13 minute read
Head of School Message
Faithful friends and comrades sure
Ahhhh...the lazy days of summer!
These words are not exactly true at 900 Hillsborough Street, for the campus is alive with activities and laughter, a completely different experience than when I arrived on campus last July and the pandemic was in full gear. I had been told all about the wonderful programs that occur in the summer months at Saint Mary’s, and I am grateful that we are getting closer to “normal” every day.
I have spent my entire career working in girls’ schools, and I can say without hesitation that I have spent my entire career looking specifically for Saint Mary’s. I needed a school that is rich in tradition but has both eyes opened to the future; a school where girls are not afraid to meet the academic challenges presented to them; a school with a faculty and staff who give of themselves inside and outside the classroom; and a school with an unmatchable group of alumnae who continue to support their alma mater with time, treasures, and talents. I needed a school with a mission statement that focuses on student outcomes but embraces each and every one of us with these opening words: Saint Mary’s School, a community dedicated to academic excellence and personal achievement. I needed a school without judgement, where faith and spirituality are interwoven but personal and respected. And finally, I needed a school that was not afraid to take a chance on me or on anyone who appeared at the doorstep with a desire to be part of the Saint Mary’s community.
I am excited about the future of Saint Mary’s, in part because of the contents of this summer magazine! “Academic excellence and personal achievement” abound in the articles featuring our students, our faculty and staff, and our alumnae. And remember: Almost all these successes took place with masks on and six feet apart!
Thank you, to all who have welcomed me in your homes and on Zoom screens, in outdoor settings and in emails, in small groups and in a very well-attended Reunion Weekend. For me, being at Saint Mary’s is an experience of a lifetime, and your imprint has made this a destination for me, for students, for adults, and for generations to come.
I close with words from the Saint Mary’s School Hymn:
Faithful friends and comrades sure!
Carol Killebrew Interim Head of School
Commencement 2021: Blue ribbon day for the Class of 2021
By Mary Virginia Swain ’77C Director of Public Relations and Publications
The sights and sounds of Pomp and Circumstance filled the Grove Sunday morning, May 23, 2021, as 78 seniors graduated from Saint Mary’s School. It was a glorious Saint Mary’s commencement day in the Grove, as the graduates turned their tassels and Saint Mary’s rings. It was a perfect conclusion to celebrate an extraordinary and successful pandemic year of in-person learning and activities.
In keeping with Saint Mary’s tradition, Student Government Association President Paige Fisher ’21 and Senior Class President Caroline Koonce ’21 marched at the head of the line of seniors. The new marshals led the two lines of graduates and the platform party from Smedes Hall through the Grove.
The Class of 2021
Marshal Kruesi Griffin ’22 leads graduates through the Grove. Chaplain Maggie Stoddard presided over baccalaureate in the Chapel.
As the graduates made their way to the center sidewalk for the offi cial procession, underclasswomen presented each graduate with an iris to carry and place in the Class of 1987 urn just before stepping onstage to receive her diploma.
The blue iris has long been an iconic symbol of Saint Mary’s rich commencement tradition. Graduates have carried the irises in our commencement procession for many decades. Irises bloom each spring all around campus, most notably, in the Class of 1904 sundial garden in front of East Rock. The blue iris is a symbol of faith, hope, and wisdom, which makes it a perfect representation of all that a Saint Mary’s commencement embodies – the faith a student has nurtured in her four years in Chapel and in our community; the hopes and dreams of a graduate on commencement day; and the wisdom gained through a Saint Mary’s education. Through the years, the iris tradition has evolved and grown into a most beloved part of a Saint Mary’s commencement. The High School Class of 1987 gave the brass urn still used today, as the marshals collect the irises from graduates as they step up to the stage to receive their diplomas. In 2007, the tradition began of underclasswomen giving an iris to a graduating senior just prior to the commencement procession through the Grove. Today, Saint Mary’s iris tradition is stronger than ever, a beautiful symbol of a Saint Mary’s School commencement day.
Valedictorian Shirley Zhou ’21 of Shanghai, China, delivered the valedictory address live via Zoom from China. Five graduates who have attended school virtually this year from China participated live in the ceremony from their homes in China via Zoom.
Caroline Koonce ’21, of Raleigh, delivered the senior commencement address, having been elected by her classmates as the senior commencement speaker.
Author, inspirational speaker, and cancer survivor Jamie Valvano delivered a powerful commencement address. Following the speeches, the awards portion of the ceremony was presented, introduced by Board of Trustees Chair Dee Williamson Marley ’77HS. Awards were presented by Ms. Marley, departing Head of School Brendan O’Shea, and new Interim Head of School Carol Killebrew.
The Chorale and Voice Ensemble off ered special music, Homeland, by Z. Randall Stroupe, tune by Gustav Holst.
Following the fi nal singing of the year of the School Hymn, Chief Marshal Jane Usher ’22 stood at the top of the steps of Smedes Hall, directly beneath the lantern adorned with Saint Mary’s blue ribbons, to drop the handkerchief and declare the 179th session at Saint Mary’s to be offi cially closed. After the traditional handkerchief drop, the marshals walked into Smedes and closed the doors on another Saint Mary’s commencement and the graduates joyfully tossed their caps high into the canopy of stately oaks.
Baccalaureate preceded the commencement exercises in the historic Saint Mary’s Chapel with Chaplain Maggie Stoddard presiding.
By all accounts, Saint Mary’s commencement embodies personal touches of academic excellence, personal achievement, friendship, tradition, grace, honor, dignity, and courage that are hallmarks of the Saint Mary’s experience.
Once again, Saint Mary’s graduating class boasts 100 percent college acceptance to a broad range of outstanding colleges and universities around the nation and abroad. The range of colleges and universities Saint Mary's Class of 2021 have selected are as varied as the graduates themselves and refl ects their wide-ranging interests. Students will be attending colleges and universities across the nation and abroad.
“Members of the Saint Mary’s School Class of 2021 are poised to step out of our gates and into an exciting future,” says Interim Head of School Carol Killebrew. “Prepared at Saint Mary’s for college and life, these graduates have challenged themselves in and out of the classroom, expanded their boundaries, made real-world connections, and grown as young women of intelligence, integrity, and purpose – ready to serve and shape their world.”
The baccalaureate and commencement exercises were livestreamed and can be watched at any time on Saint Mary’s School's You Tube Channel.
Once again, Saint Mary’s graduating class boasts 100 percent college acceptance to a broad range of outstanding colleges and universities around the nation and abroad. The range of colleges and universities Saint Mary's Class of 2021 have selected are as varied as the graduates themselves and refl ects their wide-ranging interests. From the Ivy League, to women's colleges, to HCBUs, to selective private colleges, and state universities, students will be attending colleges and universities across the nation and abroad.
Graduates process from Smedes Hall.
The platform party, from left to right: Chief Marshal Jane Usher ’22, Interim Head of School Carol Killebrew, Chaplain Maggie Stoddard, Head of School Brendan O’Shea, Commencement Speaker Jamie Valvano, Board of Trustees Chair Dee Williamson Marley ’77HS, Dean of Students Tim Healy. Valediction Qiyun “Shirley” Xue ’21, delivered the valedictory address live via Zoom from her home in Shanghai, China.
The Class of 2021 celebrates graduation with the traditional cap toss.
Class of 2021 Commencement Awards
Ella Rae (Quinn) Groover of Cary, North Carolina, was the recipient of the 2021 Georgia Lee Kinsey Award, presented by Saint Mary’s Chapter of the National Honor Society to the graduate who has accomplished the greatest scholastic advancement over the past two years. The award was established in 1982 by Saint Mary’s College Chi Beta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa in memory of Georgia Lee Kinsey ’81. Caroline Batchelor Koonce ’21 of Raleigh, was the recipient of the 2021 Cooper Medal, in recognition of achieving the highest G.P.A. for the year. The Cooper Award was established in 1944 by Sterling Gray Gilliam in memory of her brother, Hill Parham Cooper.
Ti-Shawn Wellington ’21 of New Rochelle, New York, was chosen to receive the King Medal, awarded each year to the graduate, who, in the opinion of the faculty, has most consistently practiced good citizenship at Saint Mary’s and inconspicuously served as an example to others. The King Medal was established in 1964 by Mr. and Mrs. Madding King of Florence, Alabama.
Jianan (Chloe) Shen ’21 was the recipient of the 2021 Niles Medal for finishing with the highest G.P.A. over her years at Saint Mary’s. The Niles Medal was instituted in 1905 by Dr. Charles Martin Niles.
Sylvia Tucker Yates ’21 of Raleigh was voted by her classmates to receive the Margaret and Ann Highsmith Medal, awarded to a graduate who exemplifies the Christian idea of helpfulness to others motivated by her genuine love for all members of the school community. The Highsmith Medal was established in 1969 by Mr. and Mrs. Seavy Highsmith of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in honor of their daughters, Ann Cameron Highsmith ’70HS and Margaret Highsmith Dickson ’67HS. Celia Love Oechsle ’21 of Raleigh, received the Catherine Ruth Proctor Award, presented by the Saint Mary’s chapter of the National Honor Society in recognition of the student making the greatest scholastic advancement over the past four years. The Proctor Award was established in 1974 in memory of Catherine Ruth Proctor ’75HS.
Saylah Jai’elle Rogers '21 of Raleigh is the 2021 Marian Drane Graham Award winner, as chosen by a committee of alumnae, students, and faculty. This award was established in 1968 as a memorial to Marian Drane Graham, Class of 1919, Mrs. Frank Porter Graham. The award is made each year to a graduate who, in Dr. Graham’s words, exemplifies Marian’s “reverence and humility of spirit, scholarship without pride of excellence, zest for life, faith and fortitude, and all-around development in the course of her radiant and nobly useful life.”
Carol Killebrew has begun her tenure as Saint Mary’s interim head of school. The announcement of a female head of school further demonstrates the school’s mission to prepare girls for college and life with its core values of excellence in teaching; personal achievement in mind, body, and spirit; honor; community; and heritage. “We are delighted to report that Carol Killebrew has moved seamlessly into the role of Saint Mary’s interim head of school for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years and has already hit the ground running,” says Dee Williamson Marley ’77HS, chair of the board of trustees. “As an all-girls, college preparatory high school, naming a female head of school has deep meaning for our alumnae and students. As we continue preparations for our upcoming 180th academic year, Carol’s announcement has been met with great enthusiasm from students, alumnae, parents, and donors alike, and we feel privileged to welcome a strong, professional woman leader, teacher, and mentor into this role.”
“We are confident that Saint Mary’s is in very capable hands,” says Marley. “Carol brings more than 35 years’ of all-girls education experience including six years as a head of school, making it a natural fit. Saint Mary’s is a special place, full of energy and life because of the more than 300 amazing young women who live, learn, and grow here. Naming Carol as interim head of school allows our girls to see themselves in her and to see themselves as future leaders.”
A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Killebrew was hired in 2020 as Saint Mary’s assistant head of school after serving as head of school at Salem Academy (2018-2020) and The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, New York (2014-2018). Killebrew also served her alma mater, Girls Preparatory School (GPS), a renowned day school in Chattanooga for girls in grades 6-12, in a variety of capacities for 28 years (1986-2014).
After earning her undergraduate degree from The University of the South, Sewanee, Killebrew was named a Fulbright Scholar in 1996, earned her M.A. in English from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1997, and was named a National Endowment of the Humanities Fellow in 1999. Since then, her career has been steeped in her commitment to the importance of all-girls education.
“I came to Saint Mary’s because I am a product of an independent, single-gender, college preparatory school,” says Killebrew. “I firmly believe it is essential to educate every girl so that she is not only college-ready but also career-ready. So, I am thrilled to take on the role of interim head of school for Saint Mary’s. As a former head of school, I know the significance of this responsibility, and I’m confident that together we can continue to grow Saint Mary’s in this world of all-girls schools where we have really found our place – and where we daily demonstrate our expertise and live our mission. Thus, it is with heartfelt gratitude that I embrace the challenge of leading such a fantastic school like Saint Mary’s.
“Never before has there been a moment when women’s education is so important. We need to hear women's voices; we need women leaders, scientists, engineers, advocates, politicians, and the list goes on. At Saint Mary's, we elevate girls' voices, focus on their strengths, and create a transformational experience for them, tailored for how they learn.”
Since joining Saint Mary’s, Killebrew took on the leadership role for the school’s efforts around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), clearly articulating the importance of these initiatives and weaving existing programs with new ideas to create a comprehensive program celebrating Saint Mary’s diverse community.
“Saint Mary’s is operating from a position of strength – an ideal situation for independent schools,” Killebrew says. “I look forward to partnering with our alumnae, parents, donors, and community partners to build on our success and leverage the expertise and experience of our wonderful faculty and staff as we continue to grow.”
Killebrew will serve as interim head of school for two years with her current contract. The Board of Trustees will begin the process of choosing a head of school during the 2022-2023 school year for the coming years.
