Summer 2019
Join us August 10th for the ribbon cutting for our new Main Amp, Theater, & Lobby on our Goshen Campus.
IN THIS ISSUE Graduation Alumnus Profile: John Shumate G’96, ’00 Alumnus of the Year: Paul Harshaw ’86
By Alexandra S. Thurstone G’80, ’84
“St. Francis is a place of passion. Students fight for their beliefs not only in the hallways but in Morning Meeting and in the classroom. For example, before St. Francis, I had no idea how much I cared about women’s rights. After attending four gender-themed weeks and taking two years of gender studies, I am passionate about women’s history, the wage gap, and intersectionality.” - Caroline Parker ’19
Wyvern Report
We just finished celebrating our Graduations! The Class of 2019 was honored as usual at Actors Theatre, while the ceremony for the Goshen Campus Class of 2019 (one of largest in history - 51 students) was held in the gym for likely the last time, as next year we will be able to have it in our new theater. It is a St. Francis tradition that any student who wishes to speak at Graduation can do so and, as always, these student speeches were the highlight of each ceremony. Here are some quotes: From the Goshen Campus Graduation: Kameron Julian captured the fact that the Goshen Campus is not the convenient choice, and the things all SFS people appreciate: “First, thank you, parents and teachers. Face it, this school is not convenient for anyone. Its location shows the investment you want to make in us. You want the best for us, including space to roam and explore … There is a part of me that doesn’t want to leave. I want to stay here around people who appreciate the same things I appreciate. For example, I don’t want to leave St. Francis because here we appreciate diversity. We appreciate growth comes from making mistakes. We appreciate going back and picking up your friends when they fall down in a Kindergarten Derby race. We appreciate not everyone is good at math but everyone is good at something. We appreciate that quiet people have something to say. We appreciate a good walk in the woods. We appreciate that life should have music, art, and unstructured time. And we appreciate Flamingo Fridays every Thursday.”
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West Middendorf gave his own Google-style review of the Goshen Campus, after sharing one his mother had written: “St. Francis is the school for anyone who wants to be their own person. Although it’s a small school, that only helps kids develop their own personalities instead of being mindless sheep. The education is great, and I can vouch for that with my knowledge of the alphabet and my ability to count to 50. But in all seriousness, all the teachers want nothing but the best for their students — and that is to accept challenges and ultimately succeed and be happy in life and work.” Aidan Keegan described SFS as her home: “When coming here in the 3rd grade I thought this was just another school, and, well, it is — but only if other schools turn into your second home and the people into family.” From Graduation: Caroline Parker ’19 talked about finding her passion and described the culture of respect: “St. Francis is a place of passion. Students fight for their beliefs not only in the hallways but in Morning Meeting and in the classroom. For example, before St. Francis, I had no idea how much I cared about women’s rights. After attending four gender-themed weeks and taking two years of gender studies, I am passionate about women’s history, the wage gap, and intersectionality. #girlpower. Thanks to our freshman year Health and Skills unit on public speaking and many classroom debates, I am able to make intelligent arguments. I would like to thank the administration, the staff, and my teachers for giving me and other students a platform to express our views and for encouraging us to find our passions. Whether or not other students, teachers, or administrators agreed with what I was saying, everyone was respectful and honest.” Chandler Durbin ’19 talked about the fact that even when he hit some bumps in the road, he was held accountable in a way that helped him grow: “I’d like to thank the administration: along the way there were some bumps in the road, but I felt like you were always on my team, never against me. Whenever I got into trouble, I was never shamed, or made to feel like I
was an outcast or a terrible person. You helped me learn from my mistakes. Numerous times I had been called into your offices thinking, ‘This is it; I’ve pulled the last straw,’ but every single time, you made me feel more human, more welcome, and I always left with a better understanding of how to change, and grow, and become an even better person.” Mike Snyder ’19 shared that his favorite SFS moment was when he was admitted because he knew he had to be in this welcoming environment: “It was a godsend on that fateful day when my mother got the call she’d been praying for: I was into St. Francis. Suddenly all the worries flew out the window mingling with our cries of joy. She knew I would be happy and successful and loved and changed for the better. And all of that indeed happened at St. Francis. Here, I can proudly say that I have thrived. My four years here have given me not only an enviable education, but access to programs that have shaped my identity such as the Planned Parenthood teen council I’ve been a part of for the last three years. And the chance to make an impact on the school with starting up the Queer Student Association, which I could not have done without the support of this stupendous, accepting school community and supportive administration, something which so many other schools lack. And perhaps most importantly, a chance to have friends, friends not only in my grade but across the school who give love without judgement, who support you with their words and their actions. I know I will never truly leave St. Francis: the things that I have learned, the teachers who have molded me, my true friends who I will take with me, the changes big and little, and the love I have received will forever tie St. Francis to my life.” Thanks to our 11 students on each campus who shared their reflections with us at their Graduation ceremonies. As always, they captured the essence of St. Francis so perfectly, and we are truly grateful. Congratulations to all of our Goshen Campus and SFS Graduates!
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By Síofra Rucker G’84, Director of Advancement
Look Who Helped Build This, Together.
