-MA students. Based on his service as Chair for Leadership and Character, I know our students will be in good hands. There are many other deeds of character and skill in this issue and we hope you take pride in each one. Great things are happening at your Academy—come and visit us soon! Warm regards,
David C. Wesley Brigadier General, USAF, Retired President
Randolph-Macon Academy admits persons of any race, gender, color, religion, nationality, and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. R-MA does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
The Sabre Magazine | Winter-Spring 2019
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Rise & Shine
Reader Submissions........................................................................ 3
Rise Inside
Inside This Issue
Campus Happenings...................................................................... 4 Vet Chats........................................................................................ 5 NMSQT & ACT Honors..................................................................... 5 More Campus Happenings.............................................................. 6 Grit: R-MA Cadets Visit VMI Conference.......................................... 7
The Power of Leadership
Connor Gamma ’20 Honored with Gold Valor Award......................... 8 Cassie Tang: Seeking Challenges...................................................... 9 Chris Peter Named Washington Family Teacher of the Year...............10 Commandant Changeover............................................................. 11
The Power of Giving
Endowment Grows with Planned Gifts and Donations......................12 April 23, 2019 is the Inaugural Giving Day at R-MA!..........................13 Parents’ Association Corner............................................................13
The Power of Service R-MA Students Honor Veterans during Holidays..............................14
The Sabre
M a g a z i n e Winter-Spring 2019 | Volume 98 | Number 1 Published by the Office of Communications Editor: Celeste M. Brooks P’12,’21 Photography: Misti Walters Copy Editors: Clare M. Dame and Amy M. Harriman The Sabre is published twice a year for alumni/ae, parents, students, and friends of: Randolph-Macon Academy 200 Academy Drive | Front Royal, VA 22630 Phone: 540-636-5200 | Fax: 540-636-5419 www.RMA.edu | sabre@rma.edu On Facebook: Facebook.com/Randolph.Macon.Academy.VA On Twitter: @RandolphMaconA On YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/RandolphMaconAcademy On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/randolph-macon-academy On Pinterest: pinterest.com/randolphmacon/ On Instagram: instagram.com/randolphmaconacademy/
Feature Articles
Building Camaraderie in the R-MA Cadet Corps..............................15 Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Unknowns....................18 Drop Everything & Code................................................................ 22 New Flight Simulator Added to Innovation Lab............................... 24
The Power of Grit: Your Yellow Jacket Sports
Soccer’s Firm Foundation.............................................................. 25 Defining the Power of Grit............................................................. 26 Sweet Taste of Victory.....................................................................27
Rise Beyond
Class Notes................................................................................... 28 The Final Roll Call........................................................................ 30 Homecoming Highlights................................................................31
About the Cover R-MA photographer Misti Walters captured this artistic close-up of a 3D printer in the R-MA Innovation Lab.
Affiliated with the United Methodist Church
Board of Trustees RADM John D. Stufflebeem '70, Chairman Mr. John Simar ’68, Vice Chairman Mr. Harry G. Austin III ’75, Secretary Mr. Rodney Deane, Jr., P’95, Treasurer Mr. Eric D. Carlson ’73 Mr. Joe Hadeed '84 Mr. Stuart Hester P'16 Ms. Lucy Williams Hooper Mr. Doug Huthwaite ’69 Ms. Patty Keenan Mr. George Mathias ’54 Ms. Pamela McInnis Ex-Officio Members Dr. Susan Gawalt P'14, '16, '20 Ms. Heather Grossman P’16, ’18, ’21 Mr. Robert “Bo” Snitchler ’06 Rev. John Peters, Representing Bishop Sharma Lewis Rev. Steve Sumners
President Brig Gen David C. Wesley, USAF, Retired
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The Sabre Magazine | Winter-Spring 2019
R i se &
SHINE
So much happens at R-MA and with our alumni that our photographer cannot get to it all! Reader-submitted photos are highlighted in this section, to give you a glimpse of life at R-MA. Have a photo you would like to send in for the next issue? Email a high-resolution file to sabre@rma.edu.
From Our Readers
Catherine Jouet P’22 took this photo of her son, Emmett, during Fall Family Weekend.
Students use technology to understand how explorers used stars to navigate. Photo by AFJROTC Instructor MSgt Stephen Pederson P’13, ’15. The Middle School Flag Corps goes through a practice run prior to Homecoming. Photo by
R-MA Science Department Chairman Tony Maranto (above) finished first out of 497 runners in the 60-to-64 age group in the Marine Corps Marathon.
At right, a group of students enjoy a weekend trip to Skyline Paintball & Laser Tag. Photo by Head Cadet Life Supervisor Chet Inhar.
At left, the Middle School Interact Club completes the task of filling a Blessing Box with food. Photo by Middle School teacher Dani Clingerman P’21.
Middle School teacher Dani Clingerman P’21.
The R-MA Chorus and Color Guard participated in a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at Greenwood Mill Elementary School. They had the opportunity to eat lunch there, tour the school, and visit some of the students’ classes. Photo by Chorus Director Michael DeMato.
The Sabre Magazine | Winter-Spring 2019
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R i se
INSIDE
Campus Happenings
Ethan Mayo Earns Amateur Radio Technician License
Two Cadets Named to District Chorus Chorus Instructor and Assistant Bandmaster Michael DeMato took nine R-MA singers to John Handley High School in Winchester, VA, to audition for this year’s District XIV Chorus. There were hundreds of high school students from eight area counties auditioning. R-MA’s Izzy Spencer ’21 (pictured on left above) was selected for the group singing Soprano 2, and Sophia Poe ’20 (pictured on right above) was selected for Alto 2. In addition, Cherry Chen ’20 received status as a “first alternate” for Soprano 2. The District XIV Chorus Concert was held on Saturday, February 9th.
Podcast Hits the “Airwaves” The Academy’s own podcast, “The Buzz at R-MA,” became a reality in late 2018, as student host Josiah Herring ’20 interviewed the first guests: Band Director Ed Richards and Band Squadron Commander Noelle Kramer ’19. Now, podcasts that explore Band, Spiritual Life, the Flight Program, and College Counseling are posted online at podbean.com/ randolphmaconacademy. A new podcast is posted on the first and third Friday of each month when school is in session. Want to be a guest or have a story idea? Email communications@ rma.edu.
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In May 2018, Ethan Mayo ’21 earned his “ham” radio technician license, thanks in part to an amateur radio intramural started by Aerospace Instructor MSgt Stephen Pederson, USAF, Retired. Mayo said that he loves the many different aspects of amateur radio, and how much there is to learn. “Once you get your license and start operating, that is when the real learning begins,” he commented. “I enjoy when local operators come in and show us their gear because it demonstrates practical applications of HAM radio in our everyday lives.” Currently with his technician license, he can operate both voice and data within a regional area using amateur radio repeaters. Mayo is working towards his general class license. He said, “Moving forward to my general class license will give me the ability to operate on high frequency bands, which opens the ability to talk with other ham operators around the world.” Photo by R-MA Aerospace Instructor MSgt Stephen Pederson, USAF, Retired, P’13, ’15
1892 Isn’t Just the Founding Year It’s also the number of the Boy Scout Troop that has come to R-MA’s campus. R-MA Troop 1892 currently has eight Scouts that are comprised of mostly 11 to 16 year-olds. The Scouting program offers over 130 merit badge courses that enable youth to enhance their knowledge and inspire a Scout to pursue a particular field. Over the past year, Troop 1892 Scouts have explored subjects such as First Aid, Electricity, Engineering, Fire Safety, Wilderness Survival, Pulp & Paper, Genealogy, Personal Fitness, Chess, and Fingerprinting. During weekend camping trips, the Scouts experience a variety of camping techniques, Dutch oven cooking and cooking over a fire, fire building principles/training, knife/ saw/ax principles/training, hiking, and pioneering projects.
NMSQT Commended Students
As an Air Force Junior ROTC school, Randolph-Macon Academy cadets often spend a lot of time in the community, supporting Veterans Day events hosted by other organizations. This usually prevents the cadets from any on-campus observance, but this year, Chairman of Leadership and Character Lt Col Mike Starling, USMC, Retired, ‘88, P’19, ’23, ’24, decided to change that by organizing an event before Veterans Day. On November 7, 2018, Lt Col Starling gathered veterans from on campus and from the local community to meet with R-MA cadets. This included R-MA employees Air Force veteran Christine Bennett P’08 (Upper School academic coordinator), Navy veteran Julianne Cochran P’12 (Spanish teacher), Air Force veteran John Casserino (physics teacher), Army veteran Geo Romanov (cadet life supervisor), and Navy/ Air Force veteran Jay Smith (major gifts and planned giving officer). Joining them from off campus were Marine veteran Rob McDougall (commercial real estate/private pilot), Marine veteran Joe Bozell (theology student), and Air Force veteran Pete Fravel (Habitat for Humanity). “The veterans shared with cadets about their service and how their service to the nation has affected who they are today and how they still serve their communities today,” said Starling. Within the small groups, the veterans also engaged the students in a conversation about what Veterans Day is about, and encouraged the international students in each group to discuss what military service in their countries is like. The cadet corps and the veterans gathered together in front of Melton Memorial Gymnasium after the discussions were completed. There, Corps Commander Rana Diallo ‘19 and the rest of the corps staff personally thanked each veteran on behalf of the cadet corps. The entire cadet corps then saluted the veterans in a show of appreciation for their service. Photo by R-MA Admission Assistant Andrea Link
Perfect ACT Score Noelle Kramer ’19 has earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. On average, only around one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating Noelle Kramer ’19 class of 2017, only 2,760 out of more than 2 million graduates who took the ACT earned a composite score of 36. The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1–36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. The score for ACT’s optional writing test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score. The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students have learned in school. Students who earn a 36 composite score have likely mastered all of the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in first-year college courses in the core subject areas. The Sabre Magazine | Winter-Spring 2019
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Rise Inside
Vet Chats
R-MA Dean of Instructional Leadership and Innovation Dr. Tess Hegedus has announced that Noelle Kramer ’19 and Hong Li “Henry” Liu ’19 have been named Commended Students in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. A Letter of Commendation from the school and Hong LI “Henry” Liu ‘19 National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, was presented to these scholastically talented seniors during Fall Family Day on October 20, 2018. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2019 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2019 competition by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).
