1953 THE MAGAZINE OF ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAYSummerSCHOOL2022
Contents 1953: The Magazine of St. Johns Country Day School is published twice a year for the School community, with goals to tell the School’s stories and capture the history, traditions, values, and culture of St. Johns Country Day School. Letter from the Head of School .................. 1 School News Briefs ....................................... 2 Lower School 2 Middle School ................................................................................. 6 Upper School ................................................................................ 10 Athletics ........................................................................................... 14 Performing Arts 18 Visual Arts 20 Graduation .................................................... 24 Winterim ........................................................ 34 Thank You ..................................................... 36 Alumni Spotlight ........................................ 39 Alumni Notes ............................................... 44 On the cover: Seniors pause for a photo on their trip to Washington, DC during Winterim. Read more about it on page 34. Kindergarten students Alexia Hardy, Wren FitzGerald, Lilly Braddock, and Natalia Warren are all smiles during recess.
From National Merit Scholarships to State Championship athletics and Coach of the Year honors, to Scholastic Art Awards, Spartans continue to achieve at rates and levels that are simply amazing.
HeadValorieFondly,kcangelosi@sjcds.net.BakerofSchool
Dear Spartan Families, What a year it’s been! I have been thrilled this past year to celebrate so many accomplishments of our students and faculty both in and out of the classroom.
Head of School Valorie Baker with St. Johns’ campus therapy dog, Byrdie
The new patio, fountain, and pathway have become tremendous campus as sets, and right about the time this issue hits your mailbox we should be com pleting the installation of our new Lower School playground. I want to thank everyone who has helped us make this new play space a reality. I know our students will enjoy it for years to come!
It’s now the beginning of my third year here at St. Johns and I’m thrilled to continue to roll out new opportunities for our students, enhance and expand our current curriculum, and facilitate the application of learning. For example, earlier this year, Upper School students experienced their first Winterim. This new program was created to provide applied learning through platforms that enhance and enrich students’ preparation for college and beyond. You can read more about that on page 34. We look forward to continuing to fine-tune and expand this program and adding others that help our students gain the skills they’ll need “in the real world.” If you would like to learn more about this or be a part of this new initiative, please reach out to Director of Global Education Kristi Cangelosi at
As far as our physical campus, we’re working to keep up with their success.
ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 1
“Read Across America is a great way to not only cele brate reading but also demonstrate to our students that everyone loves reading and that people of all ages do read—it’s not just something we do during Lower School,” said Head of Lower School Otis Wirth, who read to several classrooms throughout the day. Across America!
Read
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In March, Lower School students were thrilled to observe Read Across America Day, which this year coincided with observation of the birthday of one of our favorite children’s book authors, Dr. Seuss! Administration, staff, and coaches took time out of their day to read to Lower School students from either a book of their choosing or one selected for them by the classroom teacher. Students in all grade levels loved having these “guest readers” come visit their classrooms and read to them.
Lower School News SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS
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Grade 4 Visits Nation’s Oldest City
Earth Day 2022 Spartans of all ages celebrated Earth Day this year by watching “The Lorax,” making their own Lorax mustaches, going on Earth Day scavenger hunts, and learning about things we recycle vs. things we throw away in the trash.
BRIEFS
In April, Grade 4 took a curricular trip to St. Augustine, where they had a blast touring historic Castillo de San Marcos and exploring the Colonial Quarter. At the Castillo, they earned their Junior Ranger badges while learning about this beautiful Spanish fortress, the oldest masonry fort in the U.S. Throughout the Colonial Quarter they learned about the various flags that have flown over St. Augustine, the job of a blacksmith, and how a pulley system works. Students also toured a Colonial home, and climbed to the top of the watchtower.
buddiessomeintoringallowingspreadInopportunities1longonofCapitalizingBuddyLeveragesLowertruck.School“TheSystem”ontheadvantagehavingallstudentstogetheronecampus,St.JohnshaspairedseniorswithaGradebuddyforfunandeducationalthroughouttheyear.recentyears,thatprogramhastoothergradesaswell,studentstopracticemenandlearnfromeachothergradesotherthan1and12.Here,KindergartenandGrade3arepaireduptoread. School News Briefs 4 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022
Jaguars Visit St. Johns
In March, Rayshawn Jenkins and Daniel Thomas of the Jacksonville Jaguars visited St. Johns for a fun “Jaguars Day.” The players started off reading to Grade 3 and then headed to the Brown Gym for a visit with students in Grades 4 and 5. They began by sharing with students their own personal stories, encouraging students to follow their dreams and be the best version of themselves that they can be. Then they joined students in a friendly game of dodgeball. After the dodgeball game, Rayshawn and Daniel handed out pizza to Middle and Upper School students and signed autographs while Lower School students enjoyed a tasty treat from an ice cream
Grade 5 Savannah Trip
“Both fun and educational, this trip to Savan nah provided Grade 5 students with important lessons and lasting memories,” said Grade 5 teacher Maura Rupert.
At the end of May, the Lower School celebrated the rising up of Grade 5 students to Grade 6, “crossing the quad,” so to speak, to Middle School. In a beautiful ceremony in St. Johns’ Performing Arts Center, faculty, administration, parents, and family members gathered to celebrate students’ success and hear from each of them their favorite parts of their St. Johns experience to date and any words of wisdom they have for their rising Grade 5 successors.
After short speeches by Grade 5 teachers Mrs. Nicole Thompson and Mrs. Maura Rupert, who told them all that they are “sunshine and magic,” students gave their own reflections. Then Mr. Wirth took the podium to introduce student recognitions. As he announced each one, students came forward to receive a personal award statue, designed and 3D-printed by technology teacher Mr. Jarod Brown.
Grade 5 “Crosses the Quad”
This spring, Grade 5 took a class level trip to Savannah, Georgia, where they were immersed in the culture and charm of one of the nation’s most historic cities. Prior to the trip, students read the Newberry Award winning novel Bud Not Buddy, which chronicles the life and events of an orphaned, African American boy during the Depression Era. Much of this fictional story centers around the significance of the railroad during this dev astating period in our nation’s history. On the trip, students visited the Georgia State Railroad Museum, where they made connections be tween the novel and the history they gleaned at the site. Students learned facts about the operation of the rails, toured a historic railcar, and even got the chance to work as a team and operate a historic hand-car. Plenty of time was set aside for fun, which included an exclusive sightseeing boat tour and buffet lunch hosted by the Savannah Riverboat Cruise Company and a scavenger hunt that took students to some of the most famous landmarks in the city.
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“Trips like this are so important to continue to build a student’s individual sense of confidence, as well as improve on team building for the group as a whole,” said Dean of Middle School Pat Rodifer. “It was great to see our students enjoying this time together, interacting, problem solving, and having so much fun.”
There are more tigers in captivity than in the wild. How can we build the population in the wild?
White Oak Conservation Collaboration
In March, Grade 6 students went to White Oak Conservation Center, in Yu lee, to learn more about this year’s animal of study, the tiger. Students have been studying three tiger species—Siberian, Bengal and Malayan—all of which are critically endangered. White Oak has two male Malayan Tigers, and two females of mixed genetics. In addition to learning everything about the tiger as a species, student were assigned one of the three problems to research and propose solutions for: Pros and cons of tigers in captivity. Spe cifically: Zoo facilities that are accredited by the American Zoological Association vs. privately held/non-accredited zoos and aquariums. How do we get farmers to make sustainable palm oil to protect the tigers’ habitat?
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Middle School News
Grade 7 Trip
In May, Grade 7 students traveled to Camp Montgomery where they rock climbed, practiced their archery skills, participated in various team building activities, and had a great time in this break from their regular routines.