Preschool Trike-a-thon
As I write this, we are in the final weeks of construction on the Goshen Main Amp, Theater, & Lobby and are excited to announce our community ribbon cutting during the Back-to-School Picnic on Saturday, August 10th. As part of creating a culture of philanthropy here at St. Francis, each grade level on the Goshen Campus held a fundraiser and made a gift to the theater project. Their hard work, adorable efforts, and charming persistence will be honored with a row of named chairs in the theater. Here’s how our students helped make this dream a reality: View from the front door
• Our Preschoolers held a trike-a-thon (and while our Preschool is not oriented toward competition, it IS worth noting the Preschool raised more money than any other grade. Just a note.) • Our JK/K scheduled fortuitously and held their popsicle sale on a particularly hot day. • Our 1st and 4th graders used their math skills to put on a combined popsicle sale: the 1st graders sorted the popsicles by color and the 4th graders sold them, made change, and counted the money.
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parent association Every parent at SFS is a member of the Parent Association (PA). The PA raises funds through annual dues, the High School used book sale, and fun family events throughout the year to give back to the school in the form of PA grants. Last year the School received a PA grant of $18,000 to fund the following items requested by faculty: High School • Four (4) athletic records boards for field hockey, basketball, track, and soccer • Four (4) microscopes • A set (15) of Chromebooks Goshen • A set of hurdles for track
Preschool • Classroom furniture including: • A cabinet for the 4s classroom • A bookshelf in the 2s classroom • An art shelf in the 4s classroom
Thank you, SFS Parents, for these grants and for all you do to make our School the wonderful community it is! Questions about how to support your PA? Ask Dianne Siciliano, High School PA Chair, at DowntownPA@ StFrancisSchool.org; Shari Broecker, Goshen PA Chair, at GoshenPA@StFrancisSchool.org; or Laura Burke and Stacy Plotts, Preschool PA Co-Chairs, at burke4ever@ att.net and Sa.plotts@gmail.com.
• A set (15) of Chromebooks • Four (4) student hot plates and five (5) microscopes
• Our 2nd graders spread friendship and sold friendship pin kits. • Our 3rd graders made even more friends with their spring cookie sale. • Our 5th graders got busy with a letter-writing-a-thon to veterans with pledges for each letter sent to a vet. • Our enterprising 6th graders sold desserts during the intermission of the spring musical, The Sound of Music. • Our 7th graders held a very well-timed ice cream social this spring. • Our 8th graders made desserts and hosted a successful bake sale on one of the last days of the school year. This $3.2 million project is very close to being fully funded, but we do still need everyone’s help. If you haven’t yet had a chance to make your gift, please join our students to help build this, together.
Your name here!
If you would like to have your name (or a favorite teacher, grandparent, alum’s name) on one of the new comfy theater seats, just like this year’s classes will have, new Capital Campaign gifts of $1,000 - $10,000+ will be commemorated by a named seat. Please email Síofra Rucker, Director of Advancement, at SRucker@StFrancisSchool.org for details and a seating chart. Your help and your support matter a great deal to all the St. Francis students and faculty. Thank you for considering making a gift to our Capital Campaign.
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John Shu John’s SFS Senior Photo in 2000
John in 2019
Briefly describe your path after leaving St. Francis. After graduating from St. Francis in 2000, I studied finance at Wharton before returning to Louisville to help transform bCatalyst from an incubator into a financial services group that is now part of Baird. I then served as VP at a middlemarket private equity group. In 2010, I had a cancer diagnosis and hung everything up to move to Houston and get a stem cell transplant. Sean O’Brien G’96, ’00 moved there with me for almost a year to keep me alive. I’ve been an actively treated cancer patient for nine years now, receiving 14 different types of treatment. I started Venture First while I was receiving treatment in Houston. It has since grown to a 30-person venture-focused financial services group providing CFO services and equity/derivative valuation services to private equity firms and venture-backed companies. Despite the recent success, it wasn’t always an easy road. After moving to Cincinnati, and then Miami, I moved back to Louisville in 2015 sick, divorced, and financially lean. Who took me in? Jory Wall ’00. This is especially amusing, since I remember Cia White writing on my report card that I should stop talking to Jory Wall in the back of English class junior year. In hindsight, strong move that I didn’t. I now live in
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Louisville near Cherokee Park and run Venture First as well as some niche funds. Rob Penta ’99 is my general counsel. It’s funny how the world works. Things collide, break apart, and then come back together in different combinations. Do you recall a specific teacher who influenced you or had a particular impact on you? St. Francis teachers were key in molding who I am today. Waldi Gault taught me to treasure the exceptional rather than the mainstream. Mike Black taught me not to “loaf ” and to go for the win. Ed Gupton taught me to always expect more out of myself. Reed Gabhart taught me that a little charm makes rigid numbers more palatable in the real world. Cia White taught me to write succinctly without wasted effort. Madison Cawein taught me that you can contemplate any object with spectacular beauty. Stu Cipinko taught me that there are a lot of fools out there, but that careful thought yields meaningful insights and that these nuances are the spice of life. Paul Hall taught me how to suffer and to prepare for an opponent. Those lessons and others have been instrumental in my life. None of them were found in textbooks.
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umate G’96, ’00 How did your experience at St. Francis impact your career path? Intentionally or not, St. Francis taught me to be a contrarian and to constantly challenge assumptions. As I’ve spent a lot of time in the venture finance world, this has been a cornerstone of the day-to-day analysis I perform. Combining more tangible mathematical reasoning with more abstract thinking — in my case, related to untested speculative ventures — has been key in determining how to coach and invest in various ventures. For me, career highlights have really been the entrepreneurs and technologies I’ve been able to help. Whether a new life sciences company that will save thousands of lives or a cool SaaS company (a company that hosts an application and makes it available to customers over the internet; SaaS stands for Software as a Service) that will
annual fund
change the ways in which people interact, I’ve been lucky to enable some of their activities from my finance seat. How do you define success? A good night’s sleep. What’s next for you? Honestly, who knows? Most of the best things I’ve done, both personally and professionally, were a bit of an accident. My strategy is to just “hang around the hoop” and to jump when a ball bounces my way. I could guess what’s next, but I would inevitably be wrong. Isn’t that sort of a St. Francis answer anyway? John Shumate G’96, ’00 serves on the Board of Trustees.