Campus Happenings
• Unarmed Regulation: 1st Place • Advanced Color Guard: 1st Place • Armed Regulation: 2nd Place • Advanced Inspection: 3rd Place Congratulations Jackets on a solid performance!
Fall Family Weekend The traditional Fall Family Weekend was held Saturday, October 20th, providing parents the opportunity to attend tenminute classes and meet with teachers. Also on the schedule was the Yellow Jacket Drill Meet and the National Honor Society & National Junior Honor Society Induction/Scholarship Recognition Program. Seven students were inducted into the NJHS, and 15 were inducted into the NHS. Congratulations!
World Language Day The Upper School foreign language teachers visited the Middle School to give them an exploratory lesson. The photo above shows one session where students were given a balloon that had a question or its answer written in French; they had to find the student with the balloon that had the matching answer or question.
Second Yellow Jacket Invitational Facing off against Freedom High School and Chantilly Academy, Randolph-Macon Academy’s cadets performed with pride, sportsmanship, and class during the second annual Yellow Jacket Invitational Drill Meet held on October 20, 2018. Chantilly came out on top by only 190 points (out of approximately 7,000 possible), with R-MA taking second overall and Freedom claiming third. R-MA’s Jacob Gehly ‘20 took first place in the knockout drill competition from among approximately 100 competitors! R-MA’s placements in the competition were as follows: • 1st Year Color Guard: 1st Place • 1st Year Inspection: 2nd Place • 1st Year Unarmed Regulation: 3rd Place
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Crowd Roars with Approval Over Lion King The Drama Department performed a matinee and one evening show of The Lion King Jr. in November. The talented cast received rave reviews from local elementary school teachers who brought their students to the event, and from internal audiences as well. An unseasonally early snowstorm cancelled the final show, much to everyone’s disappointment.
by the course material and loved the work, but the time there also confirmed her beliefs about Yale. “Yale was amazing!” she commented. “I had such a great time meeting people from all around the world and learning about new cultures while also getting an in-depth look at what life at Yale University is like. This visit only solidified Yale as my first-choice college.”
Rise Inside
First Place Honors for Band & Parade Unit Congratulations to the R-MA Band & Parade Unit, which took 1st Place Jr./Sr. High School Band and 1st Place Color Guard at the 93rd Alsatia Mummer’s Parade in Hagerstown, MD on October 27, 2019. (The above photo is from Homecoming 2018.)
Babineau Spends Summer at Yale, Brown R-MA’s Katherine Babineau ’20 wanted to make sure that the summer between her sophomore and junior years would be an impressive one, one that would help build her college resume and at the same time help her clarify her future goals and dreams. So she applied and was accepted to the summer programs at both Brown University and Yale University. Brown was up first, where Babineau spent a week exploring “Using laboratory organisms in biomedical research.” “I had so much fun,” she said. “Class was three hours long. We spent one hour talking about what we were going to do, a lot of time in the lab, and a lot of time looking at the changes taking place. I loved it.” From her fantastic experience at Brown, Babineau returned to R-MA for a few intense weeks, where she took World Religions for credit to free up time for more science and math courses during the regular school year. As a future pre-med student, she knows those two subjects are of utmost importance on her transcript, and they are also the subjects she loves. Not surprisingly, at Yale she took another science course, “Biological and Biomedical Science.” Again she was fascinated
Middle School Year Starts with Teamwork R-MA Middle School started the year off with some teambuilding activities that inspired deep thought and a lot of laughs. A video of the event is on the R-MA YouTube channel at bit.ly/R-MA_MSTeam.
Grit: R-MA Cadets Visit VMI Conference by Joshua Cline ‘19 On the 29th and 30th of October, 2018, R-MA faculty had the privilege to escort eight cadets to Virginia Military Institute’s Center for Leadership & Ethics. They were attending a conference dedicated to the memory of Caroline Dawn Wortham, VMI Class of 2012, a woman who had dedicated her life to be a force for good, and was tragically killed on September 5, 2015. The conference was focused upon American character, in particular grit. GRIT is both the word itself and an acronym, standing for Growth, Resilience, Integrity, and Tenacity. R-MA cadets had the rare opportunity to not only listen to the words of respected men and women (among them, Dr. Milana Hogan, Navy SEAL James Hatch, and Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha) but to also participate in discussions themselves. High school students rarely get the chance to make their voices heard among those who are up to sixty or seventy years their senior, but within the small-group exercises run by the cadets of VMI, all of the R-MA cadets got the opportunity to bring their own perspectives to the table. Read the full story at rma.edu/blog/grit-your-teeth. The Sabre Magazine | Winter-Spring 2019
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The Po w e r o f
Leadership on Display
LEADERSHIP
Connor Gamma ‘20 Honored with Gold Valor Award “This is the Air Force Junior ROTC equivalent of the Medal of Honor.” R-MA Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, Lt Col Joel Jones, USAF, Retired by Celeste M. Brooks P’12, ’21, Director of Communications On Friday, October 19, 2018, Cadet Staff Sergeant Connor Gamma was honored with The Gold Valor Award, the highest award the Air Force Junior ROTC can bestow upon a cadet. The award is given to recognize “the most outstanding voluntary acts of self-sacrifice and personal bravery by a cadet involving conspicuous risk of life above and beyond the call of duty,” according to the regulations put forth by Air Force Junior ROTC. The following is a summary of the citation that accompanied the award: On 20 May 2018, Gamma rendered aid to fellow cadets following a devastating car crash, when their vehicle struck a pool of water, spun out of control and hydroplaned, before hitting a tree head-on. Gamma quickly sprang into action, rendering aid to both Cadet Master Sergeant Ashley Daniels, who was crying out in pain, and Cadet Senior Airman Logan Haithcox, who was slumped over in the driver seat with a serious head wound. Noting smoke pouring from the engine, Gamma immediately assisted Daniels in getting out of the vehicle, who unfortunately was unable to walk. He was left with no choice but to carry her to safety some 30-feet away from the vehicle. Next, he ran back to the vehicle to assist Haithcox. Concerned about the smoke and believing that
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time was of the essence, Gamma quickly helped Haithcox out of the vehicle and to safety with Daniels. Gamma then provided critical aid to both girls until help arrived. At the hospital, Mr. Anthony Haithcox, Logan’s father, stated, “I am so impressed with how mature Connor is and what he did. Without him, I don’t think the girls would have been alright. He has my respect and I am grateful for him.” The Daniels family added that “Because of Connor’s brave actions and quickthinking, Logan and Ashley are alive. Connor is forever our hero!” Through these heroic actions and his dedication to duty, Gamma has truly earned this Gold Valor Medal, which garners great credit to his account and the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. After the presentation, R-MA Senior Aerospace Science Instructor Lt Col Joel Jones, USAF, Retired, helped the cadet corps understand the significance of the award by saying (and repeating for emphasis), “This is the Air Force Junior ROTC equivalent of the Medal of Honor.” “This is what R-MA is about. This is what Air Force Junior ROTC is about,” Jones explained to the cadets. “We are here to become better citizens, better people, and leaders. This is the epitome of what Air Force Junior ROTC and R-MA are trying to teach you.”
C a s s i e Ta n g : S e e k i n g C h a l l e n g e s by Celeste M. Brooks P’12, ’21, Director of Communications
Barbour Tagged as Rotarian AG In December 2018, Randolph-Macon Academy Social Studies Department Chairman Brian Barbour was announced as the Assistant Governor for Area One of Rotary District 7570, effective July 1, 2019. This area includes five rotary clubs (Warren County, Front Royal, Clarke County, Frederick County, and Winchester). Barbour was named to this position by Tim Carter (Sheriff of Shenandoah County) who will be the District Governor from July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020. Among Barbour’s responsibilities are to help develop district goals; communicate clubs’ strengths, weaknesses, and progress toward goals to the governor; identify and develop future leaders; brief the incoming assistant governor on the status of clubs; check in regularly with clubs; help presidentselect to develop goals and achieve those goals; and offer the district leadership team specific ideas for supporting clubs. Barbour will hold the office for three terms (2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022).
