St. Andrew's 2023 Spring Magazine

SPRING 2023

What does it mean to Be Lionhearted? At St. Andrew’s, this means our students can show up courageously in all that they do — from the classroom to the playing field to the stage, and everywhere in between. We can Show Our Lionhearts because of you; your generosity ensures a St. Andrew’s experience that makes all our students feel known, which inspires them to have the Heart of a Lion wherever they go.

You, too, have the Heart of a Lion. During our Spring giving drive, Show Your Lionheart by making your gift to the Lions Fund.

Spring Giving Days

May 17-18, 2023

For more information, contact Adrien McDonald, Director of the Lions Fund, at amcdonald@saes.org.

Table of Contents

SPRING 2023

Editors

Richard Coco

Blair Kaine

Kirsten Petersen

Designers

Nancy Schwartz

Kelly Sullivan

Photographers

Andrea Joseph Photography

Freed Photography

Jason Dixson Photography

James Kegley Photography

Kirsten Petersen

Nancy Schwartz

Stone Photography

Tanya Kapanzhi

2022-2023

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chair

Sheila Maith

Vice Chair

Thomas Taylor ‘00

Treasurer

Kellie Bickenbach

Secretary

Sandy Horowitz

Rana Alarapon

William Amick

Alfredo Antezana

Rene Augustine

Dinkar Bhatia

Edith Demas ‘83

Catherine Emmerson

Brian Harris

Barry Henderson

Anthony Izzo, III

Parisa Karaahmet ‘87

Alex Perdikis

Frederick Scarboro

DeMaurice Smith

EX-OFFICIO

Head of School

Robert Kosasky

Alumni Council President

Lane Brenner ‘05

Parents Association President

Natalie Best

Bishop’s Representative

John Harmon

18 Student Support Network

Students at St. Andrew’s bring their whole selves to school with them, so it makes sense that the whole school should be there to support them. Learn more about the extensive support network in place for every St. Andrew’s student.

26 Commencement Speaker

Neha Shastry ’09 always knew she wanted to tell stories, she just didn’t know she wanted to do it through film. The award-winning filmmaker will be the commencement speaker this June at graduation for the Class of 2023.

30

Alumni Profiles

Whether it’s working in biotech, finance, real estate, or the arts, our alumni find a way to bring the humanities education they received at St. Andrew’s to their chosen fields.

St. Andrew’s is committed to a diverse and inclusive community with respect to race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, family status, economic circumstance, age, and physical disability in its student body, faculty and staff. Pursuant to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, St. Andrew’s does not discriminate in the administration of admission, financial aid or loan practices, educational or other school-sponsored programs and activities, or in the hiring or terms of employment of faculty and staff, except that the Chaplain shall be a member of the clergy of the Episcopal Church.

COVER PHOTO BY James Kegley Photography

Our school culture remains rooted in relationships and growth

Dear Friends, I went for extra help in math once in high school. I was taking ninth-grade honors Algebra II, for which I wasn’t nearly as prepared – in my study habits or prior content knowledge – as I should have been. I don’t remember what my math teacher said that afternoon, but I remember staring at the homework problems and feeling incredibly stupid (a word my friends and I tossed around far too often 40 years ago). I never went back for extra help in math.

Back then my high school didn’t have a learning specialist, counselor, or other expert to help me understand that raising my hand when I didn’t already know the answer was an act of growth, not a sign of weakness. The faculty were caring and intelligent, but no one had trained them to ask if my math performance was connected to a lack of sleep or my sense of belonging at my new school. And in the early 1980s, no one taught me about the plasticity of my teenage brain, or told me while I wasn’t earning the grade I wanted yet, research-informed study strategies could raise my GPA and my intrinsic enjoyment of school.

That was a long time ago. In this magazine you will hear from the broad and growing team of St. Andrew’s faculty and staff who provide targeted support for students’ learning, wellness, identity, and spiritual growth. Almost all of these roles have been created or expanded within the past 20 years, and I take pride in that institutional growth and its positive effect on our students. Our Lions are growing up in a world of accelerating complexity and

challenge. They will be confident and prepared to understand, thrive, and improve their environment.

And yet, the core strength of the St. Andrew’s community and education does not flow from specialization. It flows from a faculty culture rooted in relationships and growth. We hire, develop, and retain hopeful adults who love working with children and their colleagues, and who find joy in deepening their skills and experience each year. We invest in research and teaching methods that deepen success for all students, not just those that need extra help. That faculty culture inspires students to stretch academically, to play hard and act gracefully, to learn and to lead with collaboration and confidence. For 45 years, St. Andrew’s has developed the intrinsic motivation and potential of our students by growing the adults who guide them.

Thank you for making the learning and growth of every Lion possible, and happy reading.

Faithfully, Robert

Amidst growth and change, exceptional faculty remain St. Andrew’s constant

One of my favorite aspects of school life is the cadence of goal setting, effort, and celebration. As our students prepare to demonstrate their progress and aptitude with our spring rituals — performing arts recitals, athletic assemblies and final exams — it is the perfect time to celebrate the growth and achievements of St. Andrew’s.

We must begin by noting what seems not noteworthy — a regular school year. While the Class of 2023’s experience was far from “normal,” we are grateful to conclude with many of the traditions that their preceding classes enjoyed. Remote learning is part of their lexicon, and their facility with technology is off the charts. While there are ways in which COVID-19 is still with us, the Class of 2023 are strong adaptors to a changed world, and we are proud of their flexibility and resilience.

I marvel at the changes in St. Andrew’s over the past decade. When my son E.J. joined the Class of 2013, we were 450 students in grades 6-12. The CTTL was just launching and beginning to influence teaching and learning for all St. Andrew’s students. At the time one faculty member oversaw all diversity initiatives. Today a team of diversity professionals is helping us to live our commitment to belonging for all. We are mapping our curriculum to connect learning in the lower grades with student progress in Middle and Upper school. Our youngest Lions learn and play in a state-of-the-art Lower School and we all enjoy a beautiful Student Center which hosts basketball games, assemblies and galas. More than 700 students from

preschool through twelfth grade joyously work, play, and achieve together on one campus.

Despite many changes, some things have remained constant. Most important among those are the remarkable teachers and staff who dedicate themselves to our students every day. As we approach the school’s 50th anniversary in a few years, we must continue to invest in those who make the “St. Andrew’s magic” happen. We are committed to supporting their dedication by investing in their professional growth and development, providing a collaborative and supportive community, and creating opportunities to find joy in their St. Andrews experience.

Forty-five years ago, a small but committed group of trustees founded a school with a commitment to every learner. Today’s Board of Trustees is leading the way in building our financial foundation, supporting career growth for faculty and staff, and fulfilling our promise to students of a research-informed education in an inclusive community that provides opportunities for students both in and out of the classroom. As my time as Board Chair comes to a close, I know that our incoming Board Chair, Kellie Bickenbach, is prepared to lead us into the next chapter of the St. Andrew’s story. We have already accomplished so much. Together, we can accomplish even more.

Sheila Maith Chair, Board of Trustees

School Year Gets Off to a Roaring Start with Visit from Tony and Emmy-Award Winner

Kristin Chenoweth is one of the more recognizable actresses of the stage and screen. She had roles in “West Wing” and the Disney channel movie “The Descendants” and won an Emmy for her role in “Picking Daisies.” On Broadway, she won a Tony for her role in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and originated the role of Glinda in “Wicked.” Upper and Lower School students were treated to a visit from Chenoweth in September. With K-5 students, she read from her book “What Will I Do With My Love Today?” Later in the day, she spoke to Upper School students and answered their questions at an assembly. Chenoweth came to St. Andrew’s thanks to ninth-grade student Joel Crump ‘26 who attended her Broadway Bootcamp virtually in 2021 and in person in Oklahoma in 2022.

Expanded Lion-Cub Program Returns After a Two-Year Hiatus

After a two-year hiatus, the Lion-Cub program returned to St. Andrew’s, this time expanded to grades K-5 and 7-12. The program pairs Lower School students in kindergarten with Middle School students in seventh grade. Students in subsequent grades are paired together culminating in fifth graders being paired with twelfth graders. These oneon-one pairings are intended as permanent throughout a student’s time at St. Andrew’s. The Lions and Cubs have several planned activities throughout the year, including walking in the Walk for the Homeless at Homecoming and sitting together at K-12 chapel services. For many, these bonds last beyond St. Andrew’s.

Homecoming and Walk For the Homeless Draw Hundreds of Participants

It was a beautiful fall day for this year’s Homecoming and Walk for the Homeless with one of the largest crowds in school history coming out to enjoy the oncampus festivities. The Walk for the Homeless officially kicked off the day followed by soccer games, inflatables, crafts, and the Alumni Awards Luncheon. The Black Alumni Collective also hosted a tailgate prior to the alumni gathering. Fikile Richard Brushett ‘02 won the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Black Alumni Collective won the Thomas Shaw Award for Service, and the 1991-1992 girl’s basketball team and Alex Smith ‘17 were inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.

Middle School Students Hear How Lions in the Community Roar

This year, Middle School students have been treated to a series of Roar Stories, as alumni and current parents have come to campus to speak to students about different professions and what it takes to be successful in their chosen fields. It began with Julian Barnes P’26, ‘29, a national security reporter for the New York Times covering the intelligence agencies. He spoke in December about his career in journalism and as a writer. In January, Abigail Stephenson ‘12 spent her day off from performing on Broadway in “Ohio State Murders” opposite stage icon Audra McDonald to speak to students about her path to Broadway, which began when she was a St. Andrew’s Middle School student. In March, a panel of parents and alumni spoke about jobs and careers in the sports industry. Students heard from Mark Alarie P’20, ‘24, Ken Babby ‘98 P’26, Richard Coco P’25, ‘28, Vania Flowers ‘92, Jen Mohr P’38, and Eric Winston P’30, ‘32. The final Roar Story is scheduled for late May with Dr. Peter Warfield P’27 speaking to students about careers in medicine.

More than 300 Grandparents and Special Friends Visit Campus

Just before Thanksgiving, St. Andrew’s was able to resume its in-person Grandparents and Special Friends Day for the first time since 2019. Close to 300 visitors came to campus, joining students from age 2 through Grade 12 in the classroom, hallways, and at assemblies. There were performing arts to entertain the guests of all ages.

St. Andrew’s Players Take a Bite of Chekhov

The fall play this year was “The Cherry Orchard” by Anton Chekhov. Centering around the fate of the estate of the Gayecs, landed gentry whose beloved cherry orchard and family home are at risk of being sold, the play is often classified and presented as a tragedy, but the Upper School performers led by Ritchie Porter struck a balance between the serious and the humorous. The play was presented the width of MacDonald Hall with seating on the stage and in partially extended bleachers, creating a challenge for the performers while drawing in audiences.

Sixth-Grade Scientists Take Trips Off Campus to Explore Physical World

Science in the Middle School begins with Science

6: Scientific Foundations, a course that allows our sixth graders to get out and explore the physical world. In November, as part of their study of weathering and erosion, sixth graders visited Great Falls National Park and the cascading rapids. In April, students enjoyed the annual overnight trip to the Chesapeake Bay, where they spent three days exploring the ecosystem.

Third-Grade Performs Opera

In front of a captive audience of students from kindergarten and first grade, St. Andrew’s third graders, under the guidance of music teacher Danielle Drobny, performed an opera inspired by “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters,” a book by John Steptoe. The book tells the story of two sisters that take opposite paths to achieve their dream of marrying a king. To help prepare for the performance, students learned about the Shona language and Zimbabwean folklore and culture while studying the fundamentals of opera with Mary Gresock, an artist in residence at the Kennedy Center.

Student Artists Win Regional Awards

Three St. Andrew’s juniors were honored with Scholastic Art & Writing Maryland Region awards, including a Silver Key Award for Hannah Portner ‘24. Her blackand-white portrait of a ballerina devouring a seemingly endless supply of snacks was the highest recognition received by a Lion this year. Also being honored was Lara Alarapon ‘24 who earned Honorable Mention in Digital Art and Nando Molina ‘24, who won four Honorable Mentions in photography.

Young Alumni Return to Campus and Give College Tips to Seniors While Catching Up with Teachers

Annually, about a week after the calendar turns to a new year, you can spot a group of recent St. Andrew’s graduates on campus. Young Alumni Day is a hallmark of the St. Andrew’s school year and it was in person this year after a two-year break. This year, 16 alumni from the classes of 2018 through 2022 returned to speak to seniors about their college experience and to answer questions from picking roommates, to Greek life, to selecting a major.

Hannah Portner

Lara Alarapon

Junior Qualifies for National and International History Competitions

Junior Ethan Linn ‘24 has made history his thing at St. Andrew’s. Not only is he a member of the St. Andrew’s Quizbowl team, but after scoring among the top 25% of student historians in the state-level competition, Ethan qualified for the National History Bee & Bowl and the International History Olympiad. The national competition is in Arlington, Virginia in June and the international one is in Rome in July.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt ...

Every February, as spring approaches, a bear comes out of hibernation in the Lower School. He finds a nice place to hide but he leaves plenty of tracks as he explores the space. Tracks perfect for our Preschool II students to find and follow as they go on an annual Bear Hunt. Students, who have been learning about bears, animal tracks, and cartography, draft a map and embark on their bear hunt. This year, the bear was Luis Aguilar P’23 ‘25 who students know from his daily welcome every morning at the Lower School carpool.