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“Every year we plant a vegetable garden as part of our Grade 6 Unit on plants,” said Sachs. “This gives the students the opportunity to apply the knowledge they learned in the class room to a real world setting. And the fact that they can plant, grow, harvest and eat some thing they grew is very empowering.” Students were even able to harvest the garden during St. Johns’ COVID closure, said Sachs. “They had planted the potatoes before we went virtual, and I finished planting and har vested via Zoom.” Next year Sachs plans to add a vertical garden, showing students just one more way that the many benefits of gardening can be built into their lives, wherever they are. The lesson carries over into Grade 7 when the students study soil and the human impact on land, and into Upper School biology classes. Some very tasty lessons indeed! Grade 7 Discursos
One of the most difficult parts of learning a foreign language can be putting together all the individual components to actu ally become conversant. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) recommendations suggest that high school students should be able to speak on a given topic for a minute by the end of their Level 1 year. To work toward that goal, Sra Murphy starts doing discursos—a memorized speech—early, with her Grade 7 classes. These students are only ⅓ of the way through their Level 1 coursework, and started delivering and recording their first discursos in February. With times ranging from 20-40 seconds, they are well on their way! “I’m so proud of these nearly perfect speeches from every student in the class, even those who sometimes struggle ” said Sra Murphy, “and unlike some classes, there were no absences on “Discurso Day!”
For 25 years, Middle School science teacher Tina Sachs has been planting and tending a garden with her Grade 6 science students, and this year is no exception. Early this spring, stu dents were out in force, weeding and harvest ing the potatoes, lettuces, and other vegetables that grow there.
Middle School Gardeners
Grade 8 Rises Up In May, St. Johns was thrilled to celebrate the ascension of our Grade 8 students into Upper School in our annual Closing Ceremony. Packed with emotional moments and celebrations of the students’ accomplishments in aca demics, the arts, and athletics, the ceremony included slide shows depicting the students through the years and culminated in the announcement of the Best All Around Young Man and Young Woman and Distinguished Student of Character, Wyatt Hollingsworth, Calli Berrang, and Keaton Keiter, respectively. School News Briefs 8 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022
In Grade 8: Calli HunterBerrangRodgers In Grade 7: Jordan Bliffen Grace CelineBlakeKyleAndrewEssieFinnRebeccaZachHanaMadelineClaireTeagueMylesKinnaBaileyDominiqueCastlemanClarkConnerDobesDubnanskyDunaganEmlingFinkeHutsellHyattJacobsKentMelicharekNargundkarSachsSheftallTorkzad National Junior Honor Society Inducts 20 This spring, St. Johns was honored to induct 20 Middle School students into the National Junior Honor Society. “[These students] have worked hard to achieve academic excellence and… demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning,” said Head of Middle and Upper Schools Jackie Lentini. “Their work ethic, character, and exemplary skills have earned them a place in this distinct society.” 2022 Inductees included: School News Briefs ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 9
White Oak Conservation In January, St. Johns’ biology classes were visited by education specialists from White Oak. Since their visit, the students have been collaborating on projects related to animal conservation and finding solutions to the problems that endangered species are facing. Then, in early March, the students traveled to White Oak, in Yulee, and presented their research findings to White Oak’s conservationists in person. “This kind of experience just really can’t be beat,” said biology instructor Dr. Judibelle Román. “Not only do the students have the opportunity to observe their subject animals close up, but they have the amazing resources of the White Oak Conservation facility and staff at hand to help guide them and give them feedback. What a great learning op portunity for our young scientists!”
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Inaugural Model United Nations Conference
Upper School News
Three members of St. Johns’ Upper School Model United Nations (MUN)—Gabi Oceguera ’25, Taylor Thigpen ’24, and Shannon Hodges ’23—participated in their first Model UN conference in March. Held virtually, this conference was an eye-opening and educational experience for the students. Engaging with the topic of “Eliminating World Hunger,” Spartans worked with students from around the globe to craft meaningful solutions to this real world issue. “I am extremely proud of these students for their hard work and for working so diligently on a Saturday,” said club sponsor Josh Stern. “I am looking forward to the growth of the club and the opportunity for an in-person conference next year!”
Junior-Senior Prom Promposals ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 11
(and Spartan Dad) Sam Garrison spoke and introduced all of the Clay County officials and repre sentatives, and then students were able to see a voting rights protest and speech, and visited the Senate where they watched a debate on an Everglades water bill before Spartan Mom Senator Jennifer Bradley recognized the St. Johns group on the floor. After a visit to the Gover nor’s office, students went to a Higher Education Committee hearing, where they heard a bipartisan bill about Florida Bright Futures (very timely for this group of soon-to-be college students!), and Repre sentative Garrison presented a bill on Sunshine Laws and University President Searches.
“The students said that this was one of their favorite parts of the day,” said Mrs. Garrison. “They thought the topic was super interesting, and they enjoyed seeing the good natured bipartisanship on the issue.”
St. Johns Taps Alumni Ukraine Expert Jim Townsend ’76 worked more than two decades on European and NATO policy in the Pentagon, at NATO and at the Atlantic Council and served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for European and NATO Pol icy for eight years. Over the past several years, Townsend has kindly joined St. Johns’ Government students either in person or via Zoom to discuss and add context to current globalUnderstandably,events.
when Russia invaded Ukraine this spring, Townsend was a hot commodity for the national news media. One week, he had 9 media interviews on Thursday and 8 on Friday, and still managed to make time for a Zoom call with seniors to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to answer student questions. “I opened it up to all the seniors who were free during that time, and 36 out of 52 students attended,” said U.S. Government teacher Gayle Garrison ’94. “It’s so amazing that this foreign policy expert who is sought after by all the networks took the time to talk to our students,” said Garrison. “What a tremendous resource for all of us.”
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Florida House Representative Sam Garrison (center) meets with St. Johns students (and U.S. Government teacher Gayle Simpson Garrison ’94) on Clay Day.
“It was an amazing trip,” said Maggie Pizzi. “Not only was it fun, but it changed my daunting outlook on poli tics. I always thought it was a menacing and personally attacking situation like how politics are displayed on TV, but in reality there is a greater sense of camaraderie than I realized.”“Thiswas so personalized to us and it has so much more effect on our everyday lives,” said Matthew Stratton. “Going to DC was cool because we got to see these iconic monuments and buildings, but it didn’t compare to the access we had in Tallahassee.”
Clay Day 2022
The 6th Annual Clay County Legislative Day took place in Tallahassee on Thursday, February 17, with attendance from seven St. Johns seniors and U.S. Government teach er Gayle Simpson Garrison ’94. Attending seniors included John Cabrera, Walker Cow herd, Sean Gregson, Emelia Morton, Maggie Pizzi, Trevor VanKempen, and Matthew Stratton. Students toured the floor of the House of Represen tatives, heard from a staffer and a lobbyist, and toured the capitol and galleries. They also met up with Chris Schoonover ’00, who is a lobbyist in Tallahassee, and had a BBQ lunch provided by the Cattlemen’s Association of ClayRepresentativeCounty.
Sponsored by the Student Council, the Upper School End-of-Year Party was a festive way to close out the year. At the conclusion of the Upper School Awards Assembly and Senior Dru Detlefsen’s college signing to play soccer at Chowan, Upper School students changed out of their uniforms (for the most part) and convened on the softball field for food, fun, and surprising friends with color bombs.
First runner up Shannon Hodges ’23 2nd runner up—Jules Raimondi ’24
The People’s Choice winner, with over $300 in her voting box, was Jules Overall,Raimondi.theevent raised $2,000 for Rise Against CongratulationsHunger.to Emma Schultz ’23, Kennedy Brown ’23, Lily Weldon ’23, and Susannah Goodwin ’22, who all put in many hours coordinating the show, and a big shout out to John Cabrera ’22, who jumped in as emcee when Mr. St. Johns Walker Cowherd ’22 was unavoidably late. “It was a true team effort that demonstrated just how great our students are,” said event sponsor Heather Velasco.
In May, St. Johns’ Interact Club participated in the Relay for Life event at Orange Park Mall, raising more than $2,300 in support of the American Cancer Society. Freshman Shane Reaves won the Der by “horse” race for St. Johns and Callum Steiner ’22 participated in the Anything But Clothes fashion show. Way to go, Interact Club!