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Leadership Beyond the Classroom
Rongjian “Cassie” Tang ‘20 from Shanghai, China, is the type of person who seeks out challenges. So when this high school junior learned of a camp in China that was building teams to compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (IGEM) to be held at Boston University in October of 2018, she signed up. This competition draws teams from graduate schools, universities, and high schools from around the world, each of which have designed a genetically engineered approach to solving a global problem. The program’s challenge and the work involved were intense. Her team (consisting of a dozen other Chinese students and one U.S. citizen) began working together in May of 2018, meeting weekly online to discuss possible topics and begin the initial research. Over the summer, they met at Zhejiang University, considered to be one of the top three universities in China, and worked on the project daily. Even after the summer was over and the students had returned to their various schools, they continued to work together remotely, preparing their presentation. Cassie thrived on it all. There were three student leadership positions on the team. One student held the overall responsibility for the team. One was in charge of hardware and public surveys. The third was responsible for much of the experiment itself. This was Cassie’s position. “I was responsible for designing the experiment, making a schedule, assigning tasks to people, such as who would record data, and who handled experiments,” she explained. Cassie’s team chose to modify bacteria to deal with heavy metal pollution. Their goal was to create a bacterium that could detect copper contamination in waste water and another bacterium that could trap, thereby eliminating, the contaminating copper. R-MA Science Department Chairman Dr. Tony Maranto explained, “Specifically, Cassie used her knowledge of biotechnology, to genetically engineer a sequence of genes that would allow bacteria to turn red if there was copper in the water. The other bacterium would produce a protein that could tightly bind copper and remove it from the solution.”
“It was risky to do this topic, because we did not know if it would work,” Cassie said. When asked if it did work, she smiled. “It’s complicated. It did work, but after a period of time, it loses properties. So it was partly [successful], partly discovering something new, and partly failure.” At the conference, the teams had to show their presentations and posters to the judges. Each team had one day to present and one day to view other projects, providing even more opportunity for learning and networking. To the delight of Cassie and her team, their hard work paid off as they won one of the 114 Gold Medal honors among the 309 teams that competed. (The incredibly complicated judging standards and medal criteria can be found on the IGEM website at http://2018.igem.org/Judging.) “It was really exciting,” Cassie said. “The team leaders were sitting up front together, away from the rest of the team, but we were still shouting. It makes us want to do something more, because we want to be the best.”
Teachers Leading the Way
Chris Peter Named Washington Family Teacher of the Year
How do you engage students in early World History? Let them experience it. Here, Chris Peter demonstrates how to start a fire without any modern conveniences.
R-MA Staff Chris Peter, a history and civics teacher at R-MA Middle School, has been named one of Washington Family Magazine’s Teachers of the Year for 2018. The awardees were listed in the September issue of the magazine, released on August 30th. Peter was nominated by R-MA Director of Communications Celeste Brooks P’12, ’21. “When I was at the Middle School, I kept seeing the various projects Mr. Peter was using to get the students truly engaged in history and government. Or I would be in the Innovation Lab and students would come in saying, ‘We need such-and-such for Mr. Peter’s class,’” she said. “Then in the spring, when I was interviewing some students for Teacher Appreciation Week, his name kept coming up as someone who truly cares.” In addition to what Brooks had witnessed, Peter had been recognized by the Academy earlier in the year as the 2017-18 Coach of the Year for many of the same reasons, as his colleagues and supervisors were also aware of the care, dedication, and enthusiasm he brought to the soccer field. “We opened the Middle School Innovation Lab last fall and invited our teachers to use it to broaden students’ experience across all courses,” R-MA President Brig Gen David C. Wesley, USAF, Retired, observed. “Chris Peter maximized that opportunity, so his students were excited about and invested
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in what they were learning. We are pleased that his efforts have been recognized by the editors at Washington Family Magazine, we’re proud of Chris -- he gives his best every day to reach every student, to make a difference in their education and in their lives.” Brooks commented in her nomination that Peter’s “lack of ego” was part of what made him so approachable to his students. That humble personality showed in his response to the award. “I am happy to be working with such a supportive team,” Peter said. “This award should not be given exclusively to me. I think it shows how well the administration and my fellow teachers helped me along in this process. [R-MA Middle School Principal] Tony Ballard and [Vice Principal] Mariola Cuffe gave me feedback about my classes and how to improve my delivery. [R-MA teacher] Stephanie Wagner [P’20, ’23] was instrumental in this positive step by integrating technology into my classroom. [R-MA teacher] Dani Clingerman [P’21] constantly supplied me with the tools to create projects. The math and P.E. Departments worked on cross-curriculum projects to keep the students engaged in the topic at hand throughout the course of the school day. This was a team effort. I am proud of the award, however, I am more thankful for my team.”
Commandant Changeover by Celeste M. Brooks P’12, ’21, Director of Communications
Lt Col Frank Link, USAF, Retired (on right), and his wife, Kim (on left), will be retiring from R-MA after three years of service.
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Faculty & Staff Leaders
In mid-January, R-MA Commandant Col Frank Link, USAF, Retired, P’17, announced his intention to retire this March, after three years of dedicated service to the Academy. Replacing him will be Lt Col Michael C. Starling, USMC, Retired, who is a 1988 graduate of R-MA, the father of three children enrolled at R-MA, and the current Chair for Leadership and Character. One of Link’s primary goals has been to help the cadet corps and the residential life programs become more studentrun, with the faculty and dorm supervisors taking on more advisory roles. Over the last three years, he has seen that come to fruition. “The biggest joy for me has been watching the cadets grow with the school and their ability to rise to the daily challenges they face. The role the cadets have taken to help make this a better place to live and learn has been phenomenal,” he said. Some of the more memorable moments for him have been every graduation, the 125th Anniversary celebrations, and the drill team’s successful run for the Air Force Associations’ Virginia AFJROTC Drill Championship last spring. “Our time here at R-MA has been professionally and
personally rewarding,” said Link. “I am very thankful to my staff and to the entire R-MA family for all of their great work and support over the past three years. I know that they will continue to take R-MA on a successful path.” Starling is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. His service in the U.S. Marine Corps took him around the globe over his Lt Col Michael Starling, USMC, Retired, 20-year career. is a 1988 graduate of R-MA, and He was trained in currently has three children enrolled infantry, intelligence at the Academy. and light armored reconnaissance fields and served as a leader, commander, operations or executive officer in numerous operational battalions. Much of this time was spent training Marines and deploying for missions around the world. Starling also had tours in recruit training, intelligence operations, and with the Marine Corps’ honor guard in Washington, DC. Later in his career, he was part of a small training cadre which provided training for the Marine Corps’ contingency response forces, embarked on amphibious assault ships, performing missions “From the Sea” in support of national security interests. For his last assignment, he served on the headquarters of one of these response forces for his final deployment, during which they performed missions in Pakistan and the Middle East, as well as Egypt, Libya, and other locations in Africa. Starling has already developed a strong rapport with the R-MA cadets, and in his new role, he looks forward to continuing to help R-MA improve. “I want to take the best of what I’ve learned at R-MA, at VMI, while serving in uniform and as a civilian, and adapt it to assist our students in shaping the adults they will become, building a strong community here, and instilling practical leadership skills they will use,” he said. “Col Link is leaving us with a strong program and dedicated personnel. We are moving forward in the right direction toward realizing the Academy’s vision; I plan to continue that trajectory and help our students to get the most out of their R-MA experience.”
T h e Po w e r o f
GIVING
Endowment Grows with Planned Gifts and Donations
Making a Difference Through Giving
by Christine Meyer, Director of Advancement Strolling through campus today, you can see the vision of people whose support set Randolph-Macon Academy on its firm foundation. Through generous support and planned gifts from their estates, R-MA has been able to build facilities, offer programming, and provide scholarships for generations of Yellow Jackets. That work continues today, as we strive to grow our Endowment Fund. These funds are held in investment and a portion of the proceeds are used each year for designated projects, including scholarships and faculty professional development. As of December 31, 2018, R-MA’s Endowment Fund totaled $7.4 million. In 2018, donors to our school created several new endowment funds: • The late Mrs. Pearl Zigler, a longtime Front Royal resident, left part of her estate to R-MA to provide scholarships for students needing financial assistance to attend R-MA. • Members of the Class of 1968 celebrated their 50th class reunion by creating a legacy gift, raising more than $25,000 in 10 months to get the scholarship to its required level. • Ed Morris ’97 and Jessica Werner Morris ’00 started The John Kent Werner ‘76 Endowed Scholarship, in memory of Jessica’s father. When fully funded, it will provide financial support to students who have experienced the loss of a parent or suffer from parent-child separation as a result of legal action or other circumstances. We also have a new scholarship started for 2019. The Class of 1969 is following the example of many of the classes before them and is on track to have a fully funded scholarship by the time they celebrate their golden anniversary in October. If you would like to contribute to any of these funds or to learn how to start an endowed scholarship fund, please contact Christine Meyer, Director of Advancement, at cmeyer@rma. edu or 540-636-5206. To learn more about creating a legacy gift and membership in the Society of 1892, contact Jay Smith, Planned Giving Director, at jsmith@rma.edu or 540-636-5483.
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In honor of their 50th Reunion, the Class of 1968 donated $25,000 to establish the 1968 Endowed Scholarship Fund.
From arts to science, from flight to sports, the Annual Fund makes a daily difference in our students’ lives.
April 23, 2019 is the Inaugural Giving Day at R-MA! R-MA Staff
Parents’ Association Corner The R-MA Parents’ Association is full of tremendously dedicated parents who make a difference in the lives of our students. During this school year, we have worked hard to provide the Used Clothing Sale for students, and we have hosted concession stands for the fall Drill Competition, the Wrestling Tournament, and home football games.