10th Annual Great Works Project Winners Announced

“The Lightning Thief” Electrifies Crowds in MacDonald Hall

The Upper School winter musical played to packed houses this February as the St. Andrew’s Players performed “The Lightning Thief,” a Percy Jackson musical based on the first of Rick Riordan’s beloved young adult novels. Joel Crump ‘26 made his St. Andrew’s debut as Percy alongside Charlotte Lobring ‘23 (Annabeth) and Eliora Adu ‘24 (Grover). The musical drew rave reviews from the Cappies and also featured Lara Alarapon ‘24 (Sally), Cameron Best ‘26 (Chiron), Leah Facciobene ‘24 (Luke), and Gabriel Martinez ‘24 (Mr. D).

The 10th annual Great Works Project winners were announced on February 28 with the largestever group of speeches taking place. More than 100 students argued for the book of their choice to be included in the 10th-grade curriculum with Benny O’Neill ‘25 winning from the five English 10 classes for “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie and Melissa Nugent ‘25 winning from the two Honors English 10 classes for “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller. Students first read their book then had to write a three-minute speech making their case for why the book should be included in the curriculum. Each class had a winner which advanced to the finals. The judges in the finals included the four previous winners still at St. Andrew’s, Eliora Adu ‘24, Zara Koso-Thomas ‘24, Cov Jackson ‘23 and Ethan McNamara ‘23, as well as one of the first-ever winners, Robyn Radecki ‘16 and Head of School Robert Kosasky P’18 ‘20. Students also were required to record their speech on video so students and their families could watch each speech to learn about the different books.

Students Excel on National Latin Exam

Eleven St. Andrew’s Middle and Upper School students were nationally recognized for their performance on the 2023 National Latin Exam, a challenging and prestigious exam offered under the joint sponsorship of the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League. The highest medal students can earn on their exams, gold summa cum laude, was awarded to Andrew ‘27, Sinjin ‘27, Sophie Li ‘26, Samina Bhatia ‘25, and Melissa Nugent ‘25.

Yau Chi ‘29, Colin ‘28, Feynman ‘28, Kayla Bhatia ‘25, and Ian Sabin ‘25 won silver maxima cum laude on their exams, and Austin Love ‘26 earned magna cum laude.

Middle School Student Wins National High School Chess Championship

Eighth-grader Andrew ’27 competed in the U800 section of the National High School Chess Championship in Washington, D.C., in April. Andrew played seven games over the course of three days and won all seven matches. Of the 407 competitors in his category, Andrew was the only one to reach 7 points, securing him a first-place finish in his section.

Cum Laude Society Inducts 18 New Members

In April, eight twelfth-grade students and 10 eleventh-grade students were inducted into the St. Andrew’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society, which honors the school’s highest academic achievers. The ceremony was attended by eighththrough twelfth-grade students as well as members of the honorees’ families.

From the Class of 2023, Ryan Agge, Charlotte Lobring, Liza Matal, Marques Nana-Sinkam, Kate Schneider, Sam Segal, Sam Wiesel, and Kylie Wilbur were inducted, while Matthew Chensavasdijai, Joshua Cohen, Emily Conway, Kevin Hallagan, Emma Kee, Jake Lehrman, Kamdi Oguchi, Hannah Portner, Jasmine Wang, and Steven Zhong were inducted from the Class of 2024. The new inductees were welcomed into the Society by Alex Behram, Maziar Beiramee, Zyley Bender, Cov Jackson, Auveen Kaveh, Christina Rowe, Lauren Safra, and Milenko Stojkovic, members of the Class of 2023 who were inducted last year.

Twelfth-grader Tinoda Matsatsa ’23 also competed in the Championship, winning four of his seven matches. Their combined score earned them the highest rank nationally of all two-player schools competing at the U800 level.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WARMENHOVEN FAMILY

News from the Athletics Department

Matsatsa ‘23 Paces Nation in 800m

A student-athlete leaves a legacy when they set a school record. On March 12, Tinoda Matsatsa ‘23 did more than set a school record — he ran the fastest time in the nation in the indoor 800-meters for anyone under the age of 20. Matsatsa notched his time at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in Boston against a field of the best high school runners in the country.

“I pushed to my absolute max,” Matsatsa told The Washington Post after the race. “Once I crossed the line and I heard the time that I ran, I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ I was in disbelief and shock for the first 30 seconds.”

Matsatsa, who already held the Maryland indoor record in the 800m, will run track at Georgetown University next year.

Swim and Dive has Hallmark Season

The Varsity Swim and Dive team had one of its best seasons in the program’s history. The girls finished third at the ISL Swim & Dive Championships, the highest finish by a co-ed school of St. Andrew’s size in the history of the league and something that no co-ed school has accomplished since 2016. The boys team finished sixth in the MAC Championships. In February, the team was featured in The Washington Post and on WUSA9 as both media outlets highlighted the team’s outdoor winter practices, a unique aspect of the team’s training program.

Doulaveris ‘24 Top MAC Golfer

The boys golf team had a third-place finish at the MAC Tournament and that finish was helped immensely by Vasilios Doulaveris ’24. Not only was the junior named All-MAC, but as one of the top four finishers at the MAC Championship, he earned a spot in the inaugural “Tournament of Champions.” Despite playing as the #4 seed, Doulaveris defeated the top seed in the first 9-hole match and the #2 seed in 10 holes in the second match to claim the victory.

PHOTO BY SUSIE SHAFFER/SHAFFER HOTSHOTS

Boys Basketball Team Among Area’s Best

For the third-straight boys basketball season, St. Andrew’s advanced to the MAC Championship game and faced off with Sidwell Friends. In 2020, the Lions took home the MAC Tournament title but in 2022 and in 2023 the Quakers were able to bring home the title. Despite coming up one win short of the conference championship, the Lions had another highlysuccessful season, as they spent the winter ranked in the Washington Post Top 20. The team also advanced to the semifinals of the inaugural Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament. Both Marcel Gardner ‘23 and Xander Alarie ‘24 were named All-MAC and Alarie was also named honorable mention Washington Post All-Met.

Equestrian Team Wins Year-End Titles

The Equestrian team finished as Varsity & Junior Varsity team Year-End Reserve School Champions in 2022-2023, thanks to a mix of riders, some in their first or second year and others long-time members of the squad. The varsity team was led by Kate Schneider ’23, Alexandra Houck ’25, Ella Poffenroth ’25, Rhian Williams ’25, Grace Bickenbach ’26, Chloe Stark ’26, and Kate ’28 while Natalie Manos ’23, Corey Bailey ’24, and Alice ‘28 paced the junior varsity squads.

Four Players Sign to Play DI Athletics

A quartet of seniors will continue their playing careers next year on the Division I level as Marcel Gardner, Jake McClure, Marques NanaSinkam, and Khari Seals will suit up next season at new schools. Gardner will play basketball at UMBC, McClure will play lacrosse at VMI, NanaSinkam will play soccer at Holy Cross, and Seals will play lacrosse at Hampton. Go Lions!

Wom-n’s Empowerment Conference Connects Students, Supports Menstruators

St. Andrew's Wom-n's Empowerment Conference brought together eighth through twelfth-grade students for a day of community-building, wellness, and service. Students learned about period poverty and activism from keynote speakers Brooke and Breanna Bennett, founders of the non-profit Women In Training and daughters of alumnus Brad Bennett ‘86. Inspired by Brooke and Breanna’s mission to “end poverty period” by supplying pads and toiletries to menstruators in need, students assembled 500 feminine hygiene kits for the local non-profit So What Else, which supports children and families living in underserved communities in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., metro area. Students also engaged in wellness activities like mindfulness exercises and yoga, and learned introductory self-defense techniques. Thank you to all the families who donated products this spring that helped make the feminine hygiene kits possible.

Student Affinity Groups Build Connections Across Divisions

Upper School student leaders are weaving a thread of belonging through the entire school by sharing their identities and culture with their peers and with younger students. Members of the Black Student Alliance, Asian Student Union, Jewish Student Alliance and Latinx Club visited Lower School classrooms and chapel services to read books and lead discussions. Upper elementary students are following their lead. Sarah ‘30 taught kindergarteners about the Lunar New Year and Rylie ‘31 read a book and gave a chapel talk in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day during a preschool chapel service.

Middle School Diversity Conference Encourages Students to Strengthen Belonging

The theme of this year’s Middle School Diversity Conference, “Heroes Build Community and Foster Relationships,” was inspired by the division’s summer reading, “The Hero Next Door.” Students engaged in activities to strengthen their commitment to belonging, leadership, and appreciation for diversity, including art projects, mindfulness exercises, collaborative team challenges, and grade-level conversations. The conference, which took place in February, was a powerful opportunity for students to advocate for what they need and want from their Middle School experience. It was also a chance for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to interact with students in different grades and reunite in their grade to imagine how they want to build community at St. Andrew’s.

Black Alumni Collective Programming Expands on Campus

The BAC-2-School Bash, now in its second year, welcomed more than 150 families and employees of color to Izzo Quad for an afternoon of fun and connection this past September. In January, the BAC’s signature social justice hackathon, HackBAC, took place both on campus and virtually in a new hybrid format, allowing the competition to engage 60 students across North America.

For the third year in a row, St. Andrew’s students were among the winning teams, which proposed solutions to support the healthcare needs of historically marginalized individuals identifying as BIPOC. Jackson ‘27, Chad ‘27, and Joshua ‘27 were members of the second-place team, which proposed SnackChats, a mobile therapy food truck that supports unhoused people of color who struggle with mental health issues. The initiative aims to combat the stigmas associated with therapy and mental health services by providing free meals and easy access to licensed therapists. The team was mentored by Associate Director of Admission Lauren Van Tol.

The BAC will host its second End of Year Ceremony on June 4, where they will recognize the Class of 2023 with kente cloth stoles and welcome new members into the BAC.

Upper School Students, Faculty and Staff Represent St. Andrew’s at NAIS Conferences

Six Upper School students represented St. Andrew's at this year's National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas: Corey Bailey '24, McKinzie Alexander '25, Celeste Mondragon '23, Kati Ahuja '25, Andrew Saavedra '24, and Fiona Nganou '24. During the conference, students discussed the importance of a culture of belonging, designed effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learned the foundations of allyship and networking principles. Student representatives shared reflections on their experience with all students in the Upper School in February. Additionally, faculty and staff members including Rob Gamble, Kiran Philip, Chavonne Primus, and Husam Shabazz ‘15 attended the NAIS People of Color Conference.

Lower School Students Practice Allyship During Solidarity Week

Solidarity Week, which is recognized at St. Andrew’s in November, is about creating belonging for everyone in our community through actions big and small. In the Lower School, students engaged in conversations about what it means to be an ally and how to combat bystanderism. Students illustrated examples of how they contribute to a culture of belonging at St. Andrew's, and first graders handed out “Belonging” stickers to students and adults on campus. In all divisions, students wore purple during Solidarity Week to show our School’s allyship with our LGBTQIA+ students and families.

PHOTO BY DEVONTE SANDERS ‘23

Neuroteach Global Student Launches in Middle and Upper School

Students at St. Andrew’s are discovering the science behind how the brain learns best – and how they can apply this knowledge to become more effective learners – thanks to Neuroteach Global Student. Developed by The CTTL in partnership with leading researchers, Neuroteach Global Student is a set of six learning modules designed to empower students with learning skills and mindsets that will help them become more efficient, confident, and self-directed learners.

During advisory periods and on their own, sixth-, seventh-, and ninth-grade students are completing the modules, which are based on the best research on how students learn and how to change their learning habits. Student users develop a toolbox of effective and efficient learning strategies, such as how to study, how to take a test, how to remember what they read, and how to get the most out of class.

Neuroteach Global Student is currently in the hands of students across the country and around the world. To learn more about Neuroteach Global Student, visit www.neuroteach.us.

Student Fellows Examine Assessment and Student Motivation

This year’s cohort of Finn Family Student Research Fellows are investigating how assessment feedback and grading impact students’ motivation in the Middle and Upper School. As part of their research, students connected with Dr. Pedro De Bruyckere, Educational Scientist at Arteveldehogeschool in Ghent, Belgium and author of “The Ingredients for Great Teaching.”

Fellows are applying what they are learning about principles of research methodology to design, conduct, and analyze the data that they’ve collected from their fellow students. The results will be shared with the school community along with research-informed suggestions for how teachers can further support students’ motivation and learning. This year’s fellows are Eliora Adu ‘24, Jake Brill ‘23, Nariah Goldman ‘24, Drew Levine ‘23, Jake Lehrman ‘24, Nickor Liu ‘23, Gabriel Martinez ‘24, Ethan McNamara ‘23, Mareina Mitchell ‘23, Mia Redjaee ‘23, Isa Rodriguez ‘24, Lauren Safra ‘23, Devonte Sanders ‘23, Kate Schneider ‘23, Alyssa Tave ‘24, Jasmine Wang ‘24, Claire Wang ‘24, and Savannah Wilson ‘24

Leaders from The CTTL Present Across the Country

The CTTL leadership team offered workshops and gave presentations at some of the top conferences for educators this year. In February, faculty, staff, and alumni presented at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. D!Lab Director and Science Teacher Chuck James P’10 and Black Alumni Collective Leader Delonte Egwuatu '12 presented on HackBAC, the BAC's social justice hackathon, and History Teacher and Executive Director of The CTTL Glenn Whitman P’22 spoke on neuroplasticity and the intersections between Mind, Brain, and Education Science and Diversity, Equity, and Belonging work.