Miss Congeniality—Jane Garrison ’25
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End-of-Year Party
Relay for Life
OnMissCongratulations,St.Johns2022!abeautifulSaturdaynightinApril, the Miss St. Johns pageant was back in action with 10 contestants who each left it all on the stage and put on a very entertaining show.Hearty congratulations to our new Miss St. Johns, Grace McNulty ’25! Other winners include:
Second, Grade 6 student Cam Cooper ’28 led the team in scoring and was 20th overall in Jack sonville. Cooper was named All-News4jax Boys Basketball Honorable Mention, All First-Coast Honorable Mention, and FACA District 6 Inde pendent Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Coach Gibson himself also earned that honor and was named FACA District 6 Inde pendent Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.
secured the title 2A District 2 Runner Up after a hard-fought game against Trinity Christian Academy. The Spartans lost that particular fight but still advanced into Regionals, at Peniel Baptist where they won 5-1, sending them to Regional Semifinals.
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Mary Kate Kent ’24 hit the 1,000 point mark this season, and Coach Bronston presented her with a customized basketball to commemorate the occasion.
SpartanBoysBasketballBoysBasketball saw a number of highlights in their 2022 season.
First, Coach Gibson’s Youth Movement gained traction as he started three Middle School players and one from Grade 9, Grayson Moody.
InSoftballearlyMay,Softball
SpartanGirls Girls Basketball Coach Yolanda Bron ston was once again voted 2A Coach of the Year, and junior guard Taliah Scott earned state Class 2A Player of the Year and Dairy farmer’s 2A Player of the Year while both led the Spartans through another great season. “From the outside looking in,” said Bronston, “it is easy to see all of the accolades but what people don’t see are the countless hours of training that Taliah puts in to hone her craft and the sacrifices that she makes to be the best.”
“Mary Kate is one of the hardest working athletes that I have ever met and had the opportunity to coach,” said Bronston. “She has earned the reputation in the wom en’s basketball community around the state as a very coachable, hard worker who is constantly working on
Athletics
In regional competition, St. Johns’ Girls Weightlifting had a tremen dous day of competition with several placing: Evelyn Hanson and Addison Frisbee both qualified for State, so, in only their second season of existence, Girls Weightlifting not only took it all the way to the State Championships, but won! In Febru ary, the team headed into the State Championships and Addison Frisbee pushed her way to the State Championship in snatch. Evelyn Hanson snagged 6th place, while in Traditional, Hanson took 10th and Frisbee slotted Congratulations13th.to both girls and Coach Justin Frisbee on another great season. Rotary Athlete of the Quarter This spring, St. Johns was honored to once again be home to Orange Park Rotary’s Athlete of the Quarter as the group honored Addison Frisbee ’24 for her tremendous work in Girls Weightlifting. Shown here with Spar tan alumni dad and Rotarian John Linge (left) and Director of Athletics Traci Peacock Livingston ’90.
Snatch: Addison Frisbee—Regional Champion Evelyn Hanson ’22—Regional Runner-up Mia Morin ’22—5th place Meg Fackler ’23—7th place Traditional: Evelyn Runner-upHanson—Regional Addison Frisbee—4th place Mia Morin—7th place Sasha Wallace ’24—18th place
InTennis2022,many of our Spartan tennis play ers advanced to District Finals, including Luke Pardo ’22, Ben Payton ’24, Dru Detlefsen ’22, Stella Hyatt ’23, Calli Berrang ’26, Lauryn Mateo ’23 and Jolie Ouattara ’22 in singles finals. And in boys and girls doubles line 1 John Cabrera ’22/ Zach Hyatt ’27, Stella Hyatt ’23/Calli Berrang ’26 and Line 2 doubles Ben Payton ’24/ Dru Detlefsen ’22 and Lauryn Mateo ’23/ Ashlyn Anderson ’24 all advanced to semifinals.ThoughDistricts were tough, Stella Hy att (singles) and Stella and Calli (doubles) advanced to the State Championships at the end of April, where they stormed through two rounds to the individual girls doubles semifinal. They won their first match against St. Andrew’s and the quar terfinal against Florida High School, but their advance was halted in a straight set to a tough duo from Miami’s True North Classical. In singles competition, Hyatt advanced to the semifinals before falling to Grandview Prep.
School News Briefs ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 15
Girls Weightlifting
Congratulations, Spartans!
CabreraJohnbyPhoto ’24AuchterGeorgebyPhotosCabreraJohnbyPhoto
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OnSoccerFebruary 1, both boys and girls soccer teams became the 2022 Class 2A District 4 champions, the girls leading St. Joseph’s Academy 8-0 and the boys taking St. Joseph’s 3-1. Spartan Boys fell in Regionals, but the girls charged on to Deland and the State Championship contest. On Feb ruary 23, the St. Johns Country Day School Girls Soccer team garnered their 11th straight State Championship and 14th overall State Championship title. Under the direction of Coach Mike Pickett ’83, the team overcame a tight first half in which the Shorecrest Prep Chargers met and turned back every attempt at a goal. But at the 55-minute mark, Southern Mississippi-com mit Julia Boaventura ’22 knocked one in past Shorecrest’s top-notch goalie. After breaking the 0-0 tie, the Spartans loosened up and played on, allowing Boaventura to hit another one in just four min utes later, bringing the game to a 2-0 close and securing the legacy for another generation of Spartans.TheSpartans now trail St. Thomas Aquinas’ 15-Cham pionships lead in the state record books by only one title.
’23WilliamsSemajbyPhoto’22GarrisonBethMarybyPhotos School News Briefs ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 17
Track & Field After another great track & field season, St. Johns went into Districts with a tremendous day of competition at Bishop Snyder. The team earned 6 individual District Championships, 4 District Runner Ups, and 9 Top 3 Finishes, advancin grunners to Regionals in 14 events. Regionals came at the beginning of March and eight Spartans qualified for the State Championships: Walker Cowherd ’22, Zion Dugan ’22, Teague Dunagan ’27, Marcus Giles ’28, Ava Johnson ’23, Arlo Kistner ’27, Richard Nichols ’24, and Matthew Stratton ’22. After a traditional Spartan sendoff featuring sirens, police lights, and lots of cheering, competitors made their way to State, where five athletes made the podium: Matthew Stratton earned 1A State Cham pion in the 3200m, and the Spartan 4x800 relay team of Richard Nichols, Walker Cowherd, Matthew Stratton, and homeschooled athlete Graham Myers placed 6th and medaled for the Spartans.BaseballComingoutrunners-up (to Stoneman Douglas) of the National High School Invitational tour nament, in Cary, NC, was a tough act to follow for Spartan Baseball, and the team continued to show their mettle throughout the season. “It was a tremendous year,” said Head Coach Tom Lucas. The team went 23-5 to win 20 plus games for the third consecutive year (2020 not counted due to the COVID-19 season) and won its 3 district title. “I couldn’t be more proud of this team and everything they accom plished,” said Lucas, particularly the seniors. “This senior class worked as hard as any group I have had and have raised the bar for future teams. They have left this pro gram better than they found it and set a standard for all to follow.”
Performing Arts
School News Briefs 18 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022
’24LentiniGiannaPhoto:’24MorinAvabyPhoto
presented Cinderella—the classic story of a young woman who is treated like a maid after finding herself in the care of her cruel stepmother and stepsisters. Through never-ending mistreatment, an invitation to the royal ball gives Cinderella hope that she might reunite with the stranger she met in the woods, but her stepmother prevents her from going. Fortunately, her fairy godmother steps in and provides her with a dazzling dress and a horse-drawn carriage so she can attend the ball. Then, after danc ing with Cinderella at the ball, Prince Charming searches to find the beautiful woman who fits the shoe she left behind because he never quite caught her Stepsisters—andname.sisters
ThisByCinderellaAvaMorin’24spring,St.Johns
in real life—Mary Beth Garrison ’22 and Jane Garrison ’25 and stepmother, Reagan Wagstaff ’25, brought the show to life as they really stepped into character. And show stars Cordelia Painter ’24 and Zion Dugan ’22, playing the main roles of Cinderella and Prince Charming, sang with great ease. The inclu sion of great props, sets, and amazing talent definitely made this production one to watch!
PhotobyAvaMorin’24
First, the Grade 5 Chorus, Middle School Chorus, and St. Johns Singers presented a Spring Choral Concert, featuring a variety of selections ranging from Taylor Swift to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Seasons of Love.” The Grade 5 Trio, consisting of Ellie Espinosa, Matilda Morris, and Olivia Morris, presented the 1931 folk song, “Cups,” popularized by Anna Kendrick in the 2012 movie, Pitch Perfect. In the St. Johns Singers’ performances, seniors Noelle Sanford and J.D. Lewis (below) performed solos and the Tenor/Bass Chorus presented a moving rendition of “In the Still of the Night.”