Inspiring Students Daily
R-MA will hold our first Giving Day Celebration on Tuesday, April 23, just in time for the school’s 127th birthday! Giving Day is a 24-hour fundraising effort to bring alumni, parents, past parents, faculty, staff, and friends together in support of the school’s Annual Fund. Outside of tuition, donations to the Annual Fund are the school’s second most important revenue stream. “We rely on our annual giving campaign to cover expenses which are not funded by tuition,” noted Christine Meyer, Director of Advancement. “Many of the wonderful programs that the Academy offers are only possible with a robust Annual Fund.” The goal for this one-day campaign is to welcome 127 donors, at any giving level. Giving Day funds will impact every aspect of our community, from new innovation programs to deeply rooted favorites such as band; from student scholarships and to keeping the 135-acre campus looking its best. Everything that makes R-MA unique, from the Drill Team and flight program, to the musical productions and Leadership and Character training, is funded by your Annual Fund donations. You can volunteer to be a Giving Day Advocate and access the online toolkit, which includes suggested images, posts and themes. In addition to the social media and online components, Giving Day 2019 will include volunteers who will reach out by phone and mail, asking for support. Contact Ms. Meyer at 540-636-5206 or cmeyer@rma.edu to learn more. There will be a few special recognitions on Giving Day. Anyone signing on with a recurring monthly gift of $10 or more will receive a special thank-you gift from R-MA. Other prizes will go to the: • First Donor • 127th Donor • Last Donor • Top Advocate: Person with the most shares and mentions of #RMAGivingDay In addition, any R-MA class that reaches 25 percent class participation by April 23 will be recognized during Homecoming 2019. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 23, and remember to make a donation, and encourage others in your network to join you in the effort!
The funds raised from these events and from donations from parents have enabled the Association to fund many student events throughout this school year. The PA also hosted a Cookie Study Break for the students. Each month, the parents come together for our planning meetings, where we have been able to host the following speakers: R-MA President Brigadier General David C. Wesley, USAF, Retired; R-MA Commandant Col Frank Link, USAF, Retired; Todd Freiwald, Assistant Commandant; Dean of Instructional Leadership and Innovation, Dr. Tess Hegedus; and Middle School Principal Tony Ballard. Our fundraising also enables us to award grants to our faculty and staff. These grants go to events and classroom needs that directly impact our students. This year, we were able to award three grants in the amount of $1,000 each. The grants were awarded in the areas of Safety and Security, Archery Equipment, and a Middle School science grant. If you would like to help the PA continue their work, contact the PA President, Susan Gawalt P’14, ‘16, ‘20, at sgawalt@pediatric-assoc.com.
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T he Po w e r o f
SERVICE
R-MA Students Honor Veterans During Holidays Centennial Remembrance
Community Service
by Joshua Cline ‘19 Guns of Verdun point to Metz From the plated parapets. Guns of Metz grin back again O’er the fields of fair Lorraine. --Excerpt from Guns of Verdun, by Patrick R. Chalmers November 11, 2018, 11 A.M. One century ago the guns of both fell silent, as did the rest of the Western Front, and Western Europe tasted peace for the first time in four years. Eastern Europe would remain embroiled in conflicts for the next five years, but for the rest of the world, the Great War was over. Great traditions and honors, remembrances and memories have been created since the armistice, at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, every year. Men and women all across the world observed this minute in silence a century later, as a way of honoring those who served, those who fought, those who lived, and those who were left behind. For fourteen R-MA cadets, that centennial minute was spent in the Washington, D.C. National Cathedral, observing the moment with hundreds of others from across the country. Speakers included admirals, generals, religious leaders of all faiths, senators, representatives, and ministers. Psalms, hymns, poems and a bagpiper graced their ears, along with an organ-backed rendition of the Star Spangled Banner; a poignant and unforgettable service for all who attended. There is no single man or woman left to tell their story. Their visages and voices linger in digital format, only scratchy voices on old tapes, their thoughts and beliefs relegated to parchment and old websites. Some skeletons may remain where they fell, still clutching a rusted rifle to their chests. It is up to the living world to keep their memory alive, and in doing so, to make sure they may live immortal, never to fade away. One century after the supposed War to End All Wars, combat still rages all across the globe. R-MA, like many private schools of the time, added a military component specifically to train young men to stand and hold the line or build the equipment those stalwart defenders used. Today, the military program at R-MA exists not to train soldiers, but to better equip students for leadership in all avenues of life. Yet that military connection runs deep and gives a deeper meaning to
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moments of remembrance. For the cadets who attended the service on November 11th, pleas for peace and the end of war may never leave their souls, infusing them with a conviction and sense of duty to more than just themselves. Their decision, volunteering to attend the service, may influence them from this day onward to the day they are buried. For at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them.
Christmas at the Executive Mansion This past Christmas season, R-MA’s Chorus received an unusual and humbling honor: to perform at the Executive Mansion at a luncheon being given in honor of veterans and their families. Even though it meant missing the annual R-MA Christmas Concert, Chorus Director Michael DeMato jumped at the opportunity for his talented group of singers to perform in this prestigious venue, and it was undeniably the right choice. “The mansion was gorgeous - the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming, especially with the beautiful Christmas decorations all around,” said Sophia Poe ‘20. “It was very heartwarming. Seeing all the veterans, current enlisted members and officers, and their families was amazing. It was touching to sing to all of them and seeing smiles on their faces.” “As a non-American, meeting many military person[s] from different branches has given me the feeling of respect,” said Cherry Chen ‘20. “Being in a place with so much history is always humbling,” said DeMato. “Bringing joy to deployed members of the military and their families by sharing our musical gifts was a great way to start the holiday season.”
Members of R-MA’s Chorus speak with Virginia’s First Lady, Pam Northam. Photo courtesy of Gov. Ralph Northam’s office.
B u ildin g
CAMARADERIE
in the R-MA Cade t Corps
by Celeste M. Brooks, P’12, ’21, Director of Communications
The spirit of camaraderie that made the VA091 Air Force Junior ROTC Drill Team into state champions last spring pervaded the entire Cadet Corps this fall, in a manner so strong it was striking. It is obvious to see that the power of school pride and teamwork was introduced through the hard work of R-MA Aerospace Instructor TSgt Tina Laing, USAF, Retired, and the R-MA Drill Team; what is not as obvious is how that power—The Power of Rise—has been worked into every aspect of life at R-MA. The process actually began last school year with the establishment of a Student Culture Working Group, with a directive from R-MA President Brig Gen David Wesley, USAF,
Retired, to create “A student culture that deliberately and consciously brings new R-MA students into our unit structure in a constructive and positive way, making them welcome, valuable to the unit, and part of the ongoing life of our campus.” This group was chaired by the Commandant, Col Frank Link, USAF, Retired, P’17, and the Dean of Instructional Leadership and Innovation, Dr. Tess Hegedus. The members of the committee consisted of representatives from the Admission Office and AFJROTC as well as Lt Col Mike Starling ‘88, P’19, ’23 ’24, the Chair for Leadership and Character, and the Director of Student Life, Todd Davis. “The culture working group identifies some wide areas where we think students should be engaging and they’re not, and what we can do to help them engage in the program more,” said Starling. He said the culture working group sought cadet input on how to fix those areas, resulting in a sense of ownership for the students. That idea of cadet ownership became the resounding theme throughout everything the working group addressed, from cadre camp and flight competitions to residential life and Honor Council. To build student leaders, they must have the opportunity to truly lead, and the sense of ownership would be key to making that happen. It is The Power of Rise put into
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The Power of Camaraderie
Above, cadre experience their own team-building and leadership activities during the Summer Leadership Seminar. At right, the “manleaders” demonstrate their school spirit during the Powderpuff Game.
action. As Alpha Flight Sergeant Nhi Bui ’20 said: “You motivate the cadre and the cadre inspire people.”
Flights Creating a sense of team, of family, within the flights was one of the top priorities. Just as Hogwarts has houses, R-MA has flights, but over the years, the competition that used to exist between flights had declined. As it did, being assigned to a flight meant little more than where you had to stand in formation. That needed to change. “The band has a constant mission, they perform all the time,” said Starling. “The other flights don’t have that. A flight competition allows them to come together to work on a problem or a project together to solve it.” Davis explained, “The concept for the flight competition is really, in my opinion, threefold. Build the camaraderie of the team. Give a purpose behind what they do every day. And also, to give them a sense of accomplishment.” The students were assigned to flights, and they will remain with those flights until they graduate (unless a leadership opportunity dictates a change). They were also given their flight shirts and color, but the student leaders were responsible for coming up with a logo for the flight, shields for the flight flags, and their mottos. And since every competition should have a little fun, the flights also developed their own “jodies” to sing as they march. The marching cadence is a typical morale booster on military academy campuses and military bases, and the same is true at R-MA. The flight competitions themselves are key to carrying the positive energy throughout the year, as they provide meaning to much of what the cadets do each day. Cadets earn points for formations, being on time, uniform inspections,
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room inspections, and a weekly (weather permitting) pass and review. They also earn points through team building activities such as drill, dodgeball, hiking, and, at the start of the year, Boomer’s Run. The scores of the flight competition are posted weekly. At the end of the month, the top three flights are announced. The members of the top three flights all get to wear activity on the last Friday of the month, the top two flights get to order food on the first Thursday of the following month, and the top flight also has the privilege of getting town leave on the second Thursday. “In the dining hall, when we call the flights that won for the month, you always see that pride where you have so many of them standing up and just applauding and saying, ‘Yes! That’s my flight!’” described Corps Commander Rana Diallo ’19.