In March, Dr. Ian Kelleher P’24 ‘29, Science Teacher and Dreyfuss Chair of Research for The CTTL, returned to SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas, to present

St. Andrew’s to Host USA Festival of Education

On October 21, St. Andrew’s will be the venue for the inaugural USA Festival of Education. The Festival of Education was founded in 2010 by Wellington College in the United Kingdom; today, it is the largest gathering of educators from all types of schools in the U.K. To learn more about the USA Festival of Education and to buy tickets, visit www.educationfestusa.com/

on how educators can teach students better learning strategies informed by the Science of Learning. The senior director of SXSW EDU — one of the largest educational conferences and festivals in the United States — is a St. Andrew's alumnus, Greg Rosenbaum '06. In April, Lorraine Martinez Hanley and Eva Shultis co-presented on the brain and creating a culture of belonging during a preconference workshop at Learning and the Brain in New York City.

St. Andrew’s continues to be the leader in conducting workshops on researchinformed, brain-based teaching at independent, public, and charter schools in the United States, traveling to more than 20 states this school year alone, as well as working with schools overseas in Mexico, Canada, and Australia. The Center continues to expand its work with public schools through workshops and Neuroteach Global partnerships.

The emotion and cognitive areas of the brain are highly interlinked, so emotional factors, like stress, anxiety, happiness, and belonging need to be considered when thinking about ways to improve learning.

Looking ahead to summer, Dr. Kelleher and Whitman will be presenting in June at the Model Schools Conference in Orlando, Florida. The Science of Teaching & School Leadership Academy, The CTTL’s professional development conference for educators and administrators, will take place in a hybrid format, with participation options virtually and at satellite locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Florida, and Mexico City.

New Parent Resource Delivers the Science of Learning to Families

The CTTL has launched an engaging card game designed for families, building on the success of “Face the MBE Facts: A Neuromyth Busting Activity,” a card deck for educators who want to test what they know about how the child’s brain learns and grows. The families-edition of the deck includes cards that highlight the most pervasive of myths about learning, such as whether students have unique learning styles and the best ways to study. It is designed to be a friendly, accessible way for families to explore how their children’s — and their own — brains learn best. Paired with Neuroteach Global Student, the “Face the MBE Facts” deck is a powerful tool for families as they support their child’s learning and help them be more effective, efficient, and engaged in school.

Emotion uses many of the same areas of the brain that learning uses. When a student is learning, emotion and cognition are operating seamlessly in the brain. Learning is improved when teachers consider each student’s emotional needs.

The emotion and cognitive areas of the brain are highly interlinked, so emotional factors, like stress, anxiety, happiness, and belonging need to be considered when thinking about ways to improve learning.

A Night: Community Contributes $427,000 for Scholars

We are wild about how our community came together during the 2023 Fund-a-Scholar Gala and Auction! More than 300 parents, alumni, faculty, and staff attended the annual event on March 18, which supports our Fund-a-Scholar Program. We are extremely grateful to report that thanks to our community’s generosity, our community contributed $427,000 toward student financial aid.

As a result of this extraordinary philanthropy, more students will be able to attend St. Andrew’s next year – students who otherwise might not have the opportunity. The classroom experience of all students will be enriched by the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds in each class.

The school would like to especially thank Holly Cirrito and Ana Pabón-Naab for their incredible work and leadership, along with the entire auction committee of parent, alumni, and faculty and staff volunteers.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

BY KIRSTEN PETERSEN

At St. Andrew’s, there is a network of trusted adults who are committed to supporting the whole child – not just the scholar or the athlete or the artist. They include nurses, advisors, diversity, equity, and belonging coordinators, counselors, learning specialists, chaplains, coaches, and our athletic trainer, among others.

These adults are committed to ensuring that students can bring their best, whole selves to school and, when they cannot, receive individualized support that is grounded in our mission to know and inspire each child. The mindset and strategies these teams apply are reinforced and enhanced by the professional development they receive in-house through The Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning.

Establishing trust is key to providing effective support, and all of these adults lay the groundwork for this by actively participating in school life. Every day, students have an opportunity to see them outside of their offices, whether they are teaching, coaching, sponsoring clubs, or attending school functions.

“A big goal of mine is to start those relationships with the kids on the first day of school. You don’t ever want to go to the nurse, or the adult seen in that capacity, for the first time at your worst moment,” said Lower School Nurse Shelley Keneally,

who connects with students by staffing morning and afternoon carpools. “You want them to know you and feel comfortable and have that relationship with you from day one, even if they don’t have to see you.”

Lower and Middle School Counselor Alexis Friedlander, LMSW, makes sure she is not perceived as the “stereotypical stigmatized counselor” by playing basketball and football with students at recess, joining students for lunch, leading chapel talks during Jewish holidays, and organizing a March Madness pool for students. Upper School Counselor Robin Foreman, LCPC, visits classrooms, makes announcements during Morning Meeting, and facilitates the Peer Leaders program as ways to help students get to know her outside of her office.

“I want students to know me as who I am, which I feel like is an approachable, warm, funny person,” Foreman said. “I don’t want it to be a huge deal to come into my office. Sometimes I want people to just come by and take a piece of candy or chat and know that I’m a human being, I’m a mom, I was a teacher before this.”

At sporting events, Upper and Middle School Chaplain James Isaacs is one of the loudest cheerleaders for the Lions, and every week he can be spotted at Beach Circle with a smile and a “Happy Chapel Day”

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Whether they need a friendly ear, some guidance, or uplifting support — there is a team of adults at St. Andrew’s for each student.

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greeting. For him, both efforts fall under the umbrella of pastoral care.

“Each one of those is meeting the students and the people in this community where they are,” Isaacs said. “It’s important that pastoral care is not just during moments of crisis. By having those connections, when there are moments of crisis that emerge for people in the community, it builds on a foundation that has been established during those other moments people have seen me, encountered me, or interacted with me.”

Scott Corkran is the academic dean for the Class of 2029 and has been an advisor for the past 16 years. He’s made it a priority to find and greet every sixth-grade student every day of school.

“I want to make sure all of my students know that they are seen every day,” Corkran said. “I want them to know that there is someone who will greet them in the morning, who will say hi every single time they pass by in the hallways, someone who is their fan, just so they know that there is someone rooting for them and wants them to be successful.”

School Nurses

With this foundation of trust established, staff at St. Andrew’s are then able to provide students with specific, individualized support. While the path to receiving support can begin after a conversation with any trusted adult at school, it often starts in the nurse’s office, when students notice they are feeling unwell or when teachers notice when a student seems off.

“Our goal is to keep students in school, not just to keep them in the building but also to help them function at their optimal level for learning,” Keneally said. “They can be in the building but not be feeling well or having a difficulty, so that affects how much they are able to learn and retain, and how much they are able to feel successful throughout their day.”

As the nurses assess a student’s symptoms, they can quickly identify if they need to treat a physical ailment or something

else below the surface.

“Some students come in and complain of something vague, and you talk with them and discover there are family issues, social issues, or stress related to schoolwork or grades that become a big part of the physical symptoms that might show up in my office,” said Upper and Middle School Nurse Diane Stewart. Depending on the stressor, the nurses then connect with parents, counselors, teachers, advisors, or administrators for next steps.

Often, physical symptoms are not a sign of illness, but rather a change in a student’s routine.

“The first thing I check is, ‘Did you eat breakfast this morning? Are you drinking fluids?’ So many times, the kids haven’t eaten breakfast and they’re coming here with a headache or with an upset stomach,” Stewart said. “I’ll go with them and grab fruit from MacDonald Hall, I give them crackers, have them drink some fluids, and sometimes it’s all they need.”

Keneally and Stewart bring compassionate care and attention to the range of ailments that bring students to their doors, from papercuts and glue gun burns, to abdominal pain and COVID-19. Both nurses

Inside the Health Team

Members of the support network in each division gather weekly to talk about the academic, social, and emotional needs of individual students. These health support team meetings are a dedicated space for confidential information sharing that ensures all team members are up to date on a student’s needs. The discussions vary from identifying if students are engaging in rigorous learning to confirming they are prescribed seasonal allergy medication so they can “function at their optimal level of learning,” as Lower School Nurse Shelley Keneally said. Team members bring curiosity and compassion to their observations and feedback, always prioritizing the student’s well-being as they identify the best strategies and interventions.

are critical partners to families, ensuring that students receive prescribed medications throughout the day and staying in touch with families as students navigate chronic health challenges.

“The students are with us eight hours of the day, so we see a lot of things in the building,” Keneally said. “We have to be good communicators to be able to piece those things together and give parents a glimpse into how the whole day comes together for their child.”

Homeroom Teachers & Advisors

In the Lower School, homeroom teachers are the adults in the classroom who will be the first to spot physical, emotional, or mental health changes in students. In the Middle and Upper School, advisors track those changes and are the primary point of contact for families.

“Every adult in this school is here for their child, but it’s nice for parents to know that this specific one is regularly checking in on their 11 advisees,” eighth-grade advisor Sara McAuliffe said.

Advisors support students with managing their academic load and executive functioning, as well as navigating social and emotional challenges. Middle School students gather daily in advisory groups, which functions as a stable social support system, McAuliffe said.

“Students can count on that time. They know that four out of five days of the week they will have an advisory period and they will see each other every single morning,” she said. “Knowing where to go reduces stress, especially at the beginning of the year or when starting as a new student. With advisory groups, spaces, and time, there is no question for a student about where they should spend time in the morning, who they should sit with at lunch, or which adult they should turn to. Those transitions are made a bit easier with advisory.”

As the academic dean, Corkran strives for a seamless partnership with parents that is grounded in their mutual hopes and dreams for the child and advisee.

“The biggest thing is letting the par-

ents know that there is someone here who wants the exact same thing for their child as they do, who overall is thinking about providing the best academic and social experience and looking out for their emotional needs,” Corkran said. “When you talk to me, you don’t have to preface the situation. I know the background and I know what you want because that’s what I want, too.”

The relationship extends beyond the current school year. Advisors, like ninthgrade advisor Tracey Goodrich, continue to support their former advisees as they progress through the Upper School.

“Kids come back and still seek me out for math help or advice with friendships or problems with teachers. Literally, they continue to come back even when I don’t teach them anymore,” Goodrich said. “I would do anything for my current students and the kids I advise. They’ve got me for the rest of my life.”

Coaches & Athletic Trainer

For students who play sports, coaches are the adults who can observe and sup-

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“The biggest thing is letting the parents know that there is someone here who wants the exact same thing for their child as they do ... When you talk to me, you don’t have to preface the situation. I know the background and I know what you want because that’s what I want, too.”

SCOTT CORKRAN ACADEMIC DEAN, CLASS OF 2029

port student well-being when the academic day ends.

Athletic Director Kevin Jones knows that students worry about being coached differently if they disclose physical, mental, or emotional challenges they are experiencing off the field or court. As head boys basketball coach, he encourages his student-athletes to share this information through team bonding activities and dedicated spaces for student-driven conversations, strategies that help to build a culture of trust.

“It’s very important to have those relationships with your scholar-athletes because there are so many things that are going on in their day-to-day lives off the playing field and courts that you need to know. It is going to alter the way you connect with that kid, support them, and help them,” Jones said. “Twenty years ago, coaches would say, ‘I don’t care how your day is going. When you walk into the gym, you need to be ready to go.’ That’s an outdated approach to coaching. You do need to know how your student’s day is going.”

Sports injuries in particular can initiate mental and emotional challenges for students. Because of this, Athletic Trainer Sean Hurney focuses on treating the whole person when they visit his office.

“Injuries are frustrating and stressful. There can be some anger and anxiety behind it, there can be some guilt or blame, and I tell them it’s okay. Those feelings are okay. They are natural,” Hurney said. “Nobody comes into my office and says, ‘I want to be in here.’ There is never a good time to be injured.”

Thanks to Hurney’s relationships with top physicians in the region, including orthopedic surgeon Dr. Samuel Sanders and foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Franklin Polun, families can secure exam and lab appointments shortly after a child is injured, significantly reducing the time families spend waiting for answers.

“I want athletes to be healthy. The worst part of my job is telling people to sit out,” Hurney said. “I want to see you succeed and get you back on the field.”

Diversity, Equity & Belonging Team

The Diversity, Equity, and Belonging (DEB) team at St. Andrew’s helps students feel seen and heard when they feel marginalized and supports them as they advocate for ways to deepen their sense of belonging. In addition to the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging, there are coordinators that support students in each division.

In the Lower School, the DEB team works with parents and faculty to nurture students as they discover and take pride in their identity while also learning about other topics including blind spots, allyship, the power of our words, kindness, having empathy, and creating belonging. Students are encouraged to practice allyship as a way to cultivate a culture of belonging in the Lower School. They are also invited to share their culture and traditions with their classmates; this year, fifth-grade students have led presentations on Hindu celebrations and Lunar New Year.

“We serve as resources for teachers as they work hard to consider every way in

which a child in our space might identify so that students can feel that their whole authentic self is welcomed and embraced by fellow students and teachers,” said Sung Hee Kim, First Grade Teacher and Lower School DEB Co-Coordinator. “These ongoing efforts to create belonging are woven into the fabric of our daily classroom routines, purposeful social interactions, as well as our academic work. Our conversations with parents mirror our fully integrated approach to creating belonging as we discuss the well-being of the whole child as part of a school community.”

In the Middle and Upper School, the DEB team ensures students have opportunities to connect with their identity by facilitating the creation of affinity groups, bringing in a diverse range of speakers, and inviting students to give chapel talks and share about their culture and heritage during Morning Meeting.