Kim Hales, Director of Development
On March 12th, we hosted our first-ever SFS Giving Day! Our goal was to reach 100 gifts in 24 hours, and to increase participation in our Annual Fund. This day also coincided with our 5-Week Annual Fund Campaign for current parents. Thanks to the generosity of our community, the day was an overwhelming success, with over 125 gifts and a 25% increase in parent participation. Each gift to the Annual Fund profoundly impacts the School’s ability to retain the best faculty, provide unique classroom experiences, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our student body.
Gifts to the Fund for St. Francis can be directed to five different areas of the School so that you may give to what is most meaningful to you and your family. These funds are: • Greatest Need • Scholarship & Financial Aid • Faculty Support • Athletics • Performing & Fine Arts
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John Paul Chou G’94
David duPlantier ’79 serves as Dean and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral, the Cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, as well as the Chair of the Board of The Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative and Project Homecoming, both of which are affordable housing developers in the New Orleans area. Caroline White G’79, ’83 has been working at University of Massachusetts Amherst in the library’s department of Special Collections and University Archives for the past six years. As of last spring, she is also an adjunct instructor at the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University, teaching an introduction to archives. Caroline lives with her partner of five years, Ethan Froebel, a painting contractor whom she met when he was painting the house she was renting in Northampton, Massachusetts. Caroline and Ethan recently bought a house together in Easthampton, where they are very near family. “It is a life I could not have imagined when I lived in New York!” Juscelino Colares ’84 received the Distinguished Faculty Research Award at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2018. Juscelino was re-appointed by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to the U.S. Roster of NAFTA Chapter 19 (Trade) Panelists (2017-18) and is Chair of the Case Western Reserve University Faculty Senate. Stephen Gilman ’87 is working in the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Maryland. Melanie Maron Pell G’87 has worked for AJC (American Jewish Committee) since graduating from law school. She is now the Assistant Executive Director and Managing Director of Regional Offices, overseeing 22 offices in the U.S. She and her husband Ken moved back to Louisville from Washington, DC in 2013 and are so excited that their son, Emmett, is now a Wyvern! John Paul Chou G’94 graduated from Princeton University with a degree in physics, got married, got his Ph.D. at
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Eliza Steinbock ’98
Zayd Abukar ’07
Harvard University, took a postdoc briefly at Brown University, and is now a physics professor at Rutgers University. His primary area of research is on the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN. John Paul met his wife while at Princeton, where she is currently finishing her Ph.D. in Old Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. They have a two-year-old daughter named Elenta. Eliza Steinbock ’98 is a tenured professor in film and literary studies at Leiden University. Her first book, Shimmering Images: Trans Cinema, Embodiment, and the Aesthetics of Change, was released by Duke University Press in March. Jeff Roth ’99 spent 15 months traveling in an RV through the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Now, Jeff has settled down in Kanab, Utah and is developing a high-end, low environmental-impact RV park on 40 acres that are 30 miles from Zion National Park. Bethany Sweeden G’96 is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Art Therapist (LPC-AT) in Texas and a Registered-Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) through the National Art Therapy Credentials Board. She opened a private practice and business called Art Heals, PLLC in 2012 and launched DBA Leander Counseling & Art Therapy in 2015. Bethany is active in the art therapy and mental health communities at local and national levels. She served on the board of directors for the South Texas Art Therapy Association from 2014-18, took over as organizer for the Williamson County Women Mental Health Providers networking group in 2016, and created a community art therapy/social action project called the RACK (Random Acts of Creative Kindness) Project. Zayd Abukar ’07 accepted a position in December of 2018 to be the Academic Services Manager for The Ohio State University’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion. He is also currently a doctoral student studying higher education and student affairs (higher education administration) with a graduate minor in public policy and management.
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Napo Matsoso ’13
Olivia Cole ’07
Caroline Johnson G’09, ’13
Ted Beck G’06, ’10
Olivia Cole ’07 released her fourth novel with Harper Collins in April, titled An Anatomy of Beasts. Her book can be found at local bookstores such as Carmichael’s in Louisville and on Amazon. Ted Beck G’06, ’10 is a U.S. Naval Aviator working in Whidbey Island, Washington as an electronic attack pilot flying an EA-18G Growler. Ted’s day-to-day involves working with radar theory, signal processing, and electronic jamming. If you ever see an aircraft carrier on the news with a plane taking off or landing, that could very well be him! Claire Johnson G’07, ’11 is currently getting her master’s degree in occupational therapy at the University of St. Augustine in Austin, Texas. After one more year of clinicals and fieldwork, she is hoping to work in OT pediatrics. Claire is also coaching field hockey for a local club team in Austin, as well as tutoring in the subjects of anatomy and neuroscience. Caroline Johnson G’09, ’13 just finished the accelerated 2nd-degree nursing program at Bellarmine University and started a job in the NICU at UofL Hospital. Napo Matsoso ’13 graduated from the University of Kentucky where he had a fantastic soccer career, was drafted by the MLS New England Revolution, and is now playing right here in Louisville as a starting midfielder for Louisville City FC. His brother, Sunny Jane G’05, who played college soccer at the University of Maryland, also plays for Louisville City as a starting forward. Local Wyverns should go check out Louisville City FC and cheer on our former Wyverns! Joey Slucher ’13 is working in sales support at an advertising and marketing company called Bigbeat Inc. in Tokyo, Japan. Bigbeat is a B2B advertising and marketing communications company primarily focused on advertisement design/placement, exhibition booth design/construction, digital campaigns, website creation, and event management. Most of their clients are technology companies and Joey works in the global division, which helps non-Japanese brands with their advertising and marketing activities in Japan.
Joey Slucher ’13
Ben Anderson ’15
Savannah Cornett ’15
Ben Anderson ’15 recently was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship to study Chinese in Suzhou, China during the summer of 2019 and a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Taiwan in 2020. Savannah Cornett ’15 was one of the students at Hampshire College who led a 75 day-long sit-in (making it the longest sit-in in the College’s history) at the president’s office in reaction to the president’s sudden announcement in January that Hampshire College would not be enrolling a freshman class in 2019-20 due to financial difficulties. As a result of their activism and that of other students, alumni, and faculty, the president has resigned and the trustees voted to keep the college open and independent. After graduating, Savannah will be working in a combined MIT/Harvard lab in neurogenetics before starting grad school.
Note to Alumni Parents: If you are receiving mail that is addressed to your child who no longer resides at home, please notify Melanie Pugh, Director of Alumni Relations and Stewardship, at MPugh@StFrancisSchool.org of the new contact information so we can keep all our alums in the loop on Wyvern happenings.
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in memoriam
Ann Stewart Anderson
Lynn Bishop Jay G’78, ’82
Laura Schuetze G’94, ’98
Ann Stewart Anderson passed away on March 4th, 2019. Ann Stewart was a founding high school faculty member and the first Artist-in-Residence at the High School, where she taught for 12 years, creating the foundation for today’s art classes. She continued to support the School by being involved in and contributing to the Imagine! Art Auction + Scholarship Fundraiser throughout its history. The School is fortunate to have two pieces of Ann Stewart’s work that hang in our college counselor’s office for all to enjoy. Ann Stewart is survived by her husband and SFS founding and emeritus faculty member Ron Mikulak. Lynn Bishop Jay G’78, ’82 passed away on April 30th, 2019 after a long illness. After graduating from St. Francis, Lynn earned her B.A. from the University of Louisville and M.B.A. from Bellarmine University. After college, Lynn served as a social worker for Spencer County Child Protective Services. Lynn enjoyed outdoor activities such as biking, skiing, tennis, and golf. She was happiest when she was with her family and friends. Lynn is survived by her husband of 25 years, Ed Jay G’90; three daughters, Eliza Jay ’14, Ellie Jay, and Carter Jay; father, Daniel Bishop (Cathy); brother, Daniel Bishop (Amie) and their children Max Bishop, Nick Bishop, and Andrew Bishop; nephews, Will Matson, Rob Lewis, and Sam Lewis; and niece, Stuart Matson ’14. Danielle Brooks-Hudson G’91 passed away on May 19th, 2019. After graduating from the Goshen Campus, Danielle attended Ballard High School. Danielle was an active member of Harrods Creek Baptist Church. She is survived by four children and many friends. Laura Schuetze G’94, ’98 passed away on April 19th, 2019. Laura graduated from Oberlin College in 2004 with degrees in history and women’s studies. She went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from the University of Hawaii.
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Shayne Warren ’09
Josh Kidwell G’11
As a licensed MSSW, she was employed by the South Carolina Department of Mental Health as a deaf services counselor. Like the mosaics she crafted, her life was a collection of artistic and adventurous expressions, which she generously shared with those she loved. Laura was a caring and giving woman who was passionate about social justice and equality. Laura is survived by her parents, Audrey and William; her oldest brother, Tyson, his wife, Erin, and their daughters, Margot and Scarlett, whom she adored; her little brother, Craig, and his girlfriend, Amanda Schamel. Her only surviving grandparent is Duane Beach. She is also survived by two close lifelong friends, Sarah (Peabody) Kuhn G’84, ’88 and Eliza Steinbock ’98. Shayne Warren ’09 passed away on January 20th, 2019. Shayne was living with fellow classmates. His spirit lives on, but he is missed by his friends in the SFS community and beyond. Josh Kidwell G’11 passed away on February 2nd, 2019. After graduating 8th grade from the Goshen Campus, Josh went on to Trinity High School. He was owner and operator of Kidwell’s Auto Beautification and a member of Black Achievers. He is survived by his parents, Alonzo and Georgette Kidwell; sisters, Erin and Blaire Kidwell; grandmother, Priscilla Kidwell; aunts, Carol Stovall, Glenda Stovall, Tonya StovallShaw (Bryan),and Rozalind Bell (Desmond); girlfriend, Kaelyn Taylor; and beloved animals, Frankie, Ears, Jr., Peanut, Alfee, and the cats. The St. Francis Community mourns these losses.
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baby
wyverns Meryl Miller ’02, her husband, Brian, and big sister, Naomi, welcomed twin girls, Hannah and Eliana, in January. Fitz Schultz ’98 and his wife Lindsay welcomed baby Stanley on January 1st, 2019.
Hannah & Eliana Miller
marriages
Stephanie Honchell ’02
Stephanie Honchell ’02 married Zach Smith on December 2nd, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa, where they both currently live and work. Stephanie designs and writes content for an e-learning company that works with NGOs to expand access to education, both across southern Africa and globally. Zach is originally from Johannesburg and works as a software developer. Dylan Holland ’06 married Meghan Logue on December 1st, 2018.
Isaac Hodes G’04, ’08
Isaac Hodes G’04, ’08 married Kimberly Zeluck on September 28th, 2018 in a ceremony in Tarrytown, NY. Isaac completed his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania in May, with a focus on healthcare management, and moved back to New York City. Martin Yeager ’08 married Crystal Barnes on October 20th, 2018. Martin graduated with a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this spring.
Sam Gauss ’07 married Jennifer McKenzie on January 12th, 2019.
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alumni crawfish boil
Our annual Alumni Crawfish Boil is always a fun way to kick off Derby season in Louisville! This year’s event was held on Wednesday, April 24th and graciously hosted by Alexandra G’80, ’84 and Andy Thurstone. We are proud to say that we are one step closer to ordering the correct amount of crawfish. Never-ending thanks goes out to George Parker ’95 and his daughter Charlie for being our chefs de cuisine for the evening, as well as the many alumni and their families, future alumni, and current and past faculty members who joined us for a relaxing evening of food, fun, and friends, and even an appearance by the Wyvern, thanks to future alum Lachlan Apple!
SFS faculty, staff, and alum attendees included: Noor Ambure ’13, Trent Apple ’93, Henry Camp G’70, Kelly Carter G’91, ’95, Jeff Goldberg ’83, Suzanne Gorman, Kim Hales, Willie Harshaw ’83, Kelly Wright Henrion ’92, Tom Henrion G’85, ’89, Finn Hilton ’17, Angela Katz, David Klaphaak, Kit Llewellyn, Claudia McCrocklin, Mariah McCrocklin ’16, Ron Mikulak, George Parker ’95, Melanie Pugh, Robin Roggenkamp ’83, Lindsy Serrano, Alexandra Thurstone G’80, ’84, and Joe Waterman ’89.
welcome to our new director of alumni relations and stewardship We are pleased to introduce Melanie Pugh as our new Director of Alumni Relations and Stewardship. Melanie has been with St. Francis School for four years working as the Assistant Director of Development and has now transitioned her way into the world of Wyvern alums. “I’m looking forward to continuing to strengthen my relationships with the St. Francis community. I hope to
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have the opportunity to meet many of you at one of the upcoming alumni events throughout 2019 and beyond!” Please feel free to reach out to keep her updated on all of your life happenings, whether it be a graduation, engagement, new baby, or new job, or to share a simple hello!
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wyverns in NYC
Wyverns in the New York area gathered together at the Brooklyn home of Bill Wells ’03 on Wednesday, December 12th. A big thank-you to Bill and his fiancee Annie for hosting! Attendees included Olivia Beres ’14, Anna Byers ’07, Lyman Creason ’04, Josh Deitel G’03, ’07, Harrison Holt ’10, Eliza Jay ’14, Síofra Rucker G’84, James Schumacher ’07, Alexandra Thurstone G’80, ’84, Gray Thurstone G’10, ’14, Sarah Tyler ’07, Hannah Wells ’06, Jack Wells G’07, and Jacob Williams ’07. Síofra and Alexandra also got to connect with several other area Wyverns in the days surrounding the event, including Sandy Florman ’85, Calley Heffer ’04, Isaac Hodes G’04, ’08, David Kupersmith ’90, Cameron McNeil ’87, and Corey Pickering G’92, ’96. Here are some updates from attendees: Bill Wells ’03 hosted our Wyverns in NYC party. He completed the Ironman in Louisville last fall. After several years as Director of Strategic Planning with Warby Parker, Bill recently started his own pet supply company. Lyman Creason ’04 is a production assistant at HBO for the show “Succession.” He graduated with a degree in film studies from Connecticut College in 2008.
Systems at Public Health Solutions, the largest public health non-profit in NYC working to improve health outcomes by providing services directly to the vulnerable neighborhoods and supporting community-based health organizations. She would also like to recommend Arcade Bakery in her building on Worth & Church Street for any Wyverns visiting NYC. Sarah Tyler ’07 attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and graduated in 2011 with a master’s degree in management. She works for We Work in New York. Olivia Beres ’14 is part of Anheuser Busch’s Global Management Trainee program, which rotates employees through all aspects of the company. So far her favorite is her current rotation in corporate strategy in the NYC offices. Olivia graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2018 with a degree in systems engineering and women’s sexuality & gender studies. Eliza Jay ’14 is working in sales for Yelp and applying to law schools. She began college at Whitman College and then transferred to Tulane University where she graduated with a degree in political science.
Calley Heffer ’04 earned her MPA in health policy and management at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service in 2017. She is the new Deputy Director of Information
save the date Classes of 2009, 1999, 1989, and 1979, be sure to mark your calendars and join us for your 10th, 20th, 30th, or 40th year class reunion coming up Saturday, September 14th, 2019. Dinner, cocktails, and more at the Downtown
Campus at 233 West Broadway. Interested in being a class captain and/or help with planning? We’d love that! Email Melanie Pugh at MPugh@StFrancisSchool.org to join the party planning committee today!
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Paul Harshaw ’86 Every year at Graduation, we have the distinct pleasure of honoring one of our St. Francis School graduates as Alumnus/a of the Year. We are truly fortunate to have such an amazing pool of Wyverns to choose from who continually support the School and our Mission, while also demonstrating the qualities of a St. Francis graduate years after they leave our halls. This year, we honored Paul Harshaw from the Class of 1986 as the 2018-19 Alumnus of the Year. Below is the speech that Melanie Pugh, Director of Alumni Relations and Stewardship, delivered to honor Paul at Graduation.
Paul’s SFS Senior Photo in 1986
Mr. Paul in the SFS 2018-19 Yearbook
Paul and his family recently moved from Louisville to Arkansas, but since 2015 we have been able to call him “Mr. Paul,” as he was our very own beloved Preschool teacher for our four-year olds on our Goshen Campus. You may think that teaching preschool is all “naps and finger-painting,” but we kept Paul much busier than that. He was a soccer coach, a basketball coach, a builder of turkey coops, a builder of travelling chicken coops, a builder of benches, and a builder of mud kitchens and garden boxes for our outdoor classrooms. In addition to the countless overtime hours he put in at St. Francis, Paul is also an accomplished painter, having been a consistent contributor to our Imagine! Art Auction + Scholarship Fundraiser since its inception over 20 years ago. He is the co-founder of The Louisville Unfair Art Show, and recently wrote and illustrated his first children’s book titled Silo and Plyler’s Derby Horse Adventure, which is just about as Kentucky as you can get, as it follows a penguin’s dream to ride a horse in the Kentucky Derby. His adventurous spirit, his love of nature, his passion for the arts, and his undeniable depth of understanding of the curious heart and mind of a child are the traits that we were lucky enough to have helped foster during his time at St. Francis, and were able to watch as he instilled those same values to some of our smallest Wyverns today. Paul’s senior page of his yearbook included a Dire Straits lyric which goes “It takes love over gold and mind over matter to do what you do…” Whether he meant it as a prophetic glimpse into his next 30 years or not, it seems as if these words have guided the life that Paul has continued to build for himself since leaving 233 West Broadway, as he has chosen to generously share his time, talents, and treasures with his friends, family, co-workers, and four-year olds everywhere. While we miss him greatly in the halls of St. Francis, we know that “Mr. Paul” will always be spreading Wyvern pride far and wide. It is with great honor that we present this year’s Alumnus of the Year Award to Paul Harshaw.
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Goshen Campus Class Day Awards/8th Grade Graduation
Goshen Campus Graduation 2019
The Goshen Campus Head of School Award Sophie Kirby, Jackson Sleadd
The Volunteer Service Award Alex Horner, Sophie Kirby, Meredith Snyder
The Spirit of St. Francis Award Elizabeth Boyd, Scotty Rivera
Goshen Campus St. Francis “Lifers”
The Eagle Award Gabby Alvarez, Brianna Koss
Attended St. Francis continuously from Preschool through 8th grade:
Elizabeth Boyd, Lucy Frederick, Hayden Jones, Kennan King, Tyler King, Brianna Koss, Ava Kurtz, Scotty Rivera, Abigail Runyon, Jack Rutherford
The Edward Y. Mason, Jr. Athletics Award Gabby Alvarez, RJ Ballenger, Patrick Davis, Luke Johnson, Hayden Jones, Tyler King, West Middendorf, Jane Moore, Alia Nawab, Shazia Nawab, Scotty Rivera, Abigail Runyon, Carly Schramko, Carter Schwartz, Jackson Sleadd
Attended St. Francis continuously from JK through 8th grade:
The Russell D. Herr Art Award Jamie Campbell, Emma Davis, Brianna Koss, Tsebiyah McShane
8th Grade Children of Alumni Gabby Alvarez, Elizabeth Boyd, Eric Gee, Tsebiyah McShane, Alia Nawab, Shazia Nawab, Peter Ronay, Abigail Runyon, Carter Schwartz, Jackson Sleadd
The Ed Gupton Memorial Drama Award Jamie Campbell, Catherine Dewberry, Emma Rose Farber, Amelia Gorman, Kameron Julian, Sophie Kirby, Jane McLeroy, West Middendorf, Jack Rutherford, Jackson Sleadd
Gabby Alvarez, Amelia Gorman, Meredith Snyder Attended St. Francis continuously from Kindergarten through 8th grade:
Catherine Dewberry, Eric Gee, Fairleigh Jones, Kameron Julian, Jane McLeroy, West Middendorf, Jackson Sleadd
The Frank Q. Cayce Scholarship Award (7th graders) Mireia Cecil, Mya Stevenson The Cassie Stevens Memorial Award (5th grader) Sam Hillis
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class of 2019 enrollments and acceptances
Iqlas Abukar - Bellarmine University, Centre College, Hanover College, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, The College of Wooster, Xavier University Chris Anastas - Gap Year Josh Arnett - Indiana University Southeast, Bellarmine University, University of Louisville Guistave Bah - Western Kentucky University, Mary Baldwin University, Thomas More University Evie Boland - Bryn Mawr College, Dickinson College, The College of Wooster, University of Denver Hope Carstanjen - Smith College, Loyola University Chicago, University of Denver Chandler Durbin - University of Louisville Julian Habich - Gap Year Chris Hammond - Centre College, Cornell University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, University of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University Henry Harkins - University of Kentucky, Indiana University Southeast, Metropolitan State University Weebelle Hilton - University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University, University of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University Audree Huebner - Bellarmine University, Arizona State University, University of Kentucky, Xavier University
Wyvern Report
Bold text denotes enrollment
Caden Kirby - University of Louisville, Murray State University
TJ Richardson - Tiffin University, Indiana University Southeast
Jonah LeStrange - Gap Year
Grayson Smith - Gap Year
Emelia Luker - Temple University
Jeremiah Smith - Greenville University, Ball State University, Clemson University, Kentucky Christian University, Long Island University Brooklyn, Morehead State University, Northern Kentucky University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville
Erin Lyons - Berea College, Bellarmine University, Earlham College, The College of Wooster, University of Louisville Caleb Mason - Western Kentucky University, Bellarmine University, Murray State University, University of Memphis Ethan Mattingly - University of Louisville Maggie McGraw - Regis University, Lewis & Clark College, University of Kentucky, Xavier University Matthew Melendez - University of Kentucky, DePaul University, Northern Kentucky University, University of Alabama, University of Cincinnati, Western Kentucky University Ahmad Moore - University of Kentucky, Greenville University, Kentucky State University, Northern Kentucky University, Spalding University, University of Louisville Gabe Mutchnick - University of Pittsburgh, Loyola University Maryland, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Maryland Caroline Parker - Ohio Wesleyan University, Bellarmine University, Bradley University, Guilford College, Hanover College, Western Carolina University
Mike Snyder - Kent State University, Savannah College of Art and Design Noah Sparks - Santa Barbara City College, Arizona State University, Bellarmine University, Cabrillo College, California State University, Chico, California State University - Sacramento, Sonoma State University, Feather River College, Northern Arizona University, University of Louisville, University of the Cumberlands MacKenzie Wickel - University of Denver, College of Charleston, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, University of South Carolina Logan Wourms - University of Kentucky, University of Louisville Muni Yusuf - University of Louisville, Centre College, Hanover College, Indiana University Southeast, Regis University, University of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University
Julian Prince - Reed College, Lewis & Clark College
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Graduation Awards Phi Beta Kappa Award Evie Boland Head of School Award Chris Hammond Thomas H. Pike Award Iqlas Abukar, Mike Snyder Class of ’93 Esprit de Corps Award Audree Huebner Cia White English Prize Julian Prince
Rotary Club Unsung Hero Award Audree Huebner
Honors Graduates Iqlas Abukar, Evie Boland, Hope Carstanjen, Chris Hammond, Erin Lyons, Julian Prince, Noah Sparks, MacKenzie Wickel
Mayor’s Outstanding Senior Award TJ Richardson
St. Francis AP Scholars Evie Boland, Chris Hammond, Gabe Mutchnick, Mike Snyder Senior Project Honors Iqlas Abukar - “Modest Fashion Lookbook” Evie Boland - “Environmental Education in Early Childhood”
Maggie McGraw - “502: A Film Centralized Around Cinematography” Caroline Parker - “An Art Show Inspired by Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Catholic Beliefs” Mike Snyder - “Polari: A Book of Queer Poetry” Noah Sparks - “How Jiu Jitsu Has Influenced My Life”
St. Francis “Lifers” Attended St. Francis continuously from Preschool through 12th grade: Evie Boland, Chris Hammond, Maggie McGraw 12th Grade Children of Alumni: Weebelle Hilton, Matthew Melendez
High School Awards Assembly BOOK AWARDS (for 11th graders) Bryn Mawr College (Purposeful young woman) Dartmouth College (Excellence in Languages) Hampden-Sydney College (Purposeful young man) Harvard University (Excellence in Math) Princeton University (Excellence in Science) University of Kentucky (Excellence in Leadership) University of Louisville (Excellence in Community Service) University of Virginia (Excellence in History) Yale University (Excellence in English)
Maimouna Cherif Holly Yelton Ben Cornett Lily Johnson Amelia Dimas Michael Crinot Caroline Frederick Drew Perkins Alex Shelley
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARTS AND LETTERS AWARDS (for 12th graders)
Overall Arts Caroline Parker Studio Art Hope Carstanjen Film/Video Maggie McGraw
Drama Music
High School Honor Roll:
Students who earned all As and Bs second semester
12th Grade Iqlas Abukar, Josh Arnett, Evie Boland, Hope Carstanjen, Chris Hammond, Jonah LeStrange, Erin Lyons, Caroline Parker, Julian Prince, TJ Richardson, Mike Snyder, Noah Sparks, MacKenzie Wickel 11th Grade Priscila Angoa, Lalit Bhattarai, Jack Charlton, Maimouna Cherif, Ben Cornett, Oliver Cox, Michael Crinot, Amelia Dimas, Caroline Frederick, Connor Gordon, Connor Gorman, Joy Ijperlaan, Lily Johnson, Adelaide Lenihan, Grace Malone, Eston McLeroy, Ford Middendorf, Christ Moo, Osaz Omoruyi, Caroline Pepa, Drew Perkins, Alex Shelley, Eli Sherman, Connor Strothman, Colleen Torrans, Ellie White, Bradley Wilson, Lowell Woock, Holly Yelton 10th Grade Audrey Brinkmann-Piuma, Andrew Case, Sophie Johnson, Matt Kurtz, Jimmy Lancaster, Audrey McClain, Bennett Middendorf, Teagan Morrison, Katie Mushkin, Bella Nugent, Claire Richards, Sara Seim, Drew Siciliano, Mellie Simpson, Sydney Snyder, Natalie Stewart 9th Grade Stevaun Butler, Evie Dunn, Lily Gilbert, Katie Hammond, Anna Hardwick-Jones, Lucy Johnson, Aidan Kash, Ayda Marshall, Rayya MetryBonyun, Ali Muse, Lucas Nofsinger, Ellie Westfall
Chris Hammond Ahmad Moore
WYVERN SCHOLAR/ATHLETE AWARD (for 12th graders)
Hope Carstanjen, Chris Hammond WYVERN ATHLETES OF THE YEAR (for 12th graders)
Nina van den Berg, Ahmad Moore