A Strong Start Putting this down on paper and getting the cadets to take it on as their own and bring it to the next level are two very different tasks. The fact that every department within the Academy was determined to foster the student leaders and make it work was critical--and so was giving the right training to the right combination of student leaders. “This particular set of cadre are very conscientious about what they’re doing and following through as much as possible with owning the cadet wing. So if we can assist in that and then give them the responsibility, give them the guidance that they need to continue to move forward, I think they’re going to continue to do that just fine,” commented Lt Col Joel Jones, USAF, Retired, R-MA’s Senior Aerospace Science Instructor. A motivating speech given by Jones during cadre camp heavily influenced the cadets, said Alpha Flight Commander
Hamid Elias ’19. “We saw that the leaders in the cadre affect how the students and how the community really is here. They can actually affect the entire student body.” Bui added, “The motivation and ability to bring people together in a flight is really important. As cadre, we shouldn’t be arrogant in our position, we should be trying to help the new people.” One of Davis’ goals is to have the dorm act as a leadership lab; therefore, the cadre camp was a combined effort to teach the cadets not only to do their jobs and lead within Air Force Junior ROTC, but also to raise up as leaders within the dorms as well. While the Band Flight might have a slight advantage because they have a natural “mission” of performing, Band Squadron Commander Noelle Kramer ’19 found that she and the other leaders still had work to do to bring their team together, and what they learned in cadre camp was invaluable. “The biggest thing for me is encouraging individuality,” she said. “Instead of saying, ‘You all should be enjoying this,’ I try to figure out what each person separately would enjoy, because if one team member is really motivated, that really brings up the rest of the team.” Motivating students to rise to challenges and perform their best was something that was discussed in cadre camp. Kramer explained, “We talked about sitting down one-onone with your cadets, talking with them, talking about what are their goals, what’s their favorite thing to do, what’s their favorite lunch food, anything that you can get to know them better so that you can figure out how to motivate them better.” When the cadets all had finally returned for the school year, the flights were faced with a new challenge.
addition to bringing the flights closer together, it successfully prepared the cadre for conducting a modified Boomer’s Run for the Middle School students in October.
Results Throughout the school year, it has been evident that the cadre truly have taken ownership of cultivating that sense of camaraderie and school spirit. The immediately visible effect was greater respect for the Air Force uniform and school rules. “People see other students do something good and follow rules, and even though they might not have agreed with it just last week, now that everyone is doing the marching so perfectly, they put more effort into doing it,” Elias said. The Power of Rise and the students’ newfound camaraderie have gone far beyond this, however. Davis’ hope that the students would build a connection to each other and to the Academy has been realized. When the Homecoming football game was canceled, the cadets stepped up and moved their Powderpuff game from Friday to Saturday so the alumni had a bit of entertainment. When they were faced with the challenge of how to overcome the winter doldrums, the cadets planned a Spirit Week and a Snowcoming Dance for January. “I think there is more of a collaborative mindset now,” said Kramer. “People are seeing the rewards of that effort and that’s going further, inspiring people to do more.” “We are more of a family now than we have ever been in the past years I’ve been here,” said Diallo. “We rely more on each other to get things done. And we know our teams. We know the people in our flights. We know what each of them is capable of, so we use their skills in different activities that we organize. I really believe that contributed to the concept that R-MA is a great family that you can be part of.”
Boomer’s Run Boomer’s Run was more than just an obstacle course named after Gen Walter E. Boomer, USMC, Retired, R-MA Class of 1956. It was an on-campus team-building event with different stations that would require different skill sets. “Not everybody can be a quarterback,” said Assistant Commandant Todd Freiwald, using a football analogy. “Different people bring different talents. So we wanted to create a series of challenges that would highlight different team members’ abilities. For example, some of them required just brute force, like flipping the tires. Other challenges, like the can stack, that was a puzzle, to be solved.” The goal, Freiwald explained, was not necessarily to win, but to get better as a team. Towards that end, each of the nine challenges the cadets faced were not over when the task was completed. Instead, the flight would gather together and review questions created by Starling, to consider what went well, what didn’t, and what they could do better as a team. In
Members of Bravo Flight flip a tire in a race against Alpha Flight.
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Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Challenges by Celeste M. Brooks, P’12, ’21, Director of Communications
We have found ourselves at the start of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and it is, according to “The Future of Jobs Report” produced by the World Economic Forum, “a revolution more comprehensive and allencompassing than anything we have ever seen.” It has created today’s hot topic, one discussed among educators, governments and show hosts: In a world that is changing so quickly that 65% of kindergartners will hold jobs that don’t exist yet, how do we successfully prepare our students for future careers? The first step, according to Dr. Tess Hegedus, R-MA Dean of Instructional Leadership and Innovation, is to examine our approach to teaching our students, and ensure that it is a cross-discipline one. Schools have traditionally siloed their subjects. Teachers are licensed, classes are taught, and degrees are granted, all in subject areas. But the future will require workers to have skills that reach across disciplines. “That cross-disciplinary focus is the way of the future,”
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said Hegedus. “It’s how we have to have students conceptualize problems, how to approach problems.” “It’s a collaboration,” agreed Lynne Schoonover P’17, who teaches French and English at R-MA. “It’s not teachercentered. It’s got to be student-focused. Their work has to matter, it has to mean something.” For an example, Schoonover explained that rather than just have a vocabulary section on a final exam, she wants to create a situation where the students use their vocabulary and speaking skills, such as simulating a humanitarian crisis. Information would come into an aid organization, so students would have to listen and relay the information, organize an airdrop of supplies and fly it on R-MA’s flight simulator, and host a triage center. Creating projects or evaluations that require cross-
disciplinary skills, however, while an important piece of the puzzle, is not the complete solution. Schools must teach “meta-skills,” which address a person’s ability to change and adapt. “We really need to teach people to be adaptable, be flexible, think on the fly, embrace change, have empathy, be able to relate to other people, and be able to work collaboratively, so it’s all these skills that we don’t really cultivate in schools,” said Hegedus. “Traditionally, schools have focused on teaching the content.” The R-MA teachers agree with that sentiment. “I think a lot of times people think you’re either naturally flexible or you’re not, and I take the belief that it is something
you need to practice,” said R-MA Middle School teacher Emma Harrelson. “Yes, you can have that go-with-the-flow personality, but being able to adjust yourself in a situation, like in a debate, there’s always going to be something that comes along that will throw you off, and you need to be able to adjust back and succeed.” Schoonover believes that creative problem solving and critical thinking are two of the key skills that need to be taught. “My first task would be to help them become aware of their own potential, their unlimited potential, because that’s really where it is,” she said. “And to help them ask that question, ‘What if?’ It really doesn’t matter if you teach math or science,
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Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Future
Today’s classroom doesn’t stay in rows with silent students. Rather, the students are often provided with challenges and tools and encouraged to collaborate to come up with new ideas to solve the challenge.
foreign language, or English, or anything. In what ways does that discipline, that study, help develop the creative problem solving and critical thinking? That’s what all the things have in common. That’s why we can work together, that’s why it doesn’t have to be an English project. It doesn’t have to be American Lit, it can be American Studies. For French II, it could be an international response to plastics in the ocean. Teachers have to think beyond classroom walls.” R-MA has long prided itself on teaching those thinking skills—creative, analytical, and critical—and returning alumni have acknowledged those skills served them well in college. Now, there is a renewed effort to make that focus school-wide, and to make a concerted effort to bring in other meta-skills as well. With the idea that it needs to start at a young age, Middle School Principal Tony Ballard has already set his teachers to this task. “In the Middle School, we continue to focus on the implementation of project-based learning opportunities for our students,” he said. “This involves students engaging in real world scenarios that require them to ask questions, research ideas, and make critical decisions. It is difficult to
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“The accelerating pace of technological, demographic and socio-economic disruption is transforming industries and business models, changing the skills that employers need and shortening the shelf-life of employees’ existing skill sets in the process.” The Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum determine the exact jobs that are going to be available for our middle schoolers in five to ten years, but we are confident that our students are going to need the skills of questioning, researching, collaborating, and reflecting when they enter the workforce.” Employers are finding that incoming recruits do not necessarily have these skills sets, and they then have to invest resources in teaching them to their new employees. “The key to molding job-ready graduates is to teach students how to
The intangibles matter: in Air Force Junior ROTC, students learn the core values of the Air Force--Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do--as well as various life skills, from leadership to budget planning.
live—and learn—at the intersections,” reads an article from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), “Preparing students for jobs that don’t exist.” Hegedus’ goal is for R-MA to develop a cross-disciplinary way to deliver curriculum while also developing these vital life skills. There are a variety of ideas to make that happen, some of which are happening already. One is to flip the classroom, meaning that students review material for homework, and then spend class time in practical application of what they’ve learned, whether that be in discussions or projects. There is a stronger focus on the process of learning, to help develop those meta-skills and life skills students need, rather than focusing on what has been memorized. A more unique approach under consideration would be to have a two-to-three-week term in January where students can focus on internships or learning career and life skills. At a more basic yet drastic level, though, there is a need for the dreaded “f” word: allowing students to fail. “To teach that creative thinking and allow students to tap into their own innate ability to innovate, we need to release the responsibility to the students a little bit more,” said Ballard. “We need to move away from the traditional lecture and structured lesson. We need to allow the students to fail. They should research and work together, but not necessarily find the answer on their first try. That will help them to develop those critical thinking skills and the grit to move forward when they’re not successful on the first try.” While the needs of tomorrow are requiring schools to equip students differently for success, there is another, more immediate advantage to adapting teaching methods: today’s students have to be motivated differently. “These students need something different,” Hegedus pointed out. “They’re used to fast-paced, quick, easy access to
With the world at their fingertips, today’s students have a stronger need to comprehend, discern, and think critically, and less of a need to memorize.
information. Everything’s moving really quickly. Having them sit and passively receive information because it always worked before, and we get frustrated because it’s always worked before...that’s our problem. We need to modify how we teach and what our approach is.” Whether it is writing a story that is then coded into a video game, figuring out the science behind terraforming Mars and creating the laws that would govern a colony there, or using a flight simulator while speaking French to deliver humanitarian aid, the cross-discipline approach provides practical application that creates an authentic learning experience; one that develops the meta-skills needed for today’s students to be ready for the future, whatever it might bring.