“I try to support and cultivate a sense of belonging among students by encouraging them to exercise their voice and help them work through challenges,” said Rob Gamble, History Teacher and Upper School DEB Co-Coordinator. “Students will feel more empowered to speak their

truths if they feel confident they will be heard, not judged.”

Lorraine Martinez Hanley has been the Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging for the past three years and next year she becomes the Director of Professional Growth and Studies, a role which will oversee the DEB program. Martinez Hanley said that when students are seen for their whole self and can cultivate a sense of belonging within themselves and for others, they can carry it wherever they go.

“You see those students take what they felt was a piece of belonging and community here to their life after St. Andrew’s, even to their university or college,” she said, noting recent alumni who have joined and contributed to affinity groups in college. “That piece of belonging carries beyond the brick and mortar.”

Learning Support

The Education Center was formed decades ago but in recent years has evolved to become a team of teachers working to ensure that students are supported academically. The newly formed Learning Support Center will officially launch in 2023-2024. On any given day, the current Education Center can be a quiet study space accented by the clicks of keyboard tapping or a hub of energetic collaboration electrified with conversation and laughter. This is the atmosphere – “vivacious and vibrant” –that Samantha Speier ’95, Director of the Education Center, strives to encourage.

“This place is not just for kids who have a diagnosed learning disability. This is a place for anyone who wants to better their academic skills,” Speier said, noting that much of her work focuses on coaching students on time management, study skills, and organization. “Anyone can come in this office for five minutes or five years and get those skills that are needed. It’s not just for a certain kind of kid.”

Speier, who will leave St. Andrew’s this summer after two decades of teaching and leading at St. Andrew’s said her role is to listen to Middle and Upper School students and help them strategize a plan to achieve the kind of academic success they are look-

ing for. She collaborates with parents to help students actualize those goals. Christina Chalmers currently assists in supporting Middle School students.

“The culture of St. Andrew’s in general is a place where students seek out their teachers for support, so the Education Center is an extension of that philosophy and culture we instill here,” she said. “While there are students who, in the beginning, are reluctant to come in, it quickly dissipates because they realize I’m another person in their life who wants to support them.

“In some ways it’s easier to come to me instead of their teachers. I don’t grade them. I just want to know what’s going on so I can support them, and that takes the pressure off.”

Jennifer (Jen) Shoemaker-Trinh will step into Speier’s role next year as Director of Learning Support. Shoemaker-Trinh is currently the Upper School learning specialist at Stone Ridge.

In the Lower School, one-on-one academic support is provided to students who would benefit from brief learning interventions. This support is offered most often at the start of the school day so that it is the least disruptive to a student’s instructional time.

“Everything we do, all of our decisions,

are based on how we can both meet the learning needs of a child and maintain their sense of confidence and belonging within their learning community,” said Teaching and Learning Strategist Christine Lewis. “We are a rigorous academic school, so we don’t reduce the academic expectations. We build in scaffolds to help students reach those expectations.”

Members of the Learning Support Team work in partnership with homeroom teachers to target the concept or skill that needs support while keeping the student moving forward with their cohort, Lewis said.

“All the research points to the fact that the teacher-student relationship is one of the most impactful relationships in early childhood and elementary years. It is better for the child to have their homeroom teacher create an environment where they can do their best learning,” than pull students out of class for academic intervention, Lewis said.

Lewis supports teachers by identifying the cause of behaviors that impact learning (“That’s the key – getting under it,” she says). She helps families understand the connection between what teachers are seeing at school and what families might be seeing and experiencing at home with

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their child’s learning.

“We have amazing teachers here, and part of my job is articulating to parents exactly what the teacher is doing and all the strategies that are in place in the homeroom environment. That way, they can understand that the achievement level we are seeing from the child is what is happening when all of this is in place.”

School Counselors

The counselor’s office is designed to be a safe space for students as they navigate challenges with their mental well-being, whether they are in crisis or simply having a bad day. Teachers or friends of a student may refer them to one of the counselors, or they may stop by of their own accord. Behind the scenes, Foreman and Friedlander both collaborate with nurses, teachers, learning specialists, administrators, and families to provide the optimal resources and support for students.

Friedlander leans into the focus of her role – to provide support – to help students feel comfortable sharing with her.

“I say to the kids all the time, ‘You know the one room in this building that you cannot get in trouble in? It’s this one,’” she said. “Regardless of whatever comes out of your mouth, my sole focus is to help you and support you, and to support your parents through helping you.

“I feel like I have the best job on the planet, because my job is to help students and families. Even if I can’t fix what’s going on in their lives or change it, I can help them understand what’s happening and support them.”

It's not just the students who are encouraged to share with the counselors; when families are open about their child’s mental well-being, the counselors can support them as well through engaging in conversations and recommending resources.

“I tell students all the time that I wouldn’t do this work if I didn’t believe that it can get better. I’ve seen it,” Foreman said. “When you’re an adolescent, you can’t see outside of your own world and

what’s going on often, especially if you are stuck with feeling anxious or depressed or hopeless. I can see outside of that for them and I hope I am this person who can offer that vision for them.”

Chaplains & Pastoral Care

The chaplains at St. Andrew’s accompany students, families, employees, and even alumni as they anticipate joyful events, like marriage and the birth of a child, or confront life-altering changes, like divorce, job loss, terminal illness, and death. This kind of support is for all members of the community, not just those who identify as Christian (“I’m everybody’s chaplain,” Lower School Chaplain Sally Slater said).

“The pastoral care that I provide, in my mind, is being a presence that represents God’s love in the midst of what is happening for people, and that could take the form of just listening to what people have to share. It could take the form of just sitting with somebody and being present with them or helping them process what is happening and their feelings around it,” Isaacs said. “Then if someone is interested in talking about how their understanding of God or their spirituality connects with the

“Everyone is carrying something with them that pastoral care could be helpful for. That’s my sense about everyone in this school. There is nobody I would be surprised to have walk into my office one day and have something that they could use help supporting.”

REV. JAMES ISAACS UPPER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPLAIN

events happening in their lives or around the world, I am also one of the people on campus equipped to do that.”

As students navigate challenges in their lives, the chaplains at St. Andrew’s offer space for students to “explore their belief or non-belief,” Slater said, adding that the opportunity to ask questions is “a blessing of the Episcopal faith.”

“I am here to be a companion with them and walk with them on their journey,” she said. “For people of faith, I invite them to ask, ‘Where is God in this?’”

A major life event is not necessary for the chaplains to provide support. In her religion classes, Slater invites students to participate in a silent check-in by giving a thumbs-up, thumbs-sideways, or thumbs-down. Often, students will share what is happening in their lives following the check-in and may even ask for their name to be added to the prayer list.

“We talk about what is helpful for us when we’re having a hard day. Is it helpful if someone comes up and says, ‘What’s going on?’ Or is it more helpful if they say, ‘I’m sorry it’s hard. Let me know if I can help,’” Slater said. “Then I say, ‘Let’s look around and see which of our friends we need to be gentle with today.’

“Pastoral care means that the children and adults at St. Andrew’s have someone - in my case, me, as one of the school chaplains - to walk with them during times of celebration and times that are more difficult. Not to try to fix things, but rather to be there however they feel is best for them. For some families, this means asking how they are doing and listening to what is going on. For others, it means giving them resources about how young children process loss or death when the beloved family pet dies.”

In all his interactions, Isaacs strives to be a person who students, families, and faculty and staff trust to support them in their most difficult moments. He recalls a phrase he once heard about grief – “Beside each person lay a pool of tears” – and holds it in his mind as he provides pastoral care.

“Everyone is carrying something with them that pastoral care could be helpful for. That’s my sense about everyone in this school,” Isaacs said. “There is nobody I would be surprised to have walk into my office one day and have something that they could use help supporting.”

The members of this support network are all motivated to do their part to help students get what they need – academically, physically, socially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. They are able to do this work better every year thanks in part to another support team, the leaders within The Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning (The CTTL).

Through workshops and resources from The CTTL, faculty and staff at St. Andrew’s have access to the latest research in teaching and learning, and the best strategies for applying it to how they work with students. Additionally, faculty and staff engage in independent and collective reading from leading researchers like Mary Helen Immordino Yang, David Yeager, Nicole Furlonge, and Zaretta Hammond, and they seek out professional learning and growth conferences such as Learning and the Brain, Stanley King Counseling Institute, and subject-specific conferences. All of this helps them affirm the link between academic achievement and a student's sense of belonging and connection within the school community.

Glenn Whitman, History Teacher, Dean of Studies, and Executive Director of The CTTL, said it is imperative that faculty and staff are equipped with the research and strategies that back and support what they already know intrinsically – that building trusting relationships with students is key to supporting students.

“The idea that building relationships and the sense of academic and social belonging for each student are both teaching strategies is not new for St. Andrew's teachers,” Whitman said. “What is new and growing is the research that The CTTL shares with all preschool to Grade 12 faculty that validates the idea that when students feel seen, safe, challenged, and supported, they have the greatest chance to meet their highest potential.”

Parents Supporting Fellow Lions

An extension of pastoral care at St. Andrew’s is the Lions Care program. Created by Melchora Alexander P’17, Lions Care mobilizes parent volunteers to support St. Andrew’s families, faculty, and staff during moments of both celebration and hardship. Lions Care volunteers have welcomed new babies and new pets, supported injured students, and comforted community members in bereavement. “There is nothing better than giving of ourselves to those who are in need or who just need to know that there is someone who is thinking about them,” Alexander said. “At St. Andrew’s, Lions will always care!”

St. Andrew’s student at the center. Among all the to-dos for this child or teen, from homework and sports practice to music lessons and getting a good night’s sleep, are the family and friends who love and encourage them. Surrounding all of them are the teachers, coaches, and support staff who help the student, and their family and friends, by lending their expertise.

It is because all of these adults can see a student from different angles, and because the student is at the center of it, that the network can be successful, Friedlander said.

One way to think about this network is to imagine it as a busy metropolis with a

“I’m not the only one who is able to help a student. I’m not the only one who could connect with a student,” she said. “As long as a kid has one adult in this building or on this campus that they feel they can trust and is a safe person, whether it is the nurse, the athletic trainer, a coach, someone from DEB, a chaplain, that is what is most important.

GRADUATION SPEAKER

NEHA SHASTRY ’09

Producer and director

Neha Shastry ’09 to give Commencement address in June at Washington National Cathedral.

Neha Shastry ’09 was destined to be a journalist. It’s literally in her DNA.

Her mother, Ferzine Esmail, spent her life working in the media, and her father, Vasuki Shastry, is an author, journalist, and worked at the International Monetary Fund.

“I have to say that even before my experiences in school or at college - my parents have always been a big influence when it came to my choice of originally pursuing journalism,” Shastry said. “My experience growing up, from moving multiple times because of my parents’ jobs to dinners they would have at our home with their journalist friends, were really what shaped my ambition. It’s also not the most stable industry to work in, so you need a lot of emotional support from family and friends to get through it, and I’m lucky that my family just implicitly understood why I would want to do this from the beginning.”

What she does is produce and direct documentaries, including the Peabody Award-winning “All In: The Fight for

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Democracy” which was shortlisted for the Academy Award in 2021. More recently, she was a producer on “The Murdochs: Empire of Influence” which aired on CNN and “Harry & Meghan” which premiered on Netflix in late 2022.

“It was my first project as a director and I learned a lot making it and worked with the most incredible co-directors and producers,” Shastry said. “It also doesn’t hurt that The New Yorker called it one of the best documentary series of 2022.”

The Class of 2023 will hear more about Shastry and her experiences when she speaks in June at St. Andrew’s graduation where she will give the commencement address.

“It’s surreal,” Shastry said. “My 17-yearold self would probably have had something wildly sarcastic to say about it, but I’m genuinely grateful that anyone thinks I have any valuable insight or advice to give.”

Shastry explored storytelling as a high school student, through words (The Mane

News), pictures (photography class) and performing (in Upper School productions). “Looking back, I had a lot of time to explore my creativity in high school and find different ways to express myself. I recognize now that having all of those opportunities at my fingertips as a teenager was rare, and no doubt had an impact in shaping what I eventually chose to do for a living.”

Film wasn’t on Shastry’s radar when she went off to college at St Andrews in Scotland. That wasn’t a problem as film found her.

“It’s funny to look back because I think that film chose me,” Shastry said. “I graduated college thinking I would work in TV news and was perfectly happy with that. I didn’t even know it was possible to work in film without going to film school or having no connections in the industry. Once I moved to New York, my first job ended up being at a media company that was exploding at the moment and was specializing in making short documentaries. That first job felt like film school for me, and an unintended consequence was that I eventu-

ally fell out of love with what I consider ‘traditional journalism’ and just wanted to make movies.”

What Shastry enjoyed most about film as opposed to other mediums was the time it allowed her to spend with subjects. “ I loved being able to spend more time with people whose stories I was telling, and be able to craft something that was visually appealing as well as a strong story. I think narrative films have always brought people together, and documentaries have the power to do that as well. There’s never been a better time to be a documentarian and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I’m glad it found me because I did not know this was a job a person could have when I graduated college.”

Shastry has spent more than a decade of her career building to this point, along the way earning a year-long nonfiction and directing fellowship from Netflix and Ghetto Film School.