Spring Band and Choral Concerts
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Each Spring, the Performing Arts Department presents two concerts—both from the bands and St. Johns’ choral groups—to cap off the School year.
The next night, Grade 5 Band, Concert (Middle School) Band, and Symphon ic Band presented a Spring Pops Concert, featuring a variety of selections including themes from Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and Pirates of the Carib bean. The evening kicked off with the Percussion Ensemble presenting “Tubz,” by Josh Gottry, a feat of not only musical accomplishment, but also teamwork and coordination. Zion Dugan ’22 joined Symphonic Band on bass for the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” and Dean of Middle School Mr. Pat Rodifer took to the drum set for Stevie Wonder’s “Super stition.” Director of Bands Mr. Michael Warren also took the opportunity to host Senior Night, presenting a rose (and a few questions) to each senior. It was a beautiful, heartfelt night full of fabulous music.
USC Band Clinic
Three students participated in the University of South Carolina Band Clinic, which is among the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor band events. Sophomores Torrin Heinrichs, Sofia Conde, and Timmy Jackson (shown L-R), all performers in St. Johns’ Symphonic (Upper School) Band, participated Feb ruary 11-13, 2022 in a weekend of music-making and learning.
Visual Arts
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As a part of St. Johns’ ongoing collaboration with White Oak Conservation, throughout the year, students of all ages were learning about and studying the tiger. White Oak has several tigers on its Yulee conservation property, and Grade 6 art students took a day to go to White Oak and visit them. But first, they put their tiger knowledge into practice creating this amazing tiger mural, below, depicting tigers of all shapes and sizes in their natural habitat. “Students studied the Malayan tiger,” said Visual Arts Department Chair and Grade 6 art teacher Anna Reynolds. “The mural features the palm oil plantations and deforestation that has displaced the tropical forests where the Malayan tigers live.”
The Year of the Tiger
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30 Earn Scholastic Art Awards In February, St. Johns was proud to celebrate thirty students who were honored with nearly 100 awards in this year’s Scholastic Art Awards--the na tion’s most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Their work was recognized by a panel of creative professionals from across Northeast Florida as the most outstanding work submitted among more than 2,600 entries and students were celebrated at an awards ceremony Saturday, February 12, at the FloridaAcrossTheater.St.Johns’ submissions, overall awards included 19 Gold Keys, 43 Silver Keys, and 34 Honorable Mentions. Recognized artists include: George Auchter ’24 Brooks Burson ’23 Kassie Burton ’22 Calli Berrang ’26 Kaiya Cooper ’22 William Cooper ’23 Josie Dinkins ’23 Drake Dubois ’26 Addison Ellis ’22 Rowan Fix ’24 Emma Gonzales ’22 Kinley Hall ’22 Sam Hopkins ’23 Keaton Keiter ’26 Anna Kemp ’23 Marshall Martin ’23 Brice McLellan ’26 Cookie Myers ’23 Riley Myers ’22 Lulu Nowicki ’23 Daniela Oceguera ’23 Gabriela Oceguera ’25 Maggie Pizzi ’22 Reyden Rivera ’26 Noelle Sanford ’22 Sydney Schmidt ’26 Emma Schultz ’23 Emily Steckler ’26 Ella Wilkes ’23 Sophia Woolard ’24 Notably, St. Johns artists earned a Gold Key in every available category this year. Categories include Senior Portfolios; Design; Architecture & Industrial Design; Photography; Printmaking; Ceramic; Mixed Media; Sculpture; Drawing; Painting; Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation; and American Visions. In judging submissions, jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards’ core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. School News Briefs 22 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022
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ClassCongratulations,of2022!
BACCALAUREATE 24 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Graduation 2022
As Weber read each graduate’s name, she created a beautiful opportunity for togetherness, not just for the senior class, but for their combined families as well.
“I pray that each of you will leave St. Johns tomorrow as graduates and go out into the world making a difference wherever you are,” said Weber, “remembering that you are a beloved child of God.”
On Friday, May 27, the Class of 2022 made its way down the aisle at Orange Park’s Grace Episcopal Church for the Baccalaureate service that would precede their graduation. The venue for Bacca laureate has changed a bit over the years, but the service was just as beautiful as always.
Seniors and their families gathered to pause the craziness of graduation activities, to reflect, ac knowledge, and celebrate the accomplishments of their seniors, and to look ahead to the future.
After an invocation by Owene Weber Courtney ’73, Senior Abbie Campbell read the lesson, and Courtney returned to deliver the Baccalaureate Address, encouraging each graduate to seize the wisdom and strength given to them both by God and by their time at St. Johns.
ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 25 Graduation 2022
The interlude was brief before everyone gathered to gether again, this time at Thrasher-Horne Center for Commencement. The seniors had already had a rehearsal that morning, but for parents, it is hard to rehearse the emotions of seeing your child walk across that stage, finally. The seniors all looked stunning in their white dresses and dinner tuxedos, and after they processed to Pomp and Circumstance, the ceremony moved quickly to the Presentation of Awards and student speakers. After an introduction by 2022-2023 Student Council President Hunter Hopkins, two speakers, elected by the seniors themselves, took the podium. First, Mary Beth Garrison spoke from the heart, and from the hearts of all the se niors, as she took a collective tone in speaking about the School’s mission and gratitude—gratitude for the many individuals and events that have helped get the seniors where they are today. “There are so many people and experiences that I am grateful for,” said Garrison, “and I’ll speak for the class as a whole, when I say that we would be completely different people without the St. Johns experience.” Closing with a raft of thanks for more experiences than she could even name, Garrison ended her speech with a quote from Eckhart Tolle: Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the founda tion for all abundance.
Garrison’s talk was a tough act to follow, but the more-than-able Kinley Hall hit it out of the park in comparing the class to a circus—”entertaining, loud, colorful, full of talented people, and a little weird. We’re full of athletes, brainiacs, survivalists, entertain ers, and yet we all come together to create one big show.” She went on to list the talents and abilities of her fellow classmates. Working her way from Brad’s bottomless lunch box to Kassie’s marketing skills, from lunchtime ziplines to Mia’s quizlets and flashcards, Hall lauded each individual for their talent and important role in making the circus so successful. “In all seriousness, ya’ll,” she said, “these past four years have been an insane and crazy mess that have led us to this point. I am so proud of what we have all accomplished and I am excited to see where life takes us. One day in the near and dear future, we are going to step into a new circus and we may even have a dif ferent role. But keep working hard and never give up. As Mordecai puts it in Esther 4, ‘And who knows, but that you were made for such a time as this.’” With that, the diplomas were bestowed and the Class of 2022 was presented.
Congratulations, new St. Johns alumni!
COMMENCEMENT 26 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022
Back row: Andrew Britts, Luke Pardo, Trevor VanKempen, John Cabrera, JD Lewis, and Dru Detlefsen
Lifers: St.