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The Power of Intellect
Discussion-based learning, a solid pillar of an R-MA education, continues to be vital in engaging today’s students and preparing them for their futures.
DRO
P everything The Power of Innovation
and
CODE
by Celeste M. Brooks, P’12, ’21, Director of Communications
Although she now spends half of her time at the Upper School, R-MA teacher Stephanie Wagner P’20, ’23 continued to make her impact felt at the Middle School when, in spite of difficult circumstances, she coached two R-MA Middle School teams to earn trophies at the FIRST LEGO League competition in November, and also helped spearhead the first “Stop everything and code” event at the Middle School. “Coding is about how do you solve problems?” said Wagner. “That’s what we’re trying to teach them. And how do we give you a blank sheet, and then you go figure out how to use a product.” For that reason, Wagner wanted to ensure that every student had the opportunity to try coding this fall. Twice during the semester, every student at R-MA Middle School stopped what they were doing and spent three hours using CoderZ, a virtual robotics platform, to problem solve steps. The students must program a virtual EV3 bot to complete tasks, solve problems, and move around an obstacle. “That’s really the core of engineering, it’s just solving problems,” said Wagner. “We did it as a school-wide program because we wanted to ensure that every student had the opportunity to at least be exposed to coding and virtual robotics.” The school used this time to enter into the Cyber Robotics
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Coding Competition (CRCC) for Virginia, placing 11th out of 35 teams in the qualifying rounds. “It was fantastic,” said Wagner. “You look around the hallways and everywhere is a student who’s programming an EV3 in this sort of virtual world. We had zero kids offtopic. They were constantly cheering each other on, so I just constantly had the scoreboard up. You could feel a level of competition between each other, but it was good, friendly competition. ” Richard Lee ‘25 found himself, a bit unexpectedly, at the top of the charts. “I attended summer camp here, and one of the periods was coding, so I had done some coding there, but that was only for a week or two. So I was surprised to be at the top, because some people were from the regular coding class. I wasn’t, I was in computer science. So the coding class had a head start of 2,000 to 3,000 points. I originally didn’t think I would end up first, but I did 20 to 30 levels the first day. I ended up being good at it because it makes sense to me in my head.” Peyton Kaufman ‘23, who has taken multiple classes that included coding, easily understood the importance of involving the entire school in the activity. Although she plans to go into business and aspires to be a CEO one day, she acknowledged that having a basic knowledge of coding could benefit her in a future position—after all, she could end up as the CEO of a computer company. “Coding is good because I guess you could say it is another form of a life skill,” she said. “If you want a career in anything in the computer world or technological word, you’ll already have the first stepping block of coding, so when you get to college, you’ll be ahead.”
Return to FIRST LEGO League That wasn’t the only excitement this fall. In November, Wagner took two teams to compete in the FIRST LEGO League Competition. This was the school’s second year, and they went in feeling more organized, more confident, and optimistic
about their chances. But there had been an error in the registration system, and R-MA, along with a couple of other schools, ended up at a school where there was no competition. Baffled, they spontaneously crashed another competition, where the judges graciously offered them the opportunity to compete the next day. They had spent all day Saturday driving around fruitlessly, but the students, with the exception of one, cheerfully agreed to return the next day for the competition. When the van left on Sunday morning, one of the teams was a person shy. In addition, the students had had to spend hours recreating the robots, which had been wrecked the day before. They arrived at the competition tired, but hopeful, and their perseverance was rewarded. “[One team was] given the Judge’s Award because of the adversity they overcame,” said Wagner. “They were a man down and still competed and scored points.” The other team, which Kaufman was on, won the award for Core Values. “That award is about how you work as a team, how you collaborate, how you treat each other,” Wagner said. The teams were given three minutes to build a Mars biosphere. Wagner said she was particularly impressed with how well her students listened to each other. “It was really, I think, a fabulous experience for them,” said Wagner. That experience showed that these students have resilience and grit, and at the same time, taught them the value of the power of perseverance.
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Moving to the Forefront
For their large female student participation rate, R-MA earned the Boot Camp: Grace Hopper award; that honor catapaulted them into the CRCC Finals in January. Though they were unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict, Wagner was excited about the honor. “To expose all the girls to coding is super important, because there’s not generally a whole lot of females who are involved in coding and computer science, so to have every single female student in our Middle School doing it is kind of cool,” she said. Wagner is correct about the importance of that exposure. The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report” states, “...the growth of new and emerging roles in computer, technology and engineering-related fields is outpacing the rate at which women are currently entering those types of jobs— putting them at risk of missing out on tomorrow’s best job opportunities and aggravating hiring processes for companies due to a more restricted talent pool.” “I think [Drop Everything and Code] promotes young women to get encouraged in coding and in engineering, so people can promote it and it will get more women in the field,” said Kaufman. “Coding in the STEM classes really can encourage people, I think.”
The Power of Innovation
New Flight Simulator Added to Innovation Lab
by Celeste M. Brooks, P’12, ’21, Director of Communications R-MA brought in the final piece of the Hadeed Innovation Lab on October 31, 2018, when the Redbird TD flight simulator arrived, thanks to the support of Harry Austin ’75. The Redbird TD is a Basic Aviation Training Device that allows private pilot students to log up to 2.5 hours towards aeronautical experience requirements and instrument students to log up to 10 hours toward an instrument rating. The R-MA Flight Department is now home to two flight simulators, as the Academy will continue to use the Redbird Jay flight simulator for the variety of aircraft flight students are able to use on it. Director of Flight Training and Operations Ryan Koch was excited for the arrival of the new simulator. “The real benefit comes from being able to utilize time when the weather is not conducive to training in one of our Cessna 172s or the time block is too short to drive to the airport,” he commented. The new simulator offers the advantage that all of the controls are where they would be in an actual airplane, as opposed to the lower-end models that use keyboards to control certain functions. In addition, the Redbird TD allows flight
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The Sabre Magazine | Winter-Spring 2019
Top photo, by Misti Walters: Drew Schwentker ‘22 tests out the new flight simluator. Just above, photo by Ryan Koch, the Middle School Flight Club students try their hands at both simulators.
instructors to remotely control conditions; they can change the weather on the student pilot or simulate a malfunction the student has to correct. They can also decide at which airport the flight will begin. Drew Schwentker ‘22 of Middletown, VA, has already managed to “fly” the new simulator and said the biggest difference he has noticed is the feel of the airplane. “It’s very realistic,” he said. “It’s good to get practice in. Overall it’s a great simulator.”
T h e Po w e r o f
GRIT
Your Yellow Jacket Sports
Soccer’s Firm Foundation by Celeste M. Brooks, P’12, ’21, Director of Communications
Jiseong Choi ‘23 battles for the soccer ball during a home soccer game.
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Middle School Soccer
The R-MA Middle School Soccer Team was intensely competitive this fall, taking the fight all the way to the championship game against cross-town rival Chelsea Academy. Although they came up short in that game, the Yellow Jackets still walked away with their heads held high and the Valley Middle School Conference Runners-Up trophy in-hand. Most important, however, was the growth that head coach Chris Peter saw in his athletes during the season, and the leadership displayed by his eighth grade students. “I’m happy with what we did this year,” Peter said. “The most progress that was made overall was through leadership. I had eighth graders performing leadership roles throughout the entire season, and they were extraordinary. From lining the guys up outside of the gym and taking them down to the field themselves, looking at equipment, getting equipment ready to take down to the field, running the actual warm-ups down on the field, we had all these eighth graders leading the charge.” Peter needed his more experienced athletes to step up in this manner. As is standard for R-MA, some of the players had little to no experience in soccer. Rather than cut anyone, Peter kept every athlete and did his best to teach them the basics in an efficient but swift manner, knowing that during the season, his team would be facing the likes of Chelsea—schools who had much more experienced athletes on their rosters. In spite of that, every player on the team got game time. “We had a great season,” said Jiseong Choi ‘23. “Playing against Chelsea was hard, but mentally, I think we developed as a team, as a group.” Choi himself learned a lot about leadership, saying that he came to understand that being kind and cordial was more effective than yelling at his fellow athletes. “We had good sportsmanship, good practices, good camaraderie out there,” said Peter. That combination was a winning one—amidst games cancelled due to rain and unsafe playing fields, the team defeated every team they played except for Chelsea. And that was without their star player, Nnamdi Odom ’23, who moved up to play varsity this season. In spite of the fact that this move may have cost them the championship, there was no doubt in Peter’s mind that it was the right move. “In looking at that, do we want a championship, or do
we want Nnamdi to have experience at the Upper School and really get to understanding what he needs to do in the future?” Peter asked rhetorically. Nnamdi went on to start every game and scored goals on the varsity level as well. “He started regularly and was very flexible,” said R-MA Varsity Soccer Head Coach Stephen Latham P’18. “He can play defensive midfield to break up the attack and launch us forward, but perhaps his most exciting impact is when he gets to play on right wing. In one game away at Fredericksburg Academy in particular, he scored two goals, I believe, and assisted another as we scored five goals to win away. He has a great attitude and I would often say that the players on the other team would be astonished to know a 13-year-old was getting the better of them.” “I think I matured physically as a player and also mentally,” stated Nnamdi. “I built a real bond with the players at the Upper School. I got to play against bigger people and knowing that I can compete at that level has boosted my confidence in sports in general, not just soccer.” “I feel that move was a success,” Peter said simply. In fact, the hole Nnamdi left actually had a profoundly positive effect on the team, because every other player had to strive harder and improve faster to help move the team towards success. Peter pointed out that Nnamdi’s twin brother, Ugo, was particularly impacted. “Ugo was able to step into the role that was void and he became a captain and really took on a role of his own,” said Peter. As his group of eighth grade stars move onto the Upper School next year, Peter can watch with satisfaction, knowing that he has done his best to lay a strong foundation for R-MA soccer.
Defining the Power of Grit
The Heart of R-MA Athletics
by Frank Sullivan P’20, P’23, Athletic Director Grit is a personality trait possessed by individuals who demonstrate passion, a positive attitude, and perseverance towards a goal despite being confronted by significant obstacles and distractions. This fall, athletes of all ages and in all sports at R-MA have demonstrated a level of grit that is inspiring. On Thursday, November 1st, our football team traveled to Fredericksburg Christian to take on the #1 ranked team in the state and eventual state champions. Going into the game, everyone in the program knew it was a tall task. We only dressed out 21 people and only six of them had significant experience as varsity football players before the season started. As the game was winding down, I was trying to think of something positive to say to the kids after a resounding defeat. Around that time we made a substitution and Scotty Turk ’20 came jogging off the field. As he was coming off the field I could tell he had something on his mind. As a coach, I assumed it had to do with schematics or technique. I met him at the sideline and Scotty, caked in mud, with a huge smile on his face, said “Coach, who would have thought when I showed up to training camp, having never played football before, that I would end up starting both ways and playing on all the special teams against the #1 team in the state?” I looked at him with amazement, told him “good job” and then realized that a valuable lesson, beyond the scoreboard, was taught to Scotty and the rest of the team. The things we stressed – attention to detail, to continually play the next play and to have a positive outlook when confronted by obstacles—were learned even in the most trying of seasons. At the Middle School Sports Awards ceremony, Cross Country Coach Emma Harrelson shared a story of selfless grit demonstrated by one of her runners. “When a bystander watches a cross country meet, it is not obvious that this is a
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At left, Sheila Xu ’24 didn’t let a broken arm stop her from competing in the Valley Middle School Conference Cross Country Championship Meet. Above, Alan Williams ‘20 (left) and Scotty Turk ‘20 (right) chase down a Massanutten Military Academy player early in the football season.
team sport,” she pointed out. “In fact, some runners do not even recognize that they are truly part of team, because it is the individual versus the clock. However, this year’s Middle School Girls Cross Country team was different. They talked, ran, and worked like a team. When it came down to it, each member put the team first. Sheila Xu ’24 is a great example. A couple days before the conference qualifying meet, she broke her arm. Sheila could have taken the easy way out, but she had grit. She ran a two mile race up and down steep hills with her broken arm in a sling, simply so her team could qualify for the conference championship. Sheila put her team before herself - and that is a truly honorable act. In the end, the team went to the conference meet, and each team member ran their fastest times of the season, all because of their teamwork.” Research has proven that over any other measurable factor, possessing the quality of grit is the highest predictor of a person reaching greatness. These students through their actions have shown they possess this valuable trait.
All-Conference Honors Patriot Football Conference Frank Liu ’19, 1st Team David Odey ’19, 1st Team
Sweet Taste of Victory by Celeste M. Brooks, P’12, ’21, Director of Communications
Varsity Athletics
R-MA Varsity Soccer Head Coach Stephen Latham P’18 candidly admitted at the Fall Sports Awards Ceremony, “This season looked like it should be one of the most challenging seasons I’ve had in my last three seasons, because we only had two returning starting players.” In fact, he added, “I had to replace my goalkeeper and all four defenders, yet we had one of the strongest teams we’ve had since I’ve been here.” This was evidenced by the fact that at one time, the team scored 17 goals in three games. Latham knew the team’s regular season home game against Highland on September 21st would be difficult. “They’re very tough, very competitive in every sport,” he said. During that game, R-MA led for most of the game, but lost 4-3. The next time the Yellow Jackets faced their longtime rivals, they had to travel to Highland for the first round of the DAC tournament. “Going into the Highland game, I was scared,” admitted Samson Jiya ‘19, who won the team’s MVP award and was also one of two players named to First Team, All-Conference DAC (Delaney Athletic Conference). “I had gotten an injury and was unable to play the previous game. I was still hurt but I couldn’t let my team down. Earlier on in the season we played Highland and we dominated the entire game, but we lost 4-3. They were our rivals and we had lost all our games against them for the past three years. I felt like this was the game that was going to change everything.” “The game went the similar way as our home game,” said Latham. “We led one nothing, they equalized. It was 2-1 us, they equalized. It was 3-2 to us, they equalized. Then it went into sudden death overtime.” “We just started out the overtime,” recalled Quinnlin Taylor ‘19, who was also named First Team, All-Conference DAC and the recipient of the team’s Coaches’ Award. He described Highland taking the ball from R-MA and coming down towards the goal. “They split through every defender, it was me and Edward [Fedzer ’20] left, and the kid tried to cross it. I intercepted it and kicked it over to JJ [Banek-Gabelle ‘21], who set up Samson ahead, and Samson took it. Midway running, his leg just gave out, or he had a cramp or something, so he was just limping but like running at the same time, and he outran everybody else on the other team and then somehow just kicked it with the toe of his left foot, and it rolled right underneath the goalkeeper’s armpit as he dove for it. I would never have guessed that would have been the deciding factor of the game.” “The highlight of the game for me was seeing the whole
JJ Banek-Gabelle ’21 was a key player in defeating Highland for the first time in 13 seasons.
team come together after overtime,” said Jiya. “During the whole season, the goal for the team was to get closer to each other. After the final whistle, my teammates helped me to my feet and took me to the sideline. They congratulated the other team. There was just a sense of happiness around.” “I remember ‘hopping’ off the field and the excitement on everyone’s faces,” said Taylor. “It was like, ‘Wow, we could actually do it!’ And the changeover from the beginning of the year to that was just impressive.” Although the Yellow Jackets lost in the DAC Semifinals the next day, there was definitely a lingering sense of satisfaction at having finally defeated Highland. “It showed that we were on the same level as extremely good teams,” said Jiya. “Before going into the game, I knew what was on the line and we came out victorious. That was the best feeling ever.”
All-Conference Honors Delaney Athletic Conference Volleyball Caroline Starling ’19, 1st Team Khalila Karefa-Kargbo ’19, 1st Team Soccer Samson Jiya ’19, 1st Team Quinnlin Taylor ’19, 1st Team Gabriel Rivera ’19, Honorable Mention Cross Country Kieran Berigan ’19, 1st Team
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R i se
Beyond
Class Notes
Alumni News & Class Notes Have news to share with your classmates and the Academy? Email it to alumni@ rma.edu for inclusion in the monthly enewsletter, The Dome Dispatch, and the next issue of The Sabre.
Highlights from summer 2018 at R-MA included Brig Gen David Wesley and John Stufflebeem ‘70’s visit with Jeff Minges ’72 (pictured above), as well as a visit to campus from General
Eric and Tammie Gadson (parents of Torian ’16, Tajour ’18, and Tradarius ’18) had a full house in Norfolk, VA, when they hosted the July 2018 Hampton Roads Summer Picnic. Thanks to Dave Moore ’53 for organizing this annual event. In attendance were: Lew Jones ’59, Glynn Williams ’75, Cary Savage ’72, David Lawrence ’70, Jay Selden ’60, and Jeff Hiatt ’95.
1960’s
Walter Boomer, USMC, Retired ’56 (pictured on right below), who taught a session on leadership.
Karen and Jim Fort ’70 hosted an R-MA Social at their home in Arlington, VA in December. In attendance were Board of Trustees Chairman Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem ’70 and Nan Stufflebeem; Board of Trustees member Joe Hadeed ’84; John Finucan ’76 and Cara Finucan; past R-MA parents Thomas and Lisa Dinackus; and current R-MA parent Christopher Waddell.
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Charles Collins ’66 has written two monographs. The first, entitled “End of the Leash,” is a record of the little-known service provided by sentry dogs serving
1990’s
in the Vietnam War; Charles served in Vietnam from 1969-1971 as a United States Air Force police sentry dog handler Scott Weinberger ’92 started a new position as Director of Operations at to K-9 sentry Selig 7A96, a German Shepherd. The second is entitled. “What’s Coors Healthcare Solutions. Your Best Career Shot” and offers career advice. Charles is traveling extensively and recently visited Tibet and Beijing.
2000’s
1980’s from the Charleston School of Law.
Benjamin Pederson ’13 graduated from the Weather Officer course at Keesler Air Force Base in September 2018.
Uzo Njoku ’14 released a coloring Bo Snitchler ’06, president of the Paul Lawrence ‘87 has been chosen to serve as chairman of Virginia FREE, a respected business coalition that serves as a bridge between business and government, identifying and supporting pro-business initiatives throughout Virginia.
Bryan Moore ’84 shared that he
Alumni Association Board of Directors, and his wife Laura welcomed their first child, Henry, on June 24, 2018.
Taeho Lee ’09 spoke at the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers conference Asia-Pacific 2018 in Hong Kong.
2010’s
has been promoted to Director of Communications at Newport News Shipbuilding. Bryan also serves as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
book entitled “The Bluestocking Society” highlighting different aspects of femininity with a focus on women of color. Inspirational women featured in the book include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Dolores Huerta, Malala Yousafzai, Angela Davis, and more.
Malik Cochran ’15 started at the Police Academy on November 7 for the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and is well on his way to working as an officer.
Jacob Dodson ’15 completed his third summer internship with Warren County Administration in Warren County, VA and was featured in a highlighting post on the County’s Facebook page.
Whitney Lee ’10 visited campus to talk to the students about her successful road to Harvard. The week after she spoke, Whitney began working as a clerk in white collar criminal defense law at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
LeRoy Weeks ‘88 returned to campus to speak with the cadre about leadership lessons he has learned throughout his life.
A small group of R-MA’s Leadership Essentials students visited Gabe Williams ’16 at his family’s businesss, Williams Brothers Corporation of America. Gabe shared some advice with
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Class Notes
Juliette Michael ’11 earned her JD
the students: “We expect the members of our team to arrive to work on time, wear the right uniform and protective equipment, learn new things and take tests…all the things I learned at R-MA that continue on in life.”
The Final Roll Call The following members of the R-MA family have passed away since the last issue of The Sabre. They are greatly missed, but they will remain in our hearts forever.
Alumni Joseph C. Bossong ‘56 November 23, 2018 Garrett J. Cavanaugh ‘14 September 21, 2018 Class Notes
Henry L. Conway, Jr. ‘47 August 1, 2018 Thomas N. Coppedge, III ‘67 March 2, 2018 Paul M. Dodsworth, ‘49 September 17, 2018 S. Sutton Flythe, Jr. ‘52 September 25, 2018
Jake Branham ’16 reported that he is serving as Flight Chief for the doolies in his squadron (CS-28) at the US Air Force Academy.
Carlos J. Gandolfo ‘92 August 17, 2018 Raymond P. Gott ‘55 August 31, 2018 C. Reginald Hall, Jr. ‘54 October 5, 2018 Ralph W. Johnson ‘59 November 8, 2018 Timothy W. Maypray, II ‘06 January 15, 2019 James E. McGee, III ‘65 December 22, 2018 Paul T. Milburn ‘69 May 27, 2015
James Miranda, Falcon Scholar ’18, shared a photo with some of his fellow ’18 Falcons at the US Air Force Academy, where they are now first-year cadets.
CAMPUS VISITORS It is always good to welcome alumni back to “The Hill.” In addition to those already mentioned, several Yellow Jackets visited and checked in with the Advancement Office: Fred Gould ’96, who returned to campus to do some metal detecting and reported that he is now flying for Southwest Airlines; Lt. Col. Ashley
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William T. Moffett ‘54 May 2018 Benjamin E. Moore, III ‘55 June 1, 2017 George A. Pasquet ‘59 August 24, 2018 John P. Pittman ‘52 October 30, 2018 Samuel Richardson ‘57 June 27, 2018 J. Kelly Robinson ‘74 October 1, 2018 Charles Strother, Jr. ‘58 June 19, 2018 John M. Thompson, Jr. ‘50 August 4, 2018 Earle R. Ware, II ‘53 August 2, 2018 Kervin L. Williams ‘74 October 7, 2018
Friends of R-MA Norman G. Brander Past R-MA employee November 7, 2018 Buford Steele Past R-MA employee June 24, 2018
Fagan ’97, who spoke to the corps
‘14, who stopped by on the day of Cadre
about the importance of leadership and communication; Evan Pressman ‘07, who stopped by while on leave between stations and shared that he is headed for Japan next; Arthur Cho ‘08, who is now working as a police officer in Fairfax County, VA, and was shortly headed to South Korea to get married; Evan Pionkowski ’09, who visited for the first time since graduation while on vacation in the DC area; Doug Driscoll ‘11, who visited with his mentor Celeste Brooks; David Lee
Promotion and who will next be headed to China to study Economics; Malik Cochran ‘15 and Rebel Hafner ‘15, who visited together in August 2018; Elias Lisle ‘16, who stopped by and visited with CMSgt Mary Gamache; Dee Ngosong ‘18 and Tanyi Makia ‘18, who checked in with Jonathan Ezell; and Emma Bunker ’16, William
Wong ’16, Parker Overstreet ’17, and Grayson Galeone ’18, who all returned to campus for Young Alumni Day on January 8, 2019.
Homecoming Highlights
The Distinguished Alumnus Award, which is given to an alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of their career and shown exemplary R-MA President Brig Gen David Wesley, USAF, service to the Retired (left), and Alumni Association Board Academy or of Directors Secretary/Treasurer Andrew community, Pfister ‘08 (right) present the Distinguished was presented Alumnus Award to Mr. Henry Light ‘58 and to Mr. Henry his wife Angelica. Light ’58. Upon graduating from R-MA, he earned a Navy ROTC scholarship to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute majoring in Electrical Engineering. He served in the Navy for four years and then attended the University of Virginia Law School, graduating in 1969. He eventually became the Chief Counsel for Norfolk Southern Railway. Mr. Light has served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees at R-MA and he and his wife, Angelica,
are members of the Society of 1892. He is the class ambassador for the class of 1958 and, in 2008, led his class to establish a scholarship for deserving students. The Staff Recognition Award, given annually to recognize staff support of the Alumni Association and the Academy, went to Mr. Bill Bill Curl ‘66 receives the Staff Recognition Curl ’66, who Award from Brig Gen Wesley and Andrew had retired in Pfister ’08. June of 2018. After earning an English degree at Wake Forest University, Mr. Curl returned to his alma mater as an English instructor and coached football, wrestling, basketball and track and field. Mr. Curl left R-MA to work in the private sector for 25 years, but “The Hill” called him back, and in 1998 he returned to coach and teach. During this time at R-MA, he taught in the Middle School and coached football, golf, baseball and basketball. In 2015, Coach Curl reached the 200 win milestone as the Middle School Boys’ Basketball Coach. The Young Alumni Award, which recognizes a recent graduate of R-MA who is outstanding in their field of expertise, was presented to Mr. Gabe Williams Gabe Williams ’16, center, was the recipient ‘16. There is a of the Young Alumni Award. 60,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Front Royal, owned by long-time R-MA parents Angie and George Williams. The business is truly a family affair with daughter Carla ‘11 heading customer service and son Marcus ’13 as director of sales. Gabe is the cog that makes this full-service sheet metal fabricator company work. In 2017, Gabe saw the need in his parents’ company to leave college and take on the responsibility of managing the
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Returning to the Hill
The following alumni were honored during the Homecoming Festivities held October 12-13, 2018: The Byron C. Gayle ’50 Dedicated Service Award was presented to Mr. John Cornwell ‘55. Mr. Cornwell attended Bucknell University and experienced a Alumni Association Board of Directors President Robert “Bo” Snitchler ‘06 (left) and successful career Byron C. Gayle ’50 (center) present the Byron in construction C. Gayle ’50 Dedicated Service Award to John management. As class ambassador Cornwell ’53 (right). for the Class of 1955, he rallied his class to raise the funds to start a scholarship endowment to help a deserving student attend R-MA. He also served 12 years on the Alumni Board.
Homecoming 2019
day-to-day operations of AG Laser Technology. He manages scores of local employees in this international business. The Class Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Mr. John Simar, Class of 1968, for leading the effort to coordinate the 50th reunion and create a John Simar ‘68, center, received the Class scholarship Ambassador of the Year Award. endowment so future students can receive financial assistance when they attend R-MA. During the business portion of the meeting, Conroy Wilson ’68 was confirmed as a new member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and Phil Covell ‘59, Scarlett Kibler ‘89, Bryan Moore ‘84, and Andrew Pfister ’08 were reelected. The officers for 2018-19 were also confirmed as: President: Robert “Bo” Snitchler ‘06 Vice President: Xandi Middleton ‘05 Combined Secretary/Treasurer: Andrew Pfister ‘08 Sergeant-At-Arms: Jay Moore ‘74 Immediate Past President: H. Scarlett Kibler ‘89
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Homecoming Overview It was a challenging start to Homecoming week when R-MA administrators made the difficult decision to cancel the Homecoming football game. The team had started out the season with lower-than-average numbers (a trend that is impacting schools across the country) but this was further complicated when weather delays pushed the game against Fishburne Military School to Monday, October 1st, followed up by a game against Hargrave Military Academy just four days later on Friday, October 5th. By the end of the weekend, senior staff had come to the realization that the Yellow Jackets didn’t have enough healthy players to safely field a team for Homecoming. In the interest of protecting the athletes’ health and well-being, the Academy’s administration agreed to cancel the game. The announcement was pushed out via email and social media, and the Homecoming schedule online was updated. The alumni and parents responded quickly, most expressing appreciation that the school was putting the priority on the athletes’ health and safety. The students had scheduled a powderpuff game for Friday, October 12th, as a pep rally for the varsity football game. With the cancellation of the varsity game, the powderpuff game was moved to Saturday to fill the hole in the schedule and provide some on-campus fun for the entire R-MA family. The game was well-received by the alumni and provided a relaxed, familypicnic type of atmosphere.
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INSPIRING THEM.
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Athletics
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