“Someone recently said that in order to work in film, especially as a female director, you have to have a sort of pathological optimism and persistence to get anything done,” Shastry said. “Even though it’s 2023, there are very few women, not to mention women of color, working as directors today. So needless to say it’s been a solid decade of hard work so far to get to a place where I can comfortably even call myself a working director.

“In 2019 I was hired to work with Liz Garbus, who is one of the best documentarians working today, and together we made “All In: about Stacey Abrams. That project was a real turning point for my career because I also gained an incredible

mentor and found a community of filmmakers who are invested in my growth and in my projects. So it’s definitely a mix of persistence, hard work, and finding your people.”

Shastry has a number of high profile documentaries on her recent resume with a number of projects on the horizon.

“I have a lot in the pipeline for the next couple of years so I’m excited for all of it and just grateful that I get to keep doing what I love,” Shastry said. “It took a long time to get to the stage where I can really choose my projects and who I work with, and there’s so much more I want to do. I’m in the process of slowly building my own production company, and I eventually want to work in between documentary and scripted as well.”

Commencement will not be the first time Shastry has spoken to Upper School students. In September of 2021, she spoke at an assembly about her career and how St. Andrew’s helped her develop her point of view as a filmmaker. As far as what advice she will give to the Class of 2023, Shastry pointed to putting your faith in yourself.

“I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned since graduating high school is the value in trusting my own gut and getting to a place where I believe in myself,” Shastry said. “There’s a lot of pressure when you get to college to ‘figure it out’ in those four years and the truth is, no one figures it out until a lot later. So hopefully I can put together something coherent about trusting the process of learning about yourself and then trusting yourself. It’s the most invaluable thing you can do.”

Alumni, Join Us at Graduation!

Each June, we invite our alumni to attend our annual Commencement. This year’s ceremony takes place 10 a.m., Friday, June 9, at Washington National Cathedral. Alumni are invited to participate in graduation by processing down the aisle wearing distinguished alumni gowns. If you would like to participate, RSVP by scanning the QR code.

“I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned since graduating high school is the value in trusting my own gut and getting to a place where I believe in myself. There’s a lot of pressure when you get to college to ‘figure it out’ in those four years and the truth is, no one figures it out until a lot later ...”

VP, Head of Discovery Generation Bio

NATE SILVER ‘02

Some kids grow up and know they want to follow in the footsteps of their parents. Other kids grow up determined to blaze their own trail. On rare occasions, you get to do both. That’s the case for Nate Silver ’02.

Silver has a PhD from MIT in computational chemistry and is currently VP, Head of Discovery for Generation Bio, which is developing innovative genetic medicines to provide durable, redosable treatments for people living with rare and prevalent diseases. Silver’s path to his current position was neither a straight line nor a zig zag.

“I grew up in a household that was very science-oriented,” Silver said. “My father is a virologist who worked at the NIH and my mother is a physician. I was surrounded by the sciences from the beginning, and while I naturally gravitated towards them, I was always open to where I was going to go and how I would get there.

“I was blessed to have had a great experience at St. Andrew’s, with wonderful teachers who let me explore my interests in the sciences and elsewhere. I continued this open-ended exploration in college, before eventually pursuing a degree in physical chemistry.”

For Silver, chemistry was a nice middle ground that bridged the gap between his interest in physics (“very mathematical but often abstract”) and biology (“tangible but extraordinarily complex ”).

“I had a really wonderful chemistry teacher in Ms. Walsh,” Silver said. “I have fond memories of her class and really appreciated the enthusiasm she brought to the

classroom. She provided a very approachable introduction to the field and ample opportunities to explore and get a feel for what worked for me and what didn’t.”

What eventually worked for Silver was computational chemistry, a broad discipline that at its core is the study of chemical systems. Silver’s expertise within that space is structure-based modeling.

“How can we develop computational models to understand molecular interactions,” Silver said, when going into detail about the field and his specific area of study. “My PhD was really a study of how small molecule drugs interact with their protein targets. How does this relate to everyday people? It is intimately involved in the design and discovery of new medicines. Many of the drugs that people take, Lipitor for example, are small molecules that bind to and inhibit a particular protein in the body. The details of that interaction are what underpin a drug’s therapeutic effect and can be understood and structurally modeled on an atomic level.”

While at MIT, Silver was a computational chemistry intern at Merck for a summer. Upon earning his PhD he went to work at Axcella Health as a scientist. After two years, he was promoted to director of discovery research and three years later, he moved on to Modulus Discovery where he was associate director of computational drug discovery. In July of 2018, he joined Generation Bio, first as director of preclinical sciences, before eventually taking on the role of vice president and head of discovery research.

“Drug discovery encompasses a large number of steps,” Silver said of his current role. “It all begins with identifying a suitable biological target, whose function or disfunction you believe is related to a given disease. From that starting point, you need to develop an effective in silico and in vitro screening strategy to assess a library of potential molecules for their ability to interact with that target. Once you identify initial hits, these molecules often need to be further optimized to enhance potency and specificity, which means building better computational models and developing additional screening assays in an iterative fashion. Ultimately, however, that’s just the beginning.

“Eventually, you need to test your candidate molecules in vivo, to understand how the body metabolizes the drug and, critically, how the drug affects the body. Often this means leveraging mouse models of disease as well as higher order species more closely related to humans in order to assess whether your drug works as intended. All of that work - from early computational modeling to testing for efficacy in an animal - that’s discovery. It covers a wide breadth of activities and requires expertise across many scientific disciplines.”

Silver’s work is about to get even more exciting as Generation Bio and Moderna recently announced a collaboration to develop non-viral genetic medicines.

“I am really looking forward to being a part of the collaboration.” Silver said. It’s an exciting time for non-viral gene delivery and nucleic acid therapeutics more

broadly. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines that many of us received are a clear demonstration of how impactful those technologies can be.”

While the science portion of Silver’s academic career jumps off the page, it’s the more humanities side of his St. Andrew’s education that he points to as playing an important role in his undergraduate and graduate school experience.

“I learned a great deal from my math and science teachers at St. Andrew’s, but I think some of the most valuable skills that

I carried with me in college and beyond came from the broader focus on a liberal arts education,” Silver said. “Technical know-how is obviously important but knowing how to learn and how to communicate effectively, regardless of subject matter, are probably the most critical skill sets that I’ve used during my career. I remain thankful for all my teachers at St. Andrew’s for giving me the opportunity to develop those skills, as they are what I have held onto and further refined in the years since.”

Finance Director World Wildlife Fund

JACQUELINE WESTLEY ’03

The summer after her sophomore year in high school, Jacqueline Westley ’03 traveled halfway around the world and came home a changed person, one that might not have set her directly on her current career path, but which certainly informed her choices.

“I did a summer immersion program in China organized through St. Andrew’s,” Westley said. “Connecting with peers on the other side of the world at a formative age was an absolutely transformative experience. Among other things, it gave me a sense that I'm a small part of the global community. In doing my part as a member of the global community, I wanted to have a career purpose that is rooted in making the world a better place.”

Now, 20 years after graduating from St. Andrew’s, she is a Finance Director at World Wildlife Fund, helping to launch its Nature-based Solutions Origination Platform. Her path to the WWF began at William & Mary where she earned a degree in economics.

“I had some really great math teachers at St. Andrew’s, so I felt very capable with math and quantitative fields more generally,” Westley said. “I connected with finance and economics at William & Mary – the theory made logical sense to me. And I liked the many real-world applications of economics and finance. There are so many interesting things you can do with skills in economics and finance – from running a business to managing a portfolio of investments to working in public policy.”

After William & Mary, she attended Duke’s Fuqua School of Business where she got her MBA. “Combining economics and finance and repairing the world led me to Duke to pursue a career in impact investing,” Westley said. “Impact investing is investing for a positive economic return as well as an explicit positive social and environmental return.”

Repairing the world is a concept that is rooted in Westley’s Jewish faith. In Judaism, “Tikkun Olam” means improving and repairing the world. Westley first worked toward that at Calvert Impact Capital, then the Nature Conservancy, and now at the World Wildlife Fund.

“I serve as a bridge between conservation and climate projects and the world of finance,” Westley said. “Specifically, I work on channeling private return-seeking capital to fund projects that generate positive outcomes for climate by sequestering additional CO2e and nature by protecting biodiversity. A lot of conservation and climate change work is funded by donations or philanthropy – capital you don't have to pay back, or non-return-seeking capital. But, in order to meet the scale of the climate and biodiversity crises, there's a need to go beyond philanthropic capital. There is far more capital in the world that is return-seeking – or requires repayment plus some return. The idea is to find ways to fund conservation and climate projects with this return-seeking capital.”

For now, Westley will continue to work on repairing the world – one investor at a time.

Chief Financial Officer JBG SMITH

MOINA BANERJEE ‘99

When Moina Banerjee ’99 was a student at St. Andrew’s, she didn’t envision that one day, she would be part of a team overseeing the creation of a second Amazon headquarters and transforming the surrounding community. Amazon was an online bookstore in the late ‘90s, and back then, she never intended to work in real estate.

“In high school, I wanted to focus on economics and international relations,” Banerjee said. “Those interests led me to the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown. I thought that I would pursue a PhD in Economics after graduating or take the foreign service exam to work in government.”

Her intentions changed during the summer between junior and senior year at Georgetown when she was exposed to finance through an investment banking internship at Bank of America in New York.

“I loved the dynamism, the fast pace, and the recommendations being implemented toward tangible results,” Banerjee said. “That experience compelled me to put graduate degree plans on hold and work for a few years.”

After graduating from Georgetown, Banerjee was matched with the real estate investment banking group at Citi. That was her first exposure to real estate. During three years there, she worked on more than 35 transactions spanning capital market issuances, IPOs and M&A. She then returned to school earning an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

After her first year at Wharton, she spent

the summer volunteering for a non-profit organization in India and interned in microfinance. Her main goal at the time was to see if she could marry her interest in finance with international development. But despite a very memorable summer, she noticed that she was consistently drawn back to what was happening in the financial markets. This heightened sense of selfawareness led her to refocus on becoming an expert in real estate.

Immediately after completing her MBA, she spent two years in real estate private equity at The Blackstone Group in New York. Afterwards, she moved back to the Washington, D.C., area to join the JBG Companies in 2010. As the company, now known as JBG SMITH, evolved over the past decade, so did her role. Her past roles include Vice President, Senior Vice President, Principal, Executive Vice President, and Head of Capital Markets. In 2021, she was elevated to her current position as Chief Financial Officer. During the same time period, she also started a family. She and her husband, Amol Tripathi, are the proud parents of two boys: Milan (7) and Aarush (5).

“I’ve been fortunate to work on many amazing deals at JBG SMITH with the best team out there,” Banerjee said “Because I have been with the firm for well over a decade, I have had the unique opportunity to play important roles during major growth periods: I was able to help shape the path to taking JBG public through a reverse spin-merger with Vornado’s D.C. real estate portfolio in

2017; I supported the firm’s efforts to build out the finance side of the organization; I’m a founding member of our firm’s women’s initiative, which we created in 2012 to support the professional growth and development at JBG. Most recently, I have had the chance to contribute as the Chief Financial Officer. As a firm, we are shaping the future of the DMV with the development of Amazon’s second headquarters in National Landing. All of what we have been able to do is the result of the collective efforts of our incredible team. It truly takes a village. I feel lucky to have such wonderful co-workers who I can call good friends after all of these years working together.”

Her team has been focused on National Landing, which is nearly 70% of the JBG SMITH portfolio. Phase 1 of the project is 2.1 million square feet and slated to be complete in June. Amazon Fresh and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema have already opened and another 55 new retailers are expected to open between now and 2024. Ground has already been broken on Dining in the Park (a first-of-a-kind dining experience anchored by Michelin Star chef Enrique Limardo’s Surreal) and Water Park, two retail placemaking projects. On top of all that development, the company is planning an enormous digital infrastructure rollout which will include 5G private wireless access across all of National Landing.

It’s all pretty impressive for someone who fell into real estate. As for career advice, Banerjee would tell current

St. Andrew’s students not to be shy about asking for informational interviews.

“Talk to others who have gone down the path and learn about why they chose to pursue a career in certain fields,” Banerjee said. “I’ve always found that learning through conversations really helped me

understand what I would probably like or dislike about certain careers. Even though you think you know where you’re going, keep an open mind as you embark on your own journey. Many of the doors that open along the way will lead to places you’d never imagined.”

Oh, the Places We’ll Go ...

Our Alumni Office enjoyed catching up with fellow Lions across the country this past year. We hosted events in five states, and the District of Columbia, including our first alumni trip. We loved hearing what our alumni are up to and we hope to see you soon at one of our events next year. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date and you’ll be the first to hear about where we’re headed — and let us know if you want us to come to your city!

Young Alumni Day

Alumni Holiday Party

New York City Gathering

Boston Gathering

Attendees on first-ever Alumni Trip learn about the civil rights movement

Alumni, faculty, and staff traveled to Alabama over spring break for the School's first-ever Alumni Trip. The trip was an opportunity for all attendees to experience continued learning and growth alongside members of the St. Andrew's community around the history and legacy of the civil rights movement. Some of the trip highlights included:

• Brad Bennett ‘86 welcomed attendees to Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor and where Bennett is a deacon today.

• Jake Williams from Montgomery Tours guided attendees along the exact route of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March, imbuing the tour with stories from his lived experience during the civil rights movement.

• Steven L. Reed, the Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, inspired attendees as he outlined the city's efforts to advance the goals of the civil rights movement.

• The Burns Brothers facilitated reflections and helped attendees absorb their experience and plan their own next steps.

Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma, Alabama

St. Andrew’s Alumni Council Program Continues to Expand

Dear Fellow Alumni, It’s been a busy year for St. Andrew’s alumni, one filled with new initiatives, expanded programming, and packed reunions. All-in-all, St. Andrew’s alumni continue to shine and lead the way in the arts, sciences, finance, sustainability, and pretty much every field imaginable.

As you read the alumni features in this magazine and look through the class notes, I hope you take the same pride I do in having attended a school that inspires its students to head out into the world and have a positive impact on their communities, both locally and globally.

Our LinkedIn and AlumniFire professional networks continue to grow and connect alumni with each other and even with current students interested in learning more about a particular profession. In April, the school held its first-ever Alumni Giving Day, which will become an annual opportunity for us to give back to the school in honor of the teachers and coaches who made an impact on our lives. Thank you to everyone who made a gift. For many alumni, access to a St. Andrew’s education happened in part because of the generosity of those who came before us. I know many current students are grateful as well for the support they receive.

Financial gifts aren’t the only way for alumni to give back. This year, many alumni came to speak at St. Andrew’s, both virtually and in person. Young Alumni Day in particular has an impact on seniors as it gives them a chance to ask college-aged alumni about what to expect when they leave the safety of the St. Andrew’s campus. The last alumni voices they will hear as students come during senior week, when publisher Brian Bies ’14 will speak at the Senior Banquet and filmmaker Neha Shastry ’09 will speak at graduation.

Also this spring, the school held its firstever alumni trip, a civil rights tour of Selma,

Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama. A group of alumni visited key sites in those cities from the civil rights movement including lunch with the Mayor of Montgomery, a walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, and Sunday worship in Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church (where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor from 1954-1960) led by Brad Bennett ’86, a Deacon at the church.

My two-year term as President of the Alumni Council is coming to an end. This summer, current Vice President Jennifer Hawkins ’99 will take over as President. It has been a privilege to serve you and I know Jennifer will do a terrific job in her new role. Please join me in wishing her well as she continues to grow the Alumni Council.

Introducing Our New Alumni Council President

Jennifer Hawkins ‘99 has already served on the Alumni Council and is currently a member of the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees. This summer, she takes on a new role as she begins a two-year term as President of the Alumni Council.

Hawkins, who was commencement speaker to the Class of 2021, is a Senior Women, Peace, and Security Advisor at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) where she helps create and implement policies that impact women around the world.

Lane Brenner ’05 President, Alumni Council

The Alumni Council — Front row: Jennifer Hawkins ‘99 (Vice President), Paige Cooper ‘93, Lane Brenner ‘05 (President), Alisa Kaswell ‘05; second row: Jared Kassoff ‘13, Emily Williams ‘02, Jessica North Macie ‘96, Husam Shabazz ‘15 (BAC); back row: Hallie Sherard ‘96, Larissa Levine ‘06, Brad Bennett ‘86, and Delonte Egwuatu ‘12 (BAC). (Not pictured: Geoff Dye ‘88, Hannah Harlan ‘08, Katie Jannotta ‘13, Madeline O’Brien ‘05, and Jamee Williams ‘12 (BAC)).

Alumni Class Notes

New email, phone number or mailing address? Submit your updated information here: www.saes.org/classnotes.

1982

In October, Susan Howard, Sharon Smith and Debbie Maher enjoyed attending their 40th reunion on St. Andrew’s campus while catching up with former teachers Dona Weingarten and Ruth Faison.

1983

Beth Leach got together for a mini ’80s reunion with John Barron, Heidi Forbes, Laurel Pierce, and Clinton Carbon at John’s home in Palm Springs, California. They had a wonderful time catching up and Heidi brought pictures and memorabilia from their time at St. Andrew’s. Her oldest daughter, Samantha, is now an engineer in climate change and water for the state of California and her youngest, Jessica, is a special education teacher in Hawaii.

Steve Meima is in his 10th year serving as Executive Director/CEO of the Gypsum Association, a trade association representing the manufacturers of gypsum panels (aka drywall) in the U.S. and Canada. Steve and wife, Rachel, will be celebrating 30 years of marriage in May. His daughter, Rose (Holy Child ‘17, Sewanee ‘21), is a real estate agent with the Dana Rice Group in Bethesda. His son, Hughes (Landon ‘20), is a junior at Hampden-Sydney College, in HampdenSydney, Virginia. In his free time, Steve is active in the shooting sports industry, volunteering as a range officer at a local gun range and instructing and certifying Virginia and Maryland residents seeking concealed carry firearms licenses. Steve is looking forward to the 40-year reunion this fall.

Brad (Skip) Norman is moving with his wife, Kim, to the Salt Lake City, Utah

82

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area temporarily. He’s looking forward to getting outdoors, camping, hiking, exploring Utah, and working. He is upgrading to Captain on the Boeing 737 based in Salt Lake City. He is still into all things tech-related, including drones, CNC, 3D printing, and videography. You can find him on YouTube (B-RadFPV), Instagram (b.radfpv), and Facebook (verohomie).

1984

David Huff lives in Damascus with wife, Renee, and children Rachel (10), Zachary (10), and Joshua (8). David provides IT support for NIH and is the founder of WebWow, an ad agency that provides marketing services to local real estate agents and other businesses. Renee

40 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

Beth Leach got together for a mini ’80s reunion with John Barron, Heidi Forbes, Laurel Pierce, and Clinton Carbon at John’s home in Palm Springs, California.

Susan Howard, Sharon Smith and Debbie Maher enjoyed attending their 40th reunion while catching up with former teachers Dona Weingarten and Ruth Faison.

homeschools their three children and is also the director of a homeschool co-op in Damascus.

1985

Jennifer Wade Greiner visited St. Andrew’s recently and was delighted to find the same warm and welcoming spirit she remembers from her time as a student there. Jennifer is an empty nester living in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband, Nick. She would love to catch up with St. Andrew’s friends in the area and still loves spending as much time as possible with her brother, Steve Wade ’84. Steve lives in Michigan with his wife and three fabulous kids.

1986

Sharon Leach’s oldest child will graduate from Oberlin College in May and her youngest child entered the University of Stirling in Scotland. Sharon is enjoying her clinical work and the teaching she gets to do with medical residents at the University of Vermont and high school students at the Vermont Brain Bee each year. Her love of neuroscience

and humanity has deep roots at St. Andrew’s with all of her teachers, Dr. Jess Borg, and amazing friendships. She says to embrace every opportunity and find joy in each experience!

1987

In October, the Class of 1987 enjoyed catching up with each other at their 35th reunion, which was held on St. Andrew’s campus. Warren Marcus, Tracey Goodrich, and John McMillen, and Head of School Robert Kosasky stopped by the celebration. The Class of 1987 also won the Alumni Class Cup Trophy at Reunion for their participation in the Lions Fund.

In September, Ellen Kramer moved to Lviv, Ukraine where she is heading the World Food Programme’s office.

In 2014, Allyson Radcliffe and Tracy Keller randomly found each other on a Sail Across the Sun cruise and have been close friends ever since. Allyson writes, “We hadn’t contacted each other in many years. It was all a coincidence. Since then, my friend who was on the trip also became friends with Tracy and some of her

friends, and it just sort of spiraled! And now it’s one big happy group of friends.” Tracy says, “Allyson is a die hard Train fan, and has been on all seven cruises. I went on one because my friend loves Train and it was her 40th. But I had a lot of fun so I went a couple more times. Allyson and her family took me to my first live concert — Bryan Adams. She has always loved live music. I spent my 16th birthday and my 54th with her!”

Former teachers Warren Marcus, Tracey Goodrich, and John McMillen, and Head of School Robert Kosasky stopped by Reunion for the Class of 1987. They also won the Alumni Class Cup Trophy at the Alumni Awards Luncheon for their participation in the Lions Fund.

Allyson Radcliffe and Tracy Keller enjoy cruising together with mutual friends.

1988

Nick Fisken has been living in Little Rock, Arkansas and working for Stephens Inc. for the last 29 years. He and his wife of 26 years (Leslie) have three kids, Natalie, a senior at Tulane, Cooper, a first year at Furman, and Allie, a junior at Little Rock Central High School. Leslie recently took a new job in the executive leadership group with Arkansas’ first female governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

1989

Kiki Weingarten Condon has had a rough few years with the passing of her parents in 2020 and her husband in 2021. But, with the help of family and friends, she has soldiered on and looks ahead to the future. She is still working for Lexis Nexis and continues to run and play hockey. She is looking forward to more international travel in the next year.

In 2022, Will Edwards found out that he has two brothers and two sisters he never knew about. He says they are amazing people and he has spent the past three years getting to know them and catching up for lost time. Three of them live in Jacksonville, Florida, and he has now

attended three weddings there involving his new nephews and nieces — 11 in all. Will and his wife, Samantha, are still living in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his two kids, Indiana and Ozzie, and loving life.

1990

Nick Demas and his wife, Lauren, welcomed their son, George Nicholas, into

the world this February. They are happy to report that everyone is healthy, happy, and at home.

Kevin Vendt, Will Walsh, Andrew Dougherty, Alan Critchel, Graham Johnston and Colin Bill (not pictured) celebrated their 50th birthdays by climbing Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

Kiki Weingarten Condon works for Lexis Nexis and continues to run and play hockey. She is looking forward to more international travel in the next year.

35 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

Will Edwards and his wife, Samantha, are still living in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his two kids, Indiana and Ozzie, and loving life.

Kevin Vendt, Will Walsh, Andrew Dougherty, Alan Critchel, Graham Johnston and Colin Bill (not pictured) celebrated their 50th birthdays by climbing Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

1991

Stacy Smith has been teaching for 20+ years at Edmund Burke School in Washington, D.C. Stacy is the proud mom of two daughters — Taylor attends Burke (Class of 2026), and Riley will be entering Burke in the Fall as a 6th grader (Class of 2030).

1992

In October, the Class of 1992 enjoyed catching up at their 30th reunion!

1993

In June, Paige Dreyfuss Cooper was home for a week visiting family and she noticed on social media that Lorena Jordan Decker was also in town. Lorena lives outside Atlanta, Georgia, and they met up one afternoon. Paige says it was nice to connect when they were both back home.

Etaine Raphael is a children’s storybook author. Last fall she visited St. Andrew’s to share her latest book with the prekindergarten and kindergarten classes. Etaine shared how she used coffee filters, twine, and jewelry-making chains to create mixed-media illustrations for her books, which include “A Blueberry Day” and “The Rhyme-Time Twins” series. Then, she showed students how to create their own mixed-media flower illustrations by painting coffee filters with watercolors.

1994

Renee Barnett says it was great to see so many familiar faces at this year’s Alumni Awards Luncheon during Reunion. She loves being both a St. Andrew’s alumna and a current parent.

This January, James Corbin saw the passing of his father, Tom Corbin. James says, “He was a career astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory. Early to mid-90s St. Andrew’s students probably had him

come through to give talks on astronomy and there were a few astronomy/observing nights at the old campus. He was known for taking complex, abstract concepts and making them accessible. A brilliant mind, kind and loving father and grandfather, he will be missed.” James lives in Dakar, Senegal with his wife, Carmen, whose job with the United Nations brought their family, including children Sonia (8) and Camille (11), to Senegal. He is in his third year at the International School of Dakar managing the medical clinic. Having successfully navigated the school through COVID-19 (without ever having to close the school), he is now dealing with malaria, dengue, and an upcoming contentious election, so never a dull moment.

1995

Alessandra Brocca loves reading news about the community in the St. Andrew’s magazine. She looks back on her time at St. Andrew’s fondly. Alessandra recently relocated to the Bay Area to manage her company office there, and says the magazine gives her a wonderful way to stay in touch with the Washington, D.C., area in her absence.

Maryann Heim is currently working as a math specialist at Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School, and appreciates being connected to the

The Class of 1992 enjoyed catching up at their 30th reunion at Cafe Oaxaca in Bethesda.

In June, Paige Dreyfuss Cooper and Lorena Jordan Decker were happy to connect.

30 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

Last fall, Etaine Raphael visited St. Andrew’s to share her latest book with the prekindergarten and kindergarten classes.

St. Andrew’s community as the parent of a current junior who is “loving her experience there as much as I did.”

1996

In 2022, Sally Daee had a baby, Laila. Simone is a wonderful big sister. Sally misses Washington, D.C., and the diversity of the city, but not the cold!

In January, Jessica North Macie connected with Rachel Taylor Lane ‘96 in San Diego, California, where Jessica attended the INDEX Diversity Directors conference. She shared that “it was a joyful reunion and I think it’s a great treasure to have been friends for 33 years (wow)!”

Hallie Sherard is living in Washington, D.C., and celebrating 15 years in the Commercial Real Estate industry. In addition to spending time with her boyfriend and fur baby Truckee (5), a golden retriever. Hallie is involved with numerous volunteer organizations in the D.C. area including the St. Andrew’s Alumni Council. This year, her parents, Bill and Polly, celebrated their 80th birthdays with Hallie and her sister, Serena Sherard ’93

1997

In October, the Class of 1997 enjoyed catching up at their 25th reunion! They joined the classes of 2007, 2012 and 2017 for a get-together at Mission on Dupont Circle.

1998

Ann Nash’s kids had a blast at the Alumni Playdate event which was hosted at St. Andrew’s Lower School in the fall.

Hallie Sherard and her sister, Serena Sherard, celebrated their parents 80th birthdays.

Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

James Corbin lives with his family in Dakar, Senegal and is in his third year at the International School of Dakar managing the medical clinic.

In October, the Classes of 1997, 2007, 2012 and 2017 enjoyed a Reunion get-together at Mission on Dupont Circle.

In October, the Class of 2002 enjoyed catching up at their 20th reunion!

Jennifer Hawkins ‘99 spoke during an assembly at Riverdale Country School in New York City, where Tom Taylor ‘00 is the Upper School Head.

In July, Mara Holiday and other members of the Class of 1999 met for a casual happy hour at Millie’s in Spring Valley.

Fikile Richard Brushett returned to St. Andrew’s in October for the first time in many years to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award for his work as a scientist at MIT.

Sarah (Melby) Zijp is now the new Regional Sales Representative for Petrossian, the French caviar company.

Ann Nash’s kids had a blast at the Alumni Playdate event which was hosted at St. Andrew’s Lower School in the fall.

Ann says, “Thank you, St. Andrew’s, for having such a fun family event and showing us all that the Lower School has to offer!”

1999

Jennifer Hawkins spoke during an assembly at Riverdale Country School in New York City, where Tom Taylor ‘00 is the Upper School Head. Jennifer’s talk centered on her work at USAID and the impact of various global humanitarian crises on women and children. Both are grateful to St. Andrew’s for the strong alumni network and for a community that fostered a desire to work in human centered fields.

In July, Mara Holiday and other members of the Class of 1999 met for a casual happy hour at Millie’s in Spring Valley. Mara writes, “It was so nice to see everyone, but we were missing the rest of our wonderful class. We can’t wait to catch up with everyone in 2024 for our next reunion! Keep it on your radar — we are planning a fun and special reunion weekend.”

2000

Sarah (Melby) Zijp started a new job. She is the new Regional Sales Representative for Petrossian, the French caviar company.

2002

In October, the Class of 2002 enjoyed catching up at their 20th reunion!

Fikile Richard Brushett was happy to return to St. Andrew’s in October for the first time in many years to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award for his work as a scientist at MIT. Fikile says, “It was wonderful to catch up with fellow alumni, re-engage with former teachers and mentors, and see how much has changed!”

2003

Sarah and Doug Bower’s kids had a blast at the Alumni Playdate hosted at the St. Andrew’s Lower School in November.

2005

Matt Amling and his wife, Alicia, welcomed their son, August Francis, on December 30, 2021.

Madeline (Wallace) O’Brien welcomed Charlotte Secor O’Brien on March 12, joining big brother Parker. Madeline, her husband, Graham, and their family currently live in Park City, Utah. They’re enjoying the snowy mountains and living

20 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

Sarah and Doug Bower’s kids had a blast at the Alumni Playdate hosted at the St. Andrew’s Lower School in November.

Matt Amling and his wife welcomed their son, August Francis, on December 30, 2021.

Madeline (Wallace) O’Brien welcomed Charlotte Secor O’Brien on March 12, joining big brother Parker.

Anjalee Sewpaul visited Karen Kauffman and Gregg Ponitch’s entrepreneurship class.

closer to family.

In January, Anjalee Sewpaul visited Karen Kauffman and Gregg Ponitch’s entrepreneurship class and shared her insights from launching a start-up in London to helping corporations create solutions through a Corporate Venture Building Studio. Sewpaul invited students to interpret failures as learning opportunities and to invest in people as they strive to make their business dreams a reality.

2006

Claire Matlack Carucci welcomed a daughter, Caroline Ruth, in March 2021. After a quick two years in Dallas, she recently moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. She is excited to be back on the East Coast and closer to family and friends in the Washington, D.C., area.

Larissa Levine started a new job as the Vice President of Revenue Operations at Fran Connect.

2007

In October, the Class of 2007 enjoyed catching up at their 15th reunion!

2008

Andy Brown is opening his seventh location of Andy’s Pizza this spring in Bethesda. He hopes to see St. Andrew’s alumni stop by for a slice! In February, Andy stopped by campus to talk with the Entrepreneurship class and share his story of crafting the perfect pie.

Ben Chernow recently left his job as a commercial litigator and started a new business. He purchased the local Seniors Helping Seniors franchise and now provides in-home care for seniors in Potomac and the surrounding areas. He was recently featured in the Washington Business Journal.

15 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

In February, Andy stopped by campus to talk with the entrepreneurship class and share his story of crafting the perfect pie.

Last May, Dannie (Moore) Ngalibika and her husband, Killian, welcomed a son named Ezra.

Claire Matlack Carucci welcomed a daughter, Caroline Ruth, in March 2021, and recently moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. She’s excited to be back on the East Coast.

2009

Last May, Dannie (Moore) Ngalibika and her husband, Killian, had their first baby, a son named Ezra. In the fall of 2021, Dannie started a new role as a principal of Cornerstone Academy.

2010

Nikki Azzara visited Karen Kauffman and Gregg Ponitch’s entrepreneurship class this winter and spoke to students about starting her business, P.S. Snacks Company, which sells gluten free, plant based cookie dough and cookie dough bites. They can be purchased at Whole Foods, Amazon, and other online retailers.

Christina Goldbaum is a correspondent in the Kabul, Afghanistan bureau for The New York Times, where she covers topics ranging from terrorist attacks and assassination attempts to prisoner swaps and human rights violations. One of her most recent articles was a dispatch from Afghanistan on the Taliban settling into the former U.S. Military Green Zone. Look for her bylines in The New York Times.

2011

Last May, Amy Belchatovski and her husband, Elliot, welcomed their first child, Ava Rose. They are enjoying life as a family of three in Baltimore.

Natasha Belikove left Friends at Work management (John Legend, Charlie Puth, Lindsey Stirling, Hunter Hayes) at the end of 2022 and began the new year as an Associate Director of Digital Marketing at Warner Records. Some of the artists she works with include Ashnikko, Brandy Clark, Nessa Barrett, Patrick Droney, and Cher. Natasha traveled to Italy and Aspen, Colorado last summer with Joslyn Jacoby to celebrate Cara Huskey’s wedding.

This past year Tim Gregg competed in his first USGA National Championship — the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. Tim lives in San Diego,

Christina Goldbaum is a correspondent for The New York Times.

Last May, Amy Belchatovski and her husband, Elliot, welcomed their first child, Ava Rose.

Nikki Azzara visited Karen Kauffman and Gregg Ponitch’s entrepreneurship class this winter and spoke to students about starting her business, P.S. Snacks Company.

Natasha Belikove traveled to Italy and Aspen, Colorado last summer with Joslyn Jacoby to celebrate Cara Huskey’s wedding.

California, and helps businesses and homeowners save money and protect their families by upgrading to solar.

2012

In October, the Class of 2012 enjoyed catching up at their 10th reunion. They joined the Classes of 1997, 2007, and 2017 at a Reunion get-together at Mission on Dupont Circle.

Last May, Chrisie Appleby received her Master’s in Special Education from Lourdes University. She will begin work as an intervention specialist in Toledo, Ohio in the fall.

In April, Zack Horowitz married his long time girlfriend, Caroline Zybala, at the Cosmos Club in Dupont Circle. Surrounded by family and friends, they danced the night away.

Broadway actor Abigail Stephenson visited St. Andrew’s this year to share how she has chartered her career path in the performing arts. Stephenson, who played Iris Ann in “Ohio State Murders” on Broadway alongside Audra McDonald this past fall, engaged students in acting games as part of our “Roar Stories” speaker series. Musical about how she develops new characters for the stage and navigates the audition process.

2013

Bobby Blume is working for Homeland Security for FEMA doing Geospatial Disaster Intelligence and traveling the country managing active federal disasters.

In December, Derrick Carr successfully defended his Physics masters thesis at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He anticipates earning his Ph.D. in physics in the next year and a half.

Katie Janotta and her husband, Harrison, were married at the United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland. The arch of swords

is the grand finale to any military wedding and is a symbol of the couple’s journey together into military life.

Ian Decker will graduate in May with a Master in Journalism from Philip Merrill College at the University of Maryland and he hopes to be a sports beat reporter. He is currently working as a high school sports reporter, covering boys and girls track & field for The Washington Post. He has also recently done some freelance work for the Seattle Times and has written for outlets covering the Washington Mystics and Wizards. While at St. Andrew’s, he wrote for the Mane News!

Sarah Strum visited St. Andrew’s in

Ian Decker is currently working as a high school sports reporter, covering boys and girls track & field for the Washington Post.

Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

This past year Tim Gregg competed in his first USGA National Championship.

Zack Horowitz married Caroline Zybala at the Cosmos Club in Dupont Circle.

Sarah Strum visited St. Andrew’s in February and spoke with Upper and Middle School students about how they can be allies and advocates in the fight against racism and antisemitism.

February and spoke with Upper and Middle School students about how they can be allies and advocates in the fight against racism and antisemitism. She shared personal stories of the hatred she has experienced while practicing Judaism, and invited students to learn more about different cultures and the discrimination they face. “The more we are informed about any type of hate, the more we can speak out against it.” Sarah is a program development specialist with the Close Up Foundation and proud advocate for the Jewish community.

2014

Joined by many from the St. Andrew’s community, Becca Davis and Hunter Goodrich were married in July 2022 in Minnesota. Their wedding was delayed more than 1,000 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but for the high school sweethearts it was worth the wait! Becca and Hunter live in Seattle, Washington.

Ella Farago is a plaintiff’s federal and private-sector employee discrimination attorney at Atkinson Law Group in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2018, Ella graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in policy and development. In 2020, Ella graduated from Vermont Law School. During her time in Vermont, Ella attended Vermont State Senate on agriculture sessions and placed runner up in Miss Vermont USA for three consecutive years. Ella has a love for the outdoors, which led her to Alaska. She lived in a remote fly-in only village for two years working for the Alaska Public Defender’s Agency that handled cases for the southwest region of Alaska. In Alaska, Ella boated and fished on the Kuskokwim River, picked berries on the Tundra, and helped with the 2021 K300 dog-sled race. Ella passed the Maryland and Washington, D.C., bar exams at the end of 2021.

Ced McFadden is currently living in New York City and working as an Occupational Therapist. He is also the cohost of the podcast, Law of Athlete.

Joined by many from the St. Andrew’s community, Becca Davis and Hunter Goodrich were married in July 2022 in Minnesota.

Katie Janotta and her husband, Harrison, were married at the United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland.

Drew Singleton is in his second year of teaching at St. Andrew’s, and in March, he spoke to a crowd of 300 at the Fund-a-Scholar Gala about his time at St. Andrew’s.

Ella Farago is a plaintiff’s federal and privatesector employee discrimination attorney at Atkinson Law Group in Bethesda, Maryland.

Drew Singleton is now in his second year of teaching at St. Andrew’s. He is a Grade Dean for the Class of 2028 and also teaches 7th grade English and History. In March, Drew spoke to a crowd of 300 at the Fund-a-Scholar Gala about his time at St. Andrew’s.

2015

Marcus Adkison is still working for Smithbucklin in membership and operations.

Beverley Howard completed her Master of Social Work from George Mason University. Her interest in social work and helping others as a career was instigated by her time at St. Andrew’s. With the help of Mr. James and many others, she was fortunate enough to go to Haiti in 2011 and it was that experience that helped her decide on social work as a career.

In February, Liz Naab celebrated her one year work anniversary with The Donohoe Companies. Outside of work, she has picked up a few hobbies including boxing, Cricut crafting, and exploring new cookie recipes.

2016

This past spring, Tristen Chen started a new job at Goldman Sachs as an assistant in the private wealth management division. One day, while he was at the office in New York City, he ran into his former lacrosse teammate, and recent St. Andrew’s Hall of Fame inductee, Alex Smith. To his surprise, he learned Alex also worked at Goldman Sachs as an analyst in the risk department.

2017

Olivia Bronson moved to Raleigh, North Carolina and started working at an estate planning law firm.

Anthony Duruji was recently into town for a basketball game with his NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets. Austin Allen ’16, Cedrick McFadden ’14, Scotty Matthewman ’15 and Athletics Director Kevin Jones came to support and cheer him on.

Justin Harmon is performing throughout Italy with the Bell Beyond touring company.

Beverley Howard completed her Master of Social Work from George Mason University.

In October, Marcus Adkison attended Homecoming and Reunion at St. Andrew’s.

Ced McFadden is currently living in New York City and working as an Occupational Therapist.

Justin Harmon is performing throughout Italy with the Bell Beyond touring company, which introduces Italian children to the English language through acting and theater. Before heading abroad, Harmon performed in shows like “Hit the Wall,” which tells the story of the Stonewall Riots, with acting companies at Michigan State University.

Louis Poirot graduated from Dickinson College in May 2022 with a BS in Physics. He started working as a Physics Teacher at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore.

Christopher Smalls plays on the Hood College men’s basketball team and was recently named to the Winter Middle Atlantic Conference All-Sportsmanship Team, and the All-Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Second Team.

Alex Smith was so happy to be back at St. Andrew’s for Homecoming and Reunion this past fall. He was inducted into the St. Andrew’s Hall of Fame for his contributions on the lacrosse field. He is living in New York City, and working for Goldman Sachs. He also plays professional lacrosse.

Ben Wang graduated from Syracuse University School of Architecture magna cum laude, earning the Crown Award from the school’s Honors Program. He is currently Model Shop manager at ZGF, an international architecture firm with an office in Washington D.C.