Front row: Evelyn Hanson, Angie Arellano, Riley Myers, Mary Beth Garrison, Emma Gonzales, Kinley Hall, Noelle Sanford, and Addie Ellis Johns
Students Since Preschool ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 27 Graduation 2022
Members of the Class of 2022 Angela Cristina Arellano St. Johns Student Since Preschool Member, National Honor Society Sanaa Anyai-Shantel Bass Ethan Jodel Beauvais Julia Oliveira Boaventura Member, National Honor Society Andrew Michael Britts St. Johns Student Since Kindergarten Kassie Ann Burton John Francisco Cabrera St. Johns Student Since Preschool Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society Abigail Bree Campbell Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society Kaiya Lee Cooper Member, National Honor Society Lauren Nicole Correia Member, National Honor Society Stanley Walker Cowherd IV Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society Dru David Detlefsen St. Johns Student Since Kindergarten Zion Judah Dugan Addison Elizabeth Ellis St. Johns Student Since Kindergarten Member, National Honor Society Mary Elizabeth Garrison St. Johns Student Since Kindergarten Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society Heinrich Scholar Emma Nicole Gonzales St. Johns Student since Kindergarten Susannah Parker Goodwin Member, National Honor Society Sean Michael Gregson Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society National Merit Finalist Heinrich Scholar Kinley Spencer Hall St. Johns Student Since Preschool Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society Evelyn Luisa Hanson St. Johns Student Since Preschool Member, National Honor Society Adan Quinn Herrera Member, National Honor Society Bradley Eugene Hodges Finn Garrett Howell Member, National Honor Society Jude Lawson Howell Member, National Honor Society Cooper Lucas Hunt 28 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Graduation 2022
Josiah Ercell Jones Hannah Catherine Lemieux Member, National Honor Society Jeramy David Lewis St. Johns Student Since Preschool Member, National Honor Society Jaidy Alejandra Mejia-Andrade John Edward Minners Member, National Honor Society Kiera Morgan Moisan Member, National Honor Society Dalton Tyce Moore Member, National Honor Society Jonathan Donald Moore Member, National Honor Society Mia Imelda Morin Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society National Merit Scholar Robert Brent Morris Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society National Merit Scholar Emelia Patrice Morton Member, National Honor Society Riley Madison Myers St. Johns Student Since Kindergarten Member, National Honor Society Lillian Elliott Ouattara Member, National Honor Society Luke Phillip Pardo St. Johns Students Since Kindergarten Member, National Honor Society Anh-Khoi Pham Clayton Rusty Philpott Margaret Schley Pizzi Member, National Honor Society Owen William Roth Nathan Lenarde Rowan II Member, National Honor Society Noelle Jessica Sanford St. Johns Student Since Preschool Member, National Honor Society Ariel Gil Sauer Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society National Merit Scholar Heinrich Scholar Justin Michael Shipman Callum Michael Steiner Member, National Honor Society Member, Cum Laude Society Matthew Gregory Stratton Member, National Honor Society Jordan Emilio Taylor Member, National Honor Society Kamryn Ainsley Towers Trevor Grayson VanKempen Serenity Tamya Williams ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 29 Graduation 2022
Edwin Paul Award:Heinrich John Francisco Cabrera Dora Helen Skypek Award: Mia Imelda Morin The Roddey R. Fisher Award: Mary Elizabeth Garrison Linda C. Guswiler Athletic Award: Evelyn Luisa Hanson Stephen F. Russey Best All-Around Young Woman: Abigail Bree Campbell Stephen F. Russey Best All-Around Young Man & Valedictorian Award: Ariel Gil Sauer Captain Borries Cup: Bradley Eugene Hodges & Jordan Emilio Taylor 30 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Graduation 2022
Instrumental Music Award: Ariel Gil Sauer Art Award: Riley Madison Myers Drama Award For Theatrical Performance: Zion Judah Dugan Drama Award For Technical Theatre: Clayton Rusty Philpott Mary Virginia Fisher French Award: Mary Elizabeth Garrison Spanish Award: Mia Imelda Morin Science Award: Sean Michael Gregson English Award: John Francisco Cabrera and Mary Elizabeth Garrison Music Vocal Award: Noelle Jessica Sanford Cynthia C. Landry History Award: Abigail Bree Campbell Carol A. Hart Math Award: Abigail Bree Campbell Computer Science Award: Ariel Gil Sauer Graduation Awards ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 31 Graduation 2022
53 Graduates $6.5M Received in scholarship offers 14 St. Johns students since preschool 17 Florida AcademicFuturesBrightScholars 12 Florida MedallionFuturesBrightScholars 12 Will play sports at the college level 8 Gold and Silver Key Scholastic Art WinnersAward 2 National Silver Medal Winners 20 2022 AP Scholars* 4 NationalScholarsMerit ~8800 Hours ofservicecommunity Class of 2022 Fast Facts * The “AP Scholar” designation is granted to students who received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. 32 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Graduation 2022
Appalachian State University Auburn University Barry GeorgeFullFloridaFloridaFloridaFloridaFloridaFloridaFlaglerEmmanuelEmbry-RiddleEckerdEasternColoradoCollegeCoastalClemsonChowanBrevardBerryBelmontBaylorUniversityUniversityUniversityCollegeCollegeUniversityUniversityCarolinaUniversityofCoastalGeorgiaSchoolofMinesFloridaStateCollegeCollegeAeronauticalUniversityCollegeCollegeAtlanticUniversityGulfCoastUniversityInstituteofTechnologyPolytechnicUniversitySouthernCollegeStateUniversitySailUniversityWashingtonUniversity Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Southern University Holy Cross College at Notre Dame Indiana LouisianaLouisianaKeukaJacksonvilleUniversityUniversityCollegeStateUniversityStateUniversity Shreveport Lynn St.Sewanee:SavannahSantaSamfordSalemRollinsRhodesRensselaerPurduePennNovaNiagaraNewcastleNewMorehouseUniversityCollegeCollegeofFloridaUniversityUniversitySoutheasternUniversityStateUniversityUniversityPolytechnicInstituteCollegeCollegeCollegeUniversityFeCollegeCollegeofArtandDesignTheUniversityofTheSouthBonaventureUniversity St. Petersburg College Stetson TallahasseeSyracuseUniversityUniversityCommunity College University of Alabama University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Central Florida University of Edinburgh University of Florida University of Kansas University of Miami University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Florida University of Oregon University of South Carolina University of South Florida University of Southern Mississippi University of Tennessee University of Virginia University of Waterloo University of West Florida Valdosta State University Virginia Commonwealth University The following colleges and universities accepted members of the Class of 2022: ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 33 Graduation 2022
EXPERIENCE WINTERIM
In January, St. Johns hosted its inaugural Winterim, a short period between Winter Break and the start of the second semester when students engage in targeted activities with an eye toward expanding their horizons, providing them with new opportunities, and just giving them a chance to breathe and relax in the transition from one semester to the next. This year, Winterim took place January 4-7. The seniors traveled to Washington, DC for their curricular tour of our nation’s capital. In collaboration with the Close Up Foundation, a nonprofit educational institution, they had inside access to political experts and policymakers who helped them grapple with current issues and provided inside access. They discovered the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, checked out local art and architecture, toured Capitol Hill and the White House, and much more. What an amazing week!
Grade 9 students took advantage of many community service opportunities available throughout our area and put themselves to good work both on and off campus. Groups traveled to the North Florida School for Special Education and Hope Therapy, among others. “Service is an important part of community,” said Director of Student Life Ian Gibson. “Learning how to give to others, to give back, is not only an important skill but an important part of living a full life.” St. Johns’ hope is that by allowing our students to step into service early in their high school careers, they’ll set habits and passions that continue throughout their lives—a lifetime of passion for service.
The junior class took part in St. Johns’ traditional intern project, where Grade 11 students found and assumed internships around the Jacksonville area in career paths of interest to them. The ongoing pandemic made this more challenging than usual as many workplaces weren’t accepting interns (or any out-ofoffice visitors), but St. Johns students spent time shadowing professional photographers, interning with physician assistants, and some even spent time as teaching interns right here at St. Johns. Sophomores availed themselves of innovative course offerings right on campus. From film studies to quilting, the history of rock ’n roll to money management, sophomores were able to choose from and fill out their schedules with a variety of courses designed to peak their interest and cultivate their passions. For example, in Case Studies in Medicine, students stepped into roles as doctors for the week, and worked to simulate formulating a diagnosis, order work-ups, and develop patient treatment plans. They learned how medicine is related to science and overviewed the body’s systems before embarking on Winterim core projects on a selected topic. And, in Essentials of Adulting, Ms. Rachel Robison ’09 taught students how to plan a meal, do the laundry, make spaghetti, and even create (and stick to!) a household budget.
34 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Winterim
Seniors in Washington, DC Freshman service activity at Hope Therapy
—Head of School Valorie Baker
ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Winterim35
“Winterim is an intentional time set aside to allow Upper School students to explore something new, or gain traction in their current pursuits. The Winterim experiences are rooted in our Core Competencies to seek solutions, accept responsibility, and create collaboration, while cultivating curiosity and helping students reach beyond what is familiar.”
16th Annual St. Johns Spartans Golf Tournament The 16th Annual St. Johns Spartans Golf Tournament was held on Friday, April 22, 2022 at Eagle Harbor Golf Club. Corporate and family sponsorships, 25 foursome registrations and additional charitable giving on this day netted nearly $40,000 in support of St. Johns’ studentathletes, coaches, and the athletic department.Congratulations to our winners of the day, the Vogt family, and in second place, John and Marion Detlefsen. Mark your calendar now for the 17th Annual St. Johns Spartans Golf Tournament, Friday, April 21, 2023! Thank You! Left to right Ryan Vogt, Tripp Vogt ’23, Addy Vogt ’25, and Marlen Vogt Sr.John and Marion Detlefsen Presenting Sponsor: St. Johns Investment Management Co. Title Sponsor: Walker Footings, Inc. Lunch Sponsors: Weather NicholsW.J.nRollTechEngineersSapp&Son,Inc.&Pina,LLLP. Gold Sponsors: The Bailey Group VyStar Investment Services The Weber Group - Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Allstate Steel Company Turf Doctor Landscaping & Lawn Beverage Sponsor: Southern Enclosures Enterprises, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Bill and Tanya Powers Hole Sponsors: FutureICG Home Loans Trevett Companies, LLC La TheNopaleraDobbertien Family North FL Soccer Academy Mustang Marketing Growing Healthy Smiles Pediatric Dentistry Aiosa and Hoffman Orthodontics Preferred Physical Therapy The O’Steen Family Weaver Stratton Dentistry In Memory of Bob Huff ’82 Special Thanks to Our Event Sponsors St. Johns Spartans Golf Tournament 36 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022
DON'T MISS ADAY AT THE DOWNS M A Y 7S A T U R D A Y 4 : 3 0 P . M . SJCDS.NET/DERBY TICKETS: ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 37
A Day at the Downs Thank you to all the parents, family, friends, faculty, and staff who helped make our Spring fundraiser, A Day at the Downs, such a fun success. We had a wonderful afternoon filled with great food, good friends, and all things from the Bluegrass State, all to benefit St. Johns’ Lower School playground improvement project. A huge thank you and kudos to Timmy Jackson ’24, who kicked off the event by playing a fabulous rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home,” and to everyone who bought tables or made donations. You helped us raise more than $50,000 toward the Lower School Playground Improvement Project. Thank you!
What is the St. Johns Fund? St. Johns Country Day School relies upon funds above and beyond tuition to cover the costs of delivering an outstanding educational experience. The St. Johns Fund, our annual giving program, works to make our School’s needs and wants a reality, providing the best possible education, environment, tools, and technology for Spartans of today and tomorrow. It’s fundamental to the School’s operating budget and the reason we are so deeply appreciative of broad participation from our entire School community: parents, alumni, faculty and staff, parents of alumni, grandparents, and friends of the School. Your gift is a commitment to our students, our faculty, and the St. Johns experience. Every gift, large and small, matters. Thank you! How are contributions used? Your support of the St. Johns Fund fuels every aspect of the St. Johns experience, including: Supporting teachers, coaches, and staff through professional development opportunities Delivering technology to enhance teaching and learning Making enhancements to the campus, buildings, and security Improving student life and co-curricular activities, including trips, equipment, and more Strengthening St. Johns’ financial future. Supporting the 2022-2023 St. Johns Fund Commit to St. TodayJohns sjcds.net/giveOnline: (904)Phone:264-9572 or Text SPARTANS to 243-725 St.Mail:Johns Annual Fund 3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073 38 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022
I developed and subsequently ran a successful FinTech sales team at FIS. We re alized we were missing an entire market segment, so I crafted a strategy to address the segment. I started with two sales reps and over time grew to a team of eight, with the majority of the team members being consistently promoted to more senior roles as they achieved success. We were able to secure a large amount of the market from our competitors and that allowed us to maintain the status of a leader in the FinTechMymarket.advice for current St. Johns students is to get out of their comfort zone. The world is a fast-changing place and you have to adapt. The best way to do that is to live outside the areas of comfort. You should be constantly striving to try new things, read more, and challenge yourself to be better than you were yesterday.
I also encourage the current Spartans of today to take the time to listen to others. You can learn a lot from listening to other points of view. It doesn’t matter if they are older or younger, if they have a more senior position or if they are a new intern to the company. Take the time to listen to others and you will be surprised what you can learn.
“ ” ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 39 Alumni: In Their Own Words
Technology is everywhere in the professional world and most of us could not do our jobs effectively without it. I was lucky enough to be exposed to technology while at St. Johns at a very young age. That early exposure helped to establish a solid foundation for not only my undergraduate and post-graduate degrees but also my career.
Own Words
Nathan Lee ’01 Sales Manager, Treasury –North America for FIS Bachelor’s degree in political science from Jacksonville University Master of business administration from the University of North Florida
InAlumni:Their
Ian Holman ’08 Program manager for IDEMIA Bachelor’s degrees in economics and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia
“ ” 40 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Alumni: In Their Own Words
Hi, my name is Ian Holman and I was a member of the St. Johns class of 2008 and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2012 with degrees in economics and foreign affairs. I currently serve as a program manager for a biomet rics company called IDEMIA, specializing in biometric systems deployed with gov ernment agencies and airports/airlines and cruise lines. On the whole, IDEMIA has a hand in just about anything that helps you prove your identity, from the SIM cards in your phone to manufacturing drivers’ licenses and passports to providing the technology and equipment at TSA checkpoints in the airport that allows you to go through security without handing any ID or boarding pass to a TSAMyagent.roleentails working with clients and our engineering teams to develop and deploy the latest in biometric technology to make it easier to verify passenger identities while also making it easier for the passengers themselves to go through their journey. I am most proud of our work installing the first full airport biometric boarding gates in the US at Los Angeles International Airport. Using these, passengers on 50+ airlines are able to both satisfy US Customs requirements for exiting the country and board their flight using only their face- no physical documents are needed. My job requires some technical knowledge but has much more to do with interacting directly with our clients and being able to organize and manage our engineering teams, which are skills that St. Johns helped me develop.While St. Johns offers excel lent academics, the opportuni ties to get involved in a variety of leadership roles and interact with different stakeholder groups are what really prepared me for being on my own in college, and ultimately out in the real world in my career. Being able to work with all of those groups when St Johns started the football program in 2006, or serving on student government and being able to provide student input during major capital projects like the con struction of the Performing Arts Center (PAC) gave me the opportunity to develop soft skills that are so necessary for any job and can be overlooked in more restrictive environments that don’t place as much trust in the student body. From what I’ve seen since I left in 2008, St. Johns has also done a really great job exposing students to new tech- in particular, the Technology Center is an outstanding resource for students to sharpen their tech skills. Even if you aren’t planning on following a traditional technical/engineering role, having some sort of base knowledge is incredibly important- while I’m not an engineer, I am often asked to translate technical concepts to clients and help them understand how biometrics helps them achieve their business goals- that is a skill that is ALWAYS needed whether you are on the engi neering side or the business side.
Sahaj Patel ’20 Major: Computer Science at the University of Florida Work: 3D Printer Technician at Slice Engineering and Research Assistant at the UF Remote Sensing Lab Internship: Software Engineering/ Machine Learning intern at Corvid Technologies in Huntsville, Alabama.
My advice to current students is to not take the opportunities they have available for granted. Something I realize now more than ever was that my high school experience is an outlier in com parison to most people I interact with nowadays. That is because St. Johns provides countless op portunities, and better yet if one doesn’t exist St. Johns will allow you to create yourMyown.greatest lesson in college so far has to be understanding when to take a step back and breathe. I have had countless semesters with over 15 credits of coursework and multiple jobs, in which it was too easy to get burnt out. The importance of finding something that allows me to take that step back has been a game-changer. In my case, it is playing tennis with friends and taking latenight walks around campus.
The greatest lesson that St. Johns taught me was how to use a diverse skill set to achieve great things. It’s more intrinsic so I cannot provide a great example but being a Spartan since PreSchool taught me to be resourceful, which is an essential skill to have. My dreams are a big question mark at this moment, but I know for a fact that I will start my own venture at some point in my career. I keep my goals focused, yet directed so that I don’t lose sight of the journey to get where I want to be. Most likely my future will be much of what I am doing now, building drones and playing around with artificial intelligence and machine learning.
St. Johns gave me the platform that allowed me to discover what I want to pursue for my career. Ultimately, between the teachers that believed in me and the cooperation of the school’s admin to help make my short-term goals a reality, St. Johns played a large part in preparing me for success. I want to give a special shout-out to Mr. Howard for giving me a great introduction to computer science, and Ms. Gorman for believing that we could transform the STEM program at the school.Mygreatest accomplishment is a combination of things. On a surface level, it would be building the Tech Lab to where it was prior to my graduation. Deeper down, however, my greatest accomplishments are the friendships, experiences, and memories that came from the whole process.
“ ” ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 41 Alumni: In Their Own Words
“ ” 42 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Alumni: In Their Own Words
What goes into becoming a professional in your field? Maybe it is years of experience on the job, countless hours perfecting your technical skills, or simply knowing the right people. From my experi ence, especially in the technology field, the best thing you can have is a great foundation in learning, communication, and collabora tion. My belief is that my time at St. Johns gave me this foundation – and more. I’ve always felt that a great education teaches more than important things to know like American history or mathematics. A good education might do just that, but a great one also teaches you how to learn. Mas ter the skill of learning and you can learn anything.
Thinking this way really started during my time at St. Johns but practicing this skill helped me push myself all the way through college including two degrees at the University of Florida and the University of North Florida and into my career with a role at a predominant financial tech company here in the Jacksonville area. My advice is to keep this in mind when you are faced with new things to learn, especially if you find the new material particularly challenging. Maybe you even feel like what you are learning does not seem particularly important right now. Remember that it is not just about what you are learning, it is also about enjoying the process of learning and becoming better at it. “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel” - Socrates There are many ways to make yourself stand out in the tech industry. Becoming a Javascript wizard or the resident Python genius sounds like a good place to start and it is in a way. But for me, what really helped me stand out was being more than technically proficient: I was able to communicate effectively with peers and prospective employers. This is often the challenge, whether that means talking to a non-technical co-work er or trying to show off your skills to a prospective employer. Fortunately, these are skills easily learned through practice and that is where St. Johns stepped in for me. I remember first having to write papers every week for one class in my junior year of high school and thinking “how is that even possible?” After just a few months it felt much easier and by the end of the school year it felt normal. That alone greatly prepared me for the writing expectations of college and gave me the skills I needed to be able to communicate with prospective employers and co-workers. Being able to communicate effectively leads into another important foundational skill: collaboration.
My final piece of advice for the students of St. Johns is this: hold onto those dreams of yours. Follow them – no matter what life throws at you – and you will find happiness.
I like to compare my professional life to one giant group project and, believe it or not, that is one of the best parts about working in tech. Sometimes it just takes one person with the right attitude and experience working in a group environment to push everyone on the team to be as successful as they can be. My goal has always been to be that one person. The truth is, as a St. Johns student, you are already prepared to do just that. For one thing, there are plenty of group projects to experience that will help you feel ready. But, more importantly, there is the strong sense of community that is innate to St.Johns. That feeling of duty towards and respect for your fellow students, whether they are in your class or an entirely different part of the school.
When someone falls down, the culture of this school teaches you to pick them back up so everyone can succeed together. Use that same attitude in your future career and success will surely follow.
Greg Murray ’13 Software engineer at SS&C Advent Bachelor of arts in anthropology from the University of Florida Bachelor of science in computing and information sciences from the University of North Florida
“ ” ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 43 Alumni: In Their Own Words
During my time at St. Johns, I feel that com munity and building relationships were something that I took away. In elementary school, I knew all the names of the teachers, students, and coach es who were above me and below me. I had an uncle, cousin, and brother who came before me and four more cousins who came after me and I felt some sort of responsibil ity to know who was in their lives. St. Johns was a place for family and community. The relationships between teachers, coaches, and students were more than just in the classroom or on the court, it was someone I could count on, trust, and come to for advice, mentorship, and guidance in any situation. A sense of community, building a network, and developing a brand for yourself were all things that I value from my time at St. Johns and that are important in any job and especially in IT.
St Johns also taught me to be curious, ask ques tions, and seek out knowledge. As someone who was never the smartest in the room, I was always asking questions of my peers and trying to learn from those around me who had different strengths than I did. It was always fulfilling to learn new concepts or ideas and listen to my classmates who had differing opinions. As someone who stepped into IT with no prior knowledge or expertise, I relied heavily on the men and women in my field to teach me about different technologies, their responsibilities, and their experiences. Having curiosity and a hunger to expand your mind can allow you to grow professionally and personally.
If you had told me at 15 that I would be working in the IT field, I would have told you to pound sand. But here I am, making my way through daily conversations with IT profes sionals, managers, and CEOs about developing trade applica tions in Java, building CI/CD pipelines, SQL Server Manage ment, product backlog groom ing, and ETL processes—and understanding it. As a talent partner and recruiter, I work with organizations to help them source and hire tal ent, mainly within IT. I’ve hired UX designers, data engineers, desktop support technicians, SQL developers, C#/.Net developers, front and back end developers, and database architects. Over the last 4 years, I have helped over 250 professionals find careers within Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and enterprise-level organizations across different environments like retail and fashion, finance and banking, streaming and entertainment, and health care. And I majored in editing, writing, and media. Although I’m not sure I have had my ‘greatest accomplishment’ in my career so far, I can say that I am most proud of the relationships and connections I have built with my candidates and my hiring managers. I value partnership, community, respon sibility, and authenticity in those relationships and that is something that I am very proud of. There is a lack of humanity in the recruiting world, and my personal goals (and job) are to add as much life, trust, and accountability back into it as possible.
My St. Johns experience was a lot of things: hard, exhausting, rewarding, and jam-packed with college ruled paper. But mostly, it was an experience that allowed me to build my confidence, empower my curiosity, and push me to create long-lasting partnerships in my professional career. So, if you are looking for a job in IT, add me on LinkedIn. I’m happy to connect.
Ellie Bright ’14 Talent Partner at Defined Talent Bachelor’s in editing, writing, and media from the University of North Florida
Simeon Register ’05 met up with St. Johns’ Director of Student Life and Head Boys Basketball Coach Ian Gibson for lunch.
Keith Hill ’74 and Bob Wooden ’74 met up for lunch in Cherry Log, GA.
Spartans basketball alumnus Ryan Kelly ’95 gave the team a pep talk prior to their game against the Hilliard Flashes on Monday, January 24.
1980’s John Peden ’87 recently presented at the 41st SICOT (the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology) Orthopaedic World Congress in Budapest, Hungary, He presented his research on suprascapular neuropathy and his recommendations on the surgical management of his pathologic condition of the shoulder.
1970’s Mary Allen Howe, Anne Israel Calhoun, Pamela Simpson Hammond, Peggy Sheffield Slier, Bon Martens, Kim Abbott Brown, and Janet Chambers, all class of ’73, hosted their first annual girls’ weekend in Jekyll Island, Georgia in January. They had a blast catching up with each other!
1990’s In May, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced in May the hiring of Drew Frick ’93, former president of Gate Petroleum Co.’s real estate subsidiary, to lead the team’s Downtown development plans. Frick started the job in April and will coordinate projects including the Sports Performance Center, and Shipyards development.
McCall Cauthen ’97 married Chad Thoemke on April 10, 2022, at the Winterbourne Inn. It was a big family affair and Caris Morgan ’28 made the wedding cake!
2000’s Jessica Palombo Gustafson ’04, WJCT Public Media’s Editorial Director, was selected as one of Jacksonville Business Journal’s Women of Influence honorees for In2022.March
Alumni Notes 44 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Alumni Notes
Vanessa Bowles Beasley ’84 was this spring appointed as the next President of Trinity University (San Antonio, TX). Beasley, currently serving as Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at Vanderbilt University, begins her term in the fall of 2022. She will be the first female president in the school’s 153-year history.
Jim Townsend ’76, the former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO, took a break from a busy day of media interviews to chat with St. Johns’ seniors about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After having just finished their government and AP government classes, the students had many questions about democracies, autocracies, and the rites of war.
Monica McCauley Walker ’07 married Erik Walker on January 8, 2022, at Georgia’s Jekyll Island Club Resort. Her wedding party included St. Johns alumni maid of honor Dr. Michelle McCauley ’06, and bridesmaids Elizabeth Moczynski Benton ’07 and Le’Anna Ray Conner ’07. Other alumni in attendance included Thomas Conner ’07, Dr. Eric Clayman ’07, and Lea Shah ’18, who was Monica’s first grade buddy. Monica is a CPA at BDO USA, LLP and Erik is in investor relations at CSX. They will continue to reside in the Avondale neighborhood of Jacksonville, FL. Philip Robbins ’08 and his wife, Brittany, welcomed their second child, Olivia Nicole, on May 15, 2022. She joins her big brother, Mason. A few days after welcoming their daughter, Philip graduated from Georgetown Law School and will start work at Sidley Austin Law Firm after the bar. Brooke Chancey Shivers ’08 and her husband, Kyle, welcomed their daughter, Brighton Blake Shivers, to the world in January. 2010’s Blair Burke ’10 married Bolling Cranford on March 19, 2022, at their home in Jacksonville. They had a small ceremony with family followed by a larger reception on April 15, 2022, at Timuquana Country Club.
Anna Salas Hatfield ’07 married Ryan Hatfield on January 15, 2022 at St. Augustine’s Saint Anastasia Catholic Church. Bridesmaids included Ashley Salas Landers ’01, Alexis Salas Perry ’03, Katie Longo Cantrell ’06, and Alex Poquette Partridge ’07.
Former teacher Pat Fernandez was awarded the Ernie Cohen Lifetime Achievement Award for her service at the Way Clinic in Green Cove Springs. As a Spanish translator volunteer, she works with doctors, nurses, and patients to facilitate medical treatment and manages the supplies and recycling program. She retired from St. Johns in 2007.
Sean Bowles ’11, Chad Myers ’11, Zac Hayes ’11, Bobby Harris ’11, Dan Schwalbe ’13, Ishaan Madhok ’11, and Joel Haznedl ’11 met up at the Florida vs. Florida State baseball game in March.
Ashton Jarczyk ’16 graduated from the University of North Florida in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a concentration in marketing and advertising. He is currently working on a master’s of science in management (MSM) and will bridge over to an MBA program to focus on finance.
ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 45 Alumni Notes
Lucy Bolt Jones ’10 and Bonner Jones welcomed Callaway “Cal” Kent Jones on May 1, 2022.
Lea Shah ’18 will be attending the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine to pursue her DMD as a member of the Class of 2026.
Natalya Jarczyk ’14 completed a bachelor’s of the arts degree in Psychology in 2018, and then continued her education, earning a bachelor’s of science in nursing from the University of North Florida in spring of 2021. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, and is working as a psychiatric nurse at Denver Health.
Austin Franklin ’12 was selected as one of the experts throughout the United States, UK, and China to share how to effectively craft a leadership statement for UPJOURNEY.com. Kerry Ann Spencer ’14 accepted a position with Ernst & Young in the consulting department as an analyst dealing with financial crimes.
Alumni Basketball Night
On Monday, January 24, the Office of Alumni Relations hosted a basketball gathering for St. Johns alumni families in the Brown Gymnasium. The night began with a girls varsity home game against the Hilliard Flashes, in which Coach Yolanda Bronston and the Spartans came out victorious 67-33. Following the girls game the School provided a catered dinner in the Brown Gymnasium lobby for all to enjoy. Then, to round out the evening, Coach Ian Gibson and the Spartans Boys Basketball Team faced a tough Hilliard Flashes Team at 7:20 p.m. A great time was had by all, and we hope to see you at the next alumni gathering!
Carson Pickett ’12, was named to the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and earned her international cap in the game against Colombia at the end of June. She’s shown here when she stopped by the National High School Invitational Baseball Tournament, in Cary, NC, to visit the Spartan baseball team, offer some words of encouragement, and wish them good luck.
46 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Alumni Notes
Spotted at Baccalaureate this year were Ashton Correia ’19, David Gonzales ’19, and Grayson Hall ’20.
Jean Marie Maierhoffer Petty ’13 and Drew Petty ’13 welcomed Cameron Michael Petty on May 2, 2022. Cameron was born at 9:57pm, weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz., and was a whopping 20.5” long. Jean Marie and Drew are over the moon and very excited that Cameron is “eating like a champ.”
Lauren Hodges ’17 and Thomas Maierhoffer ’17 were married on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at Bowing Oak Plantation in Jacksonville, Florida. Laura Dinkins Maierhoffer ’85 is the Mother of the Groom and Jean Marie Maierhoffer Petty ’13, Drew Petty ’13, Samuel Maierhoffer ’15, Jack Hodges ’20, Meredith Maierhoffer ’19, Brad Hodges ’22, Abigail Maierhoffer ’23, McKenzie Cooper ’17, and Patricia Montgomery ’17 were all in the wedding party.
Debra Buehn, mother of Tim Buehn ’05 and Will Buehn ’07. She was a past President of the St. Johns Parent JohnAssociation.Carpentier, husband of Jamie Carpentier ’97
Kirsten Pavlisko ’18, a senior at Florida State University, joined the Under-23 United States Women’s National Soccer Team for a preseason tournament in Portland, Oregon.
Former Spanish teacher Mrs. Elizabeth “Liz” LeonardHarrisRobert Pavelka, father of Paul Pavelka ’69 and Robert Pavelka ’71
Walter Rogers, father of Arnold Rogers ’65 and Winfield Rogers Duss ’68 George Elliott Adams ’58, died at home in Jacksonville June 3, 2022 We love to hear your news! Alumni, please send your updates to info@sjcds.net. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Jordan Nordin ’14 married Alexis Fazio on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Palm Coast’s Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Club. Groomsmen included Connor Bradley ’14, Evan Carter ’14, Adam Wickes ’14, and Zach Carter ’16. In Memoriam
Natalie Shaykh ’13 got engaged to Ramsey Grisson on March 26, 2022. She also matched with UF Health Jacksonville in Internal Medicine.
ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 47 Alumni Notes
Former art teacher Ann Andreu, mother of Micheal Andreu ’85 and former student Jean-Marie Andreu Dennison
Lifer and Legacy Breakfast In April, legacy students and lifers from the senior class attended a pancake breakfast in their honor. Over 70 alumni, parents, and students attended the breakfast and it was great to have multiple generations of Spartans all in the same room after 2 years! Josh Lewis ’25, JD Lewis ’22, Kinley Hall ’22, and Kelley Lewis Hall ’84 McCall Cauthen Thoemke ’97 with Charlie Morgan ’25 and Caris Morgan ’28 Aime (Tveras) Peterson ’89 and Luke Peterson ’25 Allison” McClow Vogt ’96 with Anderson Vogt ’29, Tripp Vogt ’23, and Addy Vogt ’25 48 ST. JOHNS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Alumni Notes
Published by St. Johns Country Day School Mail: 3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073-6997 Phone: (904) 264-9572 Email: info@sjcds.net Web: sjcds.net Head of School Valorie vbaker@sjcds.netBaker Director of Communications Regan rminners@sjcds.netMinners Director of Development Ryan rtrevett@sjcds.netTrevett St. Johns thanks those who served on the 2021-2022 Board of Trustees: Officers: Eugene B. Nichols , President Daniel W. Hodges , Vice-President Steven W. Conner, Secretary Allan E. Wulbern, Treasurer Nicholas K. Courtney Margaret Rood Gibbs Rick Gregson Immediate Past President Joseph E. Lemieux, Jr. John RobinMaierhofferMcMullen Pamela Petty Craig RichardDanielPhillipsTowersC.M. Wilson Trustee Emeritus: Dr. Steven B. Kailes Headmaster Emeritus: Stephen F. Russey Ex Officio: Valorie Baker, Head of School Members: Homecoming: Friday, October 21, 2022 Save the Date!
College Prep, Redefined.
St. Johns Country Day School 3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073-6997 U.S. NON-PROFITORANGEPAIDPOSTAGEPARK,FLCORP.PERMITNO.58 sjcds.net
Chalice photo contest winner Kiera Morgan ’22 took this vivid photo during 2021 Homecoming Week, on Neon Day, of then-seniors John Cabrera, Owen Roth, JD Lewis, Adan Herrera, Jordan Taylor, Matthew Stratton, and Robert Morris.