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equity, and inclusion work “I’d like to work with faculty, students, and families to solve problems in a way that is really tailored to us. At SFS we believe in restorative justice, we believe in working things out – I’d like to have a curriculum which engages with DEI all year long.” – Lindsy Serrano
Dr. Brett Paice
Lindsy Serrano
This year we created a new role on each Campus: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator. At St. Francis, we seek to prepare students to live in and contribute to their world by affirming and celebrating who they are and who they wish to become. In addition, given the profound inequalities of opportunity that still exist in our world, we strive to foster a respectful and welcoming school community for all, as a model for the challenges we all face each day as global citizens. Our two new DEI Coordinators, Dr. Brett Paice and Lindsy Serrano, are a major part of these efforts. How do you see your role as DEI Coordinator fitting in a Progressive school like St. Francis? Lindsy: As DEI Coordinator, I take in a lot of ideas from students, teachers, and parents, and have the freedom to use these ideas to develop projects and programs. I see myself as a filter for the ideas of others. As a Progressive school, our project-based learning allows for our faculty to bring in aspects of equity and social justice into the classroom. For example, this year there were several teachers who wanted to address anti-bias speech in the classroom, so I developed a mini-lesson which was delivered through advisory/lead time. Brett: Being the DEI Coordinator in a school like St. Francis means it is less about being “sensitive” or “PC”; it is really more about raising the measure of compassion in the community. What are your goals as DEI Coordinator over the next 3 - 5 years? Lindsy: To be more proactive, and less reactive. I’d like to work with faculty, students, and families to solve problems in a way that is really tailored to us. At SFS we believe in restorative justice, we believe in working things out — I’d like to have a curriculum which engages with DEI all year long.
Wyvern Report
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diversity, equity, & inclusion student clubs and activities • Black Student Association (HS & G)
• Diversity Committee (G)
• African Americans Fighting Racism and Oppression (HS)
• Diversity Week (HS & G)
• Multicultural Student Association (HS) • Gender Rights and Equity Club (HS) • Queer Straight Alliance (HS & G) • Mental Health Club (HS)
Additionally, we are also looking at how mindfulness training can be a tool to help implement our DEI work. Mindfulness work helps teachers and students be less reactionary when conflicts arise. It is difficult to do this work if you feel judged, so mindfulness help students and teachers feel more comfortable being vulnerable. Brett: Lindsy and I both want to be a viable resource for teachers and students. We want to provide a greater comfort in dealing with difficult issues through providing an effective and non-confrontational way to resolve conflicts. It’s important to take the blame out of the situation. Another goal we have is to have each DEI student group have a charter, officers, minutes, and agendas. We are also going to have a visual presence with a logo and merch for the groups. Together these legitimize the groups and makes this work cool. How have students and faculty received this new role? Lindsy: I think they are happy the role exists, but it will take some time for the community to remember to come to me when a problem comes up or they have good programming ideas. My colleagues are excited to have this focus on our campus. They love to send me idea, training they’ve done, articles, community events — and as a librarian I love to receive, catalog, and disperse information, so it’s a good match.
• Sacred Space (HS) • Soul Week (HS) • Gender Week (HS) • Women’s Retreat (HS)
What is the biggest challenge you see for your role or for the School in this area? Lindsy: Time. We do not lack in enthusiasm. Brett: Our greatest challenge is to increase the presence of faculty of color, as we have the opportunity to hire. Beyond that, we have some of the same problems as anywhere else. However, we are a smaller, more nimble, more impassioned community; we can get better, faster. For you personally, what has this role meant? Lindsy: It makes me really excited to see my School make it a priority. I am so happy to be able to support our students and faculty in this way. Brett: The prospect of visible leadership was not, and is not, craved. This is an enormous undertaking; this work is never done. To their credit, all I have received from Suzanne Gorman, Head of Downtown Campus, and Alexandra Thurstone G’80, ’84, Head of School, is support and encouragement to ask for help from my colleagues and friends. Their support has been instrumental.
Brett: Students seem to like it and the various groups are becoming more coordinated on their programming. One change has been that our largest DEI student group, the BSA, has added service to their work, not just bringing programming into the School, but moving us out in the community. We should be a living, breathing part of downtown Louisville.
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We THINK; therefore, we are St. Francis. 233 West Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
Join us August 10th for the ribbon cutting for our new Main Amp, Theater, & Lobby on our Goshen Campus. Purchase a Commemorative Graduation Mug Did your graduating class miss out on the coveted Louisville Stoneware commemorative mug? Replace that mug you broke long ago, or snag one for the first time! Purchase a Brick for the Goshen Walk of Honor Leave your mark on the Goshen Campus Walk of Honor leading into the newly renovated Goshen Main Amp, Theater, & Lobby! Contact Melanie Pugh at MPugh@StFrancisSchool.org to place your orders.