In May 2021, Hannah Winter graduated undergrad and is now in a graduate program at Northeastern University studying counseling psychology. She will graduate in May 2023 with an MSCP working towards her LMHC. She is living in Boston, Massachusetts and interning at a substance abuse clinic during her final year of graduate school. She traveled around Europe last summer, which has inspired her to want to move to London in the near future and explore more of the U.K. and Europe.

Samantha Winter is currently a first-year law student at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. She has an interest in litigation and she is also in the process of founding a student organization for

Alex Smith was so happy to be back at St. Andrew’s for Homecoming and Reunion this past fall, and was inducted into the St. Andrew’s Hall of Fame for his contributions on the lacrosse field. Tristen Chen (pictured) and Alex work at Goldman Sachs in New York City.

Ben Wang is currently Model Shop manager at ZGF, an international architecture firm with an office in Washington D.C.

Hannah Winter traveled around Europe last summer, which has inspired her to want to move to London in the near future and explore more of the U.K. and Europe.

Anthony Duruji was recently in town for a basketball game with his NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets. Austin Allen ‘16, Cedrick McFadden ‘14, and Scotty Matthewman ‘15 attended.

first-generation law students (those whose parent(s) did not complete a baccalaureate degree and/or are the first in their immediate family to attend law school). When she is not in class or studying at the law library, she can be found spending time with my family or exploring D.C.

2018

After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design last spring, Benny Anderson has spent the last year working for the New Orleans company Royal Artists, making a total of 14 floats used in multiple cities and states, including New Orleans, Louisiana, for this year’s Mardi Gras parades.

Last spring, Megan Blaine interned at St. Andrew’s in the science department. This past fall, she studied abroad at University of St Andrews in Scotland.

Faith Fisher lives in New York City working as a Paralegal at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

Colin McLearn dropped into Mrs. Goodrich’s class this past fall to say hi and make a pot!

Jenny Yazlovsky lives in Washington, D.C. and works as an advertising sales intern at Warner Bros. Discovery.

2019

This summer, Hannah Belin will be working at Bluemercury as a marketing and creative intern.

Heru Bligen plays on the Fairleigh Dickinson basketball team and, in March, helped the 16th-seeded Knights to the biggest upset in NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament history as they beat No. 1 seed Purdue before falling in the second round.

Leah Holzer had a great time studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland last spring

and looks forward to traveling more after graduating from Georgetown University in May.

2020

Isabella Douglass is enjoying her studies as a psychology major at Fordham University. She is happily enjoying campus life at Rose Hill in the Bronx!

Justice Morgan is majoring in Writing for Film, TV, and Emerging Media, and minoring in Animation at Ithaca College in New York. He is currently working on a multi-sensory novel, complete with original illustrations and music compositions aimed at children who are neurodivergent. Justice looks forward to a career in the entertainment industry working as a character designer or writer for children’s

Colin McLearn dropped into Mrs. Goodrich’s class this past fall to say hi and make a pot!

Heru Bligen plays on the Fairleigh Dickinson basketball team and, in March, helped the 16th-seeded Knights to the biggest upset in NCAA Division I.

After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design last spring, Benny Anderson has spent the last year working for the New Orleans company Royal Artists.

5 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

animation. This fall, he will participate in the ICLA Internship Program in Los Angeles, California.

Brooke Nduka-Anya is loving college life and playing Division I basketball at Longwood University in Virginia. Recently, Tracey Goodrich, Molly Magner, Gregg Ponitch, David Brown and Ginger Cobb caught a game when Brooke traveled to the DMV.

Colin Smalls is a junior guard on the American University basketball team. In January, he was mentioned in a Washington Post article about the success of the 2023 basketball team.

Penny Wang is studying nutrition at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. She will graduate in 2024.

2021

Meredith Amick is studying architecture at University of Southern California and loving it. She says she has found a great balance between challenging herself academically and having a fulfilling social life. In her downtime, she enjoys exploring Los Angeles and taking advantage of the nice weather, along with hiking, going to flea markets, and exploring restaurants.

Diana Bernard attends Dickinson College and works part time at Petco.

Kyle Boozer joined a fraternity at Kenyon College and remains a member of the ultimate frisbee team. Last summer, he interned for congressman Jim Clyburn and traveled to England and France.

Kisa Kingii is a member of the Cornell University men’s soccer team. Last fall, Kisa and his team at Cornell scored the team’s first NCAA DI Men’s Soccer College Cup win since 1977, beating Maryland before losing to eventual national champion Syracuse.

Charley Young, Neeve Izadi, and Andy Battan all attend Virginia Tech and traveled together to Kiawah Island, South Carolina for Spring Break.

Brooke Nduka-Anya is loving college life and playing Division I basketball at Longwood University in Virginia. Former teachers and administrators cheered her on at a game this year.

Kisa Kingii is a member of the Cornell University men’s soccer team.

Holden Woodings helped the UNC-Greensboro Spartans advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA DI Men’s Soccer College Cup in December.

Holden Woodings helped the UNC-Greensboro Spartans advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA DI Men’s Soccer College Cup in December.

2022

Simone Foreman is enjoying life at College of the Holy Cross and was recently in town for a basketball game. Ginger. Cobb, Tracey Goodrich, David Brown, Molly Magner and Gregg Ponitch enjoyed running into Myles McCray ’22, Laurenz Millin ’22, Eric Muchane ’22, Kieran Lamb ’22 who were there cheering Simone on. Later in the year, her team played Maryland in the NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Tournament and she was the team’s leading scorer in their opening round loss.

Will Kaine is studying biology and philosophy at Colby College this year. He has been rowing for the Colby crew team and recently completed his National EMT certification.

Harrison Kehler formed a trivia group at Hamilton College.

Rushien Maghsoud, Caroline Hundley and Sophia Papademetriou returned to campus in October for Homecoming and Reunion, and loved

catching up with Tracey Goodrich, Molly Magner, and Jen Mohr. Rushien and Sophia attend college in Washington D.C., and Caroline attends Villanova University and is studying nursing.

Last summer, Lily Nordheimer competed with the women’s golf team in the Maccabiah Games in Israel and won a gold medal for the USA.

Katie Skinner is in her first year at Bucknell University and is studying chemistry and studio art.

Andy Battan, Charley Young, and Neeve Izadi traveled together to Kiawah Island, South Carolina for Spring Break.

Simone Foreman is enjoying life at College of the Holy Cross.

Rushien Maghsoud, Caroline Hundley and Sophia Papademetriou returned to campus in October for Homecoming and Reunion.

Ginger Cobb, Tracey Goodrich, David Brown, Molly Magner and Gregg Ponitch enjoyed seeing Myles McCray, Laurenz Millin, Eric Muchane, and Kieran Lamb who were at a College of the Holy Cross basketball game cheering on Simone Foreman.

Class of 2022: College Check-In

The 94 graduates in the Class of 2022 enrolled at 71 different colleges this fall. We love to see how happy our alumni are at their respective colleges. If you’re a member of the Class of 2022, send us a pic of your first year! #LionPride

Alex Scarboro Franklin & Marshall College

CJ Schlegel University of Colorado, Denver

Jonas Blum Northwestern University

Tinuke Alarapon Amherst College

Tom Graeub University of Colorado, Boulder

Charlie Ryan Harvard University

Valeska Peters Tufts University

Audrey Quint Scripps College

Hannah Newman Duke University

Brian Alewine University of Virginia

In Memoriam

St.

Jane Battle

Former Board of Trustees

Jane Battle died January 31, 2023. Jane was one of the first members of the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees, and continued to serve until 1988. She also held roles at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church and St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School.

Jane is survived by her sons, Charles Tucker Battle, Jr. and Philip Ross Battle; a daughter-in-law; five grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. A service was held in March at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.

John Chamberlain

Former Board of Trustees

John Chamberlain died February 11, 2023, at the age of 92. John served on the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees from 1983-1986, in addition to Board positions at St. Patrick’s Episcopal School and St. Alban’s School. John was a pediatrician in the Washington, D.C., area for more than 30 years and served as Medical Staff at Children's Hospital National Medical Center and was a member of the faculty of The George Washington University School of Medicine.

John is survived by his second wife of 46 years, Marietje Chamberlain; a brother; three children; two stepsons; and many grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

William Daisley

Parent of alumni and former Board of Trustees

William Daisley died December 10, 2021. William served on the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees from 1986-1987. He is survived by his wife, Linda; children Bill Daisley ’86 and Susan Doyle ’90; five grandchildren; and two greatgrandchildren.

Janet Evans

Parent of alumni and former Board of Trustees

Janet Evans served on the Board of Trustees from 1989-1993. She was ViceChair and Secretary during the time when St. Andrew’s was searching for a new, permanent campus after being evicted from Bradmoor. As an attorney, she helped craft the offer to buy the Postoak Campus. She was President of the Parents Association. Janet is survived by her husband, Mark; and sons Dan ’93, and Matt.

Creighton Mark

Class of 1983

Creighton Mark died May 26, 2022, at the age of 58. While at St. Andrew’s, he was a member of the baseball team, was in a student-led band, and enjoyed many trips to the beach. After graduating from St. Andrew’s, Creighton attended West Virginia Wesleyan College and the University of the District of Columbia. He owned several businesses but spent most of his

years as a successful home improvement contractor. He enjoyed the outdoors, pursuing activities like kayaking, swimming, and bicycling.

Creighton is survived by his father, Edward, and sister, Valerie.

Courtney McCollum Class of 1984

Courtney McCollum died October 5, 2022 at the age of 56. After graduating from St. Andrew’s, Courtney attended Ohio Wesleyan University, majoring in education. Courtney was passionate about service, and throughout her career as an educator, taught in underserved communities in Chicago, Haiti, and Senegal. She also founded the Hilda Hutchins Foundation, named after her late mother, which supports underserved communities. Courtney was an adventurer, and in 1994, hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia.

Courtney is survived by her husband, James Woodman; three sons; three daughters; a brother, Brad ’87; four grandchildren; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Naomi Seibert Class of 2002

Naomi Seibert died February 26, 2023, at the age of 39. She graduated from St. Andrew’s in 2002, and went on to study chemistry at the University of California Santa Cruz and Johns Hopkins School of Engineering in Material

Andrew’s mourns the loss of those who have died yet remain a beloved part of our community. We pray that God’s loving embrace welcomes them and comforts us.

Science. Retired Chemistry teacher Irene Walsh remembers: “Naomi was a multifaceted individual with a sharp mind, quick wit, and generous spirit. Naomi had an endless capacity for caring, and a great love for science. She started to send me ‘Happy Mole Day’ emails in 2010, but we lost touch after 2014.”

Naomi is survived by her parents, Mary Ann McCleary and Graham Seibert, a brother, Jack ’01, and a sister Susanna. A service was held in March at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.

Seth Warfield

Former Board of Trustees and current grandparent

Seth Warfield died April 16, 2022, at the age of 78. Seth served on the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees from 1980-1986, and he is a grandparent to Andrew W. ’27. During his time as a Board member, he was instrumental in helping renovate the main building on the Bradmoor Campus in time to welcome new students to the new campus in September 1981.

Seth is survived by his wife, Missy; a sister; two children; and six grandchildren.

Patricia Snowden died December 20, 2022. Patricia was one of St. Andrew’s first teachers, beginning as a substitute teacher in 1978, and then transitioning to a full-time history teacher a year later. She organized and led the first international trip in 1983, taking students to Italy, Greece and the Mediterranean. A year later, she took students to England and France.

Wayne Fowler ’83 says, “She is one of the great teachers and influences during my time at St. Andrew's and beyond. I am privileged to have benefitted from her interest, guidance and care until her last day with us. There are so many stories I can share. At the Clara Barton campus in Cabin John, Mrs. Snowden taught us the American revolution from

the British point of view. That semester opened my eyes to history I otherwise would have missed. That semester opened my mind to consider more points of view on wider horizons. It is this wealth of knowledge, generosity of spirit and kindness of heart that was key in building the St. Andrew's Episcopal School that lives and thrives today.”

Patricia’s daughter, Juliane, says, “Mom loved every moment at St. Andrew’s and her students were her pride and joy. She remembered all of you and spoke of your accomplishments both as students and as adults. The Classes of ’83 through ’86 were particularly special to Mom.” A service was held in early April at Church of the Redeemer in Bethesda.

Patricia Snowden Former faculty member

King of the (Brumbaugh) Hill

In 1998 St. Andrew’s completed its big move from the Bradmoor Campus to Postoak. The move was necessitated by an untimely eviction notice from Montgomery County, and finding and purchasing the new home in Potomac saved the school.

To mark the 25th year on this campus, we invited alumni to share their memories from the move. Dave Ticehurst ‘99 recalled when he and fellow technical theater students David Mushal ‘99, Doug Dresser ‘01, and Chris Moberg ‘01, loaded their station wagons and minivans with stage lights, electrical cables, and rigging equipment and hauled them to Potomac.

The most memorable part of exploring the new campus, Ticehurst said, was taking advantage of the terrain for an epic game of “king of the hill.”

“There was a gigantic mountain of dirt in the center of what was to become the soccer field,” Ticehurst writes. “It was raining, and the mound had rivulets of mud streaming down, adding to the boyish appeal of the game. This persisted until one of the underclassmen was pushed too hard and rolled all the way to the bottom, fully covered in mud.”

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save the date

HOMECOMING & REUNION

OCTOBER 14, 2023

We’re excited to welcome all alumni to campus this fall! We will celebrate alumni in milestone reunion years ending in 3s and 8s.

For more